The sound of the customer alarm broke Han from her concentration, and she almost dropped the vial she had held in her hands. She cursed, and quickly placed it down before heading upstairs. Not for the first time, she wondered why she was still running the store upstairs. She made more than enough money with her alchemy now that there was no point in running the store, but a part of her didn't want to let go.

The store had been with her for a while, and she was used to it, although it was annoying each time she had to leave when she working. Usually, only a few people came in each day, but for some reason, in the past week, more had come.

She stomped up the stairs and opened the door to the front of the store. She saw green and immediately thought it was Brooke, but no, it was a male orc, and with a lighter shade of green skin than Brooke. Lighter than most orcs, and when he turned, it became clear he was a half-orc, though she couldn't tell what his other half was.

His eyes were gold and slitted like a serpent, and there were two horns coming up from his forehead. They looked vaguely draconic. Someone with drake blood perhaps? She’d met a lesser sea serpent once. One who’d been of a kind smart enough to learn and use a form of magic. It had been able to take a human form.

“How can I help you?”

An odd look flashed over the orc’s features. Han thought it was sadness, and for some reason, the orc was looking at her like they’d met before, which they hadn't. She would certainly remember meeting a half-orc with horns.

He walked forward, and hesitated, glancing back at the door. “Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, and a light blush appeared on his cheeks. She was instantly reminded of Rick, and a pang of pain shot through her. Her hand reached up for her necklace, and she wrapped a hand around the cool gem.

“Nothing’s wrong,” He said, smiling as he reached down, and pulled something from beneath his shirt. It was a necklace, and when she laid eyes on it, she gasped. “Where did you get that?” Her words were sharp, sharper than she’d ever used on a customer, and she immediately regretted it. It could just be a similar-looking necklace, but it looked just like the one Rick had shown her when she’d asked after some fun. And why had he pulled it out?

His eyes were locked onto her, and there was something about his smile that seemed familiar. Then she felt a heat radiate from her necklace, and her eyes grew blurry as tears formed.

“R-Rick?” She asked the question, even as she dared not hope.

“Hello Han, miss me?”

****

“It looks good,” Zara said as she looked around at the newly finished gym space. Brooke had asked her to come along to check it out as she would be working there. The layout was the same, but the equipment was newer, and they now had enchanted weights. They’d act as normal weights for mundanes, but someone with a mask could see them, and adjust the weight. Stronger paras needed heavier weights, but size could be a problem. They didn't want to lift some giant block. A normal gym weight was much easier and more effective for specific exercises. Despite the magic and all the ways one could grow, some people preferred to grind at the gym and go the more mundane route.

“Why don’t you head upstairs and check out your office,” Brooke suggested.

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Zara nodded and moved out of the main room and up the stairs to the second floor. She smiled as she saw the door with her name on a plaque. It was unlocked, and she stepped in, expecting to find it empty.

Instead, an orc leaned back on a long blue couch, his eyes on her. He was a half-orc and looked to be around her age with two black horns sprouting from his forehead. They looked draconic, and she wondered if he was dragon blood, even as she formed a pattern, and prepared to lock him in place.

His golden serpentine eyes narrowed, and he sat up and raised his hands. “No need for that.”

She didn't drop her spell. “Who are you and what are you doing up here?” Idly she wondered if he was with the workers downstairs, but she dismissed it as she looked him up and down. He was dressed in casual clothing, not a construction uniform, and he’d been lying back. Waiting.

“You can call me Damon,” the half-orc said getting to his feet. “And I’m here for a session.”

Zara scoffed. “We’re not even open for business yet, and who told you about me?”

“Brooke did.” He smiled, and Zara let her gift leave her. Sadness and happiness mixed, along with… love. “Do I know you?”

“You do, Z.” His smile faded and he reached down under his shirt to pull out a necklace.

Zara felt her mind come to a screeching halt, and her spell broke. She staggered at the backlash, even as she reached a hand for her own necklace. As she pulled the ruby out, she felt a heat emanate from it. “How?”

Damon smiled. “It's quite the story. I’d love to go over it in a session. I could use some help. Oh, and is Brooke downstairs? I wanna talk to her after so can you tell her not to leave? I’m lucky you two were here. It would have taken a lot to get into the compound undetected, and…”

Zara didn't hear anything else he said as she rushed forward, and wrapped her arms around him, laughing as they tumbled to the ground.

****

“What is she doing up there,” Brooke muttered as she made her way to the second floor of the reworked gym. She’d been going over things with the workers overseeing the last of the changes and bringing into the last of the new equipment, but that had been ten minutes ago. It was time to leave, and Zara still hadn’t come down. It had been at least two hours.

“Z, it's time to go!” She heard voices quickly quiet down and frowned. “Z, someone in there with?” Had one of the crew not left yet? The man overseeing things hadn't mentioned anybody and had left without issue. She made it to the door, but just as her hand reached out to the door handle, it moved open, and she came face to face with a half-orc. Her eyes moved up to the horns jutting from his head, and she saw Zara over his shoulder, a smile on her face.

“Z, whose this?” The orc was staring at her intently, a small smile on his face. His slitted eyes were slightly red like he’d been crying. “We’re not open yet, y’know? You can’t just bring people in.”

Zara and the orc looked at one another, before he stepped forward, and reached out a hand. She glanced down at it, and considered ignoring it, but then she shook it. He didn't let go immediately. “I’m Damon.”

“Brooke,” She said, trying to pull her hand out.

“I know,” He said as she considered punching him. He still hadn’t let go, and his grip was tight. “Formerly known as Richard Halls.”

Brooke stopped pulling and her eyes shot to orcs, anger rising. She would have struck the orc right then and there, but she noted Zara nodding her head, and the look in his eyes was familiar, as was the blush that rose when she looked him up and down. “You’re an orc?” It was the first thing that popped into her mind. “A half-orc.”

“You approve?”

The hug she crushed him in was her only answer.