Jo had lost count of the number of times she’d seen someone utterly consumed by their drink. Whether they stumbled through life with a constant buzz or transformed into a completely separate person, Jo felt as though she’d seen it all. She’d been around the block a few times, after all.

It came as no surprise to her, then, that she was the only one to understand a word that came from Pavel’s mouth, and thus the one responsible for him.

He’d gotten worse the moment Serena and Werond had left, losing his jovial drunkenness, and insisting that Jo reassure him that he was a good person. Despite her efforts and assurances that he was indeed a decent person, Pavel yelled at her, eyes almost crossed, and shoved himself up from his chair, immediately wobbling backwards into the crowd. Before she and Cruck’aa could stand up, Pavel had disappeared into the throngs of people.

It didn’t take long to find him; in his drunken state, Pavel could only stumble so far. By the time Cruck’aa and Jo shoved their way through to him, Pavel had wrapped his arms around an unfortunate Tiefling sitting alone at a table. With tears streaming down his face, he begged in a slurred tongue for the patron to tell him that he was a good person, a great person, one who could defend anyone from anything. If he weren’t, he’d sobbed, what did he have to live for?

The Tiefling shot them a worried look as Pavel poured his woes onto his shoulder. It had taken both Jo and Cruck’aa to rip them apart, while Pavel wailed about his new ‘friend’. Jo apologized profusely to the Tiefling, as well as everyone around them, as she and Cruck’aa dragged him back to their table, stumbling through the crowds as Pavel continued to lose his mind.

As they approached, Pavel latched onto Cruck’aa, locking the Aarakocra in a tight hug, tears pouring onto him as Cruck’aa struggled to hold Pavel upright. Jo could barely make out what he was saying, and by the time she’d coaxed Pavel off Cruck’aa – thoroughly annoyed and sufficiently tear stained – and back into his chair, Pavel had had enough.

Like a torch snuffed out, he slumped over the table, face pressed against the sticky wood, and with a single hiccup, passed out completely. Jo pressed an anxious finger against his neck and breathed a sigh of relief when she felt his pulse. She knew he wasn’t dead, but she’d never seen someone drop as fast as Pavel did.

“I tell him, over and over again,” Cruck’aa said, wiping Pavel’s tears from the side of his beak. “alcohol will kill you. Makes you an idiot. Does he listen to me? No, never. What is he even crying about?”

“I have to imagine he’s not over the caravan.” Jo replied. Her own buzz had worn off as they hauled Pavel back. “I…can’t really blame him, he must still be taking it pretty hard. You remember that look he got when Durnen mentioned it. Can’t really drink easy when all that happened.”

“Well, he should. The caravan was tragic, sure, but moderation is still important, even if it’s poison. But no one does that.”

“I do. Hell, I’ve only had a couple and I feel like I could use some more.”

“You don’t strike me as someone who could even hold their alcohol.”

Jo leaned back in her chair and smirked.

“Been in the marching business for a while Cruck’aa. Nobody respects you if you can’t drink them under the table.

“You were military?”

“Mercenary work, really.”

Cruck’aa let loose a bitter laugh.

“You were a sell sword, huh? And how’d that work out for you.”

“Pretty fucking well if I say so myself. Just landed a bunch of gold in the bank if you haven’t heard.”

Cruck’aa’s beak twisted into a frown. “That’s not just your money.”

“No, you’re right, it’s everyone’s. But considering I have a part of it, I say the merc life worked out well, wouldn’t you?”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Cruck’aa shot a look at Pavel, who jerked and rolled onto the other side of his face. He twisted around in his seat and peered through the crowd. “Now, where the hell are those two? How long has it been?”

“Since they left?” Jo glanced up. “I think the bells rang ten minutes ago? I don’t know, I wasn’t keeping track.”

Cruck’aa twisted back around, his eyes narrowed. He fidgeted in his chair as though someone had lit a fire under it.

“It shouldn’t be taking them that long,” he said. “she’s up to something, I know it.”

“She? What’re you going on about?” Jo asked.

“That damn teamster!” Cruck’aa gripped the table and leaned towards Jo, over the passed-out form of Pavel. “She’s probably seducing Serena as we speak, and by the time the sun comes up, Serena will be off with her doing gods know what! We won’t see her again!”

“What?!” Jo yelled; Pavel jerked on the table. “Where’d you get that idea?!”

“Have you not seen how those two interact?! They barely go anywhere without each other, especially on the caravan! That damn woman has Serena wrapped around her finger –”

“So, they like each other? What’s the issue with that?”

“The issue, Jo, is that we’ll never see Serena again! We’ll be chopped liver to her! We have our mission, and she’s forgotten about it entirely because she’s off doing – I don’t even know! But I have no doubt that when we leave Waterdeep, she’ll refuse to leave!”

“I – what?!” Frustration welled up within Jo; she spread her palms towards Cruck’aa. “How are you getting that?! They’re infatuated, yeah, but that doesn’t mean –”

“Of course it does!” Cruck’aa yelled, feathers now ruffled.

“No, it doesn’t. Silly crushes don’t lead to someone just running off.”

“It’s more than a stupid crush Jo! Serena’s young, she doesn’t know right from wrong, she’ll get caught up in –”

“Right from wrong?! How is being with Werond –”

“Gods damnit Jo!” Cruck’aa yelled; he shot out of his chair and slammed his talons on the table, drawing looks from the people around them. “I’ve already lost my family, and I’m not losing another one! Serena needs to stay with us, and not with that damned teamster!”

“Okay! Okay! Cruck’aa, calm down a bit!” Jo leaned forward. “But you have to understand, you’re not making sense! Serena isn’t going to just…ditch us because she wants to be with Werond. They’ve barely known each other for, what, a month? A little more? However long the caravan was, I don’t know. She’s not going anywhere.”

“And I thought the same of my own family, before I lost all of them!” Cruck’aa yelled. “But I don’t think you’d know what that’s like, being a sellsword.”

Jo shot up from the table and jerked a finger at Cruck’aa, drawing more looks.

“You don’t get to guess about my life!” Jo spat fire, causing Cruck’aa to back up. “I haven’t spoken to my son for a year Cruck’aa, I’m not talking out my ass! You’re overacting with this, Serena isn’t leaving!”

From the corner of her eye, Jo saw a head poke out from the crowd. As Cruck’aa opened his beak, eyes narrowed, talons gripping the table, Jo waved him off and sat back down, motioning for him to do the same.

Serena and Werond emerged from the crowd, arms locked with one another, making their way towards the table. With ruffled clothes and slightly messy hair, Serena clung to Werond with both hands, a distracted look in her eyes. Occasionally, she stole a glance at Werond, who smiled as they approached.

“Hey, sorry, we –” Werond’s eyes widened. “Uh, what happened to Pavel, is he okay?”

Jo shot a look at Cruck’aa, who was still standing; abject fury rose in his eyes at the sight of them, and as he opened his beak, Jo shot back up from her chair.

“He’s fine!” She said, cutting him off. “He just had way too much to drink. He really needs to sleep it all off, honestly.”

“Oh, okay. As long as he’s fine.” Werond said. “Uh, anyways, Serena and I are going to head back, feeling a bit tired and want to turn in. The gate will be unlocked, just knock on the door when you get back.”

“Sure!” Jo said.

As she began to move around the table towards Pavel, Cruck’aa spoke up.

“Where have you two been?!” He yelled. “We’ve been waiting for how long?! And you both just decide to –”

“Cruck’aa, it’s fine!” Jo moved past Werond and Serena to stand in front of the Aarakocra, blocking his view of them. “Don’t get angry just because we have to deal with Pavel, it’s fine.” She turned and grinned at Serena. “Although…I don’t suppose you have a spell to cure a hangover?”

Serena smiled and shook her head. Her smile was thin, almost forced, and for the first time since Jo had known her, the look in her eyes portrayed no desire for conversation.

“Figured. You two go ahead, we’ll catch up.”

“Sure.” Werond said. “See you back at the house.”

Werond pulled Serena back into the crowds; as they pushed their way through, angling towards the door, Cruck’aa stepped after them, feathers still ruffled, eyes now wide with fury.

Jo closed the distance and grabbed Cruck’aa’s arm, pulling him back, as the crowds swallowed Serena and Werond.

“Jo!” Cruck’aa turned and yelled, flames still burning in his beady eyes. “Let go of me, I’m not letting them walk out!”

“Nope, you’re staying here.”

“Gods damnit!” He spat, tugging away from her to no avail. “Let me go, woman!”

Anger arose in her chest once more. She leaned towards him and squeezed his arm.

“What where you planning on doing? Break them up right there?’ She asked.

“Yes! And now I –”

“Cruck’aa, did you see the way Serena was holding onto Werond? The way she was looking at her?”

“How is that –”

“Answer the question!”

“Gods damnit, yes!” He spat.

“Then you know they did something, and – let me finish!” Jo yelled. “They did something. I don’t know what, but it’s none of mine, or your business. And what do you think would have happened if you stopped them? Doesn’t matter how you look at it, both of them – no, you don’t give two shits about Werond – Serena is going to take it as you trying to police who she wants to be with. She won’t understand where you’re coming from, and quite frankly, no one else will either. You’ll do nothing but breed animosity between everyone, and that will lead to you losing your family again. You’re not Serena’s parent, you’re not related in any way, you travel together, and she doesn’t owe you anything. Let her be. If that relationship crashes and burns, then she’ll learn from it, but you trying to break it up will do no good for either of you.” Jo glanced towards the door. “Honestly …you need to get it straight in your head that they’re going to be together, for however long.”

“And you’re not concerned, at all?” Cruck’aa growled as she released him. “You’re not concerned that that damned teamster is going to do something to steal her away?”

“No, I’m not. When you come to me with a genuine cause for concern, then I’ll be behind you all the way. But right now, it looks like nothing more than a hard crush. And you need to respect that.”

“And if I don’t?”

Jo sighed, a deep weariness settling onto her shoulders.

“Then it’ll be ugly, and you’ll have only yourself to blame.”

Cruck’aa stared at Jo, beak twisting as he chewed on his words. He turned away and gazed into the thinning crowd. If Jo didn’t know any better, he looked just as tired.

With a start, Pavel jerked on the table and sat up; an indentation from the planks was pressed into his face, and he looked around with hazy, unfocused eyes.

He pushed himself up from the table, wobbled, then collapsed back into his chair, head rolling to one side.

Jo sighed.

“Gods, he’s fucked up. Here, let’s get him back to Werond’s.”

“And do you propose we do that?” Cruck’aa asked, glancing at her.

“Same as I’ve always done, one person under each arm. Come on, I want to go to bed.”