That slimy, slap-happy, clever, idiotic, son of a bitch.

Avalanche was sitting on the ground by Knifeholder's hut, gazing up at the clouds.

Holy shit, he's done it now.

"AVALANCHE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

Knifeholder stormed out of the hut, teeth bared.

"YOU HAVE TEN SECONDS TO EXPLAIN BEFORE I SLIT YOUR THROAT!"

Avalanche's eyes widened. "Oh shoot, you live here."

He seemed genuinely confused.

"What do you mean 'you live here?' You are sitting outside my house and you didn't know I lived here?"

"Of course I wouldn't know, You refuse to tell me anything about you!"

"Why are you here, then?"

"After you went home, I came here to watch the stars. It is on the outskirts of town, There is no firelight to interfere!"

"And you STAYED THERE? YOU DIDN'T GO HOME?" Knifeholder crossed her talons.

"I FELL ASLEEP," Avalanche retorted, waving his talons in the air.

A different voice interjected. "Knifeholder? Who is out there with you?"

"NOBODY, MOTHER!" Knifeholder replied in a panic, frantically motioning for Avalanche to fly away."

Avalanche crossed his talons defiantly.

Skysight poked her head out of the hut and grinned. "Oooh! a boy!"

"Mom, please, it's nobody! This dope was sitting outside of out hut, I don't even know him!"

Avalanche faked a gasp. "I am HURT. Miss, I am Avalanche, and I was just visiting Knifeholder here. I'm a friend of hers. I'm so sorry to barge in!"

Skysight chuckled and walked out of the hut. "How sweet. Knifeholder, you didn't tell me we were having company!"

Knifeholder stared daggers at Avalanche. "That's because I DIDN'T KNOW HE WOULD BE HERE."

Last night, Jet had added extra weight onto the deal for Avalanche's head. But he still wouldn't allow her to break the rules. Jet had access to the magic tunnel in the desert to get to the rain forest, and then to the ancient Nightwing city, the one by the volcano. He used it to chain up people who disobeyed him at the volcano entrance. The volcano was active on and off since before Knifeholder was born. If you were chained up there, the lava would slowly rise and fall until it carefully eats you away.

Knifeholder didn't want a slow and burning death, If you couldn't already tell.

But she couldn't kill him if she didn't get him to ask her the last question. Sugilite's freedom depends on this, Knifeholder's family depended on this, Knifeholder's honor and status depended on Avalanche's head on a stake.

Avalanche's head on a stake.

Why did that sound so scary? She had done this so many times before.

Skysight waved for him to come inside. "Why don't you come in, I have lunch almost ready."

Oh my moons. Oh my moons. Someone please just end me.

Avalanche smiled back. "I wouldn't mind at all, thank you so much!"

Knifeholder trailed behind him like a depressed sea slug, her wings tense. 

As they stepped inside, Avalanche blinked at the dim torchlight and crowded space.

Skysight frowned. "I'm so sorry this place is a mess, we normally keep things much nicer."

That was a lie, the house had been like this since Knifeholder was forced out of her egg.

They sat at the small oak table in the center of the first room while Skysight put rabbits on all the plates. "Starstabber, Lunch time! We have company!"

"I know, and I'm not coming out! If I do, something bad happens to me."

Skysight and avalanche both blinked worriedly. For a moment, Knifeholder thought their expressions were very similar.

"Tell the boy that I say hi, though."

Skysight chuckled. "He can hear you, sweetcakes."

Avalanche piped up, "Hi!"

"Oh. Good afternoon."

Skysight smiled and sat down.

"I'm sorry I showed up on such short notice," started Avalanche, "I just wanted to check up on Knifeholder."

"Of course dear, I'm glad to meet you! Knifeholder never brings friends, She always had trouble with getting along. I'm glad she is finally being social."

Avalanche tipped his head at Knifeholder curiously. "Huh."

Knifeholder had to restrain herself from banging her head on the table.

"What do you do for a living?"

"Oh... I'm actually looking for work. Unemployed."

Skysight nodded. "I see."

What?

Avalanche was the general of a guard sector, not unemployed. Why was he lying?

He's lying because he thinks my family knows I'm an assassin.

shit. shit. shit.

Skysight looked over at Knifeholder. "Maybe he can work for you in your shop."

Avalanche blinked. "Shop?"

"Yes, the weapons shop she runs. It's how we can afford a house."

Avalanche looked confused. "Excuse me, but I thought she was a-"

Knifeholder stood up from the table. "AVALANCHE. Can we talk outside?"

Skysight chuckled. "Moody today, I see."

Avalanche smiled at Knifeholder's mother and left the hut behind her.

As soon as they were outside, Knifeholder whipped around to face Avalanche.

"YOU IDIOT."

"Come on, I think she likes me."

"You slimy buffoon, that's not what I mean. My mother does not know I am an assassin!"

Avalanche's eyes widened. "But- so..."

Knifeholder sighed. "No, they aren't criminals. They are just normal Dragons. Pretend you know about my fake weapons shop, okay?"

"Okay-"

"WAIT WAIT! You still can't tell them you are a guard, they have a thing about guards. They think the whole government is horrible, just... just, uh... just do what you were doing."

He can't tell them because mother is a thief and Starstabber is an animus.

Knifeholder felt so annoyed and overwhelmed right now. She was supposed to KILL HIM. Not introduce him to her mother!

Before she could go back inside, Avalanche asked, "Where is your dad?"

Knifeholder scoffed. "Not around anymore. He ran as soon as he found out that-" as soon as he found out Starstabber was an animus. "Never mind."

They swept back into the house and sat down again.

This was going to be a long day.