". . . You look worried," Nita observes, settling onto a stool next to him. "That's usually a bad sign. What's the crisis du jour?"
She orders a coffee of her own from the bar, frowning.
"Anything I can help with?"
"Anything I can help with?"
"Yeah, sure" -- she snags a napkin and passes it over -- "am I gonna need more than coffee?"
". . . No, I don't think so. This is something different than the Lone Power, I take it."
Her gaze flicks to the napkin, and his mug, and understanding dawns in her expression.
"Right. Does it have any specific goals that you know of?"
"Lovely. You know, it's weird how I can like the chaotic thing so much in Raven and Coyote and dislike it so much in beings that call themselves the First Evil."
"So -- unknown goals for the moment. Takes the shape of people who've died. Any known weaknesses?"
Her eyes widen.
"Jesus, you collapsed a city?"
"Jesus, you collapsed a city?"
She winces and nods.
"Pyrhhic victories," she says, rueful. "And collapsing the Hellmouth, what -- trapped the First Evil? Or its servants?"
"Pyrhhic victories," she says, rueful. "And collapsing the Hellmouth, what -- trapped the First Evil? Or its servants?"
Another nod. She knows the Lone Power can be trapped, but he did say it wasn't exactly analogous.
"There's no Hellmouth here, though, right? I feel like we'd have noticed."
"There's no Hellmouth here, though, right? I feel like we'd have noticed."
She puts out a hand -- support, if he wants it.
"Who is it? Is he going to be okay?"
"Who is it? Is he going to be okay?"
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