InsaneJournal

The conversations with Phantasos had narrowed the search for Erato down to 'abandoned building somewhere in the greater New York area'. Of course there were hundreds. And the ragtag group of searchers were slowly knocking them off the list, one by one. Tuck had offered to search with Asterion on Saturday in a bid to get to know the man better. After all, Tuck was both friends with and sleeping with his sister.

It turned out getting to know Asterion was not easy. He was a man of few words, and the drive to a rundown hospital in Queens was nearly silent. Tuck had tried, but asking question after question, with Asterion answering with a word or two. To be fair, Asterion didn't seem annoyed by the questions. In fact he seemed to think they were having as delightful a conversation as possible while they were both stressed and worrying about Erato.

After a fruitless search, Asterion drove to the next location and finally there was a short and bittersweet break in the silence.

"What are you writing?" Asterion asked, glancing over at Tuck's scribbled notes while they waited at a red light.

Oh thank god, a subject!. "Notes for a sermon tomorrow," Tuck explained. "I'm reverend of a church and it's getting close to Easter. So unless there's a breakthrough in the search, I'm going to give this sermon and then go back to looking afterward. I was talking a lot about found family actually. That is a subject that means a lot to my parishioners."

"Found family," Asterion said, musing it over as the light turned green. "Like family you choose."

"Exactly. Clio has become that for me. She's my sister-in-law in a way, because her partner is as close to a brother as I'll ever truly have. I would do anything for Clio, and Erato is her sister. So even if I didn't know Erato and adore her, which I do, I would be out here searching. And that's all to do with found family."

"I think I have some of that," Asterion said, but there was nothing else beyond that, and Tuck didn't want to press.

"Found family is precious," Tuck smiled at Asterion, and then he turned back to his notes. "Some of my parishioners are that for me too. One of the best jobs I have ever had."

"Same for me. At my job. Diogenes is the best job I have had too. It's where I met Erato."

"Have you always been a bouncer?" Tuck asked, to keep Asterion from heading down a swirling quagmire of worry about Erato.

"No. I've been security. Dishwasher. I was prisoner in an underground fighting ring."

"Oh my god," Tuck put his notes away and turned to watch Asterion as the man drove. "You- That sounds awful! Was that here in the city?"

"Yes," Asterion nodded. "You were stuck there for two years. They paid you out at the end. People bet on the fights and if you won, you ate that day."

Tuck was clearly horrified. The fact that places like that existed- After they found Erato, Tuck was going to look into this further, to see if it was still going on. To see if anyone could be saved. "Asterion, I'm so sorry! I- I'm so sorry they forced you to do that. And I can imagine if you lose a fight it would be so much harder to win the next day on an empty stomach."

"Wouldn't know," Asterion shrugged. "Never lost."

At that, Tuck sort of slowly looked forward again, and they lapsed into silence. During the next search through the ruins of an abandoned hospital, Tuck was shivering from more than just the chill. All of a sudden he was acutely aware that despite the fact that he was not helpless in the least, Asterion could kill him in an instant if he chose. Probably with one hand.

God that was a sobering thought.

By the time Tuck finally got home, the sky was darkening and Tuck felt dirty inside and out. They hadn't found poor Erato either, but at least they had crossed a few more locations off their list. Tuck headed into the parsonage and he was greeted by a very happy Flora, dancing at his feet. Tuck bent down to scratch behind her ears while he called out, "Will! Sweetheart, I'm home!" He was looking forward to a shower, some food, and seeing his partner and Evie who was spending the weekend with them.