Welcome to Gaia! ::

Everyone he knew was so smart. Sometimes he liked to pretend that he was too, if nothing else sometimes he had ideas.

He was sure that it was a foolish thought, but it was better than so many of the others that had darted through his head, at least marginally.
He hadn’t gone back to see her before, at least partially because he really really felt nervous around Pax, even knowing how much the slender-deer liked Autumn.

Best case, maybe he’d do something helpful, worst case… maybe he’d get trampled by an angry creepy-deer.

Had she said they could find her if they looked for her? He thought maybe she had, he hoped that was the case or he was going to be wandering stupidly in a very dangerous place.

“Heliodora?” He called cautiously.

"Um, Zac... My name is Zac, I um... I was in the group a while back that showed up with you foot? I was one of the um, idiots who wouldn't give their proper name?"

He rubbed apologetically at the back of his neck, then felt bad because he hadn't brought anything intelligent like a book for her. Maybe she'd be ok with a snickerdoodle from a zip lock.

Right...

Idiot.

"I um, I was wondering if we could um, if you wouldn't mind if we talked a bit."

“Yeah… Zed”
He said embarrassed further. The last person to call him –Zed- well…
“You shouldn’t be sorry, I’m the one who never came back to see, or talk to you, or ask if there was anything we could do.”

He worried at his lip, feeling sure that she’d tell him his idea was foolish, or would just never work. There had to be reasons for all this after all, but he still wanted to believe that he wasn’t just being ridiculous.

“I uh… I was actually wondering if, um, if there wasn’t something I could do for you. Well, um… maybe you and my ‘Father’ but… yeah, for you.”

“There might be… I mean, I’m sure other people have offered but I could still try.” He rolled his shoulders in something like a shrug. It was both an answer to her-own question and a gesture that was half intended to shrug off his own doubts.

“… I doubt this is as hard on me as it is on others, yourself included.” He said softly.

He felt his cheeks go quite hot at her guess at his offer.
“Yeah… I wanted to offer you to… take your place.”


He frowned slightly and looked thoughtful…

“The important part is someone is here…right? I’ll learn whatever you need me to, but I can do this.” He said earnestly.

He tipped his head back trying to capture the words. “I think, and I can’t say why because I don’t know for certain, but I think they need you back in ‘regular’ Ashdown. They need you safe, and…” He rubbed at his temple.

“… And maybe you can be more than ‘content’.”

He felt his breath catch, a thrill of nerves and excitement that she hadn’t just… laughed at him or brushed it off. There was a way that he could get her home, well that -someone- could get her home if they were the right person.

He did think about it, he did think hard on the idea that yes, he would need to give things up, things he didn’t know yet. he knew better than anyone, if for no other reason than he hadn’t spoken to anyone of just how far he was willing to go.

Beyond that, did he trust her? He stared hard at her, like if he tried hard enough he could read her face, and then he nodded. “I trust you.”

He blinked and then nodded. “Right now?” He asked just to be sure, because of course he would. He asked even though he was already trying to angle himself to head towards it.

“Is there anything I should look for if I can get in?” He asked after a split second.

"I have some time." He said with a small nod. "I'll try, I'll um... I'll come back as soon as I can, is that alright?"

"Um... if I have to go back to, to Ashdown, like the 'regular' one, do you, would you like me to bring you anything? Just, something for you?"