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Shun was given a small nod. "At least it seems you've found yourself some kind of purpose or," that familiar wry look of amusement slipped through, "it found you. As I said, once you're in deep, you are in deep. This place sinks into you and does not let go."

Jeremiah watched Shun, pleased to see that there was a little more faith in himself there now. It was not the most obvious to some but he could see it all the same. "I'm glad to do so. Besides, it helps me as much as it helps you." Since he was using it to push the boundaries of his abilities. The older man fell silent for a moment before he thought of something else.

"Ah- in regards to the cage breaking and everything that has been going on." The Shore mansion disappearing from this side, the earthquakes, the strange lights ... "When I gained that knowledge of our foe, there was another piece of it that I did not share at the time." Which meant it was relevant now.

"It's in pieces, as I've said," The Enemy, "and that Sunny is supposedly one of those pieces but there's others." His expression was entirely muted now; neutral with no tells. "There are others, obviously, and one of them is Ashdown itself."

Not other ashdown but Ashdown.

Jeremiah gave him a look. "Considering that I was put down with the visions for weeks and still have flashbacks? Yes, I am absolutely certain. It's never other ashdown but Ashdown itself.

"The city, in different times, with the people that are in it and-" He let out a breath, fingers pressing to his head a moment. Sometimes poking at those thoughts made his head spin but it was not as bad as it used to be. "Shun, this town is our cage as much as it is his."

"Given the recent events-" Jeremiah broke off for a moment, hand flicking through the air. "It seems like something like that is the case. We used to think that we were keeping something in other ashdown from getting out but perhaps we're keeping something from getting into it and everything that is there."

Not that he was still quite sure.

There were more questions than answers and he was constantly pursuing the truth of the matter.

"I've no idea what we're supposed to do but I would wager that something big will be happening sooner rather than later." Jeremiah paused. "... and it is a point in the favor of the other side being real considering that the Shore mansion is still there on that side."

"Sunny has been referred to as the child of other ashdown, that she wishes to be born as well as possibly ascend." Jeremiah rolled his shoulders finally, a rarity now that he was back in Ashdown after coming back. In most cases he had started hiding the fact that his back still bothered him.

"... and Renard is the Enemy, whom Sunny is both supposedly a piece of and the daughter of." His fingers tapped briefly against his thigh. "Considering that Liam also claimed he was her father ..." It was a tangled mess but then again- There was Noeh who was very possibly a daughter to both Jeremiah and Algie.

"Whatever is happening, we will need to be able to take control of the explosion," hello, time bomb, "and make sure that those that are not part of this are safe."

When Shun said his lot, there was a flicker of glow in Jeremiah's eyes but it passed quickly - something that could have been a trick of the light. Still, it made Jeremiah think of what Liam had said at the end of the ball.

"She isn't old enough, I think, to be a part of what started this all but she is most definitely important. Her name is Ascension Shore," Sunny was her nickname, "but her birth and ascending could be one and the same thing." Jeremiah leaned back for a moment, shoulders rolling once more before he straightened up. "We can't even say for certain what we know Renard will do, only that both him and his husband believe themselves to be doing what it is right.

"... and, yes, our most dangerous task is protecting the people of this town." There was determination on his face. "In the very least, I have more sway to aid in that."

"Liam stated that this was not their intention, that they did not mean for this." Though they had obviously intended for something to happen but not to the scale it was. "... as well as the fact that their friends are still dying." What concerned Jeremiah was that he could have been a contemporary to Liam. Or was, as the case may be, because he truly did not know.

His memory was lacking in that regard.

For a moment Jeremiah was silent and then he finally spoke again. "I appreciate your assistance on that, Shun."

Jeremiah was not quite sure what death meant to him anymore. Not since he had become a noble. There was a possible sense of finality to it- he was removed from the cycle and what that meant was not entirely clear for what would happen if they failed once more.

He snorted at the shitty cop comment, giving Shun a look that the self-deprecating humor. Leaning back, he waited until the young man reappeared and blinked at the pendant that was being carried.

"That ..." he was next to Shun in a blink, having just moved right there and touched his fingers to it. It was cold and that was the- "I suppose it's a gift from Heliodora."

She was truly gone.

The cage was going to break.

Hopefully they weren't all <******** class="postcontent-align-right" style="text-align: right">final word count: 1718