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Because there had been a delivery of Pie the evening before Peyton had placed a slice a piece on two plates along with a pair of spoons.

The night before Taym had been her best friend, someone she rather liked, maybe a little more then a friend, but someone she had an understanding with. He'd given her some of the pie America had brought to him, and she'd gone to sleep that night content with the way things were turning out lately.

She'd woken up and everything had been different. If auto was correct, and it could be assumed everyone remembered the same alternate reality, then sooner or later she was going to have to talk to Taym, because too much had happened, even beyond the kiss, and when s**t got really, he was who she talked to.

But for now she would focus on the positive. She had family here. Family. It was pretty big!

"Hey, I brought you pie." Otto was where he'd said he'd be, and Peyton sank down on the arm of the chair beside him, holding the plate out to him. It was black berry.

She watched him dig into the pie with all the viscosity of teenager. "It's great, right? I dunno where America got them, but she gave Taym like six, so he gave some to me." Pay it forward.

A curious glance was given to the paperwork, and she thumbed through it, scanning the contents, but she believed him before glancing up the assurance. "I know you're not, and I'm not a selfish, fake, queen bee b***h." Her shoulders rolled in a small shrug.

"Pretty cool though," she pointed out. "Family out here in the middle of ******** nowhere." He looked Peyton and her sister, like their mother who was short and blonde. Like Jude, too.

"Well it's not completely mystery. I mean I had some last night, so did Taym. No notable side effects resulting." Another shrugs, fork sinking into her own pie. It really was good.She blinked though, head coming up and swiveling around to stare at him. "Genetic?" That wasn't exactly a comforting thought. It made her think of Astrid.

Distraction from that worry came in the form of amusing speculations. "Maybe, but what about the note I found in my pocket. Did you find one, too?" She took another bite. It was easy to blame mark for anything weird that happened, he was so often the legit cause.

Her nose wrinkled as she took another bite. "It wasn't better for everyone." Peyton had been miserable, not just for that night, but consistently. She just hadn't really realized how much until it had built to a boiling point. A lot of people had been happy though, and it had been a very peaceful existence. Peaceful enough for superficial dribble to seem important.

"But I get your point. Why give us a glimpse of what could have been? Happy or not in whatever that was, are any of us better for having experienced it? She'd heard that bitterness, and now looking at him, she could see the red rim to his eyes. It wasn't hard to guess what had him so upset. "I'm sorry," she offered almost helplessly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He'd had a family that had loved and supported him, he'd had dreams, he'd had a mentor and more in Clerise, and none of those people were here.

But she was. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love."

"Sure seems that way." Peyton sighed, but by the end of it she was smiling. It was soft, and it was half hearted, but it was still a smile. She'd only taken a couple of bites of her pie, so she offered the plate down to him. It wasn't really a lose, she had more back in her room. "Help yourself."

He seemed so.. Not exactly depressed, but worn. Like Deus was wearing away his edges, taking little bits and pieces away from him. "I know the being related thing is pretty new, but we're still comrades, right? Maybe even friends? If you need someone, you know, for whatever."

Lips twisting, Peyton regarded the prickly young man with a thoughtful look, no longer smiling. More put off by the speed with which he'd slammed his walls into place. It reminded her of.. her. Back when she'd been in high school, back after her mom had died.

The plates were pushed aside and he was getting to her feet, and Peyton watched as he started walking away, towards the exit. "Offer still stands, Cus." It didn't have to be weird. It didn't have to be awkward. They were cousins. Otto might have been resistant, and Peyton might have been terrified at the idea of ever finding Astrid in a pod, but if she had family here already, why not get to know them?

He stopped, and Peyton smiled before her turned around, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees, chin cupped in her hands. "That's the technical term."