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Autumn was in the Hospital, Jer had hidden things from him… he might be missing memories, and…

As always, his research just kept turning up more questions than answers, even turning what he thought were answers into more questions.

He had pictures, one of them… sort of looked like Sunny, but sort of not.
One of them kind of looked like Jeremiah.
He’d surrendered something precious to him as an apology but…
He still didn’t –trust- her. Not really…

But…

Not even a but you could make a joke about, a DAMNIBLE butt that was plastered all over with question marks and mysteries.

“But” – everything felt like it just kept pushing him back to at least talk to, if not question Sunny.
He hated the idea of… interrogating her. But maybe he could just… ask about the photo, and the painting.

Maybe.

Or… maybe he could just go check on Tenebrous.

He was trying not to feel a truck load of guilt when he saw her, it failed. Guilt made her seem more human. Knowing what she could do just… made her seem more dangerous. Funny how adding humanity to an inherently magical …person made her feel more creepy but at the same time more sympathetic apparently. He felt that meant there was some really faulty wiring in his brain.

The glassy look on her face though, that sort of also side lined his questions. It made him wish that he were better at being…

What… selfish?

He was selfish enough to stuff his face into her room on the vague thought that it would not BE her room but, face to face he didn’t do well unless you smelled of burning he reflected and sighed.

“… Uh… Are you… alright?” He asked.

He winced at that.. but it confused him too. If she knew everyone, she had to know it was him… right? Unless… Unless he hadn’t been the only one? But he still…

“I….” He hesitated. Repercussions made him afraid. She -might- kill him… she could if she wanted. Maybe she had before. Maybe he just hadn’t remembered that yet.

“… I looked in… sorry, if it was me. It probably was… I didn’t… I kind of didn’t expect it to actually be…” He rubbed his arm. it was an -terrible excuse.

“… I hate you too.” He replied scowling.
But he did sit down and pull up his knees. “Still… sorry… I guess I figured you lived in like, a fairy kingdom with flying cigarettes and endless leggings.” He rested his chin on his knees and sighed, frowning.

“… If you…don’t know them -personally, what do you know about them other than that they were there?”

He worried at his lip thoughtful. “… I found… a few strange things in ‘Other’ Ashdown, can… can they get over here? Maybe it was one of them? Or do you know them all? One of them offered to make sure you didn’t take Jer’s heart… the other was just…” He shuddered.

“Sorry… I probably can’t even start to help you.”

“… I never thought you might be -crazy before.” he said glancing at her, though there was something he hadn’t expected in his own voice. He was…teasing her.
“…Seriously though, I screw -everything up. I got Autumn hurt, I barged into your bedroom, I can’t figure out how to help -anyone, when I get the chance… I turn down creepy things that smell like burning because ….. because I am stupid.” He shrugged.

“… I don’t… I don’t hate you either, you, kinda -scare- me but… I don’t -hate- y ou, not right now. Talk to me if you collect hearts though, there might be a lot of hating then.”

He stared out at the sea like it might have answers.

Sunny had a ….Dad? A Dad she didn’t know?

s**t that sounded familiar.

… “Your…’Dad’ Sounds like an a*****e like my ‘Dad’.” He said glancing back at her. “Only mine bailed… he hasn’t tried to show up again.”

“What IS it with Hearts? Crispy critter-man who burnt Autumn offered to take mine to…keep you from taking Jer’s… like I think anything could stop you short of, whatever is locked up.”

“I’m pretty sure Jer would adopt you?” he offered.
“I mean…I think he tells you more than he tells me these days.” *he rubbed the back of his neck.

“… Pretty sure Mogget HAS adopted you.” He added. “Eating is over rated, except… pizza, if you can -choose- to eat pizza that’s a good choice.” He said in his most sincere tone of voice, and then sighed.

“… s**t… feelings are complicated.” he thumped his head on his knees and then turned his head, still half on his knees to squint at her, serious face.

“Fine.” He said suddenly.”

“.. You… I’m adopting you. It’s too late to fight it…you are my little sister because I -said- so and because nothing -else- in this Town makes sense…so There. That is also why you get Tenebrous. He can’t just go to -ANYONE- you know… it’s a sacred duty to take care of Shadey-bear.”



He silenced after a moment and then added.

“Sorry I’m no real help… I’m scared, you’re… strong or something like it. Like I said…I can’t do anything right. But that’s what I’ve got….so there.”


He turned his face out to the ocean again,… thinking.

Bad time to ask her questions then… really bad time. She wasn’t a tool…and he didn’t want to make her feel more like one.

Later… another time…
Right?

Though it did itch in the back of his mind, a fingernail scratch.

"...why are Dad's assholes?... is that All Dad's or... did we just rank high in the a**-hole lottery? I mean... you got Jackpot but...yeah."

“Because he smelled like smoke and burning, introductions weren’t made. I could call him Mister toast if you want?” He offered, thoughtfully gazing out to sea.

“…yeah… definitely little sister. Little sisters like to point out their exact age I’m told.” He informed her.

“… so… the guy you didn’t know..the one who called himself your Dad. On the off chance you don’t see things the way Aleksey does.” He hesitated, it was a stupid thought, but then he went for it anyhow.

“Skin about like yours, blue eyes, kinda super long legs, looks way younger than he supposedly is? Or um… Other guy had sorta, lighter ish-skin, had a voice that would have maybe creeped Lovecraft out of being a tool?”

People in the house she didn’t know, and one of them had called himself the… last, Sion of the Shore Line hadn’t he?
Something was afoot here, maybe not what he’d come to ask about but.

Zac frowns at that, so one of the people ‘taking care’ of the house… claimed to be her Father? That rather set off a chain of thoughts in his head, but first he should probably tell her, if she wasn’t already doing something like, reading his mind.

“He…called himself the last…Sion I think, of the Shore line. Does that, does that ring any bells?”
He hesitated then added.
“The First one, he was giving a tour of the first floor of your house, the other guy, he was on the second floor, I ran into him…because, I was um… being a jerk and sneaking around. I was trying to find out more about…”

He fished for his phone and pulled up the picture of ‘Might or might not be her’ - Well… the artist, The first guy, Renard said there were only the three paintings, the one here, the one that looks like Jeremiah, and the Lady. But the dude who says he’s your dad, he… I mean I couldn’t see them but there were lots more. Sorry, It’s stupid information but I never really know what ties into what in this place…so I thought I should share.”