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[deuceoftears]

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[howtheyshine]

Okay, well, that's even more concerning and he's already jumpy.

Are-- Are you okay?

What if Jedao can't tell him if something is actually wrong, what if he can't find a way into the cabin, can he force the door if he needs to? He could try--

[deuceoftears]

I'm fine, I'm just - ᶰbuͣᵏsͤyͩ.

Somehow, the words busy and naked come out completely simultaneously, albeit one louder and more intentional than the other, in his mental voice.

[howtheyshine]

Wh-

Oh.

Oh.

Naked busy. That is a way to put it.

Uh-- I'll come back later. Or you can find me when you're able to find me with clothes when you're less busy.

[deuceoftears]

I love you thank you for your understanding talktoyousoonbye!

This time there's more emotion in the worlds: gently abashed embarrassment, a little burble of relief, a warm undeniable wave of love.

[howtheyshine]

Edwin wanders. He ponders. He texts Hunter. He gives his father palpitations.

Eventually he goes back to his room to mull over the problem of three puppies and the fact that he can only responsibly have one. Choosing is really hard. And it distracts him from all the other everything rattling around in his thoughts.

[deuceoftears]

[A WHILE later, although not too long after the palpitations responses.]

Do you want to come over now? Or I can come see you?

[howtheyshine]

my cabin please I am a taquito

He means burrito. He is burritoed in a blanket in his pit.

[deuceoftears]

be there in two shakes

[Jedao doesn't know what a taquito or a burrito is, but he's letting himself in less than a minute later.]

Hey, Sunshine.

[howtheyshine]

Edwin is actually neither, and is in fact I am told frijoles refritos, aka a lump under a pile of stuffed animals and a blanket. It stirs at the greeting, and a tentacle laced with light the way it was when he shielded Faroe slides out from under the blanket to wave at him. It's starlight, and to someone like Jedao might even read as such, though it shifts in a multicolor aurora under his skin.

[deuceoftears]

"You look beautiful today," Jedao tells him, as he scoots down into the pit next to the blanket lump, and drapes an arm over it to cuddle Edwin gently against his side.

[howtheyshine]

He is also very much a lump under there, literally, so it's pretty easy for Jedao to gather him up. He stretches the tentacle out farther and wraps around Jedao's waist in something between a hug and a cling.

[deuceoftears]

Jedao hums a couple bars of you are my sunshine.

[howtheyshine]

And lo, the lump slowly emerges, a starlit, inky blob that rolls itself over its own tentacle to climb onto Jedao's lap.

I don't like everyone treating me like a child.

[deuceoftears]

What are they doing that you don't like? he asks in mothsong, still humming.

[howtheyshine]

I don't know.

His tone is full sulk now.

I just don't like it.

[deuceoftears]

Tell me what's going on, sweetheart, Jedao says gently, giving the approximate top of the blob some scritchies.

[howtheyshine]

His internal colors give a grumpy little swirl, the sulk making him contrary.

I don't know. There's too much.

[deuceoftears]

Okay.

Jedao just keeps petting his head/back.

[howtheyshine]

Edwin slowly, slowly shifts and becomes very like the fox that came to Jedao in the dream. The only real difference is that the fire on that fox is soft starlight on this one.

He snuggles against Jedao and curls up afresh.

I'm angry and I don't know--I don't know all the reasons why and I don't know how to not be.

[deuceoftears]

Sometimes it's okay to be angry. Anger can be a warning sign that something needs to change.

He keeps stroking the foxes back in long, soothing passes.

What did you want to talk about when you came to visit earlier?

[howtheyshine]

I don't like it, I don't like being this angry, I don't like being angry at people for no reason.

He unfolds a little, looking up at Jedao. I wanted to make sure you were okay. That nothing horrible happened.

[deuceoftears]

Well, it's probably not for no reason, that's one thing. And...the person who came for me was very scary, but Hakkai and Xie Lian and Eiffel stopped him from hurting anyone and trapped his ghost in a pickle jar until the flood ended. So...I was having a lot of feelings about that, but I'm okay.

He's still having a lot of feelings about it, really. But mostly good ones.

Thank you for checking on me. What about you? What happened during the flood?

[howtheyshine]

Okay he'll answer that in a second, but--

...How did you get out of the pickle jar? Did it break when you came back?

[deuceoftears]

Yeah. It was only made for holding ghosts, so it couldn't hold me. And he didn't feel anything inside it, it was like - he was asleep.

[howtheyshine]

He headbutts Jedao lightly in the chest, not entirely convinced, but reassured enough to let it go for now. He is gonna ask his other dad about it though. For thoroughness. And to make sure Hakkai is also okay.

After a second, he says entirely too casually, I didn't switch with anyone, and I got to meet interesting people. It wasn't that bad for me.