#anywhere

"Why serious?"

"Ah, not sure you want to know" He says

"Well.... I mean, I'm curious, sure. Like I said, I'm trying to learn. But if it's... you know, Secret Fae stuff then.... that's cool too."

"Not secret Fae stuff, Secret SATYR stuff... sometimes I forget you're not always aware but kiths themselves can be kind of cliqueish"

"Yeah. No, I can see that. Cool."

He yawns, big.

"How long have you been up man?"

"All night."

"Geez dude, why? I mean.. not my biz but you are allowed to CUDDLE"

A laugh. "Naw, not like that. Got in a fight with my old man, left. Walked around all night."

"Ah, suckss. I'm sorry dude. Never fun to butt heads with the Rents"

"Yeah. Sucks." He shrugs. "Anyway."

"Anyway. Hope it patches. But dude if you need to sleep you can crash on the lodge sofa. I have, it's huge"

"-WE- have." Adam grins.

"Yeah. I might." He sighs. "But chances are real good they're going to call your folks -and- talk to the Chief too, so.... maybe not."

"Wait.. did you run away from home period?" A blink

A shrug.

"Dude.. it's a yes or no kind of thing"

"Why?"

"I mean.... I'm not at home now, I wasn't there last night, I might go back, I might not... I dunno."

"Yeah, well.." he nods "Okay. okay just... I don't want to see a family break up you know? You guys have a great thing going."

A grunt; Adam might disagree.

"Hey, trust me to have a bit more info on fucked up fams. Hell, look at Eden? Living in that craphole"

Adam nods.... then tilts his head. "Yeah but..... didn't she leave? Legally?"

"I'm not talking about her old craphole. I'm talking about her new one. she lives in a box... while she hopes an apartment opens in the Caesar place"

"A -box-??"

"Okay, Not literally, it's a 100 square feet?"

"That's.... ok, that's small."

"But still... at least she's free."

"Dude, don't compare yourself to a slave...I have heliot in my family background and we suffered under Spartan brutality so check your privilege" Zane says SUPER serious

Okay.. hammy serious

"Heliot?"

"Slaves of the Spartans, lower classes.. and I'm teasing. I got as many perks as you so I I'm talking out of my ass somewhat"

Adam puffs, and rolls his eyes. "Right."

"I'm just sayin', if I could get loose? I'd sleep in a -real- box if I could get free. And anyway, she can, like, take an animal form, right? Snake? That's small; be a 100 square feet would feel huge."

"Fair point aobut the shifting but... did.. don't you even LIKE your family?"

"I love 'em! I just can't -live- with 'em!!"

"Huh. " A bite of his lip "Dude, do.. do they hit you or.. you know.. touch you In places and shit? If they do..we can get help"

Adam looks at him like he's lost his damn mind. "NO!"

"Well... what ARE they doing to you?"

"Treating me like Lily! Like a kid, or something. Holy shit, man... that thing at Beltaine? And she thinks she can tell -me- what to do?"

"My mom tells me what to do... " He shrugs "A lot."

"Your mom is cool."

"My mom IS cool.. she is also a pain in the ass and a guilt tripping bitch... depending on what day it is. She's a testament to Zen nagging. I like Lydia... but I get tired of being her free babysitter all the time. Dad doesn't mow the lawn... I do. And mom gets this high pitched eeeeeee thing to her tone the longer I let it get."

"Look, I don't mind doing chores. Yeah, timing can suck sometimes but hey.... I don't mind work, and I don't mind earning my way to where I want to be."

"I mean, don't tell -them- that, about the chores...."

"God no, you tell them you're dcool with it you never get a break... so what do you mind so much? i MEAN... I'm glad they're not .. doing shit that would require Anne Marie and the Chief"

"Dude... just... no!" He sighs. "Ya know, I thought -maybe-, if they all were going to be Fae, -MAYBE- it was ok because mom ended up a satyr and -maybe- she'd understand. But after that?"

"Right... listening... so what do you mind so much ?" He notices no real answer so far

Adam looks at Zane like he's gone deaf. "Dude..... mom's completely -whack-. Dad acts like he's right and I'm wrong and that's it. He doesn't understand the -first thing- about me, but he acts like he has it all figured out.... and he doesn't -listen- or understand when I tell him how it is. Neither of them has the first freakin' CLUE, but that doesn't stop them from telling me how to run my life."