#anywhere

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Adam heads for his room.

And he's greeted by Nab, who wears a sheer but tasteful night gown "Adam.. I heard. I'm so sorry"

"Hey." He goes to Nab and holds her.

The chimera holds him gently "I wish I .. I wish I knew more to offer than ..sex to distract. I feel rather ..two dimensional right now but I can't.. I can't think of how to make you stop hurting"

"It's ok." Gently "Not.... not your fault. Look....." he disengages and starts rummaging around ".... you like it here, right?"

"I like it with you" She says sensing something

He stops, looks at the chimera. "Nab, would you like it here without me? Or better back in Jersey? Or somewhere else?"

"Adam" She puts her hand on his chest "Stop. Tell me what you're planning? Because it sounds like you're thinking of running away from here"

"I.... she was scared. She wanted to stay.... I want to find her."

She says "Oh Adam. You can't."

"Not should not, can not" She assures "You think others haven't already tried? "

"They haven't. It was just a day ago. I'm going to find her." He pulls on his Boots and goes about packing.

"Adam, she's in the dreaming.. for you it was a day, for her it was years ago by now... maybe centuries. She won't be human even if you find her"

"Don't care."

"Adam... Please. I'm begging you. " Nab says alarmed

"What?" He finishes packing and turns to the chimera. "Nab?"

"Adam... even awake changelings going into the Dreaming as far as you'd have to go sometimes go mad, or just dissolve..and the ones that DO succeed at some impossible quest still vanish for centuries. And have you thought of the OTHER problem?"

"What other problem?"

"Right of Rescue, and several mentors and friends who would go after to rescue YOU! You go... you do this, you won't be risking yourself. You'll be risking your dad, your mom, Sir Bachdion, Grand Dame Bondraste, and maybe Sir Magnus. You'll have folks of Rivervale trollishly shamed thinking they caused this... Adam, this is not a choice that only affects you"

That makes him stop.

"How do I get them to.... let me do ... let me be me?"

Nabuni looks at him "You become fully SIDHE.. named, and all.But even then, don't ask them not to care"

"Don't ask US not to care"

He turns to her. "Come... would you want to come with me?"

"You shouldn't GO at all..." She warns him

"You asked me when they'd let you do this... I told you, others have tried. " A pause "Adam, others ..BETTER prepared, more powerful, and smarter.. have tried. They failed. I love you but you need to realize telling you 'don't' isn't a conspiracy"

"So what? I just.... let it go? She was scared. She's lost and .... I just ignore that?"

"You don't ignore it. You grieve, you dream for her... that's a lot of power in our world, Adam. I know I'm wearing the wrong form for it..." She looks at her devil tail, and shrugs "But thoughts and prayers have a LOT Of power with the Dreaming. If Da'an means you to meet her again, you will... but you and she are both now subject to Da'an, and you have to respect it if you want to have any chance she gets a happy ever after wherever she is"

"So if I go after her, I have no chance and neither does she?"

"If you go after her, her chances go DOWN" She says "Adam, do you know how many stories of woe happen because the laws of magic and dreams are not respected? It's a monkey's paw times ten situation... you find her only the banalithy in you destroys her at your touch. Not for a while, but forever. You bring her back, but she comes back a monster.. a monster that makes redcaps seem kind, and one that feeds on changelings... or worse."

Adam listens. And he drops to sit on the bed.

"But...."

She sits to next to him "Adam... I don't know what to say to make it better, so I'm telling you what I can so you don't make it worse. "

He puts his head in his hands.... and his shoulders shake.

And she holds him in her grip "I'm sorry"

He sobs quietly, in loss and grief and frustration.

And she holds him, feeling very strange indeed. She's.. supposed to be a lust chimera, a creature of mere desire dreams, intense and varied but confined. Instead she... she would do anything to make him feel better and it has nothing to do with a good toss and raw pleasure

So she holds him and lets him cry himself out

(End Scene)