#anywhere

He seems happy, she thinks

"Do you want more paper? We can let this one dry, to take home with you."

He looks to the left. Well that is where more paper is found

"Okay then!" She gets him more paper, and refills any low paints.

Sparrow's painting seems to be shaping into a red and blue dragon dancing in the sky.

The boy changes his drawing to a woman with pick

like a miner going into some under dark. Lots of purple and black

She raises an eyebrow.

...And kenns.

She suspects the boy is kinian.. strong blood...seems to see past the mists .

"That's a lot of stuff to see." Agreeably.

JR goes back to painting

A shadowy figure peering from under a bed

"Do you have one under your bed? They eat socks, sometimes."

The boy pauses, but doesn't respond. He seems truly locked in himself

"When I was your age, my sock monster was named Francis."

She starts painting Francis.

The boy stops and observes. Eyes searching her every stroke of finger

"He had polka-dots." Dot, dot, dot.

He adds stripes to his bed monster painting

"Ah, a tiger variety."

soft nod.. and then.. tiny fluffs at the ears.

"The better to hear you with. Francis had loooong, loong fingers and toes." Francis reaches out - and a sock is stuck on his pinky!

and the boy gives a silent laugh

Then seems to stir.. become more aware... and then, out of his mouth comes the voice of a deadman

"This is the voice of Baron Harkson... this one is off limits for musing as he is a danger to the Right of Ignorance. Report to the nearest thane to explain how you came upon this boy and what tampering you did. Under penalty of SEVER Punishment."

Eyes narrow. She kenns again - looking for the magic. A geas?

A deeper search. Someone DID this to this boy, locked him out when he's not enchanted, barely in his own mind

The question is - can Sparrow unlock the door?

"You must Be Your True Self, JR." Kindly, but with authority. A dictum.

JR blinks then... begins to cry

sobbing in great retching blubbering gasps.

And Sparrow may regret she can't kill that Balor bastard again

"Shhh, shh..." Covid be damned, she gathers the boy to cry on her shoulder.

And JR does, it takes a few minutes before the boy is speaking clear enough to be heard, whimpers of "Told me I saw too much" "Told me I was ..was a bug.. that I broke the rulez..." Sobbing

"It's okay... he's gone, it's okay."

"Fergus" A sniffle

"Fergus?"

"Your monster?"

"Uh huh.. he's not so bad. He only pinches if you ignore him for too long"

"Francis ate socks."

"Fergus steals them, then runs out of room and whines about being crowded" A pause "he's not the smartest bed monster"

"Most of them aren't."

"I only know mine" He wipes his sleeve

Well his face with hsi sleeve. He's still a kid

"There is one in Irene's room, from what I understand. I'm too grown up to see them anymore."

"I won't tell, I promise. Just don't do that to me again, puh-leeze?"

She nods. "We have to keep some things secret, yes. What you see is a secret. But the other man is gone now, and hurting you was wrong. There's other ways. C'mon, you want to wash up?"

"Yes please" A pause "Can..can we go back to painting later though? I..like it"

"Sure! We can do more with fingers, or try brushes."