#debukefarmhold

A brief grin at the simultaneous speech.

"I will be an adult. I'm eighteen in July."

Earl actually smiles.

"Well, " Jacob says "Can't you at least have like a guest bed room? Or ..or we could bury you in a cellar with gaslight lanterns?"

"Yeah." a sigh.

"I have a home already."

"Yeah."

She watches her tea, falling silent.

"Well, yes, but.. I want both of you near me. I want my family at least some time, both because..." The boy looks petulant

Earl looks at Zara, "Well, we might be able to visit. "

"It depends on where they are."

"But he can do flickerflush or whatever you call it" Jacob says

"He can, but it is....costly, aye?"

"And it's..'FlickerFLASH'" earl says "Flicker Flush is more like Firnost"

Indeed, he seems mildly mortified

A wan shrug, and she rests the cup on her knees, cradled by both hands.

"okay." the boy files it away. If Earl calls him Jake, then Earl will be flickerflushing. Yes, that's fair.

Then he looks to Zara and stares. Trying to peer through her skull so she could share her thoughts. It's a bit rude by sluagh standards, but he's young.

Her eyes haven't left her cup.

"I thought people would be happier" Jacob says confused finally

then "did I do something wrong?"

"No!" She looks up sharply. "You did nothing wrong."

"then why aren't more folks happy. I know you.. you have a mom already, but now you have your mom and Miriam too... two is better than one." he says with a child's logic "More is better, yes? You and she saved me. So we could be a family. But now you seem to want to get away to college. And that's good but... I'm confused"

Zara's shoulders curl inwards. "It's not... I don't... I don't get to have them both.."

"I'm not a child anymore. I'm a wilder. I'm nearly eighteen. I'm an adult."

"so? Earl's an adult. I bet he visits his mom." Jacob says

Earl says "Well, I'm ...yes sometimes."

Earl glances over at Zara, "We should get ready for the party. You know, we'll be out all night, the two of us." an out, an escape

offered

"It's different. I don't get to have her."

"Ex... excuse me." She sets her cup aside with haste, knocking it down as she rises. "I need to... excuse me."

Jacob looks baffled.

Earl moves to help with the cup

"I need to visit the powder room." And she flees while Earl is distracted.

Earl looks up to see where she's going. "Excuse me" he follows after

(At the powderoom) "Zara. Do you want me to flicker flash you somewhere? Even if it's without me?" He wants to be with her, but there you go. "or just leave you be here?"

She is not headed for the lavatory - rather, she's booking it for the grotto, for the cavern he can't reach...

He stops. ANd reminds himself this is not meant as a sleight on him. It is not about him. And he needs to be the man in this situation (Whatever that means, it's something the man who raised him would say) and take the hit to his ego if he can't put that ego aside "Offer is open, but for now I'll leave you be. I love you. " and he turns to go

That might have been a 'love you' whispered back - too soft to properly make out, not before she's out of sight.

He returns to find Jacob and Miriam "Apologies. Zara is indisposed"

"Yeah. I saw." Miriam sighs and set her cup down. "Look after her, Earl." She crouches down to see Jacob eye-to-eye. "It's complicated, Kiddo. See.... I had a baby. An' I didn't get to see her grow up. An'... like, there's a hole inside, where that baby an' that time should be. An' I'm tryin' ta figure out how to put a young woman in that hole. It hurts. Both of us, I think. An' I can't even remember havin' you. And I didn't get to see you either, but... yer younger and maybe you fit better in that kinda hole, see?"

He looks down then "Once I squeezed into a mail box slot"

A toothy grin. "Bet you did."

"YUP... " He pauses "I think technically I broke a law" A shrug not too concerned, then more gently Jacob says "I'm sorry about your holes. I like scary things. I don't like … that. I Hope it gets better for you and sis"

"Yeah. Me too." She stands. "Earl, can he stay here a few days? I gotta figure out what to do."

"Of course, the offer is still good" Earl says

"And I'll look after her. It's just now and then she needs space." The troll says

"Yeah. Thanks. Ok." She squares she shoulders. "Guess... guess I need a news paper."

"I'll get you some..." He does get two. One for Ottumwa, the nearest town. And the next.. from New York State- Poughkeepsie

She gives him a -look- but does take them.