22 Phoenix Place, Tuesday Evening

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka had her own room, it was true, and most of her friends were at that room, back in the dorms, but her Papas had their own house too, and since they were her Papas, that meant she was allowed to be there as well.

Even if she didn't have a lot of reason. Or… well, not much of a reason. (Okay, she had a reason.)

Even if she was spending her time cuddled up against Papa Jono's side and reading a book on sewing techniques. (They were too advanced for her, but she liked looking at the things she might be able to do one day.)

She sighed a little. She should probably talk to at least one of her Papas about the reason why she'd come, but Alluka liked avoidance too. It was cozy.

[Open for he who is modded, the other he whose house this is, and phone calls!]

Comments

[furnaceface]

It was cozy, but it would probably only carry her so far if she was going to go sighing like that. Jono glanced at her, lowering his own book, and tilted his head a little.

//Something eating at you, Sunshine?//

[that_oldsaying]

Alluka didn't like not telling her Papa things! Hence the sighing.

"I don't know," Alluka said, studying her book but not really seeing it too much. "Maybe?"

[furnaceface]

Okay, 'maybe,' in Jono's experience, was generally a 'yes.' That was how these things tended to go.

//If you can find words for it, maybe we can do something about it,// he offered, taking a second to put a bookmark in his place and set his book aside. //Make whatever it is go away.//

[that_oldsaying]

"It's not a bad thing," Alluka said quickly, glancing up at him, though she frowned after a moment. "At least, I don't think so?"

[furnaceface]

Jono tilted his head slightly at that.

//Well... then if you can find words for it, we can figure out more of it if you like?// A beat. //Or whatever we decide is best, depending on what it is, of course.//

[that_oldsaying]

Oh.

Oh, well.

Papa wasn't going to let this go unless she asked for him to let it go, was he? Alluka squirmed a little, debating with herself about if she should--only, no, there wasn't that much time left.

"Um, um," she took a breath, "um, Papa, Ringo and I wanted to go away for the summer."

[furnaceface]

//Away?// Well, that grabbed Jono's attention, for sure. //On vacation?//

He couldn't quite figure what they would be doing otherwise, after all.

[that_oldsaying]

"Not... not on a vacation with beaches or just laying around," Alluka said, frowning at little as she tried to find the words for it. "On... on a trip. Where we see lots of different things."

A beat.

"Um. Um, but... but in my world."

[furnaceface]

There was a beat on Jono's end, too, where a whole weight of worry he hadn't been aware he'd had just sort of settled in and set up camp. Of course it was her world. Why wouldn't it be her world?

//A road trip? You and Ringo want to go on a road trip?//

And now he was trying to figure out if there was some way to put a tracking device on her that wasn't just utterly creepy. He was pretty sure there wasn't.

//You'll still call, right?//

Next best thing.

[that_oldsaying]

"Whenever there's phone service," Alluka said earnestly, now that he wasn't... he didn't seem like he was mad at her or anything. "But... but that was what we wanted to do. If that was okay?"

[furnaceface]

Jono did a very admirable job of not squirming. Alluka's family was... frankly, terrifying, and if they were to catch wind of her just wandering around...

He shook that thought. He wasn't sure how he'd even approach that topic with Alluka herself.

//Alluka, luv,// he said, reaching to tuck her hair behind her ear, //you don't have to ask my permission. I worry, I always will, but you need to do what you think is best for you. I'll always be here for you to turn to, but I refuse to be the one to hold you back.//

He wasn't going to be her parents. He couldn't do that to her.

[that_oldsaying]

She studied him with big, blue eyes.

"But, Papa, I don't want you to be upset either."

So wasn't she supposed to ask?

[furnaceface]

//I appreciate you letting me know what you're planning,// Jono offered. //It saves me from worrying myself sick wondering where you've gone.//

He was going to do that anyway.

//But what I want most is for you to be happy. And a couple of weeks of self-discovery while seeing the world can't hurt, right?//

He was going to be grey by July.

[that_oldsaying]

She giggled, relieved.

"I hope not," Alluka admitted. "But, but it sounded like fun and we've been talking about it for awhile. Did you want me to bring you some of the travel brochures I have?"

They were going to stick with those places for about... five minutes. Tops. But it was a nice thought.

[furnaceface]

Jono shrugged his shoulders a little, a game expression on his face.

//Sure,// he replied. //I'm curious to see what your world has to take in. And when are you planning on leaving? Will I have some time to spend with you before you go?//

Or was this it? He really hoped this wasn't going to be it.