“Pinch me to check?”

Ant reaches over and does so. "I mean. This doesn't really help if I'm also a hallucination..."

"Yeah, but I like it when you pinch me."

Ant catches eir lower lip coyly between eir teeth, and starts to lean forward-

"-Not in the kitchen."

"Aw, spoilsport, watching Z and Ant make-out is like...the highlight of my morning."

"At least someone appreciates our art."

He leans forward and pokes at his eggs.

"What's wrong with making out in the kitchen?"

"I remember that time that 'making out in the kitchen' turned into 'wild threesome in the kitchen'. I'd prefer that not to happen while I'm here."

"What's even the point of having your own kitchen if you can't fuck in it?"

"...food. Is the point."

"Yes, food is indeed the point-"

Adrienna chooses that moment to enter the kitchen. She doesn't look like she's slept, and yet she still somehow looks perfectly put together. "Where's everyone else?" she asks without preamble.

"...dunno. Ira's probably still out in the studio."

She pauses, taps her foot. "Alright. I'll go see if I can get Shin up to get some food into him, and find E and Av we need to have a meeting at some point, I've got some things sketched out, but I want all your input before I go ahead with anything."

He nods.

"...glad you're sticking with us. Whatever's happening."

Her expression softens. "I haven't spent this long keeping you all alive to let you undo all my hard work now."

...aww.

"You're gonna have to watch us until we retire."

"Believe it or not, I'm totally game for that. Alright. Time to play Find the Shin. God only knows where he fell asleep, wish me luck?"

"Good luck. Lot of beds in this house."

He returns to his eggs, and to leaning against Ant.

She laughs, and leaves the kitchen, ruffling E's hair as she passes him in the doorway.

"Really?" he complains, trying to smooth it down, and not having that much success. "I swear, this house is bigger than some of the venues we've played!"

"Welcome to the Gothenburg Estate," he says. You can practically hear the cursive.

"Did you guys use a map to find your way around or did you just get lost?"

"Hide and seek was always fun..."

"...we should try that again. Could still be fun, huh?"

"Ooh. Yeah. Be even better with more than three of us!"