As I made my way downstairs after leaving the arrogant ass to his own devices, I stopped on the last step. I noticed that Arlo wasn’t anywhere in the vicinity. Thinking to myself that he might be in the kitchen, I checked there but, again, there was no one there. Taking another wild guess, I also checked the downstairs bathroom, but the door was open and no one was in there. Did Arlo perhaps go home? Surely he would’ve said, right? I swear that he said that he would meet me down here but, even if there was an emergency with his Gran, he would’ve still said ‘goodbye’ to me. It was then, when I was standing in the hallway, that I heard some shuffling noises. With my interest peaking, I headed towards the source of the noise. As I got closer, I could see a figure in my small conservatory. It wasn’t much, but I hardly ever go in there, since it seemed so out of place, as it was near the back corner of my house. I think my parents used it as storage, but it has been a while since I’ve been in there. As I slid open the door, I saw that the figure turned around at the sound, and it just so happened to be the man who I had been looking for. 

“Ah, that’s where you went!” I said to him as I stepped in whilst closing the door behind me. It was then that I noticed that he was holding a brown book. “Hey, isn't that my family's photo album?”

Arlo turned to face me at the sound of my voice. “It fell as I was spritzing the place up.”

“I don’t really use this room, so it wouldn’t need that much cleaning.” I replied to him as I moved to sit on the sofa that was in the room.

“Yes, but dust…. However, I don’t know why I was led in here for the dust.” He gave a shrug and looked towards the album. “It has actually occurred to me, I don’t think I’ve seen the photos inside.”

“Honestly, there’s nothing special, if I remember? It’s just a ridiculous amount of photos of me.”

“Well, that gives me more reason to look at it.” He gave me a smile and came to sit next to me. “May I?” He gestured to open up the book, and I gave him a shrug.

“Knock yourself out.”

Now, with permission, Arlo started to flip through it. I wanted to double check but, as I looked at each photo? They were literally all pictures of myself. It was a bit embarrassing, but there it was.

“Given that you’re an only child, an entire album to yourself makes sense.” Arlo commented as he closed the book. “Your parents really do love you.”

“I guess they do…” With a smile, I took the album from his hands and hugged it tightly. I did miss my parents, but they had gotta do what they gotta do. To get through life in this world, one needs to work. Shaking my head to remove the beginning of sadness, I stood up and headed to the desk where it once sat. As I put it back, a photo frame caught my attention, and I had to ask myself: was that here before? As I picked the frame up, to take a better look at the photo inside, my eyes widened. The photo in the frame was a picture of a younger version of myself, but I was being held by a man in a pink suit. On closer inspection, I noticed that the man and myself look eerily alike. As I was trying to discern who that man was in the photo, a sharp stabbing pain washed over my head. The frame fell from my hands, and I felt a pair of hands touch both my shoulders.

“Are you alright?” Arlo peeked round at me.

I didn’t answer him at first, and just stared at my hands but, not to make him worried, I turned and gave him a smile.

“Oh yes, I must’ve not been holding the frame strong enough.”

It was a stupid excuse, but Arlo looked like he took that answer, but he picked up the frame himself and looked at it.

“I haven't seen this man before…” 

“Yeah, me neither, or at least I don’t remember him…”

“Hmm…” Arlo pondered for a moment. “Well, considering…” He pointed to the version of me, who was in the photo. “You were young, perhaps he’s a family member that you have forgotten about. Hell. Gran shows me pictures of my family, and I have no clue who they are. Like, I really don’t need to know that cousin Jack is a part of the circus.”

“Perhaps that’s true…”

Arlo nodded but, as he was putting the frame down, I noticed that something fell out of it. As I bent down to pick it up, I noticed that it was a small piece of paper with writing on. The handwriting was so delicate that it would probably take me hours to just even perfect one letter.

“Be still, my love…” I started to read it out loud. “I will return to you, however far you feel from me. You are not alone. I will always be waiting, and I’ll always be watching you…” When I finished reading it out loud, I noticed that Arlo was giving me an odd look.

“Are you sure you don’t know him?” He plucked the paper from me and looked it over himself. “That seems like a real personal thing to say and place in this frame.”

“I…” I picked the frame up that Arlo put down earlier and looked at the picture again. I looked really young, maybe no older than eight. But my mannerisms in the photo looked like I really knew this man. But, no matter how hard I tried, nothing, not even a name came to me. Before I knew it, something wet rolled down my cheek and, as I checked with my finger, I noticed that it was a lone tear.

“Maybe you have forgotten…” Arlo gave me a warm smile as he carefully took the frame from my hands. “But it seems like your body remembers, so I’m sure you will remember one day…”

“I think I heard something about it, but I don’t know what it’s called though.”

Arlo laughed as he put the frame down next to the note. “Well, neither do I.”

As I was laughing along with Arlo, a loud bang echoed towards us, with the source seemingly coming from the living room. Concerned about the noise, both of us rushed out of the room and headed straight towards the noise. We instantly saw the source of the loud bang, my sofa had been tipped over. Just as I was about to ask myself why my sofa could just tip on it’s own, the answer started to ‘speak’.

“Gotcha! You can’t escape me now!” The source of the voice was coming from the other side of the sofa, and a brown haired head popped up, seemingly like they just noticed us. “Oh? Oh, it’s you guys!”

I let out a sigh as Ichthys was smiling at us, and Arlo just looked confused as he asked his question.

“Didn’t you leave earlier? And, actually, a better question, how did you get in?”

“Through the window.” Ichthys answered, with no care in the world.

“Through the what, now?” 

“Anyway…” I interrupted that conversation, since I knew it would just keep on going. “Why are you here?”

“I was getting this guy.” As he said that, Ikky stood up and, in his hand, was a small dark bird, who was looking highly annoyed.

“Hey, isn’t that Luce’s bird?” Arlo questioned him.

“I guess?” Ikky answered with another question. “But he was escaping me, so I had to hunt him down.”

“I see…” Ignoring Ikky entirely, Arlo turned to look at me. “Why does he have your bird?”

“He’s my brother.” Ikky answered instead.

“Brother!” I injected it. “As in ‘bros’. Like, erm… ‘Hey bro, and I’d like to see you, bro’.” It was such a poor excuse for an answer, but Arlo’s blank expression wasn’t giving me any clues as to if he believed me or not.

“Well, whatever…” Arlo shrugged. “I guess it’d be best to pick up the sofa.” He moved towards it, and looked at me. “Care to help?”

Nodding along with him, I moved to the other side of the sofa and helped him pick the sofa up, so that it was standing upright again. As I was dusting my hands off, a soft gust of wind blew past me, and Ikky let out a long, drawn out sigh as the ‘bird’ that he was holding had escaped, and he flew towards the open door of the conservatory.

“Well…” Arlo announced and walked up to Ikky. “I’m going to go home, care to walk with me?” Even though he had asked a question, it honestly sounded like a demand.

“I guess…” Ikky looked confused at the sudden invitation.

“Excellent.” Arlo turned towards me. “I’ll see you later.” And he made his way towards the door.

Just as Ikky was about to follow I grabbed his arm and whispered in his ear. 

“Don’t say anything that would make him even more suspicious than he already is…”

Instead of answering me, he gave me the ‘Ok’ sign with his fingers, and headed off after Arlo. I saw them off at the door, Arlo looked like he was walking with purpose, whilst Ikky was just bringing up the rear, swinging his arms as he followed. 

“I swear to God, if that moron says anything weird…..” I trailed off as I closed the door.

When the two men had walked a little further away from Lucette’s house, Arlo stopped in his tracks and turned to Ichthys.

“Just who exactly are you?”

Ichthys, remembering Lucette’s last words, just shrugged.

“No one.”

“Right… That was totally believable…” Arlo rolled his eyes and continued walking.

“I sense a bit of sarcasm there.” Ichthys moved so that he was walking a little in front, and started to walk backwards so that he could face Arlo.

“Congratulations, a gold star for you.”

Ichthys tilted his head and got into Arlo’s grill, causing him to stop.

“Somehow, I get the feeling that you're angry, or is it jealousy?” Ichthys tilted his head. “Maybe both, since you kinda remind me of someone right now, he acts like this too…”

“I have no idea what you are even on about…” Arlo moved back and sidestepped around Ichthys.

“Ah, now I get it…” Ichthys hopped around and was in front of Arlo again, poking him in the chest. “I think you’re jealous over the ‘relationship’ that I could have with her!”

“I don’t care.” Again, Arlo moved away from the other man.

“Hey!” Ichthys appeared in front of Arlo again. “Don’t worry man, you’re safe. I mean, she looks like someone I know quite well, but I’m not gonna step on your toes.” He held up his hands in defeat.

“Uh huh…” And, once again, Arlo dipped away from Ichthys.

“Have I ever said that..?” Ichthys, once again, appeared in front of Arlo. “I kinda like you? Or at least you and her are fun to be around, I might make it a common thing.”

“Excuse me?” This time, Arlo didn’t move, as he wanted answers.

“I don’t know many people and, well, I met her and she was fun to be with, and now I have met you and you’re also fun to be with.”

Arlo blinked at this weirdo, it seemed like he was getting a migraine, and not his usual migraines.

“Uh huh… Great…” Arlo replied with a lot of sarcasm, but Ichthys didn’t even seem to notice and grinned at him.

Both men continued walking until Arlo was finally outside his house. It was nothing special, it was just a small little bungalow, but it was big enough for both him and his gran.

“Well, this is me, can you make your way to your home from here?” Arlo had asked the other, but he didn’t seem to be listening, he was just staring at the house. “Is there something interesting about my house?” Arlo asked him, as he waved a hand in front of the other man's face.

“How long have you lived here?” Ichthys finally spoke.

“I guess… For as long as I can remember?” Arlo shrugged and watched as Icthys was staring intently at his house. “Why do you ask?”

“AH, no matter.” He shook his head. “It has her residue all over it…” The last part was muttered very quietly.

“Pardon?” Arlo tried to get the man to repeat himself, but Ikky just turned to look at him and grinned.

“Well, I shall be off!” Ichthys gave Arlo a salute, turned on his heel, and was heading off in a random direction.

Arlo let out a sigh, as the door behind him opened. Peeking from the door was a little old lady, with striking blue eyes.

“Who was that?” She asked Arlo.

“Just a moronic weirdo, Gran… It was no one important…” Arlo answered, as he walked through the door that she had opened.

But, before Arlo’s gran returned inside the house, she looked up towards a building not too far away, and gave a sad small smile, before retreating inside the house.

A short way away, someone was watching the interactions of Arlo and Ichthys from the shadows, and watched as both of them parted ways.

“Out of all the dimensions he could visit, it just so happens to be the one where the muse took the dog…”

The figure flicked their wrist, and a card appeared in between their middle and forefinger.

“... Also, the place where he…” The figure trailed off as they looked at the card. “I guess fate is fate…” The figure sighed as they looked towards the sky, a sad small smile appeared on their face. “At least she can be happy for a little bit, that’s all that matters…” With that, the figure stood up and disappeared into the shadows.