Rowan and Taka’s eyes meet again.

“What are you going to do with the lily spirit?”

…

“Lily spirit?” Rowan tilts his head, brow tightening in confusion.

“The flower…” He puts his hand over his mouth. “Wait… she said she wasn’t a flower.”

Rowan’s eyes widen. “Are you saying that the flower spoke to you?”

Taka quietly fidgets with his hands, feeling like he told him something he shouldn’t have. 

“... No…”

“Are all spirits sentient?”

…

Taka does not answer.

Rowan puts his hand on his forehead. “I am learning quite a lot today.”

…

Rowan groans as he stands. “The… “ He hesitates. “Lily spirit… is going to help a friend.”

“The man with golden hair?”

Rowan lets out a soft laugh. “Yes. His name is-”

“Majesty?”

“Yes. That’s how you should address him, but his name is-”

“What is this?”

Rowan looks at the planter.

He smiles despite himself.

“That is a planter.”

“Hello planter.” Taka holds one of the leaves.

…

“... Can it talk too?”

Taka laughs. “I don’t think so.”

Rowan blinks.

Before he realizes it, he finds himself laughing too.

…

Eventually, Taka sits across from Rowan on the couch. 

His eyes are still scanning the room.

Rowan watches him. “Can all fog spirits turn into humans?”

Taka meets Rowan’s eyes. “... I don’t know…”

Rowan sighs. “How did you do it?”

Taka shrugs. “I never tried it by myself before…” He pauses. “But Mama told me I could.”

Rowan holds his breath for a moment. 

…

“You have a mother?”

Taka nods enthusiastically. “Yes! Mama is super smart!”

Rowan holds his hand to his head. "...Where is she?"

Taka’s smile fades as he slouches. “... I don’t know…”

…

Rowan doesn’t know what to ask…

…

Or say…

…

“So…” He pauses. “What else do you know?” 

Taka stares into space for a while.

The smile from before is nowhere to be seen.

…

“...Do I have to go back to the jar?”

Rowan opens his mouth, then closes it.

…

“I don’t know yet…”

Taka lowers his head.

…

He fidgets with his hands.

Captain made a promise and kept it…

So maybe… 

It wouldn’t be so bad this time?

“Can you… If I have to go back in…” He wraps his hands around each other in his lap. “...Can you promise to let me out sometimes?”

Rowan looks at Taka.

…

 “I promise.”

Taka smiles and meets his eyes. “Then it will be okay… “

Rowan’s stomach twists. 

I don’t want to put him back in…

But if he wandered around here…

He could scare people…

…

Taka didn’t want people to be scared. 

He just wants to see the world beyond the glass.