Your regularly scheduled chapter is being momentarily interrupted by an announcement from the author:

I GOT GHIBLI SOCKS!!!!!

Interruption is over, you may proceed with the story.

It was already evening; John was peacefully reading a book and Alex was off doing god knows what when Martha bardages into her brother's room.

"What your shroom did with that mushroom the other day was cool, can you get him to do it again?" Martha asked, sitting on John's desk chair.

"Not unless he wants to." John answered, not looking up from the book he was reading.

"But he works for you!"

"Yeah, but his job doesn't include making mushrooms grow and sapping his strength."

"Fine. D'you think I can convince him to do it in his spare time? I wanna see how it works."

"Umm... no." John turned the page, still focusing on his book.

"Why not?"

"Cause I said no."

Martha crossed her arms and pouted but John didn't even look up from his story so she was clearly fighting a losing battle.

Just then Alex walked in and John looked up immediately.

"Hello Martha..." Alex seemed a little concerned at having Martha around, which was perfectly reasonable. "Is there anything you need ma'am?"

"Grow me a mushroom." Martha demanded, much to the disapproval of her brother.

"Umm..." Alex shot John a fairly worried look.

"John said yes, now c'mon." Martha grabbed Alex by the wrist before John could protest, forcing him to watch as she dragged his friend out of the room and shut the door.

John stood up, making sure not to hurt his book or lose his page, and made his way down the hall to Martha's room as fast as he could without seeming suspicious.

He was about to knock on the door and scold his sister when another servant, Betsey, tapped him on the shoulder.

"Your father wants to see you, sir. He's in his study." She said.

"Please, drop the 'sir' thing, it makes me feel weird." John sighed.

"Ok sir— John. I meant John. God sorry."

John chuckled and Betsey laughed along with him, deciding if was ok for her to do so.

"My dad wants to see me?" The gears turned in John's head and he groaned. "Do I have to go right now?"

"Preferably yes." Betsey commented.

"Ok then." He sighed, casting a glance at Martha's door before heading towards the stairs. "Thanks Betsey."

John headed up the stairwell and to his father's study. He knocked on the door and waited patiently.

"John?" Henry Sr. called out.

"Who else?" John retorted.

"Get in here boy."

John opened the door and stepped in, closing it behind him.

He'd never liked his father's study: it was to wide and empty and had no warmth or friendliness to it at all. There were big windows that made the crisp white walls look colder and a plain wooden desk with dark bookshelves on either side. Nothing about the place was appealing to John (or Starii, who hates this room).

"What do you want?" John questioned moving to sit in front of the desk.

"I have news of the war." Henry Sr. stated.

"What makes you think I care?" Joh replied.

"Just listen to me Jonathan." John did not like it when people used his full name. He didn't like it at all.

"Fine." He crossed his arms. "What is it?"

"The fighting has started." Henry Sr. said nonchalantly, like it didn't matter that faeries were going to be killed in these battles. "The Woodhearts want to take from my staff or have one of my sons. I said no because I'm not stupid and I don't want my sons getting killed. But I wanted to inform you that they're getting more insistent and I'm thinking of letting them recruit some of the male staff. We don't need them all anyways."

"Oh. Ok..." John wasn't sure what to think about that, so he got up to leave.

"I could replace your shroom you know? With another servant perhaps? He's not indispensable."

John tightened his fists. "I guess we'll think about that when we get there. Goodbye now."

"Not so fast son, we still need to talk about something."

"What else could you possibly have to say?"

"You need to think about getting a wife." (<666 words. That sentence is pure sin) Henry Sr. instructed his son. "As my eldest son I can't have you single your whole life, we need to forge alliances. The Schuylers are rich, they're father's powerful and they're all available. Oh and so's that Martha Manning."

"Yeah I'll think about it later." John dismissed the idea; the thought of kissing or having a romantic relationship with a girl wasn't something that much enticed him, much less getting married to one.

Before his father could add anything, John walked out of the study and down the stairs to his room, where he picked up the book. Just as he opened the pages the door creaked and John looked up, smiling at the sight of Alex standing in the doorway.

Then that he realized that the shroom was very pale and seemed to be struggling a little to keep upright. His skin seemed more stretched across his bones somehow and his hair had lost its volume and sheen, now hanging dully around his face like it had never been cared for once.

"Oh god Alex are you ok?" John asked, springing up, book instantly forgotten.

"Y-yeah." Alex mumbled, closing the door and making his way over to the bed, where he lay down and stared at the ceiling.

"I'm so sorry I didn't come get you my dad wanted to talk to me. I'm sorry I didn't go get you first thing."

"It's ok, I'm ok." Alex raised a hand. "I just need a second."

"Don't do anything until you're all rested Alex, ok?"

"O-" he yawned. "Ok Jackie."

"I... uhhhh... I... what?" John said, feeling blood rise his cheeks at the nickname.

"What? What did I do?" Alex questioned, rolling over as if in a daze.

"Oh uhh... nothing."

"Do you not like the nickname? I can not call you that if you want."

"No it's ok. It's ok."

Alex smiled sleepily. "Goodnight Jackie."

"Goodnight Alex."