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Chase once again had Cyril on his shoulder as they walked down the hall. "What do you think, Cyril? We will have to find some things to make it...more yours. You could take your blanket, for starters...you don't really have too many possessions, but I'm sure over time you could acquire some."

Cyril nodded, but his expression was distracted. There was a bittersweet look in his eyes, and once again he wondered how Chase would react if he found out the real reason Cyril was there, as opposed to any other human. This wonderful gift made it even worse...

Chase simply knew that he couldn't keep up this one-sided conversation. So he went into one of the many rooms of the castle...and ended up taking Cyril to the library for the first time. He moved along the rows and rows of polished, beautiful shelves. He went directly to a table that had a large window, floor to ceiling, that looked out into the courtyard and far beyond.

He stood, letting Cyril down and putting the paper out for him, knowing he had the led. "...Cyril? The thing with the house made me wonder something." the prince started, sitting down in the chair up to the large desk. "How long..." he started but stopped, seeming to rephrase. "Um… will you be here a long time?"

Cyril didn't meet the prince's eyes, but he nodded. Reaching for the paper, he wrote on it, then turned it to face Chase again. FOR AS LONG AS YOU'LL HAVE ME.

Chase tilted his head, reading it. "Oh...really? So you aren't just visiting? That's actually really cool, that you'll be around." he smiled, poking Cyril lightly.

"Though, I'm sure I'll get better with my classes. Ah, that reminds me. I have literature later today as well...but anyway, does that mean you'll have to go back home if...I maybe don't improve? Which I will of course, just...theoretical question." he stated, laying his head on the table, though he was looking out of the window and not directly at his friend. Thinking.

I HOPE NOT, Cyril replied, making a face. Then he added, BUT THAT SEEMS MORE LIKE SOMETHING YOUR DAD WOULD DECIDE.

Chase saw his face. He knew what his friend had written was possible. "Well...wouldn't you at least want to visit home once in awhile? I'd get homesick. Or at the very least, tired of always being around people bigger than me." he mused, wondering what that was even like. "What's that like, anyway? Being the smallest around a lot of...um, giants?"

Cyril looked up from where he was sitting on the table, eyeing Chase in a considering manner. Finally, he took the paper again and started to write. I FEEL VERY SHORT. A LOT LESS CAPABLE, MORE DEPENDANT. SOMETIMES IT'S EMBARASINGLY SO. He paused, and seemed to be gathering his thoughts. HOW TALL ARE YOU, ANYWAY? I DON'T EVEN REACH HALFWAY TO YOUR KNEES...
Chase smiled a little at that. "I'm 63ft tall, give or take a little. Might be a bit more than that, but roughly..."

Cyril's eyes widened, and his eyebrows went up. Really? He hadn't realized the boy was so big... frowning a little in concentration, Cyril tried to calculate something, using his fingers.

Chase watched him curiously. "Trying to figure something out?"

Cyril nodded, and then wrote something down. When he turned it to face Chase, the note read, IF YOU WERE HUMAN, I'D BE MAYBE AN INCH TALLER THAN YOU.

Chase cracked a smile at that. "Well, I am just a kid. So yeah, that would make since. Maybe a little more than that, but I understand what you mean. But I'm not, so you're just the short one." he laughed a little.

He hummed in thought, smiling at something. "Yeah...I'd like to see you get back at Allen if you were my height. That'd be great..."

Cyril smiled, nodding. He'd like that too. I CAN TAKE ANY MAN MY SIZE, he wrote, then hoped it wouldn't seem like he was boasting or anything. It was true, though, generally.

Chase sized Cyril up a moment before nodding, believing it to be true. "Yeah. You're fit enough and small enough, just about. I don't see why you wouldn't have a fair chance, then. Still it's neat to think about."

Cyril nodded. Then, having a thought, he wrote, WHAT'S IT LIKE ON YOUR SIDE OF THINGS, HAVING ME AROUND?

Chase found that rather easy to answer. "I have to be a little more careful...and just aware of where you are. I've definitely stopped running around this place like I usually could...err though admittedly, am not supposed to. With you on my shoulder or in hand or even pocket...yeah, just a bad idea. But it's interesting. I never had a little friend before. Actually...before you, my father was the one that mostly dealt with any humans. Oh, but you weren't the first, I remember now. When I was really little-..." Chase suddenly stopped, closing his mouth and glancing down at Cyril, acting oddly.

"well...I'm sure you know, I think I mentioned the name before..."

YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A 'HARRY' AT DINNER LAST NIGHT, Cyril wrote, a bit slowly. After a bit of thinking it over, he added, AND THAT ALLEN WAS THE REASON HE RAN AWAY... WAS HARRY HUMAN TOO?

Chase slowly nodded again. "I was younger when he was still...around."

WHAT HAPPENED? Cyril asked, though he wasn't sure he should really by poking around in this matter. It seemed too... personal.

Chase looked uncomfortable, shrugging. "It's not totally there. The memory of it, I can't quite recall details," he told Cyril. He looked down. "...I don't really understand. He and Allen...they were really good friends," he said quietly. "Something...that day...he never would tell me what it was." Chase sighed.

Cyril frowned, and decided not to press any further. Instead, he got up, walking over closer to Chase, and putting a hand on the giant prince's arm, hoping to comfort him.

Chase closed his eyes in thought. "...that'll never happen to our friendship, right? We are friends. I hope whatever happened to them doesn't happen to us."

Cyril had left the paper behind, so he couldn't reply with words, but he leaned into Chase's arm, hoping that would show that he wanted to stay with his newfound friend. Prince Chase wasn't just his way of staying alive anymore. He really was a friend, and Cyril wouldn't give this up for anything.

Chase sighed quietly, just relaxing. He understood the meaning of Cyril's gestures, even if he didn't get every word quite right. But this one was one of the few he could know without asking. He laid his head in the nook of his arms folded on the table. "Well...if you really don't mind, I really do not mind having your company...it's good to have constant company for a change."

Cyril chuckled a bit, reaching out to touch the prince's face. One hand on Chase's nose, Cyril looked straight into his big green eyes. Or one of them, anyway.

Chase smiled, the feeling of the hand tickling. He looked back down at Cyril happily. "I know it won't be the same with you, Cyril. You won't be like Harry...please, just tell me any time anything bothers you, okay?" he adjusted his arms, touching the top of Cyril's head with his finger. "Promise?"

Cyril hesitated for a moment, but then he nodded. In one sense, at least, he was sure he'd keep the promise. Telling Chase anything that bothered him about his current situation wouldn't be a problem. Telling him about the past, though... that would be harder.

Chase nodded. "Good." he said finally.