"Silvana's improving…" Hohow Bird had noted, as he heard Silvana's accordion play romantic French music. It's obviously to impress Sig. Or more accurately, to set the mood. It's more romantic than Superhero comics ever got.

Hohow was approaching his boss to ask something he never asked before. A little vacation time. Every other time Silvana forced him to because everyone recognized that the overzealous bird overworked himself.

"Now Now… The music's coming from outside her home…" The bird followed the music around the caravan. He found Silvana with rolled up sleeves lying in a hammock suspended between two trees… She was quite a bit away, but Hohow slowly paced closer to the resting jester.

He didn't want to disturb her. Not at all. The girl was very tranquil and relaxed, playing a song moderately well. Arms facing her on her foot end. Blissfully singing in a language Hohow knows she doesn't understand. 'Must've memorized it.'

Et j'ai oublié le verset suivant

Oh, eh bien, je suppose qu'il vaut la peine de répéter

La feuille de paroles est si difficile à trouver

Quels sont les mots? Oh peu importe

It wasn't beautiful or anything, it didn't even rhyme, probably just making noise, but she was into it. Hohow, looking down as much as he has, noticed his shadow pointed to his boss. Hohow decided to let her play out. He'd rather not disturb her at the moment.

Silvana sighed in satisfaction. She put her intrusion on the mat as her the looming shadow of her bird friend of similar height came over her.

"Oh, ehehe. Enjoyed the show?" She said playfully with a smile.

"No Ho…" The bird said deflated-like.

"You sound depressed, Hohow." Sil repositioned herself to sit straight up. "What's the matter?"

The avian twidled his finger feathers while trying to avert his gaze at his boss' face. "I want a week or so ho off."

"Woah." Sil winched. "Oh, my. Did something happen?"

"My. My MOTHER DIED! Waaaaaaah-haaaaaa-haaaaaaa!" The flamboyant bird fell into Sil. Snapping the hammock making them both fall. But Silvana had no time to be angry at that. She was too busy empathizing and feeling guilty.

Chapter 53: Might Have Regret

Hohow bawled, sitting next to Silvana on the mat. "I was a lucky Hohow to even have two Hohow Downs to begin with… Mo Ho Ho Hooooost get noooooone! Buh-hut it wouldn't help anywaaaaaaaaaaay."

"Hohow…"

"But I used it to save the life of a friend who turned out to be an evil Doppelganger." Hohow sneezed.

"I'm sorry, Hohow… If it helps, I'll never take my life for granted again. I've been pretty happy since I came back." Silvana cried as well, it was hard not too.

It didn't really help.

Hohow's mother means more to him than her she'd imagine. "How did she die?"

"Natural causes." The bird wheezed. "I couldn't resurrect her even if I had two more featherss… OR EVEN JUST ONE! Waaaaaah."

"Be honest with me Hohow. This won't negatively affect the time off you get. How much did your mother mean to you?"

"A lot. I was an OH HOnly fletching. Mom loved me a lot. She didn't make fun of me when I said I wanna be a superhero…" Hohow tightened his grip.

"Wou-Would you have resurrected your mom over me?"
"I don't Know Ho! You mean a lot more to a lot of people! You're a demon, but you're the nicest demon I know." Silvana was admittedly flattered. "And thanks to you made me a real hero ho to the kids." The bird sniffed. "But now, I don't feel like anything. I need to take a break and be in the Valley of Hohow and attend Mom's funeral. Ho Hooooo…"

"Hohow. You're a hard worker." The clown broke the hug. "I'd tell you that with my mask off if we weren't in public. You're technically the circus' co-founder in its current incarnation." 'Even if your ideas are hit and miss.' "I'd be heartless if I didn't give you whatever time you need to recover… But no longer than a month."

"Thank you!" Hohow went from the sitting position. "Enjoy living, Silvana. Lemme share you some secret Hohow info." That tickled Silvana's curiosity. Hohow's beak and Sil's ear met each other to exchange the information. "Funeral eulogies become telegrams in the afterlife in the ho hope the deceased feel better about having died."

"Ah… So if you hadn't found me… Ah…" 'Poor, Vibby… The only one mourning her at her mock funeral was Amitie…'

"You didn't hear that from me, Hm Hmm?"

"I got it… I got anti-depressants I never use if you ever need them."

"WOAH HO! What?" That shocked some electricity back into the bird a little.

"Heh. I have a feeling not using them keeps Arle safe, you see?" Silvana was not really happy with this fact. "Less I wanna snuff her the longer I prolong my seconds. So what about my mental health?"

"Why?"

"Best do something bad for me, to prevent something worse for me. No one can pick me up next time. Can they?" Asked rhetorically.

"No Ho one can save you this time if it gets worse."
"Yeeeeaaaah." Sil looked at her feet. "I hate living." Said reactionary. She instantly realized she shouldn't have said that to the bird who sacrificed himself to save both him and her. "I hate living as a Doppelganger. Look Hohow, I don't mean anything by it, just say good-bye to your Mom, and I will make the most at my second chance as I have been."

Hohow. Still very sad, stood up, thanked his boss, said bye and waddled towards his nest near ZigZag Peak to pick up his stuff for his visit to his home valley.

Silvana sighed. "Army." She let out as she picked him up. She knotted him around her waist so she could remake her hammock.

Suppressing emotion. Not that hard to do for Sil, she's quite strong, most emotions were suppressed by default for a lot of her life. But for as long as she's been Silvana she found it harder to hide them. Her baggage is heavy. What's worse is that the baggage weighing her down the most at the moment not of 'Silvana's' technically. It's not something Silvana has no business with. Even if it's something that affected her like no other.

"Mommy…" Sil choked. She took her stuff and set her stuff somewhere in her caravan so nobody could hear her cry while playing the accordion.

Author's Notes:
Sil's song was supposed to be "Rip out my Urkel Loving Heart", But I do care about not polluting this fic with references just for the sake of it.

Nothing happened in real life. No one I know has died.

Next up: Raffine has got her hands on a Jewel detector. Has Silvana have to bargain?