Not even in her wildest dream, Claire could ever imagine that talking to someone may have become so challenging. Yet, here she was, wondering how to approach her school play partner.
No, of course, Jim Lake hadn't turned into some unreachable person overnight, yet talking to him somehow felt too awkward.
The girl sighed. Was she doing anything wrong? That fight with Steve had opened the whole can full of worms. A seemingly trivial school event apparently had held something more. At least, for some people.
Claire remembered Shannon breaking down in the restroom. It had taken some time before the bespectacled girl had managed to calm down. At some point, a teacher had appeared and shooed the Latina away, so she had no idea how the entire situation had been resolved.
Yet, the fact remained - somehow, Shannon knew Jim's other side. Was he actually that kind of person? Claire refused to believe in that. At least, not before talking to the boy in question.
No, seriously, was Jim Lake that good of an actor to pull the nice guy act on a daily basis?
It shouldn't have been that tricky to find out. Just came up to him, starting a casual conversation, and then…
Then what?
Asking if all the things Shannon had stated were true? Come on, no one would ever admit something like that!
Trying a round-way approach? Wasn't that one easier to say than do?
Claire shared several classes with Jim, not to mention plenty of opportunities to talk during the recess, yet…
She had failed, no matter how stupid it sounded.
In a last-ditch effort, the girl had decided to follow her play partner after school. In hindsight, it had been a surprisingly brainless decision, simply because Claire obviously had had no idea what to do afterward. It hadn't helped that Jim's best friend had been basically glued to him.
Well, at least, some higher force had been kind to the Latina as the boys had parted ways at some point.
That had been her chance. Aaaand she had basically missed it again.
After all, approaching Jim Lake had become even more tricky as she would have some excuse about being in the area.
Nope, it had been simply impossible.
Claire felt her cheeks burning from the embarrassment.
"I've thought someone promised me to help with my preparation for the Spanish Comprehension test," Mary's displeased voice brought the Latina back to reality. "But never mind me, I'm just on the verge of sinking here. Nothing critical!"
Oh, right, Claire was actually supposed to help her best friend instead of daydreaming about some weird stuff.
"Sorry, Mare, got distracted for a second," she smiled sheepishly, hoping to diffuse the Asian girl's annoyance.
"If it's a chore to you, then don't volunteer," Mary refused to calm down without venting out first. "I'll ask someone else!"
Of course, she was upset. Spanish had never been her forte or favorite subject, even without Senor Uhl taken into account. And the teacher's tendencies didn't make anything less complicated. You either performed flawlessly, or the heartless Austrian took you apart over the most trivial mistake. So Mary was always on the verge of breaking down every time a Spanish test or exam was on the horizon.
Claire reached for the book, making another attempt to pacify her huffing friend:
"So, what exactly do you find difficult?"
"Forget it," the Asian girl leaned back in her chair, shutting her eyes. "My brain is melting in any case, so I'd rather take a break and listen about your worries."
People tended to accuse Mary Wang of being selfish and shallow, yet Claire knew that her friend had a heart of gold. Otherwise, why would she put aside her important studies?
"It's about Jim Lake…" the Latina started, regretting her decision at once as Mary took a stance of a bloodhound catching the scent of prey.
"Uh-ho," even Chesire Cat would feel envious of that smile.
"It's nothing like that!" Claire waved her arms hoping, that Mary hadn't let her imagination run wild. "I just thought he was odd…"
"Sure," the Asian girl nodded though her expression was anything but agreeing. "Oddly regular. Average studies, average athletics, never stands out… Though, that recent conflict with Steve was something… People will talk about that one until the graduation."
Mary was right - Jim had become the recent hot topic out of nowhere. Apparently, Steve's behavior had been getting on everyone's nerves too much.
But…
"Shannon was scared," Claire added quietly.
That was another hot topic coursing around with people making out some wild theories about the reasons for the bespectacled girl behavior.
Surprisingly, Mary frowned and muttered:
"I understand it was traumatic, but to be honest, Shannon should realize that people change all the time. Especially since preschool!"
That definitely came out of nowhere. A crazy guess crossed Claire's mind momentarily.
"Mare, were you in the same preschool as Jim and Shannon?"
"Yes?" the Asian girl shrugged. "Haven't I mentioned it before? That wasn't the nicest place - the staff was… I don't know… Not good for working with kids? I hated them with passion…"
"And what about Jim?" the Latina interrupted before it turned into a full-blown rant about old times.
"Lake? Whatever you're thinking, he was a quiet kid," Mary replied. "Most of the time. Until bullies ganged on him. And then… Yeah, that was horrible…"
"Was it as if he was possessed?" Claire inquired, remembering Shannon's weird comparison.
"More like a cornered beast," the Asian girl responded after some thinking. "Yes, it was scary, but come on! People don't stay the same as in preschool for their entire life! There were crybabies, some guys peed their pants, and don't let me start on that disgusting jerk with boogers… Most people overgrow all of that. Haven't you seen it yourself? Lake landed only one hit - and between us, Steve deserved that wake-up call."
She fished out her phone out of the bag and demonstrated a post on her social media:
"See, A Defeat of Ultimate Bully is trending."
There was even a photo of knocked-out Steve. Claire wondered when and how Mary had managed to take that one.
Stricklander had always been good at winning strategies. Perhaps, he lacked in the strength department, but he surely compensated for everything with his smarts. How many of his opponents had found themselves stuck in the intricate web of his schemes when it had been already too late? Walter simply knew how to predict his enemies' next steps and lead them into the dead end.
It had always worked flawlessly. Yet now, everything seemingly played against the changeling.
Perhaps, the main problem was the three-way standing nature of the situation. Yes, de facto, Bular and Barverra were allies, but Strickler wasn't that dumb to believe in that. While still not actual enemies, they were definitely rivals in the race to get the amulet.
The man frowned, trying to envision every party's position. His own standing was, ironically, the worst. Despite his trump card, Stricklander still risked a lot. The Janus Order had started revolting already - there were more than enough changelings dreaming about better status. Their leader's fall would mean the rise for many in the incoming struggle for privileges. It left him with Nomura only. Well, in the best-case scenario, Stricklander could expect some loyalty from some more subordinates, but he had never been that reckless to plan with the best conditions for himself.
Barverra's party situation, on the other hand, remained a mystery. He simply had no idea what kind of assets the daughter of Gunmar could possibly possess. Yes, there was Bular, but honestly, in intricate scheming, the dark brute was more of a handicap. Strickler was more worried about her evident connections with human society. Barverra had a human ally, as far as he had deduced. Alas, the changeling had no idea how much data that one could possibly access.
And of course, there was the Trollhunter's party, the one with the best position, no matter how irritating it sounded. They obviously had decided to play on defense and secure as much time as possible. It would be brainless to deny the effectiveness of that one.
The enemies had no need to hurry up as their mission was simply to ensure the safety of the amulet. Keeping the status quo was already the victory, there was no point to hunt Gunmar's kin or the Janus Order. Well, of course, some of the previous champions had been foolish enough to challenge Bular even if there had been no need for that.
Glory. Honor.
Yes, there were those reasons. Stricklander found them unbelievably stupid. Though… Could it be otherwise for someone taught to forsake any honorary method to reach the goal?
On the other hand, Young Atlas had no understanding of the troll honorary codex, so he would obviously act according to his own beliefs. That both complicated and made things easier at once.
Jim had been rather careful so far. His only mistake had been flashing the amulet in his teacher's presence - and that one was just a coincidence, not a deliberate action. Oh, and there was that time with accidentally summoned armor.
However, every single step afterward was more calculated. Someone had ensured that the young Trollhunter had some secure spots and put protective barriers at several locations. Then the boy had cut his night roaming outside. Besides, Nomura's spying on Young Atlas had brought some unexpected information - he was using some kind of talisman to prevent his enemies from recognizing him.
Someone had clearly helped the boy to cover all the bases. That was rather annoying, to say the least.
Well, of course, it would prevent Barverra from learning the Trollhunter's identity, but…
If someone had considered even that danger, wouldn't they have warned Jim about another potential threat, meaning changelings hiding among humans? If something like that ever happened, it would turn the boy paranoid and greatly suspecting. Strickler wouldn't be that surprised if one day the teen would go around with a gaggletack.
That day would be the end of everything as no one would be able to approach Young Atlas without proving to be one-hundred percent human.
Stricklander sighed and continued reading through Nomura's written reports. Of course, the female was annoyed to waste her precious free time, and it slipped into her handwriting and manner to deliver the information, but everything was still readable.
As expected, Jim Lake kept to some kind of routine. School, his house, and under the bridge. He definitely had no time for some other visits.
Yet…
The teen had been to GDT Arcane Books twice. Yes, that could be just a simple coincidence - perhaps, he had visited out of sheer curiosity. Or maybe the boy had simply hoped to find something specific there.
However, Strickler was too experienced to dismiss a possibility. He knew for sure that Young Atlas had a magic user ally. Arcane, magic - the connection was clear as a day.
Apparently, the changeling had figured out the hideout of one of the enemies. Alas, he had no idea what to do with that knowledge. Attacking the bookstore would definitely bring more trouble than profit. And going inside? They could have some method to detect changelings there.
No, apparently, the only remaining way to approach Young Atlas was through his mother. Not to mention that Barbara was a surprisingly enticing woman.
Luckily, there was an actual excuse for the meeting this time…
Strickler couldn't help trying to read Barbara's body language as she sat across him in the Benoit's French bistro.
Worried.
Anxious.
On guard?
Irritated?
The first two were blatantly evident, to the point that the History teacher started to wonder if she faked those. But no, it was a conversation regarding her son, so they had to be genuine ones.
Two later ones were concealed rather masterfully, though the man kept catching glimpses of those.
No, Barbara was certainly an enigma he wished to solve regardless of her connection to the Trollhunter. Alas, there was no time for that right now - well, he could also try a bit later.
"Mr. Strickler, so what exactly has happened?" the woman asked, stirring her coffee with too much vigor.
She had never expected the call from the impure. Especially not about Jim having troubles in his school.
Barbara wished she could understand that scheming bastard better.
What kind of game are you playing here?
Last time, he had run away amid the conversation, leaving her hanging. Had he confirmed his suspicions back then or not?
At least, Jim's distress stopped out of the blue. When the mother asked about that, the boy replied that he had found the resolve he needed. His tone had been slightly nervous, but it had been clearly nowhere close to his previous haunted state.
Apparently, her son's troubles had nothing to do with Stricklander.
"Hasn't Jim told you about his recent fight with a classmate?" the teacher had raised his eyebrows. Actually, he knew the answer. As if Young Atlas would have shared something that troubling when he had kept even his slipping grades a secret! Not to mention that the teen had managed to get away with a slap of the wrist instead of something more serious as all the staff had been distracted by Shannon Longhannon's unexplained fit of hysteria.
"A fight?" Barbara repeated her face darkening. She genuinely believed that those had stopped back in preschool. The mother didn't care about the other party involved - Jim was free to obliterate whoever he wanted, but the problem lay in her son's own reaction to all that stuff.
Back during his early years, the boy had been scared to death of the emotion he could have neither comprehended nor controlled. Would that nightmare return now? Puberty was never easy for both trolls and humans, and Jim had been unlucky enough to be born the creature in-between.
Barbara nearly expected some unpleasant description of that supposed fight. And, of course, Stricklander would have noticed the troll-like behavior!
That had to be that. The changeling was actively trapping the daughter of Gunmar. He knew the truth, that was for sure. But why hadn't that bastard said anything? Did he wish her to confess herself, adding to the humiliation?
"Yes," Strickler nodded. The woman's quickly changing expressions were slightly confusing, but he could tell for sure that she wasn't happy to hear about her son fighting. Of course, no good parent would approve the violence.
Well, a human one.
An odd thought crossed Walt's mind. Troll parents would more likely encourage their offspring to fight, especially more warrior-oriented tribes.
But of course, Young Atlas wasn't a troll, despite being their protector. And neither was his mother.
That's why a thing he planned would get an appropriate reaction for sure. Strickler searched a bit in his pocket, taking out a certain object and putting it before the woman.
Barbara raised her eyebrows in confusion, picking it up and examining thoroughly.
"A tooth?" she drawled. Everything stopped making sense altogether. If Stricklander wanted to frame her, that wasn't something he could use against her.
"Well, that was a one-hit K.O, according to eyewitnesses, and Steve Palchuk now misses a tooth," the teacher faked some concern. On the one hand, he could understand Young Atlas getting into the fight with the local bully - Palchuk was as bad as Bular at times. Everyone would be happy to land a hit on that kind of person.
However, Strickler knew good enough that Jim hated any kind of violence. A part of him hoped that pacifism would lead to giving up on the Trollhunter's position.
Yet, right now, the teen was willing to fight. Wouldn't it mean that he would hone his skills until becoming an actual threat? Yes, that would require time, but…
Jim Lake actually had more than enough of that thanks to his magic-using ally.
Unless his mother put a stop to all of that. Wouldn't it be so easy? Something along with the lines 'Jim, I've never raised you to solve your problems with fists' or 'I don't want my son getting into fights'. That would at least plant another seed of doubt, and…
"Are you saying my son hit that boy only once?" Barbara asked, her expression hard to read.
That wasn't the kind of question Walt expected.
"Yes," he responded not too confidently. Shouldn't she have freaked out or something?
"And Steve Palchuk is that kid who tries to prove to everyone that he's on the top?" the woman continued slowly.
"Well, you can describe him like that, yes."
Nothing made any sense.
Barbara smiled out of the blue, and for whatever reason, it terrified Strickler to the core. There were too many things in that smile - relief, happiness, some pride, and approval. It was too inappropriate for the situation, too uncanny.
The daughter of Gunmar stayed oblivious to the changeling's reaction - nothing mattered to her at the moment. Her dear boy had finally conquered his instincts, managing to get the first real fight with the cool head and win. Her attention shifted to the tooth she was still holding.
"A splendid hit," she muttered. The mother always knew Jim had tremendous potential. One day she would teach him everything about fighting.
"Excuse me?" Strickler looked at her in total bewilderment. It worked as a cold shower, making Barbara remember where and with whom she was at the moment. Had she let him see too much of her true self? But wait, why was there so much surprise? The winged bastard had to know her real identity, so…
Or he hadn't known a thing, and Barverra had been overthinking.
"Well, too knock out a tooth so cleanly you need to hit fittingly," she chuckled nervously, feeling the need to fill the awkward pause. It would be the ultimate stupidity to expose herself when Stricklander, apparently, hadn't suspected a thing!
"Oh, I see," the man laughed back. That woman was definitely full of surprises. Of course, that kind of mindset was no good for his plans, yet… Walt couldn't help feeling attracted to that.
The catastrophe was seemingly prevented. Barbara relaxed a bit and wondered how to pocket the tooth without the impure noticing.
She had to keep that one. It was proof of Jim's victory, a trophy, his first spoils of war. The recent conversation with Bular made Barverra remember a lot of things.
It was pointless to deny - deep inside, she craved teaching her son troll ways.
This tooth was just a small compromise for now.
Yes, it wasn't a head of the first killed enemy, but maybe she would be able to collect that one eventually as well.
Stricklander turned away for a second, and Barbara swiftly hid the tooth inside her handbag.
"Excuse me for jumping to conclusions, Barbara," the teacher started, picking each word carefully. He shouldn't have antagonized the mother for no reason, "but is it me, or do you actually see no problem with your son getting into a fight?"
The response would determine the following tactics.
"Let me get this straight, Mr. Strickler," she gave him the brightest smile possible. "I disapprove mindless and pointless violence…"
'Like Bular's approach,' she added mentally. Eventually, the daughter of Gunmar would need to organize a family reunion. Hopefully, Jim would never make his reckless uncle his role model.
"But some people deserve some ass-kicking, to put it in simpler words," Barbara finished, fully satisfied with her own choice of words. It was a fitting opinion for a human, so she clearly succeeded in keeping her cover intact.
"That's a surprisingly interesting opinion," Strickler hummed. So, Barbara Lake was one of those people who would fight back in the case of need. Though, why should he have been surprised? That was Jim's mindset as well, he had to get it somewhere.
The man's idle gaze glanced over the table. Something was off. Like… Missing? Oh yeah, shouldn't there have been the tooth lying before Barbara?
"Any problem?" the woman asked, feigning ignorance.
"No, nothing," the changeling smiled. Probably, one of them had swept it down or something. Not that the tooth was so important.
No, there had been something else the man had to bring up.
"Barbara, I cannot get rid of a feeling that I've offended you somehow," he started slowly. "Let me compensate for that… Is there something you enjoy doing? Watching movies or, perhaps, dining out?"
No matter how many excuses Walter would prefer to invent, this invitation had nothing to do with his schemes. He actually wanted to spend more time with this mysteriously enticing woman, preferably without thinking about all the supernatural baggage.
No, he wished to have a real quality time with Barbara. Not because she was the Trollhunter's mother. And not because she could become his key to getting the amulet.
Stricklander actually liked her, no matter how weird it felt to admit it.
"Is it a date invitation?" Barbara raised her eyebrows. There was no way that guess was right. Why would Stricklander even suggest anything like that?
There had been no reason for him, no profit whatsoever.
He wasn't that suicidal to try dating the Herald of Doom.
And it was pointless for him to know better Barbara Lake, the regular woman.
Every time she let her guard down, the impure took action. So was that his tactics? To make her relax, lull into fake safety, and then hit when it would cause the most damage?
"I wouldn't mind viewing it as one," Strickler gave her a charming smile.
It was official. It had to be the declaration of war.
Well, Barverra had always appreciated boldness, even coming from the one she considered her enemy.
"I like art," she responded, smiling back to him. "Especially painting."
"There's an exhibit in the museum, so we can go there next week if you don't mind," the man suggested. To be honest, he didn't expect Barbara to agree so fast. Apparently, he was still lucky in some things…
If Bular ever learned that his sister had played along with Stricklander's courtship… Yeah, Barverra hated to imagine his reaction - there would be a lot of mass destruction for sure. Sometimes she wished the dark brute could appreciate a more intricate approach - she could discuss a lot of things with her brother in that case, perhaps, even involve him in some plans.
Alas, the daughter of Gunmar had to deal with the most stuff alone, despite having an ally with the ultimate loyalty.
Most likely, that approach had led her into the current standstill. Instead of focusing on finding the Trollhunter, she had to keep in check the Head of Janus Order. And who even knew what kind of schemes were crossing his mind!
Barverra hated to admit it, but the impure had proved to be a true mastermind and skilled strategist. If anything, they were on the same level when it came to forging intricate tactics.
Yes, it had been an entirely different field, yet in a way, it was no different from a deadly battle between two warriors of the same power and skill. Everything would depend on who made a mistake first.
Death battles.
Those tended to end in demise, yet there had been a lot of exceptions. Every time the rivals decided on a draw, it resulted in a lifelong friendship or…
Love.
Ok, that was seriously some unhinged idea her brain got out of nowhere! Even the possibility of that was deranged. That would be even more disgrace than becoming a human!
Barverra shook her head, chasing away the dumb thoughts. Apparently, she had given Stricklander some advantage, allowing him to mess with her mind. So far, it hadn't been critical, but it could easily turn into that tiny hiccup leading to downfall.
Instead of letting the impure have his own way, she had to get an advantage of her own. And that would require a mole in the Janus Order.
Some pawn would be good, even if it was someone as unreliable as an impure. As long as there was a source of information, everything would be good.
Barverra had known all the changelings stationed in Arcadia. All of them had some level of loyalty to Stricklander - of course, the schemer of his ilk would never allow someone from his rivals' goons to approach too close.
The thing was that impures had troubles keeping allegiances by default - the Order had inserted it inside their souls since the early years. So every single changeling would ditch their leader if there was some better proposal.
Or just a guarantee for survival.
The Herald of Doom planned to recruit all of Stricklander's subordinates eventually, to crush him in the battle of wits entirely. But for now, she had to start with someone.
Her choice was Gladis Groe - and, to be honest, her reasoning behind that one was rather petty. There were more than enough of way better candidates - with more battle prowess or smarter, yet…
Gladis was closest to Jim (except for Stricklander, of course). Yes, that impure was just a hygienist in the dental office Toby visited, but Jim had been to that place a lot as well, waiting for his best friend.
Barverra thanked all the higher forces that her son had never had any problems with his teeth. Even the idea of some impure sticking their fingers inside her son's mouth made her blood boil. Luckily for Gladis, she had never done anything like that.
Still, the daughter of Gunmar would prefer to have that woman under her control. Yes, the impure would most likely have no actual worth or provide any valuable info. But at least, Stricklander wouldn't be able to use that pawn to attack Jim. Even that would be enough for now.
And as for the ways of persuasion, well, this time there wasn't even a need to invent something extraordinary.
When Gladis returned from her work, Barverra had waited for her by her house. The changeling panicked the second she had noticed the Gumm-Gumm princess.
Yes, everything was like taking candy from a baby. The Herald of Doom smirked at the terrified impure:
"Gladis Groe? Relax, I haven't come to kill you today."
She put an emphasis on 'today', deciding to use fear against the trembling female. As long as Gladis believed that being on Barverra's side gave her better chances for survival, everything should work flawlessly.
Apparently, the daughter of Gunmar had overdone it a lot. Somehow, it seemed that the changeling was so scared that she had trouble comprehending the situation.
Figures. A good chunk of the Janus Order consisted of cowards - it was inevitable with a focus on blending skills, not to mention that cowards let their honor go way faster. A risky schemer like Stricklander was more like a rare exception than a regular occurrence.
"Look, impure, I suggest you get hold of yourself fast, otherwise, I may change my intentions," Barverra hissed, unsheathing one of her blades.
"Yes, I'm listening," Gladis squeaked, eyeing the sword and gulping. At least, now she was able to respond.
Now it was a perfect time to add a final stroke.
"Do you want to lead the Janus Order?" Barverra asked without beating around the bush. Yes, she could use a round-way method, to talk for a while, picking the impure's interests, but something told her it wasn't worth all the effort. A bold approach would work just perfectly.
"But what about Stricklander?" Gladis asked carefully. Her eyes, on the other hand, told the whole another story. Despite everything, the changeling was still ambitious and would gladly latch even into a bleak possibility.
The daughter of Gunmar had seen the information about the impure. Not that impressive battle prowess, no firm standing in the human society (that hygienist job was laughable by the Janus Order standards), had already delivered the fragments of the bridge she had been responsible for - all of that had landed her into 'disposable' category. Among changelings, it was only slightly better than being deemed an outright failure as it meant that Gladis would be one of those sacrificed first in the time of need. Yes, she was certainly walking along the edge, probably happy to survive for another day.
"Stricklander is too insolent for my liking," Barverra shrugged. "I feel he has forgotten his place. I won't be too surprised if he goes against my father."
She had no need to invent anything. The Head of the Janus Order had been a thorn in her side - and the daughter of Gunmar could bet that the rumors about that were coursing among the impure. And if a hopeful glimpse in Gladis's expression meant anything, that would be her taking the bait.
"But why me?" the impure inquired quietly. Oh yeah, her kind was cautious to the extreme, even if asking the unneeded question might have brought disaster upon her head.
Fortunately for the changeling, the Herald of Doom was both in a good mood and didn't plan to kill her possible spy.
"I'm just considering the options," Barverra drawled. "The one who'll prove their own worth to me will get the position."
She could see the impure's face darkening. Most likely, Gladis had remembered her own lack of any impressive talents.
"Don't worry, I'll be testing loyalty only," the daughter of Gunmar ensured her with a smirk. "Just prove me that you put me above Stricklander - report to me about every single step he takes, understood?"
The changeling nodded like a crazy, probably, not being able to believe her own luck.
"Oh, and don't even think about selling me - I see your kind through," Barverra added, unsheathing her sword once again. Of course, the chances of Gladis pulling something like that were close to nil, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
The daughter of Gunmar had made her move. Now she just had to wait until Stricklander would finish his…
A/N: The last chapter in 2021, yay! Happy New Year folks! Let's meet in 2022 next time!
And now I want to share some of my writing plans for the next year (no, I'm not dropping or putting on hiatus anything). There are two more AU stories (not connected to this one) I want to write. Maybe some of you will be interested in reading them.
The first one is aged-up AU. Some summary:
Claire's world fell apart the day her husband disappeared. Some investigation reveals that Jim hid way more than one could ever imagine. All of a sudden, the reality becomes way more complicated than she would ever expect as magic and supernatural enter her life. If a hero is meant to save everyone, who will save a hero?
The second one is AU, where events of the past 900 years ago went way differently, which caused many differences in the present. A summary:
Arcadia has always been a home to mysteries and legends. Toby tries to figure out the story of his ancestor's mysterious friend. Claire struggles with controlling powers she has never wished for. Eli just wants everyone to pay attention and notice what's going on during the nights. And Steve's attempt to prove that Pepperjack is crazy, somehow, ends in proving that Eli was right - not that anyone would ever believe even the school king! Enter Jim Lake Jr. - the new guy in the city, who apparently, has more answers than one may expect.