Chapter 58: I See With My Spyglass

Dumped by his girlfriend, Zephram questions his self-worth.

"There are other girls out there," his father insists.

"I can't," Zephram mumbles. "I can't do it. I can't do it anymore. The aliens."

In the background, the puddles on the floor indicate Cruz's sink is still having problems.

VALIANT... RIGHTEOUS... BRILLIANT... DETERMINED... all words City Hall has used to describe Paprika. Finally the owner of the town's heart, the scientists' attention, and more pointless trophies and ribbons than she can count, Paprika is feeling tired and slow. Will these hauntings stop if she stops seeking them out?

Sneaking into neighbor's houses to capture spirits is becoming too difficult. And as an old lady, she suddenly feels embarrassed to be angrily chased off of lawns. While the Simovitches still snooze in the early morning, Paprika considers retirement.

The late nights are really taking a toll on her health.

And so Paprika retires, looking forward to days spent relaxing in the lawn chairs. The new Archer residence has a scenic canyon in the backyard facing the forest, thanks to her son's detonation-happy antics.

Though at times she wonders if the canyon was his plan all along, since it completes a collection of barriers around their property. On one side, thick shrubs. On another, a big fence. And now, a canyon. Zephram wastes a lot of energy trying to feel safe, but it seems all in vain.

Zephram often spies on the neighbors. They're all plotting to kill him, he says. Every last one of them.

The zen gardens in the front and back yard were Arthur's idea, but they were a terrible idea, since Zephram checks on them constantly to make sure the patterns have not magically deviated from the way he set them.

"...What? Venus is visible right now."

Martin floats around the house looking for Melody.

Zephram is startled to see the ghost. Jazz and Leona tend to leave the living alone, and the Archers have not been plagued with a persistent haunting since Halen. "Are you here to talk me out of suicide, Grandfather?"

Martin tilts his head. "Well... now I am."

"I guess being dead wouldn't help me. I guess you don't forget anything, when you die. Do you?"

Martin's ghost stares blankly for a while. "I wouldn't know."

Zephram nods. "Because you would have forgotten. You can't know what you don't know. Or can you?"

Another very long pause. "Behave for your mother," the ghost finally responds.

 

Paprika walked in on the conversation. She's nervous, this being the first time she's seen a parent's ghost. But her utterly petrified look is more for the topic at hand, and the small fact of her son seeming to not realize she's even there.

When Martin vanishes without speaking to his daughter, she mechanically retreats to the nursery to attend to Holly's crying. Luckily, when she's quieted the infant and turns around, the specter has reappeared.

 "Dad... Daddy are you alright? Why are you here?"

The ghost smiles sadly. "I didn't raise you to worry so much."

Dalma, with a fresh hairstyle, visits for Holly's birthday. Her new life stands in the way of being a real part of Holly's life, and she's accepted that. Embraced it, even. She didn't count on Paz's temper also standing in the way, though.

"Back to be the mother you're supposed to be?"

"N...no. I just... want to see how he's grown. I won't stay long."

"Zephram's still at the graveyard. Who let you in here?" Paz demands.

"Your mother."

"She's too nice for her own good. Get out!"

"But-"

"OUT!"

Dalma storms off, and Paz doesn't mention the incident to anyone. Not even to Paprika, who must have figured out what happened on her own.

Now that he's older, Holly strongly resembles his mother. He has her brown hair and murky green eyes, as well as her eye shape.

 

Many of Holly's expressions are also reminiscent of his mother.

Ironically, looking after the toddler distracts Zephram from pining over his lost love.

 "We should go see if the hot tub is working," Paz suggests to Chad.

"Uhm-"

"-..okay, yes. We should."

"Science?"                       "I agree."

Alternate caption: that fashionable necklace is actually a highly sophisticated brain-wave recorder.

Holly is old enough to play with toys, so Zephram throws his heart and soul into making them.

Red-eyed robots? Cuddly.

       

Instead of capturing spirits, Paprika tries to capture the intense stare of an insane man.

Paz flies through promotions like a chainsaw through butter. Or something.

  

Not really a shocker, since she spends her off hours either helping with Holly, plotting science with Chad, or using the computer to work from home. She is totally focused on her goal, and that goal is to one day be in charge.

Decepticons! In the toast!

Retired. No hot tub is complete without a boom box.

Making sure Holly has his facts straight.

"The fish are wizards. To avoid them, you have to be a squirrel. 

But to be powerful, you must swim among them, topless. 

That's why wizards are men, and witches are women."

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Etc.: I didn't mention my roll for generation 7 last time. It's couple, primary career author, secondary career master thief, 3 kids, perfect careers, homemade. I already rolled homemade once, for generation 2 (Leona). It wasn't a pain, but it can be boring if your generation doesn't have a personality to match it. I guess I should just be happy I didn't roll a difficult misc. fun, since perfect careers + author will equate to my heir having zero free time. The heir will be Paz's first child. Paz must have three children, since I don't plan on Zephram having more.

Aside from the three more kids, generation 6 requires Paz to be in a fight every week. Paz and Zephram are both in their rolled careers. I very much look forward to Paz reaching level 10 in her career.

Paz and Dalma's little confrontation this week does not count towards the fighter goal because they didn't actually fight.