ever wild growings // emberstatt 81st

lorenzo pevek

God, I didn't realize getting a family would be so much work. 

Saffron doesn't let me say fuck anymore (last time, I swear - that's a double entendre!) that I'm gonna pass it onto Quinn. And lord help her, she's one bad thing away from snapping and killing everybody in this house. I've learned that pretty fast, along with a lot of things! Like, what a double entendre is, and that being rich doesn't mean I don't have chores, which fucking sucks.

I take my broom with me everywhere since, just to make it look like I'm doing something. Think smart, not hard, y'know? And sure, it looks a little dumb, but who isn't, y'know? Walking up the flight of stairs with the handle in my hand and the things probably as heavy as I am after my vacation in the Capitol. I try not to think about it too hard, but ultimately I think I'm better for it? 

Which, y'know, odd. 

Besides, Mateo says it just adds personality, which I guess is true! Always a good conversation starter; though, I'm still waiting for the name change. I feel like I'm just a guest in the house still even after a month, and maybe the last name's the thing. Maybe life will just click when I become an Emberstatt. I've been doing my best to talk to everybody though, there's just another person popping up out of nowhere and I still don't know if I'm related to the Stromstatts or not, but I think I am? 

I knock twice and open the door without waiting, my cousin's in the guest room and I really feel like my room isn't much different. It's pretty much just Kieran's room repurposed, but I've been punching holes in the walls with pencils to give it some spirit. "Hey," his dad and my dad planned it more, I don't really know what goes on around here if I'm being honest. "Okay, so- Jasper, right? I'm that kid from television," I say, squeezing through the door with the big ass broom in my hand. More appropriately, that kid who your uncle adopted, but that's besides the point. 

I'm famous, let me enjoy my moment! 

"We're cousins!" spoken a bit more pridefully, "and honestly, I- if I'm being honest here, I don't understand our family tree at all," I can't get the stupid broom handle to balance on the door while saying all these dumb side comments. I've got a bad habit of rambling, but that's been a thing since all the trauma-personality. Well, it was a thing before getting murdered or whatever, but different trauma, I guess? 

Saffron's been teaching me all about it, okay, I'm trying here.

I call her my trauma mama! 

She doesn't like that.

"but I guess we're family now, Jasper!"