Kindred

Danny's Dilemma

Danny looked up from the tablet Elsa provided him when Jazz arrived to the drawing room, escorted there by a butler named Kai. The ginger was not happy with him as she scowled at her little brother. Danny waved from the sofa, "Hey Jazz!"

Jazz glared at him, "Danny..."

Danny gestured for her to come closer, "Why are you back here?"

Jazz sighed, "Mom and Dad will be away until Halloween, why wouldn't I check up on my most favorite baby brother?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "I am your only baby brother,"

Elsa appeared, "Welcome, Jazz. Would you stay for lunch?"

Jazz cleared her throat, flustered, "Sorry. I, uh...I didn't want to intrude," She eyeballed Danny when she said this, "We should go,"

Elsa stepped closer, "Oh, please do stay for lunch. I insist,"

Danny knew how it felt being on the receiving end of Elsa's 'look'. He swore, she had that 'look' to an art. The kind of look that one would expect from a calm, collected, and know-what-they're-doing superior. It was hard to say no to that 'look'. It was just so...imperialistic. Commanding but not pushy. The pressure to not disappoint was intense.

Right on the money, Jazz folded like a wet tissue, "...sure..."

Danny snorted at her, to which Jazz swatted at him as they followed Elsa to the dining room. She then grabbed his arm, "Why are you here again?"

He shrugged, "I told you, I was tired and I don't want to sleep above Death Wonderland,"

Jazz leveled him a familiar look, "Are you dating her?"

Danny scowled, blue eyes flashing green in warning, "We are friends. I'm not close to her with insincere motive, alright? Besides, Elsa's nice,"

Jazz sighed, "You have to excuse me for being suspicious, Danny. You had been so distant with everyone after your falling out with Sam. I just don't understand why you break up with her. You were both so...into each other, it was like seeing Mom and Dad in a very weird way. You won't explain things and you forced Tucker to keep quiet about it..." She stopped to look at him, causing him to stop as well, "You know you can trust me, right? Danny?" She then asked, "Did she cheat on you?"

Danny quirked a brow at her, "Does she look like someone that would cheat?"

Jazz groaned, "I don't know! She's your friend!" She then sighed, "Danny...what aren't you saying? You're protecting her, I can tell that much. But at the same time, you acted like she's worse than Valerie. Who, also, you had a falling out with even though you're not dating her. You used to at least be nice with her. These days, you are almost angry with her,"

Danny sighed before shaking his head, "Can we...just have lunch?"

Jazz, sensing that he will still not speak, let it go...for now. They finally reached the dining room and Jazz gaped at the sight of the lunch spread before him. Elsa gestured at the big table, "Please, have a seat,"

Jazz watched Danny as he took a seat closest to Elsa. Danny knew that his actions lately was confusing to an outsider. But it wasn't anything that he can really help. Elsa was polite as she asked Jazz about her course; psychology. She did not try to change the subject whenever Jazz channeled Jack's need to blabber about the subject of their passion.

Jazz hummed, "I am already planning my PhD's thesis on the subject of psychology and ghosts. I mean, why not? It is an interesting thing to study, after all. I grew up surrounded by talks of ghosts and although my parents are more into destroying them, I am more curious about their drive as a ghost. Of course, I understand that..."