[His answer is simple, yet it leaves Basil wanting to cry all the same. You’re Basil.

He doesn’t realize Sunny thinks he’s not real. It’s probably for the best he doesn’t.

Basil looks ahead for a moment, nodding shakily as he brings his free hand up to rub at his nose. It’s so long now that he is always so aware of it, and it twitches as he sniffs and tries to keep himself on an even keel. There’s of course a very real possibility the Pale never left, and he’s just seeing what he wants to see.

Maybe that’s okay, if so.]

Y…yes. I’m Basil. I know I look…scary, right now. But I’m still me.

[They’re coming up on the next city block, now. Just across the street is the hardware store where he met Silvally for the first time. It feels like that happened yesterday, but it was a whole month ago now…]

I can…explain. B-but I don’t have to right now. It’s a lot.