So was there something skeevy going on with her family that would make people start up the rumour mill? Or was she famous as opposed to infamous? Some kind of ruling party, perhaps, or a big fish in a small pond. That kind of deal. It was Landel's so more likely than not the issue involved sparkly fairy powers, but the same basic social principles should apply even in worlds with witches and dragons and stuff (unless Harry Potter was a lie).

He nodded along to the rest. "Yeah. It's hard to grasp when you're doing fine and dandy."

The unexpected mention of death rattled him, though he did his best not to show it. There might have been a hint in the way his brows twitched, halting before he could change expression, but for the most part he kept his poise. He wasn't about to drop a bomb on the conversation by mentioning how he'd found out about the comic books literally the day after Harry died. Loss breaks barriers, indeed. Would he have just laughed in Sangamon's face that day if they hadn't run into the shapeshifters? It was incredulous enough that he might. Even with the guy quoting his life back at nearly verbatim, and all the hints with Scott and Indy.

Honestly, he couldn't see himself buying it. Greta was right. You had to be in an absolutely spectacular funk before you latched onto some crazy idea like that. Unfortunately for him, that had been exactly the case.

A thoughtful fist pressed against his mouth. "That doesn't explain what the purpose is though. Even if Landel is a Class A Sadist and likes to down a bucket of popcorn while we cry and gnash our teeth. That I.R.I.S. thing said we're in a program. They're training us for something. They need us. Do they honestly think knocking down a couple fourth walls is making them any more loveable?" Peter scoffed. "Besides, the Stockholm Syndrome thing probably works better when it's one on one."