Quinn's mouth worked soundlessly for a moment before she found her voice, still queasy, still doing her best not to hurl. She stared at Daz, blinking owlishly.

"[color=FFE63D]Is it...really that weird?[/color]"

But from what she'd seen in town—little kids getting under people's feet, the crush of the crowd, the strange looks from Besca and Deelie and Safie at the things she said sometimes—she already knew the answer to that question. She averted her eye from Daz's huge, gentle form, closing it and still concentrating on her stomach.

"[color=FFE63D]...Mom and Dad said I shouldn't.[/color]" Even as she said it, she felt silly, like it was the wrong answer. She clenched her eye tighter. No. NO. She was—

She remembered what Besca said. Deep breaths. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Calm down. Her voice was still in that barest, quavering whisper, but she could at least...she could at least talk. "[color=FFE63D]They said it was dangerous and going out would hurt me.[/color]" She reached a trembling hand up to gently cover over her eyepatch. "[color=FFE63D]Make me sick. That's how I lost my eye. I went into the living room and looked outside, and then it burst and they had to take it out. Then they stuck me with all kind of needles and drew blood out of me. I think they were punishing me.[/color]"

She opened her eye, looked at Daz, and hiccupped, halfway between a burgeoning sob and her stomach's twisting. "[color=FFE63D]So I didn't leave after that. Not until today.[/color]"

She opened her mouth to say something else—maybe about how they left her door open, so she could get out for a day—but as soon as she did, she knew she wouldn't be able to finish. She sucked in one more shuddering breath, then threw her head over the railing. Her stomach gave one more clench. Then before she knew it, a tide of horrible acid-tasting muck streamed forth from her. She closed her eye again. She didn't want to see it. As she hung her head over the side and heaved, it went into her nose, and she felt tears starting to well up as acid burned up there too.

It stopped, and she panted, trying to catch her breath, before it came again. And it just kept coming.

Minutes later, it finally stopped. Her whole body was shaking as she did her best to blow the vile stuff out of her nose, spat whatever was left of it in her mouth into the water too, and slumped back down on the bench before she finally opened her now tear-stained eye. She fumbled on the bench until she found the water bottle. Even if she'd wanted to, she couldn't help but listen to Daz. Little sips were all that felt like they would settle.

Finally, her ragged voice came again. Torn up by acid and bile, but a little louder, a little stronger. She reached out her arms, wrapping them around Daz's own huge one. "[color=FFE63D]Don't tell Deelie or Safie.[/color]" Then, more quietly again, "[color=FFE63D]Please.[/color]"