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Zhane hooked his bedroom door closed with a huffed sigh as he reached up to smooth a hand through his, at-the-moment, rather greasy golden hair and tried to ignore the residual yelling still emanating from the hallway.

He KNEW he'd been out later than he'd said he'd be. He KNEW he'd come home a mess. He didn't need it pointed out to him, and from what he could hear his dad was -still- ranting and raving in the other room.

His urban exploration took him all over the place, Today it had just happened to take him to an abandoned grain silo which had just happened to be filled with mud and grime from the last big rain. That was all....no boogiemen, no danger, just a few confused rats and some stray graffiti.

The ijiuo did not see what the big deal was, honestly.

Stripping off his overshirt and letting it flop in a shapeless heap on the foot of his bed, Zhane seated himself at his desk, jolting his computer's mouse to bring it out of sleep mode. The online messenger which had laid dormant pinged back to life, alerting the few who cared that he was back from being idle as he opened a journal template and began to type.

Eventful or not, he logged every exploration and this would be no exception.

Zhane jolted a bit as his screen chimed and a window suddenly obscured his entry mid-paragraph. Reaching out to turn down his speakers, he replied.

BlueKirin (2:34:03): Had to get out for a bit. Seemed like too nice a day to spend inside. Back now, though, and probably into a shower pretty soon. How're things?


He didn't know much about Fairy, or Nani, as she called herself. They'd run across one another on a message board a couple of weeks ago and he'd shot her an Email on a whim. A few traded letters opened the invitation to exchange IM names, and now they talked on a daily basis.

In spite of not knowing her beyond her name and the fact her son sometimes got ahold of the keyboard to type in his own special jumble of letters and numbers, she was one of the rare internet people he'd found that was easy to have a conversation with.

Bluekirin (2:39:20): No rest for the weary, huh? =)

And eh. Dad was in a mood today. Again. I don't think he's ever NOT in a mood anymore. He had a conniption when I got back and I think he's still out there yelling at the wall or something.



He leaned back in his chair, stretching a bit, and minimizing the journal window for the moment as he keened one membranous fin to listen for commotion in the rest of the house. Dad was not complaining anymore, meaning he had either stormed off to bed or Mom had him someplace and was talking sense into him.

At least it was quiet...

He thought for a moment and then typed again.

Bluekirin (2:41:06): You seemed kind of bummed before I took off earlier. Everything okay?

Bluekirin (2:47:37): Heh, you're not creepy. Don't worry. Creepy is demanding my photo ten minutes after meeting me and then trying to convince me I was a Kingdom Hearts character in a past life =P



He honestly wished he could have been kidding for that part, but sadly one met all kinds in the depths of cyberspace.


Bluekirin (2:48:21): I think I know what you're saying, though. Too many responsibilities and you suddenly think "man, life was good when I was still too young to know what anything was" Too bad we don't live closer, I wouldn't mind having you along sometime.

He blinked at her message, surprised by it. He was used to hearing that his online acquaintences came from places he'd never heard of, so to find out she was so close, and practically in his own backyard, was surprising.

Not that he was complaining.

Bluekirin (2:51:57): How close to Barton? Town's about a fifteen minute drive from where I am...


As he awaited a response, there was a light drumming of fingernails on his door....which was, long ago, how his mother had chosen to identify herself rather than knocking. A moment later, it yawned open and Yeande's head poked in.

"You're going to shower before bed, yes?" she inquired, making him roll his eyes where she couldn't see it.

"Yes..."

"Good. You smell like a barn."

There was a pause as he waited for her to leave before he heard the whispering of footfall on carpet as she came up behind him, placing a hand on either of his shoulders.

"Your father says you told him you were just going for a walk near the creek and you were going to be back in an hour..."

"Yeah....that's how it started...." he guessed that much was his fault. Sometimes what he intended to be a quick trip someplace became an epic journey instead. "That doesn't mean he's gotta be such a d**k about it." He received a light swat over the back of his head in response.

"Don't call your father a d**k." she admonished. "He was worried about you."

"He's got a funny way of showing it." he grumbled. There was a pause, and then a sigh from Yeande's end as she headed back for the door.

"Just....try and see it from his perspective sometimes, all right?" she muttered, sounding tired. Playing the mediator, clearly, was not her first choice in pasttimes. "Goodnight, Zhane."

"Nite, mom." he said, without turning around. Part of him felt guilty, but a larger part of him just wanted to grab his dad by the shoulders and ask him what he was so afraid of. It seemed like he reacted this way every time he went off exploring somewhere, and not just when he came in late either. It was aggravating as hell...

His eyes wandered back to the screen to await Nani's reply.

He felt himself smile, in spite of recent events, and quickly began to type a response.

Bluekirin (3:01:17): Well hell, I wish we'd talked about this sooner! Sounds like we're only maybe a half hour from each other



As much as it was exciting, the prospect of finally matching a face to the person he'd had such fun talking to, the sudden sinking notion occurred to him that it maybe she wouldn't -want- to meet up. Maybe she'd just been saying it to be polite. Not that he could blame her....sometimes things were better from a distance.

Their conversations had usually been light without much insight into their personal lives. He'd vented to her a bit about his ongoing conflicts with his father, and all he knew of her was that she had an adopted son and that she was currently living with someone.

But if she was willing to meet up, he was all for it. It would be comforting to know he was within such easy reach of another sane voice.


Bluekirin (3:02:06): If you still wanted to get that coffee, that is. =)

His fingers twitched over the keys and then hesitated as he looked over his shoulder. Right now....? That was going to depend on one or two things...

Rising from his computer desk, he padded across the room and eased open his bedroom door, his headfins keening to the air to listen for noise. The rest of the house lights were off, save the faint glow of the porchlight, and the lack of lamp glow pooling beneath his parents' door suggested they were already in the process of going to sleep.

....or doing something else. He really didn't want to think about it.

Returning to the computer, he gave her his reply.


Bluekirin (3:06:21): I'm all for it. Which coffee shop were you thinking? I need to grab a shower and find something clean to put on, though. I was told I smell like a barn =P

As he read her last post, he tried to bring a mental picture of her to mind. He wasn't entirely sure of how he'd envisioned her before, but butterfly wings had never been a factor. Well, it made the idea that he might not be able to find her dissipate at least.

Bluekirin (3:13:04): Jewels in the light, got it. I'll try to be quick. See you there, Nani!

It occurred to him only a moment after he'd logged off that she'd not answered him when he'd asked which coffee shop they were meeting at, but he pushed it out of hand. There were only two or three coffee shops in and around Barton and only one saw any real traffic. So he would try there first.

Grabbing for the legal pad beside his computer, adorned with various phone numbers and doodles, he tore a sheet of paper from it and scribbled a quick note on the offchance his mom or dad got up and came looking for him.


Went for a walk to clear my head. Be back in a couple hours most likely. I brought the cel.

~Z


It occurred to him a lot of his dad's tantrums could be avoided if they'd simply let him have a cel phone. As it was, there was only one community cel for their family and it most usually went to work with Talon. However, right now, he didn't think his dad would have need of it.

As he headed off in the direction of the bathroom, already peeling out of his dirty clothes, it was hard to temper a flutter of excitement. He wasn't really one to sneak out at night, but for some reason, he had a good feeling about it.