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Fuzzy Money::

Gus plinked another quarter into the machine... normally he wasn't a gambling man, but today an old slot machine regular had forced 10 gold on him in exchange for letting her pet his ears. "Just a sex toy..." The phrase was uttered under his breath so no one else could hear it. Even so, he knew it wasn't true. He wasn't even that good. Sex toy indeed... He was a novelty to these old women. He was a fuzzy earred, intelligent pet in a casino uniform... He really didn't even want the money! It was 'Fuzzy Money' (or so he called it in his head.) It was demeaning money... So the money went right back into the slot machines, three peices at a time with one peice left over. However, instead of feeling released from the moral wrongness that was 'Fuzzy Money' as he inserted that last gold peice and pulled the handle, Gus found himself monumentally annoyed as he sat in a small pile of winnings... Seems that that last gold peice had had something left in it's luck. That wasn't what was supposed to happen. Now he had more 'Fuzzy money' than he had started with.... how irritating.

His sprits were pretty low, but they somehow managed to drop down another peg when the manager of the slot rooms stepped up behind him. "Hey Rabbit Guy..." Gus sighed inwardly. He'd been working for the casino for almost a year, and he'd long since given up trying to explain that Jivvins were closer to Canine than Rabbit. "Employees aren't supposed to play the machines on the clock."

"I'm not on the clock... Sir."

"What? Then why are you still here?"

The statement shocked Gus a little... why was he here? Why did it feel like he never left? was it beacuase... because he never left? "I don't know."

The manager reached over Gus with a sigh and pulled a cnavas bag from a container mounted on the wall. "Here. Pick-up, Cash-out and go home. Go be with your friends and family. This isn't the place a guy like you spends his free time.

So Gus did as he was told. He stood somberly, gathered up his 'Fuzzy Money', cashed them into bills at the counter, said goodnight to Betty, and walked home... But he didn't go home. He went to the Jivvin Center and fell asleap on the sofa in the living room.

(( Gus, Spawn, Zelda, and Scion :: Jan 8, 2009 ))

Gus managed to roll over and sit up, propping up one leg on a rock in front of him. He sighed as he did so, and not for the first time since this long escapade, he wondered how much longer he was going to be out here like this... not that he didn't deserve it.

All around the small clearing were the footsteps and general disturbances that two men made when they camped out, though the campfire had long since died down, despite the older jivvin's warnings of beatings and tortures if Gus let it die while he was away. . Gus didn't care. At least if he froze to death he'd be done with all of this... not that he didn't deserve it.

He glanced up at the tree line in front of him as the bushes began to sway and rustle. Fearing the return of the older jivvin, Gus winced and withered slightly in his awkward pose. Every fiber of his being wanted him to run, and didn't seem to care that he'd been paralized from the waist down. But withing a few seconds it turned out to be a bird who obviously didn't consider the man a threat. Gus let out a long breath and tried to move into a more comfortable position, though his his legs were much too heavy for someone as nutritionally deprived as he was becoming. His legs didn't work, he was hungry all the time, he smelled like a pair of Ranald's socks... Ranald... Keppit... Booker....Shade... sigh... he raised a hand gently to the side of his face, touching a tender bruise on the side of his face which he had accidentally inflicted on himself during his last escape attempt... he desereved this.

It was the fire that had initially attracted his attention, the faint scent of burning wood drifting through the forest, and the small plume of smoke above the trees the heralded the presence of a blaze. Klu'chud had always had a certain fondness for fire, and now, with the freezing presence of snow and ice gnawing at his bones, was certainly no exception. Winter was his father's season; already Klu'chud longed for the warmth of spring, and the fiery heat of summer.

With the source of the flame prodding at his curiosity, Klu'chud had not taken long to convince himself that his work could wait a few hours and ventured off after the campfire. He had found it easily--Spawn knew the forest better than most--but did not initially approach. Something was...off about one of the men, something he could not quite place. And so Klu'chud had settled himself in the boughs of a tree, feet propped up on an adjoining branch, and watched, and bided his time. It was only some hours later, with Bay'lohved gone and the fire dwindling, that he had broken his stillness and dropped back to the ground, landing on his feet in a small cloud of snow.

He approached the remaining Jivvin, the broken Jivvin, with an air of curiosity, making no effort to keep himself hidden. This stranger was no threat to him; he was hurt, and seemed to be the prisoner of the other. Why should Spawn be concerned? "You should not allow the fire to die out," he spoke as means of a greeting. The fire flared back to life with his words, its source a fresh log; where the log had come from was not entirely clear. "Fire is life in these woods, in the winter. You will freeze."

Gus startled and winced at the pain of a bruise on his elbow as he accidentally clacked it into a rock. He didn't shy away, but merely took in this other jivvin from head to toe, eventually not seeming to be able to get past the youth's eyes. Gus just stared at him and in good time turned his sad attentions to the dead fire. "I don't want it. I'd rather die." He turned his head away and banished all the thoughts of anything recent, before turning back to Spawn only to look him up and down again. "You look evil." No care for Spawn's feelings should he prove to not be evil after all. "You with him? Come to kill me? Hit me? Make me wish..." He faltered off, voice tapering with emotion suddenly. "wish I was dead?" Tears rose to his eyes suddenly threatening to fall. "You're too late."

He had expected fear, had expected paranoia. This Afya had clearly been through a great deal, if what Klu'chud had witnessed in the short time he was near was anything to go by. Still, the blatant accusation surprised him--and amused him, which, in and of itself was rare for Spawn. Indeed, he nearly laughed, and may even have looked as if he were about to. "Evil? And what, pray, does evil look like?"

He was an unusual sight, to be sure, and perhaps even rather imposing in his dark clothing and heavy cloak. But he was of the mind that evil was rarely so blunt about its presence--and that evil was often quite relative.

Klu'chud closed the distance between himself and the Afya, and sunk into a crouch before him, peering curiously at Gus for a long moment before he again spoke. "Spare me your tears. You will recover." Rising, he took a slow look about the trampled clearing, then moved closer to the fire for warmth. "Do you know when he will return?"

Gus forced himself to sit up and look over the other man. He wiped his runny nose with a dirty shirtsleeve without a care and scowled at Spawn. "No I don't know when he'll be back. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not his friend... he doesn't tell me anything other than what suits him at the time." Gus looked at him, scrutinizing his appearance. Truth be told Gus had no idea what evil should look like... only what was written in books that he'd read... that meant dark and meanacing, with a talent for the revealing of evil plans simply for the sake of being heard. This man... this man looked evil as per book standards but what did Gus know.

"What do I know. I wouldn't know evil if it..." broke my leg, and used my body forcing me to kill a childhood companion and wreck the body... his brain finished the sentance for him. "I wouldn't know evil if it bit me." His face was dour, but he was cheering a little with the new companionship... just a little though.

"If you don't know when he's coming back then you're not with him... right? Do you want him to find you here, or are you hoping to leave before he comes back?"

"If I were working with him, your legs would be burned, not broken." It was perhaps a harsher statement than necessary, but had an element of truth to it. The few who knew Spawn--namely, his parents--could attest to his disgust with mess, with unnecessary waste. This entire process spoke of torture for the sake of torture, of a slaver who had no use for the soul he held other than seeing it torn to shreds and cast in bloody pieces across the snow. It was repulsive.

The second question was a good one. Did he want to deal with the other Jivvin? Curiosity told him that yes, he wanted to know what propelled him, what use a Jivvin would have for something like this--and that the other seemed familiar on some level, and Spawn needed to know who he was. Gus was obviously in pain, and at risk both from the cold and from this other Jivvin, should he return, but... "What can you tell me of him? His name, his motives?"

Gus shook his head, at first as if to say that he helped no one anymore... but the head shaking turned into something more sad sooner that Gus cared to realize. He didn't care who had the information... what good was information anyhow?

"I don't know his name. He's... he's not just one person... he's a lot of people. He's Jasp-someone, and Mero or Moros or something like that... he's whoever he was when Jasp came in, and he's someone named Naya, and he's someone else too... hell," Gus sighed. "He might even still be me or have some part of Shade in him! I don't know!" He suddenly felt like he didn't have any information after all, and part of him realized how crazy he sounded. "He's not just him, he's more than that. And as for motivation?" Gus shrugged. "First he broke my leg, then he fixed it, then he killed Shade, and then he met up with the guy that he looks like now, and then he knocked me out, and when I woke up he healed himself, and then he made it so my legs don't work." Gus scowled. "I don't know who he is. I don't know what he wants... I don't even know what he does when he's not here, though he usually comes back grinning with a small dead animal... once covered in blood muttering something about a good fight..." Gus shook his head again.

He'd already considered the thought that this was a nightmare... but that meant that his psyche was serriously screwed up.

The story made little to no sense, but did confirm Klu'chud's ideas that this capture served no purpose other than sheer amusement. A bloody death awaited Gus if Spawn left him here. But if he brought him to the lake... This situation could work to his advantage.

He returned to the Afya's side and the fire moved with him, settling near Gus to provide warmth and light. Resuming his crouch, he began to closely examine the Afya's twisted legs,frowning with concentration. "What is your name?"

Gus paused. That WAS information he knew... but there was some warmth here...

"Gus Kalhoun." He watched as Spawn looked over his legs. "What are you doing? Can you... can you heal them?" Sudden realization. "Are you Afya? I'm Afya..."

"I am not an Afya." And, really, he was rather offended that Gus would suggest as much, but he did not voice his opinion. "My name is Klu'chud. I will help you, Gus Kalhoun, if I can. Living flesh is not as easily manipulated as water and soil." He was hesitant to attempt anything, really, but levitation was not in his repertoire, and he was not carrying Gus through the snow and dirtying his cloak. However, the problem was less complex than he had anticipated; the legs weren't broken, indeed, they were in perfect working order. The nerves had merely been shut down, turned off. Curious.

The problem was easily remedied, and feeling soon returned to Gus's legs. Pleased, but puzzling over how intricate the manner of shutting them down had been, Klu'chud rose once more and offered a hand to the wounded Afya. "Can you walk?"

Gus sighed again, only this time in relief, as the feeling flooded back into his legs. At first it was that painful feeling that one got when one's legs were alseep, but that faded to a slight tingling quickly and Gus moved his leg by himself for the first time in a couple of weeks. He actaully smiled.

"I thought... I was worried that I'd be like that forever..." He smiled up at Spawn and started to struggle to his feet... "Thank you Klu'chud... thank you so much!"

He was a little wobbly on his feet, but he did manage to stand up. "I don't... I don't know where we are... do you know the way back to Barton?"

He allowed a small smile, but did not answer the question. Instead, he kicked a patch of snow over the fire, dousing it with a hiss and fresh plume of smoke, then turned and led the way from the clearing. "He would find you again before nightfall, and I doubt you would survive that encounter. Come, you will stay the night with my family, and tomorrow I will take you to the Village."

"I don't... " Gus was about to say that it had once been made clear to him by council members that he was not welcome in the village... but he thought about Satou and the fact that she was now living in the village... and as rumor would have it was married to a council member... Gus stumbled into a halting walk, but he made progress, and smiled to himself as he volountarily walked out of the clearing. He certainly didn't want to be found by the blonde man, and he'd take hia chances in the village.

"The villagers didn't seem to want to have much to do with me last time I was there... but my sister... I think my sister lives there, and is married to a council member so if you say you can get me there, then that's where I take my chances. Thank you friend." He stumbled once more. "How far is your family's house, may I ask?"

The knowledge that Gus was unwelcome in the Village was discouraging, and Klu'chud's smile vanished as soon as his back was to the Afya. Spawn had hoped he was a stranger to it--his clothing certainly suggested as much. But to know that he had been there and been turned away? It was puzzling, and somewhat troubling. This Afya seemed a nice enough sort, if somewhat bumbling. If he had been turned away so easily, what were Spawn's chances? Regardless, he would have to try--and a sister married to a Council member would certainly help his chances.

"Not far. We live on the lake. Are you familiar with that area?"

"Um..." Gus racked his brain, getting more and more tired by the minute. "I think so.. anyway I'm familiar with A lake... It stands to goo reason that we haven't gone too far from where I live and the center and whatnot... the village and all." Stumble stumble stumble. "Are we... close to the village?" He thought briefly about lakes and houses and such... and he realized that he was thirsty. The was going to be a strange trip if he didn't get control of his thoughts soon.

"The Village is several day's travel from here." And from the little cottage by the lake. The Villagers liked it that way. They slept more soundly knowing the white Daewl was far from them and their loved ones. "But there are faster ways." Scion had not found them, no, but Klu'chud had. It hadn't been difficult, with his abilities and his mother's frequent visits. The paths were just another piece of the forest. "Even that walk would take several hours, and I doubt you are strong enough to endure it now."

The walk to the lake, however, hardly lasted ten minutes, even in Gus's current condition. The trees opened up to a scene right out of a postcard, the snow around the little cabin virtually untouched since the last fall. Had Gus cared to look, he might have noticed that it closed up after their steps as well,each footprint rapidly filling in to leave the scene as picturesque as before. Bay'lohved would not be following them. Leading the way to the cabin, Klu'chud opened the door and gestured Gus in ahead of him with a sweep of his arm.

When they entered the house, the pair were slammed with the smell of leg of lamb, on the rare side of course, and cooked vegetables. "Welcome back son," A melodic woman's voice hit before her figure appeared in the hallway, her black hair pulled up in a loose braid. "And Gus." She finished with a slight nod to the Afya.

Wiping her hands on her apron, she motioned the pair into the kitchen and gave Spawn a questioning look hidden behind an illusion.

"Saty's been looking for you." The Daewl continued evenly while staring at Gus calmly to watch for a reaction.

There was an extra plate set at the table.

Gus didn't care who was in the room or what or when... he simply took in the smell of the place, swaying with a sudden desire for food. His mouth watered and his stomach ached. He looked up at Zelda and registered niether who she was or the fact that she knew who he was. He simply ruffled his hand through his hair, wiped his nose on his sleeve and sunk into a chair at the table, half starved and half exhausted.

"It smells like heaven in here."

If it surprised him that his mother was familiar with the Afya, Klu'chud gave no sign. Instead, he simply closed the door after Gus and followed him past Zelda and into the kitchen, speaking as he took a seat and filled his plate. "Gus will be staying the night with us, and tomorrow I will escort him to the Village. His wounds will require attention, and I would imagine he would enjoy a bath."

Spawn glanced over his plate towards Gus, gesturing for him to fill his own, and finally lifted his eyes towards his mother. "Is father home?"

"Help yourself," she mentioned to Gus absently, paying more attention to the manner in which her son was acting. A flick of her tail tip was the only visible irritation that she displayed, and it was under the table.

Instead, she smiled broadly. "That sounds like a wonderful idea! In fact, I'll gather the medical supplies and set them up in your room. You two can bathe and then Klu'chud will handle your wounds." Zelda affectionately reached over and ruffled her son's hair and beamed. "After all, he's much better with those delicate things."

With an extra ruffle, the Jivviness filled her plate and began to sing softly to herself. "So what happened to bring you to our home Gus?" It was best to not give Spawn much time to answer.

Gus needed no second invitation and dug into the food as if he hadn't eaten in weeks... which may very well have been the case... He took bites of things as they were hitting the plate, scoop, bite, scoop, scoop, bite, and anyone putting thier fingers anywhere near his teeth would just be another flavour in the stew, per say. He looked up with a short smile and spoke to the room at general.

"I'm sorry I smell, I was kidnapped... by a skinny guy with blonde hair... my sister will know what to do though, so it's all ok... and Klu'chud helped me and for that I am forever in his debt."

Though with all that food in his mouth it came out... "Ahmn Shhawrie Ah Fsmell, ah wish kyshnumpheds..." and so forth... The whole sentance came out completely muffled. Then gus stopped and looked up as Zelda ruffled her son's hair. He watched for a second, finished chewing and then grinned at Scion almost in a stupid feverish way... This time he swallowed his food before speaking.

"Hey, I just noticed... you've got the same kind of hair as me. You could paint my face, and we could trade places." then he grinned and laughed, stuffing more food in his mouth. "Would'n Tha' be Fuhnsh?"

Spawn, on the other hand, had eaten only recently, and managed his meal with a considerably higher level of dignity than did Gus. However, the moment Zelda touched him, Klu'chud's shoulders stiffened and he set his fork aside, glowering across the table at a random point in the far wall. If looks could kill, Zelda would have most certainly burst into flames--and, indeed, might very well have if Gus had not been present. But, despite his distaste for the situation, Zelda had him corner; Spawn needed Gus on his side, and setting his own mother on fire in front of the Afya certainly wouldn't earn him Gus's loyalty.

And so he restrained himself, instead straightening his shoulders and resuming his meal, while his hair resettled itself in a more orderly manner. "An excellent suggestion. I am sure my mother would enjoy the switch."

If Zelda appeared disgusted or appalled at Gus' lack of table manners, it was hidden behind a well practiced illusion. Instead, she nodded and smiled like a good, simple mother would. It was habit now, after all.

At mention of switching places, her tail tip flicked under the table.

"Hmm..." Zelda noised thoughtfully while looking between the pair passively. "You know, I distinctly remember some rather plain little children doing the very such thing on a trip to visit my bond recently. The girls call it..." Again she appeared thoughtful. "...Dress up!" Zelda exclaimed proudly, beaming to Gus and her son.

This was quickly becoming an eggshell situation.

Gus grinned, blissfully unaware of the situation. He was chewing much more slowly now that he was mostly full, and he actually took the time to look around the room. Finally he registered Zelda for who she was, though the last time he remembered seeing her she was much younger. He smiled to her as he took in Spawn a second time, noting that he was her son, and wondering briefly if he knew who the father was. ... if probably should have been obvious, but he still wasn't thinking quite straight.

One thought did occur to him, however, and that was how absurd it would be for him to be Zelda's son, no matter how pretend. "Actally, it wouldn't work... I'm older than your mom, so she's too young to be my mother." He grinned at her... he meant it as a compliment, but who knew how she'd take it.

Somehow, Spawn had missed that Zelda's initial greeting of the Afya was by name; now it registered that she and Gus were already familiar with each other, at least to some extent. Thankful for the lead and rather sick of his mother's taunts, he eagerly grasped at the change of subject. "You have met before, then?"

From the other room came the sound of a door opening, closing, and towards the kitchen, shortly followed by Scion's appearance in the doorway. He seemed considerably toned down from the Scion Gus might remember; his clothes were light and casual despite the cold, and he dusted snow from his hair as he entered the room, offering a nod in greeting to Zelda and initially failing to notice their guest altogether.

Once he did, however, he visibly tensed, relaxing only once he recognized Gus as not of the village and, surprisingly, as someone he was actually familiar with. "Gus. Impressive. I would have never expected you to brave the forest, much less my home."

Gus physically shrank as Scion entered... he didn't quite cower but it was obvious that he recognized scion, and that he was imiediately uncomfortable. His ears pulled back in tension and he watched as Scion went about his 'just home' routine. Gus shot a quick glance at Spawn, and mentally chastied himself... he should have seen it before. It was obvious really, the kid had those same eyes... creepy, beautiful, haunting eyes. Scion had never done anything to Gus when they were younger, but Gus had heard plenty about the Jivvin and had seen him around growing up... the remark about the forest wasn't completly surprising. Gus had always been the wimp of the center with people like Fenwrit and Bruce to look after him... no more.

"It was an accident." He watched Scion, suddenly wishing he knew how the other man would react. "I was brought here... kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Scion was having a good day. He had been out before dawn to seen the sun rise over the lake, and his day among the trees had been bright and brisk. Gus's reaction only served to make his day that much brighter. Scion enjoyed his privacy, but sometimes the solitude of the forest was a bit much even for him; the occasional terrified visitor was quite a treat. Though....it was all harmless fun, of course. Really.

"Klu'chud, we have talked about this," Scion calmly chastised as he took a seat of his own. Whether or not he was joking was rather up in the air.

"It's ... It's not his fault, he saved me." Gus stammered the words, not sure if the other man was joking or not. "I was hurt quite badly, and he healed me enough to let me walk this far..." He realized that he still had various bumps and scrapes, and that he must look a right mess, "But I still couldn't walk that far, so he brought me to the closest place he could think of... I owe him... kind of everything actually..." and then he said the next part almost in a whisper, to himself though the others would be able to hear it... "Fen will never... would never let me live that down..." He looked up at Scion... "I owe the son of Scion my life... "

The stuttered tale won a curious look from Scion, who glanced to his son for confirmation. When Klu'chud nodded in response, Scion merely held the look, a small, silent battle of wills taking place before the younger Daewl offered an explanation.

"Gus was being held prisoner by one of the Jivvins of the Village. I have offered to see him safely to his sister there, and to alert the Council to the presence of this madman. He will stay here for the evening, and we will depart in the morning."

Recognition dawned on the white Daewl's face as his son explained, but he remained silent for a long moment afterwards, forking servings of food onto his plate before responding in a low tone. "Vel'bol rin'ov dos xal talinth, dos ph'naut kr'athin ulu xhandal Soyala."

"Usstan tlun al aware d'vel'bol Usstan tlun lu'tlun naut capable d'. Usstan zhaun vel'bol Usstan tlun xundus," came the quiet response as Klu'chud resumed his meal. The younger Daewl seemed genuinely unconcerned; whatever his father's warning, it hadn't phased him in the least.

Scion frowned, murmuring, "Udos orn discuss nindol gajak." However, a moment later a small smile returned as he helped himself to the meal. "Calm down, Gus, you will be safe in my home. Tell me of Fenwrit. Are you still dogging his footsteps?"

Gus's ears came forward agian into a more calm position... he glanced around the room once before picking up a fork again so that he might eat.... or more likely poke at the food left on his plate. "Fen's gone." He had a feeling that Scion might apreciate that... and it had the added benefit of being true. "He's been gone for a very long time now... I assume he's dead, it's been years." He sighed... "Knowing Fen..." And wasn't that the truth. "They're mostly gone actually, moved out, dissapeared..." He shrugged and piled a fork full of food into his face, chewed and swallowed it before regarding Scion with a much calmer resolve.

"Actually, I assumed you must be dead as well, after you dissapeared to... to here I guess.... but I'm not very popular or in with the center crowd... I wouldn't have known anyway." He shrugged again.

"That is a shame," he replied dutifully, though it was doubtful as to whether or not he actually meant it. Probably not. "I have not been near the Center in some time. I do not imagine the Council would approve of such activities. The Villagers have a skewed sense of freedom. They offer me exile and freedom, yet I am confronted by Sargtlins if I venture too far from the range they have designated as mine. I imagine their citizens suffer a similar fate." He sent a quick glance towards Klu'chud, then took a bite and lifted his eyes towards Gus. "Why do you wish to join them?"

"No." He didn't even have to think about it. "I mean, I don't like working at the casino, but I don't think village life is something that I'd be cut out for." He realized as he said it that not showing up for work for more than three days was grounds for dismisal... he'd already been fired from the casino and wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

"I was only in the woods becuase I was meeting my sister, I haven't seen her in months... Then this jivvin came up and all my trouble started."

"If you go to the Village, they will probably make you stay," Scion pointed out, only to have Klu'chud interrupt by slamming down his fork. Regaining his calm, the younger Daewl slid back his chair and stood, sweeping an arm towards the back of the cabin. "Gus, if you have finished with your meal, I will show you where you will be sleeping tonight."

"I am... the food.. it was deliscious." Still a little uneasy, moreso now that Scion had said he might have to stay in the village. He rose with a nod to follow Spawn whereever it was that the younger was leading. "I just hope not." He said quietly. "All I want to do is talk to my sister."

"My father has a very poor opinion of the villagers," Klu'chud explained as he led the way from the room and down a short hallway. "He is not permitted among them, and naturally he is bitter for it. This will be your room for the duration of your stay," he offered as he pushed open a door. The room was...surprisingly cosy. It was simply furnished, with only a wooden bedframe and plump mattress, a small dresser, and an oval mirror hanging on the far wall. The room was lit by three small oil lamps, two of which were in fixtures on the wall, and the third set atop the dresser.

"The bathroom is at the end of this hallway," Klu'chud continued, gesturing with a hand. "I would advise a bath before bed. The water should be warm, alert me if it is not. And you are welcome to the clothing in the dresser until yours can be cleaned." He paused, as if running through a mental list of hosting duties, then finished with: "Let me know if there is anything more that you need."

"I'll be fine.. I'll take you up on all of that." He sat on the bed briefly, not allowing himself to relax any for fear that he wouldn't get up again for the bath. He looked around the room and sparse and cosy as it was, it looked like heaven to him right that very moment. He meant to stop Spawn before the youth could leave... "Klu'chud.... thank you. Thank you so much." Somehow Gus felt that the other jivvin would get the hint...

"For the durration of my stay" Gus spoke to himself... it's sounds like a lot, but it's only until tomorrow.

Klu'chud responded with only a nod before returning to the kitchen to speak further with his father.

(( Gus, Spawn, Lysius, Kryos, and Satou :: Feb 08 09 ))

The walk had taken several hours, including the occasional pauses to double-check their trail. Spawn offered little conversation--he wasn't much for talking, it seemed--but replied readily enough if Gus struck up a chat. He seemed to be in a good mood, for the most part, but occasionally grew frustrated by the antics of the trees. The forest was being especially difficult with them, but sticking to the hidden path helped; the path was meant as a means of shortening the trip by days. One step was something akin to a hundred yards or more, and thus it was much more difficult for the trees to change about to divert the hikers. But they certainly tried.

Thus is came as something of a surprise when homes did appear through the trees, scattered at first, one every several minutes, and then more frequent, lined up on either side as path bled into road. However, their arrival had not gone unnoticed; at the foot of the dirt road which opened to the Village main, a line of Sargtlins awaited their arrival. Their poses were casual, unconcerned, but it was nonetheless a rather intimidating picture--especially when several Uuthli dropped to the road behind the pair, forming a line parallel to the Sargtlins.

Klu'chud, for all the world as unconcerned as the Sargtlins, gestured Gus forward. "Perhaps you should introduce us."

Gus had walked along behind Spawn, uncomplaining and offering obsevations of the obvious kind whenever a plant or rock struck him as odd. The poor guy knew very little about the woodlands and survival, and he knew even less about the village and what went on there or how to get there. He trusted his new friend though, and walked along complacently behind him, stepping where he was told and doing as he was prompted.

When the village appeared, Gus smiled to himself. He'd been here before, but only briefly and that was years ago. His smile faded as the Sargtlins faced them down and broke into a deep frown as it became apparent that it was his move. Gus took a tentative step back and stammered...

"I'm ... Um... Gus Kalhoun, I'm..." He thought about the last time he had been here with Jack, and figured that maybe to the point was better. "I'm Gus... Kalhoun.... Saty... Satou Kalhoun... mysisterthough.... She's not Kalhoun anymore... Satou is my sister." He stopped and let out the breath that he'd been partially holding. glancing back at Spawn, he realized that he was proabbly not helping them any with all his stammering.

"I... we... came here looking for help from the village. We have news for the villagers, and I wanted to talk to my sister, Satou." He nodded. Sure he'd already said half of that in his stammering, but it felt good to get it all out in one sentance.... kind of.

A distinct ripple went through the group at the mention of Satou's name, but just as quickly they recovered, stoically holding their positions in line. One, however, obviously in charge of the small group, stepped forward to direct the conversation. His eyes slid briefly over Gus, quickly dismissing him as no threat, before passing on towards Spawn. He smirked. "Your mother's been looking for you, Klu'chud."

If the jab was taken to heart, Klu'chud gave no sign. He kept his tone calm as he replied, "By this warm welcome, I had anticipated as much. I would assume, then, that rooms will have already been prepared for us, for I trust her visit offered no cause for alarm?"

A long pause followed, during which the tall Sargtlin considered the pair. Lysius had informed him that he was to intercept the Daewl, to interrogate and disarm him if necessary, but there seemed no need to subject the Afya to the same. Zelda had been all but frantic when she spoke with the Sargtlin Council member, Lysius had mentioned, rattling on about how her son was a madman, how the Village was in danger--but could give no real examples to verify her claims. Certainly, he was the son of Scion, and that alone was cause for caution--but Scion had also been possessed, and had offered no further trouble in the time since.

"We have news for the Council," Klu'chud added to break the silence.

Coming to a decision, the Sargtlin nodded shortly and, gesturing to his men, turned on a heel and led the way down the dirt road, the others falling into line on either side of the pair as the Uuthli disbanded as silently as they had come.

Satou smiled as she leaned back against the countertop, arms folded lightly across her chest as she thought for a moment. Gus was here, alive and well for the time being. She'd had a few worries about him when he hadn't met her in the forest weeks ago like he'd said he would, but all that was dispelled at haveing seen him and even given him a quick hug before he was taken off to be questioned. She knew they wouldn't hurt him, he was Gus... it was difficult to even think of hurting Gus... he was... too.... cute? She laughed and looked up at her husband with a genuine smile.

"It's so good to see him again... he hasn't changed at all!" She let her arms fall to her sides as she stood and strode over to Lysius. "Of course it hasn't been 70 years for him, just for me." She reached up and touched a slightly greying lock of the man's hair. "It's good to see someone exactly the same as the way I left them." She didn't mean it as an insult or even a barb, just trying to let him know that she was sorry for making him wait for her all those years... even if it wasn't all her fault.

Then she stepped back with a grin. "And now you've met my brother! I've two of them, though as I've told you, the other one isn't a jivvin, he's adopted..." She faded off. "We used to be the same age, Gus and I ... hatched on the same day even... not anymore..." She smiled up at Lysius once more, "Funny thing? We all figured Gus would get married before I would."

She faded into her own thoughts again, finding it reasonably difficult to focus on anything other than the fact that she was seeing her brother again for the first time in over 70 years.... "It's just... so strange and wonderful to see him!"

"You'd think you were Mejari, with how you go on," Lysius scoffed in reply, capturing her about the waist with an arm to draw her to him. "Seventy. You haven't aged a day... That I were seventy again!" With mock-despair he let his arm fall, instead running his hair through his graying hair. Truth be told, however, he looked years younger--the Sargtlin had undergone a vast improvement since his wife's return and recovery. Saty had brought happiness and youth back to his life, a welcome change both for him and everyone under his command. He hadn't seemed so alive in years.

"Gus will be staying with us once Kyros is done with him," he offered, diverting the subject from the time lost to Satou. He could easily see why the subject would trouble her; one family hadn't missed a day, and the other had passed hundreds of years. There was time to recover on either side. "Which I doubt will be long, knowing the Vhaid. They've been traveling all day, Kyros will send him away as soon as he starts to droop. We haven't decided what to do with the Daewl, however."

She smiled ear to ear at the prospect of Gus sharing a house with her for a little while, and loved Lysius all the more for allowing it. "well," she was thinking out loud, "Gus did introduce him as a friend, but in all honesty Gus doesn't always make safe friends." She rolled her eyes slightly as she remembered Gus's first real friend, Fen. That was about as good a friendship as a cripple mouse and a lion cub... though Fen had done a good job of protecting Gus so maybe...

"I'd like to say that I don't mind where the Daewl stays, but you saw his mother earlier. I don't know who's the saner, but if he stays here then he gets watched and watched well."

"He is not staying here," Lysius replied firmly. He had lost her once, he wasn't about to risk Saty's safety again. While Satou was recoving from her injury, there had been no talk of her potentially resuming patrols, and the topic had not arisen in the time since. Already he was dreading the day that the subject was breached--and he wasn't entirely certain about how he would respond to it. "I have already spoken with Kyros on the matter, and he seemed to think the Daewl should stay with him...but I am hesitant to leave him that close to our Vhaid, harmless though he may be."

Sighing, he shook his head. "Zelda seemed so concerned over his arrival. It's hard to put that aside, but he hasn't done...anything. We can't condemn him for that." Lysius had learned, in recent years, a fair bit about passing judgment prior to crime. "But her fear has me cautious."

"I talked to her once a long time ago...." She paused and smiled as she realized what she'd just said. "Actually it was a long time ago... before she was with Scion and before she'd had a child... she seemed sane to me then." Saty nodded and silently aproved of the Daewl not staying in her house. And it would be easy enough to explain to Gus by shrouding it in rank traditions.

Over the last month or so, part of her had been watching her husband as he attempted to keep her out of danger, and make sure that there weren't harmful factors too close to the Satou. She didn't have to try very hard to not be offended, after all she did realize that he'd been through a lot... and the matching scars on her back and abdomen from a piercing sword wound prayed on her mind enough to keep her docile for now. Besides, it wasn't just Lysius who worried about her, she was almost sure that Jack worried, and several of her and Lysius's close friends... not to metion the Sargtlins under Lysius's control. She sighed inwardly.

"I'm sure the Vhaid will be find. He can more than protect himself. He's got all those Uths and loyal vhaids backing him up... and with Zelda's proclomaiton no one's going to let him step out of line with more than a little toe." She shrugged. "It's fine." And Gus was staying here. she grinned.

"Sane enough then," he agreed dryly, but chuckled. "I don't know how anyone could maintain sanity living with a cannibal. Let's hope the son hasn't inherited his father's tendencies." Only the widespread knowledge of the workings of Scion's abilities had convinced Lysius to leave him alive. The white Daewl was essentially harmless now, and had supposedly set aside his ways once he and the Valz'hin had been separated. But his son?

"But you're probably right," he continued with a nod. "Kyros is already so heavily guarded, Klu'chud couldn't argue that we were setting a guard specifically on him. He couldn't get away with anything in that house." He paused, satisfied with Satou's reassurances and his own conclusion, then diverted the conversation once more.

"Did Gus happen to mention what held him up when you spoke with him? My Sargtlins have been watching for him for weeks with no sign."

"He said something about being held in the forest by another jivvin... " She nodded, knowing that the whole story would be being given right now, and the information would be better sorted by someone else, than hearing it straight from Gus's tired battered brain. She knew he was in good hands.

"But he was babbling so much, it was hard to understand anything. He said something about demons and something about fires, and something about Scion and Zelda and Mother and Ranald and all the family back at the cabin." She shrugged. "I'm sure it wasn't as bad as Gus thinks it was..."

"That's a lot to fit into a few minutes," he laughed, the sobered. "But most of it not good, it seems. We'll have to get the story out of him...or have Kyros explain while Gus rests. Speaking of whom," he added as a knock sounded from the front door, and abandoned his perch against the counter to answer it.

It was Kyros who led the way inside, with Gus just behind him. The Vhaid offered a nod in greeting for the Sargtlin and a smile past him for his wife. "Good evening Lysius, Satou. I hope you'll pardon me for monopolizing your brother."

Satou grinned and shook her head as an answer, staring at Gus for a moment before speaking "Did they tell you Gus, you'll be staying here with Lysius and I while you're in the village?"

Gus smiled in return, noting the marked changes in his sister for the second time that day. She not only looked older, she looked happier, and it made him smiled to himself. The Satou that left his family had been stoic and grumpy and generally unhappy. "Yeah." He smiled at Lysius, "and thankyou." He motioned to Kryos with a tired smile. "I've met the Sargtlin, the Sargtlin's wife, the Vhaid himself, and several dozen soldiers all in one day." He laughed. "It's been more of a welcome than I ever could have imagined."

Satou grinned and spoke to Kryos. "Are you done with him then? And Scion's son is behing housed with...." she paused. "You?"

Lysius offered a nod in acknowledgment for Gus's thanks as Kyros went on. "Klu'chud will be remaining with me until we decide upon somewhere more suitable." He paused to give weight to the word, then continued, "Though, I do not imagine that he will complain. He, on the other hand, is free to go," he added with a gesture towards Gus, smiling towards the Afya. "Thank you for your time, Gus. I'm sure you must be tired, so I'll leave you to your sister. You, on the other hand." Looking up, he fixed Lysius with a frown and gestured back outside with a nod. "If I might have a word?"

The Sargtlin again nodded, waving Kyros out before glancing back to Satou with a smile. "I doubt we'll be long. Make yourself comfortable, Gus." And he followed the Vhaid out, closing the door behind them.

Satou grinned and grabbed Gus by the arm, pulling him to a chair and pushing him down into it. "Are you alright? Tired? Thirsy?" She pointed to a teapot. "There's tea and weak coffee and pretty much whatever that's natural." She grabbed the teapot as Gus pointed to it with a knowing grin himself. "Gus it's.... it's just so good to see you here."

He grinned and accepted the cup she handed him. "It's good to see you too, though, I have to admit it's strange too." Taking a sip of the warm tea he looked at her face. It was easy, relaxed... it looked like she hadn't frowned in years... "You look the same and yet so different." He set the cup down with a grin as she settled into the chair across from him. "Your hair's longer.

"Yeah. But in all fairness to me, it's been over 70 years Gus, 70 years since you last saw me."

"No, more like a year... if that even ... months really." He nodded.

"Since I saw you then." She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him, showing more of her old self in the action.

The conversation went from there, Satou more interested in the family and Gus and Gus temporarily distracted by seeing his sister so different, that the matter of Bay and the kidnapping didn't come up.

The discussion did in fact take a while, as Kyros divulged a shortened version of all Gus and Klu'chud had told him. Which, really, wasn't much. Gus hadn't known the identity of his captor, and seemed to think that his captor had been two people in one--one of which had briefly been part of Gus beforehand. He had spoken of the sprite's death, and of the stranger's dismantling of his legs, both of which led Kyros to several suspicions, but nothing he could verify just yet. He and the Sargtlin had agreed, however, that this captor could not be allowed to wander the forest, lest they be subjected to a second Scion.

Aleda had been informed. Captains, Sargtlin and Uuthli alike, had been called to arms and sent out with their respective patrols. And there was little more that could be done tonight. A Council would be called, the Uuthli and Sargltin heads were informed, to discuss the arrival of Gus and Klu'chud and the messages they had carried. With this said, Kyros somewhat reluctantly sent them on their way. So much to be done, and so little information to go by. More would be decided with the meeting.

Lysius returned home some two hours later, considerably more subdued than when he left. He brightened somewhat, however, when he opened the door to find Satou and Gus still chatting away in the living room. "I had expected you both to be asleep by now," he admitted as he closed the door and moved to join them.

Satou pushed her hair back from her face and smiled warmly up at Lysisus. "We were just talking of home, old home that is. Join us." with her statement she patted the seat beside her and turned her attention back to Gus with a smile. "it's been such a short time in reality, but so much has happened. Gus was telling me of Jen's new children and new adopted siblings that I've never met. I was about to ask him about Rusty and Booker and Shade.

Gus's face suddenly turned dour and he quickly changed the subject. "Did Kryos tell you everything that Klu'chud and I said? What do I call him by the way? Is it ok that I say Kryos? or do I have to say sir or highness or something?"

He gladly joined her on the couch, sinking back in his seat and stretching an arm out behind her along the couchback. "He gave me the short version. We've spoken with Aleda, the Uuthli, and have patrols out after your captor. I don't think we'll have any immediate results, but..." He shrugged. "You shouldn't worry."

"Kyros is usually fine," he admitted after a pause. "Though it's generally good practice to call the Council members by their titles unless they tell you otherwise. Aleda and Soyala can be stuffy about it... and I require it of my Sargtlins while they are on duty. Jatin might get a kick out of 'highness'." He rolled his eyes. "But names are fine."

Gus nodded slowly. "I've met Jatin before, and I'll bet you're right."

Saty started and furrowed her brow at her brother. "When did you meet Jatin?"

"When Jack and I came to the village... with Fen, the day I got my crystal."

This time Satou nodded. "I remember that. I was so mad. You got a crystal and I didn't." She waved her hand as if she were dismissing it. "It all worked out in the end." if this is the end, her brain suddenly threw in... and she waved her hand again dismissing the invisible thought. It was distressing to think that this might not be the end of all her troubles and that she might end up leaving behind a lonely husband again... or him leaving her behind... she smiled up at Lysius and leaned into his arm more to comfort herself than him.

"It's amazing to think of how far you've come Saty, Keppit will be happy to know that you're not dead, let alone happily married and everything." Gus suddenly stiffled an unexpected yawn and blinked his eyes tiredly at the two Sargtlins. "I'm glad to know that they're out there looking for him though, he could do real damage I think. Anyway, do you mind if I... " He pointed at the guest bedroom and covered another yawn with his hand.

Saty shook her head and smiled at him. "Good night Gus... sleep well."

Gus nodded his goodnights to both of them and shuffled off down the hallway. Satou watched him and then snuggled closer to Lysius. "Thank you for letting him stay. It's really nice to have family close by."

"Sleep well," Lysius echoed as Gus wandered off down the hall, then sunk down in his seat and propped his feet up on the coffee table. His arm slipped down to settled around Satou's shoulders as he offered her a smile. "Mmn. You'd better be grateful," he joked. "You've already got my Sargtlins thinking I've gone soft. Now I'm encouraging travel between the Center and the Village, and allowing potentially murderous Daewls to hang around without question... I can't even complain that Jack's passing around crystals, because he's how you got one."

She smiled. "Actually my crystal was legitimate. Jack brought me to the village and introduced me to people here, I met Kryos and he gifted me a crystal." She could remember that day very clearly. That was the day she started to realize who she was. "But it was still because of Jack that I got the crystal... I wonder how he's doing lately... I haven't seen him in two weeks now, at least." She always talked fondly of Jack, and after everything that had happened to her and him and Lysius, Jack was still a very good friend of hers.

"Besides..." She said, poking him in the stomach. "You have gone soft. All squishy and lovable... like a squishy lovable rock. And you can't complain about encouraging travel between the village and the center either, because that affects me as well." She nodded.

"So complaint is out all around. No complaining."

He frowned briefly with the admission, but then slowly nodded. "I remember. Kyros explained it to me after we ran into each other and I scared you off." He grinned faintly. "But I was right." His smile faltered slightly as she spoke of Jack. He still wasn't altogether fond of the once-Uuthli, though he was thankful to him for his part in returning Satou alive. "I've seen him around here and there. You never know who he's working for anymore, but someone always seems to have some use for him. I think he's been staying with Raechel."

He grimaced with the poke. "Don't tell me that. First I'm gray, now I'm squishy. I'm starting to miss inspiring terror. And that was a complaint."

She could have said that he was perfect, or that he was terrifying, or handsom, or that gray really sutied him, or that she loved him.... but that was the beauty of Lysius and Satou. She didn't have to say any of that in order to make it known that she meant it all. She simply smiled up at him and poked him in the stomach once more for good measure.

After all, their relationship had spawned from mutal hatred, and then blossomed into that wonderful stage where they picked at each other mercilessly, each not only unsure of what they were feeling, but also unsure of how to express it. Somehow it wouldn't be right if she couldn't pick on him fondly. "Well, I think you complain too much." She didn't mean it, of course, Satou herself was a champion complainer.

"I complain about your complaining."

"I complain about enduring your complaining," he countered, words quickly trailing into a yawn. "And I complain about rallying troops after dark, and having to track a madman tomorrow." All of which he really had no complaints about. Lysius lived for his rank, and he lived for his Saty--complaints and all.

"I think it's time for bed," he decided, somewhat reluctantly freeing his arm and climbing to his feet.

She clutched at his belt as he stood, forcing him to also drag her to her feet at the same time. Then she linked arms with him and shuffled down the hall to their room, just about as tired as he was.

But she was also smiling. "My brother came to visit." then she opened the door and motioned Lyrus inside.

(( Bruce and Gus :: Aug 10 2005 ))

since his change, Bruce wasn't around much to see anyone back at the old jivin house, it was a bout time he paid a visit, maybe some of his friends were there. he opened the door and peeked inside, there were quite a few around, but one particlaur jivin stood out, he was the only one on two legs there. he walked up to him quietly and tapped him on the shoulder

Gus had been looking through a book that had been left on the coffee table. It wasn't all that interesting, but it did have colourful pictures... mostly about flowers and such...

He spun round, surprised, as someone tapped him on the shoulder. "Bruce!" He stood there mouth agape... "You look great! and better yet I knew it was you the second I saw you! How are you?" He was grinning from one long blue ear to the other. "I love your shirt. I must say, you scared me when you tapped me on the shoulder just now... here I am in the jivvin center and short I may be, but not many jivvins here today can even reach my shoulder." He laughed... "But how are you? How have you been?"

Bruce grinned too "been a bit busy following hawk everywhere, i kept meaning to come back but something would always come up so now im exhausted" and made his way to the couch and slumped onto it "so you like the shirt then? check out the pink hair" he said admiring his ponytail, until he realised "oh god, wait till Fen sees it."

Gus had been smiling until Bruce mentioned Fen's name. "I think you're safe there Pal. I haven't seen anyone around here in a long time, Fen included." Then he suddenly grinned again. "You're right though... it is pink. Very different from black." He hand a ran through his own hair in thought. "And I really do love the shirt. I think it suits you."

Gus threw himself down in an armchair across from the sofa. "So what have you been doing since you got your thumbs?"

O.o to be honest with himself he actually forgot he had thumbs. he look down at his hands "you mean these?" and wiggled his thumbs "i haven't had the chance to do anything with them" then he remembered he had a sweet tucked in his pocket that hawk gave him "lets test them now shall we? hmm, ive seen hawk open these, it does seem too hard..." he looked at it for a moment and untwisted each end of the sweet and popped it in his mouth "groovey" he said grinning holding the sweet between his teeth

"yeah they're nice." with a grin he glanced down at his and then gave Bruce a double thumbs up. "I can open soda cans, and write without having to use my tail as a pen stabalizer... It's nice. My only grievance is that I'm so short... Jen measured me when I first got my crystal." He sighed "I'm only 5'5 ... pathetic no?"

"nah, theres nothing wrong with that, kinda cute in a way and chicks love any thing cute" Bruce yawned and stretched "if i get any more comfier il probably wind up falling asleep, i never was one for being awake too long"

Gus blushed. "Yeah I know what you mean... I got a job at the casino as cigarette seller and I've lost count of how many women pinch my bum and want to pet my ears... " He laughed... "it's insane. Like they've never met an anthro before."

Bruce burst out laughing "your bum?" and giggled some more "wish i got that much attation off ladies, all i get is comments for my shirt" he paused for a while "i wonder what it feels like to have your ears patted?"

Gus blushed again. "Well it's not like it's wanted attention... Besides, they're not your average women, mostly they're old." He was playing with a button on his shirt. "In a way it's sort of flattering, but on the other hand it's kind of an infrigement on my personal space... " He grinned sheepishly "Tips are good though."

(( Gus and Tifa :: Aug 12 2006 ))

Gus sat forward to get a better look at whatever it was on the floor. He'd been sitting in the living area of the Jivvin center for almost an hour and the small misshappen brown whatever it was on the floor had been bothering him for most of that hour.... It was a pair of small brown pants all wadded up and carelessly left on the floor....

"Huh... " He looked about him with a confused expression... there were no small people missing pants that he'd seen lately... but the thought did make him smile to himself.

After a few minutes he lazily pulled himself forward off the sofa and managed to get his hand around the pants. He had them folded and on the table before anyone would be able to count to anything... let alone three.

But he ended up picking up the small pants again just to try and see if he recognized them at all.

Tifa walked across the grass leading up the lawn to the Jivvin center. She didn't know why she was there - it had just kind of occurred to her to go. She hadn't been in a while, after all. She pocketed the keys to her '86 Crown Victoria and tucked a piece of hair behind her hair. She grabbed the doorhandle and stepped in, shutting it and turning towards the living room. She stopped and looked up, blinking. Gus? She immediately grinned.

"Gus! Hey, I haven't-...um, what's with the pants?" she said, folding her arms and tilting her head. She didn't seem creeped out - just amused.

He leapt to his feet. "TIFA!" He fairly yelled it and then blushed bright pink after he realized. "I'm... um... I'm sorry... you startled me..." He held the small pants out in between his finger and thumb and pointed at them with his other hand as if they were diseased....

"I... um... I found them.. I ... um... I don't know how they... um.. who they belong to.... " he sighed... this was silly.

Gus turned and dropped the pants on the table before running a hand through his hair in effort to calm himself. He turned back to her with a smile that was partial glee and partial worry. "How are you?"

She laughed. "Fine, thanks to you," she said, flicking his ear playfully. "Don't worry about it. At least they're not your pants," she said, shrugging and flopping down on the couch. She grabbed them from the table and examined them. "Hmmm...seems some little one has lost his pants...that should be an interesting story," she said, grinning. She tossed them back on the table, tucking her legs up under her.

"So," she said, patting the seat next to her, "how're you?"

"lonely" .... he said it plainly and simply as he plonked down onto the sofa...

"Everyone's gone. They're all off doing bigger and better things with their lives..." He smiled at her. "even you I guess, though..." He stopped and thought of a way to say things... "Nobody really keeps in touch. Fen's been missing, Bruce is off helping other people with projects... you know how he is..." he smiled sadly at her... "Mostlly I've been worried about you and Fen... I'm really worried that Fen might be dead, I haven't seen him or heard from or of him in a long time."

Tifa's face softened at his first words, and her features were etched with concern for the duration of his speaking. "Awww, Gus..." she said, blushing slightly. She hadn't exactly been there for him lately...gotten wrapped up in her own stuff...

"Well, I haven't really 'moved on' or anything. I'm working a crap job as a secretary, and I drive that old hunk of metal, so I don't really think that constitutes me doing anything great." She smiled. "As for Fen...well, he's Fen. He's off somewhere blowing something up or something like that. Trust me, if he was dead...we'd know by now. Plus Misae would've come in crying and everything," she said, smiling a little. Misae probably wouldn't let Fen die without raising her babies, come to think of it. She'd keep him alive.

"But, I have no excuses for not seeing you. In fact, I owe you one. Any favors you'd like to ask?" she said, throwing up her hands in an "I surrender" kind of way.

He smiled and blushed... "You don't... you don't owe me anything." He sighed and grabbed her hands. Pulling them down in front of her and holding each in his own... "I'm just glad you're ok." He nodded his head. "Really. You and Fen are the two that I worried about most, just because you're my two closest friends." He was such a sap... but he couldn't help it. "I've been working at the casino... I'm the change boy, and I get tips when little blue haired old ladies want to pet my 'fuzzy ears'" He cringed slightly.

She was beautiful. Completely and totaly lovely in each and every way. From her ears down to the tip of her tail, everything she did and said and wore and smiled and ... he sighed and smiled... green was his favourite colour.

Tifa smiled and started slightly when he grabbed her hands, but immediately relaxed into it. His hands felt warm...nice. She didn't know why but they were...really nice. She blushed at his words, but then giggled. "Well, I mean, who could resist you? After all, blue never goes out of style," she said, grinning.

And then it happened. She had no idea what came over her, what she was thinking, but something inside her brain sparked. Kiss him, it said.

What?!

KISS HIM!!!

And without thinking about it, she leaned in and kissed him, just a brush on the lips, and immediately jumped back. Her face went bright red all the way up to her ears - a very un-Tifa embarassment. "Um, I'm sorry, I don't know...what that was..." she said, stumbling over her words. Oh my God, oh my God, he's never gonna talk to me again, she thought, panicking. For some reason, that thought scared her more than anything else.

His brain exploded... no really... O.o ....

and before he knew it he was remembering the time that her lips brushed his and he watched as she stuttered and stammered over her words, very un-Tifa like... and so very un-Gus like (as if they were switched for a moment) he pulled on her hands for a moment before reaching one arm behind her around her back and the other around her behind her head... Gus pulled the only Jivvin he had spent the entire last year of his life thinking about into a deperate kiss. He didn't care if she never spoke to him again, he NEEDED this. He needed to know what it would be like... Hell he'd thought about it over and over and over again...

He kissed her hard, and there was no denying that he cared for her... she'd know it now if she didn't before.

Fireworks were going off in Tifa's head. She didn't resist him - she sunk into the kiss. It was...amazing. For some reason, it had never made so much sense to her. Gus was...perfect. She had always just thought of him as a friend, but today...things had changed. In that single moment, she had wanted him, and now that she was in his arms, their lips locking together, she couldn't understand why she had never thought of this before. Her hand slid up his neck and ran through his hand. How long had it been since she'd felt that way? Too long.

This was...perfect.

Gus pulled back slightly without taking a breath. He hovered, eyes closed a fraction of a centimeter away from her face... She was. That's all there was to it. She was.

and then some far off recess of his brain screamed at him.... "BREATHE IDIOT." And he did. He fell back away from her and sucked in a deep breath, air making his small chest puff out as his face filled with a smile as genuine as he was blue.

He stared over at her his hand resting on her leg where it had slid to when he pulled back. His cheeks were pink and his eyes were dreamy and half closed in glee.... "I love you." He wasn't stammering. "I think about you all the time.... I love you and I can't help it."

Tifa too was breathing deeply. Her cheeks were hot, her heart was pounding, and her hands were shaking a little, now resting in her lap. She stared at him, taken aback as he said those words. They hit in her in the chest and rippled through her. He...loved her? "Wow..." she said, and just breathed for a few moments. Did she feel the same way, how do you know if you love someone?

Have you thought about him a lot since you last saw him?

...Yeah.

Do you think this is too fast?

...No.

Then what do you think? Do you love him?

"...Yes," Tifa said out loud, then blushed again. She shut her eyes and grinned - that was a conversation in her head, not out loud. She opened them again, grabbing his hand in both of hers. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. "I think I love you too," she said, and giggled a little. It made her giddy to say. "I don't know why we never...I just never thought about it that way," she said in disbelief. How could something so obvious have been sitting in front of her face this whole time, and she had never even...How could she have been so stupid? This felt so...right.

He smiled and stroked the side of her face, never taking his eyes off her face. "That's ok, I guess. I always figured that you'd never thought about me like... like this." He smiled apologetically. "I'm nothing like most people..." He paused... he wanted to say that he wasn't strong or galliant... he wanted to say that he wasn't handsome... that he wasn't tall... that he wasn't normal... but she knew that... didn't she?

"It's ok that you don't think of me like that." this time it was a statement plain and true. "You're here." she was here and he was here and they were here together... god what was wrong with him? He wasn't even making sense in his head.

"I'm sorry... I'm not making sense and I'm being strange..."

Tifa smiled, her cheek tingling where his fingers had been. "You're right," she said, snuggling into the couch. "You're not like most guys..." she said, then tapped her chin. "You're kind, you're smart, you're sensitive...not the average guy, I would say," she said, smiling warmly.

"And it's okay. I get it. I'm here," she said, her eyes locked on him. She brushed her lips against his again, then leaned back. "And so're you." It made perfect sense...well, to them it did.

He smiled again and then he leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. He was going to get all the contact he could before he woke from this dream... and he sucked in her smell and the way she felt... he wanted to tell her he loved her but stopped himself before he did... afterall, he'd already said it. And she had said he was smart... and individual...

he gave her one last quick squeeze and then released his grip on her completely. He leaned back and scooted away from her on the sofa. Gus drapped his arm over the back of the sofa and crossed his legs at the ankles... He smiled over at her and sighed contentedly... "What now, love?"

Tifa grinned and flopped back on her end of the couch. She tapped her chin, thinking. "Hmmm...perhaps," she said, sitting up and whisking the pants off the table, "we should find out who these pants belong to," she said, raising a brow. She grinned and threw them at Gus. "Y'know, or we could make out a little more." She giggled, her eyes flashing. She was enjoying this.

Gus blushed and went wide eyed before he caught himself... who was he to argue.

And with a grin and a giddy laugh he jumped up and crawled across the sofa towards her. He playfully layed his body across hers and brought his face right up, level with hers. "I think that's a great idea." And he leaned forward for a second kiss... this one less needy and more loving... gentle and enjoyable really... He paused for a second and hovered again... "I think you make me crazy... "

Tifa grinned. "And I think you're cute," she said, nipping his nose. She reached up and grabbed one of his ears, stroking it. "Oooh, I get what the old ladies were talking about," she said, laughing giddily. She felt like she was walking on air. She could be as stupid as she wanted, it didn't really matter.

He sighed... he hadn't been so happy in a long while... and just think, a few moments before he had been sitting listlessly on a sofa wondering what his life was for, and now? ... now...

He nudged up and kissed her on the forehead right beside her horn, then he inched sideways and nestled down beside her on the sofa... his arm drapped across her, he sighed and wound his tail around her leg... "I feel... so good.... and so unlike me." He laughed.

"I never thought this would happen."

Tifa chuckled, her tail tickling his ear. "You know...me neither." She thought for a moment, feeling very lost in Gus' gaze. "Come to think of it, I haven't really felt this way about someone since..."

Since Jack, something in her head said. Her thoughts all kind of stung. But this was better. MUCH better. "Since ever," she finished, without a large gap inbetween the two. After all, she didn't want Gus to feel bad or anything. Why ruin such a perfect moment?

"Why didn't we do this before?" she said, smiling.

Since...... Since Jack his brain supplied the words in her pause. Gus could remember talking to her right after Jack left her, or she had left Jack... he was never really in on the details of the situation... but... he sat up slightly and looked down at her sincerely.

"I need to say... um... that is..." He braced himself. "I've loved you for a long time... a really long time. I need you to know that. And... I want you to know that I'd rather die than hurt anyone I love... I really would."

He needed to say that... it might not help, but he didn't want her to worry.

Tifa sighed, smiling slightly. "I didn't want you to worry about that...it's all in the past..." she paused, then looked back up at him, her eyes shining gratefully. "But thank you. It's...it's really nice to hear someone say that," she said. Her heart felt warm thinking about it.

She wouldn't have to cling to him, because he wouldn't leave her. He wasn't going anywhere, and that felt really, really good. "Thank you," she repeated, and smiled widely.

(( Gus and Fell :: Mar 22 2006 ))

Gus jumped as his tail got caught on a branch. Whipping around he grabbed his tail and held it close to his body, looking around him for whatever it was that had 'attacked' him... But it really was just a branch.

he sighed. "Go and get your cousin. He's out in the woods. He's out in the woods Gus, and I want him to come home once in a while." He laughed at his impresson of Ranald (which wasn't really very good) and started forth on his 'quest'. Lately Alexander had been spending all his time away from the house and it was upsetting Ranald.... thus she had asked Gus to go and find him and bring the purple Jivvin home.

He huffed and brushed dirt off of his pants cuffs. This was unfair. He really wasn't woods material. He was making so much noise he was surprised that the Jivvin center hadn't come out here with pitchforks and sporks because they thought the gnomes were attacking.

He stepped on every branch and rustled every leaf... anyone out here was bound to hear him. Maybe Alexander would hear him too.

Fell's head snapped up, and his lips curled back in a snarl, distant yellowed eyes narrowed to the small green slit in the left was barely seen. "There is something close. Or far. It is making enough racket to be any distance." He said, his voice was soft, quiet, as if it was barely used. Yet, it had such an edge, that every time he heard it Monev skin would crawl in varied emotions.

"I'll stay here, Wolfsbane.. Go see what it is. Perhaps it's edible!" Monev said, in a cheerful tone, his tail tip flickering. A grin broke out on his scarred and striped muzzle, the red fur havng gornw partially back.

Fell flicked his ears back and nodded, lowering himself on the ground and padding towards the sound disturbing the forest. He chose not to waste his breath on words, it was pointless to him.

Gus tripped on... something... it was hard to tell what was behind one when one was laying face down in a pile of leaves.

"AGGG! Alexander I hate you!" and then he felt very bad very fast. He didn't mean that. He really didn't. "I didn't mean that." But it was hard to be happy with leaves in your underwear.

He wriggled himself around so that he was sitting up and then he stuck his hand down his shirt and pulled out a handful of dead leaves. That's what he got for wearing shirts slightly too big for him.

"ALEX?" He looked into the woods around him. "ALEXANDER? ... ALEX I HAVE LEAVES IN MY PANTS AND I WANT TO GO HOME!"

Fell's snarl melted away into a muddled look of confusion at the voice echoing in the woods. Whoever was out there didn't have much knowledge of stealth, perhaps he was trying to be found? By the Alex he was talking about, he assumed. The black olplyn padded forward quietly, stepping lightly to keep from making too much noise on the leaves.

Once he saw Gus through the trees, he ducked behind a tree and peered around it, knitting his brows to further his confused appearance. He decided to wait until Gus passed him by to approach, from behind. He wanted to make an impression.

He tried to brush the mud and dirt off of his knees but had already given up before he even started. Gus pulled himself to his knees and crawled a bout ten feet on his hands and knees before pulling himself to his feet.

"I'm covered in mud, my favorite pants might as well be ruined, my cousin is NOT HERE! ALEX!" He turned and leaned against a tree and peered off into the forest. These were the woods around the jivvin center... where were all the jivvins that Saty was always talking about. Where were the wild ones that she was obsessed with? Where were all the jivvins that Gus knew that should be frolicing around in the trees having a good time? ????

Probably out working daytime jobs like he did everyday... like Alex should but didn't.

He sighed and started treking off through the woods again.

Fell frowned at Gus, he seemed to be one of those Fourthers he had heard about, but rarely seen. Yes, he had seen his sister Misae, but not recently because of the pregnancy. Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, he slipped behind Gus and flattened his long ears against his head.

"Greetings." He said, in his soft and slick voice. The black olplyn tilted his head, so his left eye was angled at the other jivvin. "You might be?"

Gus about had a heart attack. "What?!? Jeeeez! you scared me! What's wrong with you? sneaking up on a body like that, that's not right! I about... um... you know, wet myself."

He took his hand off the tree that was holding him up and tried to get his breathing back to normal. "I would be Gus. I'm looking for my cousin... you haven't seen him per chance?"

He looked this jivvin up and down real quick. He was an adult, and he was solid... But he seemed nice... ish.

Fell eyed Gus oddly, giving him a wary once over. He didn't seem to be the threatening type, no worries then. He leaned back on his haunches and flickered an ear out to the side. "What name does your cousin go by? I myself, am called Wolfsbane. I'm not aware of another jivvin in this area." He sniffed and thought for a moment. "Other than my Brother, he isn't far."

The black Olyplyn decided is was best to not name his brother unless he was asked, most jivvins had a negative reaction to the Vhaid. Especially the older ones, they knew him better than some of the younger generations Monev had threatened to eat.