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"You approached us, Zach. You could have passed us by or left us alone long ago," Nita said, as if she were explaining something very simple to someone lacking in cognitive faculties. She might have gone on to make some other smart-mouthed comment, but Zach flashed his eye... socket.

In elementary school, there's always that kid who turns his eyelids inside-out and grins around and the other kids to freak them out. Nita had always hated that kid. But this was so much worse. Unlike the jar, which she had kept staring at in fascination, this was just disgusting. Like some terrible special effects in a horror movie that Nita would never watch. Except there was no doubt that this was real.

Nita gasped and stepped back, gazing fixedly at the ground. After a moment, she took Gaius' arm and said loudly, "Come on, let's go. I'm sick of this s**t."

Understand? What was there to understand? He had a bloody empty socket! And that eyeball in his jar meant there was another islander out there with the same situation. He doubted Lucas was so cavalier about his condition... and he doubted the dhole would give in to anything quite so extreme as what Zach implied. He couldn't see the guy removing anyone's eye.

Still feeling sick to his stomach, Gaius gave in to Nita's pulling, glowering back at the dragon as the reptile walked away. His hackles stood up at the glimpse of the teeth, having little doubt the guy'd use them if he had a chance... He made himself look back at Nita.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stayed there when he showed up. If I'd known he'd do that..." He trailed off and snorted moodily. His body still felt tense all over.

"Ngh..." Gaius ran his free hand, the palm of it, over his coarse face. "s**t, I can't believe they'd do something like that! I mean, the serums are one thing - they're not okay, but they aren't cutting out someone's eyeball on a whim!" He let out a low angry sigh and shook his head, the wavy mane flopping between his eyes. "They say they're giving us a better life here that's more comfortable... Like hell. It's all lies... All of it."

The anger faded away with his words and he took a deep breathe to regain himself. Then he squatted beside Nita, reaching for one of her hands and giving it a squeeze.

"'Fun' wasn't exactly what I was thinking..." Gaius chuckled dryly, then sighed. Leaning back, he propped himself on his other arm, lifting his head to look up at the patches of blue visible between the green and gold leaves. "I guess I could see this as being my own fault... if I hadn't been so ambitious and willing to leave my family and friends behind in pursuit of my dream job... Hell, if I'd had a little more common sense and seen that no one would hire an amateur for a pro job..."

He sighed, hanging his head. "This one time... months ago... Sabin took me and Zach into the lab... I haven't really told anyone about it, but... things happened. He was trying to make the two of us 'get along' or something like that. Anyways, Sabin got mad. Mostly at Zach. And I don't care how low he is, he didn't deserve the words Sabin was throwing at him at the time. So I spoke up, and he turned on me. I've... mostly gotten over it, been able to forget for a long time, but it still haunts me, what he said. 'No one back home wonders where you are. No one is goign to come looking for you.'" Gaius closed his eyes, his brows furrowed together. "'We chose the architect who was NOT likely to get other job offers.' They got me because I was no good... I've... fought to change that, but it's still there, over my head..."

Gaius took another deep breathe before turning his blue eyes back towards Nita. His expression grew apologetic. "I... I dunno why I said all that... it's the first time, to anyone outside of Marshall or Liamh... I shouldn't have dumped it on you, after everything you've gone through today."

Gaius's heart quickened as it often did when Nita was in such close contact with him. He managed a half-smile, grateful for the kind words. They helped, though it was always hard to forget the ones that hurt.

"I know, but still... it's not proper for me as a man to be dumping all these old little problems on you when you're the one in distress." He paused, gathering his thoughts, then glanced down at Nita along his long nose. "Did... Miller say anything? About what he'd done, I mean? If not, I can go make him apologize to you..."

"Alright, alright," Gaius chuckled, "if you want me to stop trying to play the knight, I will. But it's still not very, uh, gentlemanly. And you're gonna have to go against years of my dad's training to get me to change..." he added with a playful smirk. He knew his values were 'old fashioned', but they were the ones drilled into him since he was old enough to talk, and he never saw them as a detriment.

"I suppose you're right..." he sighed, knowing Nita wouldn't like him to take any action of that sort. But... His mind churned it over. Miller was needing a talk. A good, hard one, because if he thought he could continue behaving like this... Gaius smirked to himself. He had another thing coming.

"So! My dear not-damsel in distress," Gaius adopted a mock-chivalrous air as he spoke, "is there anything this poor fool could do to lighten your mood even a little? A song, a dance, or perhaps I could sling you over my shoulders and take you back to your duplex? Not that I'd do anything to you like Zach implied..." he added quickly, blushing.

Gaius crossed his eyes as he followed the finger that poked him, making a goofy face until he broke into a chuckle himself.

"Juggling? Of all the things to ask for!" He winced and made a little dip with his head and neck. "I'm afraid you'll have to remain un-entertained, because I am about as good at juggling as... well, an armless drunk octopus." The teasing seemed to be working on the red panda's mood, which lifted his own. Gaius smiled brightly, though it had taken on a bit of a ridiculous appearance since his last change, being more incisors than anything else, and the hair along the sides of his cheeks tended to stand up.

"I try not to. Most of what he says is bull anyways. I'd be worried if he actually believed half of what he says..." Gaius shrugged the dragon off and shifted so his legs were under him and he was sitting on his heels.

"A movie sounds like a great idea," Gaius grinned. Standing himself up, he leaned over to offer Nita a hand, giving his tail a flick at the same time to get some of the leaves out of it.

"Though, uh, I'd be grateful if it wasn't something too, er, chick-flicky..."