Welcome to Gaia! ::

Something had penetrated this darkness. He could not determine if it was external, or something in him had decided it was time. Time for what? He did not know; he had slumbered for ages. Pitching himself from the heavens to the living below. He had been no angel, just a being. What had driven him? The flowering ache within his heart did not answer his question, but added more. He had landed among the living with no care as to where or when he had arrived. He remembered water though. It had covered such an expanse that he had never touched land.

And with the slowness that comes from sleeping, he lifted himself, mud and sand rolling off his think fur as he moved under the water. It was so black, was he even alive? He saw and felt nothing. This must be what hell is like. He was aware he was breathing though. But was it real? Or just the imagination? His paws were strange, restricted like he was not used to. He couldn’t see himself though. It was just blackness. He concluded though, that he was sitting on the bottom of something. So the only logical thing to do was go up.

Pushing up off the bottom of the lake bed, he kicked, and almost out of instinct, whipped his tail faster than he thought he could, driving him upward. Still black? Still black. Would it end? Was this nothing but eternal blackness? He would surely lose his mind within this hellish purgatory. Or had he already lost it and was not aware that he had? Question after question was flowing through his mind, one strung to the end of another, never ceasing.

His assent was slow, hindered by the unused muscles. Was this what he had always been like? Weak and slow? Desperation and panic filled his chest now and he kicked upward. He did not want to stay in this purgatory. This hellish blackness. But no reprieve was coming. No hint of life or light and the horror of losing strength and sinking back to that soft and slimy bottom filled him with a dread he had not felt since the fall.

It was eternity and a day before he started picking up the signs of light. It was white though. White light from a large source. He kicked and swam more desperately. He had to reach the source of this light. Had to find out where he was. And how long did I sleep? But another fear over took him, what was at that light? Would it be worse than that blackness? While it pressed upon the soul and senses, it was familiar. He had been in that blackness for a long time. He knew that much. This light was strange and unknown.

And it was not with zeal or gusto that the surface was broke. It was with a ripple. Almost gingerly, he lifted the tip of his beak to the surface he had reached and above the water line. What was this stuff he was in? He did not know of water or what it was. He had seen it in his fall from the heavens. So long ago… So long… From the stars to the deepest of shadows…

He instinctively inhaled, filling his lungs with their first bit of air. And then slowly, he lifted his head until he could see beyond the distorted surface. That source of light was the moon, though he did not know to call it that. It had changed shape and waved from beneath the surface of this liquid and he had not been sure of its shape until now. And for now, he sat within the water, staring up at the place from which he had descended. It was so far away. The points of light which were called stars, but not that he recollected ever calling them that, were beautiful.

He had danced among those celestial bodies once. He knew that. There were vague memories though. It was beautiful up there. Peaceful. And… something else… why had he left? The gentle sound of moving water filled his ears and then his mind. He loved that sound. This was the first he had ever heard it. He remembered that Peaceful feeling he had among the heavens, this was akin to that. The peace… but it was not the same in that questions for which he had no answers to filled his mind, disturbing his soul while his mind and body drifted with the tide.

Then something more disturbed his mind once again. Am I alone? He had not seen or heard from another living creature since he had broken the surface. And fear filled him again. He could not recall who he was, where he was, why he was here, and he was alone? The crushing darkness would almost be a blessing. There, he was sure as anything that he would be alone. Up here, he would be awake… and searching… and he decided that would drive him mad faster than being on the bottom would.

Some sort of purpose filled him and he turned from his back, floating on the surface, to his belly sort of. He began to swim. It mattered not in which direction. This place had an end, didn’t it? Or would he be lord and master over nothing but liquid? Unopposed because there was nothing to object to his presence?

He was surer of his body now. He was using his powerful tail and occasionally his legs to propel him through this place, using this body like he had always had it. And perhaps he had…

And another eternity passed before he recognized that what he was in was getting shallow, and eventually, his feet touched the soft and slimy bottom again, but it was not under that crushing blackness. He was still in the air. The water supported him easily, and without thinking, he stood in the shallows, but his legs buckled and he toppled, moving to the side a bit as he staggered and eventually fell into the water with a splash. The amount of noise startled him and he pushed back into deeper water.

His heart was pounding and he was staring at the place where the water met the land and land stretched beyond. He had tried to stand, but could not. He was sore and tired just from swimming. His muscles had not been used for anything, and water was able to support him better than he was himself.

He was afraid to try again though, afraid of the noise the fall made. He wanted to know he was not alone, but he was so afraid he would draw something undesired. For now… he decided, while he gathered strength and sorted out his mind, he would not venture up there. He would not… could not… So without a sound, and with barely a ripple, he slid back under the surface and returned to that blackness. He had no wish too, but it seemed he had no choice. He was not aware that a sun would ever rise.

So for now, this was purgatory, a hell which he alone had to endure so he could leave… to find what though? What was there beyond hell? And when he was ready, would he leave?

Gideon stalked low to the grass, the green blades tickling his belly as he moved along quickly. He could smell Dustlings everywhere. There were a ton here in this oasis. There were always a lot in Oasis', he had been through a lot of them. He was a traveler at heart, Oasis hoping as he called it. He had gone so far from his birth place that he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to find it if he went looking for it.

But what seperated this oasis from the others he had been through was the odd structures in the center. Big... blocks of rough stuff. He couldn't determine what they were. Gideon was a wild Dust. Born and raised out in the desert itself, he was a bit small if compared to the males here, but he made up for it with sheer determination and cunning. One had to be smart if you lived out in a desert.

He wanted to find some one here, ask what all these strange things were doing here among other things.

Luin lay at a tree at the edge of the clan lands, nudging pages of a small story book she'd snuck out of the library with her beak, trying and get them turned without tearing them apart. The page she was currently on was of a human girl with really, really long hair, and she was throwing it down for another human to climb it.

She couldn't remember what Katie had said the girl's name was- Rapnel or something like that- but she liked the story, and remembered it as she looked at the pictures. Apparently, the girl was being kept in the tower by something called a Witch, and the prince was trying to save her. Luin always thought it was nice of him, since he didn't seem to know her at all.

As Luin tried to turn another page, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she let out a rather loud squeak as she spotted another Dustling, a male she thought. Always timid, especially around strangers, she scrambled to try and get her book shut and hide herself. Please don't let him see me!

Gideon's attention was gathered by the squeak and scramble of another creature and he dropped down lower. He didn't trust this place. Creeping along, he got sight of Luin, though he didn't know her name, and clicked his beak. She was a pretty thing. But why was she trying to run or hide from him. He wasn't one to hurt another Dust unless they were aimin' to hurt him first.

Picking himself, he started walking towards Luin, "Yeh there! Hey! Mess!" He started trotting, trying to get to the female before she could run off. "I wanna ask yeh a question!" Or a few.

By the time Gideon had gotten to Luin, she'd managed to shut her book and had it carefully grasped in her beak, hoping she wouldn't hurt it too much as she ran. But of course, ever the clutz, she tripped as she started running and stumbled to the ground. She'd clamped her beak shut in surprize, and felt her beak poke a hole into the cover.

Oh no! Nononono! Her eyes widened in fear as she slowly got back up and let the book drop from her beak. Indeed, she had punctured the cover, and was pretty sure it had gotten some of the pages. "Oh no," Luin said mournfully, feeling her eyes water over. "I've ruined it! I can't believe I did that!" She started sobbing as she said it, her heart breaking a little. She'd ruined one of her favorite books!

Gideon was a bit taken back as Luin started crying, "Ah... uh... mess... yeh be a'right?" He moved in closer to inspect Luin, he couldn't understand what she had ruined... but then he took a good look at the thing she had been carrying. It was flat... and square-ish. It was an odd thing. "Wha's thes?" He leaned down and nudged the book. "Es thes wha' yeh cryin' 'bou mess?" If this was his fault, he hadn't intended to make her do that, but first of all, he had to figure out what the hell was going on.

Luin sniffled and turned her head to Gideon as he spoke, trying to scout away slightly and to make out what he was saying for a moment. Then she saw him lean to nudge her book, and she understood what he was asking about, and bowed her head shyly.

"Th-that's m-my book... It's my f-f-favorite... Oh... My human will be so upset!" She stuttered, partly from sadness at her damaged book, and from nervousness around this new male. The smaller Dustling slumped onto her stomach, whimpering and looking tearily at her book. "Jennyl's right... I'm such a clutz... I don't even see why I go out beyond the barn anymore..."

Gideon had been through enough places that he had gained the ability to pick up on other accents rather well, though his rarely ever changed, "Ah... I'm sorreh mess. But uh... I was'uh wunderin' if yeh culd tell meh... wha's ah... ah... barn... " His face scrunched up a bit, "An' thes es ah .. buuuk... buck... Buck?"

Luin looked at Gideon curiously, wondering if he was truly serious when he asked her these things or if he was making fun of her, as that mean little Jennyl sometimes did. After a moment though, she came to the conclusion he really didn't know, and sighed. He must be new around here... You should help him understand some things.

Speaking clearly so he could understand her, Luin said, "A barn is a big, open building made of wood, where some of my clanmates and I stay in. It's near a house, where the humans live... They're sometimes made of wood too, but a lot of the time they're made of stone."

Her voice brightened a little as she got to the subject of books. "Books are wonderful! They're made of paper, with lots of scribbles on them that tell stories... I can't read the scribbles, but my human can, and she reads them to me all the time! Some books even come with pictures to help tell the story! Like... Lemme show you!"

Eagerly, forgeting her book was damaged for the moment, she nudged it open with her beak. Then she turned it to one of the untorn pages, showing the Witch cutting off Rapnel's long hair. "See, the Witch just found out that a man was visiting Rapnel and trying to take her away, so she's cutting her hair so they can't see each other anymore!" It never occured to her that Gideon might have not heard of this story, and it didn't truly matter at the moment. Books were her best friends, and always excited the little female.

"Wha' now?" Gideon tilted his head and blinked. Humans? Clanmates? House? Pictures? He was horribly confused now. "Nah mess, I dun undastan' any of tha! Wha's ah... buldin'?" His face furrowed again and he clicked his beak in mild annoyance. "Ah barn... es ah buldin'... wha's a buldin'? Those beg thengs settin' en tha meddle of tha' Oasis her?"

Luin paused to listen to Gideon, trying to calm herself down as she'd realized that she was going too fast for him to keep up. She gave him a nervous grin as she nodded to his last question, adding, "Yes, they are.... Humans live in them, and sometimes Dustlings do too... Though some of those buildings are where the humans get food and stuff."

She noticed some more confusion at the mention of humans, and went on to explain what they were. "And humans are... Well... They stand and walk on their back legs, and use their front ones to lift things... They have strange paws... No claws at all! And they have no fur, except on their head! They vary in size and color, and how they look... They don't have beaks... And they're squishy."

"Humans!" He had seen one before. The experience hadn't been good. He had to admit that he was a rare sight. Something so detailed and interesting. He flicked his tail forward, glancing at the SPAINE spelled out across his fur, the occasional breeze distorting the image. He had assumed that the human that had gone after him and none of the others was because of his coat. He didn't know why or really even care why his coat was the way it was. It just was.

"Ah can'na be stayin' her then mess. Humans ah bad news." He was on high alert now. "Bah tha way, ah'm Gideon. Was a pleasah ta meet yeh." With that, Gideon turned tail and headed back the way he came, humans were always trouble.

Luin stared after Gideon curiously, wondering at his reaction to her mention of humans. Personally, she didn't really understand it. Her owner and the other human were very nice, and took good care of all the Stardusts in the house. Maybe he's just had a bad experience... she thought to herself, not exactly sure why he'd have been treated badly.

Cautiously, she trotted after Gideon, not sure of what she was doing, and called to him, "Uhm... Gideon! My human isn't bad! She's really nice, and sweet, and lets me sleep with her when I'm scared!" Eeee... Can't believe I told him that... Oh well... It's true, she thought, feeling ashamed that she went running to Katie at a clap of thunder.

Gideon turned and looked back at Luin. She lived with a human? "Ye live with ah human? Why?" He was becoming a bit distrustful of this pretty gal. "Why would ye wanna live with one o' them?" He turned arouns completely and eyes Luin, this one wouldn't last a moment out in the wild. Was she naturally sickly and had to be cared for? Was she just too timid to effectivly scratch out a living for herself? There had to be a reason why.

Luin turned her head down shyly, and said in a soft voice, "She brought me home from the lab after my first owner abandoned me... She really is nice. So is the other human girl she lives with... There are a lot of Dustlings and Foxes and Serpents living with me, too... And there are more of our kind living in the Oasis with other humans."

Gideon snorted and hissed, "Ye all mad!" He had heard tales. Tales of a place that was run by those two leggeds where they forced Dusts under their rule. Some times the tales were fantastical, other times cruel and disturbing. All of it was rumor and heresay. He had found that place apparently. "Ar' all ye dusts here like ye?" Those tales of slavery and oppression had to be true just by the look of this one.

Luin was a little perplexed at what he meant by like her, and was a little frightened by his tone of voice, cringing away slightly. "Um... Well, no... Not every dust is like me... Toril, one of the demons in our household, can be pretty mean and doesn't like being around others... Especially Fenris. He's an Angel." She settled down on her hindquarters, frowning slightly at some of the things Toril had snapped at her recently.

"And... Well, Vellir, one of the oldest of my human's Dustlings, is really kind, and helps raise all the new young ones that the humans might bring home," she said fondly, nearly thinking of Vellir as a mother as well, despite already being an adult when she got there. "She's one of the best Dustlings I know. She'd fight beak and claw to keep her family safe."

"Ye and yer friends are not ta be trust'd. I'd had her'd stories 'bout a place like this. Thought it ta be fairie tales and rumor." The longer he stood there the more the paranoia in him was gaining hold and he glanced around nervously, crouching down low again and moving backwards slowly, "This has gotta be ah trap..." Any minute now, one of them hairless freaks would come leapin' out from behind a bush, trying to catch him in those strange vines.

He hadn't understood the human's sounds. All he heard was jibberish, and even Luin's form of speak was like nothing he'd ever heard before. "Ye all mad here... livin' with 'em..."

Chances are, Gideon himself was the product of another facility located far away from this one. Most likely nothing more than a pile of dust when he had been secreted away from that place and into the wild desert. That would most likely explain his coat. Most of the dusts he had encountered were much like Luin in their colors and pattern. They could be bright, but most of the time it was of natural patterns and such. Gideon's coat pattern was anything but natural.

"What do you mean?" Luin asked, perplexed at his statement. She tilted her head to the side, her bright blue eyes a little hurt at what he said. I've done nothing for him to not trust me... And he's never met any of the others... "Our humans take care of us, feed us... I like my human! She tells me stories, and grooms me, and makes me feel safe!"

Luin had practically shouted that, shocking herself a little. She was normally not that loud, and never snapped at other Dustlings. She didn't like others getting mad at her... But she felt she had to protect Katie, and that Gideon was insulting the human girl.

"I don't know why you don't like humans... You probably have your reasons," Luin said, her voice quieting. "But I like mine. And I'm going to go home and see if she can fix my book." With that, she turned her back on the strange Dustling, heading back to fetch her book. Then, remembering she hadn't told him her name, she called over her shoulder, "My name is Luin... I hope you have a good day."

"Believe what ye will then!" Gideon turned and bolted then. His stomach was rumbling and he had to find food. He was more a meat eater and was fairly adept at hunting. Meat was a lot more abundant in the desert and easier to digest than the sparse and almost inedible vegitation.

But he had to keep an eye out, the smell of humans penetrated everything here. He needed to leave as soon as possible.

Darin didn't know how his father did it. Running this clan was extremely hard and it was beginning to wear on him. He was a tad bit thinner and there were bags under his eyes. He supposed it was difficult BECAUSE Caiden was gone. While Barras did help, it didn't really do much for the emotional distress of the girls. Especially Vellir, Barras and Aletta were worried sick about their mother.

He really needed to see his love, lay next to her and just be with her. Evania came along, but the usual bundle of energy was oddly quiet today, almost out of respect for how tired her father was. She'd get to play with her sibling when she got there.

Darin reached the facility and let himself inside, "Enivali!" He wandered into the compound and towards the room his love usually resided in.

Enivali perked up at the sound of her name, and smiled as a friendly face peeked into her room. "Darling!" she called, happily, and leapt to her feet at once. Giving Darin a very warm welcome, she reached down to give Evania a kiss. "I missed you two," she said, looking more relieved than happy.

"It's been hell in the lab," she sighed. "I don't think Vestakia knows, but I listened to everything, and... I was afraid she'd find out." Enivali knew Vest was a changed dustling, but every once in a while she would do something that reminded her how vicious she once was. Like cheating on Octavian like that. "I'm just glad you two are here." Enivali looked up and studied Darin, and gave him a sympathetic frown.

"My darling, you do look awful. Things are stressful, I see."

Enivali bounced into the room and went straight for Adramelch, pouncing on him with a giggle. Darin gave a weak smile and nuzzled against Enivali, about ready to just flop down right there, "Yes... the clan is very distressed. Vellir is a mess, and Barras and Aletta are worried about her. It's hard keeping things together with my father around."

"What could Vestakia have said that'd make you so afraid that she'd find out?" Vestakia could be mean, but he didn't think she'd really go so far as to physically hurt some one for over hearing. But he wasn't really that concerned about Vest, but he did want to give Enivali the peace of mind she deserved.

Adramelch squealed with surprise-- he had not seen them arrive. He countered with a tackle of his own.

Enivali nudged Darin to go lay down and relax. "Aw.. my poor dear," she cooed. "I hope it doesn't last too much longer."

She shrugged weakly. "It's a pretty big thing, I shouldn't tell anyone-- I trust you of course, but if I was the one chea-- in her position, I would not want anyone else to know. I guess I just feel guilty for overhearing."

Plopping down beside Darin, she nuzzled him. "I wish I could help you."

Darin smiled then and settled himself where Enivali usually laid and looked over to Evania and Adramelch. They'd be okay playing. But his attention went back to Enivali and he frowned a bit. So Vestakia had an affair with another dust that wasn't Octavian. But that's not what bothered so much, "You would not tell me if you had been unfaithful?"

But he had to wonder himself if he would say anything to her if he had cheated. But then again, he felt no desire too. He couldn't claim that he was an exciting Dust. He was very calm and a rather reliable and well... a safe bet, so to speak. He clicked his beak as he realized what a bad question that had been, and winced a bit, pushing himself up and lightly running his beak through the featherfur on Enivali's neck, "It's no matter though, forget I asked Love, it was a stupid question."

Enivali combed a claw through her face's featherfur and shook her head. Cheating on Darin was the farthest thing from her mind. "You know I never would anyways," she replied, despite him telling her not to answer. Enivali was the type to fall in love, have kids, and die with her first true love.

"I just hope the lab goes back to normal soon. And the same with your clan. Goodness knows Caiden has stirred up a lot of anguish in his absence. Saryn has refused to come back to the lab. She won't come back until her daddy returns..."

So Caiden's absence stretched beyond the clan. He'd have to go find his sister and speak with her eventually. Caiden's disappearance shouldn't mean that everyone's life goes on hold. Lord knows what life he was living had to be put aside to take care of the mess his father left behind. He knew he'd be coming back, but that still didn't make things easier, he knew he'd be mad when his father returned, along with many others.

"I know dear, It just slipped my tongue, I'm sorry." He yawned then and laid his head down. He needed rest and this was the best place to get it.

He wanted to see her again. She had facinated him. Mostly because he didn't have her fawning all over him. Of course, he hadn't tried the first time. His paranoia of this valley had overridden his desire to get closer to this female.

It was fairly late in the afternoon and the sun was setting. And that afternoon found Gideon peeking into the windows of Wolf's house looking for Skadia. "Skadia?" He dropped down and ran around to another window, that was higher off the ground, and the small male had to pull himself up to peek over the ledge. He didn't exactly feel comfortable with just letting himself in. But he still wanted to see Skadia.

Skadia muttered in her sleep as she lay beneath the air conditioning vent. Something about snow. The tapping of claws on the windows had her dreaming of it. The icy blue female missed the stinging cold of falling snow and ice on her fur, bounding through it on the tops of mountains. But here in her dream was a map. It must have been a dream, because maps couldn't call out her name.

The corrupt forced one eye open as the reality of the situation hit her even through her early evening rest. She was the opposite of a night owl, in fact Skadia was usually awake to see the first light of dawn and was sound asleep before the sun fully set. This voice however, was worth waking up for. The mysterious male who she hadn't really gotten a chance to get close to. Skadia heaved herself to her feet and shook off the last tendrils of sleep and dreams to trot over to the window. She popped her head up to meet Gidgeon's face through the window with a grin.

"Skadia!" Gideon had to grin as he saw her through the window, "Can I come in?" His hind legs were off the ground and he eventually lost his grip and fell to the ground. "Oof!" But that didn't deter him, he was back on his feet again and then peeping back up into the window, but not as well as he had before when he was basically hanging off the sill.

Skadia almost lost her grip on her usual temperment and fell to the ground laughing. Almost. Instead her laugh came out as a snort, though she was still smiling. "I suppose that I could let you in, if you promise not to dissapear like a far-off mirage." A cool and collected response, as usual. The female slid from the windowsill and trotted to unlock the 'dragon door' as her owner so cutely put it. It was locked at night to keep strange noctournal desert creatures out, even though probably only Cicera would be afraid of them. Skadia smirked at the thought briefly, and then nosed the entrance to the side so that Gidgeon could see it was open. "Back for more easy pickings from the refrigerator?" She prompted.

Gideon chirped and dropped to all fours and trotted around to the door and pushed through. "I promise I won't run off this time, and I came here to see you." He didn't say that he had been stuck in his head since last time. That could be said later. "How are you doing?" It's been a little while since last time and she had made an impression on him that he hadn't forgotten. So he came back.

He walked into the house further and his nervousness kicked in, but he tried to fight it back. This meeting, in his mind, was more important than that first one. He wanted to make a better impression.

The blast of warm desert air that came in with Gidgeon finished Skadia's awakening process. She grinned at him as he slipped into the house, an expression that came off as icy even though it wasn't meant to be. The corrupt had always been strangely unique in her expressions. Actually, she was mildly flattered at his visit just to see her. "I'm fine. Its been a little... coarse here lately."

Coarse was an understatement. Octavian had come home in a storm after the sudden dissapearence of most of the residents of the actual facility in the town. Skadia could have sworn she felt him coming that day. Laurent, after finding out just whose girlfriend he'd been with not so many nights ago, fled the household before the giant halfbreed returned. It was just as well. Octavian didn't know it had been Laurent, and hell if she was going to be the one to tell him. Currently though, he was out, and so was the human resident of the household.

Skadia shrugged lightly. "Male rivalry. It makes some things difficult to deal with." She swished her fluffy tail and sat down on the cool tile in front of the fridge. Blessed chill. "And yourself? How's the hunting been?"

Gideon nodded a bit, the tensions between the three leading males in the clan her was usually with had risen. Barras and Darin were, as always, good little troopers, but Alaric was getting bold in the wrong kind of way. But most just attributed that to him being young and stupid. But clan politics weren't his forte, as long as it wasn't completely inhospitable there, he'd hang around.

"I know how that is." In more ways than one, not only from the clan, but from his own personal experiences. He joined Skadia on the floor next to the fridge and made himself comfortable by flopping over onto his side, with a large grin. The floor was odd, but pleasantly cool. "I've been doing well, the hunting is excellent here." Mostly because he was one of the few that would hunt, so most the local wildlife didn't see him as a threat until it was too late.

He wouldn't bore her with the details of a hunt though, he had come here for her, "I hope I didn't disturb you earlier." He really didn't wish to bother her if she was busy or something. Though he didn't know of many that were asleep as soon as the sun the sky.

Skadia tilted her head and thought about the question. "Disturb.. no, I can't recall being disturbed by you ever. Awakened, yes, but I'm an early sleeper and an unnaturally early riser." She smirked at his position, sprawled out on the tile floor. It was admittedly cute and unorthodox, not that the sentiment showed through her expression. "So, you know how it is to be caught in the middle of male rivalry and betrayal? Something you're not telling me, Gideon?" She crouched down in front of him like a puppy ready to spring, and yet looked relaxed at the same time. Actually, she was prepared for him to lash out at her in jest at the prodding joke, and the pose was for a quick escape, just in case.

Gideon grinned and sat up a little bit, "Nothing to worry about. All past stuff." He wanted to dodge this subject and he hoped the sweet look he gave Skadia would put her off of it. He recognize the posture as a good one for fleeing. He didn't want her to leave, so he moved the subject onto something, "Why get up so early anyway? What's there to see so early?"

He rolled onto his back next and almost purred, he looked a bit funny, stretched out on the tile floor with his legs up in the air.

Skadia quirked an eyebrow and huffed. Past, indeed. Eh, it wasn't like she hadn't had past.. interests. Its just that nothing ever came of them. The corrupt decided to dismiss it. Instead, the icy female chose to put on a seductive guise, just for fun. She sat up regally and crossed her front legs a little. "Actually, there are lots of things to see at first light. I, for instance, look dramatically stunning in the golden light of morning."

She managed to keep a straight face for a few seconds, but eventually had to laugh at the whole situation. It really was quite hilarious, one dust sitting there like a queen and speaking with a completely fake regal accent, and the other flailing around on his back. Skadia continued to giggle as she dropped the pose and also stretched out on the tile. "And thats also when the birds start to sing in the morning, and snowcovered mountantops glisten with fresh white powder that shines golden at first light. But more than anything, thats just when I fall asleep and awaken." A bright smile crept to her beak and she just stared at the goofy male before her.

Gideon had to pause and listen to Skadia. After a moment of contemplation, he rolled back onto his belly, "I'd get up that early to see you like that." The image ws forming in his mind now, and any obsession he had had with her earlier was solidified now, he wanted this one. She was beautiful and mysterious enough to hold his attention. This one seemed too perfect.

Gideon wasn't exactly a creature of the night, but he was far from an early riser. and it occured to him that she'd like it quite a bit if he'd get up in time to see the sun rise with her. He made a mental note to do that, and bring her something nice too. the image of this odd little sphere thing that the human at the clan's house had filled his mind. It looked like snow falling and he thought she'd like that, so he'd take it and give it to her. But that would have to be either later thir morning or tomorrow. But no doubt, he'd meet her at sunrise within the next few days at the most.

Skadia chuckled, both at seeing Gideon with a contemplating look on his face, and at the idea of anyone getting up at the peeking crack of dawn with her. She clawed to her feet and bit back a yawn. The girl couldn't remember the last time she'd been awake to see so many stars out. They reminded her that she missed the mountains. Her cool blue eyes moved from the window to rest back on Gideon silently.

"If you got up that early, I'd be in a state of shock and awe." She hadn't known anyone to listen to her stories of a serene morning and actually want to see it. Though she hadn't mentioned herself in the previous stories either. Skadia had to redirect her thoughts quickly so that the blush creeping up her cheeks stopped before it was visible.

"And I suppose I would be flattered." Skadia smiled, and absent mindedly groomed her tail a little. "Speaking of rising, I probably ought to get to sleep soon, Gideon." This time she couldn't hide the yawn. Her habit of resting early was seriously catching up to her.

Gideon pushed himself onto his paws and swished his tail around, chuckling lightly at Skadia's yawn. "Then I shall leave you to your rest then and see you bright and early in the morning." He didn't want to rush things, it was sometimes best to take things nice and slow. And he genuinely wanted to do this for her.

He trotted to the door and looked back, "Goodnight, Skadia." With that, Gideon let himself out and slunk off into the night. His heart was pounding in his chest and it would be a miracle if he actually slept before he had to get up to see her.

New additions to the house hold had been made and Krissie had never been more grateful for the barn house. Most of the animals slept out there now and seemed to prefer it to the indoors. She stepped out onto the porch with a cold cup of ice tea and slumped down into the swinging bench. Evening had come upon the desert and she was grateful for it. The heat was getting a bit too much now.

She sipped her tea and pressed her lips together. Of the acquired pets had been a half-breed that she had renamed Morpheus. He was really quite the beautiful white and blue male. But clearly disturbed and that worried her the most. He had already had two of his episodes since moving here and Koen had a clear dislike of the male and the foxes refused to go near him. She had to keep the poor dust locked away in the laundry room to keep him from harming the others.

Speaking of which, it was about time to go feed the male. She had Isoke rest her head on her knee and she rubbed the girl’s head. “I gotta go feed the big one now. Lemme up.” The yellow and orange girl backed up and headed off the porch to go romp with Hannelore and Kiona. The three females were rough housing in from of the house now.

She paid some brief attention to the teal male that had pretty much taken residence here now, and had found out his name was Laurent from her friend. He was currently flirting with Blue. She ran over the idea of pretty much chasing the male off as it was up setting her boys pretty badly. But most of the females seemed to like his presence and that’s what kept her from running this guy off. After Caiden’s absence, everything had pretty much fallen apart and she was almost giving up hope the big blue and purple male would ever come back.

Finally heading back into the house, she left her tea out on the porch, ready to come back out when she had given Morpheus his food. Stopping in the kitchen, she filled a pitcher of water and pulled a bowl of pre-made food out of the fridge. It was a mixture of chicken and a few cut up veggies. The laundry room was attached to the kitchen and she opened up the door. What greeted her was feature fur all over the place and fresh wounds on the dustling. The position they were in informed her that they were self inflicted. The male was huddled in the corner, shaking like a leaf in the wind.

She put the food and water down on top of the washer and bent down to help her boy, “Hey there. It’s okay. Lemme see what’s happening.” She tried to pull the male’s paw off his face as she could tell there were scratches across his face. What she was greeted with was a sharp growl and further tensing. She swallowed hard and persisted on, trying to get the male to basically uncurl and let her see what was wrong so she could fix it.

She should have just gotten up and left to fetch Katie to get her to help her, but she didn’t. What happened was a sudden lashing out and basically a roar. The dust caught her full force across the face. She didn’t feel the pain right away. She certainly felt the leathery paw rough against her skin and claws digging into the soft flesh of her cheek and tearing across her cheek… her left eye… her nose and forehead. It all seemed to happen in slow motion and the only thing that brought this surreal… nightmare… back to earth was sensation of blood rolling down her neck. The pain hit her once she was on her back with the large male’s beak wrapped around her arm, crushing the bone. She tried to scream for help, but all that came was a pitiful squeak of pain as she beat the male with her free hand, trying to get him off.

The monster was still clawing at her, tearing through cloth and flesh alike as she tried to struggle. She could tell she was bleeding badly. She could see the growing puddle of blood out of the corner of her eye and she had to wonder if this beast was going to kill her. The dust had released her arm now and she hoped it was over, but one, final swift blow to her head made everything black… and she prayed, that he hadn’t killed her.

"Mother, would you care to tell me where we're going?" Barras asked. This wasn't the first time he'd asked since they'd left the house, and Vellir suspected he wouldn't stop until she finally relented. He was happy that she was finally leaving the house, and that as of late she'd been looking a bit happier. However, he was both a little irritated that he had to leave Luin back at the house (he trusted Laurent with women as far as he could throw him) and he was curious.

Vellir wouldn't tell him though. Smiling softly, she shook her head for what must have been the thousandth time and said, "It's a surprise, sweetheart. It would be horrid of me to spoil it for you, wouldn't it?"

Barras rolled his eyes and mumbled a "Yes, Mother," that made Vellir's smile widen. Her son was a good boy, and she knew after what she'd been through- what they'd all been through- since her mate left, Barras would do anything to make her happy. If that meant making a trip across town to a destination he didn't know, he'd do it.

Perhaps it was a bit wrong to manipulate her son in such a way, but Vellir was too excited to care right now. It had been a good while since she'd met her father, Legion, and today was the first day she'd managed to get out, and she wanted to see him, and the sister he had mentioned. She'd wanted to bring her daughter and grandson along as well, but they'd been unavailable, and she wanted to get out while she still had the chance, so it was just her and Barras.

I hope we get along alright, Vellir wished as they got closer to their destination, and she could just see the house where she'd heard Legion lived. Please, don't let anything go wrong...

It was a dreadfully hot day. Even though it was afternoon now, the sun was still blazing hot as ever. It felt as if they stepped outside for even just a moment they would instantaneously melt into gooey Dustlings. Such a revolting image that would be. Who would love them, then? No one would love a gooey mess of a couple dustlings. So gross. But who else was there besides the two of them to fix this problem? The human was away for whatever reason, and just when she stepped out of the household this stupid thing broke! Fans weren't good enough to keep the whole house cool.

Emerald eyes squinted in the sunlight as the male stepped outside. He's had it with the whining of his female mates. They did nothing but complain. It was a man's job to fix these kind of things. He watched enough television to know. Anything mechanical was usually a man's job. And if he can't fix this little AC unit than he certainly wasn't as manly as he thought he was. The females would be disappointed, for sure. He'd show them he was more than capable to fix this little machine.

Layla sighed at her father's determined eyes. Determination was one thing, but did he even know how these things worked? Honestly, men.

"Daddy, are you positively sure that you can fix the giant cooling fan?" She asked as the two of them stepped outside into the blazing heat. "It's sooo hot outside. I feel like I'll melt any second now. Let's hurry, daddy."

Legion was feeling the same. He had bits of doubt in his mind as the couple walked towards the side of the house where the unit was located. Watching was one thing, but how would they even fix such a machine? "Layla, dear, of course I can fix it. Daddy is more than capable of fixing such a trivial thing," He grinned as he gazed at the machine. Of course, a small flexing of his wings had to follow. Men, seriously, what was it with them and showing off?

The mother and son were just a few houses away when the pair of demons came out of the house. Vellir's eyes widened a little at the sight- she recognized Legion from the last time they'd met, but had almost forgotten how large he was- and she had to assume that the female with him was his daughter. Her sister. There was no denying the resemblance, even if she wasn't a demon. She had to admit, she hadn't expected to meet her as a full grown adult, but it made her no less excited.

Before Vellir realized what she was doing, she started running towards them, with Barras shouting behind her. Running in this heat wasn't necessarily a great idea, but Vellir hadn't been this excited in a long time.

"Legion!" Vellir called out, just as she heard Barras call for her. A little closer than his first shouts, so he must have been following. Vellir couldn't help but smiling as she called out again, eager to get the Demon's attention. "Father!"

"So...Daddy, how are you going to fix it?" Crimson eyes glanced at the machine, then back at the larger demon. Feelings of doubt surfaced faster than ever. They've never seen such a machine before, let alone try to fix it. She wasn't naive enough to believe her father could do anything. There were limitations, even on heroic figures like her father.

Legion circled the unit for a short time as he tried to think of a way to fix the unit. At first, he shouted at it, but that didn't seem to work. Gnawing on it was out of the picture. The thing was filthy looking. Dust collected everywhere on the filters. Nasty, simply nasty. "Let's try...hitting it," He stated as a last resort before taking a few steps back to bang his shoulders against it. If anything, that ought to do it. They would have to step back inside to see for themselves, though.

An unfamiliar voice echoed in Layla's ears. Father? Did she even hear things right? She knew there were others aside from her immediate siblings she was born with. But how did they know where they lived? "Daddy, who are they?" She questioned suspiciously. A charming female followed by a male. Was this some kind of a joke? They weren't suitors, were they? She did call Legion "father", after all.

Legion, of all people could never forget a lady's voice. No matter who it came from and what their relationship was with him, he would never forget. He sharply turned his gaze to meet that of the running couple. The winged one was familiar. She was Vellir, his daughter from his first mate. Who the male was, he was unsure of. He guessed he was her mate or something similar to that. She was a charming lady that took after him. No doubt she had almost equally charming males after her heart. Of course, they could never surpass her beauty. No one could. Except maybe himself, but that was a different matter entirely.

"The winged female is your sister, Vellir," He replied excitedly. His spiky tail flickered behind him excitedly. What an awesome surprise this was, meeting her out here when he just wanted to fix the AC unit.

Vellir slowed down to a trot when she grew close to the two demons, realizing she was acting like a little child rather than a full grown Dustling with children of her own. The female smiled at Legion when she was near enough for him to see, pausing a moment to take a breather. Running was not the best idea, she thought to herself.

"Hello, Father," she said once she'd caught her breathe. "I've finally had a chance to pay a visit... Hope I didn't catch you at a bad time." The older female looked towards Layla and smiled sweetly, not certain how much her sister knew about her or how well she'd be received. Especially after the spectacle she'd just made of herself. "Ah, hello dear... I'm Vellir, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

Barras caught up just a minute behind her, his chest heaving from trying to keep up with his mother. For being an older girl, she's certainly fast, Barras noted, then looked towards the other Dustlings. He tried not to show how daunted he was by the male Demon's size, or the fact that he was a lot more majestic looking than Barras. The female was closer to his size, and there was ignoring the resemblance between her and the male. They had to be related.

It occurred right after that thought that the male demon was the same shades of purple and blue of his mother's spots and that he had the same emerald eyes shared by his mother and himself as Vellir started introductions, "This is my son, Barras... Barras, this is Legion and his daughter... Your grandfather and aunt."

Ah... Well... This certainly is a surprise, the Dustling thought, hoping his eyes weren't bugging out of his head as he sputtered. "Eer... Um... Hello. It's... Well... I wasn't expecting this when we left the house," he finished, grinning weakly. Very smooth. How am I related to my parents again?

Legion slowly stepped away from his youngest daughter, approaching his first and oldest daughter with a grin. He hadn't expected this of all things. They should have said something earlier so that he could better prepare himself mentally for guests. Well, not just that but so that he could tell his clan members in advanced they were expecting guests. Later on he was sure to get complaints on how the females couldn't groom themselves and appear more attractive. He'd deal with that later on with some smooth talking.

"It's nice to see you here, Vellir. I'm surprised you knew where to find me...and Layla. But this is certainly unexpected for us, too. If we had known we would've fixed the air conditioning unit earlier," He chuckled light-heartedly.

His emerald eyes glanced over towards Barras. A striking resemblance of his mother...and respectively of himself. More so on the mother part, though. Such a cute one, too. He should have no trouble with the ladies, Legion thought. "Hello there, Barras. It's nice to finally meet you. Your mother's told me all about you." He reached a hand over to pat the smaller male on the head with a smile.

"I didn't know you were that old, daddy," She shot a short glance at her father before continuing, "But at any rate, it's a pleasure to meet you, sister Vellir and...nephew Barras," She was a bit hesitant on the nephew part simply because she couldn't believe she was even old enough to be an aunt. The guy certainly seemed a lot older than she was. Man, seems everybody in the family was old. Except for her and her triplet brother and sister, of course. None the less, she was accepting to the both of them. They were family, after all. The only other family she's ever met besides her father, that is. She could hardly contain her excitement.

"I had to ask around a bit, but it seems that demons of you're stature are a bit difficult to come by," Vellir said jokingly. Layla. My sister's name is Layla, she said to herself, the smile on her beak growing warmer. The girl seemed nice, for a demon, and she wanted to get to know her. "I'm sorry for the short notice, but I couldn't get away from my clan until now... Besides, I wanted this to be a surprise for Barras, as well."

If it weren't for his feather fur, Barras was sure they would have all seen him blush. He wondered what his mother could have already told about him, but he decided that it would be rude to ask. Instead, he looked at his... Aunt. She looked far too young to be his aunt; she was young enough to be his kid. He smiled at her slightly and shrugged. "It's nice to meet members of the family outside the clan... Though I have to say, I feel far to old to be a nephew of this pretty little thing."

Vellir laughed and nudged her son's shoulder with her head. "Now you're making me feel old... Bad, bad boy." Her tone of voice said that he wasn't at all bad.

She peered back over at the machine her father and sister were working on, raising an eyebrow. "Oh dear... Your AC isn't working? We know how bad that can be with a full house." She frowned slightly, tilting her head to the side. "I've seen the humans use weird metal tools to fix them..."

Being a demon, Legion was of course larger than the average male, but aside from that he was larger than most demons, too. He hadn't really seen any other male demons around here, but that was besides the point. He had an ego and pride to keep as a man and a demon. Vellir's words of course boosted his confidence. Such a sweet daughter. "It certainly is a surprise. We welcome you, though, so feel free to make yourselves at home. Though it is probably best if we head back inside where it is slightly cooler."

Mother and daughter sure knew how to rub the two demons the right way. Certainly family members, without a doubt. Layla couldn't help but chuckle at her...nephew's comment. "Man, that must mean daddy here is as old as a fossil," She joked lightly.

Legion chuckled lightly, as if the fact that the AC unit wasn't working was a trivial matter. This new surprise certainly occupied his mind. Family was more important than some AC unit. Fans would suffice, for now. The human should return and hopefully fix the machine. "Eh, it doesn't matter much. We still have fans, they should keep cool temporarily. Come on, let's head inside. You guys must be hot, maybe thirsty, too."

Father and daughter walked away from them, entering through the side door made just for their kind. Such a good human. Thoughtful.

Barras and Vellir followed into the house after Legion and Layla, both relieved to get out of the heat outside. One of the downsides of living in a desert, even a more fertile area of it, was the heat. Upon entering, Vellir glanced about and grinned a little. "You have a very nice home, air conditioned or not."

Barras nodded in agreement, though he still felt a little uncomfortable. Despite being family, they were still strangers, and he could smell the other dustlings living here. And, if his feel of the older Demon were right, there were going to be a lot of females. With the exception of the ones in his family, Luin and Brighid, he was always awkward with the ladies. He didn't take after his father- or grandfather, if his hunch was right- in that department. That had been left to Darin.

So now Barras was resisting the urge to fidget as he and his mother were led to the water bowls. He tried to focus upon what his mother was saying. She was talking about his sister.

"I would have brought my daughter with us too, but Aletta couldn't be gotten... She's Alaric's mother, the boy you met. You'd be able to tell at first glance, their so alike in appearance." Vellir said, having caught up to Legion as they walk. "That's something that seems to run in the family."

Inside the house in front of where the fans were located were the other dustlings. They were all lying there comfortably in front of the cool breeze. Most of them, of course, were females. A couple of the non-clan members were sitting in front of a fan together, as if banding together as "rejects" or whatnot. Legion's ladies, however, had it best. Probably because of their strength in numbers, not to mention their leader was without a doubt not someone anyone would wish to invoke anger upon.

"Make yourselves at home," Legion replied cheerfully, "Are you guys thirsty? There should be some cool drinks in the fridge, even if the AC is down." He left his family members behind as he approached the fridge, effortlessly opening it with his two arms. The demon's head poked within the cool air circulating, searching for some cold water, perhaps even ice cubes.

Layla insisted on poking her head into this conversation. She had a right to, they were family after all. "Not too many dustlings have the same dark purple we seem to have. It's certainly nice to easy spot a family member from far away--especially if you've never met them before," She grinned, "And, it must be a rather attractive trait when attracting potential mates," she bragged.

They settled near the fans while Legion went to get the water, albeit a little uncomfortably. Neither Barras or Vellir wanted to discuss mates- Vellir because of Caiden, and Barras because he didn't want to discuss the subject in general. However, it would have been impolite to leave her hanging. So Vellir spoke up once more. "Yes... I suppose I must agree with you. Our family certainly is a distinctive bunch. And it does bring about a lot of attention.

"Like Barras has drawn the attention of a sweet little Dust named Luin," Vellir said, making Barras' jaw drop. "Yes sweetheart, even with all that's been going on, I notice how you and Luin look at each other. It's very heartwarming, and you two look so nice together-"

"Mother!" Barras said, his mortification growing by the second. He was wondering if they could see his blush even through his fur. "Please, they aren't interested in my love life."

"Just making an observation," Vellir said sweetly, leaning over to nudge her son's shoulder with her head. "Besides, your love life is an interest of mine, so hush."

While her father was still busy digging through the fridge for cool water that was accessible, Layla spoke in his place instead, "My nephew already has a female companion? My, my, aren't we quick. Though I'm sure she's quite a beautiful dustling with refined tastes if you are to like her, too. And we're interested in your love life, dear, Barras, we are your family after all," She grinned.

Legion spun his head around with two bottles of water stuck in his mouth. A rather silly sight, somewhat embarrassing, even. His intentions were good, at least. He hoped they didn't mind that he stuck his mouth around the plastic, but that shouldn't prove a problem anyway. They would just have to poke a hole on the side to drink from it, so it wasn't as if he stuck his whole head in.

"I hope hoo don't mnd," He tried to speak through the bottles, "Bat all we haff if wafer."

Female relatives are evil, Barras concluded as his mother nodded, smiling over at Layla. "You'll have to meet her, Layla. She's a smart girl, but shy... I can't wait for the two of them to finally start their own family-"

"Thank you Legion! Water is fantastic. Let me take one of those from you," Barras said loudly. Legion had walked in right as his mother had brought up the subject of him having kids. That certainly wasn't a discussion he was ready to have with anyone but Luin. Especially his mother and newfound aunt and grandfather.

He jumped up quickly and moved over to Legion, retrieving one of the bottles in his beak. You heard nothing of me starting a family, you didn't hear any talk about me being involved with a female. Please give these women no more fuel for the pier! he willed.

The demoness smiled delightfully at her older sister's comment, "Children already? I'm glad to hear it. Here's to hoping you two have lovely, wonderful and healthy children together. I'm sure they'll be exceptionally beautiful, too, just like us all," She nodded confidently. Anyone carrying their genes must have some type of charm in them. Even Barras, who seems a little...shy and less confident has that certain charm to him. A bit different than she was used to, but his cuteness was almost radiating from his shiny fur.

"Oh, good. I wasn't sure if you two wanted something else. It's a bit hard to reach the sink, but you don't seem to mind. Drink up." The old grandfather grinned as he thought of Barras having children, "So, you're going to be a daddy soon, eh? If you need some advice, don't hesitate to ask. And if you're too embarrassed, you could always ask your mother, too, I'm sure she'd be more than happy to fill in whatever gaps or doubts you have or will have."

He wasn't helping his poor grandson, of course, but Legion was a proud demon. Children that carried his genes made him proud, no matter how far down the family line they were. "And when the little ones are old enough to walk, bring them over for some play time. I'm sure they'd love it, and so would the ladies."

They were all out to get him, it seemed. Barras sighed at jabbed a gash in the bottle with his claws and started drinking, resisting the urge to sigh. "We aren't having children that soon..." he finally relented, fidgeting slightly. "I'm waiting for the right time to bring it up with her."

"That's understandable, honey," Vellir said after she had some water from her bottle. "There's no need to rush to have children. You're still young..." She paused for a second, and Barras knew what was coming before she said it. "It's been so long since you and your sisters were babies, and while I love taking care of the children that come into the clan, I having more grandchildren would be wonderful."

Barras rolled his eyes. His mother must be feeling better. The winged Dustling was kid crazy. Nyx had explained it to him once that, since she hadn't really had her own family growing up, she wanted to have a big family now. That didn't make the talks less embarrassing. "Mom, we'll have children when the time is right, and not a moment before. Now, can we please discuss something else?" His voice was pleading at the end. He hated it, but it couldn't be helped.

Legion couldn't help but laugh at Barras' shy personality. He was a cute kid, a nice kid, too. He couldn't be anymore pleased by his upbringing, though no doubt ever went through his mind that Vellir was a good mother when he first met her. The demon patted his grandchild on the head ever so gently, as if to encourage him to have a little more confidence in himself without the use of words.

"Yes, I think it's probably best we stop embarrassing the poor kid. But I'd love to see some great grandchildren from the likes of you," He laughed. Legion didn't doubt that he probably had some great grandchildren at the time, but he was more interested in Barras for now. He seemed like an interesting kid.

"So what brings the two of you here?" Layla asked, changing the subject like Barras had begged. She was, of course, curious as to know the reason behind their visit. Was it just a casual visit or something else?

"Nothing more than seeing family and getting out of the house for a little while," Vellir said, willing to give her son a break for now. "Barras needed a break from clan duties, and I haven't been out of our territory in months." She smiled sheepishly then, and nodded over to Layla. "I also wanted to finally meet my baby sister."

Barras nodded slightly, finally relaxing a bit now that the topic was off of him. "Yes... Things have been... Tense since Dad disappeared, and things have only recently calmed down a little... Despite having you all gang up on me, it's nice to get a breather and meet the rest of the family."

Though, it'll probably be a while before I join mother for the next visit, he thought to himself. They seemed nice enough, but he was going to need a break if each visit was going to be similar.

"Well, it was nice of you both to visit us. Even if it was on short notice. Give us a warning in advanced next time and we'll better prepare for your arrival. Maybe next time we'll offer you something more than just water...and with a fixed air conditioning unit running," He chuckled lightly.

"It was nice seeing you too, Vellir, dear," She grinned, "Maybe next time I can meet my niece, too. Or perhaps this pretty little Luin dear...with a couple kids, too." Layla was excited, for sure. She couldn't wait to meet little ones in the family even if the couple hadn't planned that far yet. "And if the two of you need any help at your place, just come see us and we'll see what we can do. Don't hesitate to call us for anything, we're family after all."

Her crimson eyes glanced over at her nephew, then back at her older sister, "By chance are the two of you leaving so soon? You seem like you're about to leave at anytime now."