Welcome to Gaia! ::

There were lamps everywhere, lighting up the various art booths and craft sales. A sweet alto voice crooned an indi beat in the background, and Kitsu knew she would find a person singing somewhere when she searched through the stalls.

She had actually wanted to get here earlier, and see the art by daylight, but one thing after another had happened, making the day too hectic to stop by. She was only grateful that it was still open for business.

She loved meeting artists and seeing their work. A happy little smile lit her face and she hugged her notebook to her chest, feeling as if this day couldn't get any better than it was now.

But of course it could, she thought, heading into the art fair. She could see a new source of artistic inspiration!

Alex had thought that after being away for so long that he may want to spend most of his time at home, preferably in his own bed, but being in the house had made him restless. Just like the old days, he waited for dark to fall and slipped out of his bedroom window. If he had been able to fly when he was younger this would have been so much easier!!

The town center was bustling on the early summer night. There had been activities in the park almost every evening. Alex hadn't been allowed to come out any previous nights and his family was trying to spend time with him after his absence. It was nice to be free.

He dropped to the ground out of sight but was glad of the place he lived. The people here were always so varied. He himself was complimented in the moonlight. His pale skin and lavendar eyes took on a glow all their own.

He extended his awareness, mentally and his senses, to the crowd. He caught stray thoughts of art and love but soon a distinct chattering filled his mind. It wasn't direct but filtered through interested people's minds.

"Ouisa.."

Alex smiled a little, directing himself casually towards the bird and Alun's location.

Alun smiled as Kitsu approached, still waving like a ninny until she came to a stop by his rock. Draping an arm calmly over his knee, Alun bent forward so he could read her words - it was a bit dark and Alun's vision had never been great, so he couldn't quite make them out. Ouisa, on the other hand, was as sharp and noisy as ever.

"This is Alun, and I am Ouisa." she replied, holding her arms out towards Alun. He took his cue and held his palm down so she could waddle into it, and he lifted her obediently so she could be notebook level with Kitsu. "We're wondering, do you know what's going on, over there?" She pointed towards the festival. "This big idiot refuses to walk himself over..."

Alun shrugged at the accusation, but turned his head briefly away from Kitsu as he saw a familiar face walking towards him. Immediately his mouth split into a huge grin and he waved towards Alex, so hard it almost seemed as if his hand were about to come off.

Kitsu turned, flushing brightly as she had a realization. Perhaps the boy hadn't been waving to her at all, he could have been waving to the newcomer and she just assumed he was waving to her when she saw him and--

She sighed inwardly, realizing that her childhood habits were kicking in again. It was foolish, he and his bird hadn't seemed bothered by her introducing herself at all!

With that much more cheerful thought she turned to Alex with a sweet smile and held up her "what's your name" sign. Then she stopped, remembering the question that Ouisa had asked and turning to a blank page to write an answer.

"It's an art and crafts show from people all around the town! I can't wait to see all their creations!" and showed it to Ouisa.

Alex smiled a crooked, fanged grin at the pair, "I'm Alejandro. Alex is good though." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. Thankfully Alex didn't look like a slob like the last time Alun had seen him. The weather was enough that he didn't even need his coat. He looked much more comfortable and clean in the khakis and plain t-shirt he'd tucked himself into when the whim to go out hit him.

Alex nodded an agreement. "I've never seen an art show either. Do you like art.. uhh?" Alex hadn't gotten the girl's name. He wasn't even sure what the other half of her was. Was she a horse? He also noted that she didn't speak. Her notepad method seemed to work well enough, also giving her the appearance of an artist. He was curious about her voice but his mom told him that those sort of questions were rude. He could probably mentally speak with her but they told him that was rude too!

The boy sort of flipped his head in the direction of the festival, nodding them to join him as he began to walk. Alex always felt so strange meeting new people. Something inside him said they would judge him or not like him. Alex cast a glance at Alun and the feeling disappeared. Alun was the most non-judgemental person he'd ever met!

Alun sat Ouisa lightly on his head - her preferred place for traveling - and hopped off his rock, keeping pace with the others as they walked towards the festival. He had placed his hands into his pockets, casually looking from side to side to observe what was going on around him, seeming distracted although really he was listening. Ouisa was telling him every word Kitsu said, so that even if he didn't read it exactly he could follow the conversation.

While he looked around to satisfy his curiosity, Ouisa spoke for him - as usual. "Alun says he doesn't know much about art or really understand it." Ouisa blinked at that, glancing down at Alun. "Now that's not true you know, honestly I don't think art is the sort of thing you're supposed to get - " She cut off as Alun shrugged and presumably replied to her without words, and she sighed as she continued to translate. He was... making her say something she felt was inappropriate, so she did her best to phrase it as politely as possible. "Kitsu, Alun would like to know why you write everything down instead of saying it. I do apologize if that's rude of him, because you see he's very curious, has to know the reason for everything - honestly, he's just insufferable sometimes..." She trailed off her babbling, fidgeting awkwardly. She was obligated to say what Alun wanted her to say, but sometimes he was just so embarrassing! His concept of social norms was lacking, to say the least, but Alun did make up for it slightly by flashing Kitsu his warmest, brightest smile.

Kitsu hesitated and unknowingly her mind started to broadcast images to those that could see them. Her nightmares were a mangled mix of images that flashed together. A small princess being slapped, lightning bursting over a tree, the rain pouring freezing water down that drenched her clothes, the kiran--

The images stopped abruptly and her hand shook as she wrote a new, far too simple line. "I can't speak."

It was frustrating, enraging, but she was sure it had something to do with her nightmares. With the kiran that she saw in her dreams. With Franky. But she didn't know, and when she didn't know she couldn't explain.

Kitsu tilted her head, relaxing now that she was in her element, then smiled slightly before writing, "It's supposed to make you feel something. It's modern art." Which wasn't that good of modern art, she added silently. If they had been a bit less obsessed with proving it was modern art and more obsessed with evoking a reaction it would have been a much better picture.

She had no clue that he had seen her thoughts, and was happy with the belief he hadn't. They were her new friends, after all! She didn't want to trouble them with her problems!

Gently she motioned for them to move on to the next booth before the artist noticed them and tried to give them a speech.

Unfortunately it was too late. "I see you're looking at my Divine Sexuality," the artist, the skinny looking guy with dreadlocks said.

"Oh dear, I hope not," Kitsu thought a bit too loudly. "These are children!"