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There were few things that depressed Richard more than thanksgiving. Usually he did everything possible to be out of the US on the holiday if at all possible. Because it was thanksgiving that he felt the most alone. After Erica's death he had managed to burn all his bridges with her family, while his own simply died out. He had been an only child and after his folks passed away he had no one.

Back home he would just make sure he was working on reporting something but here there was no avoiding it. He might have just stayed in his duplex today if it hadn't been for the food. Grumbling, He had grabbed a tray, piled it high and sulked out to the fishing spot. Normally he would chuckle at the lab's little "joke." But it meant there was no meat available which although he really hadn't cared for turkey he found himself disapointed.

So Richard found himself sitting on a rock by the river, shoveling food into his mouth without really tasting it. He was lost in memories of his wife and the holiday's they had spent together. He looked old and sad. His mood that even spread to his normally independent tentacles which lay on the ground behind him, flexing in a lethargic fashion.

Richard started at the voice. His tentacles pulled themselves into striking postion with a volient motion. Sighing Richard looked up from his food, fork posed over the cranberry sauce.

Another aquatic islander? His secluded fishing spot was apparently on a major through way for them. At least she wasn't Billy. He gave a half hearted smile and returned the wave. "Hello." He called back.

Normally he'd just at the oppertunity to meet a friendly face. Today was different. He stabbed at his plate.

"What? Oh." Richard stared at his plate with a blank expression. "I suppose..." Cranberries... His mind spiralled down to the depths of his mind. He remembered those, Erica had hated them but her mother always insisted that it wasn't thanksgiving without them. Her mother, Dorothy had always gotten her way in that aspect, and had always been the better cook, no matter how hard Erica had tried she could never out do her mother's cooking. They would compete, sometimes bitterly over who would host thanksgiving each year. Declaring who would cook what. Then when it was over they would glare at the guests and make them judge each entry, while the guests attempted to weasel out of declaring a side.

It had been an uncomfortable tradition of the Harrison household but now that it was just memory it brought a mournful smile to Richard's face. His wet eyes glazed, looking through Awen, seeing only memories.

Any thought of Erica eventually spiral down to one event and Richard visibly shuddered as the faint sound of funeral music began to drift through his mind. Awen's voice eventually wound it's way through his clouded mind and he grasped at it like a life line.

He dropped his fork and put his hands to his face, wiping his eyes with the palms of his hand. "Sorry." he said exhaling.

When he moved his hands away his eyes were much more clear. They saw Arwin for the first time now. He smiled again, this time it actually reaching into his eyes a little, lips parting a crack. "I guess I'm being a bit rude. I'm Richard." He slid the tray away from him a bit. He had been eating out of more habit than hunger.

Now stirred from his mental funk seemed far more open to a conversation that he had been a minute ago. He gave a weak chuckle. "I'm beginning to think that my secluded fishing spot is more like a busy freeway. Seems like every time I come out here I run into somebody. Course, William stole my fish before saying hi." Richard shook his head at the absent octopuss man. "Sorry you have to share the lake with that one."

Richard looked very interested in Awen's mention of caves and crannies on the bottom of the lake.

Richard's gaze shifted to the tentacles hovering over his shoulders. "Hmpf." It was quite oblivious that Richard had a less than favorable opinion of his squishy appendages. "I have no idea actually." He turned back to Awen, "I'm apparently one of Sabin's 'special' projects. Mythological he says. I've read every book on the subject in our little library and haven't found anything about a four armed monster with two tentacles." There was bitterness mixed with annoyance. He spread his arm to show Awen his two smaller arms.

"He did? Doesn't surprise me. he didn't seem like the most stable of people. Be careful though, he's living on a rock at the mouth of this here river."

If Richard had been standing he would have taken a step back but being seated prevented that. He settled for leaning back while knitting his brow. She seemed to be quite fond of Sabin's work. No superior attitude like that of Ginvera or Zach but instead mirroring Sabin's own... enthuisism. Was there a connection between them?

Still if this led to figuring out his serum, Richard was willing to play along. Besides he was curious to see where the girl excited babbling would lead. Richard started nodding as Awen spoke, he gradually replacing his wary expression with that kindly grandfather demenor.

"I can say with certianity that I'm not a plain giant squid." He grabbed one of his tentacles from where it was hovering. He ran a finger along the top of the club then showed it to Awen. It was dry, there was no slime. "They have a skeleton of sorts too. Besides these and my little arms, I just lost a little weight." He smiled a bit, showing Awen he had forgotten about his pointed canines.

Richard blinked. "A misplacer beast? What on earth is that?" Richard's mind race trying to dredge the name up from the all the research he had done the last two weeks and came up with nothing. "Its a cat?" Richard wrinkled his nose at the idea. He really didn't care for cats.