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Liamh pitched the collar and leash up the stairs ahead of him, stomping up the wooden planks. He couldn't leave the mutt tied up for two seconds. Grumbling, he opened the door and banged it shut behind him. Whatever. If he got eaten by tigers and wolves, it would sure show... uhh... something.

Shaking his head, he realized he'd never understand the mysterious comings and goings of his hairy ward, but if Prancer was going to be out having fun, he might as well too.

Flopping down onto the bed and trying to avoid his tender sprouting leaves, he punched the numbers for Marshall's duplex. He heard the click as the intercom system connected. "Maaaaarshall.... Maaaarrrshaaaaallll.... this is the voice of faaaaaaate.... today you must go, and you must hang out with... that guy... what's his name... Liamh! Yeah. Maaarshaaall!"

"Not much. I'd say I was bored out of my gourd, except I dont' really want to tempt fate any - er, well, you get it." Liamh bounced on the bed a couple times with a ratchety squeak of springs.

"You've gotta help me. Let's go do something. Run around the lake, have a mud fight. Lawn hockey in our boxers on the green. Get some cardboard tubes and recreate a lightsaber battle on the cafeteria tables. Go door to door around the duplexes pretending to be Jehovah's Witnesses. I don't care. I'm goin' nuts here."

Unaware of Marshall's uncomfortable plight, Liamh fidgeted restlessly as he rambled on about all sorts of active, sweaty, energetic activities.

Liamh chuckled over the intercom. "Right, right. Sounds like a plan, Obi-wan Marshobi. I can take notes for our epic duel later. Gimme a minute, i'll pick up some pizza or something at the Caf... err.. maybe some soda. Be right there."

He shut the intercom off with a click and pushed himself off the bed. Sitting for a few hours would do little for his restlessness, but it'd certainly help take his mind off it.

He scratched at his leafy scalp as he headed out the door. How long HAD it been since he'd actually seen the trilogy? He was embarrassed to think. But no longer!

Humming the Imperial March, he made a beeline for the Caf.

There was a dull clank as the door opened, Liamh backing in with his arms full - a caf takeout box the size of a pizza, a bag of chips, and two liter bottles of their favorite sodas. He hopped on one foot long enough to get through, and let it bang shut behind him.

"Okaaaay i'm heeeere," he called, sidling into the room and giving Marshall a nod. The beaked, feathered guy was sprawling in his trunks, looking kind of limp. Liamh flopped on the other end of the couch and spread the munchies around. "Hey, i didn't know what you wanted so i got one with everything except anchovies. We can just chug out of the liters, i couldn't find any cups."

He sat back and cracked open his bottle. "We ready?" he took another glance at Marshall.

Liamh had turned to open the pizza box, but froze as Marshall screamed, his eyes turning slowly in their sockets to stare at the other guy. "Holy crap... Marshall!"

He scrambled off the couch, upsetting the bag of chips everywhere, and skittered over to the hunched up penguin-man. "Crap crap.... Marshall, are you okay? What's the..." Liamh's eyes widened as he crouched above him. No. No no no. Not this. Not again. He'd just seen the changes Gaius had gone through.... not so soon... He clutched at his head, then hovered next to Marshall, not sure whether to touch him. He couldn't get help, nor could he stop it...

As the small feathery tuft errupted from the back of Marshall's trousers, Liamh tried to take a step back from his crouch, ending up tripping on his flip-flop and falling on his rear.

"Freakin' hellmonkeys.... Hold on, Marshall, just... just hold on... We'll, uhh..." he pushed himself back to his knees and reached out to touch him lightly on the shoulder. He gawked as he thought- he swore- he could see Marshall gaining weight, somehow. Was that possible?

Liamh stared in awe and horror as Marshall's face sprouted outward, beak flowing like hardening lava from his mouth, absorbing his nose. He couldn't look away, just vaguely aware of the feathers that were rolling over Marshall's frame.

He grabbed Marshall's shoulder with a viney hand as the guy lay on the floor, sobbing. "Marshall... it's... it's okay... you'll be all right..." Liamh choked on the words, pushing his glasses up reflexively. He wasn't sure it WOULD be okay. Marshall had to be in pain... surely that would fade, but...

He hung his head, setting his jaw. "Marshall..."

Liamh crouched down next to him, folding his patchy, viny legs out in front of him as he sat, slumping next to Marshall with an arm on his shaking shoulder. "Hey, hey.. no worries..." Liamh rubbed his own forehead with his other hand. ".. not goin' anywhere... you know me, lazy that way...." He could think of nothing helpful to say, but sat there a while.

"You... you're.. gonna be okay..." He said in a low voice at last, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself than anyone. "... we're gonna be okay..."