Reviews :

Burgie : Yyyyyep. *grits teeth*


Song Listened To :

Grace Kelly by Mika


*Chapter 72*

"So, what's with all the secret keeping, then?" Lash chirped in plucked, boyish cuteness.

Gideon slowed his roll, both men lazily sat with each other at a smaller table inside of Lash's shop. Having had a busy day of running errands for Lash's business, as well as chatting with Mara about potential artwork for the front of the store, Gideon heaved an annoyed, long sigh through his nose, sagged his spoon in his bowl of half-eaten ice cream and allowed his eyes to aimlessly gaze out the huge windows of Lash's lovely shop. Although littered with customers, game day had come to a close and both men were set to parting ways shortly, due to the sun having set about an hour ago. Novus was lazily snoozing by Gideon's feet, on the cool tiles, and in the easiness of the night, Gideon knew somehow the tiniest little spark of said secret keeping would continue to keep biting him in the ass.

"C'mon, man, I'm tired," Gideon muttered as he looked down to his ice cream in gentle embarrassment, Lash choked a small, boyish giggle and tucked his spoon in his mouth. He slipped the ice cream off of his spoon with a wide, gripped, closed-mouth grin of brotherly, devious delight.

"Aw, poor baby who doesn't have Academy or game day or a business to run," Lash whined in a silly baby voice, clearly to playfully mock Gideon. Gideon bobbed a nod and eased a sarcastically annoyed little smile down to his ice cream, as if to be scheming Lash's demise. Lash grinned and clumsily clacked his licked-clean plastic spoon against his teeth, "You sweepy because your new fwiend might find out your fwom Sugar Wush?"

"Hate you," Gideon's deep voice clipped with a small nod and a widening smile down to the ice cream he was almost finished with, as well.

"I get it, it's fine," Lash stated in warm normalcy, his deep voice croaked on as he looked about his beautiful, warmly lit confectionary with pride, "Just don't lose yourself in it, y'know? We'll do our best to keep it under wraps, but... MY thought is wondering how you're gunna keep the fact that you're related to a full-blown celebrity, under wraps."

"I'm very convincing," Gideon stated in a sigh of smiling defeat as he took a spoonful of his delicious ice cream.

"Yeah, you and Berri also have similar smiles, it's not like you both are related to THE Vanellope Von Schweetz, or anything," Lash muttered, although there were customers around, he was aware their quiet conversation was safe within their bubble.

"She looks more like Zed than anything," Gideon gently retort, he shrugged and smiled into Lash's creepy golden eyes, "It'll be fine. Just let me fly under the radar until I'm comfortable. That's all this is."

"Well, what're you worried for, anyways? So, what, she finds out you're from Sugar Rush, what's the big deal?" Lash nonchalantly pressed, though Gideon huffed a heavy, mentally exhausted sigh and shook his head.

"It's not the fact that I'm from Sugar Rush, I don't care about that," Gideon muttered, "I'm just trying to distance myself. I truly thought that was clear."

"I mean, it is now, I just want to know what's up so I can fully back you," Lash stated gently with a shrug, ultimately thwarting any other defenses Gideon had up his sleeve. Gideon softened, lifted his eyebrows and peered to Lash in a swathe of brotherly realization. Lash's eyes were lazily drawn about his shop, creepy, vertical rectangular pupils that glossed his abode with a sheer amount of love and pride, he brought it all straight into Gideon's frozen soul and broadened his warm smile, "Stop acting all surprised. Mara told me everything. I'm glad we have other friends to hang with, y'know? Don't get me wrong, but I live with my brothers and Theo, and their mates. It's nice to get away and have other people to chill with, outside of living quarters."

"Heard," Gideon doubled, to which Lash bobbed a nod and felt it all come full circle.

"Can't wait to meet her, y'bringing her tomorrow, yeah?" Lash wondered dryly, and though he was eager to see just what kind of people Gideon pulled, he did whatever he could to come across as lazy and nonchalant. He knew Gideon scared easy, in terms of overbearing curiosity. A crabby hermit in his own right, Lash skillfully maneuvered his spiky personality.

"Yeah, I'll see. We're gunna fix up her house some more, hopefully she's up for flying here, y'know?" Gideon pressed, Lash cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, she can FLY?" Lash garbled, Gideon chuckled and nodded, "Oh that's right, she's a gargoyle, similar to Tatum. Damn, can she turn to stone and stuff?"

"Yeah she can turn to stone," Gideon nodded proudly; although he desperately wanted to spill more facts about her breed and gamer style, he immediately came up short, thus the swift reminder that he likely was getting way too ahead of himself, "She's funny, too. You two will get along well."

"Why, is she sarcastic or something? What makes you say that, cause I hardly get along with anyone," Lash rushed through annoyed laughter; Gideon bugged his eyes and bobbed a nod.

"She's very sarcastic," Gideon grinned, he eased a giddy chuckle and was reminded of something funny she had said earlier in the day, "You'll see."

"Can't wait," Lash mumbled in teasing, smiling dread. Though he was sensitive to the fact that Gideon had a special new friend, he was almost excited to step into his infamous, brotherly roll of hazing a naive noob around a girl.


With a gentle shove of his golden key, Gideon tenderly unlocked the lighthouse's gorgeous, white front door and allowed himself inside. Knowing Novus would meet up with him in an hour or two, Gideon's walk to the light house was nearly a glitching sprint of excitement, though his gentle entrance would prove otherwise. Gideon raised his eyebrows in baited, happy eagerness and felt his heart jolt in a further swathe of joy as he could see Kepa in the kitchen, she slowly swung to a stand from getting something out of the fridge. Morning sunlight so warmly flood the place, it were as if he had just entered heaven's front foyer. As the door clacked shut, she perked her big ears high atop her head, her tail lifted in a heavy swing of a single wag and she eased the happiest, fang-filled grin.

"Oh, hey! Good morning," Kepa chimed, although her lovely, pale pink hair was spilled down her back and upper shoulders in a mildly tangled mess of further-unkept show of crawling out of living in squaller, she looked to be in very high spirits.

"Morning," Gideon chuckled.

Due to the morning being foggy and cold, with the ultimate promise of warming up the higher the sun got in the sky, Gideon wore a pair of comfortable sweats and a zip up with a tank top underneath. He slouched his bag near the shutter-drawn floor to ceiling window right next to the front door, and welcomed himself into the easy space of their shared quarters, kitchen and main room. He huffed a noise of contentment and began to take his dark green zip up coat off, due to Kepa having the heat on. Knowing nighttimes here on the beach, in the winter, likely weren't way too cold, he assumed Kepa now having access to amenities wasn't to be taken lightly. He lazily slouched his zip up to the edge of the island and eyed just what she was up to, which included the whole pack of his lemon Oreos.

The two caught eyes in a freeze of her sheepish little smile, the sag of her ears, the scrunch of her furry little shoulders, he barked a laugh and firmly gestured out to her, "You uh... Enjoying my Oreos?"

"Yes, they're so good frozen, you've ruined me," Kepa blurt a giggle, she perked up and waggled her finger in Gideon's direction, "Ooo, lemme put you on to somethin', though, c'mere."

"Do not dip my frozen lemon oreos in peanut butter, do not," Gideon muttered in smiling annoyance as Kepa turned, her hefty tail thumped against his lower leg in the swing, something she didn't even flinch to; he lightly reeled, thinking her tail would be a light, dainty thing, though said thump held a world of power he now was certain he underestimated. Although the silent, rapid-fire thoughts hit him, he flinched as she whirled around and wrinkled her flat cat nose in whole entire disgust.

"Peanut butter? With lemon Oreos? No, nasty, what the heck?" Kepa staggered a giggle. She pressed across the counters, to the smaller coffee pour-over hourglass and shot Gideon a sly, cheeky little smile, "Coffee."

"... That is NO better," Gideon hotly urged as he flagged his hand in the direction of the cup of coffee she was about to pour herself.

"Whatever, your loss," Kepa shrugged, she grappled the creamer and began to fix herself a steamy, yummy mug of it. She glanced her cute, almost-orange colored eyes to Gideon's in a flash of still-sleepy warmth, "It's just nice cause the oreos are frozen, but the coffee like... Melts into it. Mmm."

"Damn, you do you, you're nasty," Gideon mumbled, clearly fighting words that he insinuated with a sheer amount of tender playfulness he was aware he could get away with; he was only further confident of this the second Kepa erupted into grinning laughter, nearly choking on her hot coffee.

"Y'mean it?" Kepa drawled with a shy little pout, to which Gideon stuck out his neck a little and gave her a further-disgusted smile.

"Uh-yeah, coffee and lemon? Y'know what, finish the pack, they're yours, you've turned me off to lemon oreos," Gideon muttered as he leaned his back against the counter, nearest the fridge, and grinned.

"Sah-WEET," Kepa hissed, she took a few lithe steps to the island and faced Gideon in a lean against it, as well; they settled their playfulness as she held her little mug of coffee with both of her paw-like hands, she softened the perk of her ears, allowed her hefty, long tail to sag to the cooler tiles with comfortable ease, she stood on one foot and allowed the other one to cross over said stationary foot, with the backs of her scary claws resting on the tile, as well, "Where's Novus?"

"He, uh... He sleeps in for a bit, I'm an early riser," Gideon gently fibbed; now feeling the tally of fibs begin, he tried not to allow himself to feel too guilty about leaving out details, "He'll meet up with us in an hour or two. You get just me first thing, I know it's not ideal."

"Yeah, that sucks," Kepa muttered into her mug, Gideon grinned as she softened with an assured, warm smile. She sipped her coffee, sighed in soft satisfaction and eyed Gideon in further inquiry, "So, what brings you to the Eastern coast? I know it's not that far of a trek, but... You said you live in Southwest Vidrix?"

"Yeah, if... If I'm being honest, I wanted to see the sunrise, on the ocean," Gideon fibbed, once more; he nearly winced, he hoped she'd get all these loaded questions out of the way so he could stop feeling so guilty, "This lighthouse felt safe, I felt drawn to it. I swear I had no clue you were alive."

"Success," Kepa eased cutely, Gideon inhaled a shaky breath and looked off in a throw of thought, and it was here did she really take a second to gloss her eyes about her new friend.

She could feel her heart begin to thump a little louder as Gideon's tall, handsome figure stood in a lazy lean with his bigger arms crossed about his broad chest. Lightly messy auburn hair, adorable, innocent golden eyes that held a lifetime of warmth, a tighter tank and thick, clearly loved and faded grey sweats that allowed her imagination to play, she inhaled a shaky, silent breath and looked off. Sat absolutely drowning in a pool of sunny, golden wealth, she looked up to the ceiling, grit her teeth and mouthed the words 'thank you' without Gideon noticing. She skillfully sunk her face back down to her coffee, once she noticed Gideon turn and peer to her in the swing of their warm silence, and before she went for a sip of her coffee, she picked up a lemon Oreo and, out of pure instinct and habit, she brought the cookie tight to her wet nose and began to rapidly sniff the treat in patient assessment. Gideon stiffly watched as she softened, dunked the cookie in her coffee and munched on it. He felt curiosity boil over the brim of his brain, he was well aware he now couldn't help but ask questions.

"So, uh... You like... Are fully feline in everything you do? Like... What was that all about, what you just did?" Gideon asked as tenderly as he could, though she seemed confused.

"Wait, what? Dunk the cookie?" Kepa asked innocently, Gideon shook his head, lifted from his lean, reached for a cookie and held it out before him.

"No, you like... Intensely smelled it," Gideon brought the cookie to his nose and breathed in one single, thick inhale. Although he could smell the sweet, tasty lemon-scent of the cookie, he pulled it away and shrugged, "What did that do for you? I'm just curious."

"... Did I just do that?" Kepa worried, she breathed a shy giggle and tucked her coffee to her mouth in a scrunch of mild embarrassment, "It's just... I guess to get a good idea of what I'm about to eat, y'know? My sense of smell is a lot stronger than yours, your gamer-style is very human-based, right?"

"Yeah," Gideon looked down at himself, looked at his hands and peered back into Kepa's lovely, cute face. He smiled and shook his head, "I hope you're not offended, I'm just... Insanely curious."

"I'm pissed," Kepa snipped with a snarky smile, to which he beamed and choked a laugh at her sudden little outburst, "No, I'm kidding. I... I try to avoid doing those kinds of things, y'know? It was easier to get away with, I don't know, say... Grooming yourself when you're living with a pack of other cats."

"Grooming yourself?" Gideon questioned, he furrowed his eyebrows and gently looked at her hair, assuming she meant simply brushing it.

"Yeah, like..." Kepa nonchalantly gestured to her forearm with her free hand, and though her and Gideon held eyes, he still looked confused. She choked a shy giggle, and although she didn't technically want to fully demonstrate it, she nervously stuck out her tongue and just barely lapped once at her furry wrist; Gideon brightened in plucked cuteness and gestured his hand in understanding.

"Ohh, oh, I get it," Gideon eased a laugh and rubbed the back of his head, "Damn, you don't shower or anything?"

"I mean, I would, if I HAD one, here," Kepa mumbled shyly, she glossed her eyes to the smaller staircase that lead up to the double balconies, as well as her hidden abode, "Sucks, but... If I truly want to get clean, I have to take a dunk in the ocean and then groom myself from there."

"There's no shower upstairs?" Gideon worried, now fully-set on outfitting her room with absolutely everything she needed, and though she sighed and looked down, she smiled and showed full contentment.

"No, there's not, but... I'd be grateful if you helped me out," Kepa's voice trailed in pure, calm warmth.

"Absolutely, you want to get started now? We can arrange the whole thing together," Gideon excitedly encouraged as he lifted out of his lean, once more, and began to press towards the stair well, "C'mon, it'll be easy."

"O-Oh, okay, coming," Kepa chirped in a stagger of cute eagerness, though as she hurried to set her mug down, she softened her ears and watched Gideon walk away.

No questions asked, no strings attached, no single item expected in return, Gideon began to press up the stairs with full fervor to help out his brand new friend, and though Kepa was adamant about keeping strangers at an arms length, she bit her lip in full, defeated girliness and could feel butterflies line her stomach. Knowing these little crushy feelings came into being like a rush of exploding star dust, she pressed on after Gideon's figure and surely hoped she could ride out these fresh, happy feelings for as long as she possibly could, for as long as either being would allow.