A loud, pulsing rhythm beat out from Brea's new radio as she danced around her apartment, feather duster in hand and her hair pulled back into a messy bun. It had been a long week since she had moved into the apartment, and it had made an incredibly change...the place now appeared almost livable! With the money Brea had managed to make between odd jobs, games, and items found discarded around Neopia, she had bought table cloths, curtains, new blankets and some nice little trinkets that made the place a little bit more homey. She still hadn't seen even one stray wandering around Neopia, and after talking to an old-timer she had discovered that pound surveillance had increased over the years...now any pet seen wandering about without an owner was taken directly to the Adoption Agency. Brea wasn't in any hurry to get a pet however, so it didn't bother her much...she had taken the week of freedom to build of her NP stores and gather up a few items that her pet would need when she finally found it.

Since getting out of jail her mood had taken a turn for the pleasant...Aerik had turned out to be a very interesting, funny and smart person, and the two had formed a quick bond. Neither had shared about their past in Neopia yet, but Brea was happier with things that way...she didn't think she was ready to open up quite that much yet. Just as Brea got to the dining room table she heard a merciless pounding at her door, followed by the impatient calling of her name.

"Come in!" She yelled, trying desperately to be heard over the music. Apparently she had succeeded, because only moments later the door to the room flew open to reveal her neighbor from across the hall, the sour man who had chosen to go without a pet as Brea had.

"Turn this confounded music down, or off, preferably, this instant!! I'm trying to read and the music is RUINING my concentration!" He snapped irritably, frowning at the radio sitting next to Brea's bed.

"Now, now, Mr. Likelee, this is Brea's apartment building too, you know!" Came Aerik's deep voice, thick with his Australian-accent. He had slipped inside the room just beside the grumpy old man, Meg at his heels. Though she was only a week old, she was already showing signs of becoming a beautiful, noble creature.

Brea sighed softly as she made her way across the room, skillfully dodging a few piles of junky items that she had yet to sort through.

"Oh, it's no problem...I was almost done anyway, and I was planning on heading over to Neopia Central for the afternoon...no reason to leave this on while I'm gone." She jabbed at the power button on the radio quickly and sent a short glare in the old man's direction, signaling for him to leave. He complied all to gladly, letting the door to the apartment shut with a bang. As soon as she judged him to be out of ear shot, Brea rolled her eyes and spoke angrily.

"Sometimes I just CAN NOT put up with that man!!"

Aerik grinned roguishly and walked over to her, giving her a playful poke in the side.

"Better watch that temper of yours, Brea. There're reasons everybody is the way they are..."

"Well if he's got reasons I certainly don't know about them. I think he's just a bitter old man." She grumbled, loud enough for Aerik to hear. He cocked his head at her, his eyes betraying an inward debate, before speaking.

"10 years ago he was framed for the murder of his 3 children and his wife of 25 years...He's been in prison since then. Their true killer was only discovered a few weeks ago, right before we were released. If that's not a good reason to be bitter, then I can't think of one."

Brea immediately sobered, drawing her eyebrows together and letting her lips fall into a frown.

"I...I had no idea."

Aerik gave her a sad smile and reached up to ruffle her hair.

"That's why you shouldn't go assuming things about people, Bray." There was a short silence, and Brea allowed her gaze to sink to the floor, ashamed at her previous actions. Just as the silence was beginning to get uncomfortable, Aerik broke it.

"Don't worry yourself about it, now. Everyone struggles with judging others in some form or another, and you can't go beating yourself up for being normal. Anyhow, the reason I came over here in the first place was to ask you to head over to Central with Meg and I...we're shopping for a little Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow, and I wanted you to come so you don't have to spend it all alone. But as we're a bit tight on NP right now, I was hoping that maybe you could bring the dessert and drinks...we'll take care of everything else though!" He gave her a hopeful grin, and Meg gave a few small barks to show her approval.

Brea smiled back at him, reaching down to give Meg a pat on the head.

"I'd love to go! I was planning on heading to Central for some grocery shopping, anyway...and I always hate braving that crowded marketplace alone. And Thanksgiving dinner would be awesome...I was dreading the thought of no holiday celebration, or celebrating alone...so you've saved me! Just give me two seconds to get changed...all righty?"

Without waiting for a reply, Brea rushed to her closet and pulled out a clean outfit, zipping into the bathroom and the back of the apartment and reappearing about a minute and a half later wearing a pair of baggy black cargo pants and a tight purple tank top, her hair out of it's bun and now flowing freely.

"Off we go!" Aerik announced, smiling as he held the door open for both Brea and Meg. After reaching the ground floor and leaving the Mystery Island Apartment Complex, Meg bounded ahead of the two young adults, curiously sniffing at everything along the wide dirt path. Aerik lowered his voice to speak to Brea privately.

"Right now I'm saving up for a skunk paint brush for her..." He stopped for a moment, swallowing hard and shaking his head as if to clear his mind of a bad memory, before continuing. "I'm hoping to get one by Christmas...hopefully we'll have a pretty stable base of NP by then. And she doesn't know it, but today she's getting a Gruslen. She's been wanting one for a long time, but I've been holding out for a special occasion...today's Thanksgiving's Eve, so it seems like a special enough one to me."

Brea smiled at him, realizing just how much he was willing to sacrifice for his little lupess. They spent most of the rest of the walk to the docks and the ride to Central in a comfortable silence, admiring the clear, beautiful day and enjoying each other's company.

Author's Notes~ AIYYY!! She was supposed to meet her first pet in this chapter, but I just couldn't think of a way to go from where I am to where she meet's him in any small space of time _ Oh well, I'm sure you'll all survive having yet another filler chapter...take it as a way to get to know the characters. In the next chapter, Rayzial, Enkou, Nusutto, and a few others will be introduced...a few surprises are in store for Aerik, also. So keep reading!! (Or maybe not if it's too unbearably horrible :-P)