Reviews :

ThoreLB : Hey! Congrats! You're my 200th reviewer :D Thank you so very much! And yes, you're definitely right. Kepa may think she's hit jackpot currently, but Gideon is definitely the one to win out in the end - all of Kepa's cute, kitty-cat charm eventually avalanches in Gideon's way lmao. Poor thing has no clue what's gunna hit him.

Snake557 : Oh yeah! I personally think of Gideon's powers as Minecraft on creative mode hahaha. But Sims works too! Motherload activated lol. And, thank you for your input! I try to put myself in your guys shoes, I'd probably stock pile chapters for a week and read all 3-4 chapters over the weekend or something. I just noticed the spike in views and wondered what was going on lol

Burgie : Indeed! Aw, thank you :D

Firesong-Writes : Thank you so much friend! Yes, Gideon definitely is digging himself a hole, with these fibs, but you'll soon find out, Kepa's not too innocent in this situation, either. Gideon has a ton of baggage that seems huge and intimidating, but is just mass that makes it look that way, where as Kepa's baggage looks all tiny and cute but, eh... Really isn't all that tiny and cute. Trying not to spoil stuff lol.


*Chapter 74*

Though Gideon was beyond happy to help Kepa get back on her feet, he felt his coding wiggle with the overuse of sheer, physical manifesting. Typically cueing himself little items, like something to eat, or maybe even a ball for Novus to chase, now immediately coupled with furnishing and basically building a whole house, had him feeling extremely excited to head home and get a solid night's sleep. After the hour or two of him and Kepa doing what they could to furnish the becoming-full lighthouse to their liking, the share of jokes and the soak of laughter that likely carried all down the beach, Gideon now sat in the wet sand with his long legs stretched out as he lazily leaned back on his bigger hands and soaked up every ounce of Turbotime's hot, lovely sunshine. Having closed his eyes a few minutes ago, he flinched in gentle surprise and peeled his eyes open as he could hear Kepa loudly blurt a squeal of girly delight, alongside a giggle, that carried from the few dozen feet she was from him.

Now dressed in a cute black spaghetti strap Gideon eagerly bookmarked in his mind as 'spicy', he cocked an eyebrow and eyed her from head to toe. Said spaghetti strap was soaked, though the fabric was too dark to tell. The little bits of lace that crowned her breasts clung to her short fur, she wore a thick pair of white swim shorts that had a bold blue stripe down the outsides of both legs, swimming clothes she had politely requested Gideon to manifest for her. Her long legs were riddled with the adorable kiss of her darker, adolescent markings in messy swirls of circles that almost looked like leopard print. Romping about in the calf-deep water, her long, powerful legs stride in jumps of trying to avoid the huge splashes of ocean water that came rushing to her. Her long, heavy tail, now likely heavier due to being wet, flicked about in careless glee, sending ribbons of crystal waters in any direction she wagged. Her lovely, pale pink hair was in a high bun atop her head, showing more of her cute, round face and the cut of her big cat ears. Gideon sagged in on himself and felt his heart swell with just how cute his new friend was, and in his content thoughts, he lulled his eyes closed, once more.

As the sounds of the crashing waves could be heard and the loud dunking sound of Kepa's incredible, powerful feet plunging into the ocean waves were also present, Gideon sagged and enjoyed this moment of ambient bliss. Novus could be heard, far off, yelling for Kepa to come see something that he had found, and as Kepa's powerful, quick stride began to vanish, Gideon heaved a long sigh through his nose and marinated in the stillness of the waves beyond him. He sat for what he was sure was about fifteen minutes with just himself and the backs of his pink eyelids, just mulling over how incredibly blessed he suddenly was. Happy to find contentment in his brand new friendship with an equally as lost soul, he was excited to get to know Kepa just a little more. Although almost out of mental and physical energy for the day, to really delve into those heavy topics, he sagged and knew that he'd have to garner some sort of strength due to the fact that two o'clock was rolling around, and introducing Kepa to Mara and Lash was a new brand of exhaustion waiting to happen.

"Gideon, Gideon! Lookout!" Kepa shouted with a hard giggle, though just as Gideon peeled his tired eyes open, he jolted in whole, startled shock as a gulp of ocean water suddenly splashed into his gravity and hurriedly submerged him from the belly button down. Gideon huffed a noise of urgency, flexed in a firm upright sit and, now due to knowing there was nothing to be done to avoid the water that now began to heavily sag away from him, with the rushing tides, he heavily slumped as his big hands rested in the wet sand and escaping water that eased back into the ocean. Kepa loudly laughed as her bigger, powerful paws, of her feet, jogged over to Gideon in the kick of wet sand. She covered her mouth, scuffed to a stop half a dozen feet from him and lazily sagged her sopping wet tail to the equally as wet and mushy sand underneath her, "Ohh... Sorry, I looked over and it was nearly too late."

"It's okay," Gideon grumbled cutely as he unstuck the peel of his eyes, he reeked exhaustion, and though he was due to standing and suggesting the three get cleaned up and ready to go, he remained sitting as Kepa's long legs slowly pressed closer to him.

"That'll wake yah up," Kepa grunted loudly as she sat on her rear, flopped her long tail over her lap and outstretched her long legs in a dainty cross as she, too, leaned back on her hands with the stiff straight of her elbows. She inhaled a deep breath, threw her head back and happily allowed the sun to kiss every single wet strand of fur on her body with dewy, glistening warmth, "I love it here...This is nothing like what we had in Castle Run."

"Yeah?" Gideon's deep, croaky, tired voice prod in loving warmth. He cocked an eyebrow and looked over to Kepa, though he softened in dumbfounded, boyish eyeing and held his breath.

Happy that Kepa had her head back and her eyes closed, he snuck an eyeful of her lithe, little body. Wider hips, a tiny waist and a modest bust, he eased his eyes across her bare navel in a sweep of innocent curiosity. She inhaled a deep breath to continue speaking to Gideon, though he would be lying if he said he didn't let his eyes watch her breasts rise with said heavy inhale, the tiny, velvety furs on the dip of her modest cleavage glistened with the dewdrops of warm water.

"Yeah, Castle Run was gorgeous... Our home was set in a foggy, jungle mountain side. The sun rarely shone through the fog and clouds, it was always cooler out," Kepa shrugged, the fur on her shoulders held in longer tufts of wet clumps, she kept her eyes shut and her head tossed back in full basking. Her tail gently flicked in slow wags, a lazy toss of little droplets that went with the gravity of it all, "We didn't have beaches like this one. We DID have dark cliffsides that fell into icy waters and jagged rock, but... Nothing THIS inviting."

"I'm really sorry about your home," Gideon pressed nervously, he was scared to strike a nerve, though he was relieved with the way she opened her eyes, lifted her head a little and locked eyes with Gideon.

"It's okay, it was a long time ago," Kepa sighed, she shook her head and lazily glossed her eyes across the ocean, the slit of her eyes narrowed a little into near-cross hairs. Novus could be heard trudging up, he was soaking wet. His heavy paws sagged through the wet sand as Kepa continued on, "It was the day after my seventh birthday did the game go under... Love that."

"Help," Novus's deep voice grumbled as his powerful paws sagged to a heavy halt as his head hovered near Kepa's lap, though upon him budging into their gravity, they immediately took note that an adorable little red crab was angrily latched onto Novus's left nostril. Both Kepa and Gideon loudly erupted into laughter as Kepa sat up and cutely began to try and free Novus of the tiny crab's wrath. Novus stood still, lulled his huge eyes closed and patiently allowed Kepa to try and maneuver said little crab off of his thick skin, "That's what I get for trying to sneak a snack."

"Crabs, dude?" Gideon grumbled with a laugh, to which Novus stood up straight upon Kepa freeing the crab from his skin. He lapped his big, turquoise colored tongue along his wet snout and took a few steps backwards, so to get out of Kepa's face.

"Yeah, they're... Crunchy on the outside, and..." Novus trailed off and sheepishly watched as Kepa gasped, tucked the cute crab into the sanctity of the dome of her paws and flatten her ears in disgruntled irritation.

"You take that back," Kepa hissed as she remained stiffened, though she softened, brought the crab in between her and Gideon and opened her hands, to reveal the adorable little crab that had its big pinschers tucked tight to its face, "Don't listen to him, the big bat of a bag of wet fur didn't mean it..."

"I'm not the only bag of wet fur, anymore," Novus grumbled with a smiling chuckle as he grunted and lazily flopped into a lay on the wet sand. He inhaled a big, deep breath, rolled onto his side and sprawled his wings in a proper stance of sun bathing, "I'm glad you can now assist me in shedding all over Gideon's crap."

"I love this for me," Gideon muttered in playful annoyance, he tossed Kepa a small smile of cheek and shook his head in a further show of dull, playful annoyance.

"So, tell me more about you, you grew up in Turbotime, yeah?" Kepa chirped as she released the little crab and returned to her lean with her hands planted behind her, elbows locked, "Turbotime was only re-plugged in almost two years ago, right? I've heard rumors about how it was absent for a really long time, or something..."

"Yeah, I... I just turned one last week," Gideon mumbled sheepishly, to which Kepa perked her ears high on her head and gave Gideon a wildly surprised look of grinning delight.

"Happy Birthday! Aww, little baby!" Kepa cried with a giggle, Gideon rolled his eyes and tossed his head back in hot annoyance, the prominence of his adam's apple slid down his thicker jugular as he groaned a loud noise out to the universe.

"I'm an aduuult," Gideon's deep voice bellowed out to the sky, to which Novus and Kepa loudly laughed.

"It's clear, I'm only playing, c'mon," Kepa giggled as she swat Gideon's upper arm, he returned his head to normality and, although he was becoming cranky because he was tired, he reined it in nicely and gave her a sweet smile of humility, "But, really. Y'ever been anywhere else? Like, travelled?"

"Yeah, we've been to Dead Zed a bit, that's where I found Novus," Gideon fibbed, Novus remained laying with his eyes closed and allowed Gideon to take the reins on any fibs that were to be casted out into the universe, "As for travel, no... I'm boring."

"Speak for yourself," Novus blurt with an irritated chuckle.

"So, you live on your own? Or with your parents?" Kepa inquired, Gideon bobbed a nod and felt his stomach clench in nervousness, though it was all eradicated the second Kepa eyed the becoming-dried, messy fur on her right upper arm and began to cutely sniffle at it in nose-burying assessment.

"I live with my mom and dad, they uh... They work in the city, we live in an apartment in one of the high rises," Gideon trailed in a monotone ease, desperate to make his home life seem uninteresting. He was thrilled that Kepa took the bait and seemed mildly uninterested, this was due to the fact that she cutely lapped her flat tongue over her nose in a few wets of her own habits, and much to Gideon's whole surprise, she seemed comfortable enough to firmly give her upper arm a few solid brushes with her spiky, comb-like tongue. Only maybe three or four long laps in, she shyly quit and and desperately refrained due to feeling Gideon's curious gaze on her. He inwardly scolded himself for staring and quickly looked off, and though he was eager to hurriedly assure her that she could be every single last inch of herself in front of him, he largely refrained and staggered to carry on, "City-life is boring, I guess that's why I came here, y'know... I was just gunna bum on the beach."

"No better place, truly," Kepa sighed happily, and though they shared a few minutes of solace within each other's presence, Novus inhaled a deep breath and uttered a grumbly notion to Gideon.

"It's probably almost time to go, by the way," Novus pressed, he finally grunted and began to bring himself to a stand, to which Gideon bobbed a nod of agreeing and began to stand, as well.

"Oh, yeah, we get to meet Lash," Kepa chirped, and as Gideon got to his feet first, he held his big hand down to her and politely helped her to a stand, as well. With his unmoving stance, she easily pulled herself up, with Gideon's help, and dusted the sand off of her thighs for a moment as she continued on, "What kinda shop does he got?"

"Oooh, ice cream, candy, pastries," Novus rattled as Kepa sharply perked her ears and twirled her arm in the air.

"Say no more!" Kepa loudly urged with a giggle as her and Novus began to eagerly skip away, together, in the direction of the gorgeous deck in which Gideon had fixed up.

"We can race there! My wings are bigger, so be prepared to lose," Novus teasingly snipped, and though Kepa replied, they were now out of Gideon's ear shot, who trudged up the sand bank as opposed to the happy trotting Kepa and Novus partook in.

Gideon breathed a long, satisfied sigh and watched both of his friends cutely trot to the deck, his eyes glossed up to the gorgeous spire of their light house. The minty colored swirled paint, all up the spire was faded and crackling. He figured that'd be a task for another day, to retouch the paint on the lighthouse and to get into the spire to, quite literally, restore light to the lighthouse. As Gideon approached the steps of the deck, gorgeously glossed in brand new, hefty light-colored cherrywood, Gideon slowed his roll and assessed Kepa's body language. She stood stiff, her fists at her side, suddenly it was clear that her and Novus were lightly bickering. Gideon grunted a laugh, climbed the stairs and came level with the both of them, to which Novus had crowned a look of playful, incredulous disbelief. Kepa still looked stiff, though it was here did all of Gideon's cat knowledge come rushing him. Kepa's ears were held taut to the side of her head in anxiety, her tail was stiffly lowered, though it sharply twitched in an upward, diagonal wag of a hefty swat that Gideon was certain would likely give someone a black eye, had they been standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. As Gideon approached with now pinpricked concern, Novus's words finally became louder over the sounds of the ocean breeze they were engulfed in.

"C'mon, stop, it was funny the first time," Novus barked cutely, feeling absolutely certain Kepa was playing with him, though as Gideon approached and stood before the two, he eyed Kepa in concerned curiosity and frowned, her face was riddled in pursed, stiff defense.

"Novus, I'm being serious, I wouldn't play about this," Kepa argued, Gideon sharply peered to Novus, who wasn't letting up.

"Right, right, I'm gunna believe that you're seven years old and DON'T know to fly, uh-huh," Novus barked in boyish tease, so typically used to Gideon's heavy handed banter back, though Kepa inhaled a shaky breath and tightly closed her eyes, her ears were sharply flattened in whole agitation.

"I'm eleven years old, and no, I don't, Novus, I'm not technically proud of it, okay?" Kepa now sharply and angrily argued, and though Novus barked a cute laugh and wasn't picking up on the cues, Gideon laid his hand to Novus's snout and gave a small warning shove.

"Hey, knock it off, Novus, she's being serious," Gideon firmly defended, to which Novus sagged in naive confusion and softened; Kepa firmly looked off and into the gaping french doors of their lovely, shared kitchen and dwelling room. Gideon felt his heart thud with concern, though as tenderly as he could, he reached his bigger hand for her upper arm and warmly cupped the backside of it, "Hey, it's alright, Novus doesn't mean harm."

"I-I... I genuinely thought you were playing," Novus mumbled nervously, to which both boys froze in whole surprise as huge tears billowed in Kepa's beautiful eyes.

"No, I wasn't playing, I... I don't know how to fly, okay? I was taught a long time ago, but my dad thought guarding the palace was more important than stretching our wings," Kepa firmly delivered, her pupils angrily dilated to near-circles, her flat cat nose wrinkled in rising irritation. She shook her head and huffed a stagger of a breath as her mentally exhausted soul did everything she could to not erupt into tears, in front of both boys, "Besides, I got made fun of, for the way my wings are shaped, so... I just don't show them, ever. So, no, Novus... I won't be racing you. You win, okay?"

"Okay," Novus meeped nervously, to which Gideon gingerly gripped her upper arm and leaned down a little, so to catch eyes with her.

"Hey, easy," Gideon cooed with a softer approach. He was surprised to see Kepa's shoulders sag in the downswing of emotion, to which Gideon gave her a humble little smile of nervous anticipation, "It's okay if you don't know how to fly, no one here is going to judge you for that. I don't know the first thing about flying, without Novus, so... You definitely have a leg up over me."

"Thanks," Kepa whimpered as she wiped her adorable, wet little nose with the back of her hand and looked off, big tears spilled down her cheeks.

Gideon felt his heart break. He instantly put himself in her position and was well aware being made fun of was something Gideon had previously drowned in, and though he had endured it and gotten over it by himself, he looked back on those instances and so desperately wished there was someone there to scoop him into an embrace and assure him that he was loved. Eager to wholly give back, to make sure no one ever felt the pain he had ever felt, he allowed his walls of reserved gentlemanliness to soften in structure, and with a sweep of bravery, he carefully scooped his arm about Kepa's stiffened, little shoulders and slowly began to tug her into an easy embrace she had control over. Much to his surprise, she warmly closed the gap, stepped into Gideon's bubble and snugged her face into the center of Gideon's broad chest. With all the warmth in the world, and a smile that he was well aware could span miles and miles, he squeezed his strong arms about her shoulders and huffed an incredulous little laugh into the top of her head.

"I know today's been mentally exhausting, huh," Gideon grumbled as he kept her squeezed, though made clear that she could break away whenever she wanted. With ease, she gripped her arms about Gideon's midsection, her hands could almost clasp one another about his sturdy main frame, though not quite. Gideon eyed Novus in caution and shrugged a little, "I know for a fact Novus didn't mean you any harm. I DID warn you that he likes to bully..."

"Oh, come on, I tease because I love," Novus worried in the downswing of whole softness, he gingerly nuzzled his snout into Kepa's upper arm and was grateful to catch eyes with her as she peeked from Gideon's strong chest, "I'm sorry, I truly thought you were kidding. There's no way I'd just prod at an open wound, like that."

"It's okay," Kepa whimpered as she remained snuggled into Gideon's broad chest, he gave her a solid squeeze and removed one hand so to gently pat the top of Novus's fluffy head.

"Well, from what I saw, I thought your wings were fucking awesome," Gideon grunted in assuredness as he tucked his chin to the top of Kepa's head and lulled his eyes closed in an easy squeeze of sunny love, "Don't worry about not knowing how to fly. There's room for two of us, aboard Novus."

"Yeah! I don't mind," Novus hurried to assure with a nod, and though Kepa and Gideon parted, he gingerly held his bigger hand to her left shoulder, tilted his head down and caught eyes with her for clarity.

"Y'okay?" Gideon wondered warmly, Kepa nodded and sniffled.

"Yeah... You're right, today was... A lot," Kepa mumbled shyly, "I think all of us will sleep well, tonight."

"You're not wrong," Gideon's deep voice grumbled, "C'mon... The flight over will be a good blow-dry we all need. You can meet my cousin and her swap mate, we can all have some ice cream, bring you back to the lighthouse and part ways until tomorrow. Yeah?"

"It's been years since I've had ice cream," Kepa whispered through a sigh of relief and a nod, her and Novus cutely sagged into a little side hug of forgiveness, and as everyone trailed inside, Gideon patiently closed and locked the patio doors in preparation to close up shop and secure the lighthouse for their temporary absence.

"Well, get ready to have your socks knocked off, Lash's confectionary is a dangerous place for anyone with a sweet tooth," Gideon grumbled cutely, "That's why Novus is so big."

"... It's FUR!" Novus loudly urged, to which Kepa erupted into laughter, the air between the three sagged back to normality.

"Oldest excuse in the book," Kepa mumbled in sassy, low deliverance, and as they prepared to head out, Kepa felt relieved that both boys were quick to stamp out fires. Having been used to previously being tossed to said fire, Kepa felt her veins wiggle with newness, a tight bond of camaraderie her brand new little clan promised had her soul singing. Although sore that she couldn't fly, somehow Gideon's warm, encouraging words gave her heart wings, a start to a promising adventure she could see herself being willing to embark on.