Reviews :

chuckiboo : Ooo I like your analogies, there. Extremely spot on. *furiously rubs hands together with scheming, maniacal grin*

ThoreLB : I feel yah x_x This whole story is just adult me giving child me the hugest hug I can afford.

Snake557 : I totally agree. Something comes up, shortly here, that will temporarily put everyone on at least a better track. Things get a little better, but things have to get unfortunately terrible for everything to be right again.

Burgie : I agree! I feel a weight lifted somewhat, as well xD


Song Listened To :

Fireflies by Cullen Vance - The Owl City nerd in me did ten backflips upon discovering this rendition. I'm starting to garner a collection on Fireflies remixes or covers, throughout life, and it's a goal of mine to have a stupid amount of these xD


*Chapter 79*

Grateful he had made the whole upstairs, as well as Kepa's bedroom, entirely sound proof, Gideon tried his very hardest not to come tearing into their lighthouse home with a whole wall of anger. The second he stepped inside, he felt instant regret hit his skin once the heavy front door left his grip, which was a force of nearly slamming it. Said heavy door thankfully caught itself on the sturdy, thick frame of it all and sagged to a clack, and though Gideon still scrunched his shoulders to his head and eyed Kepa's stair well, he prayed somehow the sound proofing was legitimate and not simply just an idea he forgot to truly put into motion. His eyes gently scanned their shared abode in delighted shock. The sheer depth of switched dimensions felt had him long-blinking in a steady dip of understanding. Although the common room and kitchen was dark, due to lights out and gloomy skies that desperately tried to cast in sunlight, Gideon sagged his shoulders in release and felt, truly, that this was a genuine point of safety, as if it had a veil over it that removed any mental or physical ailments, no questions asked.

Gideon heaved a shaky sigh, eyed said still and dim room and felt a wiggle of anger still boil in his stomach. With such a dip into said veil of safety, on top of the fact that he was temporarily all alone, he grit his teeth behind a closed-mouth little grimace and huffed a shaky little sigh of teary mental exhaustion. He firmly furrowed his eyebrows, messily rubbed his face and eyes in full agitation and began to now saunter over to the kitchen island. Every appliance in the kitchen cutely hummed in quiet, electric life, the place was still, and though Gideon had a tiny moment of tears all to himself, tears of both elation and frustration, he approached the island with the further downswing of release and tenderness and took note of Kepa's left-behind presence. He raised his eyebrows as the fog began to lift, and as he cutely looked about with finally-adjusted eyes, he held his breath and sweetly began to see little touches of decor, little hints of Kepa now making herself at home.

The kitchen sink had a mug and a plate inside, although not cast with dirty left overs, it looked as if she rinsed it and left it to properly clean later. The kettle was on the stove, clearly had been used, the roll of paper towels looked mildly handled, the clock on the microwave was finally set from the blinking twelve o'clock it had been methodically stationed at. Gideon felt his core finally relax, and as he pressed to the light switches and gave the common room proper life, he smiled a little and took note of Kepa's mysterious little bone-throwing trinkets on one end of the island, as well as a journal. Eager to nose about and really see just what Kepa was up to, he refrained from opening the pages, however hard and tempting it was. One of the bar chairs had a tattered, though noticeably washed and dried little hoodie draped the back, and with a few books cutely stacked near the fridge, on the counter, Gideon put his hands on his hips and felt relieved Kepa was making herself at home. Having cutely brought down a few of her own little decorations, Gideon narrowed his gaze and was due to taking a few steps closer to something that resembled a wind chime, off near the french double doors that looked out to the gloomy ocean, though Kepa's upstairs door creaked open, causing him to perk up in prickled discovery and fixate his gaze tight to the dark stairwell in anticipation.

"Oh, hey," Kepa chirped, although her voice was at a gentle volume, it was immediately clear to Gideon that she had likely been awake for quite some time. Her powerful two feet thud down the stairs, her lithe tail swayed in the flow of it all, she wore a cozy, faded green t-shirt and black sweat pants with a big hole in her left knee. She smiled and warmly pressed on as she finally came to Gideon's ground level with a swing, "You just get here?"

"I did, is your area sound proof? I didn't wake you up, did I?" Gideon wondered nervously, though he held his breath in baited anticipation as Kepa scuffed to a halt, her tail lifted with a gentle sag of the fluffy tip, her big ears held like huge satellites straight for Gideon's person.

Although Gideon wanted to almost outwardly swoon at the sheer gloss and clean of her beautiful, pale pink hair, the obvious glean of soft, tidy and groomed fur that made entirely clear that she heavily enjoyed a likely long, hot shower, the night prior, his heart thud for a different reason immediately brought about. Kepa held up a finger, narrowed her now-becoming hugely dilated pupils and sweetly began to sniffle the air in Gideon's direction. Gideon held his breath and immediately worried if he maybe forgot to put on deodorant, though he reeled at all the obvious signs in front of him. Not only a master at all senses, Kepa's sharp, witchy intuition made him feel as if he wasn't as much of a closed book as he wanted to be. Only taking in a few sniffles and allowed pure silence and stillness between both beings, Kepa furrowed her eyebrows in a pang of almost sorrowful confusion and patiently looked about the still, half-complete common room, a room that usually was illuminated by sunlight though was now prominently aglow with their warm house lights.

"You okay?" Gideon pressed, almost in a whisper, as if to worry that he'd maybe pop her bubble had he spoken too loudly.

"No, I'm fine, I just... I don't know, I feel like I just stepped into a bubble of molasses," Kepa giggled cutely, she sagged and realized her prickled expressions was making Gideon's demeanor more on edge. She softened, took a few steps deeper into the common area and kitchen and curiously continued to look about. She kept a light and airy demeanor, though deep down, she felt wary, "I don't know, the energy in here is weird, you sure you just got here?"

"Yeah, I literally just walked in not thirty seconds ago," Gideon huffed a nervous chuckle and rubbed the back of his head; now very well aware Kepa was picking up on all of his angry, bad vibes, he eyed the kitchen island and inwardly scolded himself in mental begging to calm down and keep literally everyone off of his scent.

"Odd, y'okay?" Kepa wondered plainly, Gideon only barely tossed his eyes in her direction and smiled, and though they only barely caught eyes, he could absolutely tell that Kepa was firmly on to him.

"I'm great, just grouchy, I accidentally set my alarm noise for that like... Aggressive, blaring tone instead of the dainty chimes, so it like... Scared me awake," Gideon skillfully fibbed as both beings stepped into the kitchen. Kepa sweetly hummed a little notion of relatability, even though she knew this wasn't the truth, on top of never owning a phone or an alarm clock. Clouded, Gideon didn't catch this obvious fact and instead pressed towards the fridge, "I just need some coffee and I'll be fine."

"Coffee IS the cure-all," Kepa's voice chimed in snarky delight as she pointed in a waggle of her finger in agreeing, she huffed to a sit at the island and began to patiently tidy the items she had left the night prior.

"You finally get sleep?" Gideon wondered in brightened happiness and remembrance, he smiled to Kepa over his shoulder, though bent over and began to almost aimlessly busy himself in the fridge.

"Nope," Kepa chirped happily as she flattened her ears and donned a cheeky, broad, closed-mouth little grin of sheepish delight. Gideon firmly furrowed his eyebrows, closed the fridge in a hefty little shove and finally joined Kepa at the island. He stood across from her and planted his palms to the cherry wood, he tapped his fingers in a gentle stew of subtle, restless agitation, though his eyes held tight to Kepa's in boyish, smiling apology, "Trust me... You'll know. I'll come downstairs looking like either a new cat, or, well... A day-old hair ball."

"It'll be worth it," Gideon huffed so kindly, he diligently covered the rush of his agitated mental state with a very sunny, believable show of easiness. Kepa narrowed her gaze, smiled and tucked her chin into the backs of her lazy fingers, which interlaced under her jaw; her elbows sagged firm to the counter before her, a look of pure, knowing cheek hung tight to her demeanor. Subtly taking note of her prodding spirit, Gideon hurried to carry on in a last-ditch effort to get her off of his scent, for good, "So, what... You just turn to stone last night, then?"

"For a bit, yeah," Kepa shrugged, her smiling eyes held tight to him, as if she were very easily dissecting his soul by just this little lesson in looking, something Gideon now somehow began to grow outwardly agitated by; she knew this for fact by the way Gideon reached behind his head, grappled the hood of his hoodie and began to now clumsily take his hoodie off in not only a physical distraction, but a final excuse to break away from Kepa's intense eye contact. Knowing all the signs, Kepa firmly laughed and shook her head as he struggled with his hoodie in a deep grunt of chuckling, boyish delight. She crossed her arms, cozily leaned back into the chair and shook her head in grinning disbelief at just how good he was at masking and diverting, though she sneakily wrinkled her nose in the lift of her faint whiskers and hissed him a gentle notion of prodding, "I'm assuming you slept well, then? You humans need it to survive. Poor things."

"I did," Gideon chirped as he finally swiped his hoodie off of his torso and wrangled his arms out of the sleeves. Kepa covered her mouth and lazily stifled a laugh at Gideon's now messy hair in a sprout atop his head. He grinned, rolled his eyes and began to half-heartedly tidy said sprout of auburn, to which he finally shlepped his hoodie to the other side of the island's counter and, like clockwork, continued to tippy-tap the counter tops with the big, hefty thumps of his larger finger tips, pure agitation oozed from his demeanor. So much so, Kepa long-blinked and almost began to feel dizzy due to it. A big ball of contradictions, his sweet, husky voice ushered her the weirdest, ironic kiss of steady warmth, of which absolutely did not match the energy he was putting out, "Can't imagine turning to stone would hurt, though, I should try it sometime."

"Gideon," Kepa cooed in a dull mumble of almost motherly knowing.

"Yeah?" Gideon wondered as he raised his eyebrows in sweet, baited wait, though he did so in the act of swinging himself away from the island and heading to the thermostat, "You, uh... You mind if I turn it down a little? It's so hot in here."

"... Yeah, a muggy seventy degrees, it's scorching, turn it colder," Kepa mumbled cutely as she lazily readjusted the cross of her arms, tucked her knees in between the island's counter and her body and sagged her much bigger, bunny-like feet into the seat underneath her. Her tail cutely flicked up and over her lap, and with a twitch, she perked her ears and kept every single last ounce of her curious energy tight to Gideon's, as if she was simply a spectator of a hive of bees that had been so rudely disturbed, of which said disturbance couldn't be sourced. Gideon's big finger firmly turned the thermostat's heat down a few notches, and as he came back to the island, Kepa largely flinched as he manifested himself a very tasty, frosty, creamy ice coffee. Kepa gaped with a smile and gestured her hand out to Gideon's figure as he took a hearty, almost desperate swig, "Hey, now, this common room has rules."

"... Ah yeah? What kind of rules," Gideon grunted with a big, boyish smile as he returned his mouth to the straw and happily took a few heavy swallows of the intoxicating, delicious iced coffee.

"This is a shared space, so everything get's shared," Kepa held her arms and hands outwards, in the direction of Gideon's coffee, "I don't want my own, I just want a sip to see what you've chosen for yourself this morning."

"It's boring, just vanilla sweet cream cold brew," Gideon mumbled; his order from Sugarbucks, he did whatever he could to manifest said iced coffee into a plain cup that excluded Sugarbucks' logo. Politely, he handed the frosty cup over the gape of the island, that separated both beings, and as Kepa retrieved the drink and took a dainty swig, Gideon barked a cute laugh, alongside his handsome smile, and watched as she bugged her eyes, perked her big ears high on her head and firmly wrinkled her nose in a very visible shudder that seemingly rocked her coding to the core, "What! It's not that strong."

"THAT'S strong, my guy, User," Kepa's voice rasped in dramatic shock as she handed the cup back to Gideon, although absolutely delicious and creamy, Kepa eyed Gideon in sneaky delight and was glad her little ploy worked, here. The very beginning steps of hopefully unravelling Gideon from pent up, secretive agitation, she softened her shoulders, sat up a little and, although her cute and playful little look of adoring delight held tight to her demeanor, she softened in the downswing of conclusory knowing and side-eyed Gideon, "Gid... C'mere."

"Hmm?" Gideon hummed through another few gulps of his drink, though Kepa looked down to the island's edge, adjacent her, and gestured to it.

"C'mere, stand here," Kepa now softly urged, her playful front dropped, cueing Gideon in a spike of now nervous dread; thinking he was totally in the clear with his coffee trick, he felt himself want to wall up in a defensive stance of uncertainty. He stood still, held eyes tight with her, set his drink down and stubbornly didn't budge. Kepa blurt a small, annoyed giggle and made her hand and arm gestures a bit more fervent, "C'mon, Gideon, come stand next to me, let's address the HUGE issue here that you're desperately trying to sweep underneath a napkin-sized rug, my friend."

Gideon heaved a long, annoyed sigh, looked off and stiffened. Blaring warning signals began to urgently go off in his brain, and in the freeze of fight or flight, his eyes dart about his sunny little abode and felt his heart sink in a prickle of understanding. He long-blinked, brought his hurt, cautious eyes back to Kepa's and was thrilled the two remained frozen in a vat of friendship that so easily encompassed them. Not certain just what Kepa would even say or do, here, he knew he had to do everything he could to keep at least some of his secrets tightly concealed. Caught in these stiff, stinging positions before, he felt his shoulders relax at the stark difference, here. Kepa's eyes held firm to his in a loft of genuine concern, the air about them was still and judgement-free, rain began to quietly splatter the still-worn and rotting deck outside, everything inside Turbotime was in an easy ebb and flow of steady love with no time frame or conditions. For the first time in his life, he felt a whole sweep of mental safety, and with that, he finally sagged his shoulders and softened his facial expressions.

"There you are, geez, look, I may not know you incredibly well just yet, but... I can sense upset from a million miles away," Kepa muttered tightly with a giggle, and though Gideon had softened, he now frowned, rolled his eyes and looked off in becoming-embarrassment. Kepa gingerly pat the counter nearest her and requested for him, once more, "C'mere, I don't bite. I mean, I have the capability, but I won't."

"... 'C'mere' says the apex predator," Gideon muttered with a little smile that finally sprawled his handsome face, and with hesitancy, he slowly eased about the island and joined her with nothing but one of the island's corners between them.

"Bunny-kicks and all," Kepa sneered with the sag of her beautiful ears, and as Gideon got closer, he subtly admired the clean, shiny glean she radiated. She smelled like soaps and shampoos, every single little fur on her face was orderly and bright. Kepa heaved a little sigh, and much to Gideon's whole surprise, she gently rested her hand atop his much bigger one, the feel of her hot, squishy, pink toe-beans on the back of his bigger wrecking hand had his eyes glancing to the daintily odd feeling and sight, "Look, you don't have to tell me what's wrong, I already know what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong," Gideon mumbled dryly, and though he was well aware he wasn't fooling her, she lulled her eyes closed in a lazy long-blink of proving to Gideon that she was playfully becoming annoyed of all of his stubborn protesting.

"And my fur's hot pink," Kepa volleyed, to which Gideon shot her a confused look she only easily returned with a sassy smile, "I mean, hey, as long as we're both spouting nonsense, yeah?"

Gideon bit his tongue in billowing frustration, nodded and looked off, though said nodding was proof to her that he was becoming mildly unglued and was due to not paying her mind and following instructions, shortly.

"Gideon, take a sip of your coffee," Kepa nonchalantly instructed, to which Gideon furrowed his eyebrows and peered hard into her eyes; she looked serious, the curveball thrown had him feeling as if he was now uncertain of just where this was going. Positive she was going to pry and pry and pry, he felt whiplash from the total switch up. With rightful caution, Gideon took a swig of his coffee, eyeing Kepa the whole time. Kepa shrugged and let her eyes dance all about the coffee, his arms, his broad chest, before coming back to his gaze with full, honest intent, "Tastes good, yeah?"

"Yeah, it's my order," Gideon shrugged, he tried not to allow himself to show too much of a wall of annoyance. Although they were fast friends, he didn't want to scare her off with the mountain of triggers and trauma he was very proudly sitting atop.

"Yeah, it's good, it's just your standard coffee. It's nothing special," Kepa mumbled dryly, Gideon tossed her a cutely offended smile, "I can say that because I had a sip of it. It's truly nothing special."

"Thanks, love you too," Gideon tightly muttered in hot sarcasm, she largely choked a laugh, looked off and grinned in full-fanged surprise.

"Gideon, think of the TASTIEST iced coffee you've ever had, y'thinking of it?" Kepa staggered through hard giggling, said giggling Gideon couldn't hide his annoyed smiling from. He rolled his eyes and lifted the cup, as if to state to her that said rapid-fire-manifestation was it, "Alright, so, THIS is the tastiest iced coffee you can get? Really?"

"I mean, yeah," Gideon shrugged, he set his drink down and grinned in confused, now plucked cuteness, "Where is this going?"

"Really think about it, Gideon... Pretend it's made with the richest, freshest, most golden coffee in this whole universe," Kepa hissed in hushed cuteness as she finally removed her hand from the back of Gideon's, sprawled her hands and fingers out as if to express tangible imagining "The sweetest cream, the boldest tasting vanilla... The coldest ice, all mixed together in the perfect drink. THE iced coffee."

Gideon furrowed his eyebrows and peered down to his mundane iced coffee. Although he wanted to stubbornly keep Kepa at bay, he was well aware this coffee was absolutely nothing grand. Gideon cocked an eyebrow and peered to Kepa in a slower show of still, patient listening.

"If you could really dream it up, REALLY think about it... Could you manifest an iced coffee that would sell for one hundred dollars a cup?" Kepa wondered in dainty gentleness, she side-eyed Gideon in full snark, however.

"... That'd have to be one bitchin' iced coffee," Gideon's deep, cranky voice grumbled, Kepa snapped her fingers with wide-eyes, perked ears and an excited smile.

"Pretend you were a worker at Lash's shop, and you have a customer in front of you READY to put one hundred dollars in YOUR pocket... If you manifested the iced coffee of the century," Kepa hissed cutely, "Really think on it, really take time to make it happen. Don't just think about it, really lean into HOW you're going to make it happen. Intention without form is just unfocused energy."

Gideon held still and peered down to the boring iced coffee in his hand; the more Kepa spoke on it, the more he truly felt his shivering soul sprout wings. He peered into her eyes and wondered just what kind of a character she saw in him. All of these notions had his walls caving in, and with a steady, thick inhale, he finally did whatever he could to calm the storm in his mind and really focus on the tiny task at hand. Although difficult to yank the storm clouds away from Kepa's temporary request at sunlight, he still managed and successfully manifested yet another frosty thing of iced coffee. Both beings flinched and peered hard to the glass; although both coffees looked exactly the same, Gideon suspiciously narrowed his gaze and peered into Kepa's eyes, as if to ask if this was real, as if he wasn't the one to be making this all possible right now. Kepa crossed her arms, shrugged and nonchalantly tossed her eyes back and forth between the coffee and Gideon's curious, boyish stare.

"G'head," Kepa's voice lilted in cheery nonchalance.

Gideon inhaled a shaky breath, brought the straw to his lips and took a cautious sip. Unsure if this was either real or simply placebo, Gideon felt the hit of likely the tastiest iced coffee he could've ever dreamed of. He bugged his eyes in surprise and now fully allowed all stubbornness to subside. He took a step away from Kepa, peered firmly into her gaze with riled shock and watched as she grinned, covered her mouth with both hands and flung her hefty tail up and over her lap, once more. She loudly giggled into her hands, in a scrunch of whole entire delight, and as Gideon went in for another sip, he pulled away from the drink and curiously peered back at his original iced coffee with floored, confused fervor.

"Kepa, what the hell did you do?" Gideon urged with a hearty laugh, to which Kepa easily joined.

"I did NOTHING," Kepa held her hands up, as if to properly show innocence, "That was all you, dude. It's too early in the morning for my craft, you were on your own with that one."

"Taste this," Gideon playfully demanded as he handed her the fresh iced coffee, and though she took a swig, she dreamily sagged, hugged the cup to her chest and now properly claimed it. Gideon put his hands on his hips and firmly eyed her with an annoyed grin. She sheepishly began to giggle into the straw, and through sipping, she scrunched deeper and deeper into herself, the sway of her hefty, long tail now began to drape over her head as if that'd help her hide from Gideon's now curious show of whole shock, "You're shitting me. Is this another one of your manifestation tricks?"

"No, I don't practice until I, myself, have had my morning coffee," Kepa giggled, her eyes held tight to Gideon's in soft honesty, "That truly was all you. Y'wanna know how?"

"How," Gideon huffed in smiling agitation.

"You believed," Kepa cooed sweetly.

"No, YOU believed," Gideon curtly volleyed, his agitated smile remained, and though he was certain he had laid check-mate, Kepa flattened her ears and daintily tapped the clear lid with the exposed dagger-like black claws of her pointer and middle finger.

"It has to start somewhere, doesn't it?" Kepa's voice was ladened with now softening ease, "Maybe I struck the flint, but... The wick is still inside YOU."

Gideon slowly sagged, glossed his eyes to Kepa's intimidating claws and eased back into her caring eye contact.

"You had the choice to fan away my request, but you instead chose to coddle the flame, there," Kepa nearly sneered, she side-eyed Gideon with full, loving sass and narrowed her predatory, feline gaze alongside a sneaky smile, "Because you believed in yourself, you believed it could be done."

Gideon heaved a long, dreaded sigh through his nose, rested his now steady hands to the counter and leaned in to a world of thought. The little being to his left simply being a powerhouse of challenge and thought-provoking drive he needed to carry forward with grace. He finally gave Kepa a look of conclusory easiness, the storm in him now stiffened to a dull of aired, settled dust, air that could be seen through, once more.

"Look... I don't need the details of the fight you were in, this morning. Who it was with, what it was about," Kepa dragged on in easiness, though Gideon froze and held his breath in rocked exposure. Although he felt the urge to shy to it, somehow the idea that Kepa wasn't going to claw at him for details made him now want to divulge entirely. Kepa shrugged her little shoulders and crossed her arms across her now secured iced coffee of the century, "Whoever it is, I know they love you. And I can tell this because... You are this HUGE mass of conflicting energy, this morning. You typically are a little dust-devil of certain emotion, but this morning... Whew. Catastrophic tornado with no path."

"I'm sorry," Gideon mumbled in warm embarrassment, Kepa could see his demeanor very visibly loosen and show final ease.

"You don't need to be sorry, I just really hope that, moving forward, you see your problems as opportunities," Kepa suggested gently, "Sure, whatever is going on sucks, and... From what you told me, you feel left out and isolated with the beings you choose to surround yourself with. Treat it like this iced coffee. Maybe this first time around SUCKED."

"This one did suck," Gideon muttered cutely as he grabbed the first, original iced coffee and jostled it around. He took a subtle sip of it and now wrinkled his nose in gentle disgust.

"Sure, you had a thing that was sort of bringing you joy, or so you thought... But, once you settled your thoughts and REALLY figured out just what you wanted, and why, and how," Kepa rattled on her fingers, she firmly gestured at the delicious iced coffee rested against her being, "Bingo, my guy. It's all in you. YOU did this, not me. I told you that if I started mentoring you, you'd literally become unstoppable. Y'got the power and the intention, both of which are just variable parts of the greater formula."

"...The pieces of the puzzle to run Lash out of business," Gideon mumbled in playful cuteness as he set the original iced coffee down, for good, and held out his hand in preparation to manifest himself another iced coffee, one with much richer, greater intention.

"You manifest in such a way that makes you look like a lightning storm. You move too fast, the air around you is nothing but jagged vibrations. Your skill, and your life, would be much richer if you really stopped to think on it all before you moved, think of your actions as if you're on a chess board," Kepa wisely instructed, "You can will shit into existence... With power like that, you should be ushering care along with it. Don't just make it happen, ask yourself why it's happening, dig your heels, in, friend. Get to know yourself. I can tell you're so set on having others understand YOU, but... Methinks you should pick at your own brain, from time to time."

Gideon felt his heart suddenly sweep into an embrace at Kepa's words, and with such a cute little kiss of warm radiating from her smiling face, he narrowed his eyes and was now swiftly reminded of one thing; since arriving, he hadn't a single lighthouse dream or nightmare. Having understood it was simply because that goal was accomplished, he suddenly felt free. Free to do anything, to go anywhere, to fill his life with goodness that Kepa had suggested, although he had been desperate for camaraderie, he bashfully smiled down to his hands and was well aware that it was all right in his face, right in this instance. As if the universe had done him the hugest favor, had set him on the straightest course with the North Star dead-ahead, he felt a wiggle of release go down his spine. Not keen on fighting with family, he knew he had work to do, and Kepa's very sneaky, subtle kick in the pants was exactly what he needed.

"... Thank you," Gideon's deep voice ushered her in tender warmth, she bobbed a nod and lulled her eyes closed.

"You're welcome, here, friend," Kepa steadily assured, though she perked her ears and gestured to Gideon's right hand, "Alright, again. Make yours better than the one I'm holding. Make each time greater than the last."

Gideon held out his hand, inhaled a long, deep breath through his nose and narrowed his gaze with the catch of sunlight that peered through the grey clouds, just outside. Although the sun had risen a fair amount, he could still see the underside of the sun peaking from the tops of the French door's glass and wooden frame. He could feel his pupils tighten with the proverbial refresh of it all, and as he began to quiet the tornado in his mind and really focus on just what he wanted, right in this moment, he easily manifested himself yet another tasty drink. With a now proper swathe of humility, he took a sip of this fresh iced coffee, felt the embrace of knowing it gave his soul and closed his eyes in a dreamy sense of accomplishment. He smiled as Kepa giggled and waggled her finger in his direction, he took another patient sip as her snarky, playful voice carried on.

"Of the little time I've been able to watch you actually use your power, I can tell it's a knee-jerk, fast process," Kepa stated, she set her own iced coffee on the counter before her and sat up a little straighter, "Is there something that causes that? Everything you do is so quick and, like... You HAVE to get it done right this second."

"I don't know, I never really noticed," Gideon mumbled, he shyly rubbed the back of his head and dart his eyes about the kitchen, "I find myself getting impatient really easily."

"The instant gratification of your powers is fueling that, I guarantee," Kepa stated lowly, she perked her ears forward in dainty curiosity, "I'll bet you a million dollars, you went home last night and absolutely passed out. Surely all of this rapid-fire manifesting was exhausting."

"It was," Gideon admitted warily, though he grew nervous and gestured towards Kepa with plea, something she flinched at in the process of standing, "But, no, like... I-I enjoy doing it, everything I've done here wasn't in vain."

"I know it wasn't, but it still exhausted you, as opposed to a slower more thoughtful approach that GIVES you energy instead," Kepa shrugged, she stepped around Gideon and walked over to the sink, deeper in the kitchen. She turned on the faucet and was prepared to clean her dishes, "Sure, you wouldn't get just as much done, but... Everything manifested would feel all the more authentic, the energy throughout your chore would feel richer. Does this make sense?"

"Yeah," Gideon sighed, he looked about the kitchen in mild embarrassment; although everything manifested was beautifully crafted, replicas of the palace's architecture, mocking just what he was raised with, he eyed each appliance, each little detail that now seemed forced and rushed, instead of brought about with full, thoughtful and positive intentions.

He dragged his eyes to Kepa's back and sighed, he watched as her arms and elbows jostled about in the methodical show of cleaning her own dishes in a scrubbing motion. Her beautiful, pale pink hair draped down between her strong shoulder blades, an area Gideon was aware she housed the ability to make her wings appear at will. A hundred thoughts rushed his brain, thoughts of wishing he knew worlds more about Kepa at a much faster pace, though even in that he lulled his eyes closed and knew all of it couldn't be willed immediately, not everything was a race. He looked down to his incredibly delicious coffee, eyed his very first attempt and began to take it to the double-sink. In joining Kepa, she cutely chirped a noise, flicked her heavy tail up and away from Gideon and made room for him next to her. He carefully dumped the first iced coffee and watched as, with all of her scary claws out, she diligently scrubbed her dishes in the hot soapy water that ran over her hands.

"So, what's on the agenda today, then?" Gideon's deep voice ushered her over the sound of the running faucet, and although she gently shrugged, she beamed a twinkly, excited little smile down into the chore below her.

"Well, I think we should clean out the hollow of the tower... I had a few ideas, but, you might think they're silly," Kepa mumbled, the twinkle in her eye remained, though the more she verbally brought said notion out into the world, the more she assured herself that it may seem silly.

"It's not silly, tell me," Gideon cooed cautiously, he dripped off the excess condensation in and outside of the cup, lidded the empty thing and set it aside to later throw away. He crossed his arms, turned around and now leaned his lower back and rear against the counter Kepa was still stationed at.

"Well... We can make it so we can access the light, at the top of the lighthouse, but... I was wondering if we could place landings all along the inside walls of the tower? So I can, I don't know... Climb and stuff?" Kepa mumbled bashfully, she shrugged and desperately tried to come across as nonchalant, though Gideon could tell this was something she really wanted, "I-I mean, I can climb the trees in Juniper, but... I mean, I'd kind of like to have a climbing area in the comfort of my own home."

"One GIANT cat tree," Gideon choked a laugh, to which Kepa now couldn't conceal her grin, both friends erupted in laughter, though Gideon winced and took a step away as she threatened to swat him with the soap in her hand, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding... We can totally do that, why were you nervous to tell me? That's an obvious thing that someone like you would want, right? Good exercise, yeah?"

"Yeah, I've lost touch... And I'm tired of sharpening my claws on palm bark, it hurts sometimes," Kepa mumbled as she pulled her hands from the water and now properly showed her scary, long black claws, extended and on full display; Gideon tried not to visibly gulp, "Just landings where I can climb and jump and stuff..."

"Also known as, more areas used to run away from Gideon," Gideon muttered, Kepa bobbed a nod and grinned as she finally turned the faucet off and dried her hands.

"You're not wrong," Kepa sneered, Gideon smiled, inhaled a deep breath and rolled his eyes, though as he quickly shoved from his lean and rubbed his hands together, so to get to work, he slowed his roll and felt realization hit him. Kepa crossed her arms, shifted in her flatter stance and eyed Gideon in cute knowing, and though he looked to come to the realization of slowing down all on his own, Kepa lifted her head and ushered him a quiet notion of certainty, "I think your first step, Gideon, is to sit down and have some breakfast... The lighthouse isn't going anywhere, nor are the platforms or giant cat trees or having your eyes clawed out."

Both friends happily laughed with each other as Gideon gently tossed his eyes in the direction of the currently blank, shared wall with the base of the huge lighthouse tower; knowing he'd have to make a big entry way, into said tower, clear any dust and junk settled inside the tower, he desperately did what he could to resist the knee-jerk reaction to just plow through and get it all over with. He dragged his eyes back to his patient, lovely new friend and finally sagged with a heavy sigh, for good, as she gestured her arms and hands out to him. She smiled to him in cute apology and shrugged.

"It's not going anywhere, Gid," Kepa almost whispered, to which Gideon bobbed a conclusory nod and eyed the main room in the mental switch of activities.

Now eager to enjoy a slow and easy breakfast with his friend, he allowed his mind to settle to the facts before him, the notion that there was no time frame for any of this, including his friendship with Kepa. Grateful to have her in his corner, he knew she was the key to being guided, the key to sourcing a gentler, happier lifestyle he was desperate for, and as they melted into lighter conversation, Gideon promised himself he'd glue her advice to the front of his brain, like his life depended on it. Having immediately felt better, due to the switch up on care and attention he was getting, he worried that all of his secrets were due to come spilling out a lot faster than he wanted. The safe point Kepa had so diligently made for him was something he felt was priceless, and though he was wary, he knew giving back to her was likely tighter on the horizon than anticipated.