Reviews :
Snake557 : Haha Callum is definitely an opportunist. And, thank you friend. I hope I haven't ruffled too many feathers.
Burgie : I appreciate it a lot! Thank you! :D Yeah, Callum... -sigh-
Song Listened To :
No Roots by Alice Merton
*Chapter 118*
Stationed underneath a beach umbrella, the cut of sunshine on their legs, the rush of the cooler ocean air on everyone's skin, Kepa lulled her eyes closed in a flutter and marinated in the distant sound of Gideon and Mara cutely bickering from a dozen or so feet away. Nearing late afternoon hours, the gang had already had a fun, productive day of beach lounging, delicious food and drink, fun conversations and all sorts of new discoveries, on Kepa's end. Sure that Koko and Nox were also doing their own secret studies, Kepa was glad that at least everyone got along. Although said easy flow of temperaments and personalities, Kepa was now easily deducing Gideon's side of the argument. She could see Gideon's plight, the fight he had to be included, the way his sister would cut him off in conversation, as innocent as it all seemed, Kepa could feel her heart beginning to just barely harden towards Gideon's brood. Full protectiveness for Gideon, as her first priority, was now something she was excited to wear, like a badge of honor. Being Gideon's true point of safety, she understood the weight of it all, the impact she had by being in Gideon's corner. Eager to not step on toes, she also was fiercely on the look out for any instances where she'd have to stick up for Gideon against his big sister; a scary task to think about, though something she knew she'd do, hands down, if necessary.
For the hundredth time today, Kepa's strong sense of smell immediately caught with yet another whiff of what smelled to be wet dog. She furrowed her brow in rising frustration, peeled open her eyes in the slide of her black, second eye lids, peered out to the gorgeous cut of sunny ocean underneath their massive beach umbrella and allowed her nose to simply accept the rush of air hitting her. She long blinked and assessed who she was with. Having Nox stationed close to her left, equally as blissfully relaxing, Koko a dozen feet in front of Nox silently and cutely building herself a sand castle just outside the umbrella's shade, Gideon and Mara were slowly trudging their way back to the umbrella from the ocean and Lash had retreated to the light house to use the bathroom. Now sourcing this smell to the two strangers she was never with, she felt bravery soak her, she knew the whole plight of rushing to Gideon's aid went both ways, and though she was nervous to unflinchingly be herself to anyone but Gideon, she bravely tried it on and wondered what would come of this cat-like assessment. With assuredness, Kepa flattened her ears, tossed her eyes to Nox's bare shoulder and gently began to loudly sniffle in his direction. He raised his eyebrows, popped his golden eyes open and cutely peered to his right. Upon seeing Kepa close in, whiskers at full mast, curious sniffling now pressed on, unabated, Nox erupted into quiet laughter and laid still for Kepa to continue her assessment.
"... Can I help you? Scary jungle-cat?" Nox staggered with a happy little laugh as Kepa just barely broke focus to allow a dainty, knowing smile sprawl her face, though upon seeing Nox patiently sit still and let her carry through with her wonderings, she gently opened her mouth and allowed for the typical 'stink-face' to crown her, fangs bared and continued sniffling that finally caught with Nox's bare shoulder, her damp, cold nose eased to his skin as she continued to fervently smell him, "I promise I put on deodorant this morning, but... Surely the ocean washed it all away."
"Y'guys good?" Koko staggered a laugh, sat back on her legs, in her cozy kneel in the pillowy sand, she brushed her ocean-swept, poofy, dark brown hair out of her face.
"It was nice knowing you, babe," Nox volleyed to Koko sarcastically; over the course of the day, Kepa and Nox had grown the closest due to his character being very similar to Lash's, in terms of witty comebacks, a sharp, sarcastic sense of humor, it was something Kepa had an easier time resonating with. Both beings laid on their backs, propped up on their elbows, Nox finally brought his face back to Kepa's and cutely peered down to her in a show of sheepish concern, "Kepa, please. I promise I'm not tasty, please do not consider me as your next meal."
"I'm sorry, I keep getting this whiff of, like..." Kepa lapped her longer, flat tongue over her damp nose, eased out of Nox's tight presence and aimlessly looked past him and Koko; before he could continue on, Nox stiffened a little and called out to Gideon, who was now within earshot, alongside Mara.
"Gideon! Come get your scary feline predator girlfriend before she eats me!" Nox cried, Kepa came back to the planet and tossed her eyes to Gideon, far off to her right.
"...What?" Gideon called with a choke of a laugh, as did Mara.
"I'm not going to eat you, humans aren't tasty at all," Kepa cried in giggling frustration, Nox's face sloped to dread at Kepa's insinuation, though before Nox could inquire how she would even know that, Kepa continued, "No, I keep smelling a canine on you, mostly you..."
"...Ohh, well," Nox softened with a nod and chose his words carefully, he now understood that what Kepa was smelling was definitely Chester, "My big brother, Turbo, has a dog. I was with the both of them this morning."
"Ohh, Chester," Koko urged as she sagged in smiling knowing, Nox nodded and smiled into Kepa's eyes.
"Sorry, kitty-cat," Nox cheesed, Kepa tsked a noise of annoyance, sagged back and flicked her tail in a drape over her body in teasing annoyance.
"What's going on?" Gideon questioned once more, confusion continued to rein supreme.
"She was smelling Chester on me, she was confused why I smelled like a dog," Nox gestured his hand to Kepa and brightened, "If I were a cat, I, too, would be worried."
"I'm not worried," Kepa stabbed in smiling irritation, Nox rolled his eyes and waggled his hand.
"Surrre, sure," Nox guffawed, Gideon grunted to a sit next to Kepa's figure, his legs lazily criss-crossed.
"I never considered that... Cats usually hate dogs, right?" Koko inquired cutely, her and Kepa caught eyes, though with the haunting cross-hairs of Kepa's pupils stared straight into Koko's soul, she struggled to carry on, "Though, surely that's... Just a myth."
"Dogs, or gamers with dog-like energy, really just feels overbearing and invasive," Kepa delicately laid with a shrug, Gideon cutely kept his eyes tight to her figure as he sat hunched with his arms and hands lazily in his lap, "Dogs have hyper energy, cats are all about preservation."
"Speaking from experience, my life was just spared," Nox clutched his chest and eased a happy laugh as Mara finally sagged to a plop of a sit on the sand just outside the beach blanket and cut of the umbrella's shade, Lash could also be seen returning to their fun get-together.
"I'm not the only predator, here, my guy," Kepa volleyed lazily, Nox furrowed his brow and shot her a look of full, boyish confusion.
"Wait, what?" Nox worried, Kepa giggled and cutely tapped his forehead, between his eyes, with the hefty claw on her pointer finger.
"Y'got eyes on the front of your face, dontcha?" Kepa retort, causing everyone to fall silent in full knowing, "Prey animals have eyes on the sides of their head... Front-facing eyes are for linear hunting paths. Side-facing eyes are for protecting your six."
"... Well, damn," Nox muttered, he eased a huff of an elated chuckle and glanced in Koko's direction, "Never thought of it, like that."
"Only difference here is who is a predator, and who is an apex predator," Kepa quipped cutely as she sagged back to her elbows, lulled her eyes closed in cute, scheming knowing; Gideon was the only one to erupt into cute laughter, his bigger hand delicately reached for her tail and, with a kind grab, he brought her tail to his lap so to innocently pet and assess the tip of her tail.
"Oh, so you're the superior one, here," Nox argued as Lash came to the group.
"... In terms of sheer physical strength, yes," Lash interrupted, the group howled with laughter as Nox peered up to his big brother in annoyed defeat, "Even gamer powers, I'd say Kepa would ruin the lot of us."
"You're the head of this whole game," Nox volleyed, and without actually saying that Lash and Mara were Users and would, indeed, eviscerate nearly everyone off of the map, he refrained for their animosity.
"Yeah, and she can breath fire, turn to stone, fly," Lash fervently listed on his fingers, "Also, uh... You see the claws and fangs on that girl? Yeah, we're all lunch."
"Well, it was REALLY nice hanging out with you, Kepa," Koko began to joke as she pretended to stand in preparation of leaving, everyone howled with happy laughter.
"I'm not about violence, you guys, I just got a whiff of canine-smell and it was confusing," Kepa reiterated with a calm smile and a waggle of her hand.
"That could be a cool collaboration for a painting for the lighthouse," Gideon started softly, and though he was issuing all of this information to Kepa, who cutely fanned her ears and peered up to Gideon in adoring listening, Gideon patiently carried on, "Maybe like, a wolf and a tiger, and there could be-"
"Mara and I found a GIANT jellyfish that had washed up on the shore," Koko loudly interrupted, though she directed said conversation upwards in Lash's direction. Gideon noticeably sagged, he gently peered down to Kepa's tail, which was still in his bigger, tender care, Lash peered his attention down to Koko which then drew into the direction she pointed to, "You think there's something we should do about it?"
"It was massive, we were so stressed out," Mara mumbled, Kepa dart her eyes about everyone and felt a sting of confusion prickle her skin.
"Keep telling me your idea, baby, I want to hear," Kepa stated quietly and lovingly to Gideon, the sag of his handsome, golden eyes lifted in revival as they caught with Kepa's.
He brightened a little, and though still ladened in dejectedness, he began to sweetly tell Kepa his idea. It was in this tiny mishap did Kepa feel the weight of Gideon's whole life come plummeting down onto her, suddenly the reason why Gideon was keeping Kepa away from the inner workings of his life was information she finally had her arms around. Certain Gideon was keeping Kepa away for her own protection, she quickly realized Gideon was keeping Kepa away strictly for the protection of everyone else. Having understood that everyone was playfully now terrified of Kepa, the very blatant place of superiority she had over everyone, even inside playful predator-talk, her eyes peered fervently into Gideon's in a swing of full, animalistic protection for her mate. His deep, gentle voice so cutely continued to explain his painting idea, something no one else could relate to, not even herself, though her ears remained trained to his voice and his voice only. Even Nox had diverted their conversation in Kepa's way, having tried to wrangle Kepa into their conversation, and though they weren't blatantly trying to pull her out of her's and Gideon's conversing, it still shook out to be that way. Kepa diligently ignored Nox's requests and kept tight to Gideon's words, and in her peripheral, she could hear Nox, Koko and Lash cutely conclude that they'd fill Kepa and Gideon in on said information later, and with a push, the three stood and began to walk in the direction of the jellyfish Koko was referring to; Mara was the only one to stay behind. Once out of ear shot, Gideon heaved a long, hot sigh through his nose and eyed his family as they left.
"...Is... That a daily occurrence?" Kepa stabbed in frustration for Gideon's square on the grid, Gideon shrugged and bobbed a nod.
"I mean, ever since I've been distancing myself from home, it happens less and less," Gideon tried to sugar-coat the lot of it, though Kepa's pupils drew to tight, scary cross-hair slits of full frustration, her ears pinned to her skull, "I know I'm probably just annoying, it's fine."
"You're not annoying, Giddy," Mara mumbled in a downswing of sweet sorrow as she took Nox's place next to Kepa, to which Kepa sat up and joined the two in upright conversation.
"Has anyone blatantly told you that you were annoying?" Kepa wondered firmly, as if to show she was about to start going to war for Gideon.
"Yeah, in my childhood," Gideon shrugged, Mara frowned and peered to Gideon in apologetic warmth, and although she wasn't a main cause of pain inside of Gideon's childhood, she looked down in mild regret for knowing that she could've potentially been more present, much like how her's and Berri's previous struggles came about.
"And in adulthood?" Kepa prod, Gideon furrowed his brow and looked off towards Lash, Nox and Koko, who eventually reached the shoreline.
"No, no one's said I was annoying, but I've been hinted that I'm hard to deal with, I space out and then hyper-fixate on certain topics no one can resonate with," Gideon staggered with a shrug, "I always fear bringing up things that no one else relates to because... I either get interrupted, like now, or they only lightly act like they care and quickly move on."
"They care," Mara stated in a slump, as if to be certain of her words, though also prove that they could do a better job at showing it.
"People act like you're hard to deal with because you're not easy to fool," Kepa urged darkly, she shook her head and sweetly rested her hand to Gideon's broad left shoulder. She squeezed with a jostle, "It's easy to talk about other people, it's easy to carry on surface-like conversation... It's hard to talk about ideas, things that spark creativity, topics that questions society. That may very well be why she interrupted you... That conversation was about to steer towards a heavy topic about social construct, gamer-type strengths and weaknesses."
"No one wants to talk about sensitive topics, like that," Mara added, "I mean, clearly you two wouldn't mind, I wouldn't mind, I know Lash wouldn't... Koko, ehh... You know how she is."
"Do any of your other siblings do this to you? Cousins?" Kepa stabbed, it was here did Mara grit her teeth and now feel grateful that Kepa wasn't being included on palace-side introductions, how fervently she was due to rushing into battle for Gideon's character was simply splashes of visions, that crossed Mara's mind's eye, of the palace lot simply going up in flames.
"Uh... My big brother, I have a few cousins that do, yeah," Gideon shrugged, he knew the collective was nearly everyone, though he closed his eyes in mental exhaustion and chuckled apologetically, "It's not a huge deal, I just... Know when to stop talking. I've tried making clear how hurt I am, no one really seems to want to help take action to right it."
"Well... When they're not ready to acknowledge that their behavior hurts other people, you trying to hold them accountable maybe makes them feel like they're under attack," Kepa wisely stated through a murmur of a sigh, she rubbed Gideon's upper arm and was glad his fiery eyes held tight to hers in patient listening, though Kepa could see Mara in her peripheral seemingly taking mental notes, as well, "If I didn't know you, if I didn't hear your cries and countless stories, I'd probably wave this off and make clear that Koko probably meant no harm, but..."
"Yeah, we love Koko to death, I think there's just a lazy construct in our family to gossip," Mara stated sorrowfully, "I fall victim to it, sometimes... Our family has, well... Been through some shit. I think it's just comfortable to sag into the confines and security of exchanged information about the other people around us. It's easy, it's cozy. Talking about artwork or other broader topics and skills that the majority of us don't have or relate to, might feel like too much work. In Gideon's eyes, it's exclusion. In their eyes, it's not knowing how to relate so they just go on autopilot."
"Doesn't help that I'm the black sheep," Gideon muttered, Mara looked off in mild annoyance, as if she wanted to urgently disagree with Gideon, though knew it wouldn't go over well, so she bit her tongue.
"What if you're the only white sheep?" Kepa bravely stabbed, Mara raised her eyebrows and did what she could to now remove herself from Kepa's equation, "What if they all are black sheep confined to a pen, and you bounced out?"
Gideon raised his eyebrows and glance to Mara in apologetic though gear-turning thought, he brought his gaze back to Kepa's and felt a smile want to curl at the edges of his lips.
"Did they draw a circle in the sand and say 'here are our ideals, cooperate and you'll be included'?" Kepa questioned in full annoyance, both Mara and Gideon snapped their jaws shut and took note of the metaphorical circle the palace lot was confined to, "You edge outside of it a little bit and suddenly they have no clue how to include you?"
"I... Guess that could be the case," Gideon shrugged, Kepa looked off and flagged her hand in concealed frustration.
"All signs point North," Kepa quipped, her ears perked as she smiled a scheming little look of delight into Gideon's eyes, "In the four hours I've been here with your immediate family, sans Mara, I can tell Koko is jealous of you."
"No," Gideon guffawed with an annoyed little smile, though he noticed Mara bob a gentle nod and look off.
"Uh, yeah," Kepa retort.
"She's about to be married, they live in a very large place with everything they could ever want," Gideon argued, though he was surprised to see Mara brighten.
"And yet, you landed a badass, apex predator of a girlfriend and have manifested every last ounce of goodness in the form of the coolest, prettiest lighthouse Turbotime has ever seen," Mara wildly gestured her arm back towards said gorgeous lighthouse, "You chased after the things you wanted. Koko didn't really have those opportunities. Sure, she's happy, but, Gideon, you're literally GLOWING. She's jealous."
"Jealousy is a benchmark, it's a message from your higher self to show you where you've settled," Kepa concluded in a sassy tone, "She may not have settled in terms of Nox, or anything, cause Nox is a great guy, as is Lash, but... She clearly has roots. You're a free leaf on the wind. Both have pros and cons, the grass isn't greener on the other side, but... Your side doesn't have ties, that alone is something to eagerly desire."
"She could easily..." Gideon staggered, shook his head and grew confused.
"She could, she's not a go-getter type, like you," Mara shrugged cutely, "Sacrifices would have to be made, that's growth the lot of our family doesn't want to afford, right now."
"I'm not a go-getter," Gideon blurt in chuckling confusion, to which Kepa firmly flattened her ears and gave Gideon a wild look of grinning confusion.
"Alright, I'm going to need you to take your own self on a lighthouse tour, I'm going to need you to assess the time we've been together, I'm going to need you to retell all the things you leaped away from in pursuit of chasing after your own sense of authenticity," Kepa tightly rattled, to which Gideon looked off in squared defeat.
"You're really hard on yourself, Gid," Mara muttered cutely, Gideon huffed a chuckle in understanding and shook his head in ironic agreeing.
"Alright, I hear you two," Gideon mumbled, "Now do you know why I'm struggling to welcome more of these family-hang outs?"
"Yes, it's crystal clear," Kepa stabbed in frustration. Mara eyed her in girly nervousness as Kepa's fierce gaze peered out to the ocean, her conclusory statement rang loud and proud, a brave notion to release with Mara present, "You may have been beaten down and just have accepted this reality, though best believe if this happens again while I'm present, they're getting the business end of Kepa Ketton."
