Reviews :

chuckiboo : Thank you so much for your review, I love seeing your perspective and thoughts. You're definitely in the right direction, though Gideon will have to determine if Callum has good intentions or not. Callum's as slippery as they come.

Burgie : Yes exactly, it's exhausting! I struggle with this daily. Gets easier over time, but I definitely feel bad for Gideon in these weird beginning stages of solid separation.


Song Listened To :

The Open Road by Hollow Coves (first half)

Shadows and Spirits by Imogen Heap (last half)


*Chapter 130*

In the act of just barely happening upon the pinks of his eyelids, his whole existence so fervently vibrated in low hums of methodical vibrations. A sound that had been carrying on for so long, Gideon was now certain this sound had somehow morphed into being a physical, tangible feeling. He furrowed his brow and sucked in a deep breath through his nose, he scrunched his face in slumbering warmth and just barely went to stir. Upon doing so, the ability to feel came rushing to his skin. Gideon quickly sourced that said methodical, loud reverberating noise that filled his head was Kepa's fervent, loud purring. His heavy skull was planted into the base of her sternum, his ear tight into the true source of all the sound, deep in her rib cage. Not only did he feel the fluff of Novus's huge, billowy, velvety mane about his limbs, he assessed the way this nap party stirred and could tell that both Kepa's and Novus's tails and wings were involved in the puzzle of limbs. Gideon fluttered his eyes and didn't dare open his eyes, he eased the warmest smile and sagged deeper into Kepa's littler, supportive body. She was sat half upright with Gideon's head supported underneath the tuck of her little chin, Novus's head was securely sagged over the side of Gideon's hips and thighs, thus giving Kepa perfect access to firmly knead at Novus's mane in the full act of contentment, a dog pile of floof and love that Gideon promised he could just drown in for the rest of time.

"...My headache's gone," Gideon's deep voice wheezed above the cracking of his first attempted use in likely hours, and with the sound of his voice, the group so gingerly animated with lithe, slow inhales, expanded ribcages, the slither of tails and wings that readjusted to only sag deeper into snuggling. Gideon eased a snarky little grin of sleepy bliss and hesitated to playfully roll his eyes as Kepa's purring now grew substantially louder due to the kick of instincts that lead her to suddenly begin to groom the thick, auburn tufts of hair at the crown of Gideon's forehead. He eased a crackly chuckle as her sharper tongue caught with the thin, sensitive skin on his forehead, he sighed on the suede-like fur in the middle of her sternum and snuggled deeper into her loving embrace, "I really shouldn't act so surprised, huh."

"She did all sorts of shit to you while you slept," Novus barely stated in muffled warmth, the huge, cozy blanket, that the three were drowning in, half covered his snout.

"Make it sound more ominous and non-consensual, Novus," Kepa's trilling purring came rolling out of her figure, so beautifully laced with her adorable voice. She ceased grooming Gideon's hair and gingerly dug her scary black claws deep into the thick fur on Novus's pillowy mane for a good, long stretch, "Just a few things to help with your headache and aura... You came to the lighthouse earlier and, I'll bet if you looked in mirror then, even YOU wouldn't have recognized yourself."

"I don't doubt it," Gideon grumbled tiredly, he bravely fluttered his eyes open and was nervous that the light would flare a headache, once more, due to the night he previously had, though much to his surprise, any shred of ailments were gone, "Thank you... What all did you do?"

"Purred like mad, for one," Novus sighed dreamily, as if to state that he, too, benefitted from the healing abilities of her loud, infectious purring.

"Well, the tea you had was lavender," Kepa sighed she leaned back a little so to see the top of Gideon's head, and with the cease of kneading to Novus's fur, she moved her attention to Gideon's hair and began to sweetly comb through it, "Set with intention, the usual... I did some spell work on your temples and forehead while you slept. Used ginger oil. Anti-inflammatory, which... Counters alcohol, which is inflammatory, y'know."

"Where did you learn all of this?" Novus questioned, he opened his huge blue eyes for the first time since they had begun relaxing in each other's napping company, he lazily angled his head so to look at Kepa almost head on.

"Well..." Kepa heaved a long sigh and continued to so cutely pet the backside of Gideon's head, from the crown to the base of his neck in deep, methodical sweeps of care. She flicked her tail up and tightly began to slither it about Gideon's strong shoulders, a further show of proving she had the infectious, insatiable urge to baby those that she loved, "Truth be told, my mother got me into spell work. It was our little secret. She'd take me out back behind the main, stone walls of the castle, and we'd frolic in the field. We'd bring back all sorts of herbs and such, we'd sit for hours and she'd tell me every ailment said herbs would cure."

"This all had to be secret?" Gideon wondered, he closed his eyes and found it hard to even speak due to the methodical stroking of Kepa's warm hand, the snug she kept him in, he struggled to continue to stay awake.

"Yeah, we, uh... Well, at the castle, we had a main deity we worshipped, it was heavily frowned upon to take matters into our own hands, that sort of thing," Kepa rolled her eyes and inhaled a deep breath, the expansion of her little rib cage had Gideon's slumped, lazy positioning lifting with said firm inhale, "She was my best friend... I miss her so much. She had the answer to everything. She was so smart and sassy. I only hope I would've made her proud."

"Without a doubt," Gideon grumbled cutely, he did what he could to worm his arms about Kepa's waist.

"Dating a human?" Novus only teased, both Kepa and Gideon shared in whispery laughter.

"She wasn't one to want to stick to traditions," Kepa sighed, she aimlessly allowed her beautiful, orange-brown eyes to get lost in the tosses of Gideon's messy, auburn hair as she combed it, claws and all, "She'd probably laugh and tell me she was glad I got out... She'd love Gideon, I know it."

"Who wouldn't?" Novus cheesed, Gideon peaked open an eye and shot Novus a playfully disgruntled side-eye.

"I can help you revisit memories, remember," Gideon stated with easiness, he knew not to push this conversation past what Kepa would allow. Well aware it was sensitive, he took in a nonchalant breath and sagged deeper into Kepa's arms, "Anytime you would like to revisit... I'm happy to help you get there, babe. Okay?"

"Okay," Kepa whispered cutely into the top of Gideon's head, she gingerly pressed a kiss to his soft forehead and caught eyes with Novus in sweet warmth, "Thank you..."

"Can you rewrite memories?" Novus wondered dryly, he choked a laugh and shook his head, "There was that one time I accidentally caught my mom and dad doing, uh... Things."

"User, not that," Gideon stabbed in nose-wrinkled shock, Kepa erupted into soft laughter.

"Yeah, actually... That'd require removal, not rewriting," Novus grit his fangs and looked off in playful dread, to which Gideon sagged into Kepa, once more and allowed his aimless gaze to blur into the floof on her adorable shoulders.

"If I could, I'd remove the instant I learned that everyone had a group chat solely to gossip about me," Gideon mumbled sorrowfully, and though Kepa had this information, Kepa flinched as Novus suddenly stiffened in a perk of shock.

"...Say what?" Novus demanded gently, his ears perked atop his head in protective fervor, and it was here did Kepa grit her teeth and understand that she wasn't the only beast prepared to claw someone's eyes out in protection of Gideon's heart.

"It's fine, Novus," Gideon mumbled in frowning defeat as he closed his eyes once more, though Kepa flinched as Novus's huge, predatory gaze stabbed right into hers.

"I truly think this should be the hint fully taken, boys," Kepa muttered as she wrapped her arms about Gideon's head and flattened her ears in a pin of bubbling frustration, "Family doesn't do things like that... I told Gideon that this feels like a sever."

"Huh," Novus bobbed a nod and looked off, and though Kepa didn't know Novus nearly as well as Gideon did, Kepa held her breath and could see raw vengeance in Novus's eyes.

Although Kepa was one to turn the other cheek and follow a path of light and love, to not meddle in dirty business like garnering justice and hurting those who have hurt her, she was somehow floored to find that Novus was her opposite. Ready for war no matter what, a fierce, brotherly love in the form of animalistic rage, it was here did Kepa jostle Gideon into a tighter hug and understand that Gideon's life was rich with fervent love, all around. Group chats and gossipy lower vibes were things he wasn't aware he could genuinely be without, having being raised with it all.

Kepa chuckled as the gears continued to turn in Novus's brain, his eyes scanned the sunny common room in contemplation, Kepa's delicate voice laid reason over both boys, "Just... Chin up, don't succumb to it. They're only trying to pull you down because you're above them."

"That's a nice way to look at it," Gideon whispered in deflated defeat on Kepa's skin.

"Down, boy," Kepa muttered to Novus, over the top of Gideon's head. She gingerly flagged for Novus's eye contact, once more, and though he sagged and exhaled a long breath through his nose, Kepa flinched and could feel said exhale hold a very scary amount of heat. Both Kepa and Gideon now firmly peered to Novus in a draw of awakened surprise as Kepa erupted into nervous laughter, "Novus, if YOU start breathing fire, I will have no choice but to match you and in an unfortunate turn of events, burn down the whole lighthouse. I know you care about Gideon but let's, uh... Keep our heads."

"Someone's getting an earful, whether they like it or not," Novus muttered playfully, and though Gideon sagged back to his place of rest, he shut his eyes tight and almost dread Novus's words.

He was desperate to just lay low and keep the peace, though Novus's desire to stir the pot more and get to the source of the issue somehow had Gideon conflicted. However desperately he wanted the same things, Gideon also knew that he'd much rather just slink out of view, to quietly make his presence known less and less, to wait until maybe he was remembered about one day far off into the future, and it would be potentially too late to attempt to vie for Gideon's attention, once more. Gideon's fervent desire to keep a low profile, to keep his own sense of self intact, his desire to keep peace was something he realized was now heavily rooted in Kepa's wise words. All wisdom he was now understanding that she was sourcing from her mother, an obviously intelligent, incredible being of whom he wished he had the honor of meeting. Although eager to potentially see her in memories that Kepa would hopefully one day grace him with, he knew this was now a slow ride to their end destination, one of garnering full trust and not moving until said full trust was within their grasps. Not too hung up about it, the evening came and went, and though Gideon was certain Novus had forgotten about said gossipy group chat news, the flight into Sugar Rush was something that had Gideon mounting Novus's spine nearly-clenched in anxious dread.

Gideon held his breath and eyed the palace as Novus's seemingly lazy loft of a glide carried the two. He grit his teeth and desperately did whatever he could to read Novus's body language, here. The plan was to simply drop Gideon off at home, and then Novus would be free to head to the flyer's massive enclosure for the night, Gideon desperately recalled all of Kepa's ideas about willing thoughts into action. He almost aggressively eyed down the barely-seen teleportation pad directly outside of his, Ralph's and Vanellope's home, it dimly glowed in its idle state. He grappled the rungs of Novus's saddle, and although Gideon felt that he was definitely in control of this rocket he was aboard, he lulled his eyes closed in nervous dread as he fully understood he was kidding no-one. Novus, being a creature nearly ten times Gideon's size, was clearly a beast that could maneuver himself however he saw fit, no matter what Gideon had to say. Much to Gideon's whole entire dread, he gasped a tight noise as Novus tucked his wings a little tighter to his body and began to gently bank to a different point on the palace grounds.

"... Novus," Gideon dared, he knew he now was screwed with the way he readjusted his knees, yanked on the rungs of Novus's reins and was unsuccessful in getting Novus to cooperate. Gideon felt his pupils tighten as Novus now aimed directly for the King and Queen's illuminated spire, a gorgeous structure that was fastened to the palace's impenetrable, glistening white walls. Gideon sucked in another breath of silent terror as he could see Tessa and Zed walking on the wall's gorgeous, upper pathway. He now haphazardly tugged at Novus's reins, leaned down to Novus's flattened ears and firmly begged to the beast he now had zero control of, "Novus, don't! Don't do this."

"I have to," Novus dared in a sharp grumble back to Gideon, though Gideon gasped in a jolt as Novus skillfully jerked his shoulder blades upwards, flickered his massive wings in a clap and was successful in getting Gideon off of the base of his neck, a place Gideon doesn't ever sit, though opted to to hopefully gain control, thus failing, "Sit back."

"... NOVUS!" Gideon firmly yelled in now rising frustration, though as Novus bowed in a gut-lifting dip to the palace walls, Gideon grunted in shock as Novus's firm landing included a full gallop in Tessa's and Zed's direction.

Both beings whipped around; having potentially taken a stroll along their palace walls, likely a nightly routine they did, they looked happy and relaxed, though the second Novus came trotting up with ears perked high in a full display of dominance, both Tessa and Zed froze in the scuff of their heels. Gideon urgently did what he could to get off of Novus's spine, and with firm hands, Gideon grappled the chest of Novus's saddle and gave a good yank, happy to gain Novus's vicious, stern blue eye contact.

"Novus, knock it off, let's GO," Gideon loudly hissed through the grit of his teeth, though he choked a noise as Novus skillfully stabbed the bend of his wing between the two, and with a glide of a shove, he put a substantial amount of distance between the two by merely sprawling his left wing. Gideon grunted and clumsily fell to his knees, though he got to his feet and now angrily clenched his fists, his voice bellowed across palace grounds, "NOVUS!"

"Boys," Zed's stern, Kingly voice clipped the air as he took a gentle step before Tessa and held his hand out. He firmly eyed Novus and shook his head, "The hell's going on here?"

"I gotta bone to pick with you two," Novus scarily dared as he bravely bared his fangs, and though he was sure this was likely the last thing he'd ever do, he stood proud and was fully prepared to show Tessa and Zed that this nonsense ends once and for all, lest the whole palace goes up in flames.