Meulin explored the jungle of her new island, hoping to find the supposed treasure quickly. It was no longer a matter of exploring a place and going home; she had a feeling that she would be able to survive only if she found the treasure, whatever it was.

The jungle itself was typical of those found on Earth; verdant, colorful, and mazelike. Various creatures Meulin couldn't name or even see up close darted around from above and below her line of sight. She paid little interest in them, following the sandy path through the jungle to a small clearing.

The clearing was almost completely circular, with a stripe of green running through the otherwise sandy circle. Rather than being a tan color, like the sand on the beach, the sand here was white. Meulin dug with her Kitty Claws into the sand until they scracthed at solid wood. She pulled the treasure chest out from the ground and opened it. Inside lay 6 coins: one was dark red on one side and fuchsia on the other, another was brown on one side and lavender on the other, the third was yellow on one side and violet on the other, the fourth was olive-green on one side and indigo on the other, the fifth was scarlet on one side and blue on the other, and the last was jade on one side and aquamarine on the other.

"(^-^) shipping coins!" Meulin cried. "i bet these are suppurrsed to correspond to everybody's blood color! It shows who everybody's going to be shipped with! Yay!"

Exactly. They're shipping coins. Flip them and stuff to make the pairings come true. If you don't want them coming true, however, I suggest you leave the coins be.

"(I-I) okay. wait...why does mine say i'm with Puruss? i mean Horuss?"

You just never know how it could happen, but the coins don't lie. It doesn't have to be a matespritship; it could be some other quadrant.

"(&o&) you could be right! Say, who are you, anyway? A tasty mouse?"

No, I'm Quarters. I'm a game construct you can't see that buried the treasure. Good thing you found it.

"(0u0) I'm glad, too! but how will these take me back to my hive?"

They won't, but your reward for finding them is a boat. Go back to the coastline and see!

Sure enough, Meulin was rewarded a boat by Quarters for getting his coins and talking to him. What she didn't realize, though, was that she was being deceived so easily...

. . . . .

Kankri, Porrim, Rufioh, and Horuss were all gathered in Horuss' hive, seated at the table in his burnt respiteblock.

"8===D I apologize for not having cleaned up the place before your arrival. I was not e%pecting company."

"It is accepta6le; I see n9thing in here capa6le 9f triggering me. What a69ut y9u tw9?" Kankri asked Porim and Rufioh. They neither spoke or made contact with each other.

"I see. Well, let's c9mmence the neg9tiati9ns," Kankri said. "I will n9w remind all 9f y9u that the t9pic 9f discussi9n is in regard t9 the safety and well-6eing 9f H9russ Zahhak, as well as the rec9nciliati9n 9f quadrant-related c9nflicts, such as the 9ne we engaged in previ9usly. The res9luti9n we reach must have H9russ' appr9val."

"8===D You mean my app-hooval," Horuss corrected.

"9h! I'm terri6ly s9rry if my inc9rrect w9rd usage triggered y9u in s9me way."

"8===D It is fine. I remained untriggered."

"G99d. Let us 6egin," Kankri said, turning to Porrim. Glaring at the others, she said:

"Listen, Kanny, this is cute and all, but I really do+n't see why we're do+ing this. I've had eno+ugh time to+ think, and I've realized that maybe I was being to+o+ fo+o+lish. All alo+ng I was just using Ho+russ as a place to+ vent o+ut my frustratio+ns abo+ut what I tho+ught was injustice. It's even dumber no+w that I realize that no+ne o+f that matters no+w that we're in a co+mpletely different wo+rld. I'm so+rry fo+r co+ming o+ver here just to+ hurt yo+u, Ho+russ. And I'm so+rry I dragged yo+u into+ this, Kanny. I sho+uld've kno+wn that yo+u'd find so+me way to+ get invo+lved. And Rufio+h..."

"what, doll?" Rufioh asked. ready to adm1t that you were be1ng a psycho-ass b1tch?"

"Rufi9h, there will 6e n9 attempts t9 trigger any9ne at this meeting!" Kankri cried.

"No+, no+, it's o+kay. He's right. I was psycho+ic. I can't believe I was even capable o+f such barbarity."

"8===D All is forgiven. Your savage lower b100d and lustful fantasies typically e%hibited by an aggressive mare-er, woman-such as yourself could not be resisted forever. Perhaps the e%ile that gave you the effigy was being very-"

"What did yo+u say to+ me?!" Porrim demanded.

Yesch, Porrim. Feel the hatred flow in you. You schtill have the effigy...

"dude, stop d1gg1n' your own grave!" Rufioh cried.

"H9russ, cease these triggering statements at 9nce!" Kankri cried, actually banging his fists on the table. Horuss did not cease and desist, much to everyone else's dismay.

"8==D I should be allowed to speak my mind. Porrim, you have no reason to be mad. I have already forgiven you of your transgressions against me, in part because they...gave me the pleasure of e%periencing a quadrant generally unfamiliar to me. I thank you for that, Porrim, and hope to...engage you in the future."

"What? No+! Didn't yo+u hear me, o+r yo+ur sweat clo+gged po+res blo+cking o+ff so+und?"

"8====D Perhaps my perception would be better if you would take the time to fi% your mess of hair in such a way that it does not block sound with size."

"There's no+hing wrong with my hair!"

Feel free to usche it whenever you want to.

"8=======D If you insist on such f001ishness, then perhaps you would prefer stripping me of my saddle and scratching at my coarse skin until the sweat dries away?"

"Actually, no. I'd rather just wring your neck, to get back at you for doing the same to me!"

Although it would not be like the real thing, the effigy can provide an adequate schubschtitute.

"8=========D Hahaha! The mere thought of your frail woman's hands attaching themselves sucessfuly to my STRONG stallion's neck is amusing."

"No+ as amusing as this!" Porrim launched herself at Horuss, who embraced her wholehearedly as she began to rip off his armor. She was about to take out a sewing needle from her sylladex to cut Horuss with when she felt Kankri's hands around her waist, pulling her back. Rufioh grabbed Horuss' shoulders and tried to pry him away from her. After what seemed like an eterniy, they black lovers were torn apart.

"Kankri, let me go+! I've go+ to+ get a few hits o+n him befo+re we leave this awful place!" she cried.

"N9, P9rrim! Y9u will cease this 6eh99ve-I mean, 6ehavi9r-at 9nce!"

"Kanny, sto+p it! This really do+esn't invo+lve yo+u, yo+u kno+w!" As she stood up and started for Horuss again, Kankri began to pap on her shoulder.

"SH99SH, P99rim! SH99999999999999SSSSSSSSSHHHHH!" Kankri did his best to shoosh-pap Porrim.

Porrim, keep thinking thosch angry thoughtsch! Don't schtop hating Horussch!

And as she felt the gentle papping of her friend, the desire to rip Horuss' heart out and make out with it died away.

Drat.

Rufioh got up from underneath Horuss, who was very happy that he had fallen on top of Rufioh, and went over to Kankri.

"let's just get these two to break up, huh?"

"I agree. This kissmesis is getting 9ut 9f hand. I d9n't think even tw9 auspicticizes can handle it."

Porrim stood up and dusted herself off, sitting back down in her chair.

"Do+n't wo+rry abo+ut it, guys. I do+n't want to+ do+ this anymo+re," Porrim said, feeling tired. Kankri raised his eyebros.

Eggsch, Finn, where were you when I needed you?

"Y9u seemed t9 have 6een drained 9f y9ur 6lack interests 6y my c9ns9lati9n technique...which I will c9nfess was invented 9n the sp9t," Kankri said. "H9w fascinating. What shall I call this new m9ve?"

I have to keep tracking everyone's future trails and report back to Crowbar. What I did before was only a one-time deal. None of them are officially my problem.

"oh, uh, call 1t the shoosh-pap!" Rufioh suggested.

uh, sorry, eggs was trying to get rid of the extra Rufiohs! they're all gone now!

"What a fine name f9r this technique! The Sh99sh Pap!" Kankri declared triumphantly and stupidly.

Porrim took out Stitch's effigy and gave it to Horuss.

"I wo+n't be needing this anymo+re," she said. "I'm so+rry I've caused so+ much pain to+ yo+u, Ho+russ."

"8=d Are we breaking up? But, I have only begin to know the ways in which to hate you!" he protested.

"It was great while it lasted, Ho+russ. But it wasn't the best thing fo+r either o+f us. Perhaps yo+u'll find ano+her kissmesis."

"8==d Neigh, Porrim! I shall wait until you change your mind, no matter how long it takes!" Horuss whinnied as Porrim and Kankri left. Horuss' supposedly floppy horse ears drooped in sorrow.

"1t's okay, bro! you st1ll have me!" Rufioh said hopefully.

"8====D This is true. And while perhaps you may not be in the proper quadrant, perhaps you could mimic some of Porrim's romantic techni%?"

"l1ke what?" Rufioh asked, instantly regretting the question.

"8=========D Could you please be so kind as to "Giddy me up" by taking the effigy and...delivering a blow to the backside?"

"wha-?"

"8=============D Allow me to rephrase that. Could you take the effigy Porrim left and use it to...spank my flank?" Rufioh began to feel a little naseous at the suggestion.

"sorry. 1 have to go and-get some stuff back from my h1ve," he said nervously. Using his juju, he made duplicate of himself.

"th1s other me w1ll stay w1th you wh1le 1 go back."

"8================D Very well, then. Perhaps, upon your return, you would-?"

"hey, look, can 1 come w1th you, dude?" the other Rufioh asked.

"bangarang! now there's two of us! we'll be back soon, 'kay?"

And the two Rufiohs flew away to LOWAC.

"8===================D Wait, Rufiohs! I-never mind, I'll just do it to myself."