Sprawling overhead were gradient shades, thin lines of golden apricots and blossomed mystique orchids quickly being overtaken as they pressed back against the impeding western, blackened sky. Kyle's heart was pounding, wings thrumming steadily as he leaned to avoid head-on collisions with plant life. He glanced up at stars peeking through the bare remaining hues of blue and growing stronger as his eye was drawn towards what seemed to be the edge of the world. They glimmered, as though the gods and spirits themselves were telling him to press on, to press faster, that they would guide his way.

Of course, he was no fool. The gods, should they have decided to appear beside him, would probably slam him against a tree until he fell unconscious and drag him back to his burrow. They'd inform the kiantri and all his people of what he was out here doing and demand they follow through with proper punishment.

Well, he thought with a somber smile, at least he could probably have Tetima on his side.

He grunted, hand hitting the side of a tree as he propelled forward deeper towards the outskirts of the woods. It'd been the perfect place to set up his mainstay for the time being, he'd believed. Far from the treagi, close enough to the humans he could sneak over to see them, but far enough into the wooded tangle that few would venture towards his allowances. And, apparently, he was being rewarded for his expertly decided location. He'd been granted a gift, was given the great fortune of one to communicate with. That had to count for something. Someone was watching over him and encouraging his behavior. Or, at least that was damn well what he was going to keep telling himself so he didn't drive himself mad keeping such a potentially detrimental truth hidden within him.

He groaned, trying to increase his speed as he neared the patch. Even if he could just catch Kenny leaving, say a quick goodbye and a promise to meet again soon, that would be enough. He just wanted to reassure Kenny that he wasn't abandoning their meetings. He was an anxious wreck over the possibility that the human wouldn't see his not showing up as being inconvenienced, but as choosing to abstain for his own good. Their time agreement was made only days ago, after all; it was early enough for either of them to change their mind without a moment's notice.

"Come on, come on," he begged his wings, his back muscles beginning to ache from the strain. They weren't used to this level of continuous travel, Kyle having the habit of stopping on his trips and scooping up items or scavenging about. Distance had never been his forte, a lean form unable to keep up with the energy needed for such excursions. Stan, on the other hand, could keep flying all goddamn day, he and Kyle declaring themselves tied in means of racing in their youth. Kyle could be drinking namial by the time Stan got past the finish line of a quick dash, but a trek down the mountain range with one another had Kyle halfway to passing out and Stan having to help him walk back home to rest his wings. Not that Kyle particularly minded that being how it'd turned out. As much trouble as he tended to put himself into the path of, as many risks as he took sneaking in and out of the human's village, he needed to be able to make that swift escape.

But now, he was in a race against the sky, praying for Tav'nokana to slow it down just a bit, preserve those last lingering hints of light so he could get where he needed to be. He knew he was coming close, could smell the potent aroma of his crushed delphiniums wafting in the evening air. His bags slapped against his hip, his book thudding against the bone and the un-capped tip of his quill prodding into his muscle. Leaves and branches rustled as he blew past them, kicking up stray leaves from the ground following like the tail of a comet.

He grinned as the bushes came into his darkened view, finding that second wind at last and darting forward in excitement. "Kenny?" he called, swooping up over the plants and landing beside the ring, face falling all at once at the abandoned patch. The mulberries glowed an ethereal lilac in the thin strip of moonlight cascading down onto the land, accents to the emptiness he'd stumbled into. His shoulders dropped, fingers trailing up to scratch at his hair in pure disappointment. He shouldn't have stopped by at home. Should've just stayed out all day like he wanted to so his mother wouldn't have held him back. Kyle sighed, rubbing his arm and looking at the ground with a pout before his gaze hit a barely-visible bundle of plain tiretain lying within his ring. He cocked his head at a piece of paper laying on top, reading a bold script of 'Ky' in the faint lighting.

He gasped, hopping into the patch and kneeling, grabbing at the note with eager fingers and unfolding the tightly compacted parchment. Kyle grunted a bit, clenching his right fist tightly, feeling a rush of warmth spreading through him as he focused on his hand, waiting for his magics to take hold. All at once his hand was enveloped in a ghastly, luminescent glow and he couldn't help but beam proudly, moving it closer to the paper and turning his attention back downwards. He bit his lip, unable to help a smirk at Kenny's messy, almost childish penmanship. 'No idea how to spell your full name, apparently, you need to teach me that. Guess you got stuck at home, don't know if you'll make it out tonight or not but I left this here just in case. If not, either one of us will get it tomorrow. Or a dog might grab it. Guess we'll have to see.' Kyle let out a long, heavy sigh of relief, sinking onto the sides of his legs and smiling. Good. Kenny knew this wasn't by choice, not by a longshot. He continued reading, 'Got your numbers in the bag here for you. Got you up to one-hundred. Any higher than that you'll have to ask. I'm not writing all of that down at once, sorry, Bud. There's another thing in there for you, too. I left another note with it telling you what to do with it. I think you'll really like it if you can get it to work. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. If not, I'll keep trying anyway. -Kenny'

Kyle cocked his head, turning to the bundle of cloth and slowly untying the loose top knot, watching the fabric cascade down around his gifts. He gripped the paper with his numbers, Kenny's messy script detailing each numeric, the telltale sign of his weariness evident as the numbers grew and the words became sloppier. Grinning at all the new information, Kyle tore his gaze back down at what remained, finding a heavy, faceted lump of glass. "What the…" he murmured, reaching down and picking it up, eyes sparkling at the heavy clarity in his palm. He squinted, never before seeing such an odd pattern within the material he thought himself so accustomed to, baffled by the sharp angles sculpted within. He hummed, gripping the second paper from its resting spot and bringing it towards his face.

'My sister and I would hold these against the sun to make 'em work. I know you don't always have that option, but you said you can make light.' Kyle looked at his glowing hand, smirking bashfully, impressed that he'd managed to seem interesting enough for Kenny to remember something said in such quick passing in their last conversation. 'They worked with candles, too, so I bet whatever you can do will work. If your light is anything like your wings, then I'm sure it'll be fine. But if not, bring it back next time you come out to meet me and I'll show ya somehow. All you need to do is be in a darkened room, and put a bright light behind the glass. May take some moving around, but you'll know what's supposed to happen when it does. Hopefully it works out.'

Kyle let out a small sound of confusion, tilting the glass in his hand a bit, looking at the nearly utterly black sky and pouting, knowing whatever he was trying to show him certainly wasn't going to happen out here with nothing but starlight in an open field. He couldn't help but smile shyly, overwhelmed with the idea of this other creature that he'd just met giving him so much so soon. It just beyond proved what he had been telling Stan for years: The aikopia were so generous with one another. Not like their own, where they kept to themselves unless getting into one another's business. Where generosity was done only out of ceremonial obligation or between only the closest of companions. But this? This was unprecedented, and Kyle was eating up every moment of kindness he was granted from this human.

He hummed happily, very delicately re-tying his gifts into their bag and genially lowering the bundle into his nimikal'e satchel. A warmness settled in his chest, a grin unable to tear itself from his face as he made sure to keep his present in its safest positioning for the trip back home.

He snagged his book and quill set from his other bag, turning to a fresh page and dipping within his ink, carefully beginning to scribe. A part of him felt pressured, this was the first time an actual human would read his scripting outside of those hurriedly scribbled notes Kenny had seen with his embarrassing misspellings. He groaned to himself a bit, biting his lip and keeping his quill steady as he pressed along the page. 'Thank you so much for what you have given me. I tried to get out as quickly as I could, but was kept back by the kiantri. I will try to not be in the burrow so close to our meeting time in the future. I-'

He paused, head shooting up at a loud, crisp rustling noise from the treetops behind him. He blinked, nose wriggling for the distinguishable scent of a bird or a rodent scurrying about, not catching the telltale smell of feathers or fur at all. There was hardly any wind, not enough for that level of clamor anyway. His ears perked, listening for more sound and narrowing his eyes, baffled. There was no wildlife to be heard. It was too early for the birds to all be packed away for the night, too late for the crickets to not be singing. Something felt wrong.

Kyle gulped, head pivoting before turning back to his letter, oddly stiffened by the lack of nature surrounding him. Stare lingering on his parchment, he could feel his chest clenching in the slightest, feeling the burden of being watched washing over him in the stillness of the night. Paranoia, perhaps, but the feeling was robust enough to lead him to an obvious conclusion. His gut was telling him to do something he hated to do, but with all eyes turning to him the last few days, maybe being on the downlow for just a bit wouldn't be such an awful idea. A part of him was pained, but he continued dragging the bone tip along his parchment. 'I do need to stay home for a few days in the evening, however. Things are getting a bit close and there are people curious why I am leaving home so late while they are still awake. Please give me five days and I can try again to meet you at this time.' He paused again, gnawing on his lip and hearing his heart pounding in the resounding silence. Instinct was screaming at him to finish and get home. 'If you are ever able, I am always out during the day, and most nights very late. If not, I will see you in five days. I am very sorry, I do not want to do this, but I just need to be careful for a little while. Thank you again for the gifts, I will find something to give you in return when we meet again. -Kyle'

He stared at the wording, head tilting. He sure hoped that was the correct way to spell his name, though with Kenny's query he was starting to doubt himself. He shrugged, making a note to get Kenny's help with those schematics upon one of their next meetings. With careful precision, he folded the note, scripting a careful 'Kenny' on the top of the paper before tucking it under a mushroom dome for stability. He just had to hope it didn't rain he supposed. He bit his lip, shoving his writing equipment back into its place, eyes darting around as his hand's light faded away and wriggling his fingers from the tingling aftermath of such a consistent flow of magic. He took another look at his note before turning away and fluttering his wings to get him back over the hedges. Kyle hissed, bringing a hand up to the connection between his wings and back as he landed hard on the ground, the muscles burning and the sections of cartilage creaking against one another. "Fuck," he winced. He overdid it apparently. All for naught. Well… He felt the glass and letters in his satchel and grinned softly. Not for naught, just not exactly what he'd been hoping for.

He sighed, bare feet moving smoothly over grass, expertly feeling branches and rocks before making complete contact and sliding over them to avoid injury. He'd been doing this for far too long to not be able to trek home in the dark, at least for another few minutes so his back could calm down. He looked up towards the mess of branches overhead, seeing stars peeking between individual leaves and taking a long breath. Something was better than nothing, he just had to remember that. He could go home and rest easy knowing that he'd still, in all technicality, made contact with Kenny tonight, even if the human wouldn't know it until the next night.

"Aw. Teeny fateri all alone." A husked voice broke through the silence of the woods.

Kyle came to a hard stop, eyes widening and spine stiffening. His hands automatically reached back, clutching around his bow and sliding it around his bags and wings, holding it in front of him as his eyes scoured the area. He knew it. Someone was here. Someone was watching him. "He… Hello?" he called out, skin prickling in the night air.

He quaked, reaching back and snagging an arrow, prepping it against the hemp before continuing to step forward, each step calculated down to the angle of touch his toes pressed against the dirt.

"Awfully far for a fateri to be by themselves." Another voice sneered.

Kyle swallowed down a horrified gasp. More than one. He needed to get home. Now.

He raised his wings, adrenaline bashing down the strain as he forced his feet to pick up the pace, speed-walking his way towards a clearer area to begin flying off, waiting to see if more was done by his watchers. His breathing was quick and shallow, entire body trembling as more voices seemed to pick up around him in deep, bitter chuckles, the rustling of leaves above him seeming to grow louder and closer with every step.

A yelp left him before he could stop it as two figures hopped down onto the ground in front of him from the trees. He gritted his teeth, knowing that hesitating if the situation was bad could make it worse. He pulled back his hemp string, not giving a second thought before letting go, feeling the rush of his arrow flying past his finger as the cord vibrated with the release. He could barely see what'd happened before one of them jerked back and yelped.

"FUCK!" they screamed. "MY FUCKING WING FUCK!"

Kyle's eyes widened, pivoting and snapping his own wings at once, rapidly diverting away and on the escape route in their distraction. He could hear yelling voices amongst one another in a jumble as he sped away. He whimpered, dodging masses of plant life he could barely distinguish in his frenzy, trying to reach the mountainside. He screeched as a heavy force came down on him from above, tackling him down into the dirt. He winced, his stomach smashed against the heavy glass from Kenny before he was brutally flipped over and pressed down against the ground. He hissed, trying to hit his assaulter with his bow to ward them off before his arm was grabbed, shoved back into the earth as well.

"GET OFF!" he screeched.

"The FUCK did you shoot Fos'se for?!" a familiar voice shouted in his face.

He stopped, looking up at his silhouetted assaulter with his jaw shaking. "Ja… Jason?" he squeaked. He yelped as he was lifted and slammed back down with a sickening thud of his skull bouncing against the land. All at once he was nauseous, vision blurring in and out as he was raised and tossed down time and again.

"The fuck is your problem, you fucking freak?!" Jason demanded, finally planting him down and waiting impatiently for his response.

Kyle shut his eyes, heart still palpitating faster than he could keep up with. "I-I didn't know… that… that it was you," he croaked. "I panicked…" he grunted with another brutal press down.

"You fucked up his wing, you asshole!"

"I'm sorry!" he screamed back.

"Get off him, now!" a more than welcome voice yelled from a distance.

Jason glared at the figure hurriedly approaching. "Fuck off, Stan, he fucking attacked Fos-" He stopped with a yip as a mass of fur and snarls leapt on top of him. Spar'ki rolled him off Kyle and bit at his arm, dark eyes gleaming with a bloodlust for attacking one of his faterian. "GET YOUR FUCKING DOG OFF!" he screamed, pushing against Spar'ki's face as his jaw locked down on his forearm.

"Spar'ki, down!" Stan ordered, the coyote relinquishing his appendage and snuffing in his face before trotting back to sit in front of Kyle, keeping him blocked from a potential repeat attack. Kyle couldn't stop coughing with the sudden change of pressure against his chest, trying to find how to gather air back into his lungs. Stan looked at his fallen friend in the moonlight, reaching down and gently helping Kyle back onto his feet to find his bearings before glaring at his fellow soldier. "He wouldn't have had to shoot if you didn't come after and scare the shit out of him!"

"I didn't come after anyone until he shot!" he protested.

"What the fuck is going on?!" an authoritative voice boomed over the lot of them. Kyle flinched, Stan grabbing tighter around him as he leaned on his shoulder. They all straightened up into attention, the four of them looking to the source of the noise as the silhouetted figure grew nearer.

Stan sighed, squeezing Kyle's arm reassuringly. "Mal'tene, Jaso'nali and his bumfuck buddies startled Ky and he shot at Fos'se."

The man came up in front of them, Kyle shrinking down at the dominating gaze of Rilaste Yates focusing on him, shadowed menacingly in the pale lighting. "Oh really?"

"He shot Fos'se's wing into a tree!" Jason snapped. "He needs fucking taken back to the fuckin' toli'fale and locked in where he goddamn belongs!"

"Knock it off!" Yates ordered before turning back towards the young scholar, frustration warping into a slight smirk. "Hit his wing in a panic, that's damn impressive," he patted Kyle's shoulder. "Better fuckin' aim than this asshole," he jerked his head over towards Jason, who let out a series of disbelieving scoffs.

Kyle gulped, "I-I'm sorry," he said shakily. "I-I… I thought it was…"

"The aidarkeri?" he finished.

Kyle nodded, face burning with a reassuring squeeze from his naichi. "Yeah," he whispered, embarrassed at jumping to a conclusion like that so quickly.

Stan shook him, "Hey, it's good you thought that was who it was," he assured him. "That's why we're out here so late. A hunter told us they thought they spotted one of them around. Rather you shoot Jason through the goddamn eye than let one of those fuckers get a hold of you."

Jason stomped back up to the three of them, teeth bared. "Fos'se didn't fucking deserve to get shot," he snapped. "He attacked without goddamn thinking!"

"You were fucking laughing like goddamn fateri story villains!" Kyle finally shouted back. "I had every reason to think you were a threat! You fucking said 'oh, well, little fateri shouldn't be out by themselves'," he mocked. "Who wouldn't think you were going to attack them?!"

Jason paused, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "What are you talking about? We didn't say anything. We weren't even here until we landed in front of you."

Kyle froze, looking between Stan and Yates as they exchanged their own glances before turning back to Jason. Yates frowned, "Jaso'nali, here's the deal: If that was you that was taunting him, tell us. No one will be in trouble. We won't let him punch you or anything. If it was you, just admit to it and-"

"I'm telling you, it wasn't!" he insisted. "We were off and away, we heard someone calling out 'hello', and we came back here. Then Kylenavi shot Fos'se," he bit.

"Call him that again and see what fucking happens," Stan snarled, Spar'ki following suit. Kyle hadn't even caught the moniker, eyes falling to the ground and blinking rapidly. It wasn't them. So, someone was there. Someone that was more than able to make an escape after he'd distracted the treagi enough. Someone that was after him.

He gulped, "So… that was the aidarkeri?" he said quietly, the three larger men looking at him and their faces scrunching in the slightest in concern.

"Who knows," Yates shrugged. "Either way, luckily Jason and Fos got here before whoever it was got a hold of you." He looked around at the rest of their unit closing in around them from the ruckus, Fos'se hissing and holding a cloth against his torn wing. "We're calling it a night," he declared. "If they were here, they know we're aware, so they've already run off I'm sure."

Jason rolled his eyes, "Good fucking job, Kylenavi," he muttered, walking past and shoulder-checking him hard against Stan's side.

Stan growled at him before Yates stepped up to the other side of Kyle with the dog between them, looking down on him sympathetically as they all stepped off back in the direction of home. "You should know better than being out here this late, Kid," he lectured.

"I had to do my job for the kiantri, or at least try," he murmured. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to screw up your hunt or whatever you call it."

He snorted, shaking his head. "It's fine, I'm just glad we found you. You know what the kiantri would've done to me if you were killed by them?" he cocked his brow. Kyle sunk in embarrassment, feeling Stan snickering to himself and subtly punching him in the side. "Still, damn good aim," he complimented, patting his shoulder again before walking off in front of them to the head of the pack.

"'Oh, but Stan, I don't need to learn how to shoot a bow,'" Stan mocked in a high voice once Yates was out of earshot. "'I can just fly away. Weapons are stupid.'"

"Okay, I never said weapons are stupid," he drawled, looking down as Spar'ki bumped under his hand to keep atop his head and he rolled his eyes, sliding his bow back around himself and doing as the dog wished. "And can you please just not do this? Kind of not doin' so great right now."

Stan nodded, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry. Still, really glad I forced you into learning that damn thing."

He sighed with a long groan sneaking in through his breath, "Yes, Stan. You are my savior. I would have been nothing but melted flesh and broken dreams were it not for your valiant efforts I am forever in your debt. Now shut the fuck up, I just wanna get home." Stan opened his mouth to ask him his real intentions being out so late before pausing, feeling a shudder racking through his best friend that he couldn't seem to get a handle on. He frowned, opting to pat him reassuringly and lead him back towards the mountainside, to let him breathe.

Kyle sighed, reaching down and grabbing at his satchel, letting out a sigh of relief feeling Kenny's presents still safely secured where they should be. He couldn't help but gulp, his eyes flickering further into the woods, unable to shake the unmistakable feeling of someone watching his every move.


The alehouse had so little appeal anymore, Kenny noted. He rested his cheek in his palm, feeling the skin turning red from being positioned the same nearly the entire time he'd spent with his friends watching them bicker amongst one another.

It was surreal; he couldn't believe how meeting Kyle had dimmed down other things in his life so quickly. Nothing seemed as interesting as talking with him, learning things that no one else could possibly know. Hearing about his world held so much more importance than listening to Cartman brag about snagging an extra livatt out of a customer or about how Clyde managed to fuck up hammering down a nail into the correct shape. The night seemed almost empty in a way, unable to help once again pouting that he'd come to meet Kyle prepared to take notes and hear more stories, but was denied the opportunity.

Given, he wasn't stupid, Kyle had made it more than clear that he was risking a lot stepping outside of wherever his people were from. He just needed to accept that there would be days where Kyle wouldn't be able to get out easily enough to make it in time. He sighed, taking a long sip of his bitter ale and swiping his tongue across his lips. He just had to hope for now that he was all right, he supposed. Tomorrow was just going to drag waiting to make it back out to the woods to find out, though.

"Po'Boy, fuckin' answer!" Cartman snapped in his ear.

Kenny jerked back, nearly falling off his seat as he looked in panic at his friends staring at him. "I… I… what?" he blinked, heart pounding obnoxiously, almost deafening the sounds of the patrons surrounding their table.

Wendy cocked her head, watching his eyes fluttering and his chest heaving as he tried to gather himself back into the moment. "Are you doing all right?" she asked, putting a doting hand on his arm. "You've seemed really out of it tonight."

"I'm great!" he replied with what even he could tell was way too much enthusiasm. "How are you, Wendy?"

"Worried because you look like you're about to shake your way out the door," she raised her brow in suspicion. Kenny was one for getting lost in his thoughts and needing brought back down, he always had been, but not for this long a span of time. He'd hardly said a word since he'd sauntered in with a pout on his face and grumpily made his way to their table. He'd only muttered he had a long day at the shop, but something about his tone just seemed to tell a different tale. Not to mention, whether the other boys had noticed it or not, dirt stains on his pantlegs and a splash of ink nestled in the webbing of his thumb and index finger weren't his usual signs of a tough day at the needle. Watching his nails rapidly tapping against the edge of his mug certainly didn't speak to the notion of 'just another day' either.

Kenny cleared his throat, cracking his neck and giving a short shrug. "Just got some… excess energy that's all," he said through a forced grin.

Clyde smirked, "Well, spend it on her," he urged, pointing off into the crowd at a busty brunette watching him with a sly smile.

Kenny blinked away from her, rolling his eyes. "No thanks. Already did a few months back so she'd leave me alone."

Token snorted, "Wait, really?"

"I mended her dress," he shook his head. "She wanted to repay me… by not paying me," he scoffed. "Told her that wasn't happening. If I could buy food via orgasms I would but until that becomes possible without you know, being a prostitute, I need actual goddamn currency."

Wendy narrowed her eyes in the slightest, "I'm not seeing how this leads to you and her getting together."

Kenny shrugged, taking another sip of his ale. "A few weeks after that passed and she came by and waited outside the door for me to close up and I just kind of took one for the team so she wouldn't start lingerin' around and freak out Karen."

Clyde rolled his eyes, "Yeah. 'Took one for the team'. I'm sure it fucking pained you."

"I didn't say it 'pained me'," he mocked. "She just kind of passed the time. Great tits though," he shrugged, flinching at a sharp slap across his upper arm from Wendy. He turned and watched her disapproving grimace with a smirk. "Sorry, should I have said they're not as great as yours or what, Babe?"

"I guarantee hers are better," Token input, nearly choking on a sip of ale as her elbow flew back into his ribs.

Wendy scowled, "Both of you knock it off. Ken, you in particular stop with the goddamn random hook-ups."

"Oh come on," he drawled. "She was the last one I've had in a while. This ain't like last year."

"When you were banging anything that moved?" Cartman rolled his eyes.

He pouted, "I was depressed and needed people. So what? I didn't hurt no one."

"You broke up nine couples," Wendy reminded him, shaking her head.

Kenny shrugged, taking another swig. "So? Not my fault guys n' gals can't keep it in their pants around me. I didn't break 'em up, they did. And six of those I didn't know were datin' someone."

"Or married," Token corrected.

Again, he shrugged. "You guys are just jealous. You two are like an old monogamous married couple," he pointed at Wendy and Token. "Clyde is on-again, off-again with Alice so much I don't think they stay together long enough for either of them to unbutton anything," he smirked at Clyde who pouted. "And Fatass here couldn't get anyone if he was richer than Token."

Cartman scowled, "Fuck you."

"Not for all the money in the world, Darlin'," he teased, barely evading a slap to his head.

"I've gotten far more than you stupid assholes could ever imagine," he drawled, sitting up primly.

Kenny smirked. "Oh? You one of your mom's customers, too?" Clyde leapt forward and snagged around Cartman's arms as he tried to lunge and tackle down the guffawing man. Kenny's eyes sparkled with mischief at the seething, furious breaths leaking between Cartman's teeth. "Oh calm down, Fatty," he patted his hair a bit. "I'm only teasin'. You can't afford her either."

"Po'Boy I swear I will fucking end you," he snapped, shoving Clyde off himself and glaring daggers at the cheeky grin over Kenny's face.

"I'm just shiverin' in terror. And a lil bit of bein' turned on. Gonna give me a happy endin' there, big guy?" he winked, bursting into louder laughter at the nausea suddenly flooding Cartman's face. He grunted at a punitive punch against his arm, continuing to cackle as Cartman muttered to himself and downed a long swig of ale.

Wendy sighed and shook her head. At least he seemed to be back to normal at the very least. Token snorted at the show and shook her a bit, kissing her temple before turning his attention back to Kenny. "Hey, so my mom is willing to let you work on the cushion," he informed him.

Kenny finally simmered, meeting his stare and breaking into a grin. "Really?"

He gave a curt nod, "Yeah, I'll bring it by tomorrow if that's all right."

Kenny nodded back with enthusiasm, "That'd be great. May take a little longer than usual since I have some wedding dress deadlines I'm dealin' with."

"No problem," he shrugged it off, taking a drink. "No hurries, we just want it done right."

"I'm your man," he saluted cheekily.

Clyde smirked, "When are ya gonna bring me some elaborate work, Token?"

Token snorted, "Soon as I decide to go off and be a warrior, you can make my sword. Deal?"

"And it'll be the best goddamn sword out there," he promised, tipping his mug. "You know, provided Feldon lets me goddamn handle something like that," he rolled his eyes. "Been working for the guy for years and he still only lets me do little things."

Wendy shrugged, "Takes better eyes than what he has, I'm sure he'll let you do more after some more time. He's stingy with customers, I can't imagine how stingy he is with you."

"Don't even get me started," he groaned. "I think Cartman's apprentice makes more than I do."

"Don't bet on that," Kenny drawled, "Fatass is takin' advantage of the kid like it's his job."

Cartman rolled his eyes, "It is my job. Some of us care about making the profits to stay in business, Po'Boy, and that means cutting expenses where you can."

Kenny scoffed and shook his head, leaning his cheek back into his palm and twisting his lips as his eyes fell back to the table. He wondered if Kyle's people had money, if it was made with polished wood or something of the sort. Or if they even had a point in monetary means. Maybe Kyle would be willing to explain their currency system as exchange for all his new numbers. Or even with as little as Kenny knew about him, he would bet that he'd probably just be willing to tell it if Kenny showed the slightest hint of enthusiasm. It was bewildering in a way, how fascinated the fairy would be with any mentions of his life, how he soaked in every word with wide eyes and a fond smile. But, he supposed it made sense. After all, Kenny thought his own stories were boring, nothing but what he'd been doing for twenty-five years. He had to remember it was the same in Kyle's case, too. Nothing but a clash of lifestyles between them and yearning to be in the other's shoes or wings.

His finger steadily tapped along the side of his mug, looking past Wendy and out towards the wide bay window over the heads of fellow patrons. Distant trees and mountains stood tall, silhouetted in a blanket of starlight. A long sigh seeped through his nose, eyes drooping in the slightest as he continued to ignore life for the moment, let himself wander in something more.

He jerked up a bit at movement hovering above the trees, brow raising at a speck of a figure hovering above the branches. Seemed too big to be an owl or something… He smiled. It was probably Kyle, he assumed. Just out there later than he'd expected to be. His smile fell a tad as several other specks flew up beside the first, unable to distinguish a number. 'What the…'

Kenny blinked, straightening up a bit as he watched the figures dart away and back deeper into the woods towards the mountains. His brow slowly crept up, wondering if Kyle had been out with others so close to the forefront of the forest. That didn't seem to make sense considering how cautious he was with his people finding out what he was up to and how apparently stringent they were against venturing. Maybe it was another group from his tribe. But that just didn't seem to quite add up. He hummed to himself, arm getting slapped again and turning back to his friends, forcing himself to participate in their inane conversations.

All the while, through forced grins and constant slams against one another, Kenny's mind just kept wandering on back to the night sky, curious as to why something was just not feeling right.


Dinner was nothing short of a nightmare, Sheila going into a full-fledged panic over how late Kyle had been kept out, pointing out a conspicuous bruise starting on Kyle's arm from being tackled. He'd mumbled out an excuse about merely falling when he was out and losing track of time, picking at his food while she continued to yell him down. He could hear his father merely sighing the entire meal, feel Ike staring at him with suspicion. He'd finally excused himself ten minutes in, barely touching his food and heading up to his room, just too wiped out from the events of the night to stand her berating any longer.

He seeped in through his wall, his bags and weapon hanging flaccidly from his hand. Kyle's shoulders dropped, rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb, just wanting this whole terrible experience to be left behind. He couldn't seem to shed the feeling of eyes watching him, waiting for him. Those eerie voices sent prickles down his spine and through his wings, wondering just what the hell he could've ended up in the middle of if the treagi hadn't been there.

He sighed. He supposed it didn't matter. What mattered was he made it out just fine, even if now he had to worry about fucking Jason beating his face in for wounding his friend. Hopefully Stan would know that that was a potential scenario and keep them apart from each other.

Kyle hummed, pulling his bags off from over his head and tossing them onto the bed, snagging the one so heavily weighted down with Kenny's gift. He pulled out the thick glass piece, tilting it in his hand again and biting his lip, looking around at the illumination flooding his room. Clicking his tongue, he placed it safely on the mattress, walking over and snagging an old knitted blanket from the top of his closet. He unfolded it, nose scrunching from the smell of years of not being used since his mother had crafted it for him as a fateri. He shook out a bit of dirt from atop the wool, making way to his window and grunting as he hopped into the air and hovered, carefully pinning the covering over the pane and blocking out the view of his village. Backing up, he tilted his head at his work, nodding satisfactorily before reaching up and placing his fingertips against a large shard of nimikal'e embedded in the wooden ceiling.

He narrowed his eyes, concentrating and feeling a tingle rushing through his arm. A long breath of relief left him as a glowing blue light finally faded away. Licking over his lips, he raised his second hand, planting them both firmly against the sheet and closing his eyes, his entire body pulsating as it tried to adjust to his magics once more. He wasn't like the magic-workers of their village, he hadn't grown to be trained for his body to handle the influx of power. But, according to the kiantri, he'd adjusted well to it. It didn't completely wind him anymore, and it didn't hurt like the first few times had. Time, practice, adjustment, and patience, the old man had reminded him time and again. He'd figure it out much sooner than he believed if he just kept that in mind.

Kyle hissed, looking up with a start as the entirety of his ceiling went dark. He gulped, pulling his hands back and once more landing back on the ground, cracking his wrists as he did so. It was a nightly routine he'd had for well over a year, but he still just hadn't quite mastered it. He could only hope that time would come soon enough, tired of struggling to wrap up his night before heading to bed. Kyle hummed, turning and maneuvering his way around his room through the darkness, holding a clenched fist up until it began to glow a beaming yellow and glancing around the room. He came to a stand by his writing table, ripping open a drawer and shuffling around the confines until his fingers hit a smooth, cold surface.

Carefully, he pulled out a spare, broken shard of nimikal'e, holding it in his lit hand and biting his lip. He glared at the surface, every ounce of concentration honed in on its gleaming surface. He jerked back as light flooded the pane, spreading like water before drowning it entirely and letting it become luminescent in his grasp. He grinned, sighing with relief and allowing his hand to finally lose its shine and shake it out. He glanced back to the piece set so delicately on his bed, cocking his head and wondering just what it was he was in for as he moved back towards it. Snatching up Kenny's instructions once more, he let his eyes flicker over the spattered script.

"Hold it behind and may have to move it," he murmured to himself, shrugging and turning to sit on his bed. He made a small, considering noise, gripping the heavy gift and moving it in front of his infused piece as they glimmered with one another. He bit his tongue a tad, awkwardly twisting both and watching the faceted lump, seeing beams of light blasting through but little else. "What is this?" he questioned, moving his light around the underside.

He grumbled time and again, just not having the energy to figure out Kenny's encrypted surprise before a spark of color caught his peripheral. He jerked his head over, eyes widening at a simple, multicolored splash innocently laying against his wall. Kyle blinked, moving the light source just a tad and how the colors shifted with it. "Whoa," he whispered.

He pivoted, continuing to try to keep the rainbow in his sights before the light came to a sharp corner along the bottom, Kyle's mouth dropping at the colors stretching out all at once against his wall and fading away into his reflective ceiling. He laughed breathlessly, carefully moving backwards, careful to not shift the pieces and laying them just barely hanging over his nightstand. With more care than he'd ever used in his life, he pulled his fingers away, watching them for a moment to ensure their stability before turning and crawling to the edge of his bed, sliding off the foot and making way almost nervously towards the beaming light. He cocked his head, a wide smile spreading over his face and eyes glittering with wonder. He licked his lips, pressing his fingers against the surrounding golden beams before sliding with care over to touch the beginnings of an ethereal indigo.

He could hear his own heartbeat, watching the shadow of his hand and arm blocking off some of this wonderful, otherworldly experience. A giddiness couldn't seem to leave him, entire being tingling as he slipped through the colors, nails scraping along his wall and grinning as his skin was overtaken with varying hues. He was a living canvas for glass, finally returning the favor he'd been asking of it for so long, and he felt a warmth radiating through his chest at the notion. His eyes traced up, following it hugging the curve of his rounded room and spreading to accommodate before hitting a hard stop at the junction and continuing in a narrow, straight line through separated lines between his own lights. It faded off with such softness Kyle could only equate it to mist, nothing but dissipation into the unknown and seeping up into his ceiling, blessing his home with its colors.

He let out a shaky, overwhelmed breath, taking his arm back and smiling, backing away from it and unable to tear his gaze from its wonder. "They can make colors, too," he whispered, hitting the foot of his bed and slowly sitting down. All he wanted to do was stare, memorize every transitional tone, how it so gradually spread into the golden background like combatting the setting sun. Stan was wrong, just as he'd suspected. His own colors were nothing like this, nothing so celestial and wonderful, nothing so captivatingly alluring. He leaned his cheek into his palm, eyes half-lidded as he slipped into a dreamy stupor.

The trials of the day were now nothing more than noise in the background, every ounce of his attention right where he wanted it to be. He let his eyes slip shut for only a moment with a contented sigh. Thank Tav'nokana for light. Thank Tav'nokana for color. He grinned wider, eyes fluttering back open with another happy breath. Thank Tetima for Kenny.