chapter 16

Howard Moon was pulled from his drifting thoughts by the sound of the zoo speakers screeching on, and Bob Fossil's voice filling the air seconds later.

"Staff announcement; all keepers to my office, pronto!"

Frowning, Howard reluctantly left his bench where he'd been taking a break and made his way toward the head offices. There he found many of the keepers already gathered in front of the zoo office building and muttering amongst themselves. Before them stood Fossil, and what made Howard's frown worsen was seeing Vince standing silently next to him, looking very unsure. Howard wanted to drag the boy away from that creep Fossil, but held himself in check and merely stood near the front of the crowd, so that Vince could spot him if he took his eyes off the ground. All thoughts were abruptly blasted out of Howard's mind by Fossil's grating voice, yelling loudly so as to halt the various conversations going on around them.

"Alright guys, we got a situation on our hands. While I was making the rounds today, checking on how you were all doing, I came over to see how our newest member was faring."

He looked pointedly down at Vince, whose shoulders visibly tensed and drew back. Howard wanted to call bullshit. Fossil never checked up on any of them, and he certainly never saw how new members were faring.

"Our lovely new keeper Vince Noir here has been charged with the care of the zoo's beloved frogs and small lizards. As you know, the Zooniverse is quite well-known for our newt breeding program. We are so very close to getting our two incredibly rare Argonian newts to breed. Or at least, we were, until hot-pants over here fucked things up."

Now Howard was taking a step forward. He knew what this was; had been subjected to it numerous times over the years. This was blatant public humiliation, something Fossil dished out in droves. And now he was doing it to Vince. Well, Howard was saying a big "no sir" to that!

"Come off it, Fossil. If you have an announcement, just make it already!"

"Did I say you could speak, Moon? Anyway, the point is we no longer have a chance of breeding our rare newts, cause limp-wrists here started trembling as he was holding one! Now what are we supposed to do with two females, huh?"

This last question was directed more at Vince than the crowd. The teenager finally looked up, his eyes ghosting over Howard before landing on Fossil.

"Could they be a lesbian couple?"

Fossil's eyes hardened, becoming almost venomous, and Vince quickly dropped both his gaze and the cheeky half-smile, clasping his hands meekly behind his back. Fossil turned again to the other keepers, who didn't really seem to give two shits about the sex of any of their newts; except for Joey Moose, who glared over at Vince from the back of the crowd. Fossil seemed as if he were going to launch into another string of insults and yammerings, but his eyes widened suddenly, and he began to speak rapidly.

"And a- another announcement! The llama has just escaped. I see him clomping around over there. Uh, go get 'em. Good luck!"

And with that, the blue-shirted man scrambled through the front office door, locking it behind him. The keepers were all in a frenzy now, many of them running for cover. The Zooniverse's llama was known to be rather vicious, biting and kicking and even spitting at anyone who came near him.

Amid the scattering, Howard lost track of Vince for a few moments, and when he spotted the kid again, he saw to his horror that Vince was walking calmly to where the llama had last been seen. In a panic, Howard snatched Vince by the wrist, yanking the boy practically against him. Howard felt bad, seeing Vince's slight wince, but he definitely didn't want the kid getting hooved into the dirt by a mad animal twice his size.

"Listen to me, Vince. I want you to follow me and do exactly what I say, you got it? This llama isn't out to make friends, alright? I've seen him crack a guy's ribs once."

"Oh, please. You forget, Howard, I can talk to animals. It'll be fine, watch me."

Vince smiled and made to move forward, but Howard once again yanked him back, Vince's face burying itself roughly in Howard's shirt before the boy stood straight once more with a huff and a glare up at the taller man. When Howard was certain that Vince would listen to him, Howard let go of the boy and continued silently forward. Now they were entirely on their own, the other staff having scurried away like the rats they were. They all remembered the one poor bloke who'd last crossed the llama's path.

Howard stepped carefully around one of the exhibits, catching sight of the escaped animal as it rounded another corner, heading in the direction of the gift shop. Howard picked up his pace, while hearing Fossil's voice once again ring out over the zoo on the intercom, shouting frantically for all zoo visitors to vacate. Luckily today seemed just as slow as ever,and Howard had yet to spot any pedestrians.

Coming to the gift shop, Howard saw that he had spoken too soon. A small girl and her mother were backed into the wall of the shop, watching with terrified eyes as the llama advanced on them. Before Howard could step forward, he saw Moose come around the side of the building, arms stretched out and a determined look on his face. He spotted Howard and nodded silently to him. Howard nodded back and proceeded to step toward the animal as well, arms out so as to try and herd the beast away from the people.

The llama backed away from the two men, going toward the Lodge instead. This was going good; if they could keep this up, they just might be able to shepherd the animal back into its pen. Howard suddenly remembered Vince, and cast a quick look over his shoulder. The daft boy was moving slowly over toward Howard, watching the llama nervously. Howard lowered one of his hands to wave frantically at the kid to back away.

This llama was much smarter than anyone had anticipated. Seeing one of the humans take its attention off of him, the creature made to turn and sprint off in a random direction.

Howard whipped his head back around in time to see the great white beast hurdle itself back toward the gift shop. Joey stepped valiantly in its way, shielding the woman and child. This brave act earned him not only Howard's undying respect, but a few bruises to last about his face and torso as the animal barreled into him.

The animal, now spooked and angry, pivoted in the direction of the only opening between the keepers and the building wall. Of course, this pathway held a certain fifteen-year-old, who froze up in realisation that the mad llama was about to run him over like a steam train.

Howard's not sure how he did it, but somehow he managed to step up beside the llama before it could fully charge forward, and wrap his arms around the creature's neck. It was the most self-destructive thing he'd ever done, and Howard squeezed his eyes shut in preparation for the end.

The end never came. In fact, upon opening his eyes hesitantly, Howard saw to his amazement that the llama was simply standing there, no longer frightened or furious, but calm. Who'da thunk it. All it took to sate the great beast was to put it in more or less a headlock. Howard looked about him in bewilderment. The mother and child were kneeling beside Moose in shock and relief. Vince himself was still in his same spot, silent. Only instead of gazing at the llama like the others, he stared directly at Howard, his mouth slightly open and a look on his face as if Howard had transformed into some mighty being and not just a sweaty, trembling guy with his arms clasping a llama's neck.

There was no way in hell Howard was letting this batshit crazy llama go, and Joey seemed down for the count. Howard pondered on how he was going to get the animal back into its enclosure without any of the other keepers. Seems the boy would have to do, though he still looked beyond mystified and quite scared.

Howard didn't trust his voice at the moment, and so sent one sharp nod at Vince. Luckily the kid seemed to get the gist and nodded quickly back. Vince began backing slowly in the direction he and Howard had come from. Howard gingerly followed, arms aching from their tense grip on the llama. The animal seemed content to follow, putting up no resistance. They made it back to the front of the offices where Howard spotted Fossil peaking through the blinds, as well as a few of the AWOL keepers looking behind hedges and around corners.

Vince stood with his arms rigid at his sides, looking about him, and Howard could've laughed when he realised that the boy didn't know where the llama's pen was. When the kid looked back at him with a lost expression, Howard smiled and leaned his head to the left. Vince sent a half-smile back and made in the direction Howard had indicated. It was pretty much straight on after that. Only a few minutes later they arrived at a wooden fence, the gate of which sat open slightly. Some keeper, in their haste to clean the cage and run for it, must not have properly latched the door.

Vince stood out of the way once he'd opened the gate wider, giving Howard plenty of space to lead the docile animal into the enclosure. Here was the part he was dreading. Howard slowly unwound his arms, wincing at how sore they felt. The llama stood still, not even turning to look at him. Howard wasn't trusting the peace to last long, and sprinted quickly out the gate, which Vince hastily closed with a bang! and latched it securely.

The snap of the gate was akin to that of a flag snapping as the winner crossed the finish line. Howard was that winner today. Raising his arms in the air he let out a mighty shout, feeling very much like a champion, victorious in the boxing ring. For a few minutes he lost himself in his own triumph, hopping up and down like a giddy child, arms pumping and a wide grin spread across his face.

Coming back to planet earth, Howard turned around sheepishly to face the pen. The llama looked on, unimpressed, chewing feed from its trough. Vince held a grin that rivaled Howard's, and was still staring at the man as if he had a light shining off him. The boy leaped forward and wrapped his own arms around Howard's neck, hugging the life out of him. Howard supposed this was how the llama had felt.

The sound of clapping caused Vince to release his grip and step away from Howard, who took in the sight of all of the keepers (minus Fossil and Moose) standing around and applauding him. Vince laughed and joined in, and Howard couldn't stop the smile that grew on his face. He truly did feel as if he were shining, if only for a few minutes until he made his way back to Joey, who was being taken to A&E by a few fellow keepers. Howard then made for the Lodge. The zoo had been closed down early, and he was intent on making himself some tea in the hope that it would slow his heartrate.

Twenty minutes later found Howard sitting on one side of the couch, cup barely touched, watching television. Vince sat beside him, and every now and again would shoot revering looks at him.

Howard wasn't even paying much mind to the program, but turning it on had been the only thing he could think of to shut the child up. Ever since entering the hut and finding that Vince had followed him, Howard hadn't been able to quell the kid's sudden hero worship for him. The boy went on and on about how he was sure he'd have ended up like Moose if it weren't for Howard.

Being treated like a deity was great and all, but after fifteen minutes of it Howard just wanted silence. He was glad Vince was showing him the respect he deserved as a senior keeper, but something else radiated in their bond beside simple gratitude. It was that familiar warmth that sparked as it collided with Howard's skin, like invisible blots of static lightning. It made Howard itch.

Not able to sit still any longer, Howard turned off the tv and strode to his acoustic. He returned to his seat with it and began to absently strum away. He immediately felt calmer; that is, until Vince began speaking again.

"Good god, Howard, I was sure I was a goner. Saw me own life flash an' everythin'! How did you know to do that?"

Howard sighed, not wanting to admit that he'd honestly just blacked out for a second.

"Just one of the few ways to calm a llama down, Vince."

Vince laughed and tucked his legs underneath him, watching Howard play for a few silent seconds before speaking again in a low tone that was almost song-like.

"Calm a llama down...heh."

Vince went silent after that, eyes drifting unseeing to the television. Occasionally the grin on the boy's face would morph into brief laughter at whatever hilarious thought was passing through the child's enigmatic brain. Howard could only shake his head in wonder, and went on playing lightly, paying little mind to the notes and looking over at Vince when the teen leant against the arm of the couch and grinned at Howard.

"Why aren't you, like, a famous guitarist or somethin'?"

The question came out of nowhere, and Howard honestly had no response to it, other than a few lame ones that he dared not voice aloud, such as 'I'm really not that good.' or 'I'm afraid people won't think I'm that good.' He decided to just stay quiet, and this action paid off when Vince went on speaking in a tone as if he could already see Howard's name up in lights.

"You could be famous! Or at least, well known enough to get gigs. Just picture it! You could earn money playin' and continue your job here; you'd be makin' a killin'!"

Howard just shook his head with a small smile at Vince's naivety, focusing his eyes and mind on his guitar. Vince silently got up from his seat and moved over to the coat-hanger where the twos' Keeper jackets were stored on off hours. Taking his own, Vince then rummaged around in an old green fisher's tackle box he'd brought along with him during his move into the hut. It had colorful stickers all over it, and from what Howard could see it held all of Vince's makeup.

The boy pulled out a small clear box holding sewing needles and strings of various colors. He also grabbed a patch and a few shiny items before resuming his place beside the man still gliding over his guitar strings. Vince held a glint in his eyes as he laid his jacket out over his lap, placing the items, a Kiss patch and small spikes, on the arm of the sofa. He snapped open the clear box and withdrew a small, barely visible needle and a spindle holding black string.

"Wanna hear the tale of how I got this Kiss badge?" Vince asked with a grin that promised a very strange tale indeed. Most likely a made-up fantasy. Howard was honestly not in the mood for another of the boy's famous fables.

"Not really..."

Vince took this reply in stride and silently went about his work, managing to somehow get the string through the needle. This amazed Howard, though the man kept his head down over his acoustic, strings forgotten. He eyed Vince silently from the side of his vision, curious at what the boy was up to.

To his horror, Howard saw Vince place the patch against the sleeve of his Keeper jacket and begin pressing the needle through it and the green cloth beneath.

"Stop! Wai-what are you doing!?"

Vince looked up at him as if he'd grown a second head.

"Um, customisin' it? It's boring! I'm addin' in a few unique touches. Want me to do the same to yours?"

"No I do not! Anyway, it's not allowed."

Vince made a gesture with his shoulders that conveyed how little he cared. Howard had a sneaking suspicion this 'customising' was more for snubbing Fossil and his rules than anything else. Howard's theory was proven correct when Vince's brows drew together and he began to speak as he sewed the patch on.

"'Tweren't my fault, you know. That whole newt business. I mean, I had just finished cleanin' out their cage when that weirdo came 'round the corner. I told 'im I was fine, but he just kept hoverin' over me! Well creeped me out! I couldn't help it, my hands just started shakin'."

The mental image of Fossil looming above the bony frame of the kid, casting a long shadow over him came to Howard, causing him to shift about in his seat, slightly closer to the boy. He cast a glance at the door, as if Fossil himself might burst through it.

Vince once again rose and went over to his green box, withdrawing an old Pritt stick from inside its unending depths. He flopped back down onto the couch and began carefully gluing the little stud-spikes onto the shoulders of the jacket.

The two sat in companionable silence after that; Vince focused intently on his work, his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek, and Howard content to simply watch him go about his work. Vince went back and forth between the couch and his box, adding small chains to the jacket as well as safety pins he scooped off of Howard's dresser. He ended his craft project with glittering his surname across the right side of the front, above the pocket.

Howard had to admit, it suited Vince perfectly, and he dared Fossil to have anything to say about it.

(Fellow Skyrim nerds will get what I did up there.

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