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Gildedtongue slipped on hir borrowed shirt and walked over to the kitchen area, guided by the scent of freshly brewed coffee. Frank was seated opposite their chakat hosts as Startail was finishing a story about Dreamweaver. Gildedtongue coughed, making hir presence known as the others turned to greet hir.

"I see that there was a chakat under all that dirt," Firefoot said behind a half a smile. Gildedtongue blushed lightly and went over to the table, finding an untouched mug of the caffeinated drink. "Frank filled me into your predicament, Gildedtongue, you're more than welcome to stay here."

Gildedtongue gulped down what was in hir mouth with a hard swallow, grunting softly to hirself. "Thank you, shir Firefoot, for your kindness. However, it seems where ever I am is a likely target." The leonine centauroid frowned to hirself, "I wouldn't want any more harm to come to you two or Dreamweaver than already has."

Startail shook hir head, reaching to rest a hand on Gildedtongue's shoulder, "Nonsense, Gildy. It seems like you're in need of sanctuary more than anyone right now, and we'll try our best to offer it to you." Frank nodded lightly, patting Gildedtongue's shoulder gently. The four stayed quiet for a moment before Gildedtongue broke the silence.

"After the trial, the judge took me to his chambers and explained to me this sort of thing would happen, and if it did, the law would not protect me. It's sad to see how right he might be." Gildedtongue looked more into hir mug, seeing hir reflection in the brown fluid. "I think I need to get out of here, and fast."

The three nodded their heads quietly, closing their eyes. Frank broke the silence, "And where do you think you'll go, friend? G.N.A. is close by, but not sure how much protection they'll give you. Maybe more in the Canadian sector, but most of the west coast is dominated by the fox' and wolf'taur clans. Unfortunately they're pretty well known for xenophobic ideologies."

Startail leaned back, "Oceania and Europe are both pretty open, especially Australia. A number of chakats I've worked and dealt with are from there. Pretty friendly folks." The four didn't notice a shy set of paws creeping towards the kitchen, eavesdropping on their conversation.

"The Lunar colonies and space stations are always looking for workers. Though, heh, I don't think spacecraft construction and repair would be your speciality," Firefoot said, to Gildedtongue's outstretched disgusted tongue. The interloper made hir way into the light as shi spoke.

"Well, there's always Chakona." The four turned to see Dreamweaver, wrapped in a warm terry half-robe, watching the conversation. Gildedtongue gulped a bit, remembering hir flight earlier, hoping the child has calmed down a bit. "I mean, they're always looking for teachers and chakats are almost always welcome."

Gildedtongue nodded half way, then looked at hirself, "Except that passage to there is a good sixty-six thousand credits and I have..." shi paused a moment, looking at hir shirt, then let out a sarcastic chuckle, "...I don't even have the shirt on my back."

Dreamweaver gave a defeated look to Gildedtongue, starting to turn away. The middle-aged longtail padded over to hug the youth. Dreamweaver froze for a moment before wrapping hir arms tightly around Gildedtongue, purring loudly. Gildedtongue blushed to hirself, gently nuzzling into Dreamweaver's headfur, inhaling hir scent deeply. Both stayed still for a moment like that.

Frank looked at the clock and sighed to himself, "I think it's about time that I head back to the barracks. I'll keep in touch, Gildy, Startail, Firefoot." He started to the door and smiled at Dreamweaver, "And I'll see you in class." Dreamweaver gulped and nodded to the human, as he whistled to himself, showing himself the door.

The four chakats remained quiet for a few moments after hearing the door shut and their guest starting to head home. Startail looked over at Gildedtongue again, "Well, I suppose we should get you some blankets and a mattress out into the den for you to sleep. You must be exhausted."

Gildedtongue nodded lightly, grunting as shi did realize how fatigued shi was. Dreamweaver smiled to the older chakat, "I'll show you where to find the 'loo and get the mattress pad out." Gildedtongue gave a small smile to Dreamweaver as shi followed hir into the hallways. Gildedtongue fought back the burning question of why shi ran off earlier, letting age and experience remind hir that some bits of information are better left for time to tell. Dreamweaver pointed out the facilities and pulled out an inflatable mattress and blankets out of the linen closet. "Heh, we don't get as many guests as I'd like, but eh," shi shrugged lightly, purring loudly as shi walked with Gildedtongue back to the den.

"Heh, I'd imagine you'd like lots and lots of guests all around." Dreamweaver nodded as shi set up the bedding in the common room. Gildedtongue sat on hir haunches, quietly watching the teen busy hirself. The older chakat cocked hir head to the side and asked, "So, what is the fascination with Chakona? I mean, it's not any better than any other planet out there." Gildedtongue shrugged.

Dreamweaver blushed to hirself, "Well, partially, because I've always wanted to go. Hehe, always interesting to see a homeworld tailor made for you after you've come into existence. But," Dreamweaver paused as shi fluffed up one of the pillows, "Mostly I just think that a place like that, far away, might make you happy."

Gildedtongue nodded quietly to hirself, "Well, I'll try to keep it in mind, then. Thank you very much, Dreamweaver, for all you've done." Gildedtongue nodded at hir sleeping arrangement stretching long as shi got hirself mentally ready for the first sleep in a real house in quite some time. Granted, shi was heavily disappointed that it wasn't hir own home, or hir own bed, but it should do well enough for hir.

"You're more than welcome, Gildedtongue. Dream well and see you in the morning." Dreamweaver hugged hir former teacher tightly, then headed off to hir own room next to hir parents' room. Gildedtongue looked around the area before turning the lights off, just so shi doesn't trip over an end table or anything, should shi have to wake during the night. The warm blankets encased the chakat in their embrace, helping hir find slumber.

-+-+-

"Why didn't you help us?"

"Did you really think your life is more important than ours?"

Gildedtongue found hirself surrounded by walls of fire. All exits were cut off from hir as shi breathed the foul air heavily, trying to avoid the vaguely humanoid shades drifting towards hir. "Pl-please, go away!" The chakat wailed, but they didn't listen to hir pleas. The chakat grunting, feeling hir feet burn and throb in pain as shi found hir pads dashing themselves against rubble and debris.

The shades got more and more as they stepped out of the flames. The chakat grunted as shi fell to the ground, feeling hir feet let out underneath hir. Each shade dashed across hir back, sucking the warmth from the chakat's body. Gildedtongue felt hir limbs getting heavier and heavier as the flames approached hir body. Shi loosened a feral roar, trying to pull out, but to no help. The shades joined each other in loud laughter, witnessing the fires licking and consuming the helpless feli'taur.

-+-+-

The heat and pain ended as Gildedtongue's eyes fluttered open momentarily. Shi grunted and slowly lifted hir head, looking around. Dawn had already passed as the rays of sunlight poured through the flats of the window shades. Gildedtongue smacked hir tongue against hir dry mouth, grunting as shi stretched long, lifting hir head high enough to see a naked Dreamweaver watching a viewscreen. Gildedtongue's ears heavily blushed as shi pulled hir head back down, cursing the stirring in hir loins.

The sound of the television mixed with the quiet crunching of cereal. Gildedtongue curled back up into a sleeping position; letting hir ears do the perceiving. The latest news bulletin drolled on, "...and in other news, the violence continues in the city of St. Altretic and the surrounding regions. Seventeen men, ten women and three children were killed in a bombing planned and executed by constructs in the marketplace district. Riots and violence that had been spurred on by the arresting of a chakat-type construct teacher several weeks ago, which had been growing steadily and spiked after a controversial verdict yesterday. Now onto weather..."

Gildedtongue felt tears well up in hir eyes and splatter on the bedding below hir. Hir body trembling visually on the makeshift bed behind where Dreamweaver sat. The younger feli'taur whimpered softly as shi felt the sudden empathetic pangs the older chakat was in. Dreamweaver turned to look at the guest and shuddered hirself, putting hir bowl down and quickly made off to hir room where the door closed with a quiet puft of a slam not wanted to be heard.

Gildedtongue slowly sat up, sighing in resign as shi shuffled the shirt shi slept in, whimpering how the coarse material had rubbed and irritated hir breasts. Shi figured that on why most chakats slept in the nude before looking around for the kitchen. Finding a glass shi got a glass of water to hydrate hir parched mouth before hearing a "Good morning" behind hir.

Startail sat on hir haunches, nodding to the guest before shi went to prepare some toast. Shi was as bare-chested as Dreamweaver, though it didn't affect Gildedtongue quite so much. Gildedtongue finally returned the greeting, wiping dried crud from hir eyes. "Sleep well last night?" Startail asked, fetching some marmalade from the refrigerator.

"Well enough, thank you, despite the dreams," Gildedtongue answered honestly, giving a double shrug of hir arms and forelegs. Starry nodded to hirself as shi hummed in thought.

"Dreams keeping you stressed? I don't blame you, considering the recent events." Startail mused to hirself, applying the spread to hir bread. Shi shook hir head lightly in time with hir knife. "Considering the vibes gushing out of you, I'm surprised you aren't hallucinating and flashbacking."

"Pardon?" Gildy blinked lightly at Startail as shi sipped another mouthful of fluid, gulping it down lightly while listening.

"Well, you know, empathetic resonance and such. A chakat's ability to read emotion in others and project their own." Startail shrugged softly to hirself, then smiled at Gildedtongue, "You, Gildedtongue, are projecting very negative feelings at a very constant rate. Granted, the events of late probably uncorked quite a bit, but this is very impressive." Startail hummed to hirself as shi continued to much on toast.

Gildedtongue sighed a bit to hirself, "Ugh, just when I just wanted to wallow in my own misery alone for a bit." Shi grumbled and finished off the water in hir glass, feeling the tinny flavour wash over hir tongue and down hir throat. Startail chuckled softly.

"Ah, but misery loves company, and it does seem that we're hardwired to bring in enough company," shi frowns a bit afterwards, looking a bit closer to Gildedtongue, "Though, oddly, doesn't seem like anyone else is helping cheer you up." Starry shugged to hirself, "Now, I just work on reactor coolant systems and certainly no psychologist, but you seem to be leaking a lot and not taking anything in. Heh, poor kitty is going to be drained soon." Gildedtongue rolled hir eyes lightly and set the glass next to the sink.

"Erm, right, possibly. Though, would explain why Dreamweaver has been so upset as of late," Gildy mused to hirself, running hir fingers through hir mane of hair to get the flat "bedhead" look off of hir. Startail nodded quietly, finishing hir light meal.

"More than likely. I don't think shi's mature enough to really expect such an onslaught of emotion, especially from someone shi cares a great deal about. I guess we'll have to have a talk with hir sometime soon." Startail looked lost in thought for a moment before opening a junk drawer and pulled out a swatch of cloth, handing it to Gildedtongue. It was too small to be a headband or neckerchief, so more than likely an armband of sorts. Part of the cloth was stained with blood, but the red strip had a very distinct symbol in the middle of it: a large capital H with a 1 sticking out of the bridge. Gildedtongue looked over the band a bit more and shrugged to Startail. The other chakat nodded.

"Rev. Johnson handed that to me after you went to the shower. He said that he found it on the ground after you both got out of the fire. Any clue what it might be? Maybe something around the school or whatnot?" Startail cocked an eyeridge as Gildedtongue studied it a few moments more, giving a shrug and handing the band back to the younger chakat.

"Beats me, what it is. One H? Seems like a quarter of what a group of agricultural girls would be a part of." Gildedtongue half chuckled, but was quieted by the rather blank look on Startail's face. Gildedtongue coughed lightly, clearing hir throat.

"In any case. I probably should not be here too long, considering." Gildedtongue looked out of a nearby window, seeing the sunrays trickle through and illuminate the dancing dust. Gildedtongue sighed softly to hirself, "Probably best I keep on the move a bit more, though not quite sure where to go."

Startail nodded again, leaning against a countertop as shi hummed again, "Well, luckily for you, Zool is coming around today, on Frank's request. With any luck hy should be able to get you back at least some of your money and identifications before we start thinking about shipping you out." Firefoot padded in through the hallway, moving around the table and putting away the chair Frank used last night.

"Well, before shi leaves, we'd better have at least some send off ready for hir." Firefoot chuckled to hirself. Gildedtongue blushed firmly and coughed into hir fist.

"Well, not too sure that'd be necessary. Don't have too many contacts here, or elsewhere really," Gildedtongue shrugged and looked at the couple, and then chuckled quietly, "Though, if you both are Dreamweaver's parents, which you are, it means that I'm not going to have any piece until I agree."

Startail snickers softly, "See, you can teach an old 'kat new tricks."