Leisure Room

After a few more minutes of face wrinkling and eyebrow wiggling (Just so he could subtly tell her that Cinderella was a "trashy" story and maybe he should just use it NEXT TIME!?), Mono's eyes lit up-- Soel sighed in response. She finally got it, the fact that the story of Cinderella was about a lucky clutterbrain, and was probably going to tell him how sorry she was for nagging endlessly. He relaxed and let his shoulders droop.

".... You... Have indigestion, dontcha?" Mono asked awkwardly and it took a full five minutes for her words to sink in. In spite of his pride in his ability to school his emotions, Soel couldn't help but just ... gape at this young girl who was as dense as a massive wheel of hard cheese.

And so his efforts ended in vain. Soel suddenly felt his face heat up and pulled on his hood. He knew exactly why; It was rare for him to try and mimic the normal "expressions" of the people around him (and a hard thing it was to do, indeed) and Mono didn't even get it! All that work and to be asked whether he wasn't feeling on top of his game?! (To answer the question, he never really felt good unless he was all by himself/performing/reading) The gambit felt an overwhelming desire to just leave the room and hide his face behind a book.

Soel scowled unpleasantly under the cover of his clothing and spun around, a bit pleased to feel the muscles in his legs tensing up in preparation for a hard run. Yes, he was going to run away-- And who cared? If he didn't escape this room soon enough, Mono would be reduced to nothing more than a bawling mass of tears and brown ringlets. He never tested the limit of his ability to endure embarrassment, and this sure wasn't the place to cross the line. He dashed away from the child and out the room, probably not stopping until he has reached his dorm room--

However, he paused for breath just a few meters from the door, gulping in massive amounts of air in case it might help push down the chagrin.


"Where do you think you're going!?A little indigestion isn't something to be embarrassed about!" Mono cried, holding her little hand out to stop him, to grab on to something on his personage to prevent Soel from leaving, but she was only able to grasp air. She sighed and then shook her head. Oh well, he probably can't hold it in for much longer.

The moment she walked out she had noticed someone who looked like he was hyperventilating. She didn't exactly know him, but knew that fans referred to him as Fang. He doesn't look so good. She thought to herself before she noticed that she was staring. I'm being impolite, I shouldn't gawk, but he does look sick.

Cammie was just about to turn around and walk down the hall, but something had stopped her.

Wham!

What in the world? She cocked her head to the side only to notice that he was no longer standing but sprawled on the floor and beside him was Aiden. The latter had a dazed look on his face and had his head held between both arms. "Ouch," he mumbled before turning his head to noticed that he had practically tackled Fang. "Oh, wow, sorry." He mumbled before staring at everything around him.

"There you go again." Cammie laughed a little at the lost expression on Aiden's face. "Don't go running around like that." She gave Soel an apologetic look. "You'll drag people down with you, like you did to him." Cammie stared at Soel. "Fang was it? Sorry bout my klutzy friend." She offered one hand to Aiden and one hand to Soel.

Aiden accepted the helping hand and immediately got back onto his feet. He rubbed his forehead then focused on his fellow animal tamer. "I didn't mean it, Soel. I hope you don't take it seriously." He mumbled with a slight smile on his face. Aiden turned to face Cammie with an 'are you happy now' expression. "You know I mean no harm, Cam." He nodded his head then turned to look at Soel.

"True, but you should really watch where your going, Aiden." She kept her hand extended and waited for him to either decline or accept it.

At first he was trying his best to calm down, but the next thing he knew was that his grip on his knees suddenly slipped and he fell down- hard. Soel’s chin bumped on the ground and a searing pain immediately shot up his lower mandible. Ugh, thank goodness his arms instinctively bent to absorb the impact—It might have been a lot worse it he just fell out flat.

In a few seconds Soel was back on his feet, albeit unable to scowl properly at the person who tackled him. Probably a zany, if one was to base his guess on the liberal amount of energy that a person had to have in order to run in this place, but upon closer inspection, the “criminal” was actually a “fellow” gambit.

‘Fang. It’s so canine.’ He spat out disgustedly inside his mind. Who thought up that name anyway!? And wasn’t it clear that his act revolved around HUGE CATS? So why the canine moniker? Sheesh…

Soel pulled on his hood and resisted the urge to glare at the ground. It was … Who was it again? Oh right… The dog (‘… Pretty sure they’re bigger than dogs….’) guy. He didn’t really like this guy as far as silence was concerned—Besides, it was that guy’s job to beat up animals, and that’s why they never really talked a lot.
There was a girl too. Who was she? He didn’t know her name because well… He only paid attention to performers who used fire or light in their acts…

After a few moments of awkward silence Cammie dropped her arm to her side. "Are you alright?" He didn't look happy at all, but then again who would be happy after being tackled to the ground. Cammie stared for a few moments before turning to face Aiden.

"Yaho~!" Aiden chirped happily. "Earth to, Soel." He had a knack for remembering names despite a lot of people being annoyed by his friendly ways. "Are you there?" The look on Aiden's face shifted from that of amusement to concern. Did he hit his head hard or something? The boy walked up to Soel and crouched in right in front of him. He leaned forward and peered at Soel's face. "Um did you hit your head?" He mumbled before reaching out to poke his fellow gambit on the forehead.

Cammie mentally sighed. Sheesh Aiden you barely know him, does personal space mean anything to you? She chuckled awkwardly then decided to leave and let the gambit deal with his own mess by himself. "Well, I'll be on my way. I'll see you when I see you. Bye Aiden."

"Eh?" He turned his head and gave the girl a pout. He was a tad upset back in the gambit's training room, but the heavy feeling instantly left the moment he broke into a run. It always managed to make him feel free. "But, I just got here."

"Well, I've been here for awhile so see ya." She smiled at him, waved then walked off down the corridor.

Aiden sighed then returned his attention to Soel. "So uh you alright? I really didn't mean for that to happen I was just running and it felt good." His signature goofy smile was back on his face. "It felt like freedom." He focused on Soel the smile practically plastered onto his face. "We're fellow gambits, but we've never really spoken." He rambled on. "I'm Aiden."

People often talked about how talkative this certain gambit was, and Soel made sure that he was never to cross paths with Aiden in order to avoid the unnecessary noise. He never thought that someday, somehow, and amidst all of his efforts to waylay the animal fighter, he’d still find himself in the center of all the wide berth of Aiden’s attention. What a completely unlucky event…
Soel glared right back at the younger gambit when he looked him in the eye. Unfortunately though (or maybe he didn’t notice it) Aiden hardly even saw the twin daggers that “Fang” sent his way. In an even more annoying turn of events, he even flicked him on the forehead! It was good that he was ready to move, as he usually is, so that his neck wasn’t even limp or anything.
Anyway, he had nothing to say to this guy, so a good exit was in order.
Very unfortunately though…
“Aiden!!! You’re Aiden, right!?” Mono’s voice rang out from behind—again. Soel’s head throbbed painfully yet again—Why did this girl know practically everyone in the circus!? And why did she keep following him?
The girl bounced in front of the gambit and waved energetically. She was smiling too, as always.

He hadn't even noticed Soel's glare. In fact he didn't know that more than a handful of people wanted to wring his neck due to his cheery and noisy ways. He remained in his crouching position. "You're not mute are you?" He asked with a slight tilt of the head. He was only messing around though, he knew his fellow gambit could talk. He did tell stories to the children and that would be impossible to do without a voice.

Maybe I pissed him off? But it was only an accident, and I was just trying to help.

Aiden stared hard and long at Soel's face and finally saw the irritated expression that was aimed at him. He mentally flinched, but on the outside he looked unfazed and he managed to keep his silly smile despite the confusion in his head. "Sorry?" He finally uttered, the confidence in his voice had wavered and it was now replaced with uncertainty. "Like I said, it was an acciden-" He was interrupted in mid-sentence by someone who was yelling his name. He instantly hopped to his feet and spun around, despite his klutzy nature people had to admit that Aiden was fast.

"Yep, the one and only." He paused momentarily to stare at the person who had called him. She was a frail yet pretty looking child who reminded him of picture books that depicted castles, dragons, knights and princesses. He smiled gently and gave polite nod. "Aiden at your service, what do you need?"

For now, Soel felt gratitude blossom up from the depths of his soul. Thank goodness for Mono and her sudden appearances… Even if it was only for this time. At least it kept Aiden (‘Was that his name…?’) off of his back although… He opted to stay behind instead of following his initial plan to leave the area. It might be offensive but Soel heard various rumors about his fellow gambit’s “tantrums”. There was a time that he almost witnessed it—Almost. Who knew what triggered Aiden? Food, smells, chatter, emotion… Soel didn’t care since he didn’t work with the guy. But one thing he was certain of— A twig like Mono wouldn’t stand a chance against this guy—She can’t even weather a light flick on the shoulder, much less endure the frenzied hits of an angered teenager.

Mono flashed her even pearly-whites at the older male. “Hi, I’m Mono. Everyone calls me Mono! Well, uh, I saw that you bumped into Soel—,”

“Sowel!”

“—And well, didchu see his eyes!? AWESOME, RIGHT! LIKE KITTIES!” By the time she finished yelling about the better aspects of Soel’s optical organs, why, she was jumping up and down like a child. A rush of breath was heard from the hooded figure when something cracked suddenly.

“O-oh, uh, that was nothing! Haha!” She laughed nervously when Soel glared at her. He was probably thinking that she splintered one of her bones…

Caleb swallowed a sigh. He gave his cheeks a few pats to keep his face from scrunching up in this dull feeling inside of him-- a little too many pats, actually. His cheeks are now rosy from the pats, and the rubbing certainly did not help with the case. The child nonetheless, rubbed his cheeks with a little too much force. He believed that it will clear all the upsetting feelings, regardless the source. He is the last person who should be feeling upset (regardless the source).

Upset feelings will only trouble others. And as if he isn't already troubling enough.

Caleb fixed his face into a relatively not upsetting expression and wandered aimlessly along the long corridors. He wasn't sure where he'd go yet. Perhaps the dorms. Perhaps the training room when everyone has left.

He saw the door to the leisure room come into view.

No, that's the last place I would-

Hurried footsteps.

Its fine, Caleb quickly reassured himself when he is about to shrink against the wall, Just keep walking. You won't look odd, they'll barely notice you.

They will barely no--

Caleb never got to finish the piece of self convincing thought before he was brutally cut off by a feathered cannon ball--- that did not make sense at all. Is there such a thing, even. Caleb groaned. The heavy pain made it hard to think straight. Though he's a mutant with high body temperature, his body is only normally fragile. The boy groaned again as he tried to push himself to sit up.

"What in the world..."

"Mono, nice to meet you. It's always nice to know more people. I mean there are a ton of us stuffed underground, but almost everyone only talks to a handful of people. Weird, right?" He nodded to himself and continued on with his rambling. "Since we're all stuck here, we might as well make the best of it right? Get to know one another and become a family." He wavered but instantly covered it up with another smile. "Would be awesome if everyone here got along well, but yeah even an idiot like myself knows that ain't gonna happen anytime soon." He paused when she asked a question and leaned in even closer towards Soel.

The boy didn't exactly respect other people's personal space unless they outright told him to. He squinted and peered at Soel's eyes. He was usually the observant type when it came to his scuffles with the wolves, but outside the ring was sort of a different story. "Huh no, but now that you mention it-" he peered for a couple more moments before grinning like the goof he was. "He resembles those big cats he trains, whaddya call them again..." He leaned back a begun rubbing his chin. "Something with a letter t in it. Ti...Ti." He hopped up and raised his fist triumphantly into the air. "Tigers, right?"

"Also I didn't mean to bump into your friend." He laughed, once again oblivious to the fact that Soel didn't like him. "He doesn't seem to talk though, could you apologize for me?" He asked Mono hopefully. Despite being 15 Aiden still acted a lot like little kid. Sure he had his moments of seriousness though those were scarce and happened only once in a long while.

Crack.

Aiden's ears twitched like that of a wolf and he looked around then focused in on Mono. She looked fine and nothing seemed to be out of place. Whatever it was it probably wasn't bad. "Hey," he bounced in place his blue eyes playful and focused on Soel. "I'm going to keep bugging you till you accept my apology." He gave the tiger tamer two thumbs up and spun around to give Mona broad smile.

Mono smiled sweetly while she listened to Aiden’s chatter. She was a really good listener, mainly because she adored lending an ear to anyone who wanted to talk, and more than a handful of people have commented on her wonderful ability to endure long hours of playing audience to one’s throes and wails. The more sarcastic people often asked how she didn’t develop an ear sickness due to being at the receiving end of so much drama.
“Boy, you sure love to talk, dontcha?” She laughed easily and clapped her hands together. This day she was wearing a flowery dress in order to cover up the bandages on her wrist. Mono only hoped that it wasn’t obvious, but so far it seemed that only Soel was able to notice it. She brought herself back to the present when Aiden suddenly fistpumped.
“He’s not mute, but Soel’s not so good around people. Sorry,” She explained on behalf of the gambit. The said male rolled his eyes then pulled on his hood until his face was once again covered by a shadow.

On the other hand, Soel was actually raring to leave the perimeter. Not only was Aiden practically violating his personal space, but he was indeed bent on having a conversation. 'Go talk to Ivan-- Or whatever roomie is called these days,' He snapped grouchily, but of course he kept his sentiments to himself.

"Course I do." He nodded his head up and down quickly. "I mean sure there's chatter on almost every corner. This place is anything but silent, but it's different when you're doing the talking y'know what I mean?" He always had thoughts racing through his head and he always felt the need to let them all out. If he didn't he felt like he'd explode. How others managed to keep their thoughts to themselves and their emotions bottled up Aiden didn't know. But he couldn't do it. He just had to speak his mind.

"Don't you like talking, Mono?" He asked curiously. "And honestly don't you just feel like you wanna explode when you can't get your feelings out?" He knew not everyone was like that, but that was how he was. Aiden was very expressive bottling him up was like trying to put water in a wooden basket filled with holes. The emotions would just seep through.

"I see," he looked at Soel once again, this time curiously as if analyzing the gambit that stood before him. "Well, sorry then." He offered Soel his hand. "I don't want to make any enemies, really." There was a sincere quality in his voice, because he meant every word.

'She's usually too busy bothering people,' Soel thought in response to Aiden's question. Although it was Mono he was talking to and it was against his normal mode of conduct to eavesdrop, it was hard to turn a deaf ear to someone with this much volume. Besides, it looked like Mono was having fun, and that in itself wasn't such a bad thing... After all she wouldn't nag him if she was busy talking to someone.
Anyway, oblivious Mono seemed to be equally delighted to have met a new friend. Although she was really young, she always thought that the best thing about meeting other people was the chance of becoming friends with them. It was a strange thing to think about; Usually kids of her age focused their attentions on food, games, boys... You know the works.
"Uh, um, Soel doesn't do the hand thing," She squeaked when Aiden held out his hand for a conciliatory handshake. Indeed, the gambit didn't look as if he was going to meet the latter halfway.

'Quet Quet Quet where did you run off to...?' Zalli huffed to herself as she sped down the halls, keeping an eye out for her brother just in case he was still wandering the halls, though the chance of him doing that was pretty low. She ran through the list of places that he could have possibly gone to.

'Maybe the cafeteria? Lunch is over though so he wouldn't have a reason to go there... The garden's a possibility, but the training rooms are more likely since I was complaining about it earlier and maybe he went there but then wouldn't he have called me to come along as well?'

Zalli let out a frustrated sigh, before deciding to check out the training rooms first. If he wasn't there, she could then go and see if she could find her ever elusive brother hiding in the garden somewhere. In a tree, maybe? She laughed to herself as she pictured Quet perched on a branch singing with a monotone expression on his face.

With this rather amusing mental picture in her mind, she never noticed herself rapidly approaching a figure until she ran straight into him with a loud squawk, causing them to tumble down into a tangle of limbs and feathers. "O-ouch...." She mumbled, sitting up slowly and rubbing her throbbing shoulder. She'd get a nasty bruise there later, she thought idly, but nothing seemed to be broken. The bird detangled herself and quickly turned her attention to the person next to her. Judging from the heat radiating from him, she could easily tell who she had ran into.

"Oh jeez Caleb, are you ok? I totally did not mean to run into you I was just on my wa to the training rooms to find Quet since he like disappeared without saying anything and I guess I really should have watched where I was going shouldn't I?'' She peered closely at him, trying to see if he had any serious injuries. He didn't seem to have any bones broken or have twisted anything, but his cheeks were looking a bit redder than usual. She frowned and placed her hands on both cheeks and examined his face closely. "Hey you don't have a fever do you? I can't tell because you're so hot all the time, but if you feel unwell you need to go to one of the scientists I mean yeah they can be kinda mean but it's better to deal with them than get sick!

Luci had been immersed in thought and trying to make sense of Ivan's gestures when the bustle of noise came into the hallway. It seemed she had missed some of what was said but her eyes immediately sorted out what was going on from the bits and pieces. Aiden, who was no extending a hand towards Soel, must have run into him. Luci didn't know Aiden that well, aside from seeing him on occasion, but his talkativeness was well known among the children and Luci recognized him at least. He seemed nice enough and she could see his good intent. Soel however was not as unknown to her. One of the few people she could call a friend, she could see the spot he was in. Friends were suppose to help in situations like this right? Part of her really wanted to stay and talk more but with an apologetic smile she tilted her head in the direction of the uproar and rose to her feet. Her joyous air evaporated, now replaced with a calm one. She was concerned, of course, but didn't let it show. Now wasn't the time to so she masked it a bit instead.

Walking over to the group she came up behind Soel tilting her head ever so slightly at the three before her. She hoped she didn't startle him. A gentle smile crossed her features, the sort of smile that usually alleviated any tension. That's what zanies did best after all. Helping people wash away the worries with a smile and comical attitude. Luci's was a bit less comical than most but just as spirited. Mono was also not completely unfamiliar. The young girl liked to make friends, something Luci shared in common with her. Already the gears were turning to appease the flare of conflicting gestures. Shifting to stand beside Soel, she looked first at Aiden and then back to Soel. "No one wants enemies around here. There's no room for dispute, right Soel?" She asked, as though she could feel irritation rolling off the cat hybrid. Her question was not one that required more than a simple nod or look as a response.

Turning her attention back towards Aiden she blinked at the extended arm, assuming Aiden would get tired after a while. Reaching out she shook his hand, bridging the gap between the two gambits with the shake and a few words. "Soel's probably just tired. I once read in a book that cats sleep sixteen hours a day, so he's likely short a few with all the practice." Part of her was joking a bit but if it helped Soel maybe the fact for cats carried over a bit, at least enough to be believable. "I hope you don't mind but I have something I'd really like to show him, so I'm borrowing him a bit...I hope that's okay Mono. It seems like you've made a new friend too so you should get to know him a bit better." Releasing Aiden's hand her large smile returning to a more modest small one. Tucking her hands behind her back her gaze fell on Soel, waiting for him to move to follow her.

Soel breathed a silent sigh of relief when Luci added herself to the equation. Right now the two noisy ones were downright overwhelming him with the sheer power of their vocal chords, and he was pretty relieved to have a fellow “insider” step in. Besides, he knew her enough to be as comfortable with her as much as his reflexes were able to allow. Luci was able to extract him from the conversation easily, but he found himself smiling slightly at the cat fib. Oh, maybe it was true that cats sleep for sixteen hours, but hey, he can stay in the sack for three days straight without wanting to get up for anything.

Mono’s purple eyes grew wider in amazement. “Wow, Soel sleeps like a cat too? That’s amazing! Oh wait a minute. Do you sleep during mealtimes too? Because you know, I see you with your head down a loooot of times but I’m not sure since your hood—,” Excitement built up inside the little girl, threatening to burst forth from that small figure. As usual, the enthusiastic spec-doll was bouncing, her wave of brown ringlets mimicking the upward-downward motion of her body. Soel tentatively reached his hand out a few inches away from his own body, thinking that Mono might have one of her “bone spells” again, but drew back when she finally stopped jerking.

“Yep, Aiden’s mah new friend!” She exclaimed delightedly, puffing up with pride as she raised her head and grinned at everyone. ‘I don’t see how that’s something to be proud of,’ The gambit, on the other hand, rolled his eyes at the younger girl’s zest. Oh well, they’re both chatterboxes and they fit together. All’s well, ends well then. Soel shrugged subtly and turned towards Luci, his body movement clearly stating that he was ready to go.

"It was nice to meet you, Aiden, and I'm glad to hear you've made a new friend Mono." And with a small nod and smile Luci drew away from the two glancing every so often to make sure Soel was in tow. His small smile at her comment assured her of the relief Soel must be feeling. Something in Soel's demeanor and the way he carried himself seemed to change as Luci pulled him out of the situation. Now she was headed towards the gambit and zany training room. If there was such a bustle around the leisure room at least the training room was one place where she'd have the space to move and talk properly with Soel. It would also be hopefully quieter with people winding down elsewhere from the bustle of lunch. With that thought in mind she lead the way.

------------------------------------------

A figure a few paces behind Caleb went fairly unnoticed as the collision occurred, at least until he shuffled to the side a bit to avoid becoming another victim of the domino effect. The snake always was particularly sluggish around noon and Caleb's warm presence was a comfort after a good lunch. It was not unusual for Skix to seek out Caleb when he was feeling particularly chilled or slow. Even worse the snake hybrid never felt a great need to let Caleb know he was there. After all Skix's endearment was the quiet sort. He did talk quite frequently when spoken to, but when it came to his feelings towards Caleb and his ability fewer words seemed needed. 'You're warm and nice.' or 'You don't avoid me.' were more or less the sorts of comments Skix graced on the natural born friend and sunning rock. Now Caleb was someone Skix had dubbed a friend, whether Caleb was entirely fond of the idea or not.

What gave Skix away was the slight hiss of surprise from the incident as he retreated a few steps. Feeling half asleep he similarly failed to notice the bundle of feathers speeding towards them. The only difference in the two gambit's positions being that Caleb was the first impact site. It was the ensuing chirps and bird-chatter that helped Skix identify which of the birds they had encountered, as though the eager pace hadn't been enough. Strolling a few paces forward he stood next to the collision. "Careful Zalli or your brother will be worried." His voice came likely as a slight surprise. He had kept his distance before but now the second familiar face was one he couldn't avoid saying hi to. The bird hybrid was one of the few who also didn't avoid him with a certain distaste or fear. Though Skix knew her brother had not approved of their friendship in the beginning now he more or less let them be. Skix was a toxic danger, though his personality wasn't by any means.

Feathers and incomprehensible chirps.

A feathered cannon makes perfect sense now. The feathered cannon ball comes with a namely Zalli.

It also occurs as perfect sense to Caleb for him to apologize to whoever ran into him.
"Zalli, I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going," Caleb spilled the words after pushing himself to a sitting position. He reached out thin arms to the bird in concern, only to take them back, thinking that the heat won't do the bird much good.

Caleb liked Zalli. The bubbly bird is another of the few that doesn't show visible discomfort near him. Caleb enjoyed the sight of Zalli and Quet together, often with Quet translating for Zalli. It makes him remember the times people would 'rent' him to play with their children, or even tried to buy him for the purpose. Despite the exchanges behind the curtains, such a relationship might be nice.

Whether it is due to the obvious circumstances or the interactions they've had, Caleb was able to understand Zalli with less difficulty this time.
"It's fine, it's fine--" he struggled to fit words in between the chirps. Caleb fall backwards again when Zalli crept forward to examine his face.

Caleb, unaware of the his flushed cheeks, struggled to reassure Zalli again, "Zalli, it's okay, I'm --" He broke off mid-sentence only to roll back his head to- "Skix!" He breathed in surprise.

Skix was another of the few that don't avoid Caleb. Caleb was uncertain why that is the case, that Skix even seem to like to be around him. At first, Caleb has tried to explain that Skix should avoid him, that the heat is uncomfortable and hard to bear for most. "You are nice and warm" Skix has said. Warm is rather an understatement, but if Skix is fine with it, then Caleb isn't about to push him away. Maybe it is a part of his mutation, to like heat. Caleb hasn't had a chance to look into the matter.

Too many things happening at once.

"Hi"

"Nonono, you don't have to apologize! I was the one who ran into you, so shush, alright?" The girl chirped sternly. "It was completely my fault. And...You sure you're alright?" Zalli pursed her lips, still staring intently at him. "I mean, if you're sure, like one hundred percent certain you're not sick in the least then it's fine..."

It certainly wouldn't do to let one of her bestest friends to get sick, no way! Especially since he also doubles as a very convenient heater when it was especially cold and damp. Sometimes the artificial sunlight just wasn't enough to drive away the chills, as the bird often found. She herself doesn't even know the reason why his body heat never bothered her- perhaps it was because the bird genes that affected her someway, perhaps it was just because she got cold easily. The reason didn't matter though; Zalli was just glad she could interact so closely with him without having to flinch away like most others.

That wasn't the only reason though, of course. Zalli was very much fond of the younger boy- it was rare to find someone so kind and sympathetic and diligent and absolutely adorable like Caleb was. She still hasn't figured out why the Gambit has such a low self-esteem and never realizes when people are trying to take advantage of him, but has since decided to look after him as best as she could even if they were in different factions. Since when did being different factions stop anyone from being friends, anyways?

After another glance over Caleb to make sure that he was absolutely unhurt, she finally drew back and was just about to ask whether he'd seen her brother anywhere around before she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Skix!" The bird called happily, craning her neck to look up at the snake-hybrid. "How're you?" She bounced up and dusted herself off before offering a hand to Caleb who was still on the floor. "Don't worry about Quet, he knows I can take care of myself. Besides, he's not around right now anyways and it was only a small tumble, I'm used to it!" Her other hand waved flippantly as she shot him a bright smile, assuring Skix that there was nothing to be worried about.

Run. I need to run… Eric thought standing on four of his limbs near the door of the north entrance of the Animal Tamers Training. He was not really standing but more crouching low to the floor. Today, Eric had a pair of shorts and a red loose shirt. The shirt was not as loose as that it was baggy, but it was not too tight to cling to his skin. In his opinion, the shirt was just right to be worn but the shorts were a different matter to be of no concern. The thing he did not want to wear was the collar around his neck. Eric hated the collar around his neck because it would shock him if he got too close to the no access zone or slipped from view of the cameras.

"Run… I need to run!" Shouted the boy just before taking off down the straight hallway, running zero to twenty-five miles per hour in just ten seconds when he started off. This was not an odd thing for the other experiments to see since he did it nearly every day. In fact, Eric nearly plowed into Hina, who was walking by to get to the other training, and toppled her over. But just at the right moment, Eric moved to the dodged her with ease. He looked back to see Hina give him a small wave, something unusual for Eric to see. He looks back in-front of him just in time to see the crowd of people in-front of the leisure room.

“Oh crap…” Eric spoke as he tried to come to a screeching halt except he was still going a little too fast still. Digging his nails into the floor a little did nothing except grind them down more. “Crap...Crap...Crap...” He chanted as he slowed down, coming to a stop just by the crowd. He sat there, still on all four, in a daze from stopping so suddenly. Soon he shakes his head and coming out of his daze. “Hi everyone. What’s up?” He stated just sitting there on the floor.

A small smile graced Skix’s features as he examined the two before him. He crossed his arms with a certain air of satisfaction that no one had been hurt. Well…that was what one could only guess. He did like to give Caleb a bit of a hard time. So the surprise look on Caleb’s face could have also induced the posture the snake hybrid now held. Skix shifted an arm to wave at Caleb on the floor. “Hi. Glad to see you aren’t hurt.” His eyes moved to the chattering Zalli.

“Give him a bit of air Zalli.” He commented though the minute she noticed him she had already drawn back and recovered from the collision. Any ill amusement that had laced his smile faded into a calmer more endearing one. The sort of modest happy smile the crowd would never see on Skix’s face during any performance. He was a ruffian or a bizarre monstrosity by the crowd’s standards. They didn’t deserve to see a face happy when he was plagued by critical gazes. Zalli, Caleb, and most others were an exception though. They could share in his oddities.

Caught up in the flow of chatter from Zalli he seemed to catch the gist of what she was trying to get across. “Cold.” Was his first response in a flat tone, though he seemed to recall afterward that he couldn’t let such a trivial thing like temperature upset him. Yes, he didn’t enjoy the cold or being chilled but he had no intention to rain on their parade. “I’m fine otherwise. As long as you are alright then everything’s fine. Though I think you’re becoming contagious with all that energy.” He said her smile rubbing off on him. For a moment his smile was a bit more relaxed and brilliant before returning back to how it had been before. He breathed a sigh which came out as a peculiar hiss, one both children in front of him would recognize as a sigh. There really was no stopping Zalli’s energy.

It was Eric who provoked a truly surprised hiss out of Skix. Almost like the fur bristling on a dog, the scales on Skix’s arm came closer together as he tensed up. The sudden appearance at such a quick pace caused the snake to jump. Skix was not fast in running speed but his striking speed, otherwise called reaction time, was startling. Luckily that only came with physical contact and he had arms as a defense rather than biting. In this case however neither arm nor bite could be induced, but the split second tensing of the snake’s scales and muscles was clear. They took a minute to relax by the time Eric had slowed down before the group. Still recovering, the most Skix could muster was a short phrase in response to the fox’s question. “Avoiding further collisions.”

"Oh, okay then." He mumbled in response. He was just about to lower his arm when someone shook it in Soel's place. He stared at her and she was definitely familiar. Cammie's roommate, Luci right? He grinned broadly then nodded when she dragged Soel off. "Alright then, see you guys next time." He stared a Mono a look of curiosity on his face. Did Soel really sleep like a cat? It made him worry a bit. Maybe that was why Soel looked irritated. He had wolf DNA didn't he? And cats and dogs never got along in any of the picture books he had seen. "He doesn't seem to like me." He muttered slightly before giving Mono a childish pout. "Well at least I managed to make friends with you." He grinned goofily and he sounded proud as well. Making friends within the circus was something Aiden enjoyed. He liked it when he had more people to chatter away with and goof off with.

"So where are you headed, Mono?" He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket and begun trailing after her the same way dogs did with their masters. "I've got nothing to do at all."

Caleb hesitated at the hand. He blinked at the offered hand a few times while he tried to come up with a solution. Should I take the hand. I don't know I should probably do something before the pause becomes too long. It will be bad if I look hesitant though I don't intend-- keep the pause short enough to be as if imagined. Zalli doesn't appear to mind my body temperature, and it would be strange to not take her hand- After Caleb stumble into the conclusion, he reached a small hand towards the offered.

Perhaps the thought process was too long and he really needs to develop the ability to make quick decisions. Caleb hasn't quite got onto his feet when Eric started to [slow down] towards them. Due to being too engaged in frantic thought, it has came as a shock when he (finally) came to notice Eric speeding towards them. He jolted in shock, and his hand closed a little too tightly around Zalli's for a moment before realization struck him that he might have caused Zalli pain. Caleb's eyes widened slightly and he quickly let go of the offered hand. Caleb stumbled backwards out of balance, threatening to fall into Skix, who was standing behind them.

Caleb fall back on his bottom before collision with Skix could take place, and he, for once, could feel heat radiating from his cheeks.

He looked up at Eric. "Not much, thanks for asking" He mumbled in a barely audible voice.

"Cold? You're absolutely right, Skix. You'd think with all the money they make off of us they'd at least install some adequate heating!" Zalli nodded in agreement and placed a hand on her hip. "One day, we'll all end up sick and then what'll they do? Could at least be a bit more considerate to us, not that they've been considerate before, but... She huffed, then grinned sheepishly after she realized that they probably didn't understand most, if any, of what she had said. For someone who who couldn't speak human, she sure had a lot of opinions.

"But anyways, its good that you're fine. And contagious energy?" She laughed. "I wish! It would be so much fun, and Quet always said that I have too much energy to spare so I may as well share with you guys!" The bird managed to catch Skix's smile brighten for a moment before he hissed a sigh, and smiled even more hugely in response. It was almost a personal mission for her to get those around her to relax and lighten up as much as they could, and although it was hard she always felt a sense of pride when she did manage to accomplish it.

Feeling a warm hand in hers, Zalli looked back to Caleb and began to pull him up when a figure suddenly zoomed up to the three, causing her to let out a surprised "MEEP" before her hand was tightly squeezed then promptly let go by Caleb who then fell backwards, nearly toppling into Skix.

"What-who-Oh, hi Eric!" Zalli greeted the fox as she tried to flatten her now puffed up feathers back down while at the same time trying to inconspicuously shake out her hand. Caleb had an unexpectedly tight grip, as she'd just found out. "Not much , really, just talking and looking for- I forgot about Quet!" She nearly facepalmed in exasperation before letting out an embarrassed laugh. "Of course I would forget about why I came out here in the first place..."

Skix held up his arms, as though he would catch Caleb to avoid the collision but his response time was a bit slow. He was cold and sluggish. Blinking as nothing happened he realized Caleb never even made it that far back. The lag time between everything left Skix vacantly staring at the space before him until his head turned down to look at Caleb finally realizing the boy had fallen and his attempted catch had failed. Skix wasn’t the tallest kid in the underground unless he stretched quite a bit but he was taller than Caleb at least. Crouching down he picked Caleb under his arms lifting him up as he stood. After setting the walking heater down, he patted Caleb on the head. Skix’s strength was always a bit of a surprise but snakes were mostly muscle in the first place, the difference being Skix had a few flexibility issues. His bone structure didn’t match his mutation perfectly. The strength to pick Caleb up off the ground though was far less than he exerted when wrestling with a new snake so Skix didn’t pay the gesture much attention.

Listening to Zalli’s flurry of chatter he seemed to get the gist as some sort of response to his comment about the cold and his state of being in general. He nodded in agreement eyeing Zalli’s slight shake of her hand. “Did we interrupt your usual route Eric?” Skix turned his attention to the newcomer. Zalli and Caleb would be fine, just a few bumps and bruises, and no one was terribly hurt from the collision. His experiences with the scientists weren’t thrilling that he usually avoided them. If it came to an injury that would require their help it was almost guaranteed Skix would very quickly disappear.

Eric just in-front of the three watching react to his sudden stop before them. Normally he would not be around these three at the same time and tried to avoid unnecessary confrontations
He chuckled at all the reactions because he did not mean for them to happen. Caleb’s falling back was probably the funniest thing since he had never since his fellow experiment fall down before. After chuckling, Eric listened to Zali’s flutter of chirps but no luck he could not make out of any words from the chirps.

Sighing, he then heard Skix’s question turning his attention to the snake boy. Eric’s cheerful, happy composure changed a little to a much serious composure. “No. My route changes day to day and you three did not block my route. I had nearly hit into girl with white hair.” He spoke looking back down the hall behind him. "Hina was her name I believe…" He then stood up from the floor, brushing off the dust he collected while running.

Just then a smell crossed Eric’s nose causing him to turn his head to where the source of it was. With each sniff, the smell got stronger as whatever it was moving closer. That is when he saw the source of the smell, small drops of blood dripping off of a furious Aria’s hand.

“Oh no… This is not good.” Eric stated as his eyes widen at the sight of Aria. He had only seen her furious once before during the years of experimentation but never again... Until now. “Umm… I think we should get out of her wa-”

It was too late; Aria was already upon the group. Eric could feel the anger rolling off of Aria from the distance the group was from her. The tension in the air could almost be describe as cutting butter with a hot knife. Oh crap… Eric thought as he tried to keep out of Aria’s sight.