In search of art (Open)

“We are now entering Galbania airspace…” Jiranto said as he stared out the window, the Calamity having just left the multiplex. Gohrick stared down at the helm and sighed slightly, not believing his poor luck at the time. Jeez, how could he have that bad of luck, running into a group of Mithra that all just so happened to be looking for a mate at the time…He shuddered slightly at those looks and his tail flicked out slightly behind him.

That was the whole reason he had left Vana’diel, he got tired of being meat on a stick and being held against his will. Alright, maybe it wasn’t that bad, but it certainly wasn’t for this cat. He jumped down from the helm and took a look outside.

“Galbania Airspace? Etzel, just where exactly are we going? We’ve never even looked at this dimension before, so why stop by here now?” he asked the Viera Navigator.

“Hm, honestly, it is because we’ve never been here before that we decided this might be the best place to lay low…And let’s face it, with Cypher off on Vana’diel himself with Emerald at the moment, it wasn’t like we could follow him…Unless you want to be all tied down and chained up,” she said with a small smirk.

“No, no that is a very appealing thought at all…” he said, leaning back on the railing before standing back up. “I’m going up top to get a better view…Where would be the nearest city?”

“That would be … Deling City it looks like,” Etzel answered with her eyes closed, as it looking at something in her mind. Gohrick smiled, never happier then when he picked her up and made her his navigator. The woman could look at a map once and instantly know where they were using her own techniques.

“Well, make a course…we’re heading to Dollet,” Gohrick said, before making his way upstairs to the top deck. He paused and took a deep breath of fresh air, new world air and smiled slightly. He looked up and saw the Ring of Fate, flames burning brightly from it as the ship moved forward. Hopefully, the people here weren’t as rash as those on other planets, like Ivelice, where they shot first and asked questions later. Spira was nice, but annoying with everyone giving him problems about his ship… Cypher’s ship…their ship. Yes, that worked.

Anyway, he needed a break from all the monotony and wanted to see something new and exciting. He had heard of a world full of amazing sights, and oh how he wanted to see something truly inspirational. Something he could immerse himself in and feel something he could put down on paper and be truly proud of. That was this whole trip boiled down to, wanting something new to see and do and draw. He was an artist by trade and by heart, and already, as he looked down the side of the ship, he found his eyes widening slightly, like a child whose day of birth had just passed.

“There is already so much to see…so much to do…I want to see it all…” he said with a smile, before running back inside, declaring to step on the speed and to get them down there as soon as possible. It wasn’t too much longer before the airship released the harpoon to get them down on the ground. Gohrick gave everyone the chance to do what they wanted, while he had on him a notepad and a small paintbrush. This was an interesting site, a Mithra male admiring the architecture of the city. Oh yeah, he totally belonged here, don’t mind him, a complete native born and raised…he couldn’t have stuck out more if he tried. Even his crew didn’t stick out as badly, but then again, they didn’t have tails or ears sticking out of them.

It wasn’t too long afterwards that Gohrick found himself staring at a large archway, giving a soft whistle as he stared up at it.
“Yes…this…will be the first thing,” he said, before backing up quite a bit to get a full look at it. With that, he opened up his notebook and pulled out a small, personal paint brush. He looked down on his hip and opened up a small inkwell, before dipping the brush in. He looked back up and narrowed his eyes a bit, before looking back down at the paper and beginning. Even as he was painting, he was moving around, not really paying attention to where he was moving two, but becoming so focused in his work, it would take quite a jolt to snap him out of it.

Shade stepped out of the Presidential residency feeling completely exhausted, yet satisfied to a point. Thus far, she got the president of Deling and of Esthar speaking to each other on common ground, but she wished negotiations would speed up a bit for the planet's sake. This was the fourth meeting mostly of pleasantries, and the snail pace of discussions was growing against Shade's patience, but at least the two officials appeared to get along much better by this point.


By the time Shade reached the gates to the residency where she left her motorcycle, the ear com began ringing. With a pause in her step, she dropped her head, but clicked the earpiece to answer the call. "Yes?" The voice on the other line cleared their throat first, which Shade already recognized as the secretary at Balamb. "Um...Miss Shade, the Headmaster of Galbadia has already called twice, and now a third time where I have him on hold. He's awfully persistent in speaking to you..."

While continuing her walk, Shade rubbed her eyes and fought back the irritation from her voice. "That's because Galbadia's Headmaster can't make a decision about a single thing all by himself..." She threw her leg over the seat of the bike and jerked her helmet from it's perch to adjust the straps. "You tell him you got in contact with me, but my meeting had to be interrupted to do so. Then you tell that sniveling fool that I said if he calls one more time before I have a chance to finalize things, I'm going to fire his ass. And if anyone else calls for me, stall or lie. I haven't eaten a damn thing in 24 hours and I'm starving. Shade out." Now her sour mood was more aggravated than before. That was before youthful squirrel leaped from her shoulder to sit upon the middle of the dashboard of the cycle and rearing to go. Skittles multi colored little form was bobbing up and down with impatience, when yet another form poked it's small head from the leather satchel strapped to the side of the bike. How could Shade not smile just a little bit at seeing the pups head poke out and yip a cheerful greeting. After gently rubbing Haylo's head, Shade spoke with fondness in her voice. "All done for now, you two. Time to get something eat"


She never intended to stay and dine in Deling City. Far too crowded for her taste. There was a small village outside of the city far more quaint and to Shade's solitary liking. The fact that no one knew her there to bother her about political affairs was a nice plus as well. She kept the motorcycle at a slow pace through the city, nearly reaching it's border gate when Skittles got a whiff of something in the air. Shade was paying more attention to the road and traffic, until Skittles took a startling leap into the air that nearly scared the daylights out of her. How he managed to hop along the taxi roofs so quickly without getting killed was a surprise, and Shade tore off after him as best she could. She switched the cycle to hover mode for easier maneuverability, but he was too fast to catch up to. Next thing she knew, Haylo suddenly did the very same thing and leaped from her pouch with wings extended to run and fly after him!

The little creatures quickly tracked down the scent, but it was Skittles who knew it for who it was. He came running from behind the individual with squeaks and chatter of glee to then leap into the air, spinning like a mini tornado until he reached the youth, looking exactly identical to the Mithra, to then tackle him from behind in Skittles own way of hugging someone. Haylo was more interested in the drawing supplies that were sprawled about, getting ink all over her paws and fur, and especially her sniffing nose. By the time Shade arrived and yanked her helmet off, she could only groan at the spectacle and the crowd of people now gawking at the scene. After waving the people away, Shade pried Skittles off, or at least... she thought it was the Skittles form, then helped up the other individual he attacked.

"Alright you little rat.... which one are you? No games." She studied the two identical faces hard, knowing once the real one spoke up, Skittles would be given away. Yet she couldn't help but feel she recognized this person Skittles chose to copy. Before she got an answer, Haylo came traipsing over as proud as a puppy could carry herself with a gnawed on paintbrush in her mouth and covered in ink.

Gohrick was biting on his lip as he moved in closer to the archway, looking at the details that were engraved on the stone, before looking at his painting…Yes, perfect. He smiled and found himself back tracking once again, someone avoiding a few of the people that had gathered to watch him work, or just cause he was something new. He quickly twirled his paintbrush and dipped it in the ink, before adding some of the finer details of his work.

He didn’t hear the incoming sounds of a motorcycle, not that he would even know what one was at this point, nor did he hear the gasps of some of the closer people nearby, for he was too absorbed in his work. His eyes looked up once again, before down at his work as he continued to add- Wait, why was he suddenly looking up at the sky? Then he realized that there had been a strong wind before he found himself staring up sky high, and then suddenly found himself looking at the ground before he very painfully made great friends with it. Oh, hello there my old friend, why no, I wasn’t aware today was a drinking day either, but that just makes this time more special, since I’ll remember it this time.

He groaned slightly as he tried to turn and find out what had hit him, only to turn around and look up at…Himself? Maybe he had hit a bottle earlier and just couldn’t remember…

“Um…hello there you handsome bastard…mind telling me why your still on top of me?” he asked, his body still slightly in shock and a bit of pain…he really hadn’t expected to be tackled.

“Are you one of my many fans? I’m sorry, but I’m not giving out autographs right now,” he said, before he watched a woman appear out of the corner of his vision and pull off the clone and offer him a hand up.
Now, why did this seem vaguely familiar…the look of exasperation, before that look of total seriousness and pose…He could of sworn he had seen her before, but the place failed to appear at this moment.

“Not a rat, I’m a Mithra, not a Burmecian,” he said with a small smile. A small smile that dramatically and comically fell as he saw something that made his blood freeze and heart break. He saw the puppy, cute little thing really, and under normal circumstances, he would have pet it and moved on in life. However…there was quite a few things odd about this pup. First, it had wings, and that wasn’t a normal feature in canines last time he had looked at one. The next was that it was covered in ink…his ink. His own ink that he used for his drawings and magics, not all of which was healthy for chewing on. And speaking of drawings and chewing…was that his paintbrush?

“Oh no no no, little puppy, why are you chewing on that? You’re going to get yourself sick, not to mention that my paintbrush is not a chew toy…” he said with a slightly amused look on his face, before he groaned slightly…He had just seen his picture, which was now accented with little paw prints on it, making him put his face in his paw.

“Oh no…what a fiasco…” he muttered, before looking over at the female, who seemed to be in control of the two. He didn’t know what to say, and honestly, was torn between laughing and groaning, so he settled on an exasperated half smile, as if to say, what next?

Hearing the young....man? speak up to confirm he was no rat, or Burmecian, Shade's stern gray hues then slid to the copy she now knew was Skittles. He blushed profusely out of embarrassment while his paws? began to fidget with his new attire and he squeaked his apologies like a mouse. With a disgruntled sigh, Shade rolled her eyes and began brushing off the dirt to the real individual and explained herself. "I didn't mean you, friend. I meant him..." She flashed a glare at Skittles. "The little rat"


Skittles wasn't one to hold guilt for very long, being the stubborn, prideful little creature he was, so his response was expected when he stuck out his tongue and made a "pbbbt!" sound, then went right into an argument of defense in squirrel chatter and dramatic hand motions. When Shade's eyes narrowed, he went silent and scowled at her while shuffling back toward the bike. No matter how hard he had to strain his neck to turn and leer at her while walking, Skittles made darn sure he kept his pouty scowl locked on her.


Shade dismissed his pouty little behavior and now focused her attention back to the poor sot who suffered her summons obnoxious behavior. By this point, the stranger noticed Haylo's destruction, and although she knew he was heartbroken, she was surprised he handled the situation far more calmly than most people. Signs of a calm nature. That was a plus. She bent down and scooped up Haylo gently into her arms and dislodged the shredded paintbrush from her needle teeth, and gave the owner what she hoped appeared to be an apologetic look. Shade never was good with people, whether it be interacting with them on a social level, or appearing friendly at all. She was a fighter... a negotiator... it's all she knew.


"Uh.... yeah, this is bad, isn't it...." Alright Shade.... survey the field... calculate all possible moves... assess every possibility... She shook her head a bit to toss her trained thinking aside. This was no battle or confrontation... what was she doing?


"I can replace this... all of this. It's the least I can do for the trouble they caused. Skittles isn't normally..." She glanced back to where he still stood in full form beside the bike, only to see him with his arms crossed and the very same scowl on his face. His tongue poked out again. Turning back to the stranger, she acted as if she didn;t see it. "...like this. Something about you simply triggered his... enthusiasm." She gave a timid look down at the panting puppy in her arms. "As for this one? Always curious. Blame puppy nature I guess...." Then she realized the most obvious of things she had forgotten. With Haylo tucked under one arm now, Shade rubbed the back of her head a bit, as she introduced herself. "Name's Shade. And again, I hope you permit me to replace everything... There's a quite a few shops here that would probably have the same supplies..."


Well..... there goes dinner.

Gohrick continued to be slightly confused and crestfallen as the destroyed art supplies, but he found his concern more on the pup that she now held in her arms, still covered in the ink around her nose and mouth.

“Bah, art supplies can always be replaced, but that can wait for the moment….now where was it…” he muttered, searching his pockets on his open jacket before checking his pants pockets. He seemed frustrated for a moment, before smiling and pulling out a small pill.

“My ink isn’t the healthiest stuff in the world, and actually, I’m creating a few things with the ink…eh, technicalities aside, just to be on the safe side, in case poor pup ingested any of it, here’s an antidote to the ink I use,” he said, in a bit of a ramble before handing it over to her. He paused for a moment, holding up his now chew toy brush and sighing slightly. The wooden handle was still damp from dog saliva, splintered in some areas, and the brush itself had broken and bent hairs on it, making the brush completely ruined. It wasn’t that he didn’t have more of them, hell, the storage of the Calamity had dozens of boxes dedicated to art supplies, but…he had just gotten this one out and used it for one project, which had also been ruined.

“Alas, perhaps in the next life fair brush,” he said with a bit of an over dramatic flair, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh. He pocketed the brush and stared up at Shade now, really fully looking at her with his vivid blue eyes.

“Well, a certain and surprising encounter dear Shade, and a pleasure to meet you, though perhaps if there had been less ink involved…” he said before giving her a faint smile as he started to take stock of what he had just really lost. Most of it was superficial and replaceable, but that painting…Oh, now that was the real loss, and it wasn’t something you could just go pick up at an art supply store.

“Well, it isn’t good, but nothing was permanently damaged,” he said, giving a slightly saddened look at his painting before folding it up and pocketing it. There was no point in crying over spilled ink, and besides, most didn’t understand that art was something that couldn’t be so easily replicated once ruined. There was a mood behind it, a joy, and an emotion of sort that happens with each art work…one simply couldn’t just do it over again.

“Hm, mother always did say I brought out the oddest in people…,” he said with a small chuckle, before giving her a look in the eyes.

“My name is Gohrick, and please…Oh, I never know how to say this right…You aren’t required to replace anything…” he paused and bit his lower lip as he thought about it. He then tilted his head for a moment and found himself leaning in a bit closer to her. Again, when they say an artist is impulsive, random, and is hit by inspiration at the oddest of times, they certainly meant it.

“Hm…an odd idea, I’ll be the first to tell you that, but…Art supplies can be replaced very easily, but they can also be very expensive…I’ll tell you what…and I know, this is random, but an art work was ruined tonight…a fair exchange would be a print for a print as they say…in other words, as an alternative idea, allow me to paint your portrait, and the entire incident would be put behind us. I know, I said before it was an odd idea. All that would be required of you is a bit of patience, and some time. Granted, yes, this could be more so then the art supplies, so I will leave that up to you,” he finished with a small smile, his rambling complete.

Why was he rambling? He had a tendency to do that when he grew overly excited, and he wasn’t going to lie to anyone, much less himself, but having her as a model at this point would certainly be one of his best artworks. And it didn’t hurt that for once, he wasn’t going to use someone’s portrait to harm another. He certainly hope she allowed him to paint her…he always had a gifted eye for seeing under the surface, and was sure a work of beauty could easily be created with her as the model.

“But, before you fully answer that question, think it over if you wish, but please…you must tell me, just how you came to have a clone of me now on your machina device over there…Are you some sort of stalkerish fan and somehow started your own company of clones of me? I’ll have to tell you, if that is the case, I am going to have to demand at least 25% of the profits from each clone of me you sell to my adoring fans,” he said with a smile, generally curious, but showing his playful nature as well.

Now... things seemed to go quite pleasant during the assessment of the damages. The painter was obviously a bit distraught over the work he had done, which Shade's ever watchful gaze got a brief glance of before he folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. Just as her ears took in his name, the exchange took a rather unexpected turn. It began before he even spoke his proposed terms in regards to his damaged supplies. Shade simply wasn't accustomed to people studying her at all, especially the way this individual was looking so intently into her eyes. Internal defenses instinctively awakened as she shied back slightly with a faint, narrow suspicion in her gaze.


After listening to his grand proposal, Shade was left.... dumbfounded. This odd stranger certainly must be blind. What in all the worlds that were worth his time and talent could he possibly see in her ragged appearance to have such an impulse to do a portrait of her? Now thoroughly confused by this, as well as stumped for feeling awkward, Shade looked down at herself. The scuffed black boots that peeked out from the hem of her torn military pants revealed only their wear and tear from use. Her weapon's belt hung at her hip with a sloppy slant, along with the clip belts strapped at various angles. Her faded shirt was nothing to be desired more than a worn rag for comfort, and her leather bomber jacket was even worse for wear. She didn't need to look in a mirror to know her thick, layered dark hair was a disheveled state. It always was since she was child, taking whatever direction it wished as some stray locks often draped over her steel shaded hues.


Finally, Shade slowly raised her expression of disbelief up at Gohrick to know witness his small smile. Her left eyebrow slowly raised up as she found her voice again. "Uh.... did Skittles knock off a pair eyeglasses off your face, or is this some kind of joke?" She didn't mean to sound offensive or sarcastic, but her mind simply could not find reason for such a request. Buying replaced supplies would save him valuable time. He could then be on his way. He got the best of both worlds by her offer alone. But her thoughts were disrupted by Haylo's sharp little bark, which reminded Shade of the pill that was placed in her hand. So she placed the pup back onto the ground and with expert hands, gently lodged the pill in the back of her throat to then massage Haylo's neck to get her to swallow. After that was said and done, Shade forced herself to rise, and forced herself more so to face her predicament again.


Thankfully, his bout of small humor in the end relaxed her nerves a bit. She turned slightly in Skittles direction when Gohrick questioned about him to then find Skittles straddling the bike and starting to toy with the dashboard. He was still in Gohrick's form, and appeared rather pleased with himself, until he clicked the wrong dial which was the radio, and at full blast. The exploding music from the speakers startled him so much, that he shrieked in squirrel fear and jerked so hard from being startled, his body lurched backwards with flailing arms until he struck the ground with his back. Turning back to face the real Gohrick with her usual composure, Shade tried to explain.


"He's a rather unique....creature. He has the ability to copy any form he sees, be it another creature, or person. Most times, he can simply go by a picture of something, rather than seeing the real thing." Without looking back, Shade failed to see Skittles now peek back up from the ground behind the motorcycle in his Vincent Valentine form. Shifty crimson eyes veered back and forth a few times before his heated glare returned back upon the bike. His gloved hand then reached over the back of the bike to swing and slap at the seat in hopes to turn the radio off, but to avail. Haylo was by far too busy yapping at the bike, until Shade casually lifted her hand to aim over her shoulder for the remote to the cycle in her hand to make a "bleep" sound, silencing the radio immediately. "So no, I'm no stalkerish fan, I have no cloning company, nor do I make any profit."


Her arms crossed again as her thoughts returned to the business at hand. In her usual serious tone, she turned the tables. "Before I agree, or even think of this little proposal of yours, just how do I know you're not some sort of pervert?" A rather blunt question to be sure, but Shade was mostly renown for her bluntness and getting straight to the point.

He saw the dumbfounded look on her face as he made his offer, and saw the hesitation and the awkwardness of the situation that caused her discomfort. It wasn’t every day that a world famous (in his mind) artist would want to do a portrait, but still, for her to have that much of a lack of self confidence in her looks…

He watched her as she seemed to do an inventory of herself, and he followed her eyes, starting on the boots that showed a story of great stride and of an impressive journey, to her pants which showed a practicality that just couldn’t be matched in her eyes. The belt showed that she was no push over, a fighter through and through and someone that you wouldn’t want to get in a foul mood. The jacket over the faded shirt provided a story of its own, of battles and close calls. This is what he saw when he looked at her: a being that had seen and been through hell and still lived to tell the tale, stronger and tougher then ever.

Gohrick found himself staring at her with a slight smirk as his eyes rolled slightly. Really, missing glasses? That was what she could come up with? He had been told many things over his years whenever he offered to paint someone’s portrait, and that glasses line came up more often than not…it didn’t normally involve having them knocked off by a clone of himself, but still, the basics remained.

“I assure you, Madam Shade, that my vision is actually quite perfect, and no glasses were harmed during the glomping of this feline,” he said with a smile. He then found himself jumping slightly and closing his eyes as the loud music assaulted his ears, causing them to go flat against his skull for a moment, before Shade finally managed to turn it off.

“Ah, I see…so a shape shifter, a very rare creature indeed, at least from what I’ve heard…and he seems to know several forms…” he paused for a moment as he stared at the face that Skittles was now wearing. There was something about it that…

“Hm, I wonder, does he also happen to know of a form with long silver hair and a single black wing?” he asked, turning his head towards Shade and now realizing where he had seen her, however briefly, before being knocked out of the building, much to Cypher’s amusement and never ending teasing. Oh, how he couldn’t wait to get the blue haired swordsman back…but that was another story for another time. At least now he knew why she had seemed familiar.

“Alright, so you are not a stalkerish fan, this is good news, now I don’t have to be on my guard so much,” he said with a grin. He might have been teasing about the fans and such, but he really did have to be on his guard, least he ends up kidnapped by either: A- A female Mithra and dragged back to Vana’Diel. B-A hunter who liked rare beings, such as a male Mithra. Or C-A hunter hired by a female Mithra. So, stalkers and rabid fans, oh, they existed, and it wasn’t just him talking out of his arse.

“Me, a pervert? Madam, I assure you that all males are on some level, however, this is far from an attempt to get into those well worn pants. I honestly do believe that there is much more to you that can be expressed on paper and ink…Your clothing, your style, your natural beauty, it all screams of a story that must be told, and I’m not talking about through words…” he said, before pausing and taking a step back, before tilting his head to the side, scratching the back of his own head.

“Alright, that might have been a bit too strong, but every word is true Shade, and I would much rather have your portrait then your money,” he said, giving her a warm smile.

Shade remained composed as this Gohrick assured her he wasn't blind, then commented in regards to Skittles. At the mention of his abilities, Skittles flew over the bike and slid to an abrupt stop directly behind his summoner, and nodding his Vincent head repeatedly as if someone put his bobbing in fast forward motion. When Gohrick questioned about one particular form, Shade's head tilted slightly as she studied him closer. For him to know that form, he would've had to seen it at some point, but for the life of her, Shade couldn't place Gohrick's face to have ever met him, or recognize him from her countless travels. She knew Skittles remained right behind her, and by the gusts of wind blasting through her hair, she also knew the little rodent was showing off again without having to look. Still, her placid expression facing the painter companion never faltered.

She was not comfortable at all with this idea. Then Gohrick's overall assessment of her made her inwardly wince, yet she revealed nothing of the awkwardness this time. Truly he hit his head too hard on the pavement when Skittles knocked him down. Meanwhile, Skittles decided to confirm Gohrick's suspicions and spin into his Sephiroth's form, to then make obnoxious hand signals behind Shade's back, as well as overly dramatic manly poses. Shade continued to feign ignorance of his antics as she muddled over the situation. This was simply ridiculous. She must be far more exhausted and hungry than she realized to even be standing here contemplating on such a ludicrous idea, because Shade would normally slap a handful of gil into the stranger's....paw and be on her way with a grumbled apology. She had no time to waste time, for that matter. She had people waiting on her, a brother who needed her help, a teammate still missing, and a whole damn world to tie together on top of it all. And she stood here actually pondering over this? I'm loosing my own mind....

With a ragged sigh, Shade bowed her head for moment and began rubbing her eyes. Skittles continued his performance, only to spin about once more with a gust of winds, but this time coming to a skidding halt into his Genesis form. Now he felt the mimic game would be fun, bowing his head like Shade and rubbing his eyes to release a dramatic sigh. When Shade raised her head again, she then decided to reach into her pocket while struggling for words to decline Gohrick's offer without offending him too harshly. "Look...you seem like a great person. I'm sure you mean well, even if Skittles did knock a few brain cells out of your head. But this just isn't ...me. Not my thing, I mean. I mean, ...I'm just far too busy for this..." Her frustrations with words drew a growl of annoyance in her throat as she retrieved the gil from her pockets. Still mimicking every move she made, Skittles silently moved his mouth along with her words, and mocked her own scowling expression during the whole scenario. With money in hand, Shade went to Gohrick and forced him to take the money, but refused to meet his gaze for whatever hurt she may see. "Again...sorry for all the trouble. Sorry for your supplies...Sorry for the ruined painting..." In Shade's haste, she turned away from Gohrick so quickly in order to retreat, she slammed right into Skittles, who at some point changed again and now in his Gilgamesh form. The split second stumble led embarrassment to instantly explode into anger as Shade glared up at the 8 armed form and jammed her finger against his chest with a deathly low tone in her voice. "YOU! are in so much trouble when we get home...."

Fuming over lost time, over foolishness she wasn't in the mood for, and especially for her strict and trained composer being thrown for a loop, Shade stormed back to bike only to have her pace falter by the earpiece bleeping in her ear again. you've got to be kidding me.... Her hand slapped against the device as she was about to take another step. "What!"

"Headmaster Shade, my deepest apologies, I know you gave strict instructions as to how calls should be forwarded, but I'm afraid Mr. Fletcher is unavailable due to rounding up the fiends escaping from the Training Center due to Mr. Crowley experimenting a new weapon that led to an explosion in the Center's wall. Miss Dincht is assisting Mr Fletcher, while Mr. Crowley still insists on testing his new creation, while Miss Kinneas is tending to Headmaster Celius from Trabia Garden, who insists his meeting with you was scheduled for today instead tomorrow, AND there's a gentleman here by the name of Michael Paladin? Who says he never received some outrageous payment for delivering a child to Spira?"

Shade slapped her hand against the earpiece and ripped the cursed thing from her ear while now standing motionless and her head hung down as if in defeat. It appeared her previous threat to Skittles didn't phase him one bit as he was now back to his original squirrel form and on top of Gohrick's head investigating his ears up close. Haylo was far too confused at this point to know where to be or who with, so the ink colored pup decided to race back and forth un-between Shade and the Mithra with a wagging tail and questionable barks. At that moment, Shade found herself having to choose the lesser of two miseries. Go back to Balamb and deal with incompetency and mayhem? Or, suffer her wounded pride and leery awkwardness by having her portrait painted. Several drawn out seconds passed where Shade wound up slowly shaking her head. With a slow turn, she raised her weary gaze back to Gohrick and felt herself reluctantly give in. "Fine..." Her tone was as flat as the expression on her face. "I'll do this portrait thing then... but you got an hour, maybe less, so get started."

Since she didn't know what else to do, Shade sat sideways on the seat of her bike and crossed her arms. Maybe should could at least get a quick nap while this guy painted his heart out.

Gohrick found himself watching the crazy little shape shifter behind Shade with one eye, yet still had her in his focus, watching her facial expressions. He saw her tilt her head, as if trying to place him, and knew right away that he hadn’t made much of an impression on her, however, he certainly left on ground, and the shifter left on one his body: his ribs hurt him for two days after that. Clearly, he wasn’t an upfront and personal kind of guy on the battle fields.

He watched her companion change forms again behind her and nodded his head at the shifter, confirming that it was now in the correct form of the silver hair man. He decided then and there to say where he had met the shifter, though he had yet to see it in its natural form.

“I was at a bar not too long ago with the wanna be Captain Cypher, he was the blue haired man that was brooding in the back booth, before that form tackled me out of the window,” he said with a smirk, clearly taking no hard feelings. He gave the shifter a small smile and a nod, before turning his full attention back to the woman before him, who still hadn’t said much after his offer.

‘She probably doesn’t want to,’ he thought, which was confirmed only moments later when he heard her ragged sigh. When she raised her head, he met her eyes head on, only to see her eyes drift slightly, not quite meeting his own. When she reached into her pocket, he heard the sound of coin being shifted, and knew she was going to be taking the more expensive of the two routes…or less expensive, depending on what she had to do with her time. Again, this was confirmed as she spoke, only for him to let out a slight giggle/chuckle, shaking his head.

“No, I did mention that no real harm was done, I think that includes any loss of brain cells…however, I do understand that you are busy, and while I do find that a shame, I fully understand. Do not worry, and stop apologizing already Madam Shade. I accepted and what is done is done…nothing to do but move on,” he said with a simple grin as he took her coin without any hassle. Even if she hid it, it was clear this had become a very awkward situation for her and he wasn’t going to make it any harder for her. He then noticed the larger form the shifter had taken and took a step back in alarm. Geez, how had he missed that form change?

Deciding to feel sorry for the shifter, but now knowing that there was nothing more that could be done, he found himself looking down at the ground and making sure he had everything. He heard some sort of noise and tilted his head, wondering what that was, before looking down at the puppy, wondering if it had made that odd beeping noise. He leaned down and started to scratch the pup’s ears, before realizing that he was hearing another voice.

‘Is that…the pup?’ he thought, leaning in closer and putting an ear against it’s side, before realizing that it was coming from Shade’s direction. He frowned slightly, before recognizing what it was.

‘Oh…its one of those fancy walkie talkie things that we used on the expeditions…’ he realized, before looking down and petting the dog some more. He couldn’t quite hear everything that was being said, as his ears weren’t that amazing, and it was being said directly into her ear, but he could tell from her body language that whatever was being said wasn’t going to her liking. He could really tell things weren’t going well when she ripped the thing out of her ear. He shifted slightly, standing back up and tilting his head, mindful of the squirrel that was now on his head. Wait, a squirrel? He looked up and smiled, recognizing the scent.

“Oh, so that’s your real form? How cute…and my, what a special power you have little one…I can only imagine how well you’ll be doing when you grow older if you’re doing this well already,” he said with a smile, reaching up and giving the squirrel a little pet. He turned back to Shade and saw her form, looking completely defeated. He was about to open his mouth and ask if everything was alright, before she suddenly turned around and said the phrase that made him do a bit of a happy jump.

“Wow, things must be going really bad at this time if your suddenly so willing. However, I shall not look a gift horse in the mouth, so thank you so much for giving me this chance,” he said with a smile, before pulling out a spare brush from his boot and giving it a bit of a twirl, almost as if it was a dagger, as the brush part never touched any of his fingers.

“Less than an hour you say? Madam Shade, you insult me…you grant me too much time,” he said with a grin, before checking his hip and the inkwell stocks. He had enough, and when he pulled out a small bag from his pocket, he felt the weight of it. Yup, there were enough color crystals to make this work.

“Trust me when I say Madam, you will not believe what I see,” he said with a grin, before seeing her on the bike. It would work, and he never asked his models to move from a position they were comfortable from, preferring to paint in a natural setting for the subject.

“Alright, let’s get this show started,” he said with a grin, before flipping his brush again and jabbing it in the inkwell, getting started on the painting.

~45 Min Later~
Gohrick was looking frantic, his hand a blur as he continued, ink splashing off of his brush, his fur smudged here and there with some dried ink. He had no idea how much time had passed, but it wasn’t too much longer before he finished with a triumphant hah!

“Ah…it is…amazing, if I may be that arrogant to sate myself,” he said with a grin as he gave the painting a soft blow with his breath. He looked up at her once again, before looking down at the panting.

“Are you ready to see it?” he asked Shade with an excited smile. He moved over and showed her the painting.

Shade was present, but instead of leaning on the blue motorcycle, was leaning on a rather large lion, the image taken from the graphic on her bike, and something he thought she would enjoy. Another thing about her was her hair seemed to merge with the lion’s mane, signifying that they were part of the same entity. Shade was dressed in her actual attire, but there was a certain sharpness to the clothing, something that showed her professionalism. The jacket was still worn, the shirt faded, but was lacking any wrinkles or dirt. The biggest feature though was her face, which he drew as he saw, but instead of looking so hard, or stressed or defeated; there was a look of peace, of grace and beauty. The background consisted of a busy looking city, signifying how hectic her life seemed, at least how he saw it just by the few words they had spoken to each other. Over all, it was a beautiful portrait, and one he hoped she thoroughly enjoyed.

((OOC: Forgive me, not a lot of dialogue to work with from my post, I know. Working on that))




Shade sat motionless the entire time, lost in the chaos of her thoughts as her gaze rested upon the activity of the city streets without even noticing a thing.


So... they met at that bar within the Multiplex station. No wonder Shade didn't remember him. She vaguely recalled Skittles going haywire after accidentally drinking a horrible mixture of Tabasco sauce and liquor, then crashing through a huge window. Much was a blur in her mind after that. She went to the establishment with a set purpose to force her brain to stop thinking....just once. Even when she slept, it never stopped. So she figured a momentary drunken stupor may just give her some peace and quiet in her head. It didn't turn out as expected, but that in itself should've been expected. Nothing ever went as planned.... like now.... someone painting a picture of her...



Shade may have kept quiet during the whole duration, but Skittles was another matter. He liked this Gohrick, whether for his kind nature, or the fact that Skittles saw similarities with the painter having a tail and ears on his head. So, as Gohrick whipped his skills into action, the little summons would scamper upon his head, or to either of his shoulders for a peek at the portrait, or to play in the Mithra's hair. Haylo, on the other hand, decided to curl up beside his feet and fall fast asleep with one of her wings completely covering her head. Every now and then, Shade would spare a glance at the cursed earpiece still in her hand and feel a pang of guilt for having it turned off, but her sensibility refused to allow her to turn it on again. The momentary peace during Gohrick painting was actually welcoming. True, her thoughts were still on multiple issues at the same time, but the moment lacked numerous people pulling her in different directions on top of it all.


Just as she was muddling over more personal matters, Gohrick's cheerful voice broke the silence to announce that he was finished, which snapped her back to attention. Well.... at least he's obviously happy now from when his supplies were damaged. Simply to appease his efforts and time, Shade slid off of her bike and casually approached. What she saw completely threw her off. With her breath caught in her throat, she could only gaze upon his work in complete amazement as the significance in what he portrayed began to slowly sink in. Her fingertips slowly reached out and she was surprised to find them slightly trembling as they barely traced over the lion. Her other hand fell over the pendant that rested around her neck and against her chest, yet beneath her shirt to remain unseen, as if always hiding that part of herself. Wasn't she really though? Always running from the expectations that she was to be just like her parents? Never herself.... But in the process of running and shunning for so long, Shade lost sight of the truth. Shade was her own self by her own right. She neglected to acknowledge that having both her parent's qualities gave her the strength to be so. This portrayal Gohrick displayed opened her eyes to that now, freeing her sense of restriction to her identity.


"How ironic...." She whispered under breath as her head slowly turned to lift her face and look up at the Mithra for a moment to simply see the enthusiasm of his work across his expression.


Without explanation to her words, Shade returned her attention back to the portrait with her solemn gaze still drinking in the colors and textures of the painting. As she studied the expression portrayed on her face, her head tilted, and Shade found herself longing for it. So much so, she felt a slight sting in her eyes. To actually feel at peace.... Would it ever be possible for someone like her? With the life she had? It wasn't a hope she dared to hold onto. Especially for some time to come with so much at stake. Now, with a nervous breath released, Shade looked to her companion again, and once again... at a loss for words. Had Shade ever complimented anyone in her life? Not a single memory could be grasped at the moment, being still dumbfounded by Gohrick's finished work, but not from lack of trying.

"It's.... exquisite, Gohrick. Um... " Now awakened from the mesmerizing moment, her eyes shifted back and forth from the art to the artist as she continued struggling for what to say. She wanted to say more. He deserved that much.....


But Shade was Shade.... bringing herself to any form of personal level was virtually impossible. Her mind would always find the practical, and voice it instead. With a point of her finger and a hooded gaze, she mumbled just loud enough for his ears to catch. "You forgot to sign it..."

Once Gohrick had finished, he had stowed some of his supplies away, before reaching up and petting the hyperactive squirrel and smiled gently. He was just so curious about everything; it was enlightening and enjoyable to be near a being so much like him, curious about the worlds he had seen and wanting to see everything. He gently handed the picture over to Shade, so that she could see everything more clearly.

“Just do be careful, it’s still a bit damp,” he said with a grin as he saw her lightly trace over the painting with trembling fingers. He watched her reaction to the painting, and had something else confirmed just by how she was reacting to it. She had never seen herself for what she was, nor did she believe what she was seeing. He took great enjoyment as he watched her look at the painting; that awestruck look, that shock in her eyes…it was why he did what he did.

He met her gaze and gave her a warm smile as she looked up at him, then back at the painting. He took a step back and let her soak it in, while he pulled out a rag from his back pocket and used it to clean up some, getting some of the paint out of his fur around his nose and face, off his arms. That was always the downside of getting so worked up during a painting; he always made such a mess at the end of the session. It was a wonder really that his room on the ship was actually clean. He then started to separate the inks and colors, using small vials for the left over colors, making a note to use them before the next two days, which, in such a city, it wouldn’t be too hard of a feat to accomplish. He shifted his head slightly, before looking back at Shade. Odd…he thought he smelt some salt, but he must have smelt something else in the air.

He heard her phrase and simply smiled, actually looking humble about it. As much as he loved to brag and act like he was the best in the world, to hear a complement like that…well, it was nice to hear something nice that didn’t come from his own maw.

“Well, only because I had such a wonderful subject. I’ll be honest, I’m not too sure where a lot of it came from, but once I was into it…well, sorry if I cut it close to that hour time limit,” he said with a warm smile, before looking back down at his belt and making sure everything was in place.

He looked back up at Shade and saw her facial expressions, looking back and forth from the painting to himself. There was a look of a struggle going on in her eyes, but seemed settled on just stating that he forgot to sign it. He paused for a moment and held a smudged finger up to his chin, leaving another slightly colored dot on his face.

“Hm, did I now? Psh, now that just won’t do…” he said with a grin and pulled out a needle thin paintbrush and dipped it in some of the remaining ink. He leaned in, still letting Shade hold on to the painting, before signing the artwork near the lion’s mane in nearly the same color. It blended in very well to the mane, and didn’t take away from the picture at all.
“I’ve never been a fan of bold signatures at the bottom of the artworks, I feel that takes away from the feeling…so I usually blend it in somewhere, so that it’s there, but not so obvious that it takes the spotlight,” he explained, once again showing that under the arrogance and the drama was a very humble feline.

“Now, I do believe that more than pays for the damages done, and I must say, once again, thank you so much for allowing me the honor of painting such a worthy subject,” he said with a grin, before packing up the rest of his supplies on his belt and hips. He was in a very good mood, and it showed when he leaned down and started to pat the pup’s back gently after making sure it was awake. “And you were so good too, not causing her any grief,” he said with a smile while he pet her head gently.

Shade watched his face closely as Gohrick carefully added his name while explaining his reasoning for obscurity. Although she didn't know much about the race he originated from, he obviously had a good heart, and his formalities added a bit of mirth when he spoke. "Madam"... her? He may see more in people than most, but he surely didn't know Shade to realize just how far off he was calling her that, even if it was one of the friendliest terms one had ever used when addressing her.


When he was done and began packing his things, Shade stood there still holding the painting, but out towards him waiting for him to take it. It was then she noticed smudge that remained in his chin and tried to motion discreetly with her finger to her own that he missed his spot. But Gohrick failed to notice her silent hint as he bent down to praise Haylo for being on her best behavior.


Well... she tried to tell him...sort of... So, as Gohrick was petting the winged pup, Shade reached out with her other hand and quickly snatched one of the rags hanging out from his pocket and waited for him to stand back up. When he did, it was with that usual smile of his, but Shade concentrated on the smudge on his chin instead, mumbling, "hold still.." as she wiped it off quickly without making eye contact. With an uncertain shift in her gray hues, she then handed the rag back to him while centering her attention down at her yapping pup at her feet. Something had Haylo excited, and it took a moment for Shade to realize it was due to Skittles still hiding within the Mithra's hair behind his neck. Feeling even more awkward by the minute, Shade ordered the summons that it was time to go.


"Come on, Skittles. We have to get back home before someone blows up something else..." She already had her calling device off for far too long. Only his small multi colored head poked out to see his ears drawn back ,and he gave what sounded like a snappish retort. With her scowl returned, Shade ordered him again, but this time, he dove back straight back into Gohrick's hair and burrowed to keep from leaving. With an even deeper scowl and flicker of annoyance within her steel glare, Shade leaned the back of the painting against her leg to reach into her pocket for his bag of treats to lure him.


He completely ignored her.


Well.... this wasn't normal, nor was it going to get her back anytime soon unless she physically ripped him off of the poor guy. So with a sigh of frustration, she was going to have to ask for his help. "He appears like he won't listen to me, so maybe he will for you. So.... if you can just tell him you have to go now, ....then we can all be on our way..." Again, she picked up the painting and handed it back to him, waiting for when she could get her hands on the little summons to ground him for a whole week.

Gohrick chuckled as he gave the pup a proper petting before he paused, feeling something brush against his rear. He stood up and turned, giving Shade a small smile, before she told him to hold still. Ah, so that’s what that feeling was…she had swiped the rag from his back pocket. He stayed still as she cleaned his chin, a faint blush appearing under his fur, along with a light purr, before it ended far too quickly for his own taste. He gave her a nervous smile and a small nod of thanks, taking the rag back and putting it back in his pocket.

“Thanks…it’s hard to make sure I get it all or not…” he said, shifting slightly on his feet and not daring to make eye contact for a few moments, before the yapping of the pup broke this awkward moment for the feline. As he looked down, wondering what on earth had corrupted the pup so much, he felt a slight tug in his hair, causing him to wince. Ah, that’s why the pup was barking.

“Huh…I didn’t know I had a stowaway,” he said with a chuckle, reaching back and giving the squirrel a little pet, before turning slightly so that Shade was seeing Skittles digging down deep in the hair. He continued to pet the squirrel, even as Shade ordered him to return to her, only for the little creature to dig in deeper in the fur and hair. He couldn’t help but giggle slightly as the squirrel’s retort near his ear, closing his eyes for a moment as he turned back around, seeing the bag of treats and didn’t even feel a response from the little critter.

“Heh, well, I can certainly try to lure him out,” he said with a small chuckle, before reaching into his hair and lightly petting the critter’s side.

“Hey little one, mother needs to go, and I have to get going as well. Come on out little one, we can play again another day,” he said softly, still lightly stroking its side. He had no idea if this would work or not, but as he saw her handing out the portrait to him once again, he stood up straight with a paw on his hip, his vivid blues looking right into her gray hues. Really? She was still trying to give it back? Well, he had tried being subtle about it, but sometimes; people just didn’t get the hint. This certainly wasn’t the first time something like that had happened, so he knew just how to deal with it.

“Madam Shade, you had best be more careful with that painting. It’s easily one of my best works, and it is certainly something you should cherish for some time to come,” he said with a grin.

“For granting me such an honor, this portrait is yours to keep. Yes, I realize I all but pounced you to try and get the honor of doing such a painting, and I have that joy. I do not need the by product to know what I have done. And I have seen how much the painting has affected you…I am not so heartless as to take that away from you,” he said softly, giving her a gentle smile and a slight bow of his head.

Whether it be Shade unaccustomed to socializing, or simply out of her element of routine, she was growing rather impatient, as well as uncomfortable, and at a time Skittles chose to be stubborn. He did seem to react to Gohrick's words of encouragement when carefully shuffling through his hair to peek out over his shoulder again. Before making any move back toward Shade, Skittles perched himself on the painter's shoulder and rubbed his small cheek against Gohrick's face with a soft purr rumbling within his throat. Shade simply gave the tree rodent a rather unamused look to prove she was none at all effected by his cuteness, even if Gohrick was.


And then Gohrick confirmed what she was about to assume, since he wouldn't make any move to take the portrait from her. She couldn't bring herself to express that deep down, she truly hoped it would be hers, or he would make her another. So when he verbally confirmed that the painting was Shade's to have, a faint twitch quirked at the corner of her lips with a nod. But a new problem arose... and the brief fraction of a smile disappeared.


Looking to bike, then back at Gohrick, Shade came to realize there was no taking the gift with her. It also meant she had to discuss the matter with Gohrick when she would much rather walk away and be done with it. But being down right rude by abandoning the portrait all together without a word was something Shade couldn't bring herself to do to him. A heavy sigh escaped her as she brought her shadowed hues back up to him. Why did he have to be so nice.... and formal.... and giving.... Her shoulders slumped in premature defeat by his expected kindness as she struggled to admit her new predicament.


"Um... it would seem I have no way to transport this safely. Even if I managed to strap this onto the bike somehow, the dirt from the ride alone will ruin it..." It wasn't just the beauty of it that Shade didn't want ruined, but for the fact of what the painting represented to her. Even if Gohrick didn't fully comprehend the significance of what he 'saw', Shade knew it for what it was, and what it meant to her. This mounting frustration of personal circumstances and having to face what she normally shied away from was truly confounding to her, and Shade was not one to bode well when she felt she had no options.


So once again, Shade stubbornly, yet secretly reluctant, handed the canvas back with an awkward glance. Skittles, on the other hand, took this as an opportune moment to burrow back into Gohrick's hair with a satisfied squeak. But Haylo appeared to be more helpful, nudging her head against Shade's leg as if to encourage her, and then bark to be sure Shade got the hint. Who would ever have imagined her own pets were turning against her. Finally, Shade forced herself to speak up. "Perhaps you should hold onto it... to keep it safe."

Gohrick felt the little creature moving and turned his head, looking down at the little creature that was nuzzling against his cheek. He found himself purring and nuzzling back towards the little creature. He was cute, and affectionate…he liked the little shape shifter quite well, even if he was a bit of a handful from what he had noticed. He looked up at Shade and mentally cringed when he saw her face. He knew that, when everything was said and done, the poor little creature that was so happy now was going to be quite unhappy for some time.

‘She is certainly not someone you would want to cross,’ he thought to himself, before giving another warm smile. However strict she might be outside though, for her animals to be this happy, he knew there was something much warmer on the inside.

And there, he had just seen it, under the frustration was that fraction of the smile. It caused him to widen his grin as he had some sort of gut feeling that what he had just seen was a pretty rare sight…or maybe he was just making another assumption once again.

Regardless, just seeing that smile, however small, was more than enough for the pictomancer. He didn’t know what she did, where she worked, or anything about her life, but he had a feeling that then and there, with that little moment, that he had made her day, even if the day had been hell. He turned his head once again and looked at the little squirrel.

“Even if she doesn’t say it, I think she is quite happy you ran into me once again…but next time, be a bit gentler around the ribs, would ya?” he said very softly, so only Skittles would hear him.

He turned back as she spoke, and he realized that she had a very valid point. His own shoulders slumped slightly as she pointed out the possible damage that could occur to the picture, and his paw went back up to his chin as he struck up a thinking pose, and actually started to pace back and forth slightly. It was a bit of a comical sight, he was sure and had been told at several times, but it was just how he started his thinking process.

“No no no, that will not due at all…what is the point of a gift if it gets damaged…” he said, looking a bit distressed that something like this could happen.

“Oh dear, I do apologize Madam Shade, I do not know how I could have over looked this and cause you more of an inconvenience …and of course, I have all my supplies back on the ship, but I wouldn’t want to eat up any more of your valuable time…Oh, what a catastrophe…,” he said, not even catching the pun he had inadvertently spoke.

He then turned back towards Shade and nodded his head. Well, it wasn’t the best course of action, but it worked for the time being as he heard out her idea.

“Of course I would hold on to it for you, and I’ll even do you one better! Oh, this is great,” he said with a smile. Now this was a good course of action, and it would work out very well to get the portrait to her in one solid piece.

“You tell me when and where, and I’ll have it delivered for you, personally, so that we both know it won’t be damaged along the way,” he said with a smile, before jumping slightly at the sudden bark. He stared down at the pup and smiled, before petting her head once again. Standing up straight, he locked his eyes once again with Shade and smiled.

“I mean, if that is acceptable of course,” he corrected himself. He had already made enough mistakes and assumptions as it was tonight, he didn’t need to add any more to the list.

Now as Shade listened and watched the painter's reaction to the transport problem, she blinked with a bit of confusion by his dramatics. A catastrophe? A world blowing up was a catastrophe.... but her being unable to take the painting with her? She nearly worried he may have a stroke over the matter by the way he was pacing about. Or was he mocking the situation, finding her being far too difficult and complicated over the matter? She mentally scorned herself for nearly jumping to that conclusion. Gohrick had been nothing but polite and kind with her.


And why in the world was he always calling her Madam?!?


But as quickly as he acted distraught over the dilemma, Gohrick seemed to light up at her suggestion and his usual smile reappeared. What Shade didn't expect was his offer of delivery.... personally.... which meant she would have to meet up with him once more...
How did she get herself into this again? The few moments Gohrick took to bend down and pet Haylo again, Shade swiftly turned her face away and gave her forehead a few hard pats with the base of her palm before he could see. By the time he would have looked back up, Shade was back to her usual, placid self. The smiling she could handle. But the eye contact unnerved her, as if he was doing that seeing thing he spoke of before when he paints.


Her lips parted slightly to respond, yet before she really knew what to say. Did she want this stranger to know where to find her? Did it matter? ugh! Why was thinking too much into this? She snapped her senses back in order with a firm line in her pressed lips and and took a slow deep breath. "Alright then.... I guess that'll work." She knew where the painting would be the safest, but it wouldn't be where she was about to direct him to go. "East of here is a rather large island. Balamb is located there. East of the town is Balamb Garden. Big.... facility. Can't miss it. Just tell the guy at the front gate who you are and to page me, and they'll let you in."


There. It was done. Arrangements made. Nothing more for her to say or do. Right? Right. And she managed the entire encounter without offending him, or... as she did with most people, scare him off. Nothing was blown up, no hard feelings left, and no one was bleeding. Then why did she feel like she forgot something? She shrugged off the odd feeling and silently handed the portrait over before bending down and picking up Haylo in her arms. Just before she straightened back up, she paused for a brief second when it dawned on Shade what she nearly forgot to address. Now, she slowly rose back up and approached Gohrick until her nose nearly touched his own with her eyes narrowed. She could smell the scent of those paints upon his fur and a hint of another aroma that brought a meadow to mind. Her steel gray hues pierced directly into his own blue gaze as she slowly raised up an index finger in warning to both him and Skittles.


"I heard that...." She whispered, before pulling away and twitched the corner of her lips just slightly before a quick whistle blew through her lips for Skittles to leap off of Gohrick's shoulder to land on her own.

Gohrick was naturally over dramatic, and he loved theatrics, something that drove both the crew, and mainly Cypher, absolutely crazy. Sure, the world was crazy enough, but still…what was wrong with a bit of extra flair? He wasn’t one to lie, it did take some people a bit of time to get used to him, and he had scared a few people off before by being a bit too dramatic, but so far, she was far from scared off, so he took this as a positive sign.

He watched her after he made his offer, and tilted his head slightly. She seemed to be taking a bit of time to come to a conclusion, but then again, he realized, he was a complete stranger. He would be a bit hesitant about giving out his location of home as well…if he had a stationary home that is. He thought he had heard something thudding, but he hadn’t noticed anything, so blew it off as something being carried by the wind. And, as per usual Gohrick style, he had kept eye contact. There was a reason for this, something he had noticed. If someone couldn’t keep with his eyes while they were talking, he usually took that to mean that they were lying to him…or were just that disinterested, depending on where the eyes were looking. Also, when talking to the opposite sex, it just seemed safer in general to keep eye contact.

Well, whatever thought process she was going through, she seemed to finally make a decision as he watched her lips thin out. He listened to the instructions on how to get to that garden called Balamb, and made several notes to ask Etzel just where the hell that was. The Viera would know for certain, more so then Gohrick’s confused eyes were projecting.

“Ah, well, it would make sense, a woman of your strength and beauty working at a garden. It takes a strong woman to tend and give rise to such a wonderful strength and beauty to the world,” he said with a smile, misunderstanding and thinking she was directing him to a botanical garden, not a mercenary school. A very large garden, if he was understanding her correctly. Which, sadly, he wasn’t entirely getting the jest of.

“Perhaps I’ll just follow my nose and follow the sweet scents of all those flowers,” he said, which would hammer the final nail in the coffin, as it were, of misunderstandings. He then took the portrait off her hands, handling it like he would a small child and carefully only tracing his fingers along the edges, not daring to touch the already dry paint. It was just one of those odd things about him, and he was sure Cypher and the others could fill out a large book, maybe even a series, of all the odd things about him.

That was when he looked back up and she was right in his face. With her being that close, it was hard not to stare into those grey hues. It was hard not to notice the smell of smell of gunpowder, or the smell of something sweet, perhaps a flower that she tended, or a shampoo that she used. And, it was very hard not to notice her breath on his lips. He somewhat froze up, before she held up the finger. He watched her eyes as her lips moved. He then cracked a smile, the tension dying down in his shoulders slightly, before he leaned in and gave her nose a slight lick, something small and innocent. A sign of friendship from the young Mithra. It didn't occur to him that it could be seen as something more, or something uninvited.

“Heh, I will keep that in mind. You might not be a Mithra, but your hearing leaves nothing to be desired…” he said with a grin, before looking over at the little squirrel, giving him a playful glare.

“And you? Why didn’t you tell me her hearing was so good?” he questioned the little creature as it jumped onto Shade’s shoulder.

“Oh sure, now you run away…what a little traitor,” he said with a slight giggle, his ears twitching happily.

The bolt of shock left Shade numb and momentarily stunned without a coherent thought. Such a stupor never happened to her years of finely trained and strict composure. Ever. For a brief moment, Shade actually thought that perhaps it was some disoriented illusion spell this feline hybrid snuck over her as some form of humorous joke. But her nose now itched as proof of reality scorched into her awareness. Now Shade was left struggling for a reaction she couldn't find to replace the instinctive twitching of her fingers wanting to strangle this guy. But her morals restrained the urge due to her reprimanding conscience scolding her over something he probably found so innocent and natural to do to people.


Before Shade could react, Haylo witnessed the act and became excited. A licking game? She loved licking games! Why didn't her master lick back? That's how the licking game goes! So with enthusiastic barks, the pup's eyes and small snout scrunched up with determined concentration for her small wings to rapidly flap and clumsily lift her body higher and higher from the ground. When her small form was finally face to face with Gohrick, her front paws rested against his chest and Haylo lunged forward to slap his cheeks and nose with multiple licks. And just when Shade finally had Skittles back upon her shoulder, he too decided to join in the game. With a swift spinning transformation, he was now a replica of Haylo and immediately doing the same to their painter friend.


Seeing this, Shade's expression shifted just slightly with what appeared to be disbelief within her eyes. What in the world.... ? It was enough to snap Shade back to attention, and back to her formal self with a swift shake of her head. "Alright, alright, alright! Enough with the licking!" Her scowl returned even though she suffered mixed reactions for sounding so harsh. Both of her hands shot out and scooped both of the flying pups under their forearms to tuck them against her sides before finally meeting Gohrick's smiling face and eyes. She found it infuriating.... annoying.... irritating.... frustrating.... and at herself for feeling embarrassed and awkward... She took a step back and straightened her spine as she did when having to be in an authoritative position, which she found to work best keeping herself a safe distance from people.


"Very well then, Gohrick," Her flat tone returned as she gave a curt nod. "I'm sorely overdue to my duties, so I must be off. We shall meet up again soon once you arrive at Balamb." A few more steps widened the distance, and now with her retreat in progress, Shade began to relax a bit. "And just for the record, so you don't get thoroughly lost, it's not a garden per say. It's just what the training facility is called." Once at her bike, her companions were returned to their riding places as Shade snatched her visor helmet. As her mind chanted repeatedly to just to get the hell out of the city and as far from him as possible, her damn conscience was nagging at the back of her brain. She spared Gohrick another glance just before she slipped the helmet on and paused with internal conflict. Finally, she gave in. "Thanks again... for the portrait."


With that, she slammed the helmet on her head and snapped it secure as she swung her leg over the seat and leaned forward to speed the cycle through the city streets feeling far too rattled than she cared to admit.

Gohrick watched Shade for a moment after the lick, and wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing in her reaction. She seemed…in a state of shock. He did, however, noticing her fingers twitching, and figured she must be resisting the temptation to pet him…or hit him. Either of those he had seen before, and experienced plenty of times. Some people just weren’t cat people it seemed.

However, before Gohrick really had time to take in what he was seeing in Shade’s reaction, and thankfully before he had a chance to do anything else to her, like wave a paw in front of her face, he suddenly had a small, flying puppy in his face. He smiled and tilted his head slightly, wondering what the pup was up to, when he was attacked by the power of licks! He found himself giggling and nearly falling over backwards as the excited pup ‘attacked’ his face.

“Oh, did you want some too? Alright, you asked for it,” he said with a laugh, before playfully licking the pup back on the nose and forehead. It wasn’t any different for him then licking Shade, as it was done in affection and friendship. Then the little ‘traiter’ got in on the action and once again, Gohrick almost found himself falling over as the weight of both canines rested on his chest. He laughed and gave the same treatment to Skittles as he did the pup, before he gave them both a hug and nuzzled into them.
“Aw, you guys are too funny,” he said with a grin, before they were suddenly snatched away by Shade.

“Aw, but licking is fun Shade, you should try it sometime” he said with a slight giggle and a teasing wink. He didn’t know what it was, but being around the three made him feel like a small child again, it was very…relaxing. He didn’t feel the need to be so high on guard, nor did he feel the need to hide his joy. It was very refreshing for the feline.

He watched as Shade got ready to depart, eying the motorcycle with a curious eye. He had never seen something like it before. He found himself following her slightly, just to stare at the bike a bit closer. Maybe he could ask the Valsis siblings to look into something like this…well, maybe after they were done helping out Cypher with his own weapon abundance issue. He snapped out of her mental musings as she lowered the helmet on herself.

“Of course Madam Shade, and may your journey be a safe one. I am sorry I kept you for so long. I hope when we meet again, it is under less chaotic and hectic times. Your very welcome, and again, thank you so much for allowing this honor,” he said with a smile, before waiving as she drove off. He watched and tilted his head as she quickly rode away.

“Oh, I seriously need to ask the siblings for something like that…it is so cool!” he said with a grin. He then double checked he had everything again, before looking up at the arch. He saw the patterns and smiled, before he started running towards it. As he neared, he jumped up hard, his paws catching the wall before he started to run and climb on up, catching on to ledges and the like. Once he got on top, he pulled something out of his pocket.

“Hey guys, come pick me up, we got a delivery to make…,” he said to the small device, before the large airship started to fly over the city. Gohrick smiled…yes, tonight had been a very good night.