Hey Gibelettes!

Did you know that you can hire people to transcribe letters for you, if you can't write yourself? Cool, huh? There's this little monkey-looking guy here writing down everything I say to send to you! Using actual paper cost extra, though, blech. Most people just use computers, but since there aren't any computers back on Avengaea, paper it had to be! I suppose I could have just used the computer to write the thing-- the guy I hired said as much, himself-- but I really don't know how those things work yet, and I'm not sure it would've understood me. Especially since other heads keep trying to say stuff, and I bet it'd try to record that, too! And that would just be confusing to read.

Anyway, how're things? You surviving without me to watch your back, back there on Backwater World? Hope so, or else how will this letter get to you? Ha ha! No, seriously, you doing all right? Things calming down a little without me there, I hope?

Me, I'm back at Star City, but you knew that. It's the only place I've ever been besides Avengaea, but you know, I kinda like it here. There's not a whole lot just lying around for me to eat! Ha ha. Nobody really looks at me funny, like I was afraid of-- well, that I can tell, anyway. I can't see their faces so well, after all. Even without all the random ambient noise that kind of makes everything a wash on the busiest days, I still don't get very clear pictures of a lot of people's expressions. The fact that most of them don't look like any kind of "people" I've ever seen before probably doesn't help much, either! But even if I can't tell whether people are giving my heads funny looks, nobody's been mean, cruel, or even unusually unhelpful, at least.

I've got myself a nice little apartment and I've been looking for some kind of job-- or else I'll be out of said apartment pretty quick! I can't figure out what I'd be good at, though. I never did much at home, really, besides get yelled at, but I don't think they have professional scapegoats or anything around here. Maybe I should look into that! Ha!

I stopped by the Abstract Destiny to see Grandpa on my first day here. He seemed happy to see me, if a little surprised that I still had all my limbs and such. I think he expected Keshna to eat me, or something. I put in a good word for you, since you looked out for me so well and all. He wasn't particularly surprised when one of the lesser heads wound up trying to chew up one of his fancy fountain pens, though. Got ink everywhere, but he just shook his head at me and grinned. It was so embarrassing; I can't take them anywhere, I swear! I do have an idea or two about a way to try and keep that under control, though. Can't very well go around eating everything, or trying to, if I want to get a job around here!

You'll never believe what the next synth there is, though. Demons! Just like Keshna! Only, you know, better, because this is Grandpa we're talking about here, and he doesn't make evil critters. With these guys, he's gone out of his way to make them good and nice. I've signed myself up; I wouldn't mind somebody to hang out with who was nice or good or, well, both! It'd be kind of a nice change, and it might get a little lonely here, otherwise, at least until I get settled and start making friends.

I think you should come out here and sign up, too. You deserve somebody nice and good, after all the crap that you put up with from me and Zourin and Keshna and all that. Especially Keshna. I can just see you shaking your head at me, but I'm serious. It might do you some good. At least think about it, okay?

At least come for a visit, how about that? Bring Zourin's cyborware token, while you're at it. It's not as if she's ever gonna use it. Can you imagine? "Oh my god, what if it's dirty! They'll get their yucky germs on me-- or in me! I won't let anything like that even touch me!" Heck, bring Zourin if you like. She could use a vacation someplace halfway clean, I bet. I've got room in my apartment (just barely, but hey, it's not as if Zourin will even come out of the bathroom!)

Miss you,

Rasil

Gibelettes folded up the letter that had-- somehow or another-- appeared on the carved stone she used for a bedstand sometime during the night. It was good to hear from her wayward ward-- she'd long since taken to considering Rasil hers, as opposed to Keshna's, since she was the one to look after him-- even though he'd only been gone a couple weeks. Part of her had been relieved when he'd taken his leave of the pack; there would be no more screaming from Keshna when she found him chewing on something not generally considered edible, no more tense silences and glares whenever Keshna so much as set eyes on him, no more prowling the caves to make sure nothing dangerous or toxic had been left out for him to find and munch on.

Part of her, though, was sad. Gibelettes liked Rasil. He was the most normal of the whole pack, and the nicest, next to Verklei who was nice but really did love Keshnarmeynee the most, for reasons unbeknownst to anyone else. Not even the addition of the neuter hatchling Hsaztnokt, who wasn't too bad, really filled the hole from when he left.

From his letter, Rasil sounded like he was doing well, away from the pack, or at least that he was doing well so far. He still needed a job, and he was signed up to bond? Gibelettes had never imagined her two hy-hathians bonded, but then, she'd never really thought about it, either. She doubted Zourin would ever bond-- she would have to find someone clean enough, and someone she trusted enough not to get her dirty. No, though Gibelettes might think longingly of a time when someone else would look after Zourin, if only for a little while, it was unlikely to happen.

But Rasil... she supposed she could see it. He was a cheerful, friendly, talkative soul, and would probably be happy with a little friend of some sort. Especially if they were "good and nice".

"Good and nice". Caetrans, who were "good and nice"? That didn't make any sense at all. They were raised to be cruel and vicious, and even if they weren't, it was in their blood. Gibelettes refused to think it was just how she was raised that made Keshnarmeynee such a terrible person. She'd managed to raise Verklei and Iszgih both, herself, presumably the same way she'd been raised, and neither of them were cruel, vicious, and altogether terrible. So how was Doctor Schroeder going to manage making them "good and nice"?

Gibelettes opened the letter again, scanning the last couple paragraphs. The idea of bonding again was almost painful, in more ways than one. Painful, that after two so spectacularly failed bondings-- one culminating in her bond being broken, and the other a poor choice on her own part that managed to make her miserable every day-- how could she expect a third to be any better? Painful, at the thought of trying to explain to Keshna just why she wanted to leave for a while, and be laughed at for her wish. Painful, the thought that maybe, maybe she could manage to do it right this time....

Maybe she'd at least visit Rasil. He wanted Zourin's cyborware token in addition to his own, though for what reason she had no idea. His was a major, so surely anything he wanted to do could be done with that. But since he had actually rather accurately guessed Zourin's reaction to the thought of letting anything or anyone "modify" her in any way, she didn't see any harm in giving it to someone who might actually use it.

And maybe... well, even if she didn't sign up to bond, she could at least use that as her excuse to go visiting. Not that she probably needed one, especially if she did take Zourin with her: Keshna would probably be glad to see them go, and sorry that they'd be coming back eventually. But at least if she had a reason-- investigating those caetran hatchlings-- she might not be laughed at on her way out.

And maybe if she did sign up to bond, it wouldn't be so bad. She didn't know, and couldn't decide right now, so she merely tucked the letter safely into the folds of her wing and went to share it with Zourin. She ought to hear how her brother was faring.

After that... well, she'd see about talking to Keshna.

Chapter Seven

Back to Keshnarmeynee - Back to Verklei

Back to Iszgih - Back to Giblettes

Back to Rasil - Back to Zourin