Last Airbender

Gale heard him muttering to himself outside his door. A jacket... for him? The boy looked at the door with his golden eyes as Coden continued muttering to himself. Was it really for him? Coden said children and Gale was teh only child here... not really child, but he still looked like one. What if he made it for someone else?

His ears twitched as the doorknob clicked and Gale scrambled to the window. Best make it seem like he didn't hear anything. He stared out at the inky black sky, dotted with diamonds.

"Trooper? It's getting late. We better hurry...before it gets too late."

The boy turned at his voice. Yes... there was a jacket in his hands. And it did look bad. It was obvious where he got the material. The stitching was horrible and it looked like it could fall apart any second.

"Is that..." he asked, voice tiny, pointing to the cloak, "for me?"

Coden stare at Gale, flinching inwardly with embarrassment. Looking at the bundle in his arm he stuffed it behind his back and cough. "N-not really...I mean, It is...was..." He coughed again, clearing his throat. 'Stupid...idiot...shut up...just say no and throw the ugly thing away already!'

Fumbling with shaky fingers, Coden pulled the little coat out again, staring at it's seams. What once looked perfect to him now looked hideous. He turned it over nervously, inspecting it more. It was definitely a soldiers handy work.
Carefully, He held it out by the hood.

"Wh-what I mean..is...If you want it..."
He feigned being uninterested and glare at the wall. Trying very hard to ignore the warmth building up in the room. Was he the only one feeling warm all of the sudden?

The boy's ears fell when Coden said it wasn't for him. Then why did he have it? The more Coden talked the more confused Gale got. He was embarrassed about something, he knew that. But what?

And then Coden said he could have it, if he wanted it. Gale's ears perked up again. This... this would be the second present someone gave to him. Something close and personal. Alexis gave him a spot in her room where he was comfortable. Coden was giving him a jacket.

Having worn a mask all his life, Gale could tell when others were doing the same. Coden looked a bit uninterested, but after listening carefully, Gale could hear his heart beating rapidly. Not to mention the very, very slight twitch on his lips and flushed cheeks.

Carefully, he stepped forward. Thoughts of traps were in his mind, but they were dismissed. Tiny hands reached out and grabbed the coat. It didn't have a hole for his wing, though... But he tried putting it on anyway. He tried putting on so his wing would still be out, but after trying to tug the jacket on under the wing, then above the wing, he finally just covered the wing. It flexed slightly, but Gale forced himself to relax it.

"I... I can't show my wing... right?" No one else here was winged... did that mean his own wing was supposed to stay hidden?

He watched carefully as Gale put the jacket on. His chest fluttered seeing the boy so eagerly accept the thing and fuss over how to wear it. That made him....He felt very....It was pleasing. He tried not to look too happy about it, although his lips did curl just a little. Giving him an air of contentment.

"That's right," Coden replied, moving to stand behind Gale and proudly dusting the boys shoulder to smooth out the jacket. "People are naturally curious of things they aren't entirely familiar with. We wouldn't want to draw the wrong attention....Bad men would wish to take you away from me--uh-us. And we wouldn't want that."
Clearing his throat, Coden picked up the hood and placed it over Gales head. Smoothed it out just right and tucked in lazy curls around Gales head and ears. Forcing his hands away, he went to the door and offered his hand to Gale.
"As long as we are here that's just how it has to be....I'm sorry."

Golden eyes looked out under the heavy material. Bad men... didn't he know about them. He tried keeping anxiety and panic down about his wing being hidden like that. It was okay, he told himself. There were no chains. No stone walls drizzled with red. They were even going outside. Easily, his wing could rip through this. Easy, he told himself as he took Coden's hand and they left the room.

They walked down the hall and descended the stairs. Gale couldn't wait to get outside. He could he the wind and feel it on his face. The black sky was going to be above him again and-

His ears twitched. Some one was moving in their house. They twitched again, slightly. It was... Alexis. She was muttering things to herself that made no sense.

"Alexis is up." The boy muttered to Coden, looking ahead. She didn't sound too good and that worried him.

Coden paused for a moment on the steps, looking up to the hall above them. "Is that so? I think she'll be fine...She's had quite the day."
He'd hoped she'd sleep till the morrow... Knowing she was awake, he was half tempted to drag her along, though he didn't think he could keep an eye on both Gale and Alexis.

Shaking his head softly, Coden pulled Gale along and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "May hap tomorrow we'll invite Alexis to come with us? For now, Angelique is home. Alexis will be fine."
It was more an assurance to himself than to Gale.

As they left, Coden grabbed his own cloak and pulled it over his uniform. And they were soon out the door and headed down the street. Gales hand never left his own; whether they were walking side by side, or one leading the other. Every other step, Coden was watching Gale. Observing his reaction to the outdoors. To their night time surroundings. Every other, he was watching for the night guards and street patrol.

Once they stepped outside, once his foot met pavement, he was delighted. The feel of the breeze, wispy like the leaves of a willow tree, brushed against his face and hands, chilling the skin, igniting the soul

His ears twitched, taking in the sounds of the night. Wonderfully orchestrated music flowed from a nearby river, bugs, birds, the murmurs of people getting ready for bed inside, Coden's and his own footsteps.

Gale tried, at least once, to leave Coden's side so he could look at more things. But Coden followed, keeping his hand firmly in Gale's. And when the boy's curiosity of the night left him, he followed Coden. The only thing that disheartened him were the lack of trees and their smell. Smoke, dried meat, and other town smells were there, but lush leaves and the colors of flowers left him wanting slightly.

At times, the jacket would strain as his wing tried flexing and stretching. Gale stopped it from breaking out each time, though. But that, too, left him wanting.His back ached from effort, dull thumps echoing through his blood. The ground was not enough for the child of the sky.

At some point in time, Gale realized they were turning about, though the part of town was different. IT must go in a circle... Then he spoke up, the first time since they had left the house. "I need... to stretch my wing." He mumbled.

It was nice to see Gale so happy and acting like a child again. Call it a sight for sore eyes. So many times, Coden loathed and ached, believing he'd ruined the happy child that once was. It was a beauty to see he still existed under all those scars, old and new.

Many times as he walked along with Gale, he almost let him go. Desiring to see him run about the road ahead. Though his hand would always tighten just before Gale's fingers slipped away. Letting him wander, even just a step out of reach, was dangerous. Risky.
Coden was being cautious. Anyone could be watching. But when Gale mumbled that tiny request in disguise, he couldn't help but let go of the caution.

He looked up the street. He looked down. He looked every where about them and picked Gale off the ground. He carried the little boy a few blocks. There was a park over this way, he thought. Or was it further? A few minutes of swift walking and he found the play. It was lit up, but still far enough from houses that they'd be alone.

Setting Gale up on a bench, he pushed back his hood and helped him take off the coat.
"Just this once and just for a bit." He seemed scolding, but smiled a tiny notch and set Gale on the ground. He brushed him off and gave him a small pat on the bum as he shooed him towards the play equipment.
"Why don't you go play while were here, hm? Be careful."
Laying the jacket on his arm, he turned his back on Gale and looked round. Watching for moving lights in the distance; night guards. They should have time to stay a few minutes or more.

The boy look at Coden cautiously when he spanked him lightly. Was he going to get punished for wanting to stretch out? When Coden turned away, he dashed about, hitting the gravel with his boots.

Quickly, he scrambled up some monkey bars, dashing on top of them. Being cooped up left him with too much energy. Dashing about like this felt good, despite the metallic feel in his hands. Finally, he wove his way to the top of a tower like structure. Gripping the edges tightly, he stretched his wing again. All the way out, as far as it could go. The black appendage was darker than the sky above, smearing the stars' light from ever reaching the ground.

But it felt good. The muscles tightened and he grinned to himself, bringing the wing back in with a sigh. Again, he stretched it, trying to get it farther than before.

But it wasn't flying and it didn't satisfy him. THe boy looked about. He wasn't that high up. It wouldn't hurt that bad when he landed. With a grin, he rocketed himself from the tower. Arms out wide, wing spread out and he went spinning violently to the ground, crashing into the gravel. Quickly, he stood, flexing his wing once more. It wasn't hurt. And he only got a few scratches. Determination etched into his face and he ran about again, jumping and leaping from point to point, higher up and up until he reached that tower to repeat. It was almost like flying...

Angelique heard the front door shut as Gale and Coden went out on their night walk. Hopefully they'd be smart enough to stay hidden. Having finished switching the table and door back, she turned to go upstairs. It was later than she liked to stay up and with the lack of synthetic lighting there wasn't much she could do until morning.

Blowing out the lamp, she felt her way to the stairs, making her way up them...and bumped right into something. She had to flail her arms, catching them on the walls to keep herself from falling - one of the disadvantages of arms vs. wings, though she had good balance thankfully - and glared up into the darkness. She pushed herself upright. As Coden and Gale had just left and Pala had yet to return, there was only one person this could be...

"Alexis, what are you doing there? Shouldn't you be sleeping at this ungodly hour?"

In her humble opinion, any time after nightfall was pretty much ungodly.

Alexis looked down at Angelique, fingers pressed against her forehead as she tried to stop the looping thoughts. “…I have to go…. I need to get fixed….” She said as she attempted to walk past Angelique.

“No doubt about that…. But you’re not disappearing again. You’re of more potential use out of your mind but alive then dead.” Angelique said as she latched onto her arm, preventing her from escaping. She cringed as a bolt of pain shot up her arm where Angelique grabbed onto a few not fully healed wounds. Angelique didn’t let go, glaring at the girl.

“….But… If I don’t leave now…. Then the island may leave without me…. The dragon said so….” Alexis muttered as she tried to pry Angelique’s fingers from her arm.

“Alexis...you've lost your mind. Stop talking nonsense and go back to bed!” Angelique said, trying to herd Alexis back into her room.

Alexis pushed back slightly, to avoid backtracking* ....I.... I know that there's something off.... but... really.... I'm right about this.... I'm sure of it..... Please believe me…. But.... I can't be late... You know how those spirits are about punctuality....”

Angelique looked at Alexis incredulously, making sure to not let go. “Yes...you are imagining this, and even if you aren't...do you know WHERE this spirit is supposed to be? Because if not, then it really doesn't matter if it moves, now does it? Because you'll still have no idea! …You don't seem to understand...you're NOT disappearing again...it's not up for discussion, Alexis, now get back inside!

“….I was told that it was on a moving island... so all I have to do is find a map and head towards the biggest body of water....But... he said that it had to be done by when the moon was full.... I think....” Alexis said as she wracked her brain, trying to remember through the haze.

“I…. I just want to make sure….” Alexis muttered as Angelique maneuvered her up the stairs and down the hallway. Suddenly she bolted, running down the stairs. “I’ll come back as soon as I’m fixed…”


Angelique raced after Alexis, “Oh no you don't!” She yelled, before pausing for a moment. “If you're going to take off, at the very least take someone with you...meaning me apparently since everyone else has left unless you want to wait for someone else to return, and let people know where you're going. And if you're willing to wait long enough we might be able to keep our whole group together”

Alexis stopped near the table, turning back to look up at Angelique, considering her words. She backed up as her thoughts divided and twisted and turned against her again, “….I'm not safe though... I don't want you getting hurt because of me..... Too many people here.... I’m sorry!”

Angelique groaned to herself, taking off after her. Throwing caution to the wind, she lit several fires throughout the house, hoping she actually hit some of the candles as she ran after Alexis. As the girl dodged a misplaced flame, Angelique used the distraction and tackled her to the ground. Alexis struggled to get out of her grip, normally strong enough to be able to throw off the bird like woman, but fatigue and malnutrition make that kinda hard. She finally was able to twist herself around, slamming Angelique off of her back onto the ground. Using the distraction she bolted outside, back into the garden again.

Angelique quickly turned over and scratched several marks into the ground, muttering under her breath. Water coursed under their feet, digging into the soil, creating an invisible barrier around the fleeing girl.

Ignorant of the barrier, Alexis continued running made it several feet outside and for some reason began to slow down, stopping right next to the pond. She stared down at the water, enthralled by something in the water.

Angelique grumbled to herself as she pushed herself off of the ground, making her way to the motionless girl. She noticed the girl spacing out again and slapped her. “WAKE UP!”

Eventually, Alexis glanced up at Angelique, her eyes glassy and distant. Acting as if she saw an invisible someone just behind Angelique. “……Robert says hi…..” Alexis slurred to Angelique before collapsing to the ground, leaving the other woman frozen, her expression completely blank.

The violent crunch of gravel pulled Coden abruptly out of his guard stance. By the time his looked over his shoulder, all he saw was Gale up and darting across the park and climbing the equipment. Skeptically, he cast multiple glances between the child and the askew patch of gravel before shaking his head and returning his eyes to the streets.

Only when the sound repeated did Coden become concerned. "What is he--!UhbuhgaGale!?" He made a double take as he spotted the child in mid flight, flinging himself from the highest tower. Scrambling to catch him, Coden froze in mid step and flinched when, seconds later, Gale smacked the gravel. Staring agape, he watched the boy simply pick himself up and dusted off, rushing to do it again. His gaping maw carefully cracked into a bemused grin. 'If he's anyone son...He's definitely mine....', Coden thought dismally with a chuckle.

Following the childs shadow, Coden ducked through the playground, stalking the little boy. When Gale made his leap of faith once more, Coden was there to catch him this time. "Hagh--Got'chya!"
Hauling the boy up and at arms length, Coden smiled wryly."What on earth are you trying to do?"

Despite the shocks of pain when he landed in the gravel, he enjoyed jumping about very much. It was as close to flying as he could get right now. He knew there was a way to get himself up in the air again, but for some reason whenever he grasped at that memory, it slipped away like sand in his hand.

The boy had scrambled to the top once more, so jubilant in his game that the sound of movie people was not heard. With a leap he was up in the air and about the fall/fly again. But something yanked at him.

With a gasp, yelp, and snarl, he struggled. But Coden's voice calmed him. He no longer struggled feircely, but just held onto his wrists, straining to get free.

"I like the air." Was all he said as his wing flexed once more, opening up above Coden's hands. Beautiful, wide open sky, just above him. So close and yet out of reach, tantalizing him with its freedom. He didn't just like the sky; he needed i.

Angelique continued to stand there frozen for several moments before taking a step back.

"How...did you know that name?" She watched Alexis, but the girl didn't move, unconscious on the ground. Gritting her teeth, Angelique moved forward, about to slap the other girl awake, but stopped, clenching her fists, and turning to go back inside. Let Alexis sit out there for a while.

Mind restless, Angelique attempted to ignore it, distract it, and so began disassembling everything in her path. Parts of furniture were soon scattered all over the main floor, doors sitting against the walls or on the floors.

'There's no way she could know about him,' A leg came off of the table. 'I've never mentioned that...the only people who would know aren't here and they wouldn't say anything...not to her at least.' She paused as the table wobbled and tilted, two of the legs off. She wasn't really paying attention to that, however, as she moved around and began taking off the third leg, taking out pegs and nails and putting them in her pocket. 'So then...is there really some spirit world?' She shivered slightly, looking around, suspiciously, eyes resting on every shadow for a moment, following every movement from the flickering of the candles...

'I should probably do something about all of the scorch marks before Coden gets back...'

Alexis slowly came to her senses, groaning as she sat up. She didn’t like this place. She kept hearing things and seeing things she never had before.…. And falling asleep outside and waking up feeling cold and sick. She rubbed at flecks of mud and dirt that clung to her shirt and pants for a while, trying to regain her thought process. She had to go. This place wasn’t safe… No place was safe… But her best chance was to go out to find that island… Right?

She stood up rather shakily, leaning against a small flowering tree for support. Her eyes darted around. No signs of the others. She took a few hesitant steps forward, finally noticing the circle on the ground around her. Her hand danced through the air, pressing against the invisible barrier. Occasionally she’d jolt back, as if burned by it. Still no one around. She paced back and forth, back and forth, mumbling to herself while continuing to poke and prod at the barrier. Back and forth, back and forth, with no end in sight.

After a while of restless movements and cleaning up several scorch marks as best she could, covering the rest with what furniture wasn't disassembled, Angelique found her attention drifting out toward the back yard. Unsettled as she was currently by the girl, was it really right to just leave her out there...especially if she got sick? She needed to be alive and well enough to get them home after all...

Giving up on getting anything else done inside, she headed toward the kitchen to look outside, seeing nothing that far away in the darkness. Glancing over, she picked up a candle and stepped out into the gloom, over to where she'd left Alexis...

"I see you're awake," she said, voice cold. "Do you care to explain what happened earlier? And preferably before the others get back..."

Alexis continued to pace, arms wrapped around each other to try to keep warm. It was too cold… She kept pacing, trying to not stay in one spot, trying to avoid doing anything that would cause the heaviness to overcome her again.

“….I don’t know…. I was… was running… running running running… from you….. because you wouldn’t let me go…. But I have to go you have to believe me…. I’m not safe…. I’ll end up hurting you all… Killing people…. But then something happened…. Suddenly the trees grew larger and the pond shifted under my feet, turned into a lake that went on forever and a mile or two…. Forests grew and a heavy mist hung in the air… making it hard to breathe… It was so hard to breathe and yet I didn’t need to… There were colors and lights that I haven’t seen before… I had to have been there for hours… Hours there with no one else…. Except those that were there… There but not here… Were here but not anymore…. Talking and telling me things…. Figures in robes with strange markings… Soldiers and laymen and women and children and kings and beggars… Too many people too many dead people wouldn’t go away… They wouldn’t leave me alone…. They never leave me along why gods they’ve followed me here… But one of them came up and touched me… It burned and froze my skin and dug deep into me like a knife… Then I was back here and there at the same time… worlds overlapping. I could see you, and he could see you… none of the others could… Strange clothing from the others… Cashmere and silks to the wool and cottons… Told me you were his ladybird and that he wanted to tell you something… Something…. Something important… Said that he pulled me in there… To tell you…. It…. It wasn’t your fault…. Need to move on…. Care…. Be happy…. He must have loved you so…“

She stopped pacing, looking back at the woman with a clarity that had been lost to her for a long while. As if she were interacting with a real person instead of one of the multitude of shadows that covered the world, “….Please… Let me out…”

Angelique stared at Alexis for a moment in stunned silence. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed it again, and tried again. "You..." She stopped again, eyes flashing. "You're lying...and don't try telling me you're not! I don't know what you're playing at, Alexis, but I don't appreciate this little trick..." she stopped again, watching as the girl seemed to back up slightly. "I'm tempted to just let you rot out here."

Alexis stared back at her. "I-I'm not lying! I saw it! I don't know how, but it's true! You have to believe me..." She took another step back as Angelique stepped forward.

"HAVE to believe you? I don't HAVE to do anything!" She fought to bring her voice back down. Still in an unfamiliar city...neighbors... "I don't care what you think you saw in that delusional little head of yours, but you didn't see that..." she was nearly hissing at the other girl. 'The lier...' she was breathing harder. "Now listen well Alexis...I don't want you mentioning this...this insanity ever again!"

"I...I said it because he asked me to...I....it's not a delusion..." Alexis' voice seemed to crack as she stared back, starting to look unsure of things herself. She backed up as far as the barrier would allow, pressing her back against it.

"Stop...just stop it!" Angelique demanded. "Stop lying!" Water sloshed around dangerously from the pond, muddying the ground even further. This had to stop...she would make her stop...

"I'm not lying!" Alexis' protest fell on deaf ears as she dropped to the ground, curling up against the barrier as if hoping it would protect her. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry just leave me alone!" Her voice began to change as her breathing hitched, and she began to cry.

Angelique stared, gritting her teeth and marching forward. She grabbed Alexis' shoulder and pushed it around so that the other girl was looking at her. "Stop crying!"

On instinct, Alexis pushed back against her, sending Angelique stumbling back a few steps. Alexis gave her a nasty glare before curling back up and crying harder, sobs wracking her body.

Angelique stared again, mouth a thin line as she watched Alexis on the ground. She may not have been lying...there was a chance...he could be...

"Prove it."

Alexis didn't move.

Angelique growled. "Will you stop crying already! You want me to believe you? Then prove it!"

"I didn't ask for it to happen!" she managed to choke out between sobs. "It just did! Ask you dead boyfriend. He did it...didn't ask for it...leave me alone..." the words finally trailed off, covered once more by the tears.

Angelique grit her teeth and clenched her hands, forcing herself to calm down. Alexis was obviously still out of it, still insane...they were outside...where people could be watching...

After a moment, she forced herself to speak. "Okay...fine," she began, "Let's just...inside. It's late and you'll get sick if you stay out here and I don't want to have to rely on a doctor here..." she trailed off, muttering things about archaic medicine as she moved over to the edge of the barrier, erasing the seals. Once the barrier was down, she went over and snatched up Alexis' arm, yanking on it to get the girl to move. "Come on."

Much to her surprise, Alexis followed, muttering under her breath things that made no sense to Angelique. She was covered in mud and debris from her time alone as well as this latest little venture into the outdoors. Angelique ignored it all, shoving Alexis into her room.

"Stay," was all she said before slamming the door and leaving Alexis to her own devices, curled up in a corner sobbing.

Storming across the hall into her own room, Angelique again slammed the door, as if slamming every door she came in contact with would somehow help. Ignoring the mud on her shoes and the bottoms of her clothes, she collapsed onto the bed, curling up and pulling the blanket up over her head.

She needed to sleep...she needed not to think...

Coden gave the child the same wry grin, his head tilting with a small confused nod. With an exaggerated huff, Coden set the Child on his hip and brushed dirt from his face and arms. "Well, that's just fine, to like the air, but lets not be throwing ourselves off of high places just for the fun of it. You'll get hurt if you land wrong or jump from a place too high. You wouldn't want to break your only wing." He tweaked the boys wing then, caressing the flimsy membrane and prodding at an old scared out hole in one spot.

Shifting the boy again, Coden held him by his arm pits. "If you want to feel the air so badly, let me help." Grunting, He swung the boy around and thrust him high into the air. "At least this way-", He cried out just before catching him again. "-you'll never have to worry about hitting the ground."

The boy twitched when Coden poked at his wing and the appendage jerked away, its owner fearful of its loss. Falling never hurt his wing wrong. He always fell right. Sometimes his head would break his fall, but at least it wasn't his wing.

A look of surprise etched itself across his face as Coden tossed him up and caught him. Tossed him up again... caught him. A smile twitched on his lips as a memory surfaced.

His Father used to do this... though Gale wouldn't always fall back down, having two wings then instead of one. Sometimes he would circle above before falling back into his loving Father's arms.

He had two wings then - what happened to the other?

Gale cried out, suddenly gripping at his head, sharp pain exploding behind his eyes. Knives flashing, hot iron. There. That was how he lost his wing. A flash of memory, exposed, raw and throbbing, for him again. His mother chopped it off. His mother burned him and- and where was his father?

In the shadows, watching it all and urging his siblings to take part. A memory shut out for all those six years. Fathers were bad likes Mothers. He looked at Coden once more, golden eyes wide, small hands gripping his aching head. It all clicked now.

He almost missed Gale, startled by his sudden wail of pain. Snatching the child against his chest, Coden calmly dropped to his knee and set the boy there on his leg. He muttered a slur of questions and tried to pry back Gales fingers to see a wound that wasn't there. Rubbing the back of Gales head comfortingly, Coden probed the boy for answers. What is the matter? Do you hurt? I told you to be careful, didn't I?

Gale only stare lividly back at him.

Then Coden Froze, and stare widely back at the child. He recognized that look. He knew it painfully well.
So many times before, He was given that look. When trying to greet him. When trying to hold him or touch him. When trying to reconcile. Every time He'd been given that look. That fearful stare of remembrance.

Coden's hands fell away, hovering mere inches from Gale. His expression not far behind. 'Not again...please, gods, not again.' Coden felt like crumbling and clutching his own head in agony; but he was more composed than that.
Hesitantly, He placed a hand against Gale's back. His other carefully brushing ragged brown hair out of the boys wide, staring eyes. "Trooper....I'm n-"

He sighed, searching eyes simply fell away from Gales face. Gently setting the child on his feet, Coden took his hand and began to lead him away from the park. "...Lets go home."
He didn't know what else to do.

The child was silent as he walked next to Coden, feet scuffing on the pavement. His fingers flexed slightly in the Gyspus' grip as he tried justifying Coden to himself.

Hw was not Father. He was and he wasn't. He hurt him but didn't mean to? He hurt him but didn't want to. What kid of protection was that? Eurybia wanted to kill him but he was alive. Because Coden said something? Was he behind the scenes, plotting pain? Or was he being true? Felt true. Though was it the same ignorance feelings he had when younger? Couldn't be, could it? Gale sensed lots of pain from Coden earlier. Coden disliked his pain? Coden....

It was all too confusing for Gale. He rubbed at his head some more and sighed to himself, ear drooping.

Coden was not Father. Coden was Papa. Papa was Father? Papa was not Father. Papa hurt Gale. Father hurt Gale. Papa did not want to hurt Gale? Papa had not wanted Gale... but now wanted Gale?

He was so deep in these thoughts that he didn't even realize when they got back to the house. Wait... something was wrong. Different. He looked at Coden. Oh... his jacket. The boy's wing had been exposed on their walk home. Wasn't that bad?

There was so much he could say. So much he SHOULD say. Though no matter how many times he rehearsed the words in his mind, he remained mute. 'It's best this way. It's I say nothing. I'd only make it worse. Make it worse. He is already so distant from me...even as firm as his hand is in mine, he's still so far away.'

Coden glanced down at the little boy walking quietly beside him. Looked long and hard, trying to see beyond the invisible bridge that often crumbled and rebuilt itself between them, time and time again. For as difficult their relationship was, He wondered what kept him around the boy anymore. Even establishing a relationship with Alexis hadn't been so difficult.
Casting his eyes back to the path ahead, Coden thought about the inevitability of ever making a firm connection with Gale again. 'Why do I try so hard? It's not as though he's my s....my boy....'

The answer was so simple. Though even after all this time, he still denied it to himself. 'Because you wished he was," his inner consciousness would tell him.

Before he could wage a mental war over his deservingness for such a precious thing as children or family alone, Coden caught Gale's upward glance. He looked...how did one describe this? He looked like a child who'd just realized something....dire?
"What's wrong, Trooper?"

That's right... no one was supposed to see his wing... or hair... or ears... That was what the coat was for, that was why coden made it.

He looked over at the man, at the coat in his hands. It was a comfortable coat, minus forcing his wing to relax. Maybe when they got someplace where it didn't matter, Gale could ask him to cut a wing hole in it. BUt for now...

In a small voice, he asked, "Can I have my coat back?" He looked away from Coden, and at the ground, feeling anxious and nervous.

The Gyspus jumped, as if the question was startling. Then looked at the jacket hanging from his free hand, surprised to see it there. He hadn't realized he'd never made Gale put it on when they left the park. How careless of him! He considered himself lucky they had been the only one's in the streets.

Delicately, He passed the coat to Gale with an air of clumsy, aloofness. "Certainly, certainly. It's yours, of course." Clearing his throat after Gale took the cloth, feeling just a little pleased, Coden bent down to pick up Gale and set him on his arm.

"Ehm, lets get you up to bed now. I have to go to work in the morning...I need you to be a good boy and help keep an eye on Alexis. She's not well, you know. Do good, and We'll all go on a walk tomorrow, 'kay?"
He wet his lips and cleared his throat. So strange, listening to himself. He sounded so... It was rather... Just not like him.