((Logged 1/6/01))

The Aveh Desert
Contents:
Dakota
Xeero
Dark Angel (Gear)
Renmazuo (Gear)
an Important Sign

Xeero , being far enough from Dazil is doing something rather odd. As opposed to 
riding in his gear, the two are walking side by side. Occasionally when a gust 
of wind kicks up Xeero shield his face with his arm, but soon dorps it again and 
resumes walking.

This far out in the desert... goodness, Citan, you -wander-. But you are driven 
to do so from the physical need to pace off the energies hissing within... in a 
fashion, there is the excuse of requiring exercise. A sturdy nomad's cloak wraps 
his form, now without the support of his crutch. As the winds pick up, the 
fabric whips around his legs and occasionally tangles--yet Citan does not do 
more than allow it to fall back into place when the gusts pass, not bothering 
yet about all the particulars of physical health and sand in the clothes.

Xeero doesn't seem to notice the approaching figure, but his gear does, and soon 
the large black machine stops and lowers itself to one knee. Xeero stops looking 
back at his gear, eyebrow raised curiously as he asks the machine were it a 
person, "What's wrong?" FOrtunatley the gear has a way of answering back and 
breaks it's masquearde just long enough to pint where Citan is coming from. 
Xeero looks in the direction of the large metal finger and sure enough he spots 
the person walking through the desert. Quickly Xeero dashes back to his gear and 
begins to act like he's cheking some components in the leg.

Xeero is rather quick to notice someone coming to a stop nearby. He bothces up 
his act somewhat by reacting almost immediately. He turns to face the man. His 
eyes quint a moment as at first glance he seems familiar, sure enough he 
recognizes him from the other day he saw that other man, Krelian. No don't think 
about that now. He gives the man a nod and a hint of a polite/freindly smile as 
he says, "We meet again,"

So they meet... yes, that memory is vague, stretched out and heavily overlaid 
with the impressions of a young girl, first with joy and then with horror. "I 
believe that we do, sir..." Yet could he not be dangerous? Silly man, Citan, 
walking towards him with such little concern for your own health. Another mark 
of time spent too long within the Dream--what was physical pain again but a 
sensation to be thought of in a clinical sense? "That is a very interesting 
Gear," he remarks, slowing to a halt again and craning his neck to look up. "I 
wonder if it gives you any problems?"

Xeero looks over to the gear and says with a faint smirk, "Sometime, but 
certainly not any normal kind of problem," The gear shifts a little 
unconsciously, giving its pilot what can only be translated as a 'dirty look'. 
To quickly cover up his and his machine's slip up Xeero turns to the other man 
and says, "I don't belive I got your name the last time we met,"

"No... I do not believe so either. I may have had yours..." But if so, 
certainly, it has been muffled over by the amount of conflicting memories, and 
certainly by the current weight of Khiea's emotions. "I am called Citan," he 
offers, studying the Gear still. A knuckle pushes up the bridge of his glasses 
to straighten them. "A very interesting model indeed. Which was the base frame, 
if I may ask?"

Xeero gives the man a faint nod as he hears his name and says, "Pleased to meet 
you Citan. My name is Xeero," he looks up to his gear, "As for this guy, I've no 
clue who built his frame actually,"

Citan sinks to a seated position in the sands, giving up for a while upon the 
energies of standing. The thick fabric of his cloak insulates him from the cold 
of the desert night here, and painfully grits against his hand there. But that 
is rather incidental--all physical sensations, rather trivial. "It is a pleasure 
to meet you, Xeero." Politeness which is not distant, but simply detached. "May 
I ask how you found him, then?"

Xeero hmms and then says, "To be entirely truthful, Citan. I don't remember" 
Xeero heaves a sigh and says, "First thing I can remember is coming to in a 
smoking crater right nex to this guy," he looks to his gear, "Since then we've 
prettymuch been inseperable,"

What an interesting Gear. Then again, Citan finds a great deal of things 
interesting, and precisely at this level--the lazy coveting of the eye and itch 
in the hand to disassemble and recreate. "Does that disconcert you, Xeero?" A 
query which circumvents a few of the traditional questions and angles at a 
deeper one. "I can understand how that would be difficult."

Xeero nods to Citan and says, "Yes it does, because since I can remember, it's 
been preactically one thing after another. I've been constantly forced into 
fights, been hospitalized twice" he suddenly and breifly makes a transition to a 
totally different language, not Solarian or Elrusian. Catching his mistake Xeero 
switches back and says, "Sorry, I'm rambling,"

If there is anything at all off about Xeero's slip into another tongue, then it 
does not show upon Citan's face. Then again, who can tell if he is even keeping 
track of this current conversation enough to notice such a change? "And again, 
with power comes responsibility..." The sigh lifts itself from his lips and over 
the dunes. "Does the cycle never end? It is odd that so many seek power while 
forgetting the consequences... and even to dodge that power and deny it..."

Adauchi (Gear) has arrived.

Xeero can only nod in agreement with Citan, "From what I've seen these past few 
months I'd have to say it doesn't. People continue to try and attain more and 
more power, not caring about those below them. The ones who directly suffer. 
Fortunately on occasion there are those who also care enough to help those who 
suffer, though they are far too few in number." realizing he may be here a while 
Xeero decides to be somewhat hospitable given this dry uncomfortable heat and 
takes a moment to ask, "Would you care for anything to drink? It is kind of hot 
and dry out here." . o O (THough I can only offer water *mental shrug*

Sigurd has arrived.

"I think we are all failing in the end..." Half-closed eyes, a vague smile that 
parts itself from the words it forms, but Citan does no more than add to a 
conversation that drifts further and closer to personal relevences on all sides. 
"I apologize. I do not think that I am thirsty at this time..." The stars above 
dizzy, the Gear a black outline that blots out the lights beyond. "Do you feel, 
however, that you are not entirely lost?"

Xeero thinks it over a moment and nods to Citan, "Yes, there are times when I 
don't feel lost, but such moments are so few in number," he sighs and leans 
against the leg of his gear, tired of staning straight.

Speaking of gears, the low rumble of engines in the distance slowly grows louder 
as the red and cream gear streaks over the dunes, sending up a blast of sand in 
its wake, coming toward the the small group, but too far to one side to be 
coming straight for them. And it does very well pass them, at least for a time, 
then it turns and loops back around, -now- coming straight for them, and slowing 
as it aproaches.

Another Gear tears up sand across the wake it leaves; Citan throws a sleeve 
across his face only belatedly as he realizes that, yes, grit in the skin and 
eyes may hurt. A detached pain as it may be, it is still good to keep in the 
habit of basic self-preservation, no? The ripple of wind behind shivers his 
form... it is well that he is sitting, for he is just recently off his crutch 
and would otherwise fall. Turning in an attempt to track the Gear, Citan narrows 
his eyes faintly behind the cloth draped over half his face. "Who..."

Xeero blocks his face as the gear begins to land. H enarrows his eyes to try and 
make out the machine through thedust and wind. "Jeeze, they just pop out of 
nowehere," he comments to himself. Behind him the large black machine twitches a 
little, it didn't like unannounced guests, especially since almost every new 
gear it met to date had a rather rude pilot. Still it remains still, on one 
knee, unmoving for the most part as most gears are.

The gear, obviously of Solarian Military type, despite it's more sleek build 
rather than boxy like most gears, but the golden crest of the Yggdrasil resides 
where the Solarian emblem should be on display. No, this gear was no threat, as 
it powered down almost immediately, dropping to one knee, the cockpit opening 
before the gear has even completed the motion, a rather anxious-looking Sigurd 
hopping out and to the soft sands below with that carefully controlled grace 
just short of what Citan should normally possess. "Hyuga?" Locating his friend 
was not immediate, he just sensed him near the other gear, but eventually he 
made out his form, visibly relaxing. "Idiot."

Hearing the reassuring voice of his friend, faint across the distance and the 
dunes, Citan vaguely... gives up. "Sigurd?" It is a wondering whisper indeed. 
Setting his arms behind him, the doctor attempts to lean on them--his support is 
sand, however, and the man ends up in a rather slow slide until he is half-
flopped backwards. "Where have you been? Are you all right?" Still wandering in 
voice as his sanity is in Nightmare, Citan stirs in faint perturbrance. "I have 
been looking for you everywhere..."

Xeero can't help but raise an eyebrow, but relaxes some as he sees Citan knows 
this new arrival, then again, it is quite possible Citan could prove to be an 
enemy. Still Xeero decides to stay relaxed, tired of constantly getting tensed 
up practically every time somebody sneezes. FOr the time being he simply watches 
the two as the converse, making sure to pay careful attentiong though, in case 
something of importance comes up.

Sigurd jogs quietly over the dunes and comes to a stop near Citan, offering a 
faint nod of greeting to Xeero, then looking down at Citan once more. "Looking 
for me...? What on -earth- are you doing all the way out here if you're looking 
for me?"

A faintly blank stare, and utter reasoning in a shroud of the faintly wounded. 
"I heard the drums... I knew you would be out here listening to them..." Sweet, 
Citan. But utterly the -wrong- time period. The former Element continues to 
blink at Sigurd, entirely lying down on the sands now, his thick cloak tangled 
left and right. "And then the drums moved onwards. But I knew you would be out 
here if only I looked... long enough and far enough, but the music was always 
just at the horizon..." Ah. Nightmare. Silly, Citan. Even you are not immune 
entirely from that which possesses you of late.

Dakota moves quietly through the cloack of night, the stars shine high above, 
their light touching her back. Her mind is but a mess of questions and concerns, 
a tangled and manipulated web...her steps fall silent in the sand leaving the 
limp evident in her gait yet does not bother to slow as she continues onwards, 
intending to stop in the base and leave a note explaining her current absence to 
the pirates. Pausing, eventualy stopping as she nears the group. "...huh...that 
looks familiar..."

Xeero 's eyebrow rises a little further as Citan lies in the sand. . o O (Jeeze, 
of all the people met, excluding Dakota, I think I'm the most sane person I 
know....that's a problem....) Xeero sighs quietly, but does not interrupt the 
two.

Sigurd blinks faintly and shakes his head. "No, Hyu, there weren't any drums out 
tonight. You're not completely awake, are you." A sigh, patient in nature as he 
crouches beside his friend and almost chidingly pushes on one shoulder, just 
enough to send his precarious balance all to Hell and drop him backward in the 
sand, drawing a chuckle from the ever-teasing ex-Element of Fire. Quietly, he 
looks up at Xeero. "Did you run across him, or he ran across you? Either way, 
thank you for keeping the daydreamer at bay."

Sand flies up in a soft cloud as Citan completes the sprawl, blinking in a mild 
protest of, "That was not -fair-..." Although when did that ever matter before? 
And certainly not to Sigurd... hah, he will pay. Once Citan can summon the horde 
of technicolor rabbits. But better to be here and have a mind scattered across 
slightly pleasant nightmares, than to continue devoting one's all to the realm 
which Khiea shatters now in frustrated terrors. Balances here. Balances there. 
Or has no one noticed how he and Khiea swing, between logic and emotion, panic 
and control? "I ran across him, I am afraid," Citan replies, fighting for a 
little coherancy again as he attempts to push himself upright. "He is named 
Xeero. Xeero, have you met Sigurd before?"

Dakota eventually nears, and looks at the gathering with a quiet smile. "...it's 
been a while Sigurd, Citan..." she waves to Xeero breifly, odd how easily found 
they were when she wasn't trying to find them. With a slight glance to Citan, 
who seems just as disorientated as he had the day she met him, a look of mild 
concern crosses her face. "Are you alright?"

Xeero looks over his shoulder a moment as he hears a familiar voice. He returns 
Dakota's wave and then turns back to face the other two. He shakes his head in 
response to Citan's question, "No I haven't," he falls silent, given the 
constant changes in Citan's actions do warrant some concern so he just let's 
Dakota ask her questions.

"Life is not fair, Hyuga." Sigurd stands once more, this time offering a more 
formal bow to Xeero. "A pleasure, Xeero." Though the eyepatch, and with it the 
usual stereotype of a pirate, and his mannerisms toward Citan may hint for a 
more brash personality, the 'truth' was far from it. At least his current 
'truth', at any rate. Like Citan, he could put on his own displays of clever 
acting if the situation demanded, and this demanded the usual, polite first 
mate's complete set of manners. Hyuga didn't get that treatment, so nya. He 
seemed about to aim another teasing comment at his old friend when he spotted 
Dakota and smiled, waving. "It's been a while, Dakota. Still a trouble magnet? 
And don't worry about him." A light nudge with the toe of his boot to Citan's 
leg and he offered a friendly smile, bordering on a grin, down at his friend. 
"You're never alright, ne? Recently, anyway." Oh good lord, Sigurd's hyper. 
Blame the cider Luka gave him.

"Good evening, Dakota. Sigurd has pushed me." A disturbingly bright awareness 
peeks its way at last past the mild petulance of those words, the cast of the 
more mature nature falling to shadow Citan's face. "And now he is prodding me." 
Frown but half mockingly, half in seriousness at how much he wished to yank that 
boot off balance and send Sigurd to roll down one of the dunes--but could not. 
Weakness had its own annoyances. "How have you been, Dakota? It is to my regret 
that I have not seen you directly for some time." Funny phrases, the Guardian is 
picking up. Funny phrases, for an odder method of life. No matter! "Dakota, have 
you met this fellow here?"


Dakota chuckles softly, shaking her head. "Sadly, as much a trouble magnet as 
ever...I'm well though, thank you Citan...and yourself?" she chuckles at their 
folly and glances at Xeero with a nod. "Yes I know him, a friend of mine...I see 
you've all made aquaintance?" she smiles softly at each, it was nice to see them 
again and know that they at least were still living, the various stresses placed 
to each recently at least was holding back it's damage for now.

Xeero looks back and forth between the three people for a while, his somehwat 
sleep deprived mind taking a little while to make the connection, but when it 
does he simply shrugs and then finally gives Sigurd and nod as he says, 
"Likewise," he can be rather short spoken at times such as this, and it appears 
now is no exception.

Sigurd pays no mind to short spokenness, barely sparing a chuckle for Dakota's 
confirmation of remaining in magnet status. His attention was more on the 
desert, and the steadily dropping temperature that lead to the usually very cold 
desert nights. This place was, after all, not the most pleasant of climates, 
with it's widely varying extremes of temperature in a 24 hour period. "Hyu, can 
you walk, or do I have to drag you?"

Those dark brown eyes scroll up again to Sigurd, delivering a -look-... that 
ranges between the utterly blank to the utterly daring, depending on the viewing 
angle of reality. "I suppose I can walk," is the calm reply. How else did he get 
out here? Actually, that is... an excellent question indeed. Oh, Citan! Are you 
randomly appearing and disappearing -again-? Tsk. "Though if I could have a ride 
in Adauchi, that would be appriciated." Not quite giving a motion yet as to 
actually struggling to get up, Citan rolls his head to the side and glimpses 
Dakota. "Will you be returning with us, Dakota?" It is not his place to invite 
her friend, unfortunately, no matter how much he may be tempted to tinker with 
the parts of his dark Gear.

Dakota pauses, glancing between the three of them before shaking her head. "I'd 
best not, Citan. Thank you but I was going to just leave a note before heading 
back out to find Xeero here..." she trails off a bit, not at all too sure how 
long it would be before she could finnaly get back and help them 
again...hopefully soon, her distrust for Joseph and the rest of gebler was 
rapidly dropping from his...strange actions as of late.

Xeero for a little while it tempted to make some kind of smart comment, but 
desides he'd best not for the time being. Instead he just remains silent. 
Shifting his stance some to keep the blood from collecting in his legs. . o O 
(GUess I'm sleeping in the gear again)

Sigurd glances back at Dakota once more and offers a faint frown. "A shame you 
won't be joining us as of yet. Take care of her, she'a a hellion." The last part 
directed to Xeero, and a friendly tease aimed at Dakota, a smile softening the 
sting of his words before he turned his attention once more to Citan. He seems 
to ponder the idea of giving him a ride back. "Well you -did- walk out here on 
your own. And you gave me about 5 heart attacks and a nervous breakdown looking 
for you."

This has been a long enough rest, Citan--up, up, have you, and resist the 
tempation to happily nap inside the furrow that your body has created in the 
sand. Or try. Citan rolls to the side, attempting to push himself to a sitting 
position from which to stand. "Yes, indeed. I believe we shall meet again, 
Xeero. Until then, the best of luck with your search... and may you continue 
your search for understanding." All right. One arm up... "Dakota, we shall see 
you another day?" The other, and he is... sitting, legs tangled, atop the dune. 
Value these achievements as they come! "Only five? I must try harder next 
time... although you always lead me for a merry chase."

Dakota chuckles softly, nodding her head. "Of course, Citan. I will return, but 
for now there is something I must tend to which for now steals me. But soon, I 
promise I'll come back." she smiles faintly, chuckling a bit at the teasing 
between the two before turning breifly to Xeero and giving a bit of a nod that 
says little more then simply ackonowledge.

Xeero gets a faint smirk on his face at Sigurd's comment. To date he's been the 
one who's gotten into the most trouble. In spite of this he gives sigurd a nod 
and says, "Of course I will." he then nods to Citan and says, "I'm certain we 
will, and thanks," FInally having gotten sick and tired of sitting there Xeero's 
gear begins to rise to it's feet on it's own. causing Xeero to wince an 
facepalm, "So much for being subtle.

Sigurd chuckles at Citan, finally grabbing him by his upper arm and hauling the 
half asleep Doctor to his feet. "Come on, my bed is a lot more comfortable than 
the sand. It was nice meeting you, Xeero. Stay safe, Dakota." With that, he 
started for his gear, keeping close enough to Citan that the man wouldn't fall.

Citan allows himself to be dragged away by Sigurd, muttering something under his 
breath about how it was vexing that the desert was not filled by butterflies of 
milkweed colors.

Dakota nods, waving as they depart, "I will, thank you." she watces quietly 
before turning back to Xeero with a slight shrug, for the moment, finding 
herself silenced.

Xeero can't help but smirk a bit  and shake his head as the two leave. He sighs 
and looks up to his gear and then to Dakota, "Guess now all it's a matter of is 
finding some place warm to sleep." he shivers a bit, "Cause it's getting cold 
out here," The large black gear nods in agreement.