Anti-Social Tendencies [Talau]

[Latus]

The flame from his torch went out and he stepped back, admiring such a clean yet rushed patch job. It was one thing for Axle to make these small repairs but for it to go so smooth, well he had to take a moment to marvel. His wings shifted uncomfortably as a terrible urge to itch slowly worked from the top of his shoulders to the bottom of his shirt. As if rehearsed he pressed his wings against the fabric, bulging his shirt out to allow a large primary feather to fall from the opening. In one quick movement he snatched it up, placed it in front of the torch, and re-lit it. The delicate white feather burned quickly yet brilliantly falling to the floor in a small shower of ash. Waste... primaries are always the most beautiful.

Clicking off the torch again Axle looked about the compartment in satisfaction. He reached up and wiped his brow, sighing contented; a fair bit of work for an honorable purpose. To his calculations, the engines were showing an initial efficiency improvement of about two percent. A few more days and that improvement could be doubled and last for weeks. This thought coaxed a grin from his lips. Who needs to befriend the crew, these engines are much more personable than they ever could be. He looked down at his datapad, it was getting late. The likelihood of the crew still being awake was low and he had finished enough to call it for the night. Stowing his gear in one of the maintenance passages Axle quietly tromped from engineering, destination: The Journey.

For the first time in days he took his time, strolling through the ship and enjoying a rare feeling of security afforded by their remote location. The mixture of engine vibration and ship noises just seemed to put him in a good mood. They had lifted off hours ago and had been in hyperspace for a good while, long enough for the young man's taste. Finally reaching his hatch he pushed it open, lifting himself the several feet up into the Journey's small cockpit, home. Closing the hatch behind him he pulled off his overshirt and stretched his wings for the first time that day, giving the eight foot length ample time to enjoy the feeling of freedom. It had been why he chose to dock the Journey on that particular side of the ship, the only ones who could see into the cockpit were the spirits among the stars. Sliding into the pilot's chair he reached down into the small storage compartment as his feet, pulled out a bottle of vitamin solution, and quaffed deeply; enjoying the company of the space outside.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

The ghostly figure of the tall blond haunted the passageways of the Red October silently. Even with his red coat, the figure of the Remiel was difficult to see, blurry and dim at the edges as if some shroud hung about him, making the naked eye want to look past him, around him, through him....anywhere BUT him. That was, in fact, how it was. There was no physical shroud, so to speak, but rather a shroud that effected the minds of others who tried to see him. It was one of the few mental tricks that he was good at simply because he had found it extremely useful. Sure, he could use the hackneyed 'mind trick', and he could dull pain through the mind, as well as the typical telepathy, but that was about it...he had never been strong in such mental abilities. Either way, it made little difference since the ship was more or less silent. Sylbia, Lanara, and Melody were all asleep, Ocelot seemed to be in his room making plans, Arc was also sleeping...albeit fitfully, Xander was awake and feeling sorry for himself but was also in his room, Axle, however, was awake and in the engine room it seemed.

Making his way down the small, dark, corridors, Rem watched silently as the young man passed down another hall. The Rilan paused a moment, thinking on if he should speak to the young force sensitive or not. By the time he had decided the sound of a hatch closing reached his ears and the blond sighed slightly. Well, there went THAT opportunity. Starting off on his patrols again Rem stopped once more at the hall that led to the hatch where Axle's ship was docked. There was something strange about the whole thing...why was the boy so paranoid? Why have his ship here, away from the other's rooms? Why so swift to shun the company of the rest of the crew? That was when his curiosity got the better of him. Walking right up to the hatch, Remiel reached up and, without a second thought, knocked...rather loudly...on the hatch.

It would be difficult to ignore THAT sound.

[Latus]

Among the clouds, feeling the cold wind against his chest bare of all clothing. Looking down all that can be seen are the tops of acre upon acre of deciduous tree. Tucking his wings he is met by the joy of vertigo, hurtling like a shooting star out of the heavens. Mere meters from the trees he snaps them open, catching the warm breeze carrying him upwards in long banking turns. There was no better joy than flying. Unexpectedly several sharp tones rang out over the wilderness and saw several red lines streak toward the sky. Blaster fire? Tucking his wings in again he dove back toward the trees... I wont let them take me again!

Outside of Axle's dream the youth's breathing quickened, sweat started to bead on his head, his wings twitched and spread against the cool canopy as his mind utilized the muscle neurons to facilitate a lucid dream. It had not taken long for him to doze off, he had been tired than he realized. The vitamin water was still open at his feet. Rem's knocking had done nothing more than cause the illusion of a realistic, the volume just made it vivid. Groaning Axle shifted in the pilot's seat, his mind still clutched around the vision of a forested wilderness.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Remiel waited there for another moment as he felt the ripples of the force ebbing out from the man beyond the hatch. At first they were minimal and comforting...he must be dreaming...I'll leave him be then...he thought and started to step away from the hatch and back toward his previous path through the ship. That was before he felt those ripples take a darker tone, that of a nightmare. Sighing, he almost knew he'd been the cause of it, the loud sound of him knocking against the hatch must have set it off. Turning back, Rem walked over to the hatch once again and tried the handle. Much to his surprise the thing was unlocked, and so he pulled it open. What met his eyes made him smile....wings! That's what the boy was hiding! Shaking himself from his distraction, Rem turned to the young man and shook his leg slightly, trying to get the kid's attention.

Axle...wake up! Axle, it's only a dream, wake up!

Gently pushing one of those flexing wings aside, Rem hopped up into the cockpit of the fighter slightly, holding himself there with an arm as he nudged the kid in the ribs with his other hand before using it to hold himself up as well.

Wake up Axle, it's only a dream.

[Latus]

He was in the dense forest, wings tucked tightly against his back. There was no sound around him, his feet and hands gripping the thick limb of a tall tree. He was tens of feet off the ground and was slightly surprised; the bark was unusually smooth for a tree. Paying it no mind he looked about him, inexplicably seeing for miles all around. Again, he paid the impossibility no mind. Another sound made him jump, this time it sounded more like a loud creaking and he leapt out of his tree as it began to topple. Flapping hard he broke through the canopy and tried to gain altitude.

The soft voice of someone caused the vision to implode, the forest growing dark and the sound of silence replaced with the familiar hum of the Red October's engines. Axle groaned and tried to roll over until the voice came again. The same calm, reassuring tone. On reaction his eyes shot open and his wing muscles contracted, the eight foot radius clamping to his back. A gasp escaped his lips as he turned to face the intruder. Twisting in his seat he sent a hard knucke in the direction of the deviant who had chosen to break into his home... Rem? At the last moment he changed his angle, grasped his shirt and pulled dragging Rem into the cockpit. With another move he sent his foot colliding with the top of the hatch slamming it closed with a jarring thud.

Springing over his seat and around Rem he grasped the hatch lock and snapped it into place. For a few moments he did nothing, just breathed hard, his wings twitching as the fight or flight instinct began to overwhelm his logical thought. Slowly he fought it under control; there was nowhere to run out here. If he un-docked the Journey in hyperspace there was no telling what could happen. And Rem, even if Axle made it out safe he couldn't allow Rem to go back to the crew, he would reveal everything. Spinning around so that he was between Rem and his wings he looked the blond haired man in the eyes. Axle gave a friendly smile. However, he could not get over the feeling that his cover had been blown wide open. They would find him now...

So... you saw them. I suppose this means I have to kill you now. That or remove your eyes. Why don't we make it your choice, hmm? Or, we talk. Yeah, that might work, a little chat?

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Rem watched silently, prepared to make another attempt at waking the man when suddenly, even for the former jedi, there was a fist careening in the direction of his face. Shifting his weight as best he could to avoid the blow, he found himself grasped by the coat instead, and hauled into the small cabin. A moment later the resounding thud of the hatch closing as those wings folded in and settled against the youth's back reached the sensitive ears of the older man. Axle proceeded to lock the hatch before turning and seeming to study him. The rilan simply sat there and gazed up at the younger man, the white color around him flickering slightly as he seemed to think things over. Finally the winged youth spoke. His words, however, caused Remiel to tilt his head to the side in baffled curiosity. Kill him? Remove his eyes? Really, was all of that necessary? Not that removing his eyes would accomplish much, the vivid colors that surrounded all living beings would be enough for him to get by on, and the force would help him with the rest. The pain of it, however, would certainly NOT be to his liking. Yes, talking. Talking was the best option.

Well, personally I would choose talking, but if you feel the need to preform options one or two, I would much prefer you remove my eyes. You see, I can't die just yet, there's still things I have to do before I'm given that release.

He replied simply, his voice smooth and with no hint that he was lying. In fact, he wasn't lying at all. To the former jedi death WOULD indeed be a release from the guilt he held, but it was a release he didn't deserve yet. He still had to atone for his crimes somehow...he just hadn't figured out HOW yet....and so, obviously, he couldn't die. Not until he figured out how and had actually completed whatever task that might be...or died trying.

Out of mere curiosity though...WHY would you feel the need to kill me for seeing your wings? What harm is there in seeing them? I'm afraid I don't understand.

Rem honestly had no idea. He was a force user, yes, but he could do little more with the minds of others than hear thoughts directed to him (or broadcast openly), and tell the most basic of things such as if the person in question were awake or sleeping or injured, as well as emotions, and his well practiced ability to make others see him without actually SEEING him. That was about the total of it...not counting the hackneyed mind trick. Other than that the rather limited use of mind powers involved his own mind...shielding of his thoughts, suppressing his force signature...things such as those. Because of this lack of ability in the mental aspects of the force, he was unable to grasp just WHY the young man was so touchy about the feathered objects on his back. After all, on Rilia it was fairly common. People got angry, they transformed, they had wings...quite a few even left their wings open for full viewing all the time. Wings could come in extreme use in a pinch....so what was the big deal about his?

[Latus]

Rem's reaction startled him; besides not being surprised, his threat seemed to not have any intimidation effect. Who was this guy? Axle could still feel his heart beating vigorously in his chest, his breath came in ragged panting. Trying to calm himself down Axle slowly slumped to the floor of the cockpit and placed his hands on his legs. If Rem was indeed after the bounty the reaction to his wings and his threat would have been much more noticeable. He would have to move foreword but carefully, there was still something about the blond he didn't trust. Getting his breathing under control Axle looked again at Rem, the smile gone from his face. As Rem spoke the young man tried to discern any subtle hints of hostility, things he learned to recognize soon after he escaped. There was nothing, only a sincere ignorance that Axle found hard to believe.

Why would I need to kill you? So... you really don't know, do you? I find it no surprise that you do not understand what is going on, if you were one of them we would not be talking. You would already be dead whether you wanted to be or not.

Reaching over to the starboard cargo panel he pulled it open and withdrew a bottle of mineral water. Opening it Axle took a long drink, trying to get a hold of himself. Even if Rem was truly an innocent bystander Axle just didn't see the need of getting him mixed up with his problems. If the agents of The Facility managed to capture Rem they could use the tall man to get back to him. Reaching around he ran his hand down the muscled part of the wing.

I would explain it to you, Rem. Even if I wanted to though, I couldn't. If I told you they would use you, hurt you, just to get to me. I am a fugitive, an outlaw, on the run from those who have a lot "invested" in me. I can't tell you more than that.

Finishing off the water he tossed the bottle back into the hold. What could he do now. It was difficult to convince himself that he could trust Rem, to tell him more. Oh how he wanted to, he wanted someone to know what he had gone through, to understand his plight. He realized though, such thoughts were weak and would lead to his recapture. Steeling his resolve he straightened up and gathered his wits.

Do you have anything to say for yourself? And why did you barge in here in the first place?

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Remiel listened carefully, both with ears, eyes, and the force. He caught subtle nuances in the way the young man spoke and stood and acted, the emotions that ran through him from time to time. Poor lost soul...he feels alone and hunted? Remiel still didn't quite understand why though. Axle had spoken of people who had 'invested' in him. Was he some part of a project? A genetic experiment maybe? Axle certainly didn't seem Rilan, and Rem couldn't think of another race that had wings like this, so it seemed the only plausible explanation...but then again, the blond man certainly didn't delude himself into thinking he knew every sentient race in the galaxy or their attributes. Perhaps Axle was one of the races that eluded his knowledge.

Well Axle, there are a few things for me to say to that new information. First off, anyone would have difficult time taking advantage of me, or injuring me. The Winds...the Force...it allows me to sense lies and deceit far more easily than a person without the use of it. Secondly, I 'barged' in here because I was planning on speaking to you. I saw you leave the engine room and followed after a moment. By that time you were in here. I knocked on the hatch, but it seemed you were already asleep, so I began to leave. That was when I felt your nightmare come on...whatever it was it seemed it had been caused directly by my knocking, so I stayed to try and wake you from it. That brings us to now.

He sighed slightly and pondered what to do next. There had to be a way to show the boy that he wasn't something or someone to be mistrusted...that or he had to share his own secrets with the boy. Trust begot trust after all. Sighing, Rem decided it was time to let a few cats out of the bag so to speak.

Axle...I'm going to put my trust in you and the fact that you won't tell the others here about my history. Not yet anyway. I have a feeling that several of the people on board would be less than trusting of me if they learned of my past....profession.

He waited a moment for Axle's reaction before continuing on with another slight sigh.

I was, at one point, a Jedi Knight. Most people don't mind us, but those in the fringe...the outlaws and those who have been wrongfully accused or are hunted...well...they don't tend to like us...even those of us who are no longer with the Order.

He sighed again and shook his head. It was likely the boy didn't even know what a jedi was, not completely, but he would wait and see for sure. If he had questions, Rem would answer them to the best of his ability, if not...well that would be it then. Now, however, it was time to show him his true Rilan form...not the human shell that they all wore on a day to day basis.

There's also something I'd like to show you...and perhaps it will make you feel a bit more at ease...at least I hope it will....

With that said, Remiel's mind turned to his own body, the subconscious and natural barriers that formed his wings into muscles and skin, that bound his other form to this one. Swiftly and easily ridding himself of his coat, he lay it aside as he brought himself up into a kneeling position. The last time this had happened it had been rather painful, so he prepared himself for the worst...what he didn't know was that it typically was more painful the first transformation. Closing his eyes, he slowly worked at lowering that barrier. His skin crawled and itched in turns as it's color shifted from the typical tanned color of any human to a golden sheen, his skin glinting slightly in the dim light of the ship. His face seemed to become more angled and less human as his hair thickened, it's natural spikiness becoming thick and separated, but laying flat now as it cascaded down his back, coming to ta thick point along his back...the golden mass looking much like a lion's mane or the crest of some noble bird.

Golden eyebrows furrowed against the pain as he felt his skin and muscle shifting, reforming, beneath the clothing on his back as the wings slowly took form. The edges of them pressed against the cloth until it split and two tawny colored wings emerged and grew swiftly, expanding to fill the space around Remiel. The long thick feathers shimmered gold with blood red, blue, ebony, and pearly white along the edges and tips of the feathers, making them seem to shift hue as the wings softly furled themselves along the back of the blond rilan. Finally those blue orbs opened, mimicking the deep blue glow that surrounded the man's form, the light swirled with tinges of purple.

This, is what I wanted to show you.

[Latus]

Axle sat on the floor of the cockpit in silence, allowing Rem's words to continue unhindered as his mind wrapped around them. However he could not help but feel mildly confused by Rem's sudden openness. Information was a commodity hence not free, bought and sold like fuel or lives. His readiness to share such things made Axle nervous. However, judging again from the way he spoke Rem was sincere on every word. Axle could forgive few people for invading his privacy but it seemed Rem was one, if not the newest.

Rem's request only drew a nod from Axle, he would have requested the same of the blond if it had been him speaking. But what profession could the man have been that made him so nervous? He could think of a few; assassin, law enforcement, mandalorian commando, all were a possibility. The thoughts fled his mind as he continued. There would be time to think about his own problems later,

Jedi? Axle had only ever heard them mentioned in whispers. Followers of a mystic religion that could use an ability equally mysterious; guardians of life or bringers of death. That was the force? It seemed Rem used to be a member of the former. The blond's words gave Axle reason for pause; he was being hunted as well? Falsely accused, hunted by fringers, a sanctified order... How much do I truly not understand? His thoughts kept him from paying attention to Rem's final words, he didn't notice as the tall man removed his coat and seemed to turn in on himself. Looking up he started to speak...

Rem, I think I owe you an apology. No one has ever been so... open...?

Axle had finally looked up at the the man sitting adjacent to him. The longer he looked at the man concentrating the more unsettled Axle became. There was something about Rem that had changed, something beneath what the young man could see with his eyes. What he could see was less unusual but strange just the same. Rem's skin slowly shifted color to a more golden shade. Axle was about to speak up when Rem's physical appearance shifted, becoming more angular, his hair becoming longer, thicker, and more golden. Rem's face cringed in pain as two multi-colored wings erupted from the shirt on his back, tearing the shirt apart. Finally, and Axle thought he was seeing things, the man opened his eyes, revealing pools of blue and a matching aura surrounded his person.

This, is what I wanted to show you.

Axle merely sat still as a modicum of understanding brushed his thoughts. He thought he may have seen something like Rem before somewhere, he was unable to put his finger on it but he was almost sure there was something there. Feeling a bit more meek he extended his own gray and white wings, pressing them against the sides of the cabin. Axle smiled at his guest.

So that's it then, eh? That is why you took such a quick liking to me? You could tell there was something unusual about me with the "force." You shared your secret with me, it would be pretty bad manners to keep mine from you now.

Sliding his wings back inside the flaps on his shirt he removed it and tossed it aside. Again he extended his wings for comfort and to make a point, the gray and white feathers dark against the back of the cockpit. Slowly he ran his hands over the bend in his elbow and the top of his right shoulder.

The long sleeved shirts I wear are not merely to keep my wings protected but to hide a few more fairly obvious... blemishes to my person. Here for instance.

He made the bend in his right elbow more visible to Rem, displaying the half-centimeter wide metal ring placed over the vein. It had long since closed up and mercifully stopped itching but because it was in such a proximity to the vein he had to have someone with some know how look at it.

They used this to draw blood. And this, on my shoulder. He pulled the tank top aside revealing several black lines of varying thickness. This was my identification code for... He looked back up at Rem's expression, more difficult to read now that he had changed. I'm getting ahead of myself, sorry Rem. I have never been able to share this before, its hard to know where to start.

Realizing the best place to start was at the beginning Axle stood up and approached the glowing blue man, presenting his hand.

Pleased to meet you, Rem. My designation is H-4X1E, I have no name. That's what this means.

He ran his free hand over the marks on his shoulder. After shaking the blond's hand Axle stepped back and sat down again.

From as far back as I can remember I was interred at a place that the others like me called "The Facility." We were all told that we were there because we were gifted. "We" were the others like me, a dozen or so others that The Facility had been given "enhancements" for one reason or another; enhanced strength, fur, thicker skin... wings. We were all "human" from what I saw. From what I experienced we were experimented on, tested, poked, prodded, taught, and trained. The only reason I am so efficient with machines is because they made me to be, same with everything else I am capable of; same with these.

He lightly pumped his wings up and down for effect. It felt so good to get those things off his chest. Straightening up he continued.

I was eighteen when my mind finally caught up with me. I realized that I had spent my life as a slave, as their lab rat. I broke out, and freed myself and another two experiments. One I couldn't free was a force user, that is why I reacted as I did when I met you.

For ease of conversation on both their parts he left out that Machin, the force user, and Ogran one of the other experiments were dead. Trying to overwhelm the thoughts of sadness in his mind he turned the conversation back on himself.

I tried to research myself before I escaped. There was nothing to research on any of the experiments. No birth record, no relatives, nothing. Nothing but that meaningless designation. With a little cleverness I named myself Axle. After I "acquired" the Journey here I found an old personal log, the last owner's name was Finne. Axle Finne. Furischer was something I fabricated for the crew to keep them ignorant.

He wasn't sure if he had covered everything but it felt as though a great weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders. Taking a few deep breaths he looked at the winged man in front of him, waiting for him to respond.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

As his transformation completed, he turned his angular blue eyes toward the younger man, his loose shirt hiding the shift in the build and thickness of his muscles from sight even as he allowed them to slacken as he relaxed. Sitting back onto his heels, Rem felt himself slipping into the familiar kneeling meditation stance he took as he listened to Axle's words. The rilan chuckled slightly, his voice a bit more coarse, slightly deeper, and more alien in this oft unused form.

Yes...and no. I take a liking to nearly anyone easily. What made you different was the fact that you were force sensitive and that you needed a friend. As odd as that sounds, it's what drew me to you most....I don't like suffering, and being alone can be a heavy burden.

He was silent then, as he listened to Axle speak again. Rem's almond shaped eyes gazed intently at the ring, then the bar code on his shoulder. His keen sight, hightened in this state, honed in on the ring more closely as he listened. When Axle stopped himself from explaining the bar code on his shoulder, Rem raised one eyebrow slightly, tilting his head to the side. Nodding his understanding of the situation Axle was in, he watched with hawk-like intensity as the youth approached him and held out his hand. One hand extended in return, the claw-like fingers deftly avoiding injuring the other man's skin as Axle re-introduced himself with his...number. This alone made the blond rilan bristle slightly. Was life really so worthless to the majority of the universe that children could be taken and sold as slaves or experimented on, not even receiving a name?!

The more he listened, the more angry he felt, the heat in the cabin building with his anger before he finally clamped down on his emotions. Great golden wings flicked slightly at the tips as he listened carefully to the rest of the story. Huffing his displeasure at the way Axle had been treated, Remiel folded the expanse of his wings around him, letting the feathery extensions fall about him like a warm cloak, soft to the touch. He'd really never payed his form much attention before now...the first time he'd transformed had been the day he'd fought the dark jedi on Rilia, and he'd not had time to pay attention to it then. Nodding as the boy finished his tale, Remiel ran a hand over his own golden feathers.

My tale is not as...straightforward...as yours.

He mused quietly, gazing unseeingly at a singular spot on the floor he knelt on. The soft, warm, wing he stroked idly seeming to be the only connection he had to anything any longer...and even then it was only because no one and nothing could take his body, his biological history, from him.

It isn't one I like to relate, and it isn't a simple tale to tell. Even just summing it up will only bring more questions and so it would have to be related in some detail...but I will tell you this much. I was, once, a jedi knight...bound to protect life when I could, how I could. That life I gave up the day that I played a large roll in the destruction of a city...and thus, the lives in it. I, like you, do not wish to be found...not by the Order, which I'm sure has sent someone looking for me at some point in time....not by the one who goaded me into causing so much suffering...not by those who tried to help me after...and not by those who would still call me jedi, or worse, dark jedi.

He paused and sighed, plucking one of the longer feathers from his wing and holding the golden and multi hued object in his fingers, gazing at it calmly. Blue eyes studied it carefully as he turned it in his fingers, watching the blue, red, black and white shimmer against the golden backdrop. It was then that Remiel wondered if the colors a rilan's wings held, reflected their history and deeds. Did the colors change or fade with time and actions? Were more colors added of the life of a rilan? There was still so little he knew about his own kind...this fact upset the golden man more than he let on, those angled features kept a carefully arranged neutral.

I am a dangerous man to become entangled with Axle, but if you will have me as a friend...I believe we could both use one.

The place where he had plucked that feather from stung, and he could feel it bleed slightly from having the feather torn from it's sheath, but it would heal in time. Perhaps he could as well. Sighing at the thought, he looked back to the younger man, trying to gauge his emotions as he waited for a reply.

[Latus]

((The wing-hug is my trick! I got the patent and everything, see? *Holds up the document.* ))

The act of kindness was unexpected as Rem wrapped the still emotional youth in the warm expanse of his technicolor wings. Slowly the wings lifted and Axle took a step back, returning to his seat at the back of the cabin. As the blond spoke, Axle kept his head down, trying to absorb everything that was being thrust at him. Rem was right in that Axle's situation was much easier to recant than his own. There were things in what the alien form of Rem said that the smokey-winged youth couldn't begin to understand. He was still getting used to the air currents of the universe being that he only had his freedom for a year. There were a great many things that he was still discovering, about his surroundings and about himself. Axle did notice that, depending on Rem's outward mood and expression, the atmosphere of the cabin would raise a few degrees. Was this the underlying cause for how he had destroyed a city? Axle sighed and looked back up at his guest as he finished speaking.

Axle was about to speak until Rem reached up and plucked a feather from the multicolored wing that was not there a mere moment ago. For some reason Axle found this emotionally depressing. Slowly he reached his hand back and ran it down the fore-section of his right wing. What would it be like if I didn't have these. Just the thought made Axle depressed. Even though they were not naturally his own he had grown attached to them. The feeling of flight was unmatched by any other joy that he had found in freedom. Even though he flew only too rarely, that little bit of enjoyment held him through every obstacle he was presented with. Rem's comment about friendship served to clench his emotional ride, bringing him back to the moment. Friendship?

I don't make friends for the same reason as you, Rem. I can't ensure that my own problems won't wash over onto you either. However, I think having someone like you around would make my time here a bit easier. Same might go for you with me.

He smiled, using their current situation as an example. Musing about what might make the conversation concrete, Axle looked to the feather Rem held in his hand. That might work... Reaching back around to his wings he gripped the stalk a larger secondary feather and tugged. It released, followed by a mild stinging sensation; he would see to that later. The feather was gray blending out to the tip which was white and a foot long. Holding it out for the blond man he felt emotion welling up again.

I want you to have this. Only two other people have one of my feathers, one of them is dead. It symbolizes that you have seen my wings and heard my story. It also helps me to recognize you as an ally if I ever forget who you are. I figure you ought to have one.

Axle hoped this small token would help to solidify things between the two of them. He saw this odd shape shifter as he did Chethlit, wherever he was. His first friend, the only other experiment to escape the Facility alive, had received a feather just before they were separated. Axle's mind began to drift off, wondering where the camouflaging smart ass had gotten to.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((Bah, you beat me to it! lol silly boy, the feather thing is MY bit ...and for ref. for others, no...Rem wasn't meant to hut Axle, but the wording allowed confusion. Rem had wrapped his wings about HIMSELF, but it works out this way anyway, so no harm done ^_^ ))

As the boy thought, Remiel caught snippets of those thoughts and cocked his head to the side slightly, his angular features casting the motion in a birdlike image. Honestly Remiel couldn't imagine flying with these wings of his...he'd never tried before, and he got the feeling that they weren't exactly MEANT for flight...but perhaps gliding...? Despite this train of thought, the blond man heard what Axle was saying and nodded.

Yes, I understand that, Axle...but in the long run I might be able to help you with your problems.

He mused, his tone more one of contemplation of the subject than anything else. Again he ran a hand along the feather he held in his hand. His intention was to give it to the young man as a sign of his friendship...for some reason it just felt RIGHT. His feeling was confirmed as Axle himself reached around and pulled one of his own feathers from his own wing and offered it to Rem. Almond eyes followed the motion and a slight smile curved his mouth lightly as he listened. A small nod was given to show his understanding and he took the grey and white feather, replacing it with his own, in a deft motion of his fingers.

It seems we had the same idea. Though it may be the first feather I have given to anyone, it felt right to give it to you. I am not so used to having wings as yourself, but you know more about me now than I have told any but one other. I hope...

He paused a moment, thinking carefully over what he wanted to say. There were, in fact, many things that he wanted to say...but what he COULD say and what he SHOULD say were often two separate things. Somewhere below them, Rem's attention was drawn by the sound of movement toward the galley area, but he paid it little heed...it was Xander and Remiel found no real desire to pay attention to his actions in the galley, just so long as he didn't go around molesting one of the women he didn't care what the zeltron did. Sighing slightly Rem returned his attention to the person he was speaking to.

It's my hope that the feather will help you somehow...I feel that it's a means to connect to me if you are unable to do so otherwise, but...I'm still uncertain as I'm still learning all of the abilities of my people.

The last part of the statement was said with some embarrassment, his eyes threading through with a hint of bright green. It was a sad statement, to him anyway, that he knew so little about his own people, and yet he managed to know more than some of them, and certainly knew more than most others in the galaxy. A slight blurring of his vision and a wave of exhaustion reminded the man of this form's toll on his body's energy reserves. Sighing, he flicked his wings again slightly and allowed his body's natural barriers to arise once more.

The reverse process of the shift was far more comfortable as he felt a cooling sensation sweep over his skin as the golden tint faded back into that 'normal' tanned coloring of human skin. He could feel the shifting and reforming of his bone structure back to that of any other near-human, the bones becoming more dense once again as the pigment and the bones of his wings mingled once more into the natural structures of his typical form. The feathery appendages shrank back into his back, the feathers seeming to meld with the skin as they did so, leaving nothing more than a pair of thin markings on his back that, if looked at by someone who didn't know of the wings' existence, would simply dismiss them as regular scars. His hair shortened to it's typical spiky length, his face and eyes shifting back into their more human appearance, the glow about him vanishing with the rest of the form...at least to any who weren't Rilan, Miraluka, or some force users. Groaning slightly as the transformation ended, Rem leaned tiredly back against the fighter's bulkhead as he readjusted to this state of his body. He felt heavier now, physically and from the toll on his energy from holding that form for so long. Resting his eyes for a moment, he stroked along the silky length of the feather that Axle had given him. Opening his eyes once more, Remiel gazed silently at the winged youth through blue eyes and smiled slightly.

I hope you don't mind my sitting here for a while longer...keeping in that form for so long without the adrenalin is...taxing....to say the least.

He admitted with a light chuckle.