[sub]collab Arty Fox & Fetzen[/sub]

[h3]Vaughtar & Shannon[/h3]

Vaughtar was busy roaming around the sub's floor, pretty much exclusively minding his own business while his feet were continuing to damage the floor beneath him. It was at this time that his ears picked up an unexpected sound which was approaching him rapidly. He looked around and before he was able to identify its cause, he found himself... hugged. To say that this had come unexpected would have been a massive understatement. Noone had hugged him ever before for rather obvious reasons, but Shannon did with vigor.

"Hey! I... erm..." the huge gargoyle found himself relatively speechless much faster than he wanted. "Shannon!" His huge palms half-unconsciously patted her onto her shoulders, and at least this time he actively tried not to cause trouble with his claws. "What are you doing here ?"

"Seeing fishies." Shannon chirpped, her attention drawn away from the Horse monster for a moment. "Zesiro Friend show Fishies."

Shannon sensed some discomfort from Vaughter in the way he awkwardly tried to pat her shoulder. Had she done something wrong? Her tail twisted nervoulsy as she thought hard as to whaat she might have done to upset her friend. A lightbulb finally went off in her skull.

"Vaughtar Friend not like hug?" Shannon released the Gargoyule from her grip and quickly withdrew herself. "Sorry Vaughtar Friend. I ask times after. Bon-Bon no like hug too."

"No... you made no error. It's just..." Vaughtar paused for a brief, but noticeable moment. "Noone has ever done that before. Where I come from there's a massive -- though not unjustified -- bias against anything that doesn't look entirely human." he said, having in mind the supernatural horros of Munimis. "And I have difficulties with my claws... sometimes..." he added, looking at the tools of devastation his own body was creating and maintaining so happily without him actively having to do anything. "And probably I'm too big..."

If Vaughtar's skin had not been so dark and gray-ish, he'd probably have blushed right now. However the list of things he wasn't entirely capable of was quite long -- not always a disadvantageous thing.

Her brow furrowed with a mix of pity and anger.

"No. Vaughter Friend is right size." Three paws were slammed down whilst the remaining one was pointed at the Gargoyles chest. "Vaughter Friend learn how use Claws. I not know how claws work after first make, I learn. Vaughter Friend can too!"

"C.E.M at Home too. Agents wrong and bad. Vaughter Friend get all hugs." She pointed down the adjacent Hallway towards the Horse Monster and continued. "TRIDENT have lots Monsters. Zesiro Friend say TRIDENT is run by Monster too!"

Shannon flashed him a grin that curled several times at each end. To think that a Monster was running something with Humans made her feel a strange cocktail of emotions that she couldn't quite understand, or even describe.

Vaughtar looked at Shannon for moments again, not sure how to respond properly. "I know how to use my claws for ripping things out of people. The problem I have is how to use my hands without them damaging anything."

The gargoyle turned his head, looking down the same direction Shannon had pointed at. "TRIDENT run by a monster ? I have to admit that I'm not very well informed about things. How about paying him a visit at some time ? Right now I'm feeling rather hungry..."

Vaughtar perfectly knew that this was only half the truth. The real problem was that he felt horribly CRAMPED. This sub was a marvel of craftmanship he had no hope of understanding anytime soon, but he constantly felt way too big for those tiny corridors and rooms. And then this constant feeling of moisture all around here. "We could try to go back to the gym. Maybe Rozalind has already left it so we can relax... Or do you want do so something else ?" he asked politely.

Feeling puzzled for a number of reasons Shannon cocked her head to the side. How could one know how to use claws one way but not another? To Shannon using something one way was the same as using it another way.

As for Vaughters questions though Shannon knew exactly what to do.

"I not know where eat. I not eat. " She shrugged simply. "I and Zesiro Friend leave sscary white room small time before here. Not Agents were making tests" She looked as if she had eaten a lemon.

"But Zesiro Friend know place to eat. Follow, we see Fishies. Ask see TRIDENT Monster." 

Turning, Shannon motioned for Vaughter to follow her back the way she had come.

"Horse Monster come too!" She shouted down the other corridor.

"Why are you calling me 'horse monster' ? What do I have to do with a horse ?" Vaughtar asked, confused about what he considered to be an unusual choice of words. The giant creature followed her down the hallway, each of his steps thudding very loudly.

"Horse Monster is not you." Shannon explained. "Horse Monster is behin-"

Then the inevitable happened: Shannon would hear the screeching of metal behind her, then a sudden snapping noise followed by a big splash of water originating from below. A certain gargoyle had broken through the floor grating and landed in the ship's bilge. Needless to say that he was releasing a volley of curses about YET another mishap... What would TRIDENT's bosses say to this ?

"Shannon... don't tell this anyone, please..." He started to climb his way back up.

The stench from the hole Vaughtar had opened hit her like a brick wall and she recoled with her claws clamped firmly around her snout. The smell of mixing chemicals and...liquids burned away at her heightned sense of smell making her eyes water.

"I no tell." She muffled a reply from a safe distance.




[@RokkuHoshi]