Chapter Twenty Seven: Festivities segment one -Syrus & Carl's perspective part 2/2-

"so it was a two-parter within a two-parter?"

"shut up."

"it's confusing though--"

"i said shut up."

"but--"

"shut. your. face. please."

-Patrick.

-emperorwolf.

with the heavy thudding of gigantic paws crashing out, Syrus sped off and ducked beneath the couch.
here, he found a tear in the lining and climbed up inside of the interior.
now they couldn't catch him without moving the couch.
he smirked confidently, a thought emerging in his mind egging him on (didn't see me go in here, so he'll never find me before five minutes are up!)
he did wonder how his father and brothers-in-law would fare, though.

Domenic was running faster than he ever had in his life, he was being chased by the big white dog, and he was enjoying it! it seemed the dog was being lenient though; he seemed to be walking instead of running.
"what is problem?" he called back "you are moving slower than i expected!"
Balthazar laughed "well, i have to 'cause otherwise it ain't fair to you guys!"
Domenic grinned "want to wager on this?"
there was a sharp, mechanical clunk and suddenly Domenic shot away like a cannonball.
Balthazar skid to a stop "what?!"
Rachel laughed "Dom's got mechanical legs!"
Jezebelle looked at her, shocked.
"you serious?"
"yes, he lost them both in car crash ten years ago. replaced with machine legs."
Balthazar looked back at the spectating group "the others don't have those... do they?"
"no, it is just Domenic."
Balthazar half-smiled "i guess a challenge is good..."
Domenic blazed past Balthazar's paws, catching him off guard.
"still won't catch me!"
"bh- hey!" Balthazar started off after the auburn greyhound.

Johnno, meanwhile, was terrified, even if it was only Syrus' adoptive son chasing him.
"oh god, stop chasing me!!" he cried out "stop!"
Radin kept moving at a slow pace, maintaining a distance between them "it's okay, i'm not going to hurt you."
that did little to calm the grey greyhound, who was whimpering in fear as he mistakenly found himself in a corner between two walls.
"oh... guloq." he whined.

Radin cornered him, but tried to seem non-threatening as he slowly reached out for Johnno.
Johnno screamed "don't kill me!"

but instead of a crushing pressure when the snow-leopard grabbed him, it was a gentle, careful hold that surrounded him.
it seemed to surprise him "wh... what?"
his captor gave a friendly smile "i don't kill. you were already told you're safe here."
the greyhound rubbed his eyes, finding the experience of safety within the grasp of such a huge creature subverting his ideals about giants. "i guess i am out now, yes?"
"yep, you lost," Radin carefully moved him to a pouch hanging on a thread from his neck "you can stay here until game-over, okay?"
Johnno settled down into the soft velvet and sighed "yes, i can accept this."

Radin walked back, searching for the others.
"wonder how the others are doing?"

Carl was following Syrus' father, whose survivalist days in the militia were giving him a rather unfair advantage thanks to his unnatural agility and speed that kept him out of Carl's grasp.
"you're fast," Carl chuckled "how are you doing that?"
he didn't look back "i was in Militia once."
Carl rolled his eyes "interesting, but..."
he swung his handpaws, swooping them over the otter's head and drawing something of a yelp from him.
"... I know how to psych you out, Ex-Militia or not."
Carl closed in quickly, coralling the otter with paw movements.

the huge leopard had stopped going so easy on him, it seemed the display of his agility had encouraged a lower handicap.
(damn it.) he cursed in his mind
"did you not say you would go easy on me?"
"i did, but that was before i knew you had skills like these!"
the otter almost resitsted a questioning glance, but failed, looking back and feeling the blood drain from his face at the sight of the mountainous leopard reaching out to grab him.
"do not touch me!!" he cried out in Gentikan, too overwhelmed to use Viradan.
Carl smirked "but that's how the game is played, Sir... although i guess i'll let up a bit"
Dispite his visceral terror, the otter skid to a stop and turned, causing Carl to forcibly stop himself and prevent accidentally crushing the otter.

"you... you really sounded like..."
Carl smiled "did i sound authentic?"
aside from his dislike of giants, he couldn't help but respect the leopard's linguistic skill "quite.... uh... you sound... like much bigger Gentikan... i was surprised."
Carl gently prodded the otter in the chest "Jokka, bopli; caught you, Sir."
"that you have," he sighed "and call me Bruce."
Balthazar walked up, Domenic in hand "finally caught 'im." he panted breathlessly, it seemed Domenic had really given him a run for his money... litterally.
Radin stood next to him, Johnno riding in his necklace-pouch.
Carl looked around curiously "wait, where's Sy?"
Jezebelle called out "time's up, boys!"
Carl sighed "alright Sy, you won, come out!"
Carl's phone buzzed.

"hm?" he checked the message.

[try the couch yet?
you should try the couch :P]

"why that... litterally little..." Carl groaned.

and then, Syrus emerged from beneath the couch "told you i'd win this time, didn't i?"

Carl scooped him up and placed him in the same paw as his father "that you did, you sure showed me!"
Syrus turned to his father "so, still feel the same as you did earlier?"
Bruce sighed with a smile "admittedly not. you were right... i must say it was... somewhat enjoyable... and hearing my own language spoken so naturally by such a large creature... interesting."
Carl chuckled "that wasn't too bad, either!"
Johnno sighed loudly "as for myself, my eyes are opened, you are not as bad as BPB makes you out to be."
"BPB?" Carl asked curiously "what's that?"
"Buki-Protection-Brotherhood. is against government group from Gentiki."
"anti-government" Syrus corrected him. "and guess who runs it...?"
everyone leaned in to listen.
"none other than Benson's evil stepbrother, Kori Kobaquloth."

Balthazar let out a gutteral growl "murdering bastard."

Syrus' family didn't understand.
Carl frowned "see, since he came here, he's done nothing but kill Gikis, at least a hundred, and apparently he's started targeting Giki-players in online games, too!"
Bruce stood "well, once rest of BPB hear this..." he clenched his fists "he is not leader anymore!"

Radin coughed "uh... how about everyone calms down?"
everyone took a collective breath.
Syrus straightened up "well... i know it's early, but... who wants ice-cream?"

everyone raised a paw enthusiastically.

Syrus smiled "Carl, break out the ice-cream and the toppings!"
the big leopard moved Syrus to the top of his head and Bruce to the dining table.
then, with a big feline smile, he replied "gladly!"

Syrus sighed (anything to stop thinking about that yellow menace...)

---

speaking of Kori...

he lay in a net-motel room, connected to a VR server.
the headset and heart monitor were beeping regularly, meaning that the devices were functioning properly.
nearby were Kori's phone, a lighter, his guns, and many empty beer bottles littered the floor near the bed.
Kori was dressed in loose black shorts and a loose white singlet, but his fur appeared to have been cleaned since he was seen by the Ghasts, albiet poorly, but noticably his yellow fur wasn't as grimy as it had been back then.
his arm still posessed the bloodstain, though.
Kori's headset toned out the sound 'A in C major', signifying his logging out of the device.
removing the helmet-like device, he sat up with a groan.
"urghh.... my brain hurts... probably shouldn't play for five hours straight"
(no, this is likely not advisable.) retorted his sophisticated persona.
(yeeah, you try'na burn ya bwain?) added his psychotic side.
Kori groaned again "one: it's not going to burn it at all, just... ngh... some discomfort... two: can i have five minutes where you three don't bother me after log-off?"
(no, we wanna play.... but i think psycho wants to kill stuff.) his 'fun' persona replied.
"ugh... fun, smart, please restrain psycho, i'm getting a drink."

even after having a four-way personality for as long as he had, it still felt odd communicating with them as if they actually existed... but hey, it worked.
from his fridge he retrieved a two-litre bottle of beer.
"little firewater should help..." he mumbled, twisting the cap and raising it to his mouth.

suddenly there was the sound of static behind him.
he turned, finding his phone sparking.
"oh, what the hell?" he grumbled

""you realise alcohol damages the brain, don't you?""

Kori looked around, alert "who's there?"
the buzzing on his phone intensified.
""over here, on the phone.""
the yellow fennec strode over and looked at the screen.
the flickering shoulders-up of an albino mongoose was displayed.
"the fuck're you supposed to be?"
""oh, just a what you might call a fellow cleanser""
Kori eyed him suspiciously with his white irises and black sclerae "what's that mean?"
the flickering mongoose smiled ""it means that, like you, i enjoy killing those who do not deserve life.""
"who the hell are you?"
""i was given the name 'Ultimate Supreme Miracle' by my programmer, but online, you will find me under the handle 'Uron'... this name, i think it is what i will use.""
Kori raised an eyebrow "okay 'Uron', what's this got to do with me? and what do you mean 'programmer'?"
""you exist on that side, and to clarify, i am an Artificial Intelligence.""
Kori's mouth slanted "you want to team up, is that it?"
""it is.""
"what do i get outta this?"
""i can teach you to supress the three rogue personalities in your mind, leave you in total control of yourself. how's that?""
Kori smiled "sounds good," he took a swig of the beer "i'm in."
""excellent, now we only need one final component to this.""
Kori's brow furrowed "eeeexcuse me?"
""the final member, a trio is superior to a duo."" came the answer with a digital smile.
"and that would be...?"
""the red horror, the crimson giant, call him what you will.""
Kori glared and snarled "Bedlam Sillias? the supergiant?! you're insane if you think i'll work with a monster like him!"
""but, aren't you insane?"" Uron asked slyly.
Kori could feel his personalities pushing at him, vying for control.
"fine," he barked "anything to ditch the psycho 'sona at least."
Uron looked quizzical ""you do not mind the other two?""
"eh," he made a 'so-so' gesture with his paw "not as much."
the white cyber-mongoose raised an eyebrow
"they're bearable. not as annoying as the psychotic one."
(ah'm right here, dipshit!)
Kori took another swig "where should i meet you?"
""Vagrant Eons Online, the VRMMORPG... my creator is in their system... and i think he needs to learn a lesson in respect, specifically, to respect us, my crazy fennec friend.""
Kori smiled evilly "who's the programmer?"
""Beta Fiest, or as he is known in VEO, Draqis.""
he grinned wider, crazier "oh, i'm definitely in, done deal, you digital fiend."
Uron smiled evilly ""meet me outside Shidas one hour to recieve your 'job', then return there again in six hours, after the 'job' is successful,"" he winked at him ""i'll be waiting.""
the connection went dead, and Kori drew a cigarette from his pocket, and popped it in his mouth.
"okay boys," he said, retrieving his lighter from the bedside and lighting the smoke "time to get to work."
(by 'work', ya mean killin', right?)
he sucked in a big breath, and blew a large smoke ring.
"that i do, psycho-me, that i do."

(Next Chapter: Patrick's Perspective)