Taisuke thought for a moment. Then decided to just skip it. No one else ever cared about what has happened to him before. "So what is your plan then? How do you plan to take on this Ocean of Fire?" He asked in his usual monotone.

"I will tell you this much, going in an air ship will be much slower. I for one will not go any other way than Instant Transdimentional Transportation." He spoke without any room for argument. He looked at the other in a weird sort of way. "So why have you left your wife Quinn?" He asked just for random conversation.

"Originally, I was going to find a ship to buy if I couldn't find one of my own or a team to join that had one. So, that we don't need now." Utake replied. "All I know about the race itself was what was in the transmission that I got, as well as the prize." He ran one hand through his hair. "The reason itself I'm entering is simple; to gain emotions of my own."

He gave Taisuke a serious look. "And what is the reason you are entering? I can tell from what was on your back that you've met far more than your fare share of homophobes."

---

Fall sighed. "All right, then." He said. "However, you said earlier that you could shrink a ship down so it can be carried; do that with my fighter."

Quinn made a funny noise in the back of his throat. Fall looked to him to see the younger man with an awkward look on his face. "Well, uh....you see, I don't exactly have a wife......"

Taisuke looked at him. "I joined to get away from all of the hate on my home world. To try and make a fresh start. To... To maybe even find love." He sorta whispered the last part hopeing the other would not hear but know full well he did." He looked away and blushed slightly. "So much is going to happen on this race and I am sure some will die. I just hope that someone I do not come to care about dies." He spoke the last part while looking back a Utake.

Himedal looked at him a little funny. "Is that so? And why, praytell does a handsome man such as yourself not have a wife?" He asked a sly grin passing through his face knowing that he had caught the man and hoping that the other would not catch on.

"I see." Utake replied. "So we are both looking for something. However...I would not wish death upon anyone, if I were you. Things like that tend to come back to you, threefold."

---

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I--" Quinn sputtered. Fall had caught on to what Himedal was doing, and was having a hard time holding in laughs.

"Well?" He prompted. "I'd like to know myself why you're not married. There's no doubt in my mind that you'd easily be able to catch an attractive woman." The statement just made Quinn sputter even more.

[COLOR="darkorange"]"I was not wishing death upon anyone. I just said that I am sure someone will die... This race is not safe at all." He spoke calmly to him. And you are looking? So you have yet to find a wife?" He asked a little suprised.

Himedal walked over and wraped an arm around Quinns shoulders and kissed the boys cheek. "Or is it that you are not into women?" He asked a little seductively.

"I see. Ah, no, I am not looking for a wife. Or a husband. Or a lover at all, for that matter." Utake replied. "You see, I was born without any emotions. I am entering this race in hopes to gain them. Or at least, some semblance of them."

---

"Huh?" Quinn asked, bemused and caught off-guard. "Er, no, I'm not actually."

"If you want to get emotions then that alone is an emotion. Want. That's an emotion." He started thinking on it a few minutes about the thought of being emotionless and yet having an emotiont to get emotions.

"Then perhaps.... You are more of the gay persuation?" He aksed and timidly kissed the boys neck. "So tell me something, do you find me attractive?" He asked him rather cutely.

Utake shrugged. "Then it is probably the only one I have. I cannot feel sadness, fear, loss, happiness, anger, or anything else." He replied. An eyebrow twitched. "I've often wondered what they're like....."

---

"Bwuh?" Quinn asked in bewilderment. He looked to Fall, who seemed to be engrossed in the data pad in his hand. "Er, well...yes, er, I mean...." he had the rather nasty feeling that his ears were turning as red as Mars' soil.

"Yeah, I guess." He finally managed out.

"Then you will find them." He spoke to the other with a rare smile on his mouth. "Besides. Emotions can sprout at anytime." He blushed and looked away.

"Hehe same here sweetheart" Himedal smiled and pulled himself away from Quinn. "Would you like me to shirnk you ship now or later?" He asked a bit sheepishly.

"Just as you're feeling something for me already?" Utake asked. "I may not have emotions, but I am quite observant and far from stupid."

---

Quinn scratched the back of his neck and considered for a moment. "Later, once we hear the regulations of this race." He said. "There's a few things that I want to get out of my ship first."

"I have no idea what you mean." He spoke coldly and kept his head turned. 'Unfortunately he is right... From the first time I dove into his mind when he arrived I have...' Taisuke thought to himself.

"Ok. Just let me know when and I will go ahead." He spoke to the man before walking away and swaying his hips seductively from side to side. "Oh and by the way," he turned his head and looked at the man cutely. "Im a total bottom." He said hoping that he would get it and walked towards a giant tree far away from the black mage.

"Sorry to dissapoint, but....I'm straight." Utake replied. "However, that does not mean I will not have you on my team." He kept his eyes fixed on Taisuke.

---

Quinn went even redder. The hint sunk in. "Oh HELL!!!" He almost yelled, ruffling his hair with his hands.

"So, I take it you two are done with your conversation?" Fall asked.

"I...I don't do one-night stands!" Quinn whined.

"Well, considering how you're on the same team, I doubt it would be a one-night-stand." Fall said. Quinn glared.

Taisuke's body visibly stiffened when the other shot him down with out him even needing to. "I told you I did not have any for you to begin with." He said sharply before jumping out of the tree and landing on his feet. "I am going to go tell the proctor person of our alliance." He said and walked away holding his staff very straight and trying to stop himself from letting the pain come through.

A little note fluttered into Quinns view and landed in his hand. When opened the note popped up into the form of a mouth and began to speak in an elderly womens voice. "I am not even thinking of a one night stand. I am simply letting you know because last guy that I liked thought I was a top and we kinda ended up hurting eachother. I am simply trying to keep pain at bay. I am not a whore. No matter what you have heard I am still a virgin." With that the note seemed to eat itself into nothingness.

(( Sorry for that bit of puppetting but I figured it was better than going through 2 posts just to open and read a note. :p))

((It's okay.))

Utake sighed. He's good at taking things the wrong way. he thought. I tell him I'm straight and he acts like it's a big deal.

---

Quinn blushed. Oh...well, I'm definitely not a virgin... Quinn thought when he remembered his last boyfriend. That also helped him remember how they broke up....him not knowing the guy couldn't swim. He shook his head to dispell the embarassing--and distressing--memory. Gah! How the hell was I supposed to know he couldn't swim? He never told me!

((You are going to have to give me more for Utake.... And Quinn T^T))

Taisuke waled up to the proctor. "Ok Utake and I are now teamed up." He said quickly and walked away. "So what is our plan for this?" He asked Utake as he walked back and levitated back into the tree but more into the upper parts this time.

Himedal tapped his staff against the tall tree and it bent down. Crawling into the tree he tapped it again and it lifted him to the top. Looking around he watched the skies. "It seems like a storm is coming, but the strength and speed I cannot tell." He spoke outloud to himself not knowing if anyone heard.

Utake leaned against the tree in thought. "Clearly this planet is the starting line," he replied. "There's a moon in this system that has a moon that is half in this dimention, and half in an adjacent one. My guess is we should go there first; there it'll be easy enough to just walk accross the border of this universe and the one adjacent." He looked up into the tree. "We won't need a ship either, with that power of yours."

---

"I'd best let the organizers know about our alliance then." Fall said to Quinn.

Quinn nodded. He walked over to where Himedal had gotten into the tree as Fall left for the proctors' tent. He climbed up the tree to find Himedal. "What's on your mind?" He asked.

Taisuke turned. "No, I suppose we wont." He sighed and layed down on the branch. "I think I might nap for a little while before we start. You should get some rest as well." He closed his eyes and layed still.

"There's is a lot actually. I have so mucht to think about." He sighed and turned away. "This whole race stuff... It's deffinately not my norm and I can only hope that I will be even useful." He spoke aloud. His cloak turning a dark blue again.

Utake nodded. "I suppose you're right about that." He replied. He sat back against the tree and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift back to the forest where his tree was. Most nymphs couldn't go very far from their trees, but as Utake was three-quarters human, while he did have a tree he was connected to he could go as far from it as he wished.

It was also possible, if his tree was cut down, that because of Utake's human heritage he would not die either. But there would be a highly disturbing, and distressing, emptiness.

---

"It's not my norm either." Quinn said. "And don't worry, I'm sure you'll be useful. There'll no doubt be injuries--hopefully no deaths--and having you on the team will be an extremely good advantage." He smiled. "That, and you have a nice ass."

Quinn looked up at the clouds. "What are you entering this race for, anyway?"

Himedal blushed at the compliment. "Wh-What do you mean by that?" He asked stuttering lightly.

((Sorry for the shortness. My brain does not like working today...

((:lol: I know the feeling.))

"Well, everyone's got a reason for entering, don't they?" Quinn asked. "For me, it's finding out who I am. I literally woke up one day without any memories at all. All I can remember about myself is my name, my age, and who I prefer to date. Everything else is a complete mystery."

((Hehe))

"Oh!" He said glad that he was able to get his heart rate under control. "I thought you honestly meant that about...." He paused. "Never mind. I came because I knew there would be a lot of injuires. I can already transend dementions at will so become a Walker would not give me much...."

"So you came to help other competitors, rather than for the prize. I like that," Quinn replied. He looked to Himedal. "You want a tour of my ship? I won't take you anywhere in it, I promise."

'He wants to go somwhere alone? With me?' Himedal thought to himself before smiling. "Yes. That is why i came here. And sure. If you want" With that he smiled and grabbed the others hand. "Lead the way capitan!" He giggled.

((I hope I am doing well...))

((You're doing fine.))

"I wouldn't fancy myself a captain," Quinn replied. "Hang onto my arm. I'll type in the command to get us up there." He added as he tapped on a wrist display.

Himedal wraps his arms around Quinns arm and snuggled close to it. "So, how old is this ship? Has it seen many battles? Has it ever crashed?" He asked fasinatedly. "And if you are the person who flys and commands the ship then yes you are capitan!" He giggled and kisses the others cheek blushing lightly.

((One can only hope so...))