The younger neko tilted his head just so to nuzzle the hand petting him, making his chest rumble with water fall loud purrs. "So first you rescue me, and now you have a surprise?" Rue shifted, and sat to wrap his arms around the other neko. He leaned against him, seeking that warmth he knew was there to be given. "I'm so happy ..." For some reason, he found himself tearing up, knowing beyond all reason that it had happened already, that Salis was his one ... Rue could only hope the same was true for the other neko as well, though with his brother it was difficult to say.

Salis gladly hugged the smaller neko back, burying his face in the dark hair atop Rue's head and breathing in his scent. "I didn't save you, Rue. It would have let go on its own after a moment." Maybe his modesty was a bother, but it was all he knew how to do in terms of behavior. "But I think my surprise is more for the both of us... Other nekos like to come here sometimes and if they were to see you with the likes of me, I'm sure they would... react." He pulled Rue up so they were standing, but Salis didn't let him go yet. Somehow he felt that letting Rue go would make him fade away or leave. "I'm sure you'd love the place... It's mysterious, and beautiful, and one of a kind... It's so deep and unique and no one could ever find another like it. Like you." He smiled a little, his eyes glued to the sky as if something were there beyond a slight, misty cloud cover.

"I don't care how they react, except if they say or do anything that might harm you!" Leaning back, he stared into the other man's eyes with a wildly determined expression. Rue tightened his hold upon the other neko as his cheeks turned pink at the unexpected compliment. Tilting his head away, he stared at the ground as his tail lashed about slowly. He wasn't used to being treated in such a way ... All the others he had tried to make things work with had never regarded him with such a piercing, understanding, gaze.

A soft breeze wafted from the forest, tugged at clothing and hair alike. It reminded Rue that he had an adventured to live. "I would like to see the cave, please?" It was a mystery. Rue did love trying to see what lay at the center of things unknown ... Kind of like Salis, and how he seemed to have so many different sides.

Salis couldn't help but shake his head. He could handle anyone that wanted to do him harm---after a while he had come to the conclusion that they didn't like trying to chase him down and when they finally caught up to him, they were far too tired to torment him beyond some breathy insults thrown his way. But he was glad that someone actually cared. Most would sit idly by and watch it, neither laugh nor cringe, and eventually turn back to their work.

He squeezed the neko and stepped back. "Of course, it's this way." He nodded behind them. The opposite way he had come, around the back of the Falaazi village and through a previously unmarked pathway. He had tied small scraps of blue silk to the trees to mark his way, as scents did fade over time. "I desperately hope you like it, Rue. It's lit from within and glows... blue. And inside are so many gems I've never seen before. Pure water, and strange little creatures that don't come out into the light. And plants that almost glow in the dark..." He couldn't help but praise the cavern for its unnatural wonder. It was full of beauty, like Rue, and simply fit him so perfectly.

Rue shivered at the lack of closeness. He craved it, wanted it beyond anything else. It was a longing like nothing he had ever imagined. Shaking his head, ears twitching, tail lifting up to wrap around his waist, he tried to shake the feeling off. Instead Rue concentrated on the feel of branches slipping across his bare arms, tugging at his tunic and breeches. "It sounds breathtaking." He yelled the words out as he dug his claws into the trunk of a tree, and clambered up high, lifting himself up onto branches with straining arms.

The younger neko followed Salis from the trees, and leaped down only once they had arrived. It had been a while since he'd had the chance to run free in such a wild way. He whooped and hollered his delight. And landed with a thump, rolling upon the ground and ending in a heap at Salis's feet.

Salis grinned at Rue from below the other neko, shaking his head as he followed the clearly marked path once they were out of sight. He had begun marking trees with silk scrap only after he had drifted far enough in that he was sure no one would see them and begin to follow, each bit hanging from above his head so no one else would think to explore the odd sight.

The trip took longer than the one the previous day, because the cave was amongst a grove of dark willows that managed to survive well in the tropical rainforest they lived in. But Salis had formed a small tunnel to the mouth of the cave through the overgrowth. "One at a time." He said, nodding at the tunnel. "Let me go first, there's a way to get light..." He slid forward, hands meeting cool stone, and crept into the cavern. At his presence the cave seemed to come to life, glowing a blue-white on its own. "It's okay, come in!" His voice was low, but carried in the stony cave system.

Eagerly, he bent to his knees and crawled forward. Stones littered the way, digging into hands and knees as if the had been placed there by some unseen hand to cause bruises, aches and pains. Still, the sight that met Rue's eyes as he began to make his way through the tunnel was well worth it. Light, delicately blue, illuminated the way and showed him the path to follow. From time to time, his tail would brush against the walls. Strive would never have been able to fit in such a small space.

"How much further?" He did wonder what sights his brother had seen, but doubted he would ever be shown. Rue was jealous of that, of the favor Salis showed for Strive. A growl echoed through the tunnels without any seeming provocation. There was nothing to complain about though. Rue was certain he would win Salis, in the end, still ... Sharing .. Oh he hated that!

Salis knew the place as if a map had been sketched in his mind. He had followed the same path dozens---perhaps well over a hundred times---and knew the secrets the cavern held. He glanced backward at the curiously unprovoked growl that escaped Rue after a time. "Er... We're almost there... A dropdown comes up at this turn..." He glanced backward, and slipped around a column of damp stone, sliding down the slight dip and into the main chamber. "Come on down, Rue, I'm right here!" He glanced behind him.

A large underground pond. It glimmered with a beautiful blue-white tone as the gems shimmered in the ceiling and down the spires on the ground. It was covered in thick, dark dirt that was home to various odd plants---many were shaped like bells, and glimmered white. "Come down quickly, Rue---around this time the animals come out." His voice was low, his arms up and outstretched in case Rue fell or tripped on the way down.

He followed blindly and tumbled from the ledge into the other neko's waiting arms. Rue clung to Salis instinctively, wrapping himself tightly around the other man with a soft purring and growling. His thoughts were still on the sharing, that dreadful thing he needed to tolerate to keep Salis happy. It stuck to his mind like slime, clinging there insistently.

The sight of softly glowing flowers, the scent of them wafting through the cavern, created a calming atmosphere. It helped ease the tension in him, in the tightly wound neko. He quieted, tilting his head to lean it against the taller man's shoulder with a sigh. In the dim light, shell like creatures ambled forward on tiny tentacles, glowing a opalescent white. They were the first creatures Rue noticed, but were certainly not the last.

Salis tensed himself with enough time to spare not falling forward in catching Rue, and hugged him tight before turning to the sight and lowering the neko's feet to the soft ground. "I'm not sure what these creatures are." He said quietly, bending down to scoop the strange thing up. "The small ones never bite or show fear, and the large ones... they look like deer, but are dark... and their eyes glow like a spirit might. I like to call this cave a 'spirit cavern'. Even if nothing here is truly dead... it looks as if they belong on a different plain of existence."

He handed the creature to Rue, and its little tentacles wrapped around his fingers. "I... hope I'm not stressing you... in any way. This confusion I feel between... choosing... or having to choose. I don't want to, so I'm putting it off... And it might be doing more harm than good." He stepped back and sat on a smooth rock, staring at the water that moved only when a creature that dwelled within came to the surface. Even as they were present small, furry creatures crept out of their cozy homes in the soft dirt or walls and began to mill around the foliage and the cavernous pond.

It tickled. Soft tentacles making him want to smile and laugh, but instead he frowned. The words ... He growled softly, even as the spirit deer made their appearance, stepping forward with not a sound to peer at the two strange creatures within their territory. Shaking his head, the young man twisted his hand this way and that. The creature upon it scuttled to one side, then the other, and hung upside down precariously for a few moments before Rue righted his hand.

"Of course it stresses me ... I've never .. never wished for ..." He couldn't finish. Instead, Rue settled his eyes upon the creatures all around, the magical glow of the wondrous place Salis had deigned to show him, to share with him. That was what needed to be the focus. The thought was easier to have then to put into practice.

Salis looked down and sighed. "I know..." He didn't really know what he knew, but there wasn't much else to say. He pulled Rue close to him and settled him on the stone beside him. "I'm sorry... It's difficult to... choose. Knowing I have to. Knowing that I'll condemn one to struggle... I never had that responsibility, or that choice, before..." He shook his head, pulling the creature off Rue's hand and setting it on the ground again. "I'm sorry that I'm making it more difficult than it should be."

He turned himself a little, facing Rue more directly and drawing his hand through the neko's hair. His eyes glowed so beautifully in the white-blue light. His hair was dark. Midnight-sky. It shone faintly. His skin looked almost flawless. Salis' breath caught---he felt bringing Rue to this place was the perfect decision. Silence. Strange, beautiful animals. And a form of seclusion one could probably never find anywhere else. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against the younger neko's without even realizing his motion. Vaguely he felt the tugging sensation at the back of his mind, a quiet intensity that egged him on, but Salis pulled back before it could be fully realized and he covered his mouth. "I'm sorry... I didn't..." He felt his face grow warm, and was glad that the soft light obscured the redness that tinted his cheeks.

The younger neko settled down, leaning into his companion without hesitation. It was so easy to, despite the upsetting import of Salis's words. Understanding lay not far behind Rue's anger filled thoughts. For one unused to any kind of interaction with others, let alone two eligible others, figuring out what choice to make ... Rue would have found it near impossible. Thankfully that wasn't his situation, though .. being on the non-deciding end of it was near torture.

He shivered, half-closing his green eyes as fingers brushed softly through his hair. It didn't matter that the rock upon which he sat was hard, or that the air was a little stale. Oh no .. All that mattered lay nearby, right beside him and soon they were closer then they had ever been before. Rue melted, and whimpered when the brief contact ended. It had felt like ... like the world was finally whole.

"Don't you dare apologize for that," growled Rue. He had never felt anything so intense, so right, before. There was no denying that this was all he had wished for, hoped for, that Salis was. In the white blue light, Salis looked enchanting. His hair glistened, his eyes shone with a depth even more beautiful then in the light of day. It drew him forth, the fragile confidence ... Rue found himself nudging the other man's head with soft touches, so that he too could steal a kiss.

He couldn't believe how comfortable he felt with Rue, even after the rather tense feelings he had picked up on---it wasn't hard to tell Rue was focused on something outside the cave and Salis knew what that was. He accepted the light touches with a small smile, bending forward enough to let Rue's lips meet his own again. There was something there---a sensation he couldn't quite understand that just hadn't been present with Strive. Or perhaps it had been. It had been and he simply hadn't felt secure enough to act---or even acknowledge the feeling.

But it stopped him now, nonetheless. Salis went back, glancing away from Rue. "I just... don't..." He felt as if there was a level of unfairness at play. Rue got such a secluded place, and a level of familiarity with Sals that Strive simply hadn't gotten to. Perhaps he had wanted that. But he shook that feeling away. He wouldn't be fair to either of them if, while he spent time with one, he was thinking about the other. He would make it up to Strive later.

He looked back to the young neko and smiled. "Sorry, I... was fighting with myself... I'm... okay. If you are." He grasped Rue's hand and lightly drew his nails over the soft skin.

"Won't you tell me what's on your mind?" Gently, he leaned his head against the other man's shoulder. He purred, not because he was happy, but for another reason entirely. In the white-blue light, it was so easy for Rue to feel like this was a world entirely different from the one outside the caves. Anything was possible there. Anything at all.

He could purr there, to comfort the man he thought was his destined mate. It didn't matter that he knew Salis thought of his brother. It did ,but it didn't. Rue rubbed his head against the other neko's neck, and swished his tail up and around so it fell across Salis's lap. It made him smile, to think that they were so close.

Salis closed his eyes to the gentle blue glow, the strange-looking animals that milled around in knowledge that neither newcomer was a threat. "It... shouldn't matter." He said after a moment's silence, bringing up a hand to pass it over Rue's hair, his ear, rubbing lightly. " I mean, it shouldn't... now. Not for now. I should be thinking about you... And... what might happen should I choose you..." He didn't like thinking if. He did want Rue. But there was Strive too. A strong-willed creature, but beneath the stony surface a soft, sweet heart. At the same time, Rue---sweet and loving, with a bit of a bite. If he chose Rue---or Strive---he would be certain to help the other find someone to love before their dreaded day arrived.

He smiled a bit, happy at that thought process. It had to work... it had to do something. And how would he choose? Perhaps he could meet their parents. Perhaps he could ask the stronger-willed of the brothers---Strive.

Rue leaned into the touch, leaned in and ever closer. It felt right. There was no other feeling like it, being near Salis. "Then think about me, not him." The younger neko pulled back to stare into the other man's eyes with his emerald ones, as if to dare him to do otherwise now. "Salis. Look at me. Really look."

He lifted his hands, placed them upon his heart."S-since the very first day ... I've felt .... I have known right here ... that you're the one for me. Can't you tell?" He thought it was easy for everyone, the moment they found the right one. contemplating that it might be otherwise was beyond Rue, straightforward as he could be, always seeing the world as he wanted it to be. He thought others would always react as he did, were guided as he was. The young man was naive that way.

Salis bit his lip, staring straight at Rue. "I can tell that's how you feel." He said, nodded. "But I feel... conflict. The way I've been for so long... I never thought I'd find someone, and then after my... age... I just gave up hope, and now I have two others coming after me? It's still hard to understand. Even after I should have gotten... used to it?" He took Rue's face in his hands gently. "But if you forced me to make a decision right now, right now forced me into picking you or Strive, I'd... I'd pick... you." He barely mewed the last word, feeling the conflict come to a head. But I could never turn my back on Strive... I'd cut my own tail off first. I could never be happy if after I chose one of you, the other suffered."

He sighed, feeling his heart beating hard. "And... what about the others? I'm Falaazi, and... would that change if you chose me? Would people accept me more? Would something happen? Or... would they still hate me, and start to hate you? I don't want them to hate you...

The younger neko stared wide-eyed at Salis. Mouth parted, he tried to make words come out, but all he could manage was a small whine. Leaning forward, he nuzzled Salis's cheek for a few moments. "There's no way of knowing until it happens. I bet things would change for the better, though. After some bit of trouble... maybe."

He wrapped himself around Salis with soft mewing and purring. "Strive, well I suppose we could try finding someone else for him?" If they worked together at playing matchmakers, they were sure to find the perfect person for the pale haired neko. The prospect of having Salis all for him made Rue smile, though he doubted it would happen.

Salis's arms wrapped around the slightly smaller neko and in a way, he felt as if something had clicked inside him. Perhaps it was Rue that was perfect for him. Born just a little too late to save him from his doom, Salis didn't feel his 'doom' was really as permanent as everyone thought. He wrapped his tail around the neko's waist and purred, until something entered his mind. "I don't know how useful I'd be in searching for Strive a mate... Most smell me and avoid me for a good amount of space... They'd certainly smell me on you... What do your parents... think?" Surely his parents smelled Salis on their son. Of course they did---what a ridiculous concept to question! The way Salis and Rue clung to one another, the way he and Strive had huddled close the previous day, perhaps even the brief contact the first day they had met...

"Do they... feel I might bring you and Strive bad luck?" He watched the small deer. It had lived its entire life in this cavern, eating the glowing flowers and plants and drinking the pure underground water. Now, its eyes glowed a ghostly white.

He laughed. "They feel it, but they know how stubborn my brother and I are. They want to see us happy you see, and they trust us enough to know what, or whom, will make us happy. That, more then luck, is more important to them." Rue tilted his head to nuzzle the other neko's neck, purring all the while. He made sure his arms were wrapped around Salis tightly.

"Everything will work out. You'll see. Eventually ... maybe because of us, there will be no more falazz at all. Wouldn't that be nice?"