He needed work.

His entire life was a mess, his relationships ruined or tumultuous and his heart constantly aching. Johnny wanted strong beautiful bodies? Well maybe everything else was going to shit, but the muscles were rippling under Ashamin's skin and he was becoming just that: beautiful. Strong. He was faster, he could feel it. Enough practice had gotten him to a point where he had enough of the strength that Johnny needed of him.

So whatever. He'd mope some, maybe, he'd sulk and drag his two companions reluctantly through the flurrying snow, but he'd help. Someone had to. It didn't matter if it wasn't his job, he'd make anything his job if it meant distracting himself from the complications of his social life.

The two cerndyrs dragged their feet and brayed, wailing and bemoaning the journey in tandem, but Ashamin only wrapped his tail behind their hindquarters and pressed them onwards. They would work, too. All of them needed some good, honest work to build themselves up into something better.

When he at last came to the ruins of the prison, Ashamin sighed and pulled himself up. He squinted tiredly in the light, searching through the snow, and made out the few colorful traces of the crafter. "Johnny," he said confidently, despite the fact that he could barely make out his cheerful friend in the snow, "Need a hand with all this?"

Already Rakt and Lochan were circling around, surveying the clearing and nudging things with noses and budded antlers. Ashamin smiled at them briefly, lifted his head to watch over them--particularly young Rakt--with care. As he had suspected, they would not complain so loudly when they saw a treasure trove of ruins and rocks to sort through. They were curious like that. The haruspex watched with a smile as they drew further into the snowy sheet, visible only by shimmers of stardust and dark mist. He kicked a rock at his foot, exhaled a thick puff of white, and searched for the crafter's gumdrop gaze. If Johnny didn't need him he'd find work elsewhere, but he needed it more than anything.

"Go on Lochan," Ashamin called to his companion through the snow. He cast a smile towards Johnny, a rare one given the pain in his chest. "Get others, Johnny and I won't be able to clear this on our own.'" And as the dark cerndyr bounded off, Ashamin's face was set with determination. With a look that pulled up sleeves, Ashamin prepared himself for the job.



""

ASHAMIN