Earth Touched - A Dragon Tribe Origin

Chapter Eleven - Finn

"When do you think we should start setting him up again?" Xio whispered, his gaze locked on Gage who was busy talking on the phone with his mother—again.

Zel groaned. "Why do you think he needs to be set up in the first place?"

"Or that he wants to," Finn added.

"He didn't need help with Maj," Zel continued.

Xio raised both of his hands in front of him. "With Maj he was his usual, normal, not uptight self."

"It's only been a year and a half," Finn said quietly. "And we can't decide when he'll be ready to date again, let alone who he should be with. How would you feel if your wife died?"

The three of them were quiet for a long moment. Xio lowered his gaze to the floor. "Right, I know. He's miserable and barely able to function. I don't want to push him into anything he's not ready for, but I also want to know when it's okay to start nudging him into moving on too. Gage needs more than just us and his parents and Gus. He's not doing well."

"I dunno, I think he's keeping it together pretty well given the circumstances," Zel deadpanned. "Coming to the council in and of itself was huge. And he's not uptight."

"Yes he is!" Xio protested.

Finn rolled his eyes. "To you, everyone is uptight." He paused, then shook his head in disbelief of what he was about to say. "But you do make a good point, Xio. Not in that he needs a new special someone in his life, but that he's not doing well. He thinks he's putting on a good act, and there have been places he's made progress in, but there are too many cracks. What I'm worried about is him buckling under all of the weight he feels he has to carry."

"He's not going to let us take any of it," Zel said.

"I know." Finn watched Gage pace around their hotel suit. How hunched together his body was, like a spring about to unload. He wasn't sleeping either, or not as well as he should have been. For the first time in over a year, he could catch up and rest effectively, and he wasn't taking the opportunity. Was there a way to force anyone to relax if they didn't want to?

Finally, Finn said, "We have to keep being here for him when he wants us. There isn't a lot else we can do without being pushy. That'll drive him away."

"Stuck between a rock and hard place." Zel grunted. "He needs the help even though he won't take it. Do nothing, though, and he'll think we're giving up on him."

"You think so?" Xio asked quietly.

Zel raised an eyebrow. "This is Gage."

"Another good point," Finn mumbled.

Once again, the three were quiet for a long time. Maybe Xio's suggestion of finding Gage a woman wasn't a bad one after all. Not to date, necessarily, but to talk to. Or anyone for that matter who could offer him the things he wasn't getting. It hurt, a lot, for Finn to think about how he wasn't doing enough to help his friend. But maybe what Gage needed was someone not connected to the past.

If he told Xio he was right, however, he'd start lining up all of the eligible women in the city. No, Gage would need a gentle, subtle, nudge to socialize outside of their close circle which wouldn't be easy to do given who his father was and the fact that he was Touched. The walls he had up were in place for a good reason. If I stumble across someone who seems like they'd mesh well, I'll find a way to introduce them. Simple enough. He would be the gatekeeper. Too bad he didn't know anyone worth introducing him to.

"I couldn't even get him to play elements," Xio whispered. His frown and slouch both so deep from defeat, Finn actually felt bad for the guy. "Being useless sucks."

All three of them nodded, their gazes on Gage as he put his cellphone into his pocket and walked over.

"What's up?" he asked, sitting across from Finn.

"Shooting the breeze," Zel said.

Gage peered at them all, and Finn briefly wondered if perhaps he suspected they were talking about him. His expression softened soon after, his body relaxing as he settled into his chair. "Gus' doing well. Really well. Doesn't even miss me, I guess."

"He's still excited to be at Grandma's house. Tomorrow he'll be wondering where you are," Zel reassured him. He was the only one who could. None of the others had kids.

"It's a good thing," Gage whispered. Louder he added, "If he were having a meltdown, I'd have to find a way back home. Not to mention it'd take hours. That's too long." He groaned and put his head in his hands. "What was I thinking coming here?"

"Nope, none of that," Xio said. "Someone get the cards. We're playing a game. I'm not gonna sit here on my butt all night and let the brain monsters attack."

Now it was Finn's turn to groan. "Brain monsters? What are you going on about? The things you come up with...none of them make sense."

"Bad thoughts. They're brain monsters. Totally eat away your happiness and ruin your mind. Keep them out and you'll live a long and happy life. That's my theory," Xio said. He stood up and went to his backpack. After dumping out nearly everything inside of it, he held up a deck of cards. "Come on, we can get all mushy with our feels still while we play. Let's do something fun, though. We need fun. We are here for fun."

Finn was about to open his mouth and protest. He was there for politics, to learn, to grow, and to make a good impression with his party. If he had any hope of having a solid career in office, he had to play his metaphorical cards correctly.

But their trip also wasn't all about him. It was about Gage too. A game in the room was a calm, safe, environment for them to unwind, blow off some steam, enjoy themselves, and still provide the emotional support he needed. They could go back to the pool and see what antics were to be had there too. Was Gage ready for another gathering of such intensity? Not so soon after the last one. A night of quiet was in order. Finn, himself, was too exhausted. The Inero problem seemed to occupy his mind constantly. If he wasn't worrying about Gage, he was trying to figure out possible solutions that wouldn't put Terran into debt. Not his job, but he was determined to be as useful as possible.

Can't risk looking too stiff or secluded, though either. In the morning, he'd mingle with the other tribes. Prove he knew how to handle all of the strong personalities residing on the island.

"You deal Xio. I'm going to order room service while it's still open," Finn said, at last also standing.

"I can make us something," Gage protested.

Zel snorted, and got up to clear the table in the kitchenette. "With what? The phone book or the notepad? Or maybe we can have a toilet paper soufflé."

"We can get groceries at the convenience store in the lobby."

"Vacation," Xio said, throwing his voice to make it ghostly and mystical. "Vacation!"

"Fine." Gage was smiling when he said it, though, so he couldn't have been too mad. They were on the right track.