Enter - The Chameleon

 

The setting: A small, well decorated but certainty not lavish living quarters above a tall, and old looking stone building. The main feel is very open; the place has no walls, only a rustic metal roof about fifteen or so feet above the smooth concrete floor of this place. Most of the 'treasures' here could be considered trash; an old copper trellis stretching from the floor to the ceiling on one side of the building, covered in vines, and badly corroded at that. Brick pillars help to break the open space, and recessed into the pillar in the general center of the room is a shelf, decorated with many clear and tinted glass vases, old books, an antique looking lamp, and a picture; Chameleon and Vitani. Yes, it seems this room is rather complete for being so rustic and original, it's complete with a couch, computer, kitchen, and even a closed off and private bathroom.

Here, snuggled under the covers with his one true love, Vitani, we found the unlikely subject of this story, completely exhausted from what most could deduce happened the previous evening, with just a glance at the disorderly room. Here, we find the Chameleon.

"Cham'?" Vitani whispered softly, repositioning herself among the many small pillows, all of different colors and textures, so that she was lying more comfortably. "Yea?" Came the reply, with a yawn. "I love you Chammy." This made the Chameleon sigh softly. "No one's eva' told me that before . . ." He replied gently, rolling onto his belly so that he could study her over carefully. "It's true, Cham'. I really love you. .you're so cute, and lovable, and sweet, and you can always make me laugh." She opened her eyes slowly and smiled up at him, and instead of simply returning the smile, he kissed her gently across the lips.

"I'm going to start breakfast, love." He whispered, and began searching around the foot of his bed for his jumpsuit. Finding it, he quickly dressed; the soft noise of his suction cup toes sticking and being pulled away from the concrete grew fainter and fainter as he walked slowly into the kitchen area of this summer time living space.

Vitani giggled softly to herself; something she hadn't done since she was just a child. She really loved <i> her Chamely </i>, it wasn't just a girlish lust or something equally foolish. Yawning and rolling over, the tiny built female stretched out from her curled up position and came to rest looking at a picture on the nightstand. To see it there was a surprise, but it did give her peace of mind knowing that Chameleon had kept it. It was herself and Chameleon, taken not long after the two had really met and began to realize there was something between them.

The picture brought back many memories, but this particular one was of a week back in PuckWorld's version of spring. It rained. And rained. And rained. For two solid weeks, a steady cold rain fell outside, ruining completely the plan Chameleon had for a picnic with Vitani. Finally, fed up with being inside all that time, the two had decided to ignore the rain and go enjoy life. They'd ended up having a water fight in a large fountain built to Sheeba's honor in a more 'residential' part of the Reptilian City. A passer by had gotten a photograph of the scene, freezing it forever in time.

After a few moments of deep thought, the sound of Chameleon's suction cups on his toes being pulled away and stuck to the floor brought Vitani's mind back to the present. She looked over at him, apparently he'd been gone longer than she figured; he was holding two wooden lap trays with breakfast.

"Hope you like south western style omelets." He offered with a smile, handing her tray off to her carefully. She smiled to him and nodded, taking her glass of juice off the tray, sipping it, and setting it aside on the table beside the picture. "I never knew you could cook. . ." She asked softly, more of a statement than a question, tasting the omelet for the first time. "There's a lot you don't know about me." He offered in between bites of his own breakfast. She simply smiled and shook her head.

"Where exactly are you from? I want to know all about your history. Like. . who are you really? What's your story?" She asked, setting her tray aside and turning towards him, in a sitting position. "Well. . I. . uhm. . I. . don't really. . .I . .don't really like to. . uhm. . talk about it." He replied in a quiet tone, almost seeming hurt. Vitani sighed softly, searching for her robe and pulling it on once found, staring back at her beloved. . .the Chameleon. "You can tell me Chameley. . whenever you're ready, of course."

She sat back and picked at her breakfast a bit more. "I. . want to tell you. . I just. .you'd never think of me the same. . .I. . ." Chameleon sighed heavily and lowered his head. "What?" She asked softly, turning back to him and taking his hand gently in her own. "I'm not . . .who you think I am." He managed, wiping a tear from his cheek with his free hand. Looking over at him, she removed her hand from his and placed it on his shoulder. "I understand Cham'. It's difficult? You don't have to tell me." "Yes I do." He interrupted. Staring off into zero space for a moment, he pulled away from her, taking a stance not far from the side of the bed.

Sighing again, he began. "Death. . .is a result of the physical stopping function. . .I'm a shape shifter. . .I can avoid death by exhaustion of the physical being." He paused for a moment, glancing at Vitani, whom was content to hear him explain. "My dear. . .who I am is an illusion, I was born close to two hundred years ago, a scientist." "Cham'?" She interrupted softly. "I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe, it's the truth, the true story behind who I am." She nodded slowly, not sure whether to believe him so far or worry for his mental stability. Again, he continued. "I was forced to go into hiding, you see at the time, I was the scientist working on. . ." He stopped deep in thought, then continued in a lower voice. "I was the one working what was to be used against the Puck Worldians when the Saurian Empire escaped Limbo. . .and I was the scientist that unwittingly set it loose on our own people. There has always been speculation that the plague which killed so many of us back in Limbo was bionetically engineered plague, and they were right. And it was my fault." He whimpered softly, closing his eyes for a long moment. "All of those deaths. . .Vitani, it was my fault." He looked up at her, and rushed into her arms sobbing uncontrollably, and she, willing to comfort him, held him close like a mother would hold a crying child until his sobs were finally quieted.

The girl herself was in shock, quivering as she held him close, she could never imagine how it would feel knowing you're responsible for death on such a large scale. "Obviously. .I was forced to take an alter ego, as the Chameleon, in order to avoid my own death. . .I deserved to <b> die </b> Vitani, but I was too spineless to even face up to my mistake. . ." She kissed him gently on the forehead. "I understand. . ." Her voice trailed off, not sure really whom he was, she assumed his name wasn't just Chameleon.

"So. . .did you have a name? A mate? Children?" "My birth name was Iro Chamiqe, I had a mate and a six month old daughter at the time, both killed as a result. . of me." Vitani was unsure even of what to say, she knew she had to try and comfort him somehow, instead, unable to move, she held him close, perhaps the best thing she could have done at the time.

She knew to tell anyone the truth would probably result in his death. . .but the rewards would be great for doing so, after all he wasn't the one she loved, right? The Chameleon didn't exist, only a shadow of the former Iro Chamiqe.

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