Twenty-fifth Baam sighed contentedly as he nibbled his Chewy. Goseng was on the other side of the Wolhaiksong suspendiship at the moment, supervising Miseng and Prince as they battled Quant in the arcade. He wasn't entirely sure why there was an arcade, but it meant that he was safe in his delectable transgression for the moment, so he didn't question it further. Beside him sat Wangnan, who was equally enjoying a stick of Chewy. They looked out in companionable silence across the wide room, watching Novick and Ran playing a particularly competitive type of darts, in which they were aiming at each other's vital organs. Dan was watching with a vague smirk on his face, and Quaetro was cheering on whoever had gotten the most recent hit. Hwa-ryun had seated herself by the window, and was quietly watching the clouds down below.

A sharp burst of cackles erupted from Quaetro's throat as one of Ran's darts sliced across Novick's left ear. "Ahahaha! If it was fire, it wouldn't miss like that! Wanna try?" Even as he spoke, the flame user's hands began to smoke and burn red hot.

"Oi, knock that off! I swear, between you and that hellion, if the sprinklers get set off one more time…!" Wangnan called across the room. Quaetro sent a rather disturbing pout in his direction, but conceded, settling back down to keep watching.

"Mr. Wangnan, it seems you've become good friends with Mr. Quaetro," Baam commented quietly.

"Heh, yeah I guess. For some reason that wacko seems to like me, or something," Wagnan's self-deprecating smile edged on affectionate as he gazed at the redhead, who was hooting with laughter.

"Ah, that's nice. You must be putting out for him," Baam said with a slight smile.

Wangnan's Chewy tragically fell to the floor as his mouth dropped open. Across the room, Dan's supporting arm slipped out from under him, and Hwa-ryun's head shot up rather too quickly and forcefully, if the impressive bang it made upon contact with the wall was any indication. Ran's foot slipped out from under him, aiming his dart towards a rather delicate part of Novick's anatomy. That was okay, though, since Novick slipped too. The dart gave him a naval piercing.

Quaetro didn't notice. He was too amused by Novick's screech of pain and lost masculinity.

"Wai- I- hold on, WHAT?" Wangnan shrieked.

"Oh, have I said something strange? Maybe the meaning of that phrase isn't what I thought?" Baam said, holding up his hands placatingly, smile becoming fixed with nervousness.

"Well, what the hell did you think it meant?!" Wangnan wailed over the laughter of the others, face redder than Quaetro's hair.

"Um, doesn't it mean to be a good, reliable friend? That's what Mr. Jinsung hold me when I asked," he responded uncertainly. His smile faded. The good feeling imparted by his Chewy had started to dissipate.

"No, that's not… Why did you even ask that bad perm?"

"Ah… Well another FUG member wanted to know how I came to be in Mr. Jinsung's favor. He asked if I was putting out for him, and I thought he meant 'effort,' so I said yes. When I asked Mr. Jinsung later, he told me what it really meant." Baam paused here and frowned a bit. "Although, he wouldn't look me in the face when he said it. I suppose he was lying?"

"It was you!" Hwa-ryun cried from where she was rolling on the floor, holding her stomach. "We were trying to put down those rumors for months! Ahaha, oh god, it was you!"

Baam's face was thoroughly flushed with embarrassment by now, shoulders hugging his ears. "So then, um, what does it mean? I- I don't want to make this mistake again."

"It means that you're, you know, doing it." Wangnan stuttered out. "And I am not doing it with that crazy!"

"Doing what?" Baam asked, befuddled. Really, the misunderstanding wouldn't have happened in the first place if people would just speak clearly, rather than using all these strange euphemisms!

"It means sex, kid," Novick snickered from the floor, where he was trying to staunch the bleeding. Everyone stopped for a moment to watch admiringly as he performed a series of truly elegant barrel rolls, neatly avoiding Ran's suddenly dart-studded sneaker.

"Oh. That's- That's quite different from being a reliable friend, then," Baam said.

"Heh, well, I mean, that depends on the kind of friend, you know?" Dan said from beneath wildly wiggling eyebrows. Quaetro stared dazedly for a moment, seeming entranced by Dan's magnificently dexterous eyebrows.

Baam laughed awkwardly. "I suppose you're right. Um, if I could ask another question? What is sex, exactly?"

Lero-Ro and Koon froze from where they had just appeared in the doorway, and slowly, carefully stepped back across the threshold.

"Ah, wait! Mr. Koon! Mr. Ro! I- I was just kidding, really!"

Note: If you aren't aware, SIU's 'TOG Gossip' mentions that the team became very fond of Chewy and other junk food after the test on 28F. Goseng did not approve, and forbade them from eating unhealthy things. Viole began stealthily supplying the team with junk food to avoid her wrath.

Other 'Gossip' can be found here:

forums/topic/9764-togs-gossips-from-sius-blog/

Hope you enjoyed!