But right before the story was to be released, Eric A.(LL) relented and read some fan posts & stories and said nice things about them. So I decided Acarus would lose the first round after all.

I liked the character, so Ive brought Acarus back periodically.

part 1

Acarus the seagull gulps and swallows in the brisk breeze that has formed over the rewritten Age of Myst island. There is an odd scent of fresh oils and soddering. On the wind there are the smells of solvent cleaners and a heady smell of forces electrical.. and beyond. Odd powers have been been at work of late. Gravity swells have been rising and falling.. One such spell knocked him senseless into the sides of that tower when he flew too close one day...

Still food is always best near land.. and when there are people to harass... (um..ask..) Acarus just can't resist. Today there are human figures below... He swoops in closer.. Voices can just be heard over the crashing waves and clanking of metal. A group of men stand near the old spaceship, now devoid of the careful deposits of Acarus and his kin. He shrieks his dismay at its slippery sides and swoops down...They are starting to take a lunch break.

Their leader appears to be holding a shiny silver fish... loosely.. He looks tired..They all do. Easy prey? If a seagull could grin, this one would be doing it. That's one BIG shiny fish...

A new programmer holding a Mountain Dew speaks, "Do you think it should fly, Rand?

"What? In the game? Of course not! Save that for MudPie!"

He tries again, waving a cookie as he speaks. Crumbs fall down his trousers as he goes on, "Do you think the Lyst has figured out that the Spaceship is using an electronic powered link to...."

Rand quickly covers his younger colleagues mouth.. "Hush! They may be listening...."

"But how???"

Rand doesn't answer... Acarus was nearly at his other hand. With the quick reflexes of an expert Edge player, Rand moves the silver tool rapidly around and swats the offending Acarus on the tail feathers. The stunned bird spirals into ground near the side of the library. KKAAAIIIII--- PLLOMMPPHHH... dirty off-white feathers decorate the landscape... POOF!!!

Rand watches the pile of dirty bedraggled feathers wiggle. Satisfied that his correction was not damaging, he returns to his sandwich, replacing the spanner in the tool box. So little time until the reopening. There is so much work to do. Still lunches are a necessity, if they are to have enough energy to finish.
After they leave, Acarus pulls himself upright. Glaring his indignation at metal fish, Acarus checks his wings... Satisfied that these dedicated workers are no longer in striking range he stumbles into a lift off.
Woozily, Acarus flies around the island, shrieking loudly in Dunny. A shy, gentle scholar taking a moments break from his ardous labors and looks curiously out from the library veranda at the odd bird. He then proceeds to take notes....... and blushes. This isnt a very POLITE variant on the ancient tongue ....This stuff sounds like it came OUT of the thoroughly hidden indoor plumbing.Still, the Togahmah rebels have been pressing for something. That last one reached him COVERED in beetles.. Poor Lyster.... "Well," He says to himself, "Lets see what I can do with it." He wanders away shaking his head.

(I will add the other episodes as I locate their hiding places :)