Welcome to Gaia! ::

Just before the new year, according to the Gaian Calendar. The snow was still on the ground, cold air just made the fires inside, and warm food all that much better.

And the Magesmith, unwitting father figure of two midgets was out in the yard of the Adoption Center, watching Ninja Steve build himself up a small snowfort and collection of snowballs, his base across the yard from the Magesmith's own snow fort, made with the same meticulous effort he put into his metalworking, nearly 4 feet high, and stock piled with more than enough snow.

And wrapped up in heavy winter clothes and blankets, he kept Isys within arms reach, talking softly to her about the secrets of the snow war, watching her bright eyes seeming to follow his every word.

Though he did doubt that she knew what he was speaking about.

Next thing the magesmith knew, a chill passed through his body having little to do with the winter weather. A cold terror passed through his mind, freezing him in place while far away, he could hear a cry of "STEALTH ATTACK" and dully felt snow impact his body.

"It's coming..." he whispered softly, and with a deathly serious stare froze Steve in his tracks.

"Come on, we need to get inside, get some soup, maybe a movie," he told him as he rose to his feet, ignoring the cold wet spots where Steve had pegged him.

"AW!" he groaned, even as he tossed the last snowball in his hand towards Isys, missing by several feet however.

"Come on kid, I'm serious."

"But we just STARTED!"

"NOW!" he barked out, rougher than he ment, and saw the kid flinch visable. Even Isys in his hands seemed to wince at the nose too, opening her mouth wide and letting out a little baby gurble.

Pouting, Steve's arms, head, and shoulders hung low as he trudged through the snow, dragging his feet up the steps to the door.

"When are we gonna play 'gain?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder as the Magesmith came up, hurrying him along into the building.

"Soon, soon, I promise," he answered, pushing Steve inside as he darted in, slamming the door shut tight.

He tore his left glove off with his teeth, reaching out for the doorknob, pouring just about every type of magelock he knew onto the portal, while he held Isys in his right.

The infant looked very, disturbed, very odd for her. She was frowning, eyes squinting, fidgiting in his arms. Yamazaki held her close, whispering softly an old folk song to her, trying to calm her down.

Yamazaki turned around quickly, his back against the door, looking over all the gathered kids. His eyes darted between them, trying to figure out just what to tell them, what could possibly cover it.

"Um... you can't... because a horrible monster is coming... I felt it..." he answered, stuttering and stammering while he hammered out this story, "It isn't safe out there, not right now."

Close enough to the truth.

And right behind it, there was the Telepathy. Not like Rune's, or the Temporal Ninjas. This one felt a little more, invasive. As though it was reaching in, probing his thoughts.

Oh Myron, what horrible thoughts...

He winced visably, though no one else could hear it. There was a little image in the back of his mind showing just what he thought this telepath could do to herself...

Steve looked up, confused, and tugged at his pant legs, "What monster?"

Even Isys seemed confused, her little hand reaching up to poke at her father's face.

Suddenly his face turned quite angry, scowling, giving a "I'm going to knife someone" look, though he wasn't looking at any of the kids.

Finally he reached out with his hand, removing the locks, and opening the door, "Go on, quickly, if you want... you too Steve..."

Steve turned, smiling at Caz ear to ear, fully ready to go out and tear up the yard.

"It wasn't a lie," he said, giving Morgan a false smile and a wink. In his mind at least, it wasn't. It really was a monsterous thing coming. And he could feel it coming closer and closer, weighing on his mind.

He shook his head, letting out a long sigh, shifting Isys to his other arm, and feeling the Infant finally settle down.

"But they'll be fine out there... I think..."

He sighed again, and started pacing back and forth in front of the door, glancing at it constantly, as though any moment he expected something to pop out of that door.

"Where has Rune gone to?" he asked Morgan. Hopefully, far, far away. Even now he could feel it nearby. Maybe just a few hundred feet.

Oh ho, and who is that?

Immediately a wall of rage appeared in his mind, and the Magesmith's eyes flashed fiery, his teeth grinding together and his whole body looking to be as tense as the steel he worked with.

Par for the course. He was hardly phased by fire alarms now, it never seemed to be too much trouble. Other than to clean. He sighed again, trying to breath slowly, getting back to a calm center.

And Isys started squirming in his arms again, trying to wiggle out of her winter clothes, now too hot to be inside with. Barely even thinking about it, he set her down on his knee, unzipping her jacket and peeling it away like some layer of whale blubber. It was almost like she shed half her weight, the jacket seeming to be just as large as the baby. No wonder she was uncomfortable.

He started pacing again, Isys in arm, muttering softly to himself. No words could be made out, but those that could read lips could definately pick out more than a few of the more flagarant curses they'd ever have heard.

.....


And outside, someone approached the the building. A tall, thin figure, nearly six feet and change. She was wrapped in a long winter coat, dark blue in color, and quite expensive from the quality of the material, not to mention the slightly lighter blue embroidery which decorated the edges, and bright silver buttons.

But that wasn't all. Nope, some of the brighter kids might have noticed a small, blueish marking on her forehead, right in the Third Eye position, barely visable under her dark locks.

She moved slowly, gracefully, seeming to float along, rather than walking, and with a very smug, pleased smile on her face.

With a groan he plopped down on the couch, more out of anger and frustration than any sort of fatigue. He tried to sink deeply into it, even as he gave Isys a little kiss on her forehead and handed her off to Ri.

When Ri took her up, Isys just stared blankly at her, quiet, mouth closed, no readable expression on her face, though her little hands poked at her arms, testing them out. They felt so different from her father's, after all.

"Well... I came here you know, hoping to avoid someone... that someone is coming. Just outside..."

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Steve paused, staring up at the strange lady, frowning slightly, his eyebrows furrowing together as he studied her.

After a solid minute, he shook his head, "Dunno," he answered Caz, and gave a little shrug. It seemed hardly worth his attention. Not when he could do this.

He darted out from behind the wall, a snowball in each hand. One was fired off nice and quick, not really aimed, just seeing if anyone would duck. The next one came in after anyone that dove for cover, or, failing that, the first enemy he saw.


And meanwhile, the woman continued, coming to a stop in front of the Center, turning right on her heels and staring across the yard to the doorway. She seemed to be ignoring the children, at least for now, though those more attune to such things would probably pick up a little probe in their minds, poking about, reading thoughts and emotions, though it said nothing.

She stood there, taking a deep breath before venturing down the walk splitting the yard, right towards the door.

"She knows I'm here..." he muttered. He knew it, he had felt her in his mind after all. Just like every year of his young life, there was no mistaking that feeling.

"Feel like stabbing someone? Its alright, I don't mind..." he asked Ri, only half joking.

Isys frowned, feeling the softer flesh of Ri. And not as much of it. After all, the magesmith was a bigger man, and the work on the forge made sure his arms were in the greatest of shapes. Still, it seemed to be able to hold her up.

Nodding slowly she started to curl up, content to fall asleep in Ri's arms now.

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"What magic?!" Steve called out. He hadn't used any. If he had, well, more of his snowballs would have hit, after all. He stomped his foot, very indignant at this suggestion of cheating. And unlike everyone else, seemingly completely clueless about the little mental probe going on.



The woman stopped, smiling cooly, the practiced, false, empty smile that would have belonged on the best of courtiers. She seemed somewhat old. Maybe 40 or so, but it was hard to tell, other than the marking on her forehead, there didn't seem to be any real age spots, wrinkles, or other clues to hint at her true age.

But her eyes, her eyes seemed old as they locked onto Duncan.

"Very good little Duncan, keep that level head and you'll go far."

Her voice was a whisper on the wind, light and easy to miss. The pitch however was fairly deep, at least for a woman, giving her a rich, bass sound rather than the lilting, high sopranno of various other Proper Ladies.

With that, she stepped around the kid, paying no more attention to him as she continued onto the door.

He shook his head, "Not too much... just with me..." he groaned out. As much as he hated her.... well, he'd never let someone stab her. Or harm her. The conflict in his mind and heart just started to make him angry again as he was torn between the two extremes.

Oh, how touching...

And once more the conflict cleared, and only anger remained, the magesmith practically seething as he felt that the sneak attack in a moment of conflict dragged off more information than he wanted to give.

Isys frowned and turned towards her father, reaching out with her hands towards him, letting out another little garble of babytalk.

And with that, he smiled once more, seeming to calm down a little as he looked over.


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Steve blinked, still wondering what was happening. None of it really made sense. But, well, while everyone else was distracted...

He bent over, scooping up a snowball in each hand, packign them down one handed just like Yamazaki showed him, and he was armed again, tossing one each at two different targets, wanting to get the game started again.

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I am family.

That sounded in Duncan's head, along with a flood of images, emotions, sounds, memories, all about the magesmith, and his childhood. It blurred by too fast to really catch more than a glimpse here and there. But one thing was clear. This woman must have known him since birth...

And most likely leaving Duncan behind dazed and information shocked she continued to the door, stepping up onto the porch, and knocking softly on the door.

Yamazaki snapped off something in a foreign tongue. The old language of his homeworld. And something he probably wouldn't have bothered translating for Ri lest her ears burn off.

He couldn't feel her probing anyone else, but he could sure as hell see some mass explosive magical force, just like smoke coming from the crack under the door. Whatever it was, it was probably big, more power than technique. Thus, probably not Her doing.

Conflict of interests put aside he bolted up off the couch, nearly ripping the door off its hinges trying to get it open. Only to see the wall of snow just on the other side.

"Kid..." he muttered, almost as though it ws a curse. He figured it had to be one of them. Probably one with a lot of raw power and not a lot of sense...

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Isys trembled slightly in Ri's arms, the feeling of magic and tension in the air putting a little fear in her infant heart. It was like she could feel all the magic and psionics. There were large, scary, like some great, fierce Dragon just outside the door. And her father just opened up the portal, letting her take an eyeful of it.

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Steve turned, locking eyes with Caz. He always seemed smart and level headed, as his father would say, when these things happened. He stared blankly at him, snow falling from his hands, his smile gone. He waited, he waited for the smarter kid to explain what was going on.

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Oh please, he's just a little excited is all, he'll be fine.

The mental voice was mocking, condescending as it spoke towards the little girl that summoned up the Snow Wall. She didn't turn to face the demi-goddess of the midgets however, still keeping her eyes on the snow wall. Her lips pursed slightly as she studied it, looking upon it as some oddity, rather than the works of a dangerous child.

Finally she reached out a finger to tap at the snow, grinning slightly as it seemed to start melting where she touched it, leaving a little 6 inch hole, and a small puddle of water forming on the steps.