Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Oh... !" Loki nearly jumped in her seat in surprise. She sat up, and kept her hands over the lower half of her face.

“You’re being a strong, caring mother. Forgive me. I had no intention of eavesdropping. But we will do everything we can to help keep you and Jarod safe and get you two ready for the challenges ahead.”

"It's alri- I mean, I'm sorry, I-" Loki stopped and took a moment to calm herself. "I'm sorry, Rodger, I didn't hear you come in, I must have really... I'm sorry, this is kind of embarassing," she admitted, almost ready to laugh at herself.

Finally looking up at him, she placed her hands on her lap and smiled. "Thank you, Rodger. I really appreciate it. Everything that you've all done, and are doing. I hope to become a worthy ally... I'm just finding it hard not to worry about the fact my son will someday have t-"

Jarod, who had been humming a song on his way back to the chair, suddenly came skipping back into the picture. "Rodger, I knew it! I knew I heard your voice," he proclaimed as he stepped towards his mother. "Mom, don't worry, we already talked about this," he assured his mother, and was pleased with how grown-up the sentence sounded to him. "Here you go." He handed Loki a napkin. "I couldn't find any tissues, but then I found this in my pocket. I promise it's clean, I just forgot I had it there."

Loki planted a kiss on her son's forehead and thanked him for the napkin. "This will do."

"Rodger, what's going on?" he asked with a quieter voice, suddenly remembering he was in a library. He glanced at the books by his mother. "Is it time for bed already?" Jarod looked up at the man, hoping that wasn't the reason he had come downstairs with them. He still had so many questions, so much stuff he wanted to know, and as much as he loved books, he knew there were things even they couldn't teach him.

Rodger gave a kind smile as Loki started apologizing as she tried to calm herself and find the right words.

“Really.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t need to apologize. You’re not the one who was eavesdropping, remember? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Everyone has their doubts and worries. Even shapeshifting supermoms.”

He nodded as she thanked him. "All in a day's work, ma'am," he said at a pause in her speaking and tipped an invisible cowboy hat. "And you already are a 'worthy alley.' Don't worry about that."

Rodger's head cocked toward the sound of child’s humming as it drew swiftly nearer. He looked over and he waved as Jarod called his name, and watched the exchange between the child and his mother. He sighed, then gave a disapproving frown at Jarod’s inability of finding a tissue.

“I’ve told her to clean that desk off,” he scolded. “I’ve tried to do it, but I swear the mess is back the moment I blink.”

His face changed to mild amusement as the child inquired almost fearfully whether it was time for bed. “Your bedtime’s up to your mom.” He strode toward the table with the books, picked up part of a stack, and turned them to the side to look at their titles and Dewey decimals. “But even books need to sleep, and their bedtime’s up to me. But you're welcome to take a few upstairs.”

He stepped back around the table and leaned toward Jarod, shiftily moving his eyes before whispering loudly, "Don't tell your mom, but I highly encourage after-bedtime reading." He winked, then straightened.“Since you’re a junior librarian now, if your mom’s okay with it,” he glanced to Loki, “and you’re feeling up to it, would you like to check for any books out of place and put them back for me while I...”

His words trailed off as the almost happy sound of rustling pages echoed through the aisle. Rodger's eyes narrowed slightly, wondering who would be dare come to the library on such a night.

Guess the doors weren’t locked, he thought dismally, suspicion saturating his thoughts and spreading to his face.

“Sorry to dash off, but someone just came in. I’ll be back.” Rodger sat the books back down and started through the passage to the front of the library. Once hidden from Jarod and Loki’s, he held his hand out to his side and summoned his golden quarterstaff, just in case. Resting part of it nonchalantly on his shoulder, he strode confidently into the space beneath the painted dome. He slid to a halt, his shoes squeaking against the wooden paneling.

Chaim turned to Rodger, the angel’s face calm despite the worry in his eyes and the sense of duty hanging thickly around him.

“Chaim!” Rodger’s words echoed in the dome above, and his weapon disappeared as he sunk to one knee in a bow.

Chaim sighed heavily as he stepped to the librarian. “Please, Rodger. How many times must I tell you to stop that?”

“Once more, it seems.” Rodger grinned at Chaim and accepted the angel’s helping hand up. “I should’ve known you’re the only one crazy enough to brave this storm. To what do I and the library owe this honor?”

Chaim’s face grew serious. “I need to speak with your guests. Are they here?”

“Which ones?”

Chaim’s brows furrowed slightly. “Karinda and Saiirin. Are there others?”

“A young mother and son, both shifters, and an odd child who accompanied Karinda here. I sent someone to inform you of the former. Loki and Jarod. They’ve recently decided to join our cause.”

“I haven’t been at the headquarters most of the day.” Chaim shook his head slightly, then looked Rodger in the eye. “It’s imperative that I speak with Karinda and Saiirin as soon as possible.”

“Yes, yes! Of course. They’re upstairs, but Loki and Jarod are down here.” Rodger glanced to the door, where a faint green aura radiated from a seal placed over it by Chaim. The corner of Rodger’s lips quirked slightly. “I should let them know before I just disappear.”

Chaim nodded. “Lead. I shall follow.” He gestured for Rodger to lead the way.

They’re going to love this, Rodger thought as he turned and hurried back through bookcases to where he had left the two shifters.

Chaim silently followed after the librarian. Book pages rustled excitedly as the angel passed, making Chaim give a small smile, which only encouraged the books.

“Loki! Jarod!” Rodger called a moment before he emerged into the little reading area, a grin spreading from ear to ear. “I’d like to introduce you to Chaim, the Lord of the Sea and Commander of the Defenders.”

Chaim raised an eyebrow at the eccentric librarian as Rodger moved aside with an introductory bow, granting the angel a clear view of Loki and Jarod. Surprise flashed over his face and recognition settled in the depths of his heterochromatic eyes as he looked at two of those he had seen in the crystal of his befriended psychic.


Vanessa eyed Segmon suspiciously as he extended a hand to her. Slowly, she shifted the weight of her weapon to one hand then reached toward Segmon’s.

Clayton glanced quickly between the two, his arm blade quivering slightly with the next peal of thunder. The fleshy weapon thinned and lengthened slightly before returning to its previous shape as Vanessa’s hand cautiously clasped Segmon’s.

“That it is,” she muttered.

“Enough shuffling papers,” Clayton growled. “Get on with why you’re here, or get out, Segmon.” He spat the man’s name.

~OOC

Jarod, like his mother, nodded as Rodger went to see about the newcomer. He had nearly forgotten about his new position as "junior librarian", as Rodger put it. With a smile plastered on his face by delight found in his new title, he gathered carefully the books from the desk beside his mother. "I'll go put these back first," he said to her as he stepped away, trying to form a mental list of which shelves he remembered pulling them from.

"Are you sure you've got it?" Loki asked, entertained by her son's reaction to Rodger's shenanigans. Her mind was better at ease for the time being, and she was glad again to have found the Defenders. The sound of Rodger's voice and that of whoever he had encountered echoed above them.

"Uh-huh!" Jarod slipped away into the rows of books.

"Alright. I'll look around here, let me know if you need any help." Loki made it only two or three bookcases away from the armchair she had been sitting in before the sound of numerous rustling pages reached her ears. Her eyes tried to follow the sound through the books until she tensed at the realization that the noise was coming closer to she and her son's location. A few quick steps closer to the armchair and she was nearly surprised by Rodger's sudden but cheerful re-appearance.

Loki relaxed through his enthusiastic introduction, then a look of surprise to mirror Chaim's won over her face as Rodger's words registered in her mind.

"... Lord of the Sea and Commander of the Defenders."

Loki leaned nervously forward into a polite bow and introduced herself.
"Sir, I've only ever heard stories of you, it's... truly an honor to have the chance to meet you... m-"

"Whaow..." Jarod's voice rose up from behind Loki. He walked up to his mother's side slowly, his expression changing from one with serious, searching eyes, to an open-mouth grin of awe and disbelief as he neared the new stranger in front of them. He had returned, empty-handed now, expecting something exciting after hearing the way Rodger had called their names, but this... well, this was the stuff of his dreams.

Loki smiled warmly at her son, recognizing the impact this would have on him. Despite her initial nervousness in meeting Chaim, she found herself somewhat calmed by his presence now.

Jarod took his mother's hand and giggled breathlessly as she introduced him, and he stared up in admiration at the angel with a grin not unlike Rodger's. Chaim was even greater than Jarod imagined. This had to be the tallest man he'd ever met, he thought, but it wasn't in a scary way. And his eyes... Jarod broke the stare just long enough to glance at his mother... their eyes were almost alike.

Loki followed her son's look to Chaim. then grew a bit self-conscious as she became aware of an odd look in the angel's gaze.

OOC

((Have fun! Sorry, guys. I have been extremely preoccupied lately and have not gotten the chance to post here--obviously. I'll also be going out of town for the next week, so will try to get something up, but if I don't, know that's why.))

Plushy enter the throne room, flows of lava cover every door, lava pools decorate the floor. The room is fancy looking, and dressed with curtains, banners, and the scales of balance. They loom large behind the throne where king Tamaya sits. Their are other dragons around the room, members of the court, they add much color to the room. "Plushy, what are you doing here?" "Plushy is here to report on the dragon Saiirin." "Saiirin is here? I'm sure the guard could have escorted her just fine." "The Saiirin is not here, she has refused to come, she would not part from her bond." "NOOOO! Why? What evil is Saiirin plotting against us? Has she forgotten she is a dragon too?"
((my occ))

((It's all good, Rikku. smile There's really no hurry, so don't feel rushed. Thanks for letting me know that you are still around, though. I appreciate that. I'm so sorry that things went "wrong" for you. I hope it gets better soon.))

((Thought I should also drop in to show that I'm still alive. :') I'm sorry I've taken a while to reply too, I have been checking the RP so I am caught up with what's going on, just haven't had a chance to put together a reply. My goal is to have one up by the end of this week! smile Seems we've all been a lil busy, huh? O.o ))

((thanks...sees plushy is last post, so more waiting for me rolleyes ))