Welcome to Gaia! ::

It had been a week since she was released from the hospital. Most of her scrapes and cuts had healed up at this point. Her jaw was still on the mend and would be for a few weeks yet but the giant bruise that had once been an angry blue and purple wasn’t as vibrant and was beginning to morph into an ugly green and yellow. But, Chailee was finally able to convince her parents that she -needed- to get out of the house. She was going stir crazy being cooped up all day. She was a girl who liked to keep herself busy in one way or another. As much as she enjoyed reading she had already gone through everything in her room and the idea of re-reading another novel (She had already re-read 3 of them) just wasn't as interesting as getting her hands on a new book. Plus, visiting the Library meant she could take care of something else. So, there she was, standing in front of the library with her father in the car behind her.

“Just give me a call and I’ll come pick you up. Don’t go anywhere besides the Library.” He fixed her an ‘I am serious’ look before rolling up the window and driving off down the road.

Chailee sighed. So it begins. They’re going to make it really hard to sneak out at night for awhile. It really wasn’t all that surprising that they were being overprotective and a bit untrusting. The story she had weaved for them was very tenuous considering she had blamed the whole occurrence on a dare from a couple of kids at school. Her father had been a bit more understanding than her mother about the whole ordeal since he had done things like that in his youth. But since her adventure turned out with her being in the hospital neither of them wanted to take any risks with her right now.

A cold wind blew down the street funneled by the buildings. Chay felt a chill run up her back and she hurried into the multi-level library stopping only to wipe her boots off of any snow that might have collected on them from her short trip from the car. Slipping off her gloves she stuffed them into her brown messenger bag as she walked onto the main floor. Green eyes darted around as she looked for Tony and unbuttoned her coat. She had assumed he’d be here since he owned the place. She debated on asking a librarian if he was here, but decided against it. If he was here she was sure she’d find him eventually.

After circling the main floor she decided to head upstairs to the floor that held the fiction books. Even if she didn’t find Tony she had all intentions of spending an hour or two nestled in a corner nook with a book to two. Just the change of location and atmosphere was a breath of fresh air. Not to mention the smell of books also lured her into a sense of comfort. She knew exactly which corner she wanted to curl up in too.

Reaching her desired floor Chay made her way to her desired location. A little reading area settled in the back corner of the floor was her destination and she wasted no time in depositing her bag and coat upon her chair of choice, a large and obviously well worn armchair. Despite it’s old appearance Chay knew it was comfortable and with the lack of windows she’d be able to completely focus on her reading.

So, spot claimed, Chailee headed towards the book shelves with no real idea of what she wanted and was quite willing to let the books draw her to them.

As she meandered through the fiction novels she stopped periodically to investigate books that caught her interest whether it was the name on the spine or just the color of the cover. Some were her usual area of reading but hadn't fully caught her interest while others made her wrinkle her nose up in distaste before she carefully put them back.

She sighed as she glanced away from the books in front of her to gaze up the the aisle. So many books lined the shelves. She had so much to peruse that making a decision on only one book was going to be tough. As much as she wished she could sit and read several of them at once it just wasn't a feasible trick. She walked a bit further down as a red covered book caught her attention. The spine lacked the name of the book but upon further investigation she realized she had found a little gem if a flip through the first chapter was any indication. So with her new book tucked under her arm she began walking back to her nook when she noticed someone else roaming down an aisle. Stopping and back peddling a step to be nosey she was pleasantly surprise to be looking at, what she thought was, Tony the Librarians back.

She hesitated a moment. Not sure if she should interrupt him since he seemed busy. Isn't he the main reason I came here? Well that and to get away form the house for a little while? She paused for a moment of two more before walking down the aisle. "Um...Tony?"

Chailee couldn't help the giggle that escaped her from Tony's startled exclamation but she did her best to try and stifle it to preserve the mans dignity. Tried being the key word.

"I am sorry. I didn't think you were so into your work." It felt odd to her though to think that she could startle someone who has such a strong Aura about him when transformed. Then again, she never would have thought that Camelot would be the library and adorable corgi owning type either if he hadn't revealed who he was.

She blinked at him as her hand went up to cover the bruise on her face as Tony pointed it out. I guess he didn't seem me power down that night. In actuality she had just managed to power down in time before someone had found her and get her into the hospital so there really was little time for Tony to have seen her.

"That's what I came to talk to you about." She removed her hand from the bruise carefully as she wrapped her arms around the book now cradled against her chest by both of her arms. "I came to thank you for saving me that night. I mean...Oh I don't know how this works since you can't recognize me right now."

Would he only make the association if she powered up in front of him? Was that even safe to do here in the library?

Chailee exhaled softly in relief when Tony recognized her. The magic is so strange. At least it's convenient though.

"Yea." She smiled softly at Tony's obvious excitement and made sure to keep her voice down as well. "I'll be fine once everything fully heals up. The only thing that's going to take awhile is my jaw but thanks to you I got away pretty much unhurt...considering..." She didn't want nor felt like she needed to finish the sentence. She was sure Tony...er...Camelot, had seen what had been going on before he intervened. "I learned some hard lessons."

Being new to the whole senshi experience had been such a thrilling thing for Chailee but now it was remotely terrifying. That night had driven home for her how terrible the was they were involved in was and how real it all could be.

"I wanted to come thank you sooner but my parents wouldn't let me out of their sight. I think the fact they saw that I'd tear the house apart soon if I didn't get out was the only reason they let me come here today. Though I am under strict orders not to leave the Library under any circumstances." She chuckled softly.

Chailee appreciated the warmth that seemed to exude off of Tony as he leaned in and spoke to her. It eased her mind and she smiled appreciatively. With a nod she let the last of the tension to ease out of her body.

Of course that was all dashed when he brought up the book. She looked at him guiltily, almost afraid to say anything. After all, she was a book lover, maybe not as much as Tony (she didn't own a whole library after all) but she knew how much love could be bestowed upon the pages of a well written novel.

"Um...About that book. I kind of damaged it." She looked both sorry and uneasy as the words escaped her lips and instead of standing in an uneasy silence to hear what he had to say about it she just plunged on as he eyes darted downward to look at his shoes. "It happened before I became a senshi and I was attacked by a youma, and a senshi name Chaonis came to save me but I was scared and threw the book at the youma cause it was the closest thing to me and I didn't think and it hit the snow and got wet and pages got bent and...I am so sorry." Her little explanation came out of her so quickly that it took a singular breath to get through.

She glanced up at him through blue bangs. "I have it with me though..."

Chailee felt horrible that she had damaged the book. She could tell that Tony wasn't happy about it and that made her feel all that more guilty about the whole situation. If only she hadn't been so panicked that night maybe she wouldn't have thrown it.

"Yea I mean, I can pay you for it or even replace it if I can. Wait...Chaonis is your...son?" And the thought of that night happening at the length which Chaonis had gone to make sure she got home alright made her blush slightly at the memory and she quickly spoke. "Oh no! No, he definitely helped me out. He was nice and made sure I got home alright too." She could feel the blush on her cheeks getting brighter as she quickly turned away. "Um, I'll go get the book I'll be right back!"

She scurried away as fast as she could to the chair she had claimed as her own for the day with her things. She took a few deep breaths to help calm herself from the embarrassing memory of Chaonis literally carrying her home before digging in her bag. She shuffled things around before pulling out the battered book as she winced slightly as the obvious water damage to it and the bent and creased pages from it's ungraceful tumble in the snow.

Taking her time to make sure her cheeks had the time to loose their redness she made sure her things were well secured on the chair in a neat manner before going back to the aisle Tony had been in. When she found him again she shyly handed the book over to him.

Chailee could tell Tony was upset over the book. She couldn't blame him either. If she had let someone borrow one of her own precious books and they returned it in a similar type of state as the one she handed Tony she'd be quite upset herself.

His obvious need to keep off the subject of the massacred book was something Chay was all too willing to go along with. "Wow...I mean...how did you two end up finding out about each other?" Chay could truely be as curious as a kitten. If only that curiosity came with 9 lives as well she'd be in good shape. Atleast this time all her curiosity might get her is a possible story or maybe a gentle brushing off. Nothing that would harm her in any way.