Welcome to Gaia! ::

Left outside your door beside the other gifts is a small package, which appears to be a white trash bag and some red ribbon tied around it. Inside you find two shirts specially made with your wings in mind that will make putting them on and taking them off easier, as well as give your new appendages room to move. One shirt is plain white, the other is royal blue, but both are made from similar soft, cotton fabric. There is also a pair of blue shorts that have a hole in the back for a tail. So it allows you to pull up your pants, position your tail in the hole, then pull a strap over so you aren't having to let your pants hang low or force it through a hole cut-out every morning. You'll also find a few pieces of chocolate and hard fruit candy.

There is also a note in the bag.

Christmas Morning

It was with a little more spring in his long feet that Gaius went about cleaning up Christmas morning, tail swishing in time with a tune playing in his head. Thanks to his recent encounter with Charlie, the room had been cleaned, involving a good deal of grimacing and clenched eyes, returning it to its previous state of controlled chaos. He was just in the midst of heading to the bathroom to shower and wash his hair and tail when a whine and scratching at the door stopped Gaius in his tracks. His head turned, one ear swiveling towards the door. Had he heard what he thought he had? Again the scratching sound.

What in the world could be making that noise? he wondered, moving towards the door. Opening it, he paused, surprised to see a leash tied to the door handle. Even more surprising, though, was the dog that practically leapt on him the moment the door was wide enough. Gaius yelped, holding up his hands defensively, but the dog wasn’t vicious. Quite the contrary, she licked excitedly at his hands, since she couldn’t reach his face.

Gaius couldn’t help but chuckle, mystified as he was. “Down, dog! Down!” Responding quickly, the dog let up, panting up at him with tail wagging happily. Gaius crouched down, finally getting a good look at the dog. A pretty thing, with unusual colorings… Reddish-brown, white, and a mix of grayish and black in the rest, and her eyes, he discovered with surprise, were different colored, one brown and one blue. Around her neck hung a collar, and a tag which he read. “Vixen, huh?” he said aloud. The dog’s wagging grew faster as if in affirmation. Gaius couldn’t help but grin, ruffling her between the ears. And then he found the envelope sitting nearby, as well as several other packages, including a bottle and a little paper crane with a note. Gathering it all up in his arms and holding the leash, Gaius gave the dog a look. “I hope you’re house-trained…”

The load was carried inside and a couple books pushed out of the center of his desk to make room for the stuff, Vixen following eagerly beside him. The first thing he opened once he was sitting was the yellow envelope, looking rather official, and was rewarded with the photocopied paper. “Huh…” he muttered as he read it over. Half the stuff made little sense to him. “Blue merle?” He scrunched an eye, and continued reading over it. “Says you’re smart,” he commented, glancing at Vixen, who now sat looking up at him. She tilted her head to the side, tongue lolling out. “Also says you’re not afraid of stuff… That could be handy! And very active. Heh, guess I’m not gonna be able to weasel out of exercise now, am I?” he smirked, scratching her behind an ear. “I guess since this was all left here… you’re mine?” The realization brought a growing smile to his face. “You know, I’d always wanted a dog…”

Vixen tilted her head into his hand happily, thoroughly enjoying the affection.

For some reason, it made Gaius feel… calm. Strangely calm, and safe. It was like how he felt around Marshall and Oz and the others, but this one he knew would be constant, wouldn’t have to be away in a duplex somewhere carrying on some private business.

Tearing his attention away from Vixen, Gaius looked at the other ‘presents’ he’d received. His eyes instantly fell on the bottled note. The cork was popped off with some difficulty and grunting, but try as he might to stick his fingers in, Gaius couldn’t worm out the note. Frowning with frustration, Gaius grabbed his trashcan and got up, heading outside. Vixen followed after him, but he waved the trashcan in her face. “Stay,” he said, then closed the door behind him. Outside, Gaius went to the bottom of the steps, placing the bottle carefully over the corner of the cement, and using the trashcan to shield from the glass, gave it a solid whack. Krksh! The bottle split, leaving Gaius with a much shorter end in his hand, and a couple pieces… and the note. He tossed the glass in his hand in the trash, ignoring the other bits as he picked up the note to read it eagerly. Anyone that went to that trouble to seal it must have written something important!

He was surprised at first by the initial line, but as his eyes scanned over the note, recognition hit him, as did a pang of guilt. “Antony! Of course!” he breathed. The bottle had been part of their ‘plan,’ way back… so many months ago! Gaius’s long neck arched as he cupped his chin in his palm. Hmm, drinks eh? That was a clever cover… And ‘real’ gift… They could finally bring their plan to fruition! There was still hope on this god-forsaken island!

And then he read the addendum and blushed. Maybe Antony was covering their ploy a little too well…

Once the glass was picked up, Gaius went back up to his duplex, sticking the note to the side of his desk. He picked up the next item, a lumpy paper-wrapped present. Tearing away the paper, he found a painted seashell. Gaius grinned, turning the thing over in his hands. It was a beautiful spiral shape, and smooth to the touch. “From Cody, eh?” he read. “Wonder who that is… Hope it’s not someone I’ve forgotten. Well, nice of them!”

He picked up the little paper crane, seeming dwarfed in his large hand, and delicate. He quickly set it aside with the shell, not wanting to mar it, and read over the note. Ah, Natsumi, the laundry girl! He remembered her fondly, and hoped she was doing well on the island.

Vixen broke into his present unwrapping with a small whine, pushing her nose under his arm, and Gaius obliged her with a pat and ear scratch. “I wonder if they have dog food in the caf…” he worried to himself. That and a water bowl would be necessary. And toys, if he didn’t want her chewing on his tools.

The last two gifts sat on his desk, one a white trash bag and the other a DVD case. Gaius picked up the DVD, reading the note taped to the front. A warm grin spread across his face. “Ah, Marshall! That doofus, he shouldn’t have!” Wondering just what the guy had gotten him, he cracked it open, and sucked in his breath. “Indiana Jones… Wow.” He stared. That brought back so many memories… That was the first time he and Marshall had met, wasn’t it? There in the entertainment room… “Wow…” Still both human. Amazing how much time had passed since that night… and how much the two had been through together. He closed the DVD case, a small smile still on his face. He’d have to thank Marshall later…

And then he turned to the last gift, opening up the tied bag. It had felt flimsy, definitely hinting at something cloth-like inside. The bag produced what appeared two shirts and one pair of shorts, made of solid blues and whites, but there was something strange about them. There were too many holes! Holding one of the shirts up to his chest, it clicked in his head. “Ah!” The gaping holes just below the neck line were clearly meant to slip over his wings, and an examination of the shorts showed that they’d likewise been fit for his tail. Finally reading the note, Gaius smirked, figuring he should have read it first instead of trying to figure the stuff out himself. “Heh, thanks Lucas!” he chuckled, holding the blue shirt up to admire it. With the onset of winter and the weather getting wetter, if not cooler, he’d been contemplating trying to fix some shirts to wear. The present was just in time! And Lucas liked the chair! His smile widened.

“Well, let’s see how this fits!” he said, avoiding Vixen as he got up and went to the bathroom. Taking a quick shower, Gaius toweled off his mane and tail, leaving both messy and damp. They’d dry later. Then he got dressed, putting on his usual jeans with the hole cut out of the back end. Over them he pulled on the new blue shirt, slipping his arms through first, then, with some maneuvering, his wings. It fitted well, if a smidge tight around the neck, but that would get worked out well enough once it was stretched with use. Gaius regarded himself in the mirror, brushing some damp bangs out of his face. The shirt neckline did accent just how long (and wide!) his neck had become, but Gaius wasn’t about to give up the warmth and cover for looks.

He went back out into the main room and found that Vixen had managed to get the shell off his desk while he was busy and was nudging it with her nose and pawing at it. “Vix! No! Bad dog!” Gaius scolded, snatching the shell away. Definitely in need of toys.

Clipping the leash back on her collar, Gaius sat himself on the edge of his bed to tie his sandals before getting back up and looked down at the dog now exploring the area beneath his bed. “Come on, let’s see what we can grab for you in the way of food…”

Vixen’s head perked up at the mention of food and she walked beside him excitedly, happy to be able to explore this new world she was in.

It had been a merry Christmas indeed for Gaius.

Outside your duplex door is a small gift, wrapped in simple lined paper with your name written on top, and a little card taped to the top. Upon opening the gift, you see an apparently blank CD;



The note reads:

Gaius

We definately need to hang out again at some point. Pretty people've gotta stick together, right? =P Anyways, here's my christmas present, sorry it's late. I had to scrounge around for gifts, so sorry it's not too good. It's just a mix of some of my bands songs, hope you like them. Merry christmas!

Shenzi

Reserved - Oz's change on the job

Say Hay?
Richard interviews Gaius at the construction site about his work and plans for the theater.

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=11&t=7038099#94647634

Jumbo Chicken Wings
Gaius comforts Shenzi as they talk out in the woods and she undergoes her most startling change yet.

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=7268645

We Need To Talk...
RP with Marshall

http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=10&t=5374945#95584717