Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Pasa!" George shouted.

"What?!" Elliot asked at the demon that looked like Hasta without being Hasta.

"Hold hands!" Kashi said, linking Elliot and Tsume's before dragging them to Alvaro and Lewis, Oliver unknowingly being included in the link next to Megan and Lewis before stopping.

George grabbed the hare's hand. "Pasa! Move us!"

Henry was surprised, another bentien being freed of her mark by a guard. There were a few men dead behind him, the ones who had tried to let the bentiens die. "What on earth--?"

"no time!" George shouted, grabbing Henry's hand. "To Falia!"

Elliot looked at Pasa before looking around quickly. The beauty of Falia would have to wait. what caught his eye was a crowd around the library and he quickly ran through it, following Tsume before staggering into the library. "Leo?!" but he saw the vines covering the tank and he ran forward. "What are the trees doing?!" he shouted, panic, anger and fear coursing through his veins as a dangerous cocktail. "No. Please. Oh god please. Leonard." he moaned, hitting the rail angrily and looking at the tree which contained the library. "Please know what you're doing!" it sounded more angry than begging, but hopefully they understood what he felt instead of what he said.

Alvaro paused a moment to look at Falia before Henry and Megan grabbed him, running through the crowd and pushing him forward. Really, his priorities as king. But even in the library he stared in awe, listening to Hasta while looking at the inside layout of the library.

George was on the other side of Tsume as Hasta explained tears in his eyes. He had just gotten his son back and the trees had taken them. What caught him off guard was screaming and he turned, seeing a child as white as the moonlight scream and shout, Leo's familiar having to hold her back. "Tsume..." he murmured, tears rolling down his cheeks both for Leo and now for this new child. "Tsume..."

Nix, Nix, the name his wife wanted for the child. The murmuring was ignored as this child looked up at him with teary eyes. "Nix." he whispered, afraid to say it louder in case it would break the illusion that she was there. He moved down onto his knees to get a closer look at her, gently cupping her face. How funny, she looked more like him. "My precious daughter." and held her tightly. "My Nix. My lovely little Nix!" he cried out, tears rolling down his face. he had family. She was alive. "You are so beautiful. I'm so sorry I missed you growing up."

Alvaro watched, the scene tugging hard at his heartstrings to where he grew teary eyed. His arm moved and he turned, holding Lewis close. "I love you so much." he murmured, watching the father and daughter reunite.

Elliot felt a stare and turned, seeing Birch standing there and it made his heart sink. "Please." he said hoarsely, "Please." and grabed hers hands, ears lowered. He was truly frightened, he could show he was frightened here. Worried, scared, feeling sick even. ""Please let me sleep here." he murmured as she let go. He would wait here until Leo was returned. Leo wasn't gone but the trees took him to protect him. "Please don't let him end up like his mother." he whimpered to the vines and roots covering the center of the room, moving and sitting on the ground. He did turn at the mention of George, looking at everyone else and copying their positon.

George clung to his daughter tightly before looking at Birch, remembering her. "You haven't aged a day." he murmured before looking at everyone else as they bowed. "It is great to be back. You may all rise. I am hardly presentable." and chuckled before looking at the center piece once more.

Alvaro knelt down as well, a silent thanks to the other for allowing them in their country before looking at Birch. She was a tree. A talking tree. A talking humanoid tree. And naked? Did wearing bark count? His lover moved and Alvaro tried to subtly grab him and failed. He couldn't call any louder without bringing attention to himself. But he curled inwards as Lewis touched the womans? skin/clothes/bark stuff. She didn't appear angry, just wondering. "Sorry." Alvaro said as Lewis scurried back. "Um, myths. Uh, odd. Does't exist. Well it does, apparently, you do. Um." and found himself wishing Reinette was there to keep him from tumbling over his words.

Alvaro watched her stand and tried not to shrink down. She was rather tall. Excessively so. The woman held out her hand and Alvaro took it, surprised at how human it felt yet so completely, tree-like at the same time. "Thank you." he murmured, rubbing his thumb across her skin before blushing and letting go. "I'm sorry." and held Lewis's hand to stop himself (and Lewis) from any more inappropriate touching. He glanced at his son who sat there wearing a looking torn, confused and depressed. "He will be fine." the man murmured before looking to the woman and nodding. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Alvaro, Elliot's father. And this is Lewis, his Uncle!" Did he say they were lovers? Was that accepted here? "That's right the girls are here! Oh I haven't seen them in so long."

George listened and nodded as orders were given. It seemed that Falia had been running just fine without him. "They need to be released and given free rights as soon as possible." he murmured. "All of Reta will be in an uproar. We need to send some men to prevent that from happening in the most gentle way possible" he told Tsume, letting go of Nix only for her to quickly grab his hand. "I'd like to see our tree. I wonder if the draft is still there. Tsume always complained of it saying your brother would catch cold one day." and paused to pick her up with a smile walking the rest of the way. "Oh it's so nice to meet you, my baby girl." and began climbing the steps. "Worn down in the middle. Your brother liked to walk on the edges so that they would be evenly worn. Your mother wanted to install a handle for him so he wouldn't fall off the sides." and chuckled. "Your brother, as even tempered as he is, always liked to be on edges of things as a child." but Nix was older than his memories of Leo. So much childhood lost with little way to gain it back. "I need to have memories with you, now."

The lynx barely twitched an ear as Tsume sat himself beside the prince, silver eyes not looking at the wolf but instead at the vines. It would be okay. Leo was strong. He'd pull through. "I know." was all the quiet voice could say before finally giving a small sigh. "When you wish to shift on command, how do you manage so?"

Martha groaned and fell into the ground. "I quit. I can't run. We've been running. I hate this forest."

"the house is right there!" Annabelle exclaimed, pointing to where Nix was walking up the stairs with some man. "We're almost there I promise!"

"I'm more curious about the crowd." Emily murmured before looking at a nearby tree. "Pasa's asleep again." and walked forward, finding the blond boy curled there. "You're not from Falia."

"Come! On! Princesses do not drag other Princesses!" And dragged Martha to Emily's position, panting and placing her hands on her knees. "You're heavier than a boar."

"I don't care if Dad's here I'm exhausted. I've been doing 'frolicking' and 'running' and 'running for my life because sister thought they weren't poisonous.'"

"They weren't." Emily said. "You frightened them."

(( I'm trying to work on a posting style that has all fifty billion images I need XD ))

"Y-yes! that's amazing! A speaker for the trees! I thought your kind nothing more than myth and this! This is amazing! You are so beautiful!" and looked, finding his daughters. "Oh dear you're right. Just like they tore poor Justin apart when meeting him." and looked back at them. "Girls!" he called happily, waving his arm. he had to have stood out with his clothes. "Girls bring Oliver with you!"

"Daddy!" And Annabelle dropped Martha to run to her father, the man letting go of Lewis's hand to pick her up and kiss her head.

"Oh my sweetheart! You look so beautiful in Falian clothes! But your hair is short! and not pink!"

"We made a bet with boys and lost, so we really had to look like triplets!"

Emily looked between the two children and her father, squeaking a small apology before running, being swept up next in his arms.

Martha looked up from her spot on the ground. "You. Drag me." and paused, remembering the Falian's words and groaned. "Nevermind. C'mon." and stood up, dusting off her dirty front and walking to her Dad, trying to keep a frown but soon happily hugged him, the man bending down to her level and hugging all three of them.

"I intend to. I'll be spending as much time with you as possible." He stroked her white hair from her face. "It would be wise to not peer into my memories, little Nix. Leo would be harmed when trying to erase them." and set her down by the front door, looking back down at the steps. "No, it doesn't make you bad, that just means you know things about this house that I don't. But it looks very much alike." and opened the door. "Almost a mirror image. He did complain often that the living room was too small for him. It's taller." and laughed. "Tsume has allowed himself to live here comfortably." And saw a familiar rocking chair, eyes turning warm. "Your mother, when she was pregnant with you," George picked Nix up and sat himself down on it, holding the girl in his lap. "She would hold her stomach and gently rock back and forth, humming lullabies to you." and slowly began rocking. "Your mother had a lovely voice." and held the girl close, humming, remembering very vividly the memory of his wife sitting in the chair, holding her pregnant stomach and humming to the unknown child which would be named Nix.

Elliot listened carefully. Focus. Elliot remembered his form. Large paws to muffle the sound of him on the rug, long legs, narrow body, lots of fur, sandpaper tongue. "Would it make me a coward to shift then? If I wanted to shift now?" he murmured. "I am too frightened and worried, Tsume. I did not think emotions could be this violent inside one body."

THe triplets quickly migrated to loving and hugging their Uncle. "We're so glad you're here!" annabelle said, holding her cheek against the taller man's. "And it's been so lovely here! We lost a bet and we actually look like triplets now!"

"Hooray..." Megan said enthusiastically. "They pushed me and Annabelle into some magic lake which removed the hair color!" her eyes slid over to the bright blonde of Oliver's. "This his color'll fade out?"

"His hair is natural." Alvaro said.

"Hello Ms. Birch." Emily greeted with a smile. "Is Justin there? I haven't seen him all day. We went to bed and he had another glowing flower to help him look at the book while we were sleeping."

"Oh you must see the houses!" Annabelle gave a happy twirl and pointed up. "They live in the trees! Like fairies! We saw real fairies!" And yanked him along, Lewis's hand in her other one and happily bringing them behind her. "There is so much to take in! We met vampires!"

"Heaven forbid." Alvaro said. "I'm afraid Elliot's gained his fear of such beings from me. Frightened a a child."

Martha followed behind them, pausing to look at Oliver who was standing there. "well come on. We're not gunna wait all day for you to follow along, Oliver." and waited for him to catch up. "according to Hasta, Elliot wanted to name his kids Oliver." she explained while looking at him with a frown. "You learn how to smile here. I did. It's embarrassing."

"Is that Nix's father, Ms. Birch?" Emily asked. "Was he in Reta to? He looked really beat up from this distance."

Alvaro let Annabelle chatter and drag, looking around at the beauty of this place. He couldn't see the blue sky, the vividly green leaves covering it, but he could still feel the heat and warmth of the sun. The air was incredibly fresh, more fresh than he'd ever smelled and it tasted sweet. Worn dirt paths with thick growing grass. "Why..." why was it so beautiful?"

"Has. Has a lovely voice." and smiled. "I was so worried, you mother was so badly injured. All that blood, it was the last time I saw her. I thought her dead." and hugged the girl once more. "Even if she had i am still so happy that you made it. I am so happy the both of you made it out alive. You cannot imagine my joy." and continued to rock back and forth, loosening his grip as she curled. "I believe so. Why don't you hum it for me and we'll find out."

Elliot nodded as Tsume cleared his throat. "Incredibly rough." and focused, picturing his body once more, how it felt and with a sudden surprise pang of pain he found himself once more with paws, whiskers, fur. He stood and shook, checking over himself before looking at the vines. The pain was still there, the worry and panic, however there was nothing he could do but rest on the wooden ground, and he did just that. Perhaps he would overheat with the hot air of Falia, but that was all right.

Justin shuffled forward nervously. "Pr-prince Elliot?" the lynx's head shot up and he froze. "I-I saw... I-I'm sorry." and carefully walked forward, setting his book down and hugging the creature around his neck. "He'll be okay." and let go, picking up his book and hugging the wolf around his neck next. "He'll be okay."

Kashi shouldn't have let go. But it was an accident, his hand had slipped from Pasa's and now he'd been wandering for too long. He had no idea where he was and it was far to silent to be deemed safe. The air smelled fresher than Kasp, though. Black ears raised, hearing his own heartbeat, his own breathing, but nothing else but the wind through the leaves. It hadn't helped he'd fallen into a lake that was much hotter than was normal outside of the forest, his clothes, er, Tsume's clothes were sopping wet.

"Because I don't smile." and looked at him. "I promised I wouldn't smile unless Elliot gave a happy smile. And you can argue that he gives love smiles but those don't count!" and huffed.

Alvaro raised his eyebrows. "Fields of flowers, I would hope. Though, he will run through them." and looked at the guest house, giving another nod. "Yes, my daughter's little boyfriend."

"Dad!" Emily exclaimed with red cheeks.

"Was he? Poor dear. Having to witness that. Someone will have to retrieve him." and looked at Lewis running up the stairs, Annabelle following happily.

"I haven't been in this one yet! Everyone is allowed inside of everyone's houses it's so weird! There aren't locks on anything! Trust actually exists!"

Emily nodded. "and everyone smiles and touches and is so honest and kind!