Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was any other ordinary day, on which nobody expected what would come. Senri stepped out from the shower, a towel draped around his shoulders to catch the stray droplets from his wet hair. ’Feels good.. Senri thought to himself absently. He was hardly dressed in anything more then jeans that hung on his waist, and the towel around his shoulder.

He walked into the master bedroom, sitting on the bed. The bed leaned beneath his weight, his bed partner stirring by the movement. “Mm.” The sound came from a woman sleeping on the large mattress, a blanket covering her frame. But her bare legs peeked out from beneath the folds, while her hair fell in waves that framed her face.

“Is there something wrong?” She murmured, her newly awoken gaze upon Senri’s face. But she still laid on the bed, the white blanket sliding down to reveal the curve of her shoulders. “Nothing at all.” Senri smoothly said, dipping his head down to press a practiced kiss upon her lips.

“Why don’t we continue..?” Senri’s large frame was soon looming over his bed partner, although he was careful not to crush her by focusing his weight on his elbows and hands. His dark blue hair fell in silky strands around them, not having been tied yet because he had just taken a bath. “All right then.” She didn’t refuse him..

Riiiiing! Riiiiiing!

Senri’s gaze flickered towards the two cell phones on the nightstand. There was a cell phone each for personal and business matters. Calls forwarded to his business phone normally regarded manners concerning his work, or things that could be put aside for later. However, few people had his personal number meaning that it was important.

Senri quickly reached over, and flipped the phone open with a “I hope you have a good reason?” in an impatient voice.

“..Senri?” Mercredi’s voice spoke, causing Senri to be mildly surprised. “Mer?” Mer referred to his nickname for a young girl named Mercredi. She was only several years younger then him, yet Senri had assumed a vaguely defined older brother role towards her. She had gone through a difficult time. Her father, a police officer who was going through his own issues, didn’t know how to handle his daughter. And Senri who had merely come over a couple times hadn’t been apart of it. Yet, Mercredi, no more then a child at the time had always peeked around the corner at the older male. Senri had found her once, late at night, in the playground. “Are you sure you should be there?” He asked her, to which she had burst into tears! “Wait? What?” Senri had asked in bemusement. And in a reluctant mood, he had lifted Mercredi and hugged her. She had stopped sobbing, dying down into whimpers, and buried her head in Senri’s shirt. Their relationship had been established from then.

Eventually, her circumstances had improved. Her father remarried to a great woman, providing Mercredi with a wonderful mother. She had gone back to school, and made friends. And Senri was no longer needed, although he met with her from time to time.

But now was a different story. He quickly ceased in his previous actions, much to his bed partner’s disagreement. He sat down on the bad, his long form bent over in worry. “What is wrong?” Mercredi never called him unless something had happened.

“S..Senri..” She hiccupped, “Calm down. You know that I can’t understand you when you’re crying. Tell me what happened.”

“Mother and Father have collapsed. Downtown.. When they were shopping.” Mercredi managed to speak between sobs. “Tell me where you are. I’ll meet you there.” She relayed her location over the computer, Senri nodding in response. “I understand.” He knew that area.

Senri quickly picked up his shirt and fastened his pants. “Leaving?”

“Yeah.” He pulled his shirt over his head, and quickly picked up his belongings; his cell phones, his camera, and his wallet.

“You’re worried.” She observed, reclining on the bed. “Will you come back?” Her name was Rin. She was a well-endowed woman, and the same age as Senri, 17. She was attractive, beautiful, with her long flowing hair and slender figure. She and Senri were involved in a relationship, what you could call ‘Friends with Benefits’ where neither of them desired attachment. They were only there to fulfill each other’s sexual needs.

“Mm. Perhaps, when everything settles back down.” Settle settled a kiss on her cheek. There was nothing sincere about it. It was merely a show, and she knew that. “I’ll be waiting for you until the next time.”

And Senri left, putting on his coat in the process. He would have to take a taxi there - motioning for one as soon as he stepped out of the lobby of the apartment. However, a taxi didn’t pull up. Instead, a police car stopped in front of the sidewalk. The occupant rolled down his window, revealing a familiar face. “You’re..” Senri tilted his head, recognizing him as Mercredi’s father’s friend. His name was Richard. He was a good friendn of Ci‘s family, and practically an uncle who had doted on both Senri and Mercredi. “I heard about..” He didn’t finish the sentence, ruffling his hair in anxiety. “And I suppose you're headed towards her too? You’re going to visit Mercredi, right?”

“Yes.” Senri nodded his head.

“Come on. I’ll give you a ride.” His thumb jerked to the back seat, indicating where Senri should sit. Senri stepped into the car, the police car speeding off.

They had barely begun driving, when the police radio began to overflow with messages and alerts. Over the radio, he heard dispatches of;

“We got another one down.”

“And one at Trinity Station.”

“Three down at ..”

“..nyone hear me? This is an emergency call!”

“All units still mobile, please check in.”

Their voices were urgent, hurried, and it appeared that even as Senri and Richard was driving past, there seemed to be a flurry of commotion. The closer they drove towards the scene, the more people Senri could see had fallen to the ground with deathly paleness and stiffness.

“… We have a problem on our hands, don’t we?” Richard sighed, taking a sharp turn.

“Problem would be putting it lightly.” Senri remarked, already on his phone, navigating it quickly to see the latest headlines. The news spreading like wildfire, and the same occurrences were happening across the city. "On 1800 Main Street.. We have had reports of people who have suddenly become unconscious with no rhyme or reason," Senri flipped to another channel, "..another sight as people try to revive their loved ones." He turned it off. It would be the same repetition over and over.

And later, it would be termed as The Destiny City Epidemic.