Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Ah, oh dear God, that scare just now cost me at least five years of my life,” Miranda breathed, her heart beating madly in her chest. She untangled herself from Nephrite who had somehow managed to wrap her fabricy tail all around her hip, and then pretended to check her colorful strands for any white. Rutie had zipped to hide somewhere in her blouse.

Nephrite giggled softly. She knew Miranda was pretending, of course, but still she remarked: ‘You wouldn’t be able to see it anyway, underneath all that dye.’ Apparently she had recovered from the shock rather quickly. And in fact she had pulled the same prank on Amon numerous times, much to the man’s chagrin.

She floated right through the wall (and the closet) into the foyer to open the door, her silken garments swirling and fluttering elegantly. ‘Hello~!’ she chirped, greeting Rhys and Tek with curtsy before she continued to stare at them curiously. Everythig about Tek looked so fascinating! She was easily distracted however, when another car pulled up. ‘Athan~! Reyna~! And … Oh! Oh! Oh! Algie~!!!’ She whizzed right past the bickering pair, ignoring them for the most part (she saw them almost every week in the shop after all) to hug and basically wrap herself around the wizard with delighted glee.

“Hello,” Miranda greeted Rhys and Tek with a sheepish grin. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met. I, uhm, work in the store. I’m Miranda. Just go on through,” she said, pointing, “to the right and then back out the kitchen.”

“Athan! Reyna.” She stepped out onto the front porch, holding the door for them. “Do you need help with that?” She gave both a bright smile, or – at the very least – she tried to. The one she gave Reyna as she passed by was considerably less bright. “Through there, right into the kitchen, and then out the back,” she repeated her mantra. “Everyone’s in the back, with Amon and Ruku doing the cave-men thing, playing with fire. If there’s anything you’d like to leave in the fridge … I think there’s one compartment left still which hasn’t been crammed to the top.”

‘I made gifts for everyone,’ Nephrite declared happily, tugging Algie's sleeve.

The excitement of Tek's prank had masked the sound of Reyna and Athan's car, so Rhys and Tek hadn't heard the two arriving until just recently.

Rhys chuckled slightly as the silken clad fiend darted past them before looking over to Mirande. Tek didn't bother with the door once Neph darted off and he noticed the others arriving, his curiosity peaked Tek made his way over to the new group.

"Greetings and thank you. I'm Rhys...and that was Tek." Rhys ran his hand over the strange tattoo over his cheek, he knew those in the current dimension didn't recognize it but there was always something at the back of his mind that reminded him that in some parts of the galaxy it still labelled him as a runaway lab rat. Dropping his hand from his face he gestured over toward where the two fiends had run off to. "I think I'll go in with the rest," moving behind the others he made his way over nodding toward the group and offering a soft greeting.

Tek was excited to get close to all the new people but instead of darting straight up as Neph had he waited for their attention to be on her before dropping low to the ground and spreading his tentacles. Moving low to the ground Tek let his tentacles wriggle about around him and pressed between those gathered like a large dark cat his appendages brushing against those gathered, getting a feel for their clothing and the person as he did.

The cool evening air blew in her face as she flew down the mostly deserted road on her bicycle. She was a little nervous, she did not really know the owner of the house, a child like creature had given her the flyer as she gazed into the jewelry shop window at their latest designs. Being new to the area she was keen to make some friends and this did seem like a perfect opportunity.

She pulled up next to the old house and reached into the pocket of the cream cardigan she wore over her pink sun dress. The e-mailed reply was there along with directions, she glanced them over and then glanced up at the house again. This was it. Anais climbed off her bike, put the stand down and locked it up. You coud never be too careful, even out in the sticks.

It was growing dark and the lights from the garden were twinkling visibly. there was noise coming from the garden too. It sounded promising, she would never forgive herself if she'd fallen prey to some prank and turned up at an empty house.

Anais took the flyer out of her pocket and wandered towards the back gate, she could see them all now. They looked normal, and there were more creatures like the one that had given her the flyer. How interesting. Though not surprising. She had seen all sorts since she had purchased her small shop in Durem.

It took her a few moments to work up the courage to enter, or at least linger by the entrance, she glanced around, trying to spot the one that had invited her.

“Hello~!” Miranda replied cheerfully. “Algie, how sweet of you to come, Mr Wizard,” she beamed. “Go on through, make yourself at home.” It was just too bad, she thought, Amon tended to be so terribly jumpy about magic. She knew Athan disliked immensely to show off, but Algie seemed a different sort, and she would have loved for him to-

She blinked, catching a glimpse of pink from the corner of her eyes. Miranda pushed up her glasses and looked closer. “Oh? Who’s that?” The person was unfamiliar to her, what more, there didn’t seem to be a fiend with her either. A wisp perhaps, those were amazingly good at hiding. As if on cue, Rutie slipped out of her blouse, hovering nearby.

Nephrite unwound herself some from Algie to be able to follow Miranda’s gaze. ‘Oh, that’s Anais,’ she declared happily. ‘She came to the shop a few days ago, and she was nice, so I invited her.’ She unlatched herself from the wizard completely, and dropped the gift bags into Miranda’s arms. ‘Hold that.’ With that she went to greet the newcomer.

“Just like that?” Miranda made a face. “Neph, you can’t just go and invite random people just like- Are you even listening?” Apparently she wasn’t. Miranda sighed and looked at the small golden crystal weightlessly bopping up and down her side. It looked so innocent. “Oh, things are going to be just great once you grow up …”

‘Hello~!’ Nephrite said to Anais, peering up at her with her slanted gray eyes. She had invited that woman on a whim, and in fact received quite a scolding from Amon for involving someone completely unrelated; so she hadn’t been sure at all if her guardian had ever replied to that woman, lest alone if she’d be allowed to come.


“Hey,” Amon said, giving the demoness an appreciative once-over. She really had a way with her outfits … He grinned, sorely tempted to crack an awfully corny joke, but instead he pointed at the collection of CDs assembled on a side table. “Want to be in charge of the music?” Mystic, a second, wary glance confirmed, was nowhere to be seen. That was a relief, to him at least.

‘I’m good,’ she replied, and twirled playfully upon the compliment on her outfit, so that Anais could admire it from every direction. ‘I got a gift. But it’s okay if you didn’t bring anything. You didn’t have to. I like getting gifts though,’ she added. Perhaps Anais would make up for it and still bring her something later?

She laughed when she heard the funny sound Anais’ stomach made. Not audibly, as she had no mouth, but her mirth was almost tangible. ‘Come,’ she directed her thoughts at the woman, taking one of her hands into her tiny ones and starting to tug her along. ‘There’s lots of food. And Miranda made cute colorful cakes!’

It wasn't a prank that Tek had in mind but rather a faster way to process who everyone was. As the group started toward the house he attempted to lightly touch those that passed with a tentacle. The demoness moved past xem and xe reached up running his tentacles over her legs leaving little shadowy trails, slinking on xe moved toward the one xe'd heard called Athan and the other man he was shaking hands with. He moved between the two letting his tentacles wiggle to and fro running over their legs.

Rhys stood back feeling a bit overwhelmed by the large group of people, wincing slightly he noticed Tek assaulting the guests legs and sighed. "Tek, inside." Rhys gave the little fiend a meaningful look before heading in after the others.

Once inside Rhys looked over the area feeling more then a touch out of place he didn't really know those that were gathered.

Cinder said you should try to make some friends, Tek's mind voice came through to Rhys.

I have a friend, Rhys shot the thought back attempting to project it toward Tek something that didn't always work but the boy tried anyways. Rhys sighed again, a was the key word there...

Tek originally hadn't been thinking of pranks but as he moved through the crowd he spotted Neph again keeping one of the guests busy. Xe could see Anais ankles thanks to her sun dress and quickly darted across the floor. Coming up next to the young woman he waited until she seemed ready to go on talking about food before moving over and using his tail tentacles to run over her bare ankles.

‘It smells delicious,’ Nephrite agreed with Anais, leaving her to wonder just how she’d know without a nose.

“Oh, it’s going fantastic,” Miranda replied to Algie. “Except for …” She paused, frowning, her gaze lingering on Reyna’s shapely silhouette for a moment. “It’s been kinda slow for most of summer, but I’m sure it’ll start getting busy soon enough.” She stepped out into the open, stretching a little. “That is one amaaazing sundown …” She had to admit, Amon really had a nice place out here. No annoying traffic noise remote as it was, and no bright city lights to disturb the night sky. She’d actually be able to see the stars once the sun had set completely. And the air … well currently it was filled with the scent of smoke mingled with roasting steak, which was delicious, but theoretically it would be fresh and clear. She smiled, quite content with herself and the world, and all she now required for her happiness be complete was to sit down, rest her feet and get something to eat. Well, not in that order.

Her gaze dropped to the food table, spotting Nephrite and … Hm, that was an unfamiliar face. And just how had they …? Ah, they must have walked around the house, through the small side gate. Then she saw which bowl the lady was reaching for. “Hahhh, oh God, not the sambal,” Miranda breathed, her eyes widening. That stuff was made of Pure Evil. She had to warn her! She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, it was clamped shut by a pair of small green hands. ‘Don’t …’ Nephrite’s mental voice whispered, tinged with mischief. Miranda’s eyes bulged, she’d had no idea’s the fiends could move so fast. But for now at least, it seemed the lady was distracted by the tentacly fiend’s antics. That one was a strange one for sure …

The sambal? Amon perked up. Someone was actually going to try it? Oh, this was going to be good. Though, given his responsibility as the host he should probably … “Watch the meat,” he said to Ruku, handing him the grill tongs. “And you – Rhys, right?” He had the names all down, and that woman had to be Anais as there didn’t seem to be a fiend with her – he doubted the one trying to molest her ankles was hers. “You watch that fiend.” He pointed at Ruku. “And just in case, the fire extinguisher is over there.” He grinned, gave the boy a slap on his shoulders, and went to fetch some milk from the kitchen. Anais would very likely be grateful for it. He only stopped briefly to stare at Athan. Athan in almost perfectly normal clothes.