Welcome to Gaia! ::

Discovery - How it began

Shira was hopping from one foot to the other, stepping and swaying to the beat of the music as she did every morning right after getting off the train. Even though the noise coming from her headphones was ridiculously loud, she could still hear the screeching of metal against metal as the train moved unto it's next stop.She fidgeted with the strap to her side-bad as she walked though the gates, looking around before walking to the left. She fell in step with a crowd of folk for a couple of blocks, not bothering to look up since her feet knew most of the way automatically.

It wasn't until four songs later when she looked up. Deciding she was thirsty, she made a pit-stop at the gas station she was conviently walking past. There were only a few brave souls still outside on the second level of Fiel, a signal that she was close to her final destination at the end of the sin-ridden town; her dearest "Aunt"'s house.

But one of those few 'brave souls' was a desperate man. And unluckly for Shira, she just happened to be in his sights as she left out of the gas-station drinking out of an Icee cup. She continued to walk, unknowledgable of the shady figure behind her.

---

Sitting in her secluded garden, gazing deeply into her magical pool, the crystal eyed Oracle was already pulling the strings of Shira's future. The goddess was altering the woman's reality-causing that man to spy Shira, to follow her, and more-it was her job. The magical tree beside the pool has indicated that Shira was destined to be a guardian. And that meant she had to in essence have the woman killed.

Though she wouldn't feel the death blow-instead feeling as if she were floating-it would still be a slightly traumatic experience for the woman. Though Oracle tried to make it as easy for her as possible.

---

Shira started when the screaming that was flowing from her headphones stopped abruptly. She looked at the screen to her mp3, it indicating that the batteries were dead. She frowned and grumbled about not recharging it before pulling off the headphones to sit on her neck, stuffing the mp3 back in her pocket.

As she did so she turned her head to the side to tuck her hair into her hood, seeing as it started to drizzle lightly. But as soon as she did she heard mad shuffling to her right, and saw a dark figure quickly dissapear behind the nearest building.

A little anxiety crawled up her spine as she slowly lowered her hand. Stop being so paranoid Shira...don't overreact and keep walking...

She shoved her hands in her pockets and continued on her way, making sure to look for the figure again out of her periphials. As they continued, the only conclusion she could come to was that she was being followed. s**t-tastic.... She hoped she'd be able to slide out of this one as she had done before.

---

The strain on Oracle's life force was great. Were she not under a vow of silence she would have uttered a word no maiden should said about this pain. She would have to end this fast. Another tug on Shira's reality would hopefully speed things up. The goddess felt oh so weak from how much she had to use her powers. This one was paranoid and would be harder to kill like this. Just great.

---

Sensing the figure being close, Shira waited for just the right moment before turning around and throwing her drink in the man's face. Apparently that didn't stop him as she went into a mad dash. The chase only lasted a few seconds, Shira thinking she would lose him in a junkyard that she had luckly came upon- seeing as she'd known it for years. Sweat and rainwater stuck to her forehead, her hood having come off some time during the run. She was currently behind a hill of wires, clocks, stone and whatever else, stopping for a quick breather and looking around the corner.

"Lost him," She panted. She almost grinned in triumph, but then noticed a shadow cast over her. Her eyes widened with horror as chill ran down her spine. She whipped her gaze upwards just in time for head to meet concrete. A loud snap was heard. She was knocked to the ground, body limp with mud splattered all over-a horrid, deep gash left on her right temple.

The man dropped the bloody stone, took what he wanted from her bag, and left.

---

The man wouldn't know that in a few moments those things would vanish and return to the bag as if they'd never been removed. Meanwhile, intead of feeling pain, Shira felt as if she was floating. But when she opened her eyes that changed. She could feel herself laying in the middle of a road. A highway to be exact. The texture of the road beneath her hands, the vibrations of cars, she could feel it but she could feel no pain as if she hadn't been hit. She also could hear it. She lay on the two yellow lines painted in between the two opposite lanes of the highway. A woman's voice spoke from somewhere past her feet-still in the middle.
"Good to see you Miss Shira."

When she finally sat up she'd see a coffee table, placed with one half in each lane, so that one could sit at it, but still be in the middle. A woman-one who strongly resembled Shira's friend Rouge-was seated behind it, on a small cushion. A matching cushion was empty on the side nearest to the fallen woman, as well as on the table a plate and cup which the woman was now filling with a strange liquid that looked like coffee but smelled like tea.

Her hair was cherry red but her eyes were exactly like Rouge's-huge and blue. They had very different noses though. While this woman's was somewhat long and straight, Rouge had a button nose. Also this woman wore a mullethawk instead of a pageboy bob. She also seemed older.

Sitting on a plate before her was a pile of things that looked like mini muffins make of brownies. One of was split in half on the woman's plate to reveal a cream center.

But what was oddest of all was that the woman while seeming harmless showed no emotion either in her tone, movement or face. She was very very calm. "Please, sit down. Have something. I have a lot to tell you."

---

Shira had been completly confused. Hearing it, feeling it before she even opened her eyes... Her first thoughts after sitting up from the endless black void after her eyelids was, '...strange heaven this is turning out to be...' Surprisingly that was her only thought. She didn't feel as skeptical as she might've originally been, for whatever reason. Sitting up, she noticed a woman of familiarity and stared at everything around her with a half-lidded gaze.

"...'Kay..." When instructed to take a seat, she ran a hand through her hair as she sat in the plush seat, not knowing what else to do seeing as it was just....there, and...and...well hell. She didn't know why else. Probably because this woman...had a strange, uncanny resemblance to one of her new friends.

She touched at her head where the gash should be, taking one last final look at the scene around her, not quite understanding, and looking back at the strange woman in a confused daze. She stared at the strange hairstyle, barely catching what the oracle had said. She picked up a muffin gingerly, not really paying attention to what kind, and saying before taking a small bite,"....do i know you?"

---

"Not really no. You know my daughter, Rouge. I am Kendra, and I am the messanger of the Oracle." the woman's tone never changed though a friendly flicker in her eyes showed her friendliness.

"As you know, Rouge is from a world called Tison. You've been to one of the planets there. Once this universe thrived and had wonderful gods that helped it do so. However, one of their number betrayed them and destroyed what made them all immortal before murderering them and taking control of Tison. He has started to opress the worlds of Tison and shall do so more and more as time goes on. The Oracle has predicted that if this continues he will end up destroying it completely. The only way to save it is for it's gods to be reborn. Only they can destroy him. However for that to happen they'd have to be cared for and raised again in theirnew forms."

"This is of course possible. Guardians from the world of gaia-a world he cannot enter-were destined to care for these god children. The Oracle had to use her powers to in essence kill the guardians when they were ready to take the child. The reason they had to die was so they could touch the realm of the spirit with their souls and bring out the soul of the god or goddess for which they must care."

"And that is why you are here, Shira. You have been chosen to guard the god of Coincidence." she finished, pouring more of this strangely delicious liquid for the young woman and offering her more of the sweets.

---

"Course..." Shira said as she took a bite out of the muffin picked out, not really understanding what she ment by oracle or anything else- seeing as Rouge's mother had been dead last time she heard. She chewed and made a slight face at the offending dessert. Banana nut. Despising the flavor, she ate it anyway because it was slightly sweet.

She ate slowly, all the while listening to Kendra's speech with a raised brow. Confusion flickered across her face constantly as she had mentioned Gods, Spirits, and things of the like. She'd only just came out of some strange spirit world maybe a month ago, almost getting her a** eaten by shadow demons might she add. Now apparantly she might have to go through all of that again.

When Kendra was done speaking, Shira had picked up the cup and taken an offered brownie. "Let me get this straight. Some crazy god is on the loose, hellbent on taking over some other universe named Tison, and some oracle believes that I'm meant to take care of some reborn god that's supposed to stop this big baddie?" It was lesser of a question in the tone she spoke it in. She took a bite of the brownie and swallowed. "You sure you got the right person for this?" She restrained herself form chucking the piece of food into streets with the strange ghosty cars out of complete skeptism.

---

"Yeah that's about the size of it. Though he already took over. They have to help take it back and fix it when they can. But yes we have the right person. The Oracle's magic pool that shows her everything told her it was you and gave her the power to alter your life so you could get your child."

"You are about ready to wake up again. Though I ask you please. Don't tell Rouge that you saw me. It'd be rather painful for her. I'm supposed to be dead and she'd be a litle hurt by it being brought up. Other then that you may go." And as the words left her mouth a truck that had been veering off course drove through the intagible woman and now intagible table and food to "hit" Shira causing her to sit straight up in the bed she now lay in, with a start.

"Hey! Shira you're awake! Good! I was worried when you appeared randomly on our ship unconcious." There was Rouge, in a black T-shirt and Jeans smiling at her. And the weight of a strange necklace could be felt around her neck.

---

Shira blinked when Kendra spoke of goodbyes. She started, "Hey! Wait! I can't-" Her voice caught in her thought as she saw the truck coming her way...

After waking abruptly, Shira looked at Rouge with the most disbelieving face. "Randomly uncon- the hell?? But-but...i was just dead!!" She looked around, the necklace swiveling. "I got hit with a god damn piece of concrete! And i was in a street eating friggen muffins and brownies! Talking to...to..." She paused in her high-pitched, mile-a-minute squeaking, remembering the request not to mention Kendra even though she was still slightly delusional.

She let out a tense breath and put a hand to her forehead. "Sorry, nevermind. It must've been some crazy dream..." She put a hand to her neck, trying to figure out why the hell it felt heavy. Her hand came in contact with the necklace and she let out a laugh. "Oh god..."

The Return to Norm...?

"You got one of those funny necklaces too huh? Some guy showed up here a similar way with one of those. Only it had a different charm. He said some ghost lady told him he was guardian of some god thing and that he was guarding fate. Did the same thing happen to you?" Rouge was casual as always. It made one wonder what she'd panic at.


"Yea...basically the same thing..." Shira blinked at Rouge. It amazed her how calm Rouge was about everything. Kind've like her mother, Shira supposed with a smile. Her demenor quickly changed though as she took hold of the charm on the necklace. "And I'm supposed to be guarding 'coincidence.' " She scoffed. "Figures. One strange event after another."

She dropped the charm and looked at her surroundings finally. "Wait...where are we?" She absently felt on her right temple.

"We are on the Samadueanna. It's my ship. We're heading towards Gaia so we can take you home. You can come and meet some of the crew and have some food while we travel if you like. This ship's too big to fly as fast as my cruiser or go through my shortcuts so it may take longer."


"Oh...alright then, sure." She had gotten easily used to space travel since her first trip, so she didn't make a big deal out of it. She figured she was transported here by Kendra after what had happened. But she couldn't understand the slightest reason as to why.

Shira moved to get out of the bed with slight dizzyness as she stood. She noticed that she was wearing the same clothes from before, those from before her...mishap. She followed Rouge to whereever the woman decided to go, whether grab a bite or to meet her companions. "So...who's this person with another necklace?" She fidgeted with her own. Will I even be able to get this off? She decided to test the theory later.

Things were definatly going to be different from now on.

"Some mercinary guy. Name is Aleu I think. I don't really remember. Though he'll probably end up back here later, if my hunch proves true." the blonde lead her to a large cafeteria type room with large windows that showed the view of space as it passsed. It was a rather lovely place.

Sitting at one of the tables was a young woman with long red hair and large lovely butterfly wings and slightly tanned skin. She was arm wrestling a young man with large black bat wings-though they were rather odd shaped- spikey dirty blonde hair, large brown pointed fuzzy animal like ears, and two very different arms. The one he was wrestling with seemed to have giant blades for fingers and be made of metal. There were even round saws in between sections of his arm. The other was a regular arm with slightly clawed fingers that was slightly furry and matched his deeply tanned skin.

"Tan Pan! Steve, I want you two to meet my friend Shira." Rouge called to the two. The woman forced the guy's metal hand down before they both turned to smile. "Allo." the girl said, her voice having a slight accent. The guy just grinned.

"Shira, these are my friends. The lady is Tan Pan Murica. And the guy is my buddy Steve."

Shira made note of the man's supposed name in her head. She looked around the vast space of the room she was currently in. Her eyes were drawn to the gigantic windows that displayed a black void speckled with stars. Breathtaking really.

The arm wrestling match was her next point of interest, blinking as Rouge spoke. When the attention was shifted to her, Shira waved awkwardly. "Um...hi." She fidgeted with the edge of her dark hoodie at her side and smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

The redhead smiled. "No need to be shy. We don't bite. Or scratch." she said kindly, moving over so Shira and Rouge could take a seat. "As she said I'm Tan Pan Murica." and then the guy cut in. "And I'm Steve. I have a longer name but it's a b***h so say." he added with a friendly nod.

Taking a seat next to Tan Pan, she echoed the last bit of Pan's name to herself before responding. "Shira Anzen," She stated her last name and nodded back. She drew her hands into her sleeves and crossed her arms. "Steve? What in the world could be long enough to take 'steve' from?"

The three laughed. "You asked for it hon." Rouge giggled. Obviously this was going a running joke with them.

"Here goes." Steve said, taking a large breath.

"Steven James Lee Auriko Miokima Oswald Grenly Jocklin Sylphia the six hundred and twenty ninth." when he was done he panted a bit. The name was long and a bit of a mouth full for him.


Shira stared with wide eyes. "That was your full name?" Who in the world was crazy enough to do that to a poor soul? Shira was suddenly grateful for the very short name her guardian gave her. "And you said the six hundred and twenty ninth??" She gave an incredulous look between Rouge and Steve. "How the hell did that happen?"

"His family is rather old school. Half sykenan-anthro people-and half Faekenan-elven people. They traditionally name all of the males that and all of the females have something else which I forgot. They're rather odd. Steve is the only one who doesn't live with the family clan."


"Oh? Why's that?" A billion other questions came to mind, but she decided to contain them for later. "And what led all of you guys to come together like this then?" She took another gander out the windows. "I mean, were you guys always-" She paused as a low grumbling noise came from her stomach. She held a hand to it and smiled with embarrassment. "Eh heh, sorry."

"Oh! I'm sorry! We haven't given you anything to eat yet. Here's a menu!" Tan Pan said standing up and handing the woman a menu. It seemed she was the waitress down here.

"Well we all met randomly while traveling around. I was working on Metriyika where Rouge was raised after her parents died. Me and my friend Karyn-well her name is Kah Hin Murica, she's Tan Pan's cousin-were both working there and we became friend's with Rouge. Karyn's about Rouge's age so they got along great. I was trying to become a weapons technician and she was becoming a mechanic. When Rouge got the Samadueanna the three of us decided we were tried of living there so the three of us flew off with it and traveled around making friends and such." Steve liked segways it seemed but he was nice enough.


Shira thanked Tan pan and looked over the menu while listening to Steve's short summary on their past.

"Interesting life you guys lead...um...this looks pretty good..." She showed Tan pan a line on the menu and thanked her again.

"So everything's just kinda happened, eh?" She wondered about Rouge's parents, steve's home planet, and things of the like and decided it was a conversation for later.

"well yeah. But it wouldn't have if it weren't for our situations. Tison slavery is very bizarre especially in the outlands." Steve muttered.

Tan Pan smiled warmly and took the menu, walking back to the kitchen. She was also the main chef though she'd someday need an assistant. Soon she returned with a steamy good smelling plate of something Shira had never eaten before but liked the look of on the menu. It seemed it was gonna be delicious.


Shira was bouncing for joy in her head as she had gotten a look at the food, immediatly digging in as soon as her plate had arrived. Then covered her mouth and gave Tan Pan and embarrased, "fank you." She swallowed, then frowned at steve's muttering. "Wait, slavery?" She gave all three a look. "There's slavery in Tison?" She'd forgot that she wasn't exactly in her home universe anymore.

Tan Pan nodded and sat down. "Of sorts. There are two different halves of Tison and two different forms of slavery in them. In the mainlands-Lolian, Meykenah, Faekynah, Sykenah, Threshon, and a few other realms-slavery is as nasty as it is in the history of the human world. However, they are unable to enslave anyone who is past the border-which the majority of Tison is- so they can only enslave the weaklings of their own and other mainland races.

However in Outlands it works like this. The weak and homeless are offered the chance to find a new home and employment and therefore go with the officials of the realms. They are taken to places where big companies send representatives. Different companies choose of the offered slaves-regardless of their age, level of health, etc. there is a job for them-and they take them back with them. Younger slaves-which is what parentless children become should no family take them in or if no one knows that they have family or said family is unreachable-well anyway, the younger slaves are adopted by the families of workers or owners of these companies. They train the children to grow up doing their family's job. The older ones are given their own quarters, jobs and the like and are paid for their work. They get vacation time, can quit their job and freely search for a new location. And it is generally an okay place. Only one or two realms in Tison participate in the mainland slave trade-but the way they do it is companies specifically for the purpose of freeing slaves-buy the mainland slaves and then send them to work as outland slaves in proper jobs. They go from horribly treated slaves to well treated servants in essence." she explained.

Steve nodded. "Rougie was adopted through that method and I found work through it same with Karyn. We're all very glad Rouge wasn't able to go to her actual family. They're lolians-nastiest race in Tison and closest to the god Jujike the betrayer-they'd have had her killed or turned into a real slave the moment they noticed she was halfbreed. "

"They may have anyway. My mother was banished." Rouge laughed



Shira got slightly lost with the names of the mainlands, but the slightly revloted look never left her face as she stared at Tan pan in disbelief. So is this what Kendra ment about the big baddie? Shira joked lightly to herself, but not without a serious undertone. Though she was sure the slavery might've been a small speck on the grand scheme of things she had yet to figure out.

"That's a hell of a strange system." She lifted her fork, which she'd put down earlier in shock, and moved around the food on her plate before taking a bite. "Where did all of this come from? How'd it start? And half-breed Rouge? I don't remember hearing about that." She leaned forward slightly, intrigued.

Steve grinned at her questions, showing slightly fanged teeth. "Yeah Half-breed. I'd be counted as a halfbreed too but the realms my parents are from are both in the earth sector and sometimes associate. Rouge's Mama was born on Lolian but her father was a cortier. Once when she was living her sheltered life she was walking home with her mother and sister and happened to glance the wrong way-instead of into a shop window but the other way- and saw them leading a prisoner into the courthouse. She lied and said she was visiting her father and snuck after him. She watched the trial and her eyes were suddenly opened to how bad her realm really was. So she snuck in and let the prisoner out. He was the Tison god Veserion-a weaker god who was captured for being an outsider. He'd been delivering a message to Jujike and a trap was set for him. She helped him escape and started to think for herself and eventually got banished from Lolian and was taken in by people in the Outlands. Because she helped Veserion she was a friend of the gods and well she had Rouge with someone who obviously wasn't Lolian and so Rouge is a halfbreed. They most likely weren't supposed to be together either because her ears are also droopy."

The redhead realized her husband was rambling again. He didnt' really seem to know that she was foreign to their culture. "In Tison a peron's ears can tell about their station. A crossbreed-or halfbreed as they're called in most circles-will have rounded tips to their ears instead of sharp points. Illegitimate children have droopy ears. Rouge has both." she indicated, pulling on the woman's long droopy rounded tipped ears.

"owowowowow. Answer her questions in order will ya? And we haven't been alive long enough to know where it came from or how it started. I never was much for any history but that of the Tison gods. They were cool to hear about. Mom made sure I learned about them and quite a lot. No clue why though. She said my daddy would want me to know and she'd tell me about him when I got older. Then she died and I wasn't old enough to have been told who he was." she said with a laugh.

Shira blinked at the amount of information steve had given her, and the comment on droopy ears. The man really did have a lot to say, regardless of the subject. "Tison is definatly...different."

She laughed when Tan pan teased Rouge. A faint smile was left when she thought about who Rouge's mother actually was. It was really quite hard to keep from saying anything. "You're mom must've had somethin' crazy in store from the likes of it." She wondered at Rouge's reaction, laughing about not knowing something rather than what Shira expected from anyone when they mentioned a deceased parent.

But then again, Rouge was kinda crazy like that. She snickered at that thought. "Personally, I can't stand history. Bores the hell outta me I swear. My aunt goes on about old Gaian history, and I fall straight asleep." She laughed a bit sheepishly.

"yeah. Anyway. I'll be back in a few." Rouge said, smiling again, and walking out of the room fast.

Steve smiled. "Don't worry about Rouge. It's kinda hard for her to think of her mom and keep a straight face for long. She lost her over 20 years ago and it's still a bit hard to take." he was friendly at least though talkative.

Tan Pan smiled. "When you finish up we'll take you to the transporter room and send you home. We'll leave the number to call the ship and such for you. Call us to visit any time lovie." she was nice too. They were good people at least.

Shira's smile dropped off her face as Rouge left abruptly. "Oh, okay then..."

Upon hearing Steve's explanation she slowly nodded with understanding. She'd thought it was a little weird when Rouge had acted the way she did. "I understand..." She smiled gratefully at Tan Pan and Steve. "But thanks for helping me out though guys, I really appreciate it." She liked the thought of being able to talk to them, even come back. They seemed nice enough to be genuine. She ate the rest of her food fairly quickly.

Rebirth - Lying in Wait

How wrong she was. On this night the young woman was to receive the child. As she slept her soul left her body, dragging with it the soul of the deity in the form of a relic. And what was odder-between the window and the real door a ghostly door seemed to have appeared. With a quick glance back at her sleeping form-yep she was still alive- the woman turned to face the door again as it beckoned to her to open it.

---

"...Oh for ******** sake." Staring at the door seemed to do no good as she grumbled to herself. Shira tried to argue with herself, but couldn't shake the overwhelming feeling that came from it. She sighed before she gave up and walked, or floated, or whatever she was doing that moved her closer to the strange looking door.

She looked it up and down before settling her hand on what looked like the handle and opened the door.

---

This door led her into a dimly lit place and vainished as soon as she had entered it. But what was in the room was more unnerving then that. Chained to a wall-his arms above his head, hands chained together-was a boy. He looked no older then 11 and he had brusies all over him as well as gashes that were obviously from a horrid beating with a whip. He had one black eye and a split lip. There was no pool of blood but the wounds revealed his state. Upon his back there were more. The poor boy had been beaten to death and left chained up like an animal. And the relic glowed as Shira stood before him.

---

Shira squinted to see her surroundings as he eyes took their time adjusting to the new darkness. She shifted nervously in place before her eyes widened as she realized what laid before her. She let out a small gasp and turned her head, putting a mouth to her hand and stomach to keep from getting sick at the sight.

As she looked away she noticed her relic glowing. She glanced back and forth between the mutilated boy and the relic. This isn't... She forced herself to look at the boy and grimanced as she made her way to him, but still kept her distance. She was never one to be able to stomach such sights. She didn't question the fact that there was no blood, but she did reach out a hand to brush her fingers against the boy's hands and the chains that held up them up. She tugged at them weakly. What sick mind would do this to a kid?

---

As her fingers touched the poor boy's hands his body began to glow strangely. The relic and the body both glowed so much that Shira was unable to see them for a few moments. And then suddenly the relic as if made of light shot from her neck and into the body. When she was finally able to see again there was a small redheaded baby boy with huge green eyes looking up at her with a look at purely begged for love he'd been denied in a life he could not remember.

---

Shira had cried out in surprise as it had eventually brightened to the point of where she had to raise her arms and shield her eyes. She immediatly groaped for the detached relic to no avail, and with eyes shut tight waited until everything died before moving.

"Ugh...the hell..." She rubbed at her eyes and tried to blink the spots out of her vision. In the process she noticed the baby and stopped in her actions.

Unable to resist helping the poor soul, she slowly reached down and lifted up the 'newborn.' Putting two and two together she unconciously hugged him closer to her body as she stood. "And you must be the little re-born god, hm?" She stared down at the space where the corpse once laid.

---

The baby boy snuggled himself in close to her chest and and nuzzled her neck softly as he tried to cling to her body. And as she took him into her arms the door reappeared completely open, leading to her room, her body and the body of the baby boy snuggled against her, red hair tickling her chin. She could go back to her body, dress him and the two could go right back to sleep.

And with that another guardian has their child.

A Reason to Call (Self-rp leading up to call w/Rouge)

Wandering Off

Discontinued