Welcome to Gaia! ::

A little ooc disclaimer: My writing isn’t all that great, (I’ve paid homage to Dr. Who… Dr. Who, for God’s sake!!!) and this post is probably going to offend people. I won’t apologize, because you were warned. You are more than welcome to skip this, as it is more character side story crap, and won’t leave you clueless. If you do read it, however, and have something to say whether it be positive, or constructive criticism then please feel free to e-mail me. Anyone who reads this and has a serious problem with it, tough titty. You WERE warned.



Many-as-One had been sneaking into other peoples’ minds while Kyo was mucking about with the dead girl look-a-like. He was only peeking at a few memories here, a few sexual fantasies there, to keep himself entertained. And then he came across Barnum. When he had seen the things he saw, he knew he had found a way to tear Kyo away from that girl. Hopefully for good. When he had slithered into Kyo’s mind, he shared with him what he had seen. Now, Kyo was running towards ‘Barnum’s Scroll Shoppe’ as fast as his legs would carry him.

“You are a liar.” Kyo hissed at Many-as-one.

“I wouldn’t dare.” Many-as-One replied, sounding genuinely hurt.

Despite the fact that Kyo suspected Many-as-One had an ulterior motive, he was running just the same. When he reached the store front, he slowed his pace. He walked around to the side of the building and stopped. He stood there, looking up at the second floor window. He was trembling.

Kyo slinked up to the wall and shimmied up the drainpipe, using all of his concentration to stretch the tendrils of magicka from the ground to his sword all the while. Once he reached the second floor window he leaned over and peered inside. There were various drawings pinned up almost everywhere, toys strewn about the place, and a large canopy bed with a sheer white cloth draped over the top. This had to be Bailey’s room. He slid open the window and crept inside as quietly as he could. As far as he could tell, the father and daughter duo were still downstairs closing up shop. He wasn’t really sure what he was doing there. He was convinced that Many-as-One was just being wicked, but he had to see for himself. He had seen the look Barnum had given his daughter when he sent her off to play. Kyo shivered.

He had just started to snoop around when he heard footfalls coming up the steps. He panicked, and scrambled for a place to hide for a few moments before finding a rather decent spot. He climbed on top of a dresser and leapt to the wooden beams that stretched across the vaulted ceiling above the canopy bed. He began to pray that no one looked up when something in the back of his mind started to stir. Many-as-One gave a cry that was stifled mid-shout. It felt as if two reptilian hands gripped Kyo’s brain, shutting out Many-as-One’s violated cries as well as his own thoughts. He crouched there, waiting.

The door creaked open, and Bailey entered the room without shutting the door behind her. Her expression was cold and blank. Her eyes were lifeless as she moved to sit down on the side of her bed. A voice spoke into Kyo’s mind. It was foreign, but not like Many-as-One. This was an intruder. You cannot end your own pain. You can end the pain in others. Barnum entered the room. End the pain in others. Barnum moved towards Bailey as he loosed his belt.

End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. Kyo’s eyes widened in horror. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. He reached up and gripped the handle of his sword tightly. End the pain. End the pain. End the pain. Kyo’s body moved on its own. He dove from his perch as Barnum moved on top of his daughter and crushed her beneath his girth. The tip of his sword ripped through the sheer cloth canopy, pierced Barnum, continued through Bailey, and then the bed. Blood began to soak into the bedspread and the canopy.

Kyo’s face had begun to dim. His flesh took on the pallor of someone surrounded by shadows, until a tiny hand reached his cheek, pressing the cloth of the canopy next to his skin. “I knew you’d save me…” Bailey said with a sad face. The strange thing that had infiltrated his brain was instantly gone, and Kyo realized what happened. Tears began to stream down his face. “Shhhh, it’s okay.” She was comforting him. She began to stroke his face. “There isn’t any room in this world… not for people like us. You’re a lot stronger than I am, though. Maybe, just maybe, if you fight hard enough, you’ll be able to carve open a spot for yourself.” Kyo was shaking as he stared into her eyes. “Until you do, don’t be sad…. Don’t be…don’t…” she then convulsed violently and breathed her last.

Kyo stumbled off of his friends’ corpses, wrenching his sword free. He wiped the blood from his blade and managed to leave through the window he had come in. Once he was in the alley below, he vomited into a pile of trash.

He didn’t feel guilty for murdering two of his friends. Kyo knew that something else had infiltrated his mind and used his sword to accomplish its own dark ends. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. He did, however, mourn their deaths as he stumbled towards the town bath house, weeping the entire way. He hoped that cleaning himself up would help purify his soul. It felt like a piece of his humanity tore off and died, and a part of him was glad.

X watched as the boy came running back to him, the boy stopped about halfway and turned to make sure he wasnt being followed. He then continued to his destination with an intense look of purpose in his eyes. Coming up to the booth the boy stopped and looked about confused. "Hey kid." came a gruff voice from just behind him. The boy turn to meet the voice, and X knelt down next to him again. "Mission accomplished soldier." The boy then raised his hand at a salute again. With a smile X repled "at ease." The boy stood there patiently wating. " I guess you want your reward now." The boy shook his head "Well a deal is a deal." X then held out his hand and the boy cupped his below the strangers hand. Opening his fist slowly four coins fell into the boys hand. The childs eyes lit up with excitement as he thought about what he could use his treasure for. "Take care kid, I've gotta go." X turned to walk away when he felt a tug at his jacket. Stopping he turned around to face the child. The child then procceeded to bow to him. X bowed back and smiled. The boy turned and ran away, he said thank you, but it was barely noticable over the abiance and the fact the boy was running away.


Now he had to find a place to tend to these wounds, he was beginning to feel light headed. He walked toward the nearest Inn and walked in through the door. Ignoring all around him he walked straight to the owner. "I need a room" After a short dialogue with the owner he took his key. He didnt really listen to anything the inn keeper told him, he was focused. Looking at the leather tag which hung precariously from the key he seen the number 12 branded into the tag. Making his way down the hall following doors until "9, 10, 11, ah...here we go."

Upon entering the room X noticed it was quite elaborate for an Inn. Lots of bright colors, fine linens, and...wait...theres someone here. " Hey there mister." Cycling through possible scenarios X quickly arrived at a conclusion and his only reply was "Son of a...This is a brothel isnt it?" "It's whatever you want it to be." the woman replied as she lay herself accross the bed." Well that explains the steep price of the room. "Well, if I'm paying for it give me hand." He handed her the bag "Oooh, toys?" she questioned as she began rifling through the sack. X removed his jacket and tossed it over a chair.

"I gotta tell ya mister, I dont know what you wanna do with this stuff, but I'm pretty sure its gonna cost you extra." "If only" he thought to himself. "You see that bottle of water?" "Yea" "How about the salt.?" "Yes, its right here." She replied. "I need you to take that salt and pout it into the water, and then shake it until there arent any salt particles left floating in it. Can you do that?" "Of course I can, but I dont see what this has to do with..." X took his pants off. "Oh my gosh! Its so big!, Im supprised you can walk with that thing." "It's not been a problem until as of late, its getting stiff and hard to move around." "I can help you with that." "Well I usually take care of it myself, but if you think your up to it. Grab it with both hands and massage it a little." Removing his belt X folded it over once "Yea, Thats good, now just move it up and down a little, oh, yea, thats real good. I guess you really are a proffessional.Now no matter what happens next, DONT STOP." X placed his belt in his mouth and prepared for what came next.

A searing pain shot through his leg as he poured the alchohol into the open wound. The harlots massaging of the leg was opening the wound up to allow fresh blood to the surface and help with the cleansing proccess. A gutteral growl escaped him as the pain throbbed through his leg and up the left side of his spine. X dropped the belt from his mouth, "Thanks, thats always a lot harder to do on my own." "Hey its your money, I'll be whatever you want me to be." "Well right now your still playing nurese. Hand me that gauze." The woman pulled the gauze out of the bag and handed to him. Wrapping it tightly around his leg to try and ensure the wound would not not open again. Wound cleaned and bandaged it was now time to take care of the lost blood. Sifting through his supply bag he pulled a small peice of hose and small hollow needle. Using these objects he fasioned a crude IV and attatched the water bottle to the other end. "Now nurse, I need you to hold this so that the flow doesnt stop, but only after I tell you." "OK" Taking his belt up again he tightened it around his arm and put the other end in his mouth again. TApping gently at the ineer bend of his elbow he took the needle and forced it into his flesh. "Alright I need you to hold it up now." "Like this?" The woman asked. "Yeanow dont move until its about half empty. Then wake me up." "Alright" X laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. The woman ran her fingers through his hair as he began to nod off.

Hitsu gave a smile to the clerk, nodding. "Thank you for your help." She said, before turning to follow Poke outside. To her suggestion of the direction, Hitsu only walked behind her and looked back to be sure that Riyo was close behind. Aside from Kyo pointing this way, she wasn't sure on where to go. As Poke had been here before, she'd certainly know the way. "He did say it was down this way." Hitsu confirmed aloud, gazing up at the hanging signs on the buildings as they went, looking for the appropriate name.

-----

As Hanse opened the door, he'd notice the lack of any lighting aside from what might flow in from the hallway.

[My brain draws a blank on what to put here, at least when it comes to something that wouldn't sound wrong in some way or another. Might add to it, or else I'll just do like originally planned and not respond for Yuki until he's returning downstairs.]

Riyo blinked as everyone began leaving the little shop. "Nyuuu!" She yelled as she quickly followed them. Boy. It felt wierd to be fully dressed after being naked for years... Really wierd. Walking took a little more effort now that she was weighed down. "Nyuh." She said and watched her feet as she walked. Her boots left little imprints on the dirt. Wow! She purred as she studied her new clothes. The trenchcoat flapped in the wind behind her. It was... Cool. Not cool in a weather sense, but it made her feel... As if she was special. Looking forward again she realized she'd fallen behind from her two friends and ran to catch back up to them.

"This proves to be an interesting day..."

The voice at the back of her head mused. Riyo smiled and nodded to it. The voice didn't respond to her happiness, but she could feel it grin. Though, she tried to pay it no heed. She was more interested in where they were going next. As she caught up, she once again stayed close to Hitsu. Though now she looked like her shadow towering over her.

Though his body felt refreshed after his bath, Kyo's spirits were somewhere slightly higher than absolutely rock bottom. He was smoking a cigarette he had purchased from a vendor as he made his way towards The Saunter on Inn, trying to look forward to his meal.

Daelik was at his post behind the bar at The Saunter on Inn. He was knee-deep in a fantasy about... well nevermind what it was about, but rest assured that it was X rated... when Poke arrived and waved at him. He listened casually while he was sizing her up: top to bottom, front to back. "And how many are in your party?" He asked as he reached for the menus, before he remembered something. "There's only one problem... The only dish we have left is the trout with the veggie side. So, in essence, your choice is fish."

Upon their entry to the building, Hitsu looked to Poke as she went up to ask for something to eat. She frowned a bit to herself, wondering if they should wait for Kyo or order now. She seemed to decide on such, and stepped up to the counter alongside Poke and spoke up just loud enough to be heard over the chatter of the other customers. "There will be four of us." She said, offering a pause as Daelik explained that they only had one dish left. Hitsu wasn't one to complain, even if it did seem a bit strange for an eatery to have only one dish to offer. Perhaps their cook had already left, and they were getting ready to shut down. "That's perfectly fine." She confirmed, then quickly corrected herself, glancing back to Riyo. "With me, at least, I don't think our friend will mind." Poke, she assumed, was used to eating fish as well. "You like fish, right?"

Giving a moment for Riyo to give a response, she then turned her attention back to Daelik. "We should wait a little while, though. For the other member of our party to show up." She leaned in closer to Poke, "We don't want him to be offended if we start without him, you know?"

As Hanse had opened the door, Yuki had been lying on the bed. Not in any sort of seductive or 'sexy' pose, not by a long shot; He was lying flat on his back where he'd let himself collapse on the mattress with a hand to his forehead, mentally cursing Neko for making him get that drink. Yes, he would blame Neko for it, even if he wasn't forced he knew it probably would have ended the same way. It always did... When he remembered, anyway. The lights? Turned off to keep his head from hurting along with the dizziness he was trying to get rid of. Though, he had all intentions to act like he'd had the idea all along once his 'lady' arrived.

While Hanse had entered as quietly as possible, the dim light from the hallway caught Yuki's attention despite his closed eyes, and he'd quickly tried to reposition himself so he didn't look quite so miserable. He didn't want to make himself look uninterested right off the bat, after all. Yuki sat up quickly, and miraculously managed not to visibly show the reaction to the dizziness that overtook him. His vision gradually steadied, as he stared in silence toward the figure that stood near the door. Likely, had this been a woman, she might have very well left when Yuki didn't even offer a greeting. His only thought was to wish that the female was at least moderately intoxicated as well, so that any form of conversation wouldn't be required.

Then, his eyes finally adjusted well enough to allow him to make out Hanse's figure in the darkness. No sooner had the thought of how he was going to rise, the presumed female spoke. It wasn't a female, and Yuki drew in a gasp. ********, this had to be another of Neko's tricks. That b*****d. "What the fu-!?" He'd started, apparently ready to demand why there was a man in his room, but an instant after he'd opened his mouth the room was illuminated in a warm light. From fire. In Hanse's hand. Anger was swiftly substituted with fear, and his eyes grew wide. The mere look of Hanse gave Yuki the idea that he wasn't here to be a part of one of Neko's typically harmless plots.

In an instant, he'd scrambled from the bed to his feet, if not in a frantic and horribly coordinated manner. An oil lamp crashed loudly to the floor as he fumbled, pressing himself against a small side table, hands groping blindly behind him for anything he could block with or use as a projectile. "What are you doing here!?" He finally shouted, panic-stricken eyes locked on the intruder, virtually unblinking.

Skye's gaze also went upwards with the crash, and his brow crooked a bit in slight confusion about it, "Friend is a strong word..." He blinked a bit, and began to stand up slowly, "That grin he had on his face is starting to worry me though." His brow furrowed as he tried to remember the last time he saw that face on Hanse. He rubbed at his chin some, trying to piece together his memory of the last time he saw that.


The flame went out from Hanse's hand, casting the room in shadow once again. His wings unfurled from under his cloak, with them unleashed, he'd be able to move a bit faster, and strangely, a bit more quietly. As his wings moved, it only sounded like faint moving air, but because of their size, it was indeterminable from where the sounds would come from. His body moved fluidly from where it was, to one of the corners close to the door, he should have moved silently enough that Yuki wouldn't have realized that he had moved.


It was like a light came on in Skye's head, and a sense of urgency came across his face. "Your friend is up there with Hanse?" His body turned around and he slid through the crowd as if they were all standing still. Skye used what powers of Telepathy he had to speak to Neko, "Hanse may very well kill your friend," because of the linking of the minds, Neko could probably see the very terror that Skye had seen before; the last time Hanse killed... it was indescribable.