Welcome to Gaia! ::

Raven tottered up to the doorstep with an encouraging nudge from Bird. She had been getting pretty good at this walking thing-- it still felt strange.

But! To business. Squishing two plushies close, one hers, the other a surprise, Raven climbed the last step and plopped the toy down, arranging it in what she hoped was tasteful. Small fingers grabbed the note that was tucked in her pocket, smoothin out the crumples before sticking it under one of the stuffed animal's arms and hopping back to where Bird stood.

The two walked away looking awfully pleased with themselves.
(Who-mygoodnesspl00shie!)

Dear Anon and Shouko,
Sorry we haven't seen you in awhile. Anyway, Raven saw this in the store the other day, and demanded that we get it for someone. She said Sho because, apparently, 'Pink hair deserves a horsie!'
So. Hope you guys enjoy!
~Raven and Bird

Sho's Private Diary

Dear Diary,
I'm stupid. I really hurt Mom's feelings (she read my diary, even though she said it was private and that no-one would ever read it!), she was crying all over the place. But she got over it, and said that I shouldn't say such things, and if I ever did, she'd make sure I'd never see another soap opera! Then we shouted at each other for a bit, and then we both broke down crying. Anyway, we resolved things - and I really have no idea how! - so let's not talk about that anymore.

I miss Tyyne and my other friends. It's been a while, with me locking myself in, and Mom stalking Ty's mom (you don't wanna know, trust me.), but I guess I'll have to take her to the Home sometime. Mom, that is. And hope the others are there.

Love, Peace and Harmony, (that's what the longhaired man on TV said, anyway)

Shouko Dyrh

The young girl had decided to take the initiative, and get out of her mother's house for a bit - she'd heard there were new Edens. And perhaps, who knew, she might even meet Tyyne there!
Skipping slightly, a smile spreading on her face in the prospect of seeing her much-missed best friend again, Shouko threw open the doors to the Eden HQ, positively beaming and looking for her friend.


"Haven't been here in a while...I bet you're excited to see all of your friends again! And, who knows? You might get a few more!"

"...yeah..."

An eyebrow immediately quirked at the distant reply of the boy, and his mother bent down, coming eye-level with him. She ruffled his hair gently, "What's the matter?"

The winged toddler stared blankly at Feather for a few minutes. "Uh..." He then shook his head, blinking several times, as if emerging from a trance. "..huh?"

"Are you ready to see everyone again?" She repeated, hoping for a better answer this time around.

"Y-yes momma!" He smiled reassuringly at her, and, apparently satisfied with his reply, she straightened and pushed open the doors of the Eden headquarters.

"Hellooo!!" Feather greeted cheerfully, stepping into the main hallway. Alex followed closely behind.


"See you around, DiYanni." Mouse said.

Sylvest whooshed in relief. That was one less person to stare at him. But then he heard--

"Oh, Feather! Alex! Hey, there!"

The leaf became rigid with fear. Not just one, but two people coming to stare at him? Why couldn't Mouse just take him home now?


"Bye, Qween," Dante called out briefly before the girl was whisked off. Instead, now she was curious about the others.

She wandered towards her mother's position and took her customary place, clinging onto her leg and peering at other from behind the safe wall of her guardian.


Blinking slightly as she did not see her friend, and the weird Chi-something woman and her child leaving just after she came (What did she ever do to them?), plus Alex and his guardian coming in. It seemed to be a busy day..
"Hello.. Alex?" Shouko ventured, greeting the only person she remembered ever having met before. Why was he still so small, anyway? Mom had said he had been on a quest, and everybody knew what happened when you completed a quest..


"MOUSE!" Feather's face brightened considerably as she strode over to her friend, grinning widely. "Congratulations on getting Sylvest! He's such an adorable little guy! Reminds me of when Alex was a..." She peered down, expecting the boy to be right by her side.

He wasn't. He was already moving out and about, exploring the HQ and its inhabitants. His eyes focused on Shouko at once, and he toddled over to her. "H-Hi Shouko!" He looked concerned. She acted like she didn't recognize him?

"..leaf." Feather finished, looking back to Mouse. "So how's he been?"


"Oh, just as dandy as any leaf that's somehow infused with the soul of a sea creature, as well as having an intense phobia of being stared at," Mouse replied with a tinge of joking sarcasm. "But really, he's fine. Just unbelievably shy, and I think I feel a small bit of paranoia from him as well. I was hoping that a bit of social interaction would help him, but all I've found out is that he loves apple juice." She indicated towards the mug, which was now two-thirds empty. "And how's little Alex doing? I'm so sorry I missed the play, by the way."


"Alex!" The girl's voice was relieved, as if she'd just found something comforting. Beaming even wider, Shouko snuck a glance at the two adults talking, before focusing on Alex once more.
"How are you? I heard you and Raven completed a quest!" Quick, precise and to the point. Shouko was very proud of herself.


Two more people. Dante was meeting too many people today, and already forgetting the names of some. Only... Circe and Madeline stuck in her mind. She looked at the two new ones, one named Alex and the other S-Shou...ko?

She suddenly felt really shy.


"Apple juice..." Feather said dreamily, a sudden craving for it beginning to bubble within her. "Well, he's got good taste, that's for sure! And he's shy? How adorable! I'm sure once he grows into a toddler he'll come out of his shell and make plenty of friends. Alex could show him around, and everything! Oh, we'll have to plan playdates, too! WHEE!" She clapped, obviously excited with the whole idea of Alex having a non-Eoghan male influence.

"He's doing fine, but he seems kinda...out there today." Feather shrugged, recalling the events of the night on which the play took place. She giggled like a schoolgirl at the mere thought, "Though I might know why..."

"Y-Yes, we did!" Alex's cheeks turned an unmistakeable shade of pink. "It was really fun, the play and everything. I was the knight, and she was the princess! And she actually managed to fly at the very end!"


Mouse glanced at a nearby clock. "Ah, I should be going. I need to clean out an unused room for Sylvest, and it's probably going to take a bit of time and effort. So sorry... bye!"

She retrieved a disdainful Sylvest from the apple juice, placed him back in the water bottle, and left.

Cocking her head to the side, Shouko observed the boy's red cheeks. That was what the people in her soap operas did when they were forced to talk about something embarrassing - so what had happened to make Alex embarrassed? Perhaps he didn't manage to fly? Or.. A few more wild ideas flew through the girl's head, before she focused her attention onto the boy, yet again. Better ask him than to speculate forever!
But perhaps Shouko was doomed to eternal speculation, for in that moment she noticed the young toddler who resembled one of the heroines from her favorite show. Forfeiting the chance to ask further, she smiled at the girl.
"Hello there. Who are you?" She asked, in her best polite-voice.


"Hn?" Alex followed Shouko's gaze, his own eventually falling on Dante's rather...showy form. His curiousity had been captured, as well. "Yes, hello!" He gave her a welcoming smile, trying to hide his questioning attitude of where she'd exactly come from.


"I-I'm Dante," the White Mink stuttered out, trying to regain her composure after being yet again addressed to. Before, it was a lot worse with everyone in the room staring at her.

"Don't mind her, she's just shy around strangers, kind of. Well, a lot of them," Koyuki's voice cut through, "Really, now, go and play with them or something."

Dante smiled at them.


"It's nice to meet you, Dante! I'm Alexander! Are you new around here? I don't THINK I've ever seen you before..." He breathed a small sigh of relief, grateful the attention was no longer directed to him, but rather, this girl. He could avoid Shouko's ever-inevitable question for the time being.


Holding out her hand to the younger girl, Shouko smiled gently. Her friend was the same, always shy around people. Though Tyyne would never look like that..
"I'm Shouko, I'm an Eden too! What kind are you?" Actually, she hadn't been able to find any clues of what kind the girl was..


"Hi, Alex-Aleks-ander," the name was long and felt weird on her tongue. She wasn't used to speaking yet, having just born a few days ago.

"Mom says I just came from leaf two days ago. I was a leaf," the young girl didn't quite understand what her mother meant by that, but as a child, she took it as a valid explanations, "I never been here. Except when was leaf."

Then she turned towards the other girl, "H-hi," She took the hand hesistantly, small paw prints on both palms, "What's an Eden?"


"Umm," how to explain this? Hadn't her mother explained this to her? "An Eden is a person that comes from a leaf - Mom says there's something special about our sould or something.." Shouko let go of the girl's small hand in favour of doing some vague hand gestures, trying futilely to explain.


"Soul? Special?" Dante took a moment to process the thought, then nodded, "Oh, mom said I was born from leaf. And then furry egg. Then she confusing."

The girl made a face, suggesting that her mother was very, very hyperactive, jumpy, and obviously didn't care to make head nor tail of sensible stories.

"But she says I'm like a mink? I saw a picture. They have pretty fur."

"That's so cool! I'm like a tree of some sorts." The girl's grimace showed that she didn't think a tree was quite as cool as a mink.
"I have to go now - Mom told me not to stay away for long. It was really nice meeting you, though!" Quickly hugging the younger girl, Shouko made her way out the house again.

Kakui grinned as she set the present down by the door. This would be her last delivery for the day - she'd deal with the last three later. Pulilng the note from her bag, she set it down by the object. "There, all done," she sighed as she stood to go, "I hope they like it..."



Sitting beside the note was a pink-haired doll with a sakura-print dress.

Dear Anon:
I am a stranger. You don't know me. But her is a parchment doll, made by me. I hope Sho likes it, and plays with it too!

"You know, we could always invite them over for , umm.. tea or something?" the woman fumbled in the dark, obviously trying to think of an even better reason for her daughter's friends to come over, all at once.

"Tea?" the young girl's brow wrinkled, her facial expression showing her distaste at the idea of inviting her friends over for tea.

Anon deflated. Okay, so maybe not tea! But surely, there had to be an okay excuse for a mass invitation of hyper kids that would utterly destroy her home.. bad thoughts, bad! The woman sincerely hoped her daughter would appreciate her efforts when she was older.

"What about.. a p-party?" the word tasted foreign on Sho's tongue, the young Eden having always associated it with wild, drunken raves - why had she suggested it, even? She didn't want some drunk man puking in her bed. At all.

Anon, on the other hand, lit up by the suggestion. " A party! That'd be so awesome! A birthday party!" the woman cackled slightly, oblivious to her daughter inching away while looking slightly troubled, too wrapped up in the idea of people having to give her daughter gifts.

"O-okay..?" Shouko didn't normally stutter, being quite a confident young lady, but there was something infinitely scary about her mother cackling away with That Look in her eyes.

"A birthday party it is! Oooh, we'll have so much FUN making the invitations!"

The girl smiled happily; THAT was something she could relate to. Already plotting how pink and glittery the invitations should be, Shouko followed her mother into the kitchen - it was planning time.

"You know, you really ought to get out and meet some new people."

Shouko blinked, not quite sure why her mother would be saying something like that to the chocolate chip cookies they were baking.

"Mom, they're cookies.." inching away from the woman next to her, the pink-haired girl sincerely hoped that insanity wasn't contagious. "I don't think they like to meet new people, since, you know, people eat cookies."

Patting one of the already finished cookies on it's top, the young girl stared dubiously at her mother.

An incredulous look was her reward.

"Cookies? But I.. argh, nevermind!" slamming her hands on the dough, Anon gave up trying to be politically correct in her child-rearing.

"Look, Shouko, we've both been crammed up here for quite a bit now, and I dare say there's been more than a few things going on in our absence. So, we need to get back in the flow of things. Or something along those lines."

Taking a deep breath, the woman stopped her torture of the poor, innocent dough long enough to sneak a look at her pink-haired child.

"Ab-since..?" the girl squinted at the table, hoping it would provide the meaning of the new word. It didn't, the darned thing.

"You know, being away-ness. But that's not the point, Sho."

"You've already said this, Mom," the girl in question went back to cutting up the chocolate, feeling the familiar lecture coming on, "Yesterday and yesterday-day."

"Well, there's a reason I say it!"

"Mommie, the cookies are burning.."

Jane Eyre; The Pretty Lady Retelling

Natalie sighed, leaning back in her chair. Another night over. Another night of Michael actually listening to her demands and staying out of sight when he wasn't needed. Really, it was almost easy to forget what had passed between them, sometimes. Which.. was nice. And while she may have been over it, she channeled all of those violent emotions he'd made her experience into her performance. It just kept getting minutely better and better.

Only two and a half weeks left. It was hard to believe that, after then, she'd probably never see any of these people again. The people she'd come to love as a family.


Meanwhile, James, security guard extraordinaire, was bored. Really, he didn't like the job. But it was easy and it paid and he'd gotten to meet that Peanut Guy, right? The one with the monocle. Him. And he got to see women running around half-naked. That alone made up for the sheer boredom of his job.

Well... that and the fact that a pretty woman was approaching. He wasn't too keen on the child in tow, but hey. Pretty woman? That was good.

Why her mother had dragged her to the show, Shouko would never know. The woman was known for being vague and slightly absentminded and had, in her normal fashion, mumbled something about education before dragging her daughter off.

Not that Shouko was complaining. It had been a good show, if not a bit complicated for a child - truth be told she hadn't understood much, but there were pretty people in costumes and that had made up for it - and the lead lady in particular had been vibrant. She'd been very convincing in her acting, and Shouko was very impressed despite her obvious lack of knowledge in the field of acting.

And now her mother was dragging her to meet her!

If this was education, she certainly didn't mind, the girl thought as she skittered behind Anon in an attempt to get away from the buff-looking man at the door. He looked a bit like those mobstar-people she'd seen in her soap operas, and THEY always beat up people.


Anon beamed happily at the man in the doorway, blithely unaware of her daughter's slight scare. In the mind of Miss Dyrh, security guards equalled puppy-cuteness and doughnuts. This might explain a lot of things about Anon.

"Oh, hello!" she waved slightly, in case he hadn't seen them approaching, "Would it be possible to get backstage?" Wonderful, she sounded clever! She smiled happily, quite proud of her performance. Those pills the doctor had ordinated had made things so horridly complicated, but for once things seemed to be going the right way.

"And what's the reason?" he asked, trying to follow procedure. But it came out more jesting and kind. He couldn't help it! He flirted on instinct! "I just have to ask, you know. You can probably go backstage, as long as you're not a psychopathic killer, or something. But you're definitely too cute to be carrying a butcher knife!

"Still. You seeing one of the guys, or something? Cause if you're not..." Wink. Wink.

Oh. Was he.. coming on to her? Anon blushed profusely, stammering around in her mind before getting herself to working order in the new situation; it had been a long, long time since anyone had flirted with her, and she had the horrid feeling that the guard was expecting her to flirt back.

"I'm no such thing." she winked, or tried to anyway - the success of the attempt was debateable.

Shouko peeked from behind her mother as she heard the man talk. He didn't sound scary, and he definitely didn't sound like he was going to kill anyone - rather, he was expecting them to try and kill someone! She giggled at the thought of her and her mother killing anyone, much less a man like him.

She blinked innocently at the guard, and smiled happily. "We're going to see the pretty lady!"

"Pretty lady, huh?" He crouched down, smiling at the girl. "Which pretty lady? Cause there are an awful lot of 'em back there, and I'd hate for you to get confused."

See, he was even good with kids! Honestly. Perfect man. Well, except for the wandering eye. And the occasional drinking. And the swearing. And the frat boy tendencies. ... Perfect man!

"But if you tell me which one, I'm sure I can take both of you beauties back to see her."

"The.." she wrinkled her brow trying to drag some memory of the names back, "Air-girl." She smiled back at him, proud for having figured out the name of their target.

And he was so charming, too! Anon smiled at him, glad that Shouko were getting along with someone, even if he was a grownup.

"We'd be very grateful if you'd do that for us, wouldn't we, dear?" she turned expectant eyes on the girl.

"Yes mum." Shouko repeated dully. It had been one of the politeness lessons, she remembered as she nodded her head to show her compliance.
"It'd be nice if you found Miss Air for us, Mr. Guard."

James laughed. "Oh, Natalie. 'Kay. She seems to get a lot of callers." Well. The Peanut Man and the other dude. And these two. Still!

"Just follow me, kay? It's a bit hectic, so stick close."

In fact, back stage wasn't hectic, aside from a few of the actors and set techs bustling back and forth past them. He led them to a dressing room door and knocked a few times.

"Who is it?" came a female voice - a familiar one, even with the lack of accent she'd taken on during the performance.

"Nat, it's James. Security guy. You have some visitors - can I let 'em in?" He winked at the girls.

"Oh, sure. Go ahead."

James pushed open the door with a flourish. "There you go, ladies! If you need anything else... anything..." He winked at Anon before heading back to his post.

Inside the dressing room was the woman from the stage. She smiled at the two, waving. For a moment, she'd been scared that somebody else... Candice, or somebody, had been there. But no. It was two people she'd never met... but they looked nice enough. "Hello, there!"

Anon still wasn't done blushing by the time Natalie greeted them, and looked after James with a rather peculiar look. But this wasn't why she was here, and her daughter wasn't getting any culture from her staring at the security guards.

She took a step forward, approaching the actress while keeping her daughter's hand firmly in her own.

"Hello there." what did one say? She took a second to contemplate before continuing. "We really liked your performance and Shouko, that's her here, say hello sweetie" "Hello Miss. Air." "needs some culture so I thought I'd introduce her to a real-life actress." That, and the fact that she was trying to get Shouko to come out of the shell she had created after Anon's illness.

"You're really good." Shouko piped up, genuine admiration shining in her eyes. This girl was even prettier than the stars on television in the Eden's eyes, and it seemed she had found her new idol.

Natalie giggled a little. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea!" She held out her hand to Anon. "I'm Natalie. It's very nice to meet you!

"And you, too," she said, looking back down at Shouko. "What's your name?" So many children! She was being swamped with them, it seemed. But she was getting used to it, and as things turned out, she wasn't that bad with kids. Actually, they seemed to like her.

"And thank you! I've practiced a long time to be able to do that - it always makes me happy to hear that people enjoy what I do."

Anon took the offered hand and shaked it daintily, or as daintily as one could while holding back a child dying to examine shinies. "I thought so too," she grinned slightly. Letting go of her hand - and Shouko - Anon smiled as she watched the two interact. The girl certainly had a way with children.

"I'm Shouko." said girl beamed at Natalie, glad to be talking to her newest idol. The girl really was pretty, even though the makeup was a bit too much up close. Shouko had never heard the rule of the stage; light obscures your face.

"They clapped a lot, so I think they did." she giggled a bit, feeling almost as clever as her mother had earlier. Then the rest of the words registered.

"You mean.. you can train to be like that?" stars might as well has come out of her eyes, for one could almost see the wheels working in the girl's head.

"Oh, I hope so!" she said, kneeling down on the floor. Her dark skirt flared out across the floor. If there was one thing she loved above all else about the play, it was the costumes - they were comfy and floaty and pretty!

"Mmhmm. You can learn how to sing and how to act - you just need a teacher. Or..." Her eyes sparkled. "Do you ever sing along with songs? Or play pretend games? Those can teach you how to sing and act, too. That's how I got started, when I was your age!" She nodded, making her point. "Lots of pretend games, with dolls."

This girl was positively adorable! More so than Haki, who, while cute, seemed to know it. Kids who knew they were cute were a bit scary. Spontaneity was better.

"Oh. A teacher?" Shouko had never had much experience with teachers, not having gone to school. But.. if she could get to wear clothes like Natalie, she'd deal with it. Definitely. She eyed the skirt appreciatively, already plotting how to get her mother to get her a teacher.

"I don't play with dolls anymore. I'm a grownup." she threw a slightly scalding look at Natalie for not having figured that one out herself. Really, anyone could see! "I've sang a bit, but I like playing my flute more." She figured the painted flute happily stuck in her obi.

But if the pretty lady played with dolls at her age, perhaps it was okay? Shouko sighed. Why did things have to be so complicated?

"Well, even if you don't play with dolls, do you ever tell yourself stories? Just doing that can help, too. But acting out the stories is best, definitely. Playing make-believe with friends really, really helps." Natalie smiled, then looked at the flute.

"You play the flute? That's impressive! I'm no good with instruments, myself. Actually, I like to make clothing. In fact, I'm making a few dresses for a girl a little bit younger than you that I know. Do you think she'll like them, maybe?"

"No I don't." her face was looking decidedly downcast by this point in time. She'd never become like Natalie! She was nowhere near as good, and she didn't even play with dolls like Natalie did when she was as young as Shouko.
"My friends don't visit me a lot anymore."

She brightened as the older girl revealed that she thought it was impressive that Shouko could play the flute; she'd never thought of it as impressive. It was just something she had to do. She beamed, glad for having done something right.
"If she doesn't, she's just stupid. Everyone likes dresses." everyone that was anyone, anyway.

Natalie laughed, reaching out to pat the girl's head a little. "Well, it's never too late to start again. But if your friends don't visit... well, how would you like to meet my-" though she didn't know, the curl seemed to give it away - "daughter some day? And we could all play together." She was so quick to extend the invitation - but she really did like the girl, and her mother seemed nice, as well.

She glanced up at Anon, with an, 'Is that alright?' look.

Then, back to Shouko.

"Well, not all people. I'm sure a lot of boys don't like dresses." Well. Besides two mages she happened to know.

Anon nodded, having stood back and let her daughter enjoy herself until now.

"You have a daughter?" Shouko's eyes widened to an almost impossible size, "Sure! That'd be so, so awesome!" Exstatic didn't do her justice; Shouko was positively bouncing at the prospect. Oooh, and Natalie's daughter was probably just as pretty and nice and cool and she was sure they were going to get along splendidly!

"Boys? Dresses?" she thought about the concept for a moment before reaching the logic conclusion, "Then they're just stupid too."

"Well, I'll have one, soon." ... Soon? Well, that probably came off as odd to Shouko and Anon. After all, she was young and hardly pregnant. So...?

"Maybe. They sure aren't smart, sometimes. But I know a couple smart ones, and they don't wear dresses, usually.

"Can you like dresses but just not wear them? Maybe that's what boys do."

"Oh." Shouko nodded knowingly; it was probably the same as with her and her friends, then. That was, after all, how babies were made if you weren't pregnant in her experience. "What color is your leaf?" She'd only ever seen green-coloured ones, but the pretty lady seemed just the type to have some sort of awesome-wonderful-cool other-colored leaf.

She conceded. "Maybe. They seem to like them on other people, so I guess.." Shouko didn't like admitting to being wrong, especially not in front of Natalie and her Mom. Good thing there weren't any other people in the room, or the humiliation would've never ended.

"Leaf?" She blinked, a little confused. Well, at least she wasn't thinking along pregnancy lines. Maybe it was something like Ames?

"Oh, mine's coming from a bubble," she said, leaning in a little conspiratorially. "She's a cute black bubble with a smile on her face. And I'm sure she'll end up just as pretty as you are!"

Natalie rocked back onto her heels, laughing a little. "But still, boys are stupid in a lot of other ways," she said, nodding. "Lots of other ways - like when they say one thing and mean another, just to be your friend."

"You don't have a leaf..?" Shouko's face fell, before Natalie leaned in and told her about the bubble-child. Clapping her hands happily as she giggled at the thought of a little bubble with a smile on who was going to turn into a girl.

"So, like a leaf but a bubble. Can I see her someday?" turning on her cutest expression, the girl clasped her hands and wished for a positive answer. A bubble!

"I've never met a boy like that." that was true, really - all the boys she had met had been nice, if not dress-avoiding.

"I'm not sure if you'll be able to see her as a bubble, but once she's bouncing around on two legs, you can definitely come and see her! I wouldn't mind at all.

"Oh, I've met way too many of them. They can cause lots of trouble - keep an eye out for those boys."

She stood up, patting out her dress. "I wish I could talk longer, but I do need to get changed and go back home." Smiling sheepishly, she looked at Anon. "I can give you my phone number? Feel free to call if you ever need a babysitter, or Shouko wants to come visit. Okay?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" this was definitely her lucky day - meeting a pretty lady who was smart AND nice and was going to have a special child that was almost-but-really-not like Shouko!

And she would keep an eye out for those boys; they didn't sound nice, and if they weren't nice to Natalie they wouldn't be nice to Shouko either. All boys were trouble, as she'd learned from Teagan, but not all trouble were bad.

"I think we'd like that." Anon eyed her smitten daughter, before smiling at the younger woman. "Thank you for putting up with us this long, I know how much of a hassle she can be when she's excited." she grinned conspirationally.

Darting forward to give the older girl a quick hug around the waist, Shouko beamed and took her mother's hand. "Thank you Miss Natalie! I'd love to."

"Have a good day!" hefting her daughter up to rest on her hip - the girl was surprisingly light - Anon and Shouko made their way out of the changing room, with the girl waving over her mother's shoulder the whole time.