Welcome to Gaia! ::

--OOC

“So?” Lorathin asked, trailing closely behind Agrona, the tail of his black cloak dragging against the ground of the tunnel through which they strode. “What are we to do?”

Agrona scowled at Lorathin’s question, his voice breaking the train of her thoughts. “Right before I left,” she growled, “Carissa’s crystal decided to reveal one last person capable of passing into the other ‘world.’ Shen, she called him.” Agrona halted and turned on her heels, the sickly light radiating from the rocks within the tunnel casting eerie shadows across the demon’s face. “Seek him out.”

Her eyes bore into his, her mind weaseling into Lorathin’s as she sent him a mental image of the boy Carissa’s crystal had projected. “Once you have found him, contact me.”

“As you wish.” Lorathin bowed deeply. Straightening, he turned and went back down the way they he had come.



Karinda smiled at Noci. “Nay, there is no need for such a promise. ‘Twas unexpected, and yet thou clearly kept thy wits.

Perched on one shoulder, Saiirin wrapped her tail around Karinda’s neck as the girl walked toward where the sign for the stairs hung on the wall.

“If thou possess no objections, I would much rather descend by way of the stairs!” Karinda released Noci’s hand and opened the door, revealing the stairwell beyond.

“Tell me,” Karinda began, stepping toward the first of the stairs. “According to the testimony of Plushy, ((I cannot remember if he gave a fake name or not. Sorry!)) thou hath lied about attending the school at which we first encountered each other.” She glanced sideways at Noci. “Is there a reason thou wouldest care to reveal for your false words?”

__________________________________________________________________

Vanessa hurried down the stairs, collected her scythe from where it sat, and hurried out to the main entrance of the library. She paused, glancing to her half-circle desk piled high with books and paper.

Striding to the desk, she reached into one of the drawers with her free hand and pulled out a clipboard with a thick pack of paper secured on it. Multiple names written in a fancy, swirling hand adorned the white sheet, the library’s most recent visitors appearing at the top. Loki and Jarod’s were the first and second names, followed by Willow Reaper, Karinda Drathone, and Saiirin.

“Slow day,” she muttered, replacing the clipboard in the drawer and shutting it.

She looked up as the door opened and Rodger walked in, humming a tune.

“Hey, Nessa!” he called, catching sight of Vanessa. “So, what was it you--"

“Not now,” she interrupted him. “I have to go check on Karinda. She’s wandered off. Loki and Jarod are in the apartment talking with Plushy, but before you join them, I need you to do some research for me.”

“I thought getting others to do your homework was my assignment?” Rodger asked, grinning at his sister’s scowl. “What do you need me to look up?”

“Find out what a hanucani is.”

“Hanucani?” Rodger asked, taken aback. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to bring a memory to the front of his mind. “I just read something about them.”

“Oh?” Vanessa stepped around the desk, her eyes never leaving Rodger.

“Yes,” Rodger answered, his words slow as he continued. “It wasn’t much. Maybe a page or so. They were a worshiped race, but no one knows why. The last known sighting of them was something like three-thousand years ago. It was a sudden disappearance, like they all died out at the same time.”

Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “Well, there’s someone here claiming to be one of those, and Karinda’s with her.”

Rodger blinked in surprise. “Best of luck with that… Bring her back safely, would you? I still need to meet her and, she has a dragon, doesn’t she?”

“Yep. See you later.” Taking her double scythe in both hands, Vanessa lifted it and banged it against the tiled floor. A flash of light spread from where the metal touched the floor and encompassed her.

A second later, she stood before the hospital Plushy had mentioned. Ignoring the startled shout of someone on the street, she hurried through the entrance door.

The receptionist at the desk in the left-hand corner looked up as the door shut behind Vanessa.

“Vanessa!” Liam greeted, removing his hand from his office’s doorknob and turning instead to Vanessa. He smiled at her, the slits of his feline eyes turning to pointed ovals. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” He glanced at her scythe, his demeanor darkening. “Not a leisurely visit, I assume.”

“I’m looking for someone I’m supposed to be housing.” Vanessa stepped toward Liam, closing the space between the two. “She has long brown hair, silver marks on her face, and speaks like she’s from the Renaissance period.”

“She’s with you?” Liam hissed, his face twisting in disbelief and his volume rising. “She’s been nothing but trouble, her and her little ‘friends.’ I think they even broke one of the elevators!”

“What?” Vanessa blinked, her eyes widening a fraction. “Where is she? How can I find her?”

“Take it easy!” Liam raised one of his hands as if to calm her. “Last I saw her, she’s by the elevator two floors up. The second one on the left still works, so you could take that. It’d be quicker.”

“Was she okay?”

Liam snorted. “Okay enough to try impaling me with her sword.”

“You probably deserved it,” Vanessa said in an attempt at playfulness. “Thanks for the info, Liam. I’ll let you know when our next meeting is by tomorrow.” With that, she hurried to down the hall across from her and to the elevators.



With Vanessa on her own path, Liam hurried into his office. Glancing around to make sure Akuma had not destroyed anything, he tossed the packet of paper he held onto the desk and grabbed a briefcase from where it leaned against the side of the desk.

“C’mon!” he growled at the half-wolf as he made his way back to the door. “I’ve got another taker to tame you. My car’s just ‘round the corner. I’ll pull it up. Wait for me outside.”

He hurried through his office door and out the lobby. Rushing to the parking lot on the side of the building, he went to his black, 2006 Chevy Impala and pulled out his keys from his back pocket. Getting into the car, he tossed his briefcase into the back seat, started the engine, and made his way to the front of the building to wait for Akuma, the gentle, constant splash of the fountain to his right drifting through his slightly open window.



After flipping the open sign suction-cupped to the door to closed, Rodger made his way quickly to the back of the library and ascended the stairs to the apartment above. Pulling a key identical to Vanessa’s from around his neck, he unlocked the self-locking door and opened it slowly and silently.

Cracking it open just enough to peer inside, he glanced around the room.

Noci:

"It wasn't a lie, well....Not exactly, I went here when it was the old education centre. that place is pretty far below ground now though" she continued walking down the stairs slowing a little to let Karinda catch up, "Is that why you don't trust me?"

Willow, Robin & Mohinder:

The church doors practically flew off of their hinges as Willow shoved them aside to allow her and the others entrance to the old church. "Seal him over by the fireplace, we shall let our dear Harriet deal with him from here on.
"That reminds me, where is she right now?" Robin asked, dragging the solidified mud man into place in front of the delicate little fireplace, it looked rather out of place in the large gothic styled church.
"She should be on her way to meet with Kirin, as per her orders".
"Let's just hope she doesn't mess it up this time. How about that Karinda woman, has the mark activated yet?"As Robin spoke he had propped the solid mud man in place and placed his palms against the floor, after a few moments the ground around his hands begun to glow a dull red sending intricate symbols spiralling around Mohindar, "Well looks like things are about to get real fun."
"Well that is not not the terminology I would have chosen, but yes."

Harriet:

"Presenting her royal highness and heir to the throne, pri-"
"Yeah yeah I get the point" Harriet interrupted the large hatted guard as he attempted announce the clearly much used introduction. "KIRIN GET YOUR ROYAL BUTT MOVING!" Her voice echoed around the grand hallway, the red carpeted staircase alone was bigger then her entire apartment.
"H-h-hey Harry, sorry I took so long sweethea-ahhh!" tripping on her pinker than pink frilled dress and sent herself tumbling down the steps and into the arms of the startled blonde at the bottom.
"Get OFF me, you spoiled pig!" Harriet shoved the young woman onto the floor beside her, before attempting to straighten out her outfit.
"Oow, that hurt, I thought we were friends?"
"Don't be stupid, we still are, and you'r still a clumsy dumbass, need a hand?"

Segmon:

The rooftop of the library had started to get uncomfortable, and he was getting bored, it had been a good few hours and and Noci still wasn't here. he was just about to lay back down in the shade when he spotted the other librarian run out of the building, he made his way to the edge of the roof in order to follow her when there was a lively buzzing coming from his pocket. Pulling it out, Segmon opened up the new message only to be shocked from it's contents 'George!? After all these years...'

Plushy

"I-I don't have any more bananas... I only took one... Vanessa-I mean, Rodger said it was okay... I... my name is Jarod..."
"It's okay, I don't think he'll hurt you... We're with the good guys now, remember? You won't even have to hide who you are so much anymore."

And he had answered yes to his question by not answering, so Plushy put his tail through the window, wraped it around Jarod's belly, and gave it a small squishy. "Plushy give you hug." he said with a happy voice. Then Plushy though about something Jarod said, "You mean to say Rodger has been feeding Plushy's bananas to non-humans? What are you?" Plushy asked Jarod.
He have to fuss at Rodger about this, he was only to feed his bananas to humans, not other creatures.

Noci:

"Odd, not trusting someone because you think they're lying, only to lie yourself. Hehe, don't worry though, I already knew your real name, after all this isn't the first time we've met Mrs K" she continued down the stairs smiling playfully as she went "Please, tell you remember!" she faced Karinda for a brief moment, waiting for her reply.

Willow:

"Well, that took much longer than I would have expected" Willow called out to the man known as Shen as he leaned against a tree several feet from her, in a flash of black she now stood only a few meters from him "I would say it was a surprise meeting you here, but I was looking for you, so it really was not much of a surprise" her french accent coming through slightly as she spoke. "You are the one named Shen, correct." she seemed to be simply stating facts, although she waited for a reply nonetheless.

((Let me know when you want me to post for which character if I haven't posted for one of the ones you wanted me to, from now till, well whenever.))

((Which of my characters do you need in the library eventualy??))

~OOC (Rikku Wood)

Karinda blinked in surprise at Noci’s words. She stared at the girl’s face for a long moment, diving into the deepest recesses of her memories, searching for a face, any face, that resembled the girl standing before her.

Slowly, the memory floated to the front of her mind, recognition entering her eyes.

_____

Darkness bathed the quiet city, the only light coming from the glare of candle flames behind the windows from a few late-nightes. The cool breeze of late fall billowed through Karinda’s hair from where she crouched on a rooftop, the wind picking up a few of the strands and brushing them across her face. Smoke billowed from a chimney nearby, the scent of the burning logs drowning out all other smells.

Despite the darkness, Karinda’s enhanced vision soaked in every speck of light, from the easily spotted flames to the dimmest of lights beyond the wisps of clouds lingering in the sky. She scanned the housetops strewn about in front of her, waiting for the signal that an old friend and Saiirin had returned safely. Then, it would be her turn for action.

Her gaze settled on the tall spires of a church, when a feminine shout floated from the alley below.

Karinda’s attention spun to the street beneath her, her muscles ready to fight and her hand on her sword. A group of men had a woman cornered just beneath Karinda’s perch, the flickering light of a lantern held in one of the men’s hands casting shadows over their smirking faces.

With her face twisted in a snarl, she jumped from the rooftop. With a rush of wind, she landed in front of the woman the group of five had pursued, her knees bent and sword held out at her side.

The men staggered back in surprise, foul words escaping their mouths.

“’Tis the mark of a weakling,” Karinda began menacingly, the light of the lantern glinting off the silver marks adorning her face, “to take five men to one woman.”

“Wretch!” the man in the center of the line they had created snarled, drawing a sword of his own.

Karinda laughed at him, the eyes of the others turning to him as he stepped forward, his sword swinging menacingly in front of him.

“It seems,” the man began with a glance to his minions, ignoring Karinda’s laugh, “luck hath befallen us, men!” He smiled, showing off a few missing teeth. “Women and their ‘goods,’” his companions smirked at his choice of word, “have fallen from the sky! ‘Tis a blessing indeed!”

“For she behind me, aye,” Karinda eyed the men as they stepped forward, “but not for a group of capocchias such as thyselves!”

With a silent command, the wind picked up around her body, lifting her foot into the air. She released her sword, the blade moving at her side from a mental order. The men’s faces twisted in shock and fear as she raised her hands so they faced each other, and summoned a blaze of flames between them. The light of the flames glinted in Karinda’s eyes, making their color stand out.

“Run,” she whispered to the thugs, raising her head a tad as the blaze turned into a burning orb.

The leader dropped his sword, the blade falling to the ground with a clatter as he turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could, his minions following closely behind.

“Witch, witch!” they screamed into the night as they rushed away.

Karinda’s fireball shot after them, only to extinguish itself a moment before hitting the back of one of the men.

With a smug smile adorning her lips, she let her feet return to the ground and turned to face the woman she had rescued.

“’Twould be wise to depart from hence with great haste,” she said, examining the woman’s face in the fading sparks remaining from her flames. “I trust those rump-fed ronyons shall return with witch hunters.” She glanced to the sky as a glint on the clouds caught her eye. With a renewed smile, she looked back to the woman. “I apologize, good lady, but I must leave thee. May thou remain safe this night.”

With a respectful bow, Karinda straightened and, with another rush of air, returned to her rooftop and sprinted away, her light feet carrying her from one closely-packed building to the next as she hurried to meet her companions.

_____

A smile spread across Karinda’s face. “Aye!” she exclaimed happily, letting the memory pass to Saiirin’s mind to sooth the anger and annoyance rising within the small dragon. “Though, you appear to have defied the laws of life and grown younger with time!"



Lorathin scowled as a woman appeared in front of Shen in a flash of black.

So, Agrona’s not the only one who wants him, he thought darkly, stepping forward and laughing as Shen finished speaking.

“Though I can’t speak for her,” he gestured to Willow with a nod of is head, “I am here to do quite the opposite!” He glanced again to Willow, wondering for only a moment to what side of the battle she belonged. “I’m here by order of Agrona, the leader of the Army of Destroyers. She has heard much about you, Shen, and desires to meet you. She got held up at the headquarters, and so sent me to search for you and, if you so consent, bring you to her.”

((Shen is not a vampire hes an assassin elf 0.0 ))