Welcome to Gaia! ::

. razz art Three:.

Consciousness came and went with drugged sluggishness and never stayed for very long. There were faint sensations... being lifted and set down and lifted again. There was the suggestion of voices arguing and soothing and arguing again. There was a vague memory of a touch that burned like ice. And lips. Cold and soft and tasting of starlight and blood. Lips on her wrists and her throat, on her navel and her mouth. Even in the state she was in, her soul both shuddered and cried out with desire at their touch. Wether those lips had truly touched her or not though... she woud probably never know.

It was a long, long time before Kaimi fully regained consciousness. And even then, things were muddy. As if struggling up through murky water, she fought to breathe and open her eyes. And when, finally, they did crack open, there was nothing to see. Nothing. It was darker than dark. Pitch black. Kaimi had never encountered anything so completely lightless before, and it made her heart race. She tried to sit up, only to realize that she was already standing. She tried to extend her arms before her, but they hit something solid. Wooden. Immovable. To the sides, to the back and up above her, too. Wooden walls. She was boxed in and there was no light and maybe no air and...

Beating her fists against the wood, scratching until her nails broke and bled, Kaimi cried out for help. But no one came. Her voice grew hoarse and eventually left her. Her arms grew heavy and she couldn't lift them anymore. And nobody came. She was going to die here.

Don't be foolish.

That voice! Those voices! So familiar! Clinging to the familiarity of Ficus and Flora's presence in her mind, she let out a great sob of relief. At least she wouldn't die alone.

Don't be foolish. You are not going to die.

She was trapped, buried, tired and bleeding. She was running out of air. Of course she was going to die.

Kaimi. Kaimi. Kaimi. The voices whispered soothingly. Your body is weak and your soul is sick. Close your eyes, girl. Close your eyes and breathe. Good.

Obediently, Kaimi fell slowly into her pattern of meditation. Inhaling a three-fold breath... stomach, diaphraghm, chest... exhaling the same. It didn't take long for the fear to fade to the edge of her consciousness, for a deep quiet calm to overtake her. Like slipping into a warm bath, like a cup of cocoa, like dancing on the beach. The feeling was calm and it was comforting and, eventually, her tears stopped as her mind hung in a blissful limbo, far away from her body and it's wooden prison. So she didn't notice the change as it came over her body, the lengthening and growing. Nor would she have cared if she had noticed. She was still going to die.

She was still going to die! No! She wasn't ready to die!

Eyes opening suddenly, her brief moment of peace abating, Kaimi once again flew at the walls of the box until her strength gave out. Screaming silently in frustration, she squatted down. She was petite and the box was built for a fullgrown man. It at least could afford her the small comfort of a crouch.

Kaimi... Kaimi... Breathe...

Closing her eyes, she fell once more into the meditative cycle until something triggered her panic and, yet again, she fell upon the walls with tears and hoarse shouts. Couldn't anyone hear her? The revelation that she'd been put here on purpose flitted through her mind. She had been imprisoned, just like Indiana Jones. He always got out of it okay. But that, of course, was television. The daring hero who had once inspired the girl was a lie, she now realized. There was no such thing as heroes.

But there is such a thing as bravery. And you must be brave, Kaimi. Be brave and don't forget to breathe.

In and out of meditation and fury, in and out of consciousness... The hunger she had felt at one point had subsided, becoming just another of the aches and pains that she felt. Her nails were broken and bleeding, as was most of her body, having thrown it at the walls as hard as she could. Time ceased to have meaning. How could you tell time was passing when there was nothing but darkness? The world had devolved into one great, long, endless night. The sun had died. She would die.

Flora and Ficus kept a calming, encouraging chatter in her mind but it no longer meant anything to her. Their words didn't make sense. She began seeing things in the dark, too. Shapes and eyes... several times she thought there was someone in there with her, laying their burning cold lips upon her forehead or her legs. But there was never anyone there. Not really.

So when someone knocked on the outside of the box, Kaimi didn't answer. Because she was certain that it was just something else that wasn't really there.

(reference part three and a half in Galleai's journal)

. razz art Five:.

"Mom?" Kaimi's voice was weak and thready. She was filthy, covered in dust and dirt and various scratches and bruises but thankfully not seriously injured. "Mom?" Ohgodplease... let Naomi be home... She didn't want to be in the house all by herself. Briefly, Kaimi found herself wondering if she could still catch Delilah before the other girl was gone. She didn't want to be alone.

Naomi was in the kitchen and her hand froze clutching the dishrag when she heard that familiar voice calling out. "Kaimi?" She whispered, going pale. "Kaimi!" Running to the living room, she saw her daughter standing there, changed. Grown. What had happened? Naomi rushed over and gathered Kaimi into her arms, crying with relief. "Oh, my baby! Oh, my precious girl! What happened to you? Where have you been?"

The careful barrier of calm that Kaimi had built on her walk home with Delilah shattered into a million pieces and once more she found herself sobbing, her body shaking with the relief of being home. Safe. Engulfed in a warm hug in a familiar home, safe with her mother. Though nothing would ever seem as safe as it used to. Not when people could come into your home and take you and lock you up. "H-h-he t-took me!" Kaimi wailed, clinging to Naomi as she'd earlier clung to Delilah.

"I know, my love. Mara told me." She cuddled Kaimi close. The girl hadn't grown much taller, but what had once been straight planes were now soft curves. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to protect you. I'm so sorry." She cried into her daughter's hair, stroking her back and whispering comfort and solace. "You grew up." She added, dumbly.

"I..." Kaimi looked down at herself. She hadn't had the chance to really notice the changes in her body, though she was aware she'd grown. "I guess so."

Naomi hugged her daughter close again. "You're filthy, love. Lets get you a bath, hey?"

Kaimi nodded, grateful that Naomi wasn't asking a lot of questions. She just wasn't ready to talk about it yet, not at length. Soon afterwards she was seeping in a big tub full of bubbles, the comforting sound of instrumental music and cooking smells coming from downstairs. Mara was with their grandparents, who Kaimi had never met. But now that Kaimi was home, she'd be coming home as well.

Soaping her sore body, Kaimi explored the new rounding curves with a detached curiosity. She felt the echo of mouths on her throat and her wrists and it gave her a shiver. There was a lot she knew she had to think about. But she didn't want to think about any of it, she just wanted to shove it back in the dark recesses of her mind and pretend like it had never happened. She was a teenager now. She just wanted to be a normal girl. A normal girl who was still full of innocence and didn't jump at every noise.

.:Roleplay Log:.

.:Roleplay Log:.

.:Roleplay Log:.

.:Roleplay Log:.

.:Roleplay Log:.

.:Fox-boys and Self Reflection:.

"...Mostly it's just a hotel..."

Kaimi woke up with those ominous words ringing in her ears. The room was big and light and much nicer than your typical hotel room. Apparently the rooms would cater to whatever it was you needed. Apparently some people here lived in what could practically be considered palatial mansions while others contented themselves with less elaborate and more predicatble rooms.

It was, all in all, the most bizarre place she'd ever encountered full of the strangest assortment of people. Kaimi grinned and stretched in bed before sitting up. It was a good vacation spot, she'd decided. She was glad her mom had decided she could stay a few days. It probably had something to do with the mysterious phone call from one Kitsune Kitsune (whom Kaimi had yet to meet) assuring Naomi that the girl would be safe enough.

Not everyone was nice, though. There was at least one major cult operating on the grounds. Kaimi had been sneered at by a blonde girl with tiny angel's wings and called a filthy unbeliever. She'd gotten the impression, though, that the blonde didn't like anybody. There was another member of the cult who she had run into in passing, with long purple hair and a gaze that made her blood turn to ice water. These Worshippers were definitely ones to avoid.

But aside from that, Kaimi mused as she pulled on a pair of jeans and a tank top, the people seemed alright. Enmeshed in innumerable private dramas, but alright. And definitely not normal. She'd already heard rumors of four different Faerie courts in the vicinity. Four! She hadn't even known there were that many.

She ran into nobody in the hallway, or on the elevator as she went down to the main level. There appeared to be no formal cook, the kitchen was huge and open to everyone. And yet there was prepared food in the fridge, seemingly communal property. On her way outside, she grabbed an apple. Today the exotic girl was determined to discover more about these Faerie courts. If she couldn't locate the faerie Absinthe she'd met upon her arrival, she was sure there were others around. Or at least others who knew about the courts. She was practically writhing with excited anticipation and wasn't paying attention to where she was going.

So really, when a ball of purpley black energy whizzed past her head and smashed into a tree, shattering it, it could be attributed to being her own damn fault. The person flinging energy balls certainly seemed to think so.

"Hey, you! Watch where you're going, ya dumb b***h!"

Golden eyes widening in suprise and anger at being called names by a complete stranger, Kaimi whirled around with her mouth open to deliver a scathing retort and then stopped short.

It was a boy who appeared to be about her age, perhaps a little older. His skin was almost as dark as hers, but his eyes and hair were pale and he had silver fox's ears and a silver fox's tail. He was glaring. His purple eyes were glaring at her. They were so pretty... Kaimi blinked.

"Umm..." The scent of flowers that clung to her strengthened noticeably.

"Umm? What kind of answer is that? I could have killed you." The boy said reproachfully. His eyes narrowed further. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new?"

"Umm..." Kaimi shook her head a little and blushed, trying to find her tongue. "Yes. I'm visiting from Gaia."

"Never heard of it." The boy said with a shrug. "You'd better be more careful, though. Watch where you're going." With that he turned around and stalked off.

Kaimi stared after him, unsure what to say. "Don't you..." want to know my name? She almost said, but didn't.

"Don't be fooled by him." A silken voice purred in her ear. Once again, Kaimi whirled around, this time to be confronted by a tall immaculately curved woman with predatory eyes. "Thats Cassius."

Kaimi frowned. "He seemed..."

The woman grinned. Her teeth were all filed to points. "Cassius doesn't have time for anyone but himself." She informed Kaimi. "Girls love that. They think they can save him from himself." Her eyes raked over the diminuative girl. "They can't."

"Oh, I wasn't... I'm Kaimi." Kaimi finally settled in.

"Tamanna. I'm his Shadow."

"Shadow?"

"Yes. All the pieces of himself he didn't want. It's not the most common procedure, but there are those here who will do it. For a price."

"I..."

"You probably wouldn't want it. You're the type of kid who loves everything about themselves, yeah?" Without waiting for an answer, Tamanna turned and walked in the direction Cassius had gone, a dangerous sway in her hips.

Kaimi watched her go, wondering. Was she that sort of kid? She wasn't sure anymore.