Welcome to Gaia! ::

Wayra stared at the woman who'd just murmured something about half-fish babies. Was this woman off her rocker? Apparently so, as she started rubbing the older man's abdomen. She stifled a laugh as she thought about how interesting this adventure would be. And by interesting, she meant weird.

Clearing her throat, she tried talking to the people again. "Uh, Hi. My name's Wayra. I'm curious, is this all of our group? It looks a bit small. And aren't we supposed to have a guide?", She finished her questions and looked around as if expecting more group members and a guide to magically appear. She wanted to go see the animals already! she didn't have time to stand around here twiddling her thumbs.

Hearing the word 'Mermaid' once again, she turned around and wondered if there really was magic at work here. Standing a little ways away from them was another woman who claimed to be their tour guide. "Perfect, just what I was hoping for!", Wayra cried, dashing up to the tour guide. "So where's the rest of the group, or is this it?"

Lydia's mouth opened to form a small "o" of surprise. There was another mermaid? So it wasn't just going to be her and Mr. Handsome Merman anymore?

She barely noticed when her hand was gently removed from his stomach. In fact, she might have even helped it along a bit, as she suddenly thrust her hand out towards the new woman. "HI I'M LYDIA!!" She burst out, much louder then was typically necessary. In fact, it wasn't necessary at all, considering Algie had already given her name.

And then a tour guide. Another woman, by the sound of it. Lydia followed the others towards her fairly complacently, adjusting the strap of her canvas bag as she did so.

"Is it time to adventure yet?"

(Enter from boat.)

Adam made his way to the guide and the rest of the mermaid group. "Hello, Adam here." The group appeared to be consisted of a man with salt and pepper hair, Algie, a woman with a messy ponytail, Lydia, and a woman with a normal ponytail, Wayra. The first and last seemed normal enough, but the middle one seemed absolutely nutters. There's one in every group, now, isn't there, he thought.

Another man! Thank goodness! Honestly he didn't even need to speak if he didn't want. Just being there was enough to help Algie feel more like the odds were evening. "Keira. Lovely. I'm Algie." He rested a hand on his chest. The began his self imposed duty to be polite and introduce everyone. If anyone wanted to do that themselves, he was doing it too.

"Adam there." He nodded to the otherman gratefully, "Lydia. Wayra. And ehm.. I haven't a clue if there's anymore."

He couldn't helpbut look at the scars on her face. They looked rather new and his writer's mind was already spinning a million scenarios that could have led up to this. He tried not to stare in the pointed way that made it veryobvious that he was. Algie would nothave his question be 'how did that happen'. He was too much of a gentleman.

Adam thought the guide, Keira, was pretty. Kind of grumpy looking too, though. Not that there was anything wrong with that. He thought Neala looked quite too. She did look a little disinterested in things. Maybe she was really busy or something. He knew that feeling.

He slowly raised his hand and said, "I just have one question. Are we going to the aquarium, because we're mermaids or is everyone going there? Oh, and I thought I saw another guy on the boat. So, there must be, like..." He took a cursory glance down at his fingers to count. He hoped no one noticed that. "...five of us then."

[Entering from boat]

Chris wasn't a bit reluctant to give up his cell phone. He didn't tend to use it for much other then to call his publisher and vice versa anyway. He took the pencil and pad from the staff member with a small thankful smile. Now he wouldn't have to worry about mixing new notes in with the once he has written down for his books. He quickly followed the staff member and his group to the convention center.

[Exit to convention center]

Another two people joined the group, happy day! A guy with orange headphones who called themselves Adam and a serious-looking woman putting on a name tag who Wayra assumed was the Neala person their guide had mentioned earlier.

Wayra had to suppress a giggle when she noticed Adam counting on his fingers out of the corner of her eye. She didn't want anyone in her group to start out the adventure hating her, after all. They were here to have fun, not make enemies! Lydia said something about the last member being eaten Luska, but Wayra just chalked it up to being just another of the woman's oddities since there probably would have been a panic on the boat if someone had gone overboard.

"So... we're missing one person then?", she queried, looking around to see if a straggler would magically appear like the first guide had. None seemed forthcoming, causing the vet to sigh loudly. "So do we wait for them, or do we move on and hope they find us?"

Oh Look! Summer was here! Though not half as sunny as one might have assumed, with a name like summer. He stared at the other woman for a moment as she introduced herself and apologized to him for having taken so long to get there. "Don't worry about it, it was my pleasure." No really, he didn't mind. And since they were a professional facility, he felt the need to add. "I'm sure whatever kept you was very important, but what matters is you're here now." He offered her a kind smile, then shifted his gaze over to Melanie.

"I'd be happy to lead our esteemed guests to the convention center while you two lovely ladies wait for the last of our group." The smile blossomed into a full on grin as she all but pleaded with him to stick around with the group despite her partner having arrived. "For you, Mel? Anything." He gave the woman wolfish smile, chuckling faintly under his breath. Whatever bit of his ego that had deflated at the previous swooning over their fantasy writer had been rebuilt. Good as new.

Rocking on on his heels, he waited for Summer to acquaint herself with the four members of their party so he could lead them on ahead. Carefully placing himself in such a position among them that he'd block the hispanic heart throb from the view of the handlers. "I'll see you two in a little while." A grin and a wave was thrown over his shoulder as they departed. "This way, Unicorns!"