Welcome to Gaia! ::

The three forms stood in the midst of tension. The knowledge that the third figure would soon depart the world was none too affecting to the men who towered over the kneeling pleader, but to the victim it was something that struck fear through his very soul. He knew what these people had come to do; he had known it for the longest of ages without any power to stop it from occurring. He knew who these people were… the apathetic stares that were being returned down to his sweat drenched face made him certain of what they were.

He had known so many things about those two men. Yet, even with his vast knowledge of what they were and why they were here, he still had no power to stop them from doing what needed to be done. It was something he knew was in vain, but even instincts could not stop him from whimpering like a dog at the feet of his new master. He was the person who had the power to take his life, and the power to keep his existence up for even the slightest more amount of time.

“P-please…!” the man continued to plead, tears streaming down his face as they swirled in with the continuous stream of sweat, “Let me live… let me live! I do not want to die, just yet! I can’t die… I-I can’t die!”

The hand formed into a beckoning gesture. The figure behind him stepped forth, awaiting the command which would set in motion the ritual of what was to come.

“Moeror…” the man ordered.

It was complied with a silent shift of weight being applied to his open palm. A flowing black tarp reaching out in both directions covered the long object which lay beneath, and, ever so subtly it was unwrapped and the veil was dropped to the floor.

“No!” the man screamed, his eyes widening with horror. He looked up into his reflection within the blade; the shocked looked screamed at him to stop this, to do something, to make his existence not come to this abrupt end… “Spare me! Don’t use that… that thing! Let me leave, let me disappear, let me-

“You will disappear either way…” the man cut through his cries, his cold voice being reflected through sharp orange eyes. The shadows brought forth by his cloaked head and the cloth wrapping around the lower half of his face looked even more sinister then he already did, holding the weapon which would spill the blood of the man before him. “At least this way, the fear will end sooner.”

The kneeling man’s face tensed up once more, his eyes widening to impossible lengths as the cold material sliced through the top of his skull. The swipe was brought down through his neck, coming out the right side and back to the killer’s side. It had been quick, his eyes still twitching as gravity began to come into effect. Slowly, blood streamed forth from the wound, half his face falling to the floor with a large thud before quickly being followed by his body.

Before any more could be witnessed, the pair had vanished.
1________________
“Hey… wake up!”

Shouting… who was shouting…?

“Moron! Wake up!”

A swift quick, new pain emerged in his side. He rolled over and fell face first onto the floor. A loud yelping sound uttered from him as his head rebounded off the ground. Ah… yes… he remembered, now.

“It’s about time…” the girl grumbled angrily. “You have chores to do! Hop to it!”

“Yes… Atsuko…” Galileo muttered, his words muffled slightly due to the fact he didn’t first get up off the floor as he spoke. He began to rise to try and alleviate this problem. “Just… please… no more kicking…”

A large foot drove into his back, shoving him back onto the floor. “I’ll kick you if I damn well please!” Another sharp pain as the foot left his back only to drive once more into his stomach. He rolled over onto his back this time. “Now get to work!”

“Alright, alright…” he sat up, dusting himself off as he glared at the girl for a moment.

She was only in her teens. Her figure and maturity were only made to reflect on this fact. A tan face framed by golden pigtails stared down at him annoyingly. She donned a blue shirt which was much too big for her, covering a fourth of her legs down to her knees, and jeans which had been torn away at the bottom. Even though she was barefoot, the sharp pain in his back and sides made him wonder if her feet weren’t actually made of metal.

“So… it’s already time for the weekly routine? Oh, how the time flies…” Galileo muttered, sighing softly as he got up and stretched. Even though he was slightly taller than her, he still felt like he was dwarfed in her dominating presence. The vicious little girl just had something about her that seemed to scream you would wake up in a strange place with pain jolting throughout your body with every breath you took.

“That’s right, now get to sweeping!” the girl commanded, smacking him over with a broom and throwing it down at the heaping pile that was left of him after the unexpected blow.

“T-thanks…” he stuttered, checking to make sure his jaw was in place before grabbing the broom and catching a glimpse of her leaving the bedroom. “Evil, evil girl…”

Galileo was a rather meek individual. His scrawny appearance coupled with the fact he was just under the average height for most men made him look rather pathetic when it came to instances such as fighting. He went over to a nearby dresser, pulling out a pair of black pants and a green shirt he got out of his nightwear.

Gray eyes flashed with determination as he stared back at the broom. With a quick swipe of his hand, he grabbed it and ran towards the door. This week was a bit easier then others. Few rooms really needed to be cleaned, and after he was finished cooking he could spend his time focusing on more pressing matters…

“And when you’re done, I have some errands I need you to run!” Atsuko called from the doorway leading outside, startling Galileo enough to make him tumble forward. “Baka! Can’t you refrain from tripping over clumsy feet?! You’re going to break something if you keep that up!”

… Unless, of course, she decided he didn’t have enough work to do and gave him more chores. Atsuko was always a kind person…

“Yes… Atsuko…” he uttered again weakly, his patience with the girl wearing thin.

Reaching for the broom and managing to get to his feet, he once again rushed to make it towards the unclean rooms. Amazing how the girl didn’t even think of letting him take the time to eat breakfast… but that’s what he got for staying up late last night.

He rushed into the dining room. Taking his broom, he began to get to work.
2________________
Funaki Atsuko had been left in to take care of the house for almost two years. Raised by her aunt until she had passed away, her skill and ingenuity in keeping her estate running was… well, less then sufficient. She had the aid of her elder brother, Hirotaka, but it still was not much help. They would have sooner stayed in poverty than give up their family’s one true home, and because of their stubborn tendencies they continued to suffer. Rather than finding a legitimate way to get them out of the dismayed state they were left in, Atsuko had decided to take matters into her own hands.

For weeks Atsuko had worked at a nearby shop. Her luck turning even worse as the heavy decline in customers made it more likely she would soon be out of work. She had seen many faces walk in and out of that store. Many of which she quickly dismissed, until, one day, she met a young tourist lost on his way back home from his unwanted vacation. In this, Atsuko saw an opportunity arise.

Galileo Rosamund was a boy who was very much naïve, and as a result, easily tricked. She had told him she would help him find his way back home only if he won a game of chance. A flip of a simple coin would lead him back to where he so longed to return to… but losing would mean he would be forced to be her servant for many years to come. This would include taking up many odd jobs to help them pay for their living expenses.

Rosamund had proven to be of some use and almost was like a good luck charm for them. In the few months he had spent at their house, everything began to become orderly once more. With his cleaning, the layers of dust and dirty old rooms began to look lively again. With his cooking, they had found someone who did not make food look like it was meant for rats rather than people. With his overall hard work and forced labor, he slowly helped rebuild the home that it was in its former glory under their aunt’s care.

However, Galileo did not share the same sentiments. His worked was only brought on the fact he was bound by his word, and the fact that the only one who even bothered to show him kindness was Hirotaka made him despise the prolonged stay in Japan even more. He had not had many acquaintances back home, so his chances of someone coming to try and find him were slim to none. His little access to a telephone was to be somewhat avoided, other than him phoning home to his family to inform them of his current predicament.

Which was that he had loved Japan so much, he was going to stay there for a little while longer… He couldn’t bear to tell anyone he had become the slave of a little girl and was now forced to work at her home until she felt it was satisfactory and set him free or his contract was up. He had a gut feeling the second was to be more likely then the first.

His current place of employment was under the hire of a strange man working at an old antiquity store. Even though he had never once seen a soul wander into or out of the shop, many valuable and precious items still were brought in and moved out each and every day. He hardly ever noticed the same item remaining in their twice, save for a few items that the shopkeeper had said were not to be sold.
3________________
He was a young looking man, appearing to be in his twenties or so. His hair was a pitch black, falling over his pale face in strands. A pair of red sunglasses was balanced on his nose, shielding his eyes from view as he smirked watching the boy sweep the floors. The girl who had first came in sent on a request had told him he was a hard worker who did as he was told without much complaint. A mere glance over of the child had proven the second part of her boasting was a bold faced lie, but still, he did indeed work to keep the place tidy.

“Come here, boy…” the man beckoned, a hand drawing the boy closer to him. He looked over the counter at the man, wandering what exactly his employer wanted. “Child… I have a question for you…” his fingers came together, a snap of them drew forth a coin from what appeared to be air, “do you like… games of chance…?”

The boy looked quizzically at the man. The last time he had tried a simple coin toss, he had been forced into work for that vile girl… was this supposed to be a way out?

“What kind of wager did you have in mind…?”
4________________
“Lunch is ready…” Galileo muttered annoyingly to the girl who had propped herself up under a tree. “Can I move on the rest my chores, now?”

An eyelid rose, her hazel eyes glaring at him as she shook off the peaceful semi-conscious state of being she had let herself slipped into. “Oh yes, because we both know how much you love to do the errands I send you on. Right, baka?”

“Please don’t call me tha-”

“And how about treating your employer with some respect? You shall now only refer to me as Funaki-sama.”

“Please don’t make me call you tha-”

“Oh, and don’t ever disrupt me when I’m napping again. Ever. Got it, baka?”

Galileo swallowed his dignity back down to his stomach. It was taking all his energy just to not reach over and slam the girl’s head into the tree. “Yes… Funaki… sama…” he muttered quietly, bowing, “What… else… do you… request… of me…?”

“I request of you to go out and pick me up a mirror from that old antique shop you work at. Saw it the other day when I was window shopping and reserved it for today because I didn’t really have much time nor room to carry it with me, so I figured I would go and reserve it so I could get your lazy a** to do something productive.”

Something productive?! What the hell did he just spend his last hour or so awake doing?! Was she too busy sleeping to realize he had spent his morning cooking and cleaning?!

“Yes… Funaki-sama…” he said with a strained smile, bowing once more as he left.

“See you, baka!” she called out cheerfully as she waved him off. It was enough to make him seriously consider returning and smashing the mirror upon her head.
5________________
“How about this… if you win, I’ll grant you your heart’s desire, to be free of your master and return back to your home… but if I win, you need to grant me one wish.” he raised a finger to emphasize how many wishes he actually wanted.

“A… wish…?” Galileo repeated, blinking as he stared at his odd employer, “How do I grant a wish? It’s impossible!”

“Not impossible.” the man returned with a smirk, “If one is as honor bound as you have proven to be, nothing is really impossible.”

Galileo looked doubtfully at the coin, then back at the smiling face of the man. The black coat he chose to wear even in such hot conditions and the fact the sun refused to shine in the small corner of the shop worried him. He had often wondered what his employer was, and not it was starting to become obvious. He was insane. No way could he grant any wish the man had… especially seeing as the man wanted something impossible without means like magic or being forced to act upon criminal methods.

“Well… are you ready?” the man asked, cutting through his thoughts with that cold voice and sending a shiver up his spine. Even through the sunglasses, the maddening glare that rested on the man’s face made him uneasy. The absence of it within sight did not help, if anything it made it worse that he could not tell it was there with natural senses. He just knew. It was an impossible sensation of knowing someone’s facial expression with little more to go off of other than an assumption.

Hesitantly, he replied. “Y-yes…”

“Good… Now, seeing as the price of my winnings is much steeper a toll than yours, I’ll let you confirm this is a real coin we are playing with. He flipped it around slowly, first showing him the front, then the back. “As you can see, this is not a double-sided coin. You shall get heads, and I shall play tails. Now that that’s out of the way, here…”

He handed him the small object, his grin widening as he placed it within his shivering hands. A drop of temperature as the small coin landed within his hands made the shaking even worse, the coin almost falling from his hands as he looked at it like it was a snake about to drain its venom into his veins.

“You want me to… flip it…?” he asked curiously, more so because of the fact he found that ability currently lost to him rather than actual suspicion towards his intentions. He could barely hold the thing, how was he expected to flip it without messing up horribly?

“You want to make sure this is not a trick in any way, don’t you? Like you suspect that the girl did the first time you played this little game with her?”

His eyes widened with shock as they stared through the sunglasses to return the glare. He had never told him anything about a coin toss… Atsuko hadn’t ever been to the store before to tell him about it, and Hirotaka didn’t even know of the cruel arrangement. Atsuko had always chosen to hide it from him for fear of his disapproval.

“How did you know about that…?” he deadpanned.

The man let out a slight chuckle, his eyes never leaving Galileo’s. “Just flip the coin.”

Reluctantly, he obeyed. There was no turning back, now. He had gotten himself into another game of chance, now he was forced to suffer the possible consequences. He tried to steady his hand as best he could as he forced the coin to fly into the air, the small piece of metal turning and turning until it finally found itself resting on the glass showcase that separated the two.

It had landed facing upwards, the back staring up at him with cold amusement. He had lost.

The man smirked. Galileo couldn’t help but sway slightly as he felt the tension suddenly release from the atmosphere. Fright had been replaced by despair. He had once again blown his chance at leaving the accursed nation behind him…

He sighed. “What is your wish…?”
6________________
A bell could be heard ringing as he opened the door. He looked around, no one appeared to be there, maybe he should come back later and se-

“Hello. I’ve been waiting for you.” the cold voice uttered, a form appearing right before his eyes and blocking his view of the rest of the shop as he fell backwards into the wall.

“Please… don’t do that…” he grabbed a hold of his shirt as he tried to refrain from having a heart attack on the spot. He really needed to work on his social skills with humans.

The man turned around, chuckling lightly as he went over to the counter. He watched him for a moment as he picked up a mirror, showing it to the boy as he looked back at him for a reaction.

“Is this what you came for?”

“Y-yes…” he spoke, even after his time dealing with Gria, he still did not find himself able to relax around the man.

“Then I suppose we have finally had our first human customer in quite a while.” he announced, “Be sure to thank Miss Atsuko for me.”

“You know, normal people in Japan use suffixes like ‘san’ and ‘kun’. ‘Miss’ isn’t exactly something you hear someone say often, especially when they were just speaking friggin’ Japanese.”

“Never liked them.”

Galileo grumbled as he took the mirror and turned around to walk out, silently ranting to himself about the importance of sticking to one language rather than speaking in tongues. Damned shopkeeper…
7________________
The room was silent for a moment. The man silently contemplating his wish, seconds seemed like years. Galileo couldn’t help but want him to just say it, the despair in losing again was bad enough, now he was just prolonging his torture by not announcing his toll.

“How about this… we move past the boring cleaning duties and odd jobs and move on to some more interesting work. The only problem is, your life is not something that can be taken away so easily, seeing as it currently is not in your hands. Gambling was not a very wise decision, especially seeing as you could not back up certain requests I may or may not have had in mind due to you still temporarily belonging to that girl.”

Galileo blinked. The man had a point; he really was gambling with something he was unable to backup. He didn’t have the right to chance losing more than what he already had, and the impossibility of the man actually being able to help him out of his predicament suddenly became painfully clear.

“Furthermore… if we really are going to go through with my desire, I will need to have the girl sign this.”

A piece of paper fell from within his sleeve and unraveled in his hand. Galileo leaned closer to inspect it.

“What is this?”

“A release form, of sorts.”

“A release form…?”

“Of sorts.”



Galileo stared at the parchment for a moment. His eye twitching slightly as he finished up the note.

“You mean… I might die if Atsuko agrees to this?!”

“Only if you’re foolish enough to get your head lobbed off.”

“You really are a nutcase, you know that?”

“Everything has deadly risks to it. Even the water you drink, bed you sleep in, and air you breathe can kill you. This just happens to require more caution.”

“Why the hell would I give this to Atsuko if I could end up dead because of it?!”

“Because you are forced to accept the losses of your gamble.”

“You planned all this, didn’t you?!”

“It was not predetermined by me, but forces of a higher regard.”

“C-r-a-z-y. Do you KNOW the word?!”

“Yes.”

Galileo stopped. The utter calmness of the man as he answered his enraged questions was almost too much to bear. He slammed his head down into the counter.

“I really, really, hate you for this…”

“If it is your choice to blame me for your own mistake, so be it.”

He grabbed the note, picked he up from atop the showcase, and stormed off towards the door. The only thing that could be heard as it closed behind him was his shouts to the sky questioning how he managed to get himself into this trouble and why the hell he was gambling in Japan when he should have been back home where he belonged.