Welcome to Gaia! ::

[[Damn those two colors look a like >.> So what color is Darla now? ]]

Vinard suddenly saw the illusion unfold before his eyes. Atem was but only a shadow now in a dark foggy forest. He could see the wolves with blaring red eyes. "Y-Yuugi!" he yelled out in fear and anger. "What's happening? WHAT IS THIS!?!?!?!" he yelled once more. His voice caused the wolves to charge at him. Some jumped him and began to bite, ripping his skin limb from limb. He fell in the illusion and in real life. In both, he screamed bloody murder. He could feel the teeth sinking into his flesh as if they were real. For all he knew, this was now real. In real life, though there were no wolves, his skin was being peeled off by an unseen force. He was being skinned alive. Blood splattered everywhere and poured from his body. All he could see were darting wolf head, constantly biting. They finally went for his face- leaving nothing but muscle and bone. These wolves were hungry and would not rest. The pain lasted to the very end, then finally, everything went black and nothing could be felt. Vinard died right there in a blood filled mess.

[[Eww.... I feel dirty after that one]]

Malik arrived back at college and parked his bike. He then made the walk to his dorm. He put his hand on the nob, was she back? He sighed. He didn't know how to deal with this. If she wasn't back, he could slip into his room. If she was well.... He opened the door. She was back, on the couch, staring at something on her laptop. He blinked, she was just staring at it. Odd. Did he really want to talk now? Not really. Between Lerena and Isis he felt like s**t. But he knew if he didn't say anything, she would get on his case. "What are you looking at?" he asked. She wasn't reading, he could tell, her eyes weren't moving.

[[That thing I have planned- it will be when he is asleep and she is still awake. I want to rush to that so I may just have him go to his room and time skip next post]]

They finished packing up and were ready to go. Rox and Finn waved good bye and left. Akiko walked out with her cousin. It was dark out now. Akiko stopped and looked around. "It feels very gloomy and heavy out doesn't it?" Akiko said feeling that as soon as she walked out.

Tora laughed, "You say some pretty strange things sometimes." He then waved to her and said, "I'll see you tomorrow ok?" With that he started to walk the opposite direction to the male dorms.

Akiko waved but stayed still. Something scared her. It was as if something was out there that could hurt her. Women's intuition? Six sense? She wasn't sure, but the more she thought about it the more she scared herself. Akiko then turned around and ran in fear toward Tora, "TORA!!!!"

Tora spun around, shocked from her yell, "What!?"

Once she was with him again, she looked meekly away from him and hesitated. "Um.... it's dark out. Can you walk me back to my dorm?"

Tora blinked a few times, then laughed out loud. "Awww! You're so cute! Just like when you were little. Sure, I'll walk you back home," he joked with her.

The two walked back to her dorm. "Knock it off Tora. I got scared a lot as a kid," she said. The reason she was so scared as a kid was because of her six sense. It was hard being a kid and seeing dead people all the time walking around.

"Ok ok. Don't take it to heart. I just wish I was there more when we were kids. That way you wouldn't have been such a scaredy cat!" he said.

"Thanks.... I think?" she said not sure if it was a compliment or a joke.

"Hey, what used to scare you as a kid all the time? You never told me," he asked curious.

Akiko stayed silent for a little. Then she replied, "Just feelings I guess. I would just get spooked." They continued walking until they reached her dorm. "I doubt my roommate is back but oh well. Probably better.She's kinda a b***h," Akiko said with a shrug. "By the way, thanks Tora," she said with a smile. She opened her door and Tora left. She instantly turned on the lights and tv. The television helped sometimes. Just as music did. When she sang, she never sensed anything. She figured it was because all of her attention was on the music- it was another reason why she liked it so much. She left the lights on in the dorm but went into her room. She closed the door and locked it, then looked around. Her room was adorned with relics, spiritual items, and protective seals. However, it didn't look too bad. Aesthetically, her room was actually pretty nice looking. She arranged things in an appealing way. Not like some crazy over religious person would. However, if you were to look deeper you would find all the relics. But they were things from all different beliefs- things she knew worked against ghosts and foul spirits. The most obvious thing was a mirror on the door, but the reflective part was facing the door instead of the room. This worked so well- when spirits tried to enter through the door they would be frightened by their own appearance. Also, a string of hazelnuts above the doorway- this helped too. She took off her shoes and put them on the floor at the end of her bed, one pointing to her bed and another pointing at the door. This confused ghosts, they couldn't tell which way was which when they saw shoes like that. Akiko lit some incense for good measure and just because she liked the smell. She then grabbed her laptop and turned it on, bringing it to her bed. She would do some homework and then cruise on the internet. She liked being on her own but at the same time was more afraid then usual. Her family wasn't there for her. Even when ghosts came to her at her house, she would at least have her dog there to make her feel safe. Dogs could sense ghosts just like her, was it strange she related to her dog so well? It was like she understood her and her fears.Things probably wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that her roommate was a c**t.

[[FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU I hate the Beaver *rages*
Psh, God is male. Everyone knows God is a woman *watches Dogma*]]

Malik shrugged his shoulders and started to walk to his room. However he looked over at her when she said something strange to him. He turned around. She wasn't even looking at him. "What?" he asked. She didn't say anything to him, didn't look at him either. His eyes widened when she said she killed him. Or... someone. Her? Kill? She didn't seem like someone that has killed. Then again, he didn't seem like the type. When finally she actually spoke to him and explained herself, he simply looked at her and stayed silent. He wasn't judging her, he's hallucinated before. But he didn't know what to tell her. Nobody really ever comforted him when he went through his hallucinations. He simply turned to his door and entered in his room. He closed the door behind him, but didn't lock it. It just slipped his mind. Today was an interesting day.... long and stressful. He started reading a little, but then he grew tired. Malik changed into his pajama shorts. He slept without a shirt on- his room was warm enough. With that he turned off the lights and went to bed.

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. . . . . . t u e s d a y • 1 2 : 0 3 A. M. . . . . . .
d a y - 2
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Malik was fast asleep. The night was still and quiet, peaceful almost. He didn't dream, all he saw was darkness. Until now. He started to see an image unfold in his mind. It was something he had seen before- something from his past. It was his home, his old home. He saw it through his eyes, he saw his sister- she looked upset. He saw Odion. He saw his mother and father. His father, he was alive! He held out his hand to him, Malik took it happily. They started to walk and then his father said, 'Malik, it's time.' Wait..... he remembered this. He knew what was going to happen. He tried to run away from him but his father reeled him in and dragged him with him. He dreamt of when they burnt the secrets of the Pharaoh into his back. In reality, Malik was twisting and turning, though he remained silent. Until in his dreams they burnt him again. He could feel the pain on his back, it was so hot that it almost felt like stinging ice. But the smell of burning flesh reminded him it was burning.

In reality, Malik started screaming like a banshee. His screeches were loud and painful. His body tensed up from the sensation he felt on his back. Malik had not dreamed in a long time, and these nightmares only occurred when he was young. But never to the extent of actually feeling the same pain. He didn't stop, he screamed continual bloody murder as if someone was stabbing him to death. On and on, it didn't stop.

After awhile Akiko fell asleep in her bed. She was wearing her gray, fitted, stretchy nighgown. It looked like a long 3/4 sleeve shirt really. Blue retro cracked font was printed on it.. It even had a hoodie on it. She slept peacefully then dozed into a dream. She was in the same exact clothing she went to bed in. She walked barefooted into a foggy dark forest. The trees had large blood shot eyes growing in them and the bark of the trees were dark deep red- like dried blood. She kept hearing vicious growls as she walked. Suddenly, wolves rushed out of the shadows. Akiko cringed but they ran past her. She then heard someone screaming, and the sound of ripping. She went to turn around but found that she could. She could turn a little, but it was like something was keeping her from turning back. She tried to look back but only saw silhouetted arms and hands. One hand on her chin and the other on the back of her head. They pulled two different ways so to keep her still. "Let go..." she told it, falling to her knees and trying to fight against it.

The voice whispered in her ear, "If you look now. He'll come after you.... Stay asleep."

Akiko's eyes widened and she replied, "I'm asleep!?" She realized this was a dream. However she stopped resisting the shadow being- in doing so the being accidentally snapped her neck and killed her. Her lifeless body fell to the ground.

Akiko instantly woke up- her eyes shot open. She sat up and rubbed her face. She searched for her table lamp next to her bed. When she flicked it on and the lights came on she gasped in fear. Every single one of her dresser drawers, cabinet doors, and desk drawers were open. She certainly didn't leave them like that! Her desk and dresser drawers were open to the point were if she touched them, they would fall. She knew this because she touched one of them and it fell right out of the night stand.

[[his room is unlocked and he is screaming on the top of his lungs- I think you know what to do.]]

[[omg gaia changed stuff O.o]]

Akiko stayed completely still. Fear stung her heart into a mental paralysis. She let out a long breath to find she could see her own breath. Her room was freezing cold. She was currently looking to the right of her, she wanted to look to her left but she was too afraid. She felt something was there..... she could ignore it and not look or she could confirm it and deal with it. Finally, she gave in and looked to the left. Her suspicion was correct, she saw a being standing to the left of her bed. From sheer fright her stiffened body jumped out of bed and stumbled to the right of the room. She crawled away shrieking to herself. The being was nothing but muscles- most ghost she saw at least looked like full normal humans. This being looked like his skin was ripped off- almost like a manticore. Akiko curled herself into the opposite corner of the room and stared at the being. In a frightful and panic manner she cried out to it, "What do you want!?!?! Leave this place!!!"

The being, who had been staring down at her bed the whole time, looked down at Akiko slowly. He was nothing but muscle and body, no skin and no hair. However, his eye balls were perfectly fine. His body shook as it moved slowly. It hissed, "You know who did this to me......"

Akiko shook her head rapidly and cried out, "No.... no I don't. Please leave me alone!" She was on the verge of crying. This brought her back to the days when she saw the ghosts of army men from the Battle of Okinawa, they were horribly gory. But this, she had never seen a being completely stripped of their own skin.

"They ripped me apart, one by one. I can still feel their teeth piercing my skin," the being said in sorrow.

Tears ran down Akiko's face as she looked away from the being, "I can't help you. You have to move on!"

"I'M BURNING IN HELL!!!!" the being screamed at her with rage. "I'm constantly burning and burning and burning and BURNING AND BURNING!!!!"

Akiko screamed in fear when she was screamed at, burying her face in her knees.

"I'm not leaving until I make him pay. You know who did this to me! You have to do something! You know who did this! YOU KNOW! I'M NOT LEAVING! I'M BURNING! EVERYTHING IS BURNING!!!" the being screamed more getting angrier and angrier.

Akiko looked behind her, she was near her protective items that sat on the shelf. She scrambled to look for something to rid this ghost. She finally came upon a jar of ashes from a sage plant. The smoke does wonders but she found the ashes helped too. She grabbed some ashes with one hand and threw it up in the air- she instantly smelt the burnt sage.

So did the being. He put his hands on his face and cringed his body, twisting it slightly. He coughed and hacked as if he couldn't breath. He stepped back and back trying to escape the smell.

Seeing that it was working, Akiko got up and with the jar in hand. She walked closer to the being and threw one last handful towards him. It was enough to drive him out of her room. She then quickly put down the jar and looked for something on the same shelf. Salt again. She opened the container split some on the ground near her door. She then brushed it out of her room outside of her door. That way, if the spirit came back he would be too occupied trying to count the grains of salt. And spirits seem to have a poor time remembering the numbers they have counted up to. Akiko frantically put both the jar and container back, jabbed her iPod from her nightstand, and jumped into bed. She fiddled with the damn device, still quite shaken up.

The nightmare continued as if the memory was on repeat. It looped in his mind, over and over again. Hell..... isn't hell repetition? There was finally a break in the dream. He still felt the burning but now he laid on his old room's floor. The mix of burnt skin and freezing cold floor was a sickening feel. He laid there on his back, he couldn't move and he didn't try to. He was in his old room but saw nothing within it. Only the floor, walls, and ceilings, lit dimly like always by candle light. He looked over to his side to see a woman kneeling on the ground, her back facing him. She was completely bare, black hair grazed the upper back of her scarred back. She did not move- she faced the wall. "Who are you?" he asked with no attitude, only confusion.

"Who I am in this place and time does not matter. More so, you should ask me what I am," she replied.

"Are you not human? Should I not ask 'who'?" he asked.

"Am I really human? Or is that the white lie your eyes tell you?"

"Ok, then what are you?" he asked just wanting to get an answer.

The girl didn't say anything at first. "Maybe a snake, maybe a premonition, maybe the future," she answered.

"Snakes are venomous," Malik commented the obvious.

"Snakes are a sign of rebirth. They shed their skin and become a new," she elaborated. She paused again and said, "I just gave you warmth. Why are you still here? You can stop your pain if you leave."

"If that were true snakes were praised until Christianity slandered them. Beliefs, love, and pride- is this what destroys man?" Malik spoke dwelling on the last topic. "Am I mad?"

"You are dwelling in the past. It will make you old and kill you faster," she said. She then said, "Just wake up, Malik, jeez...you're ******** screaming in the night. What's wrong?"

Malik's eyes widened up. The voice had changed. The woman was now gone and all he saw was black.

In reality, Malik continued to scream until Lerena got on top of him, he quieted down but he did struggle. Luckily, he couldn't control his strength and did not hit her or push her off or anything. When she kissed him, he stopped screaming, rather, he howled and groaned in pain. He continued to twist and turn. Until finally her last sentence. That was enough to finally wake him. His eyes shot open and his body shot right up. He let out a loud groan of pain. His back was no longer burning but the mental pain was still there. However, as he remained awake it slowly dissipated. Malik huffed heavily, he rubbed his face with his hands to try to kick start all of his senses.

After calming down for a moment he froze and looked over at Lerena. What was she doing in here? In fact, how did she get in here. He was aware of his nightmare- he wasn't sure if she woke him up or if she was simply watching him. And if she intended to end his nightmare, how did she know he was having one? He knew of the nightmare but not the screaming. He couldn't scowl at her, not after what happened. He was still shaken up by it all. Even if he wanted to, he could not yell at her. Malik looked at her with confused and week eyes. He didn't want to be seen like this, this was one of the reasons he did not want people in his room. She was in here wasn't she? But even so, he couldn't yell. "What are you doing in here?" he asked simply without a hint of anger. He then rubbed his face again and turned on his light so they could both see each other. Strangely enough, Malik really did have a boring normal room. He then added, "Why are you looking at me like that? Stop looking at me like that." He then remembered he wasn't wearing a shirt, did she see his back? He pretended to not care about it, but it bothered him a great deal. "Do you think I am a freak? Is that it? Is that why you are looking at me like that? I don't care what you think," he said speaking out of paranoia- which was obvious.

[[I'll explain his room next post. It's boring haha WHAT A TWIST
hurf, I was influenced by Soul Eater @__@]]

[[Let's try this again...

I'm thinking I am going to do a partial time skip. In which, the time frame for Malik and Lerena stays the same but the time frame for Akiko, Yuugi, and Joey is fast forwarded. It's slow for my character now and in the morning it will be slow for Lerena a Malik until classes (I could be wrong but w/e). The time frame can combine again once they all have to go to class.]]

Malik looked at her. How did she know? Did she guess? "I.... was screaming?" he said then paused. He coughed for a moment and when he covered his mouth, found a slight bit of blood in his saliva. Had he been screaming so much that he strained his throat? He rubbed his hand on his blanket. He thought for a moment, Malik did not like talking to people about himself, a definitely about his past. But..... did he really have a choice? She was right here, and..... he was just sitting there pathetically. "I haven't screamed in my dreams since I was a kid..... my sister used to wake me from them," he admitted. "And yes, I was dreaming about my past, if you must know," he added. The words were snippy but the tone was nothing like that. Right now he couldn't have an attitude even if he tried.

Malik raised an eyebrow when she talked about him being shirtless. What was the big deal? It wasn't like he had no pants on- maybe then it would make sense. He narrowed his eyes at her and shouted at her almost in a comical way, "I know what blushing is!" He was about to say that he didn't live under a rock.... but that would technically be untrue. He looked away for a moment and mumbled, "Women.... and their hormones...."

He got up from his bed and turned a on light. He assumed she had already seen his back and was avoiding talking about it. Even if she didn't, he wasn't just going to sit there. However, he wasn't planning on making a show of it- he searched for a shirt in his closet.

His room, was rather plain. At least considering all the hype he put into telling her not to come in. There was a desktop computer in the corner of his room, on the opposite wall was a large bookcase filled to the max with books he has collected over the years. There were strange nick-nack items originating from Egypt that were on his desk shelves. His bed had quite a few blankets on it, including a black and gray patterned confider on the top. He had always been used to sleeping with tons of blankets- Egypt nights were always freezing. He had a large world map on his wall with pins in it- potential places he wanted to travel to. There wasn't much else in his room that stood out, except for one thing. In a glass case shelf on the wall opposite to the book shelf was the Millennium Rod. Of course he was going to keep it. It was his rightfully. But the way he kept it in the glass case shelf, he did not want other people to get a hold of it. Yet, he did not have the heart to simply hide it away.

He grabbed a plain white t-shirt and looked over at Lerena. He paused, then asked, "Why would you be considered a freak? And why haven't you brought up my back? I know you saw it." He tried to hold back a scowl. He had to remember that she broke him out of that nightmare. He slipped the shirt over his head and pulled it down over him. "I'm not angry that you came in. It's not like you came in here when I wasn't here and started going through my things. Told you it was boring in here," he said. He then added in a lower voice, "And...... thank you."

He huffed a little a looked off to the side. "I don't dream. I have an occasional nightmare, but I thought I stopped screaming when I was a kid. It shouldn't happen again," he spoke as if he was certain it would not happen again. He looked at her questionably and said, "Are you known for screaming in your dreams? As you asked me, how often should I expect it?" He then paused and thought. He never knew anybody else who did that. Known of his family members ever did- they made it seem as if he only did it, like it was a disease or something. "What do you see when you scream at night?" he asked in an almost timid way but still in his normal tone of voice. He needed to know, he needed to know why someone else screamed so violently like him in his dreams. He didn't care if he was prying for information or touching a sensitive subject. She had been drilling him all day, now it was his turn.

- - - - - -



Akiko had put her iPod on and laid back down. She kept her lamp light on, scared to sleep in the dark. She has been able to fall asleep with both music playing and lights on. That night, she didn't sleep. She didn't start to feel drowsy until two hours later. She slept on and off almost every 15 minutes. Then another two hours of not sleeping. She didn't feel his presence near...... but she was still petrified. She was alone in this house- nobody was there to comfort her. Another two hours of on and off sleeping. Finally, she slept a full peaceful hour. She probably would have slept longer if it wasn't for the alarm clock. It was seven o'clock in the morning and she had to wake up now. She slept a total of maybe three hours. She slammed her alarm clock down with anger. She was unrested and still frightened.

Now she had to get ready for work. She was scared to move. Ten minutes went by of just staring at the wall. She should really get a TV in her room. Things like television and music devices (electronic or instrument) seemed to interfere with her senses. It also calmed her down. By now, her iPod was dead- it needed to be charged. Akiko got up and plugged it into her laptop which was in sleep mode. She could still charge it that way though. She went through her routine of changing. She noticed her hand and arms were dirty looking. The ashes from last night..... She took her clothes and dashed to the bathroom. Damn, she wished at least one of her friends were up during this time- at least she could talk to them. She wiped her body down- no time for a shower and she didn't need it anyway. Then she got changed, another dash to her room and she would get everything that she needed for work. One last dash, out the door and she was home free.

Akiko locked up the dorm and headed for her car in the parking garage. She had to keep her car here to get to work. Though she was considering leaving it at home and using public transportation. Her car was in good shape, considering how old it was. As long as you kept up with a car you could keep it for a long time. It was old but dependable. Plus it didn't hurt that her dad was good with cars. She got in and drove off to work.

Seven forty-five, she was early but the Mocha Moon Cafe was already open. Because of college, she was not required to come in at six in the morning. Thank god her boss is understanding- cause she would never be able to get up that early. Since it wasn't time to clock in, she ordered something for breakfast. She normally ate at home..... but that wasn't going to happen today. Now that she was away from the dorm she felt so much more at ease. Still tired as s**t though. She ordered a coffee, danish, and scrambled egg sandwich.

[[EDIT: I should have put Jonouchi in, woops. Nothing too important anyway]]

Jonouchi's eyes shot open. He was awake, he was wide awake. He looked over at his clock..... damn.... it was only the seven o'clock hour? "Noooooooooo," he moaned silently to himself as he put a pillow over his head. "I don't have to wake up early today..... I should be sleeping in," Jonouchi said to himself. Everyday except for Tuesdays and Thursdays he had to wake up at five thirty in the morning. Six in the morning at latest. He had to either be at work or school at seven in the morning. "This sucks, I can't go back to sleep," he said to himself again, simply giving up. He might as well get up and get changed. Maybe he would get some breakfast for himself.

Malik watched as Lerena took off her shirt. Of course the first thing he did was blush- even though he didn't see anything, it was a natural reason. Honestly, he didn't even realize he was blushing. But his mind focused on her back. She had been tortured as she told him. It was obvious, and he understood on a level no one else could. "I see, it makes sense now," he said. He wasn't exactly sympathetic- how could he when he didn't know how to be? But, he did understand- and it showed in his eyes. He was not disgusted by her- yes it was not a gorgeous smooth sexy back that one would expect a woman to have, but it was not something to be horrified or grossed out by.

"No, I believe I get the picture," Malik said declining to see her other scars, for fearing where they may be. "Your scars tell me of struggle, war, and hatred. That is where we differ. But I guess it's not the how or why we have received these scars, it's the memories that will forever linger because of them. The physical pain is meaningless in my instance, even at a young age," he explained at first. What was he doing? He stopped himself before he spoke anymore about himself, before he revealed anything. There was no reason for that. He narrowed his eyes finally and said, "I'm sorry but I am not as open as you are. I can't tell you anymore about my scars because I don't trust people. Not just you- everyone. Trust is what caused this atrocity on my back." He kept up his shield as he had done since he met her, but this time, there was actual emotion behind it. He wasn't doing this to be an a*****e, despite that is how he looked, but because he was protecting himself.

"Huh?" Jonouchi said as he heard a knock on the door. He swore, if that was the landlord he was going to punch him in the throat- his payment was on time, there was no need to harass him! Jonouchi opened the door with a toothbrush in his mouth trying to say, "Yuugi!" He gestured with his hand for his friend to come in and then gestured as if saying 'hold on a moment'. Jonouchi walked into the bathroom, spit, rinsed, then came back out. "Hey man, what are you doing here?" Jonouchi was already dressed basically- he had his jeans on but only an undershirt on- he hadn't chosen a shirt yet. "Are you ok? You look a little pale," he asked his friend.

Akiko finished her breakfast and clocked in for work. She kept her coffee underneath the kiosk and started taking people's orders. The rush usually ends as soon as she clocks in- by 8am people had to be on the road to get to work. It was nice, because then she could relax. Whenever there was a break in customers Akiko chugged her coffee. And then there was none left..... she was still tired. She had another co-worker ring her up for another. She was determined to stay awake and proceed with her day.

Malik glared at her as she gave her educated guesses. For the most part she was right, which was impressive. But he didn't like the fact she seemed to accept the custom. "Just because a culture believes something doesn't it make it right," he said simply not looking at her.

However, when she took his father's side he turned toward her and glared right at her. "Don't you dare say that I was meant to have these scars. This was not my choice, I didn't want this. It was a false ceremony for no reason, driven by helplessness and naive hope. No reason, no destiny, nothing," he snared at her. He ignored when she then seemed to disagree with the ritual - it didn't matter, she already said what she said before. He remained quiet as she spoke then dismissed herself. He went to bed and laid there in the dark for a while. Eventually, he fell back to sleep.

Jonouchi believed Yuugi for now, though he still felt something was wrong. He smiled widely and said, "Uh, yea! Hey, I've been eying this one cafe for a while. I never have time to go. I've heard some people at the college say it was pretty good. Come on, I'll show you where it is." The two left his apartment and started to walk to the cafe. He looked at Yuugi and said, "Sorry man. One of these days I'll have enough to buy a car, then we can just drive to these places." They soon arrived at the outside of the cafe.

The cafe quieted down a bit now. akiko sat on the high stool behind the counter, holding her head up with her hand, elbow against the table. She was on her third cup of coffee but it still didn't help. She felt her eye lids grow heavy and close. She could just rest her eyes for a little.... if a customer came in she would hear the door and open her eyes.