Welcome to Gaia! ::

“Ah, here it is!” Josh chirruped while craning his neck up at the sizeable public library which loomed before him; a pompous air bellowed from its well polished windows and perfectly set welcome mat. It proudly flaunted its archaic medley of literature in a display of scholarly dominance. Josh wasn’t one for libraries… or reading for that matter. Both subjects seemed to strike a chord in the boy which produced a sour note that he found quite unappealing. Alas, his English class was as unforgiving as ever and had forced him to take a distasteful trip to this hall of musty tomes of this and dilapidated volumes of that. Josh scampered into the library and was welcomed by the stale scent of the countless novels within the building. The door also gave a shrill beep to alarm the library of visitors. The boy paused in front of the entrance and nodded his head to the side in shallow thought. “Let‘s see I need the book… the book… crud!” Josh nearly planted his face into his palm. Once again, the boy had forgotten the name of the oh-so-important book he had set out to this repugnant building in order to obtain.

He gingerly wigged a hand into his pant’s pocket and felt around for something that he knew would help him. Once slim digits curled around what he desired, his hand resurfaced; a petite vial within its grasp. Multiple colors of ink lazily sloshed up and down the sides of the smooth glass in constant motion. “Hey there! Do you remember what book I was supposed to get?” When Josh went unanswered he gave the vial a slight swirl. The ink reacted by giving a prompt burst of radiant color and then died down to an aggravated bubble. Thin ribbons of ink rose up in the vial curling into soft cursive loops to form the words Anthem and Idiot. Josh’s face fell into a sour expression at the vial’s antics. “Thanks anyway,” he mumbled agitatedly at the glass tube while twirling it softly between his fingers. He realized that the vial contained a substance of unknown origins and unspeakable magic, however the boy was not going to let a free memo service go to waste! No matter how many insults it threw at him… Josh steadily made his way to the ‘A’ section of the library’s numerous aisles in a search of the novel Anthem; the swirling vial securely in his grip.

Josh gave a slight flinch as a cacophonous screech signaled Amaris’s approach. He turned to face the woman and took in her form with inquisitive auburn eyes; much like an overly-curious child. Her most prominent feature was her curled sea green hair. The woman’s delicate locks almost appeared as frothy as waves themselves. His lips curled into a pleasant smirk and he spoke in a urbane, silky tone, “Yes, perhaps you could help me. I’m looking for the book Anthem. I have an English project you see…” Josh’s hand flitted about as he explained his situation to the girl. The vile was being waved frantically in his clasp and began to churn vehemently whilst growing a dazzling hue of red. Perhaps its was from the rude treatment… or maybe it was something more?

Unfortunately for Amaris, the item in Josh’s hand was not a switchblade but in fact a fel essence. Josh gave a subtle nod in compliance as he followed the woman to a computer. The boy couldn’t help but notice her agitated fidgeting and the apprehensive look in her stormy-grey eyes as she clutched her pocket. “Umm, this thing…,” Josh hesitated and was perplex as to how he would explain the concept of ink with a will of it‘s own to Amaris. He broke his extensive intermission with a ‘peep’ and a abrupt spout of words, “It’s just a vial of ink! Well kind of… umm, it moves.” When words seemed to fail him, Josh simply set a goofy grin on his face and played the facade of stupidity. Alas, he couldn’t help but be curious about what exactly Amaris was gingerly cupping in her own pocket.

Josh nodded bashfully in agreement, “Yes, I do believe that is what it was called.” He was a tad crestfallen at his blunder with words, but the boy took it in stride and instead placed his attention at the vial in Amaris’s clasp. Within the smooth plains of the vial, copious amounts of stanzas and sentences flickered to life. Unfortunately, the verses dwindled away just as quickly as they had come into existence; too promptly for Josh to be able to scrutinize the words like he would have preferred. This was just the thing that Josh had dreaded to see… a live action novel! The boy tentatively swirled his own vile, “My essence has been very energetic as of recent too. It usually prefers to insult me then go on with its own business though.” The ink responded by quivering into a vibrant hue of yellow then churning vehemently against the glass of the vile. It seemed to be furiously wriggling in Amaris’s direction. Tendrils of ink began to splay haphazardly in every direction within the vile; the jagged words “Pansy” formed in the vivacious yellow of the ink. It didn’t seem to be directed at the girl crosswise of Josh, but instead at the essence in her hand.

Most essences might have piped down when they were handed a heaping plate of ridicule from such an eloquent writer, but this was a particularly brash vial of ink. The minute waves in the vial picked up tempo and sloshed in an irate rhythm. The yellow wisps of pigment jittered out of place and reformed slowly; as if assiduously deciding upon a reply to the other essence’s terse story. The ink coiled and warped its colors into a minuscule, simplistic depiction. It appeared as if a powdery blue silhouette of a book was slowly being consumed by red globs of flame. It was straightforward and hopefully it got the point across… Josh’s essence seemed to be issuing a challenge of sorts.

Josh took little notice of his essence’s advance on Amaris’s own vial. The boy instead chose to stir up some more small talk with the woman and ignore the ink’s heated endeavor. Josh chuckled, “Yes, my essence is interesting to say the least. So you seem to enjoy books…,” it was an innocent enough deduction based upon the ability of her essence and where she worked, “Do you have a particular book you like?”

As the storybook essence faltered and vanished from existence, the vial of ink ceased it’s bubbling and glistened a flamboyant shade of cobalt blue. It could feel victory in its grasp. Until, that is, the other essence returned with more writing vigor than ever before. The vial of ink shuddered at the onslaught of diminutive text. The words were pulsating in and out of existence far to quickly for the pool of ink to keep up. The vial gave one last churn of color as if to insult the literary essence then all to suddenly the activity in within the glass container stopped and it adjusted into a stagnant black hue. It was taking it’s time in retaliating against Amaris’s essence.

Josh listened intently to the woman and hummed in delight at her answer, “Ah, I remember Yeats. I had a class assignment on his work not too long ago. I have to say my favorite poem of his was When You Are Old.” The boy proceeded to rattle off what few lines he remembered of the poem, a smug grin graced his lips. Once they arrived at the computer desk, Josh took a comfortable position leaning against the counter. He craned his neck slightly to peak at what Amaris was typing into the computer. The screen was simply covered in somber black text designating book origins and author names. However, Josh’s mind seemed to wander as he became entranced with the whirring screen. His brain shot back to reality only in time to catch the woman‘s last few words. “Sure, if you wouldn’t mind helping me that is.”

The vial in Josh’s tender grasp shivered and the surface broke agitatedly. Even though the storybook essence was more than exuberant to be put away, the boy’s essence was much against the sudden loneliness it faced. It was the ink’s first experience with another vial and it hated the fact it was over just as soon as it had started. The essence was put off now that its fun was over.

Josh followed suit with Amaris and tucked his troublesome vial away into his pocket. He took the somewhat musty and dilapidated book from the woman. He blew on the crinkled cover forcing a few layers of settled dust into the air. The cloud puffed and jittered in midair until it finally dissipated around them. “O-of course!” Josh as horrified that thy had yet to exchange names, especially since Amaris was a fellow future raevan owner, “My name is Josh. It is a pleasure to meet you.”