Welcome to Gaia! ::

Shaking the snow from her shoulders, Galatea rubbed at her reddened nose as she alighted on the nearest flat surface of the lounge at (what she considered despite what the others called it) the Feien Fleet Headquarters. She had been silly to leave the Captain's quarters when the sky looked so grey and miserable but she had not had much of a choice. Serafima Rabik had been in a particularly somber mood after receiving yet another Fleet directive of non-duty. So, after struggling to push a mug of steaming tea closer to her bond, Galatea had decided that absence made the heart grow fonder and discretion the better part of valor and had slipped through the little flap in the main door which her bond had made for her. She had been halfway to Headquarters when the first flake had landed heavily on her dark head. By the time she had reached the door, the snow was up to her calves if she stood on the ground.

"H-hello?" she called out nervously as she stood on the table, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Oh, it had been so very -cold- out there. "I-is anyone here? Please? It's snowing outside and..." She trailed off, wondering what difference that might make to someone who was already warm and dry in the building. "Hello?"

***

Silva's huge wings were wrapped around the small girl clinging to him. It was too cold to be out, dammit, but Soho had insisted on going. She had missed seeing other feien, and she wanted to brag about her part in the big quest scene. But that wasn't the only reason he had given in, he thought with a glance at his brother. The more time they spent away from the house the more time Aleric wasn't thinking about his new obsession.

His politeness forced him to forget about the flute and interact with others. And Silva just hoped that kept him from doing something stupid. So the three slipped through the door and headed up the stairs to the lounge, Silva actually hoping to find someone for the first time. And his magic detection said he would.

***

Galatea had stood long moments, waiting for an answer, but she finally had to admit that she was alone. She couldn't decide if she was happy or sad over the realization. All in all, she finally told herself, it was better not to worry. If she didn't get warmer, there would be no meeting -anyone-. With a light push, she slipped from the table and fluttered over to the couch where she had first met Hadrian, Lorelei, and Kojak.

It seemed as if a lot of time had already passed since then. Strange. She would have to ask if time moved differently on Gaia.

Shrugging off the question until she could actually seek out an answer, she sank onto a pillow. She took a moment to shake her wings once more and then folded them neatly back. Then she curled her legs underneath her slight body and once more wrapped her arms around herself. Better.

***

Both Silva and Aleric headed for the lounge, not even bothering to tell Soho why. Of them all she was the only one that hadn't picked up on the faint magical signature. She pulled away from Silva slightly, shivering in the sudden warmth of the room and smiling. "We're here!"

"Yup." Silva agreed.

"Where are we going?" She asked, crawling up him and looking around as they entered the lounge. "Oh!! It's another little girl!" she said happily as she untangled from Silva and flitted over to the pillow. "Hi! My name is Soho! Who are you?"

If the sudden voice carolling arrival had been startling, nearly getting a faceful of very happy feien was enough to start Galatea's heart working overtime. Skittering back as if to give the other juvenile as much room as she could possibly want, the blood feien regarded her with huge pink eyes. Then, reaching down deep, she managed to call up her manners (adding that the -Captain- would never be so startled, oh, no) and scrambled to her feet. "Hello," she replied and it was just loud enough to be perfectly audible without strain. The dark-haired girl dropped one of her little bows and straightened with a wary half-smile. "My name is Galatea, feien of Captain Rabik. Miss Soho?" She looked over the other girl's shoulder. "And you gentlemen are?"

"Soho! Ruby Soho, actually. And that's Mister Silva Demon and that's Aleric!" Soho said, not bothered in the least by how the other feien had jumped. "We've come here to play a game. Would you like to play with us?"

"Wait a second--" Silva muttered, his eyes narrowing. "I don't remember s**t about playing a game."

"Calm down, brother, if Soho thinks we should play a game, then I don't see why we shouldn't. She's still a juvenile, after all."

"..." Silva looked at Aleric with one eyebrow raised.

From downstairs there was a slamming bang, and a loud but definitely Feien voice following it, "DAMN!"

The sound of wind could be heard whistling for a moment, until is was muffled, apparently by the door being pulled closed.

Shortly there after, Hadrian appeared, fluttering a little stiffly into the lounge. He was damp, his hair actually wet enough to hang in damp strands, and he was carrying a small stick like a torch, it was blazing much more brightly then any twig had a right to do.

Otherwise, he looked remarkably cheerful, if a bit weather battered. The fire on the stick extinguished immidiately when he got more then a few feet into the room.

"Its snowing...quite hard." He announced to the room.

Galatea went wide-eyed once again at the arrival of someone but this time the expression quickly changed to more concern than anything else. "Mr. Hadrian!" she cried. "You're going to freeze and get sick. Come over here, please." She glanced at Soho questioningly. "Miss Soho won't mind sharing the pillow. I don't think. Will you?"

"Mister Hadrian! Hi!" Soho called happily. "Come over here! We were just talking about a game! Would you like to play with us? It will warm you up!" She was intent on the idea, even before having gotten the other girl's name.

"Hadrian?" Aleric asked softly.

"Fire lighter." Silva told him, chewing on his toothpick.

Aleric nodded and moved forward, bowing to them both. "Forgive, Soho, she gets so enthusiastic sometimes. My name is Aleric, and you two are?"

"Oh I'm not going to freeze now. I'm inside." Hadrian said pleasantly, waving to Galatea and Soho.

He took Aleric's hand, his own quite warm despite to cold damp of melting snow, "Hadrian. Pleased to meet you Aleric." The warm energy in his voice suggested he did not require an apology for Soho's enthusiasm.

He did however, after shaking Aleric's hand, do as Galatea had told him to, rather meekly, settling down with her and Soho on the pillow.

"My name is Galatea," the blood feien responded politely, ducking a quick bow to Aleric before turning to peer curiously at the now obediently-sitting Hadrian. As soon as she reassured herself that he was -not- going to turn into an icicle before her eyes, she looked up at Soho again. "A... A game?"

Soho nodded and moved so she was sitting cross-legged. "I was reading one of my bond's comics and they did this thing called a live roleplay game! You had a hero and a villain and a damsel in distress! And I was thinking, well, Mister Silva Demon would be a wonderful villain! He can disappear into the shadows. And I could be the hero!"

"Shouldn't she be the damsel?" Silva asked his brother.

"I think she's grown tired of that role." Aleric replied.

"What, does that make you it, then?"

"I hope not."

"Oh." The look on Galatea's face proved that she only followed about half of what Soho was saying but she gamely tried and moved on. "Do you need privacy for this game then?" she asked politely. "I can find somewhere else to sit."

"Oh, I've heard of that." Hadrian said "Role Playing...its...like play pretend isn't it? You pretend to be a character in an adventure story?"

He looked briefly at Silva, with an expression that was fairly blank for his lively face, before busying himself hunting between the sofa cushions for something. After a little hunting all questions were answered when he plucked a penny that had fallen down behind the cushion free, and held it triumphantly. When he returned to his seat it was giving off warmth like a small fire in a fireplace, and he sat craddling it to his torso.

"No no! I want you to play with us!" Soho told Galatea. "Would you like to be the damsel in distress? Mister Silva Demon can take you and hide you and we'll come and save you!" She explained happily. "And if you want you can even try to escape and save yourself!"

Silva shook his head and reluctantly moved to the pillow, with Aleric right behind him. Looked like they had their damsel.

"I, well... That is..." A bit overwhelmed at Soho's welcoming personality compounded with the new faces, Galatea wavered. She twined her fingers together in front of her and looked from feien to feien. Her eyes rested on Hadrian for a moment longer, watching the penny and watching him. Taking a moment to remember some of the things he had said when they had last met. Finally, she nodded. "I suppose I could. If you want me," she replied quietly. "Can Hadrian play, too? If he wants? And... You won't hurt me, right, Mr. Silva? Even if I try to escape." She smiled shyly, crookedly. "Because I would have to, you see. The Captain would want me to try."

Hadrian looked at Silva as Galatea asked her question, looking as if the answer was clearly very important. "No one would get hurt...its just a game. Game's are supposed to be fun."

"No, darlin, I won't hurt you." Silva said softly as he moved forward. He had a weakness for little girls. He dropped down on the pillow, still towering over them.

"Mister Silva Demon likes little girls!" Soho said happily.

"Thank you." Sharing the lop-sided smile between both Hadrian and Silva, Galatea then turned her attention back to Soho. "Then I will be the damsel in distress. You have to explain it to me. I have never read a comic book before. My Captain doesn't have any."

"The damsel is the person who needs rescuing." Hadrian said, smiling, "The hero is out to save the damsel from the big mean villain. Apparently Soho will be the hero."

"There's not much to it. He takes you and puts you someplace really hard to get out of, and you try to get out of it!" Soho said cheerfully. And if you don't get out by yourself we come and get you and beat the bad guy up! There can be more than one hero, after all! Mister Hadrian and Aleric can help me!"

"The beating up part is pretend, of course." Aleric added, knowing that there was no chance in hell of them beating Silva for real. Silva tried not to snort.

Galatea was quiet as she mulled this all over. Good and bad, it made sense. A sort of play-war. Practice and plat at once. Then, suddenly, she fixed her steady gaze on Silva and tilted her head. "Why are you going to steal me?" she asked, clearly curious.

"To be bait, darlin. If I'm going to lure the hero to her doom I have to have something she wants." He said with a shrug. "And since you're the damsel, you're the one she wants. Usually it's a girlfriend, wife, daughter..." He fell silent at that last one, glancing over at Soho before going on. "It's always good to have the upper hand."

"Its based on stories." Hadrian said, pulling his knees up against his heat-penny. "The hero has to have something to go after. And the villain usually takes something away that's important to the hero. And then the hero goes after the important thing or person, and you have a story."

"Ah." Galatea was already nodding. "I am a hostage. I see now. However, I'm none of those things to Miss Soho so," she paused and half-shrugged, "I suppose we will play that I am her sister or her best friend? Is that alright?"

"You can be my best friend!" Soho said happily. "And we can play with each others hair and--" She stopped. "I can save you from the evil Mister Silva Demon!" She finished happily.

Silva reached down to pick Galatea off the pillow, as gently as he would have Soho, if not more so. "Let's get this started then."

"Do we give you a sort of head start? Like hide and seek?" Hadrian asked, skeptically. Sure it was only fair, but he still wasn't entirely sure he thought this was a good idea. It was alright as long as Galatea wanted to play and everyone was having fun, though.

The little blood feien tensed at Silva's touch, going resistant in his hold for a moment. Then she seemed to shake her head slightly and she forced herself to relax. She offered a little wave at the others. "Please rescue me," she said calmly as she set her other hand on her "captor's" shoulder to better stabilize her perch. "But be careful, please. Don't worry about me."

Silva paused as he felt how tense she was, then shook his head, wrapping his wings around her so she was obscured from sight, then stepping into the shadows so they couldn't see him. Quickly he headed down the hall, for the kitchen.

Soho turned, raising an arm as she "Rallied the troops." He might be strong! He might be dangerous, but he will not steal my best friend!" She said dramatically. "Wait, now we need to know what powers we have..." She paused, looking thoughtful.

"Why don't we use our real magic abilities?" Aleric asked.

"Oh! That works!" She said happily. "Then let's go!"

Hadrian cleared his throat. "I should mention that most of my real magical abilities are a bit...less then appropriate for indoors."

Not that he didn't have things that didn't involve lighting things on fire that he could do to keep things fun...but he had always been told that it wasn't a good idea to play with fire inside. And while he was pretty sure he could control anything he did, it wasn't something he thought was appropriate for a game.

A long few minutes had passed, Silva moving quickly down the hallway, before Galatea finally gave a tiny sigh. Her hand on his shoulder tapped a bit, blind in the darkness, and she whispered, "You're terribly strong, aren't you, sir?"

"You could say that." Silva replied, amused. He slipped through the kitchen door and headed for the shelves, holding her with one arm as he opened one of them and slipped inside. "It's a bit dark in here, I guess." He said, belatedly realizing that she probably couldn't see in the dark. "I'll leave the door opened a crack." He said as he put her down. A pencil thin strip of light fleshed out a piece of his form before he moved further in to drag things around.

"It's true, some of our abilities are too powerful for this game." Aleric said, not mentioning that he could easily find his brother by both emotion and magic. "Perhaps we should have roles? Soho is the hero... I could be the mage, and you could be the scout?" He offered Hadrian.

"I need a sword." Soho said, as if she only just realized this. She frowned and started looking around.

"Sure...although I'm not very good at being quiet or sneaking up on things...are scouts supposed to do that? Or is that something else? Anyway, Soho should certainly be the leader."

He smiled at Soho, and comforted himself with the idea that he could find Galatea and Silva with magic if he needed to. And he could make little globes of light, those were always excellent fun.

He offered Soho the stick he had been using as a torch when he came in. "Its not a very GOOD sword." He said apologetically, "But you know, usually the hero starts out with something simple and get a more powerful sword later in the story. So maybe this will do for now?"

Galatea stood in the faint strip of light and squinted around. She could not see but it was only a game. Silva had promised that no harm would come to her and Hadrian had not argued. Worse come to worse, she was sure that she could slip away. That is, if Silva scared her. Which he hadn't. She padded quietly over to the door and set her hand to it, tugging. "Mr. Silva," she called, "if you leave this open, I could escape and the game would be over. I'm not afraid of the dark. Please? Miss Soho wants a proper game and I want to play it right."

Silva paused, surprised. A tiny little smirk crossed his face as he nodded, knowing she couldn't see it. "That's fine, darlin, but be careful where you step in here. There's some pretty big things to run into." He was building a small fort out of sugar bags and salt boxes. When he was satisfied with it he headed back to her. "This way, darlin. To your cage." He said as he took her hand. He hoped this was keeping Soho entertained and Aleric's mind off of that damn flute, because he was going to a hell of a lot of trouble.

Aleric almost laughed. "Well now is a great time to learn such skills, don't you think? So tell us, fearless leader, which way do we go first?"

Soho took the stick, waving it in the air and pointing blindly towards the hall. "That way!! Onward ho!"

Hadrian saluted cheerfully, "We follow, Madame!" He made sure his penny as cool before he set it down in order to follow unencumbered.

As they followed behind her, Hadrian glanced over at Aleric, grinning, and said in a voice that was fairly quiet, for Hadrian, "Actually I tried to learn them when I was a kid, but you know how someone always steps on the stick or something in the stories? That's me." He winked.

"Yes, sir." Obediently, Galatea gripped Silva's hand and stepped carefully where he led. "Don't worry about me, though. I'm strong. Not as strong as you but I can do enough." She paused and rethought her words. "For now."

She skirted a salt shaker and hopped over a straw. "And I think I should probably try to escape in a few minutes." She wished she could see him better. She wanted to study his face and the way he moved but she had put a stop to that by blocking out her own light. Oh, well. "I think I will have to be smart, though. Since you're so much stronger."

"That's an excellent plan, darlin. But I might have to stop you." Silva told her, stopping as she got into position between the large objects. Then he moved the half empty salt box to close it around her. "It's nothing personal, you know. Just my job as the bad guy."

"Then it's a good thing this is only a game." Aleric said honestly. "Because Silva's very good at reacting to snapping twigs."

"Left... or right... left... or right..." Soho pondered. "Oh! I know!" She put the top of the stick on the ground and twirled it, watching where it landed. "Forward it is!"

"I don't intend to do something like this for real." Hadrian said to Aleric, blinking. "Although there aren't any twigs in here...so I'm more likely to knock something over. It just always seems to happen." He shrugged.

"Forward, to aide the Great Knight Soho in her quest!" He called, smiling and not bothering to mention to Aleric that he didn't expect they'd sneak up on anyone follow Soho around anyway.

"I understand." Galatea rested her hands lightly on the box in front of her. "You're doing your duty. That's important." With a rustle, she got on her knees and propped her elbows on the box, chin cradled in her raised hands. "Do you think they're using their magic to find us?"

"Nah. Aleric would have found us by now if they were." Silva said, dropping down on a bag of marshmellows, then ripping a hole in the bag to steal one. "Want a marshmellow?" He asked casually. He couldn't take this job seriously. Not when he was holding a little girl hostage.

"Of course, seeing as we just passed the kitchen..." Aleric said softly, letting the comment die before Soho could figure it out.

"They're not in here..." She called over her shoulder. "I don't know where he took her..." She added with a pout. Then something strange happened. The lights flickered.

"Well, if I might be permitted to make a suggestion, mighty leader..."

Hadrian was in the process of bowing foppishly when he stopped in mid motion to look up at the lights flicker. He only stalled for a second though, it didn't honestly occur to him to wonder about it. The lights were always flickering at his bonds house...there was a lab in the cellar after all.

He finished his bow and returned to his original train of thought. "Perhaps you might come up with a plan to use your mage and your scout to help you discover where your nemisis has taken your dear...er..." He forgot what they had said Galatea was going to be in relation to Soho, "...Damsel."

Despite her declared plan to escape him in a few minutes, Galatea crawled over closer so she could reach over the box for the offered treat. "What's a marshmallow?" she asked.

"A marshmellow is a--" Silva shrugged and grabbed another from the bag, getting to his feet to hand it to her. "This." He muttered as he put it in her hand. Thankfully it was one of the small ones that came in different colors.

"Oh..." Soho said, looking at the lights blankly for a moment before nodding. "Okay! Um... do I just tell you to find them?" She asked in a mock-whisper.

Hadrian leaned over and replied in the same loud whisper, "Well, usually the hero comes up with a grand plan. You know like 'The mage will stay with me and search the forest while the scout goes on ahead to track the movements of our enemy...' or something. We could say we are looking for Silva's evil fortress..."

Not being able to see, the blood feien gingerly felt over the shape of the marshmallow; it was nearly the size of her head! "Is it a fruit?" she asked, sniffing it. Before he could answer, though, she had licked it and made a curious squeaking noise. Then she coughed. "It's... Very sweet."

"It's mostly sugar." Silva replied with a shrug. "Soho loves the things."

"Then... the mage will stay with me while the scout--" Soho looked over at Hadrian, trying to remember the rest of what he had said. "Will go track the enemies movements!" She said triumphantly. Just as the power died.

Hadrian opened his mouth to answer, when the lights died. A little noise of surprise escaped instead of whatever he was going to say. There was a pause, then a little soft ball of light, like a firefly, flickered up in the center of the little group - floating just about their heads, and lighting Hadrian's boyish features warmly. "Uhm...If its dark...should we rethink that plan?" He was looking mostly at Aleric. He wasn't sure if Aleric 'the mage' and Soho had a way to light their own ways in the dark.

Delicately, Galatea took another lick. Then she paused suddenly and turned to look in the direction Silva's voice came from. "Are we allowed to eat these?" she asked, nervous and quiet. "I forgot to ask."

"That," Hadrian said brightly, "Is why the hero brings allies along!"
He sounded enthusiastic enough, but he looked to Aleric a bit like he wanted to scoop Soho up and carry her along. He hadn't missed her sad little shiver...
"Of course," He held out his hand, smiling, and the little light bobbed away from them a bit, "I don't have to lead, I'll just be your flashlight. Just tell me where to light."

"Don't worry, darlin. Soho and Aleric are always the first to save the lady in distress." Unless they were the ones in distress, that was. He chewed on his marshmellow for a moment, then made a face. It was too sweet for his tastes. "Talk to me, darlin. When'd you show up? Who's your bond?" He damn well didn't want to start thinking.

Soho grinned up at Hadrian, slipping her hand into his and dragging him back down the hall. She paused at one of the offices, then shook her head. "He wouldn't go in there... it's locked." And there was a chance of big people being in there.

"Perhaps I might be able to... scry something?" Aleric asked hesitantly. "As your knight's loyal mage, that is."

"You can do that?" Soho asked as she glanced back at him. "But wouldn't that be cheating?"

"Oh, I came to Gaia a few days ago." Galatea hesitated, shy and unsure when talking about herself. She was still ill at ease when attention focused on her and feared saying something wrong. "Dr. Beckham and the Director and the Captain brought me with them. The Captain needs to get well again before we return to the Fleet, you see."

Then, quickly, as if fearing that she had slighted her bond, she added, "Captain Rabik is still strong and clever, of course. She just needs some time to rest. She worked too hard."

Hadrain stepped back and did a little half bow, offering Soho the chance to enter first. He sent the little light on ahead of her bobbing into the room.
Of course, the light was a dead give away that they were coming. But they were playing pretend anyway, so he didn't think it mattered much. Silva could probably see in the dark anyway...he'd said he was...what Shadow? Hadrian remembered him feeling a bit like darkness.
"We should procede with caution, my lady Soho. Your nemisis may have set an ambush..."

Whether that was true or not, it seemed the sort of thing that happened in storybooks, and Hadrian was trying to build the suspense.

Silva almost laughed, but then he went still, an evil little smile crossing his lips before speaking. "Shhh, darlin, we've got visitors." He said before heading to the door of the cabinet. "I'll be right back." He told her softly before he slipped out the door, closing it silently behind him.

The room was dark, save for the bobbing light that indicated the heroes. He almost laughed at how obvious it was as he flew down towards them, standing just out of reach of the small light.

"So..." He said, watching as Soho jumped slightly. "You've come."

"We will defeat you, Silva!" Aleric said dramatically. "You are no match for the good knight Soho!"

"Where's my friend?" Soho demanded.

Suddenly left to her own devices, Galatea frowned and stood still, obeying Silva for the span of a few heartbeats. Then she shook herself. What was she doing? She was supposed to be trying to escape. She had told Soho that she would and she had told Silva and... Her captain would be very disappointed in her if she didn't at least try to rescue herself. She would simply have to be careful that she didn't ruin Soho's fun as well.

Face determined, the little blood feien rose to her feet, braced her arms on the salt box in front of her, and began to clamber over the blockade.

Hadrian had to admit Silva was performing quite well as the villain. The shadow bit was really a very dramatic effect.
"Being excellent and brave sorts of knights, as we are," He whispered, loudly, to Soho, "We should probably stand in a very dramatic fashion with our backs to each other, since the villain is hiding in the shadows and we don't know where he might approach from."

Of course, that wasn't entirely true, but drama was important in a game like this after all. He stood in what he hoped was a brave 'scout-like' fashion, and grinned at Aleric hoping he'd manage a similarly brave 'mage-like' pose.