Welcome to Gaia! ::

Ofelia had stopped off at a service station on the way to the Xanis hotel. She needed to get cleaned up and so did Guilia; after all, they could not walk into the lobby covered in dirt and blood. She bought some bandages and used them to wrap up her torn hands, and a bunch of frozen bandaids to put over Giulia's scrapes. She was such a brave girl, she kept reassuring her. The brunette helped the blonde clean up, letting her continue to wear her hoodie to hide her distressed dress, it was baggy and large on her - but Ofelia thought it looked adorable. Before they left, she sent a quick series of texts to Elzo from inside a bathroom stall;

‘I am on my way to yours.’

Then.

‘It has been a strange day; do you have a daughter Elzo?’

Then.

‘’Well, I hope so, or it is going to be really awkward when we turn up.’

….

‘I love you, be there soon’.

And with that she turned off her phone and put it in her jean pocket, she did not want to read his reply, nor did she want to pick up. She wanted to talk to him face to face, so she did not want to lose her courage. More so she did not want Guilia to see she had a phone; fearing if she called Jada now she might be picked up on a kidnapping charge.

She was holding Guilia’s hand as they entered the lobby, then the elevator, then before she knew it she was in front of an all too familiar door. “Here we are; you must be really tired. I think it’s time for bed after we call Miss Jada - what do you think?” She asked, trying to be as light hearted as she could. She knocked on the door and paused for a moment, her heart was in her throat.. “Guilia… Don’t lie to your daddy, okay? Tell him the truth. You shouldn’t lie to your family. Not for my sake.”

She looked down at the young lady, squeezing her hand for support. “It’s okay. I promise.”

To say Elzo had been mildly panicked had been an understatement. News that Giulia had gone missing made his heart stop in his chest and had sent him to the city on dark wings. It had been a frantic circling, and only when Marlo called him back stating how he should be the one by the phone did Elzo just a quickly relent and stay at the suite. Marlo was good at talking logic.
Not that it helped, as he was sure pacing wasn't good.

Then he got texts from Ofelia and while it was nice?
'do you have a daughter Elzo?’

He'd never told her about Giulia. He'd planned to, but with everything moving at such a fast pace he'd hadn't the time. But if she was asking, did she know? Had someone told her? Did Jada already send out an Amber alert?
A part of him wished he could be so fortunate that maybe Ofelia had found Giulia, but even he knew that was unlikely.

But when she arrived to the suite with Giulia in tow?

"Principessa!" He didn't even notice Ofelia, the bandages or blood and dirt. All he cared about in that moment was that his sister was safe.
"Where have you been? Jada called in a panic and- Giulia." The fear in his voice was palatable. He couldn't do much past grab her and pull her into a hug.

Ofie was really pretty, tall and slender and lovely like an actual princess, and Giulia was going to keep her magic secret super safe. The little girl was clinging to her hand, gazing up at the older woman and opening her mouth to say something, when the door opened and Ofelia jerked her hand away from Giulia's own. "Mr. Elzo!" her small body was jerked into a hug, and her bandaged hands and skinny arms wrapped around the broad shoulders. Here, in the hotel, this high away from the ground, Giulia felt safe and able to relax, knowing there were now more adults to watch Ofie's back. Her poor princess mewdile would not have to protect Giulia all by herself.

Giulia wriggled in his grip after a moment, trying to look behind and at Mewdile. "There was something in the garden," she told Elzo. "It came out of the ground, and there was a boom, and then there was something and I tripped and I fell down a hole." Giulia's bandaged hand began to wiggle as she cheerfully shared her exciting, edited, story. "And the hole was really dark, and my phone doesn't work right anymore, but I got a flashlight. And because the hole was very high, and my hands hurt, I went walking in the hole? Because whatever it was went into the ground maybe it came out, right? Like Alice in Wonderland."

Like Ofie had told her. Giulia reached back beside her, grasping with tiny fingers for the kneeling older woman's hand. "And then Ofie found me, and I was scared, and so she picked me up and asked me where I could go that was safe, and I wanted to go home, but Jada and Aidan and it might not be safe, so I asked Ofie to bring me here, and we went to a gas station and she helped me wash up some and got some stuff for my hands." her other hand, the one not reaching beseechingly for her Mewdile, waggled at Elzo. "I don't know what was chasing me, and it was really scary." She knew exactly what it was, though, even if not what the yoh-mah had been shaped like.

"Please call Jada, ok?" she told Elzo, remembering now she had to tell her, and Aidan, she was safe. "You said she called- she and Aidan are okay, right? The bad thingy didn't get in the house and hurt anyone, right? I can call her, though, she might like that so she doesn't come running and bust in and get all angry at me in your house. Can Marlo make me and Ofie cookies? My tummy is very scared and rumbly."

Elzo would know Jada was already on her way, just in case she needed to bully her way in to the police station for a missing child. Giulia, however, was still young, and under the misconception her sister was the type to stay at home and not flail around in a panic.

Ofelia watched the interaction between the two. Guilia trying to explain the situation the best she could, Elzo dismissing every word she said. The brunette wanted to help, feeling sorry for the child who seemed to be carrying the world on her shoulders. She was carrying the burden of a secret on her shoulders, the fear for her family's safety, whilst still recovering from the shock and fear she had been exposed to tonight. Ofelia wanted to hold her, tell her everything was okay. But herself between Guilia and Elzo somehow, shield her from the questions and his fear. It was hard to watch, and even when the girl reached out, Ofelia’s hands stayed clung to her jeans.

Then Elzo’s hand reached down to cup the girl’s chin, and the tone in which he addressed her made Ofelia recoil a little - biting her bottom lip as she ran through her options. What was she meant to do? She wanted to run, like she always did, disappear through a mirror float around until her mind had calmed. He looked around and opened the door, the brunette stood silently ready to leave. She had done enough damage and the consequences were soon catching up with her, it would be best for everyone, if she just faded.

Then Elzo addressed her for the first time that night.

Golden eyes snapped to look at him, the worry in her gut suddenly turning to bile. Being called to heel? Never, not even for Remarque. She looked down to Guilia, running her hand through golden locks to try and reassure her. On her own she would have just left, but Elzo’s demand had woken her up to the situation. She was not on her own, Guilia still needed her. Could she really run away, when a little girl was showing such bravery? “It is okay, I am here with you.” She reassured her, winking down at the girl and smiling softly before turning towards the door.

It was petty, and Elzo was not in the mood to be baited, but Ofelia had never taken well to ‘orders’. She walked passed him, pausing just for a moment to place her hand on his chest, leaning in towards his face to whisper to him.

“Sarò bravo, papà.”

She smirked, gazing into his eyes before she headed inside.

Elzo was stairing at the pair. Giulia wasn't a threat, as far as he knew and could tell, she had only been a spectator to the war. Invoved on the fringes, if now, needing perhaps a closer eye kept on her. Ofelia however-

He hadn't forgotten new years, the passing moments he'd questioned. It had been easy enough for them both to gloss over it, pretend it didn't happen. But now-

"There are a lot of things I know that most people don't Giulia. You shouldn't be so quick to judge." Loud footsteps, he walked quickly to the hall closet, pulling out a large medical kit. He moved with a certain practice, as if this was something he'd done before, did regularly.
"So was Ofelia the one who saved you from a youma then Giulia?" Blue eyes bore into the small girl as he debated how to proceed. Medical kit set on the kitchen counter.
"Or was it Ofelia with a different name?" The cold blue eyes moved to the woman in question.
He said nothing.

"Wash your hands, we'll discuss your punishment for lying later. Ofelia and I will talk." He wanted his sister out of the room. He didn't want her to see what could end up as a fight.

"Daddy will behave himself, but you need to wash your hands. I don't want you to get an infection."

He walked to put himself between Ofelia and the door.
"I'll be nice, so long as she doesn't do anything naughty." He wanted to intimidate, to impose. He held power here, and until he knew where Ofelia stood, he couldn't show weakness.
"Unlike other times, she won't like the punishment games we'll play if she misbehaves."

He knew what a yoh-mah monster was? He even called it right, not the stilted way she had to say it because the word didn't come together right in her mouth. Shouldn't be so quick to judge indeed- her rosebud mouth turned down, brow furrowing as she thought. The tiny girl followed the much bigger man as he moved towards the hall closet, though she didn't follow him down the hall, keeping half an eye on her Ofie, to make sure she was okay.

Her Ofie. She was adopted now, her dear Mewdile.

There was something going on that she didn't understand, undercurrents of anger and Giulia wasn't sure what was happening. But she could do this without lying. "Ofie with the name of Ofie picked me up. Ofie with the name of Ofie gave me her hoodie, even though it was cold out. Ofie with the name of Ofie took me to a place and let me wash my hands and get bandaged up. Ofie with the name of Ofie asked me where a good place was to come that we could call Jada, and I told her here. I didn't know it would be like- like- a hunt for witches, I thought we'd both be safe in case the yoh-mah monster came back!"

But now he wanted to give her a punishment? Giulia looked affronted. How dare he! This was- this clearly had to be a Daddy thing, and she wasn't very impressed with her first experience so far. Still, as she glanced back and saw Ofie's nod, Giulia softened with affection for Mewdile. Elzo made his way towards the door, now, and Giulia stayed lingering by the hall. where she would have to go to wash her hands. "Remember, Mr. Xanis. You promised to be good, and I will be very mad if you make Ofie cry!"

Why Ofie would enjoy a punishment, Giulia wasn't quite certain. Maybe she didn't actually like TV, so she didn't mind it being taken away?

But then Ofie held out a pen, and Giulia pulled her much smaller hands to her chest, once again acknowledging that which was over her head. "I don't wanna hear any yelling." she warned them both, in the voice like mama warned her and Aidan all the time.

And then Giulia slipped down the hall, finding her way to the bathroom and stuffing her hands under the water.

The brunette watched as he made his way to the kitchen, exhausted, defeated. He would not look at her, her eyes heavy with tears that she would not let fall. “But.” She repeated, turning around and running her fingers through her newly installed dreadlocks. The words were like a dagger to her heart, but all she could do was grit her teeth and hold her breathe. Calm, collected, she repeated her mantra; exhaling before following after him.

She pulled her top over her head, the damp material dragging over her skin before it hit the floor. Stood in a sports bra the full extent of her injuries were revealed. The cuts down her back, the blade of a Negaverse Agent, not just a Youma. She was running away, running to protect Giulia - the wounds were defensive and probably avoidable if she has disregarded the girls safety.

“24 hours is not a very long time.” She repeated, not a long time to get the answers she wanted, not long enough to say goodbye. What action would you take Elzo? What would you possibly do? She shook her head, walking towards him, trembling hands touching the sides of his face. Her heart sank, bile in her stomach, her throat dry. The composure she was known for was melting away, and there was nothing she could do.

“You could ignore it before, all that has changed in the past day is that I chose to save a little girl who needed me, the only issue is she just so happened to be your-.” She stopped, closing her eyes to fight back the crack in her voice. “You said that I never had to be alone again, that you would stand by my side amongst whatever darkness threatened me. Was that all a lie? Your children? ******** Elzo, do you know how to tell the truth?” She had let him in, she knew nothing of him in return.

But she still loved him, and she hated herself for it. Her throat felt too swollen for more words, instead she just pulled his face towards hers, tentatively pressing her lips against his. Tense, expecting to be pushed away.

She almost whimpered as he kissed her, pressing herself against him, wanting to be closer. Golden eyes closed and for a moment she lost herself in his passion. And then he broke away and she was left breathless. His lips were gone from her, and only the tension in her roots remained.

Ofelia froze, in disbelief of the words she was hearing. No. She refused to believe it. “Which one was mine?” She asked, her legs going weak, holding onto the kitchen counter with both hands for support as he rubbed the antiseptic on her back.

“Apollon?”

“Leonis?”

“Galenos?”

“I want to know his name.” She deserved to know that much right? ”The name of the man who gave up on me, who left me to die. So I know who you take after.”

She wanted a reaction, so she could know for sure. So she would know beyond a doubt.