Welcome to Gaia! ::

It was already late in the evening, but the merchant seemed unfazed by the passing of time. He sat, poised and elegant, watching the world around him. He didn’t seem bored, even as he leaned forward and laced his fingers atop the table; below it, he kept his toe tapping to some silent tune in his head. He was tall, by human standards, though while sitting down he didn’t seem particularly threatening. If you didn’t look at his face.
He had graceful features--sharp and refined. His chin and nose tapered to a point, giving him an air of sophistication, but that, combined with his slitted eyes and pointed teeth, there was something undeniably predatory about him. He watched with a hungry gaze and a mischievous, nearly sinister smile. His ears were pointed and were prominent despite being tucked behind his vibrant, multi-colored hair. The most intrusive feature that indicated there was something not human about him were the curling horns protruding from his temples and the oil-slick black scales that brushed his cheeks and forehead. He was well dressed, in a fashion obviously otherworldly, and seemed to enjoy dressing himself up in glistening gemstones.
His table was somehow both simple and overwhelming; it was draped in a dark purple tablecloth, with extravagant embroidery in different designs. Scattered neatly atop the table was an array of items that seemed to carry some magical weight to them.
He did not seem intimidated in the slightest and, upon noticing that the barrier surrounding him rippled when his visitor entered, he smiled.
He did not rise to meet them nor adjust his position in the slightest. He followed them with his fierce eyes and greeted, in a silky voice, “Welcome.”

Darius Ammun sighed as looked out the window, waiting for Daddy to come home. Lately, he just hadn't been as excited about Daddy coming home anymore... or in general. Not since... not since Daddy told him what he had done on Etamin in his past life. You see Daddy, was Sailor Etamin (Eternal Sailor now, but that was beside the point), and he protected the Earth alongside Darius, who was his Bonded Mauvian. However, Daddy shared some horrifying news about his Past Life, a few months ago. As Sailor Etamin in the past, he was protector of the world of Etamin, and Darius' biological parents had awakened him, and his allies. Darius was there too, though he didn't remember it. And they were a happy family. Almost. But then Etamin forgot safety protocols in the mist of some of his more dangerous duties - and was turned evil as a result- wiping out most of their family, including Darius' parents before being destroyed himself. Just before being killed, Darius' parents were able to get him to a space pod and eject it saving his life, and he drifted through space for over a thousand years, till he came to Earth - then - he didn't want to think about that, but then the newly reincarnated Sailor Etamin or Daddy, had saved his life in more ways than one, and they were Bonded. Life was good - of course, Dari had no memories of the past - but that didn't matter, or did it?
Darius Ammun got up and left through the cat door and just kept wandering far and wide. He must have been depressed. He wondered if he should break off his Bond to his Daddy - er Drew...
And then just when he thought he'd lie down and go to sleep and never wake up (so very tired); there was a bubble space around and was this the Merchant he'd heard tales about?
"Uh hello, up there." Dari's voice sounded weary, but there was a small spike of excitement in it... "Are... are the Merchant? The one I've heard so much about?"

So, Dari jumped up on the table and sat down, curling his tail around him. "Well, it's a bit complicated. "I Awakened about a year -er I guess you could say that reAwakened since I was alive a millennium ago, yet I don't have those memories. While I was feral, I was homeless and some hooligans ..." here he paused and let the Merchant get some ideas,

"Anyway, a teenager that happened to be a Senshi found me, and nursed me back to health - but not just physically, he brought back my will to live...

"Because of which I reAwakened and we were Bonded. Since I am so young (at least in mind and body) and have no memory of my Parents... I took to calling him my 'Daddy' and he was a good Daddy."

Here he paused and he closed his eyes in pain. "He started rebuilding his world. And soon he was gone a lot doing this... and he came to his sisters more and more distraught."

The little Kitten looked as if he were about to cry. "Finally, he told us what was going on - he was regaining memories of his past life and they were not good...

"His past self and all of us (his sisters' past lives as well) were a semi-family with my parents - and one day he, at 15 years old made a dangerous mistake.... and it caused his mind to warp.."

This next part was really difficult for Dari. "He ended destroying his homeworld, his allies, (including his sisters' past selves) and even... my parents just after they got me out of there, and fortunately they were all able to stop him in the end - but he had to be destroyed..."

And then the hardest part... "My Daddy killed my Parents," Dari sobbed.. "My Bonded... I don't know what to do...

Something inside Darius told him that he couldn't quite trust the Merchant, but he waved the thought away. "His name is Sailor Etamin. Today, he is an Eternal Sailor. Back then, he never made it past regular Sailor. His Sphere is Hieroglyphics." Dari sighed.

"He seems to be trying to do everything he can to make amends, he even came to us personally, before any of us had any memories return of our past lives and admit to us what happened. No sugar coating either... "

"Etamin told me that my parents were Aker Ammun, a Black Egyptian Mau, and Basket Ammun, a Blue Egyptian and that they were assigned to the Court. They unofficially adopted all the Senshi... since they were often either orphans or somehow stripped of everything including their families directly or indirectly due to their status as Senshi. And he... they were trying to get me to safety..." he said.

"I wish I had something to remember them by. I wish I could remember them...

Instantly Dari's interest was caught, and it was noticeable, as his eyes tracked the ball's movement and saw the familiar style of artwork. His ears twitched toward the ball. Something called to him about it. But he did not take it, at least not immediately. This man was the Merchant wasn't he? He wouldn't just give the ball away.

He voiced that opinion. "You're the Merchant, right? You're not just going to give it. Hmm what can I give in trade. Hmm are you hungry? Etamin also happens to be an awesome chef and recently he relearned to make my favorite Etamainian Dish, Fasieekh. It is mainly salted and dried fish. I... uh wasn't feeling like eating it, so I stuck it in my subspace pocket for now."

Wait, he thought, would it still be good, after being in subspace? Well, oh well - here goes!

He pulled it out and presented it to the Merchant.

As he did all this, he thought about what the Merchant had said. Drew/Etamin/Daddy was doing all he could to make amends and maybe Dari should give him a chance.

Dari seemed much brighter. "Then it's a deal. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day and meal." With that he scooped up the golden cat ball in his mouth (and it jingled a bit, calling to him) and hopped off the table. Striding to the edge of the bubble, he turned and waved his front paw at the Merchant, while smiling as brightly as he could with the ball clenched in his teeth, his eyes shut closed, his tail up and his head upright and his up - he was definitely feeling much better.

Then he turned and went through the bubble and went home, happy as a lark.