Welcome to Gaia! ::

Chloe looked up with a blink, giving a small gasp as she saw a familiar face. This name she did remember, how couldn't she? It was the winged woman! "M-Ms. Alexi! H-Hello!"

She gave a small wave, motioning for her to step closer to the receptionist desk, a warm smile of welcoming on her face. "I-It's been s-so long! A-Are you alright?" She gave a small shake of her head, remembering her duties. "C-Can I help you with anything?"

Chloe fell silent, eyes flickering between Alexi and the red-headed man that spoke behind her, giving a small start as he did his disappereing cigarette trick. Suprisingly enough.. the fact that the woman before her had been dead at one time in the near past didn't really surprise her.

She'd been working for Lab305 for a bit over a year now. Death and rebirth into life wasn't a strange idea anymore.

"I-I... I hope you're alright now.." She looked at Alexi with a soft concern, she truely did hope that things were better for the mysterious woman. "A-As for.. your project.. Kalec, did you call him?" She looked up, her expression almost ... relieved. "He's in a container.. safe in stasis sleep. Dr.Kyou puts Raevens in this sleep when their guardian doesn't come to pick them up within a month at least.."

Ever watchful, despite his indifferent appearance, Lindin's draconic eyes caught Chloe's glance as she reacted to the spontaneous combustion of the cigarette. Running a gloved hand up through the wind-swept locks of his hair, he gave her a sly wink and coy smile that wouldn't register until she thought of the incident later.

Alexi's attention was focused purely on Chloe and she barely noticed Lindin's antics as she spoke earnestly with the soft-spoken lab tech. Her expression had softened in silent thanks when Chloe asked how she was doing.

"Oh, no worries hon, I'm fine. Surprised you remember me actually, since its been so long. Just need to get used to this body, it doesn't really fit as well as my old one." She rubbed the fingers of her right hand on the ivory skin of her left upper-arm. "Just....itchy you could say? I've had this done before, but you never quite get used to the feeling."

"But enough about myself." She frowned decisively and shook her delicately shaped head, the silver hair framing it falling over her chest as she bent forward. Her frown turned to a winning smile, her gaze still serious though. "Yes, my project was to be named Kalec and I'm very glad to hear that he's alive and alright. I was afraid that he would be growing up without a mother or mentor to take care of him, I had this mental image of him wandering around, wondering what his purpose was."

She shuddered a bit and broke her gaze as she did so, looking down on the receptionist's desk in contemplation. A being with potential power on the scale Kalec did, without someone to guide him. The possibilities were a bit frightening. She steeled herself against the emotions, looking deep into Chloe's eyes before she spoke again..

"I really appreciate how accomodating you have been to my absense. May I see him? I'd like to officially claim his guardianship. I'm not sure what the procedures are to taking care of a Frei-stage Raevan, so you might have to teach me a little about it as we walk."

Her expression was one of excitement and perhaps a little nervous anticipation. She wasn't used to relying on other people or being so unsure about procedure, but she trusted Chloe and felt she was in good hands.

Meanwhile, still hanging around the doorframe of the entrance as the sliding doors opened, Lindin moved his eyes ever so slightly to the right to catch the newcomer entering the room. She obviously didn't want to be seen, but he had noticed. He smiled a little. This was an unexpected turn of events to an otherwise boring situation. Maybe he could play around with her for awhile. But for now, he was going to pretend he hadn't noticed.

Inside, Lindin grinned as he felt the sneaky newcomer's gaze cross him. His wings were put away for the moment, concealed as part of his overcoat. He had already known that she had noticed him, there was absolutely no reason anyone -wouldn't- notice him. He was used to it. Considering both his and Alexi's odd style of dress and their various physical traits that marked them as different from normal humans. But the mere fact that she was avoiding his reptilian gaze meant she knew he was watching her.

He swiveled his wandering eye back and gave a deep, noticeable sigh, closing his eyes and grinning a bit as he felt the sneaky one's eyes flit over and then return to the floor. He began to extract himself from his position against the wall, his clothes rustling a little, and tugged a little at his popped collar. He slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head towards the newcomer, his chiseled face a picture of mischief but friendliness. He walked toward her, his sneakers squeaking, or rather, creaking a little against the floor and then came to a stop next to her. Not facing her directly but instead returning his gaze to Alexi, he mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.

"Alexi's one beautiful woman, can't believe that she was dead for a year." He said half to himself, but slowly one of his eyes moved towards the notebook-wielding person next to him. "Jig's up kid." He shrugged and grinned, that one eye wandering to catch her eyes. It was unnatural really, how he could move his eyes independantly. "Ahm Lindin. And don't worry, I don't bite - hard. And I won't call their attention to ya. Whats yer name?" He grinned from the side of his mouth. He privately wondered why this girl had been viewing Alexi with alternating furious, pondering, and hopeful expressions. She didn't seem to be one of the owners. Couldn't be, an owner would have walked right in and Chloe would have recognized them. Mysteries intrigued him.

Lindin smiled a little inside as Graf tensed but didn't move away. He considered this a success. He was very good at penetrating people's individual comfort bubbles without much effort. Something about his laid back manner, his good looks and his intriguing style usually caused people to come to him. He supposed, this was a trait he picked up from his father.

He couldn't have known that it was Graf's innate interest in non-humans that sparked her interest. He just figured it was because of his charismatic presence. But whatever it was, at least he got a chance to talk with this enigmatic woman. And he really didn't mind the stare. He'd gotten used to it, and considering he himself like all transhumans were products of experiments, being analyzed like this was just a matter of standard protocol.

Feeling that this girl was interested by the way she was staring, Lindin began to loosen up a bit. Maybe it was a good idea now to thought-speak into her mind directly. She didn't seem like she was afraid of his differences at all, and instead intrigued by them considering the slight opening of her jaw and the way she was looking at his horns. He could speak more easily this way, and project images that no words could really describe. It was a more open way of communicating. Plus he just wanted to see her reaction. Might be fun. Everyone always responded in a unique way.

His voice whispered in her head despite the fact that he wasn't moving his mouth.

-Hey there. No worries, Ah didn't take no offense to yer staring, its natural for people cuz I'm so different from em. Oh and don't be alarmed. I'm doing what my people call thought-speak. Ya don't have to do it back if ya don't want, probly easier for ya to speak out loud. But I figured this way we wouldn't catch their attention, ya see.- He smiled and winked slyly at her. -And yeah, I'm not exactly human, though I guess I sorta -have- human ancestors.- He raised his hands up to his horns and rubbed them a bit. -These little boys you see up here and my eyes and all are traits I picked up from my some of the Rathien genes I have in me. I guess its a foreign term to ya. I can explain a bit better with pictures.-

An image slowly formed in Graf's mind, of a red and rocky alien landscape that seemed to be quite barren. Lavaflows ran through the area like red-hot streams. A dragon began to form in her mind as it flew over the landscape, and raptor-like creatures materialized slowly onto the stony terrain. Their eyes glowed with inner fire, horns much like Lindin's protruding from the sides of their mouthless faces. It was like looking into the age of the dinosaurs. Somehow, she knew that they and dinosaurs, and the myths of dragons were correlated in some way.

-Thats a Rathien. There's three other species of that race, Authien, Koorian, and Drakien - Authien is water, Koorian is Air, Drakien is more the underground, dark type. We transhumans are the remnants of experiments to combine human genes with the genes of these creatures.- All this explanation happened in the span of seconds.

His eyes began to change as he smiled a little in what could only be described as a reptilian expression of understanding and knowing. -Ah couldn't help but see your interest in Alexi too. She's quite the character.- He smiled and something on his face changed - perhaps became more human - and his expression conformed to what could possibly be construed as love. -She started out as a Koorian transhuman, Divinity Class - supposedly one of our elite. But sad story, ya see.- His eyes and jaw-line hardened as he remembered the images that Alexi had sent him to describe what happened to her in the past. -She got kicked out, cuz after the exodus, some of Divinity class became pretty power-hungry and evil cuz of their status. They think they rule everything. Hell some of the lower castes banded with em and now we have a war on our hands. Lexi 's one of the fighters thats tryin' to save our world and way of life from these commandos. Her fiance was one of them, but she didn't know it, and he ended up slaughtering her WHOLE family on their wedding day.-

Images of a dreadful bloodbath, angels crying, the maniacal laughter of an angel bathed in blood resonating throughout the room appeared and flashed quickly in her mind. They weren't too graphic but just enough to show her the gravity of Alexi's past. Lindin's eyes, despite their reptilian nature, showed that he was no stranger to pain and suffering either, that he was old far beyond the scope of his physical appearance.

-She lives for revenge really. But also to save our world. Kinda sad. Oh and the reason she's trying to do this Raevan thing is becuz in her mind and heart, she thinks that this is gonna bring Kalec, our dark savior, back from the dead somehow. I don't think it'll work, but she's gotta try anyway. She's got that kind of heart and determination. Hell, she got crushed by an Avatar a year ago and Ah just finally got her a new body, and she's rushing off again all interested in finishing this thing with the Raevans. But anyway if this doesn't work, she'll find something else to try.-

He sighed heavily. -Poor girl. She isn't even used to her new body yet. Usually takes years. Ya see, every time we do this, its hard cuz the clone itself that ya give the memories and personality and soul to already has some sort of partial soul. And so they intermingle a bit. Its been stressful for both me and 'Lexi lately. Don't know whats gonna happen between us now.-

His gloved hand was clenched in anger and pain as images of a behemoth machine crushing the life out of his beloved angel leaked out from his mind into Graf's. He was too young yet to be able to control leaks like that. Despite his outward appearance, he still was human and emotions ran rampant throughout his system. Lindin didn't understand why he was voicing his frustrations and all his history to this slight girl with the notebook in her hand staring slackjawed at him once in awhile, then looking down apologetically at the floor. But for some reason, he felt comfortable.

Here was a girl who wasn't a part of his race, who had an interest in him, who didn't make him feel threatened. Because despite his confidence and his mischievous attitude, it was mainly to cover the insecurities he had. About who he was. Was he human? Was he a Rathien, a demon-dragon or raptor? He couldn't control his hatred very well at all and felt lost without his old mentor and father there to help him. He sincerely hoped that Alexi's experiment would be successful. For if it didn't, it would fall to him to understand more about his powers on his own, in order to save his world and those he had come to love.

Sighing heavily he shook his head, his face breaking out into the old grin again as he glanced at his new companion. -So tell me about yourself there kiddo. Graf is it? Whatcha doin' here in this lab, seems like you just kinda avoid everyone. Even that labrat Chloe doesn't seem to recognize you and its obvious you know your way around here. Got any stories for me?-

It was only in the span of mere moments, that the newly quiet and peaceful room had become a flurry of action and chaos.

As Kyou entered the lab entrance, Lindin turned his head to greet the newcomer only to find an irate Dr. Kyou standing in the doorway. And what he saw scared him and put him on the defensive with a snarl on his mouth. He recognized that expression, his race and species had it often. It was an expression that seemed related to the Hatred, a deep emotional outburst that was prone to let loose significant power. He didn't know if this Doctor, who had a bag of groceries in his arms, had powers that worked the same way. But as her guardian, he couldn't take that chance with Alexi around. This man was dangerous, and the thought of Alexi having to face this after all he had done to revive her from the mangling she had taken from that Avatar made him furious. His eyes began to glow with red-hot power and he started to warn Graf and Alexi to get back....
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Alexi had also felt a presence even before it endered the door of the lab. She recognized it as Kyou, but sensed no malicious intent from the signature. As she turned slowly to greet him, feeling his gaze on the nape of her neck, her smile was obliterated from her face in an instant as she realized that he was not very happy to see her. She had caught him in mid-chant, his eyes still glowing from the spell he was casting. The sight made her back up a few paces, almost crashing into the reception desk and she had to throw her hand down to steady herself.
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Meanwhile, Lindin had just about pulled his sword out from its sheath as the newcomer chanted a powerful spell. He knew a warlock when he saw one, he was not one to be fooled - after all, his father had similar powers, despite the fact that they required very little chanting and instead required physical motions. HE had some similar powers in fact, as his eyes blazed. But before he could react, the completing of the silent spell had blasted him against the wall, not by physical force but by something far worse.

As he collapsed to the ground, a knife of cold emptiness wracked his body. The red glow that emanated from his eyes shut off with a start, making his eyes completely black. It was as if a door had slammed shut inside him. He suddenly felt very, very much alone despite his surroundings and the people who were very much inside the room. He couldn't feel anything of the Link. The conversation he was having with Graf was abruptly cut off mid-sentence by the will of another. He couldn't even really think. His physical senses seemed dulled, he couldn't see as far, his eyes spun wildly in their sockets trying to find some sort of light in the emptiness of the room.

What in the ******** did I do to this b*****d? He thought, or rather, tried to think. He could sense that in most ways, he was intact, but he couldn't control much of his body. So much of it was in many ways controlled in some small energetic or magical stimulus from his mind that he could barely move. He felt like a puppet with his strings cut. Hatred built up inside him now, but no powers came to grasp. He lay on the floor crumpled into a quite unnatural position..
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"OH MY GOD, LINDIN!" Alexi's eyes had at first lowered in silent sorrow as she had noticed Kyou enter with furious wrath blazing in his eyes. She deserved the punishment of facing him this way. Despite the fact that she had died in battle, she could have let someone know to go take care of Kalec. Instead, she had left much of her research undisclosed, even to Lindin. It was an oversight she would have to pay for. She had been snapped out of her reverie and internal debate about what to say to Kyou when Lindin's presence had vanished from the Link. His normal magical leaks from his mind that were inherent to his youth had stopped.

She deserved to be punished, this was true. But Lindin, he had done nothing wrong! All he was guilty of was perhaps speaking telepathically with someone and maybe a little trick with his flame-power on a cigarette, little parlor tricks really that required little magical energy. But it DID require magical energy. Everything about him was extremely dependant on the fine balance magic created to keep the Rathien and the Human together.

Suddenly, she realized in horror what Lindin's body was about to do. She started running to his collapsed form in panic, but she realized it was too late when his head raised, eyes completely black and sunken, a maniacal and twisted smile on his lips.
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[Let me take over now] a voice said impatiently, laughing a little in triumph in his head. It was the Rathien counterpart that lived with him inside this body. Try as he might, Lindin felt like he was chained even in his mental world, the magical world where he had complete control. He couldn't feel the entity now, he couldn't take hold of it, to put it back in its chains. He could no longer hold back any of the rage and physical power that the thing he had been melded with contained. There was really no choice in the matter for him any longer and he gave up control, what little he had anyway, to this purely physical being. He made a dark pact then. Alright. Take over. Keep Alexi safe. But you're giving me back my body after this. [I know what to do] The thing grinned.
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Rising without aid of his legs, like a puppet would look as its owner picked it up to play with, Lindin's body jerked unnaturally at first and convulsed. To Alexi's horror, the world started to bend a little, and an unearthly cackle emanated from Lindin's mouth. With speed and strength dwarfing even Alexi's, he had discarded his sword and hurled himself into the air. His wings had become unfurled, claws had ruptured from his hands and feet, and his mouth had begun to disappear into his face, the scales that were previously hidden under his flesh rising to the front and becoming completely visible and tangible. Without much of a warning, this image had flashed away, unfollowable by the naked eye. The world warped a little again.

"NO! Lindin! NO!" She knew what he was going to do, or rather, the instinctive beast that had taken over was going to do. The thing had collapsed onto all fours before it had disappeared, any semblance of what had been human in Lindin gone. "LINDIN Take CONTROL!"
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Alexi.. The hysterical voice of his lover reached his ears even buried deep down in the darkness that was his body. Control...must....fight....it.... With his willpower, he summoned what mental magic he could despite the power of the spell and threw a cage at the retreating and laughing form before him. The thing fell into the cage, snapping at Lindin in hatred.
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Instead of crashing into Kyou, Lindin's now-horribly reptilian body reappeared and twisted in midair awkwardly, as if it had been going one direction and then violently hurled itself in another. It landed behind Alexi, glaring red hate at the Doctor but otherwise dealing little damage to the structure of the building. He had taken some control of this beast over at hearing his lover screaming at him to stop, but he didn't know how long this raging Rathien would stay behind the mental barrier he had so hastily thrown. The angel known as Alexi wrapped her arms around his neck in sadness and love, the barrier keeping the essence of her love for him had finally broken down.

"Kyou listen to me." Alexi stroked the side of Lindin's massive scaled head, crooning soothingly. "Whatever you did to Lindin just now, you need to undo it. Please. I beg you, he'll lose his humanity if he can't maintain control. This beast you see before you is a demon that he's been at war with inside himself. He's really very harmless. I swear. His telepathy is something we all have innately, he just doesn't know how to control image-leaks, which are themselves very harmless too. He'll tear the whole place apart if you let him continue on like this, or you'll end up killing him." She bowed her head in respect. "I can sense your power, I bow to it, it rivals my old mentor Kalec's power. But please, share in his compassion too. I will take whatever punishments you see fit." She had by now risen to come between the raptor-shaped reptile demon horror of Lindin, and the mysterious powerful being named Dr. Kyou, tears in her eyes but a defiance shone there of power beneath that she would use to defend her fallen lover, to the death if necessary.

Truthfully, Kyou had never expected Lindin's reaction to be THIS drastic! The spell he performed on him was just a simple mind barrier spell to prevent him from projecting his mind or thoughts out of his own head, in other words 'caging' his mind in. Little did he knew that there was another mind caged in Lindin's head.

When he saw Lindin fall to the floors, Alexi running over, and Lindin rising into the air in an abnormal way, he instinctively started to chant a defensive spell. Hugging his grocery bag tighter with one arm, he used his other to draw a small circle and a 6-point star in mid air, his eyes like before, shone a yellow as his hand drew on an invisible canvas. When he finished there was an invisible force field protecting him, and that was also when Lindin started to tranform into this hideous reptile creature. Eyes wide, Kyou backed away a little as the creature charged towards him. He knew the invisible shield he just conjured is enough to block Lindin off, he had used it numerous times in his expeditions when he met with even more ferocious creatures than Lindin. But he instinctively raised the grocery bag up a little in front of him, as if that could protect him too. Dr. Kyou is not as brave as people thought he should be, although he may look like half a demon, but he used to be a human after all. Closing his eyes, he waited for the impact, but there was none. Curious, he opened his eyes a little and peeked over the raised grocery bag to see that the creature was held back by Alexi.

Lazarus had sensed some magical force in the reception area, and it wasn't just Kyou's, there was someone else as well. He was always very sharp with these kind of things. Out of curiosity and somewhat attracted by it, Lazarus had emerged from the insides of the lab to see what was going on. What he saw wasn't something very pleasant, but somehow it terrifies and excited him at the same time. Kyou was in danger, but Lazarus just stood in place, just outside the sliding lab doors. Part of him wanted to charge forwards and protect Kyou, but at the same time, there was a mixed feeling of terror and adoration for the creature Kyou was facing. His mixed feelings was giving him a hard time to keep his mind clear, so instead he floated towards the terrified Chloe behind the reception desk instead, keeping a close eye to what was going on.

The anger Kyou had for Alexi right now had dispersed and the only emotions flooding through him was shock. He listened to Alexi's plea quietly, trying to calm himself down at the same time. He eyed the creature wearily as Alexi spoke. Surely he didn't expected this man's mind could be so complicated. "Okay." He finally spoke after considering Alexi's words a little. "I will remove the spell I casted on him, but he is not allowed to use any magic at all in this premise. I do not appreciate strangers using magical powers here without my permission." Then his eyes glow yellow again, holding the grocery bag with one hand like before, he held a hand to Lindin's reptilian head and chanted a dispel spell.