Welcome to Gaia! ::

A porcelain doll sat on the floor, eyes missing, and painted stitches delicate across her mouth. A girl walked in a kicked the doll. 'Horrid thing!' she screamed and set it on the highest shelf she could reach. The girl left the room, and it was dark. A force, an unknown force began to tilt the doll, as it toppled over sideway, almost falling off. The shiney silver hair flowed over the edge. A stale wind blew, and the doll fell. It hit the floor with a deafening shatter.

It was morning and Emily awoke suddenly in her bed staring up at the ceiling in a cold sweat.

"MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!"

'Welcome to the Belmont Institute, Ms. and Mrs. Steiner.' a nurse went on rambling about all the facilities to Emily's mother. It was quite annoying as she had no choice but to listen as she was wheeled in a wheelchair. She was to delicate to stand for too long, she could, it was just difficult. 'Oh, I've read all of your theory. I really believe that one theory was brilliant, the one that explained-...' she continued estatically. "...shutup..." she muttered. 'What was that, honey?' her mother asked, leaning down to her. "Nothing! Leave me alone!" she commanded. It wasn't that she hated her mom, it was just that her mom never cared about her, she only made it seem like she cared when in public. Emily's mother sighed, 'Will she be safe her?' 'Yes. We have levels of security for the corresponding types of force we need to keep our patients from hurting themselves and others. 'This is where Emily will be staying.' The room number read 3123. 'Is your hair naturally that color?' the nurse asked. She wanted to answer yes, but her mother beat her to the answer. 'No, kids now-a-days, always want some way to be different. It shows induviduality. I studied that for 4 years in the Institute of Individual Development.' she bragged. The nurse was dumbly amazed. 'What are these other levels you mentioned?' 'Oh, let me show you!' Emily was wheeled inside an elevator and her arms tightened their gripped on the arms of the wheelchair as it went down.

Chloe awoken in her bed gasping for air. "How did I get her? Was that all a dream?" a hundred thoughts raced through her brain. A sound caught her ear, a ding from down the hall. That must mean... She swung her body to look at the clock, it was morning already. Time for the real doctors to come in and work. And that ding meant that someone was coming off the elevator. Chloe peered through the barred window to watch a girl in a wheelchair be wheeled by with a nurse busily chatting with a taller lady. The girl had long silver hair which caught her eye and fascinated her. But also, something about it was so familiar.

Emily was being wheeled down the hallway as she saw faces in the windows. But one stopped her attention suddenly. "...stop..." she commanded but was ignored for her lack of strong voice. "STOP!" she screamed and the wheels came to an abrupt hault. 'What is it, honey? Is something wrong? Do you see something?' her mother asked in a false panic. Emily stared at Chloe. "Teddy? Is that you?" she called out.

"Teddy? I'm not Teddy, I'm Chloe. Who are you?"

Those words, Who are you? stuck to her mind and hurt her gravely. "Who am I? Teddy, I'm you're best friend. I'm Rem!" she answered.

A bit freaked out, she drew back. "That's right, she's a mental patient like me. She probably thinks I'm some girl she knew. Just smile and wave." she figured, smiled, and waved stupidly.

"Wait!" she called out. Her mother frowned and took hold of the handles and began moving Emily down the hall.

Chloe drew back into the darkness of her room.

"TEDDY! WAIT! STOP MOVING! STOP IT!" in her panic, she frantically attempted to stand out of the wheelchair but failed and fell out. 'Emily! Oh, you'll have to forgive her, it's a long story.' "I'm fine. Just get me out of here." she sobbed, realizing Chloe wouldn't come back to the window. They helped her back into the chair and wheeled her back to the elevator and away they went back to Level 3.

The half light of early morning never helped her come to her scenses for the trudge to school. It was always the same. Walk 2 blocks, get barked at by Pipi the guard poodle, turn and drag her arse up suicide hill, die at the top before making the home stretch to the front lobby doors. Nothing really ever changed: but today seemed off for some reason. Tamwyn [pronounced Tamwin] just couldn't place the odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

There seemed nothing out of the ordinary as the school came into view. She made her way to homeroom and still nothing. The calm little gold fish swam lazily in their tank, ah the wonders of biology, all of the "species of PA" posters were still in their places on the wall, though some needed retaping. She took her seat in the far row but still could not relax.

Then as all the questions of, "What's wrong with me?" and "What the heck is going on?" running through her head were about to drive her to insanity the tension finally broke as He came through the doorway. His hair the vibrant color of gold with the ends colored a shade of red that could only be descirbed as fresh blood, his face had angles where she had never imagined a human could have such a shape but on him it was wonderous. His skin was so fair he looked almost literally white. He walked into the room, past all the other rows to come up on her right to slouch into the chair directly next to her. Tamwyn sat there almost entranced with this newcomer. He was the exact opposite of her dark hair, almost black with glints of blue and purple highlights and her dark complection.

At that moment, as if he was feeling her eyes drilling into him, he turned with a none too pleased glance towards Tamwyn. His eyes matched the blood red color in his hair. They were entrancing. "Hey," he said with a nod to her.

That shook Tamywn from her trance. "Hi," she reponded with a higher voice than normal. She looked to her bookbag sitting on her desk quickly trying to hide the blush of embarassment from the octave change. When she looked back to him there was a miniscule grin on his face. He knew the effect he had on her and her was going to use it for his own amusment. He reached out to her in a greeting hand shake, "Name's Kisho. And yours is?"

Tamwyn looked at him for a second before answering. "Tamwyn. Welcome to Boresville." She reached out to take his offered hand and as their fingers met the feeling of unfamilarity came rushing back to her and their surroundings seemed to stop. Kisho's eyes opened wide as his carefully constructed glamour fell around him.

Tamwyn stared into his changing eyes. They were still blood red around the edges but the center was a golden color that sparkled in the fluoresant lighting. At his back a pair of wings materialised out of thin air. They were a vibrant red and gold to match his hair and eyes.

Tamwyn's mouth opened in a small "o" of surprise and wonder as the last of his glamour fell the reveal a small tattoo of a tear drop with little decorative markings under it.

Of all the thoughts warring in Tamwyn's head at that moment only one seemed to take hold. "I don't think things are going to be boring around here any longer."