Welcome to Gaia! ::

The story thus far:

Story 1: Ai is a troubled young woman, who carries with her a sketch pad at all times. She is exhausted after performing some sort of ritual, and collapses. Father Domenic takes her to the church, with Aveto following out of sight. Ai is troubled by her past, but she does not divulge any information to Father Domenic. Brother Cameron is hovering about outside, making his rounds. CAmeron seems to sense Aveto, but does not find him. Aveto scans Ai when she is not aware, then flys off into the night.

Meanwhile, Yoshi and Cameron meet and exchange pleasantries, as the reporter wants to write up a segment about the church for the paper. Cameron shows her around briefly, but then retires to a secluded area for mediation. River shows up, drawn to the whispers of the church and the serenity she seems to crave. She spies Cameron and approaches.

Their meeting is rather--intense. Both seem to be different sides of the same coin, and after a rather dramatic RP, River flees with a wound upon her shoulder.

Hit and runs: Monstrum pops by for a post, then is never heard from again.

Story 2: Cameron and Natsuki (yoshi mage) converse about the encounter between He and River, and then offers Natsuki a room for retire for the evening. After securing Natsuki in her room, Cameron pursues River on his own. The next morning, Domenic and Natsuki are wondering where Cameron ran off too. NAtsuki tells him a rather biased side of the story of what happened between the moon witch (River) and Cameron. Both decide to find Cameron before he can be "injured" by River.

Hit and Runs: chainwalker pops by, then leaves, Sister Sarai observes Domenic and Natsuki leave, but declines involvement.

Story 3: Father Domenic and Natsuki bring an injured Cameron back to the church. His hand is broken and he seems as if in shock. Many things are assumed about River when in actuality--Cameron was attacked by somthing else---something more sinister. (see River's moon for details!) Natsuki is asked to join the order by Domenic, but she has reservations about doing so. After several posts about the orders past and various tests of virtue--the player Yoshi takes a break, leaving that issue unresolved.

Story 4: kaelin makes her entrance as a troubled young girl, suffering guilt from a tragic past. She meets Cameron upon entering, (poor thing) and begins to confess her sins to the young priest. Cameron's wound in becoming infected, but he keeps it hidden. As they talk, some intersting things are revealed. Apparently 16 year old Kaelin murdered her priest after the man became irrational to the orphans he was protecting. Whether this was brought on by supernatual means or simply dementia--Kaelin left him to die (after bashing his head a few times of course.) Cameron is oddly indifferent, (and sidetracked by visions of River dancing through his head) yet, suggests Kaelin be cleansed by fire--which consists of a hot pool of water, like a baptismal. Cameron waits near while Kaelin thinks of her sin, dispelling the memories like the steam from the bath. While she does this, cameron thinks upon his own sin, and has some inappropiate thoughts concerning Ms. River. (ahem!) Some intense retrospection with Kaelin takes place, before she finally seems to purge the guilt from her body and spirit. Cameron takes her back to her room to recuperate.

Story 5: Sister Sarai and Kaelin become aquainted, after Sarai reads a disturbing letter from Cameron. Sofia the 3rd meets Father Domenic and the artifical lifeform declares she is being pursued. ( yes shes a robot...but a interesting one!) She refused a order to kill a man, and that is why she ran. Sofia is also injured and requires parts to fix herself. Meanwhile, Sarai and Kaelin bond and talk of Cameron. It is revealed that he should have never used the "pit" (cleansing fire, bath...thing) upon Kaelin, since that method was abandoned by the church long ago. Kaelin also reveals that she is looking for a boy called Colon (who, just so happens to be sweet on Rose...and is dying--see Manor gardens for their first meeting and gift info.) Sarai leaves to take Kaelin to the tavern, and Domenic and Sofia leave for the junkyard to collect spare parts.

Story 6: River and Cameron meet again, but this time River is there to heal him. She finds him alone in his room, the injury decaying his flesh and speading. Even though she is fatigued and her magic stores are depleted--she attempts to "heal" him anyway, since she performed the same ritual upon a white wolf some time ago. It succeeds, but as a result, they are now bonded for the rest of their lives. Both are exhusted from the ordeal and are recovering.

Meanwhile, Sarai and Kaelin return from a rather eventful tavern meeting, and have met a young girl named Emlyn--who is a rather shy little thing that has wandered inside the church. She hesitently begins to talk to the two women, detailing that she is "sensitive to people". Domenic and Sofia have returned as well. Both chat about what makes a woman a woman-- even if she is a robot. Then Domenic leaves (persumably to check on Cameron) and Sofia begins making repairs to herself....

Related threads:

Crosshaven Tavern
Rivers Moon
Junkyard
Perspectives
Daedelus Robotics, Inc.
Manor Gardens



Ai Myano sat hidden in a corner in the dark. Her ash-blonde hair obscurred the depressed green eyes that stared at a tattered sketching. Three oblivious smiles and three pairs of blank eyes on three still figures were drawn upon it. A sketch that hid all the troubles that would destroy a family forever...
"I've got to leave tonight," she thought scrubbing vigorously at a magic circle etched in blood. "If I don't, there will only be more pain." She pushed herself away from the corner, "Crosshaven sounds like a good place to head, a new town just starting to build itself up...I'll be safe there, at least for a little while..."

It had, otherwise, been an uneventful day.

The moment he saw the girl, drenched and freezing, he thanked God for leading him down the long way home tonight. Without that, he never would have crossed paths with her. He knelt down and draped his robe, which was warm from his back, over her and tried to stir her into consciousness.

"We're still alive, there, aren't we little miss?"

-nobody notices Aveto on the roof of one of the houses wich the alley is composed of, he has a special glow in his eyes today-
*Aveto smirks and continues staring at this scene*

"I am Father Domenic. I am a priest. My child, you look terrible tonight." He gasps a little when she falls back down, and kneels down beside her. He brushes the matting of hair out from her eyes, and points off in the distance. "Do you see that church, bright and calm on the hill? She will give you a place to rest yourself for the night. And inside there is food to eat, water to drink, and a clean frock to wear. Come, dear child. Let me aid you. You are suffering."

His voice is so soft and calm, and he is doing everything he can to gain her trust, though he knows that won't be an easy task. He is slipping his arms under her body, and is about to employ all his worldly strength to lift and carry her.

"I can't do that, little miss. You need me."

He hoists her up into his arms and carries her slowly up the path towards the church. He hopes she isn't able to hurt him, because he's not strong enough to keep her restrained. He yells ahead to Sister Sarai to prepare a bed for her.

"Hush, little one, all will be well by morning. I'm taking you to the house of God, where all are welcome, and no ills can touch you."

"Yes, little miss, a place of no shadows. A place of light... that's where we're going." It takes him a while to carry her up the path, but he's afraid that with her feet on the ground she'll have an urge to run. Run from compassion as well as she would run from danger.

He gets her up the front stairs, and she hears the soft and miraculous sound of the organ, playing a sweet song that is meant to cleanse. She sees the ceiling, the old architecture covered in paintings of morals receiving gifts from the divine. He lays her out on a cushioned bench by the altar.

"I'm going to see if your room has been prepared. Then I'm going to get you some food.... it won't be much, we sustain ourselves with little, here. But if you're in luck, Sister Sarai has cooked her potato, tomato, and cheese soup tonight.

Just sit tight."

Ai was in wonder on the small bench. The beauty of this church caused her to think...why would someone bring her to a place like this? She knew why, he didn't know the secrets she hid from the world. The few who had learned chased her away and tore her family apart...even if it was her mother's idea to destroy her in the first place.

Ai could feel the warmth of this place, something that reminded her of home...peaceful, happy, loving, and unattainable. She knew that she would decide to leave...stray away from this place as soon as she gave her thanks for the night's stay.

Ai gentle stared into her palm...a strange circle was sliced into it, "This scar will never allow me to be one of them," she muttered silently to herself, thinking no one could hear her...

He comes back, and tries to rouse her off the bench, giving his arm to lean on. She smells something delightful from the other room. "My dear, your room is ready, and there is soup and bread, and a place to wash... come with me." As he goes to help her up, he glances briefly at the scar on the palm of her hand.