Welcome to Gaia! ::

Zoe grinned, bending her knees in what was supposed to be a half curtsey, but completely ruined due to the fact that she was in a pair of shorts and well...boney knees just don't make for good looking curtseys.

“Oh wow sure then.” She was beaming as she looked over at Red. See? An official TOUR. That made things completely… official. They were going to be a team and once they met this Ashie it was like being married. Except better. Because she was in charge. She was the technician!

Jared nodded, pointedly ignoring the shiny eyes given off by his technician as he started for the door. Wait outside, was it? That was something he could do. Reaching out to propel Zoe towards the door, he said his thanks (and hers) before shutting the door behind them.

“You don’t have to be so embarrassing.” He started.

She was already distracted by her toes. This was so proper and official she had been half tempted to wear something nice. Like a suit. But then that wasn’t _her_. So she had settled for a proper red shirt (nicked from Jared’s possessions) and longer black shorts. And the cutest little shinigami skulls on her toes.

They were so cool.

“Koh?”

“Huh?” she looked up with a frown, shaking her head. “Sure, sure. What?” her response was instinctive, placating as she grinned. “Come on, we’ll meet this new woman soon. Don’t do anything embarrassing, alright?”

Jared counted to ten inside his head before giving a nod. Him? Sure.

Zoe's expression was thriumphant. This staff member liked her toes! Giving them an appreciative little wiggle, she squealed. "I know right? He thought it was rude but they don't get cuter than this! I should totally do them for you too! It's easier anyways doing someone else's toes anyways."

See? See?

Jared's expression was slightly pained as he wondered if the entire orientation was going to be like this. Not that he minded. She was really cute! Not what he thought someone who had rank would be like. Smiling shyly, he shook his head.

"Actually I'm Red." he said, tugging at Koh's shirt. "This is mine but she stole it." as usual. And when he had told her to wear something else, she had threatened to go to the big man in only her bra. Stubborn brat. "She's Koh."

Zoe grinned. "My mom's surname was Koh. She slipped it into my middle name because she didn't want her own name to be lost? All my siblings have the same middle name. It's quite weird. But I'm the only one they actually call Koh. Maybe I look like one?" Whatever a Koh was supposed to look like. She bet they were all pretty and cute.

Ashley, was it? She was a comrade! Zoe beamed. "Yeah? Really? Awesome!" she reached out and tugged at Red's arm. "Missions, see? We're official. We're partners." HUSBAND AND WIFE! Except Zoe was the husband. She wanted to be.

Red ignored that comment again. "Thank you very much for showing us around." he started. At least one of them should be polite, right?

Zoe beamed, nodding her head rapidly as she followed the woman down the corridors. "Sure know the classrooms." she chirped, peering in dutifully. This was awesme, and now they'd finally be able to go into reas that had before been so mysterious! "I think A's count." she added, serious. Ashley and Axie? That was cute. Maybe she'd come up with matching names for her and Red as well. "I was the one who started calling him Red, you know." she motioned to the boy who was sticking a bit too close to the edge of the hallways, as if trying to keep his distance with his technician. "It fit."

Red almost blushed. "She did it because I like the color." he added. "Didn't think others would call me that though. Jared's not too difficult to pronounce is it Ashie?" he ducked his head. Right?

At the prospect of seeing the dorms Zoe nodded. "Yep. I'm considering getting my own place with Red. You should totally come and visit when we do! We can have a house party and everything." she stopped, and had the grace to look sheepish. "Do you want to live with me, Red?"

Red blushed. This was not what he had expected to go through with his technician. And as for first impressions... it wasn't exactly the best to make now, was it? He shrugged then, avoiding both gazes as he looked down the new area. Missions? This was interesting.

At the name of the duo, Zoe let out a sharp squeal. "Ya-huh I know them." her eyes were shiny. "Most likely to seduce a tree?" she wasn't an avid gossiper but did enjoy reading the newsletter whenever it had a chance to come out. She giggled. That was her favorite line ever!

Jared in the meanwhile tried to steer the conversation back on track. "This is nice." he said, motioning. "So this is where we'll be coming then, in the future?"

Koh grinned. Really? That was awesome! So even scary people havetheir weaknesses too, then. She giggled at the thought of someone who looked like Ashie, but stern. That was just strange.

At Ashie's question Jared blushed. This was too much attention, and it made him look bad! "I don't mind, really." he started, looking at the ground. It hadn't been the best of nicknams. So unoriginal! But jaRED made sense as well. He looked back up at her with shy eyes. "Whatever you like." wait. That sounded awkward. Really awkward. What was he supposed to do now?

"You mean there's actually a reason behind the title? I thought it was just a joke!" Zoe's eyes were round at the thought that someone would actually have to _do_ something to be accused of seducing a tree. Wait. Had he done something nasty to the tree, or was the tree a nickname for someone? This was juicy! "I bet I can figure it out." she said with narrow eyes. Yes. She'd find out and then it'll be her little secret. Just her and Lucien. Bwhahaha.

Jared eyed the new door. "Are we going to go see?" he didn't know how he felt about that. He bet no one would be as nice as this woman, and then what was he going to do if he said something stupid again? It wasn't his fault. It was all Zoe's fault for making the first impression a ridiculous one to begin with!

Zoe looked around, and her eyes brightened. "So like, we'll come here and get missions? And be so awesome cool?" Dude, she was going to WIN! Er. Whatever contest thee was.

Jared's eyes met Zoe's, and for the first time they shared the same thought. This was it!

Jared? Not many people called him Jared any more, so he supposed that made her special? Wow. Awkward thought when she was showing them around. Feeling his face darken a little bit more, he nodded his head. Okay. Sure. Sounded real good to him.

Koh giggled at the thought. Oh my goodness it WAS true! She was going to find out and then become founder of the Lucien fanclub with this naughty little seret then. She watched Ashie with a look of curiosity. She would have liked to meet the woman, with no thought to her own life at the possibility of an angry Axie.

Jared looked at the list with missions with a gleam in his eyes. Their first mission! He scanned the words. "So we can do this almost immediatly, then?" he asked, looking back at Ashie. They were only rank 1, but he didn't want to remain in that position for too long. No. He wanted to be big and strong so that he could prove himself to other people. Specifically young and defenseless looking women.

No one in particular, of course. Right.

"No questions." Zoe chirped, looking at the wall with simple interest: ubt finding the pull of the rest of the tour more compelling. "So who decides who goes with us in the first few missions? Is it just luck, or do different staff members have different specialities that are needed?" she wondered who they'd go with. Oh my god. They'd need to meet up and pair up with their clothing too!

How exciting.

The floor should just eat him up. Right now. It didn't help that at her words that his face darkened even more. Maybe there was even a pin p***k of color from her finger? That would do it. Shinigami-sama should have told him that this was what a little death would feel like. He was sure that was the only explanation. He was dying a little bit inside.

Zoe looked up curiously. "Because he likes the color red." completely dense to social situations, she frowned. "Are you embarrassed, Red? Are you embarrassed? About what? Why are you red?"

Brat. Jared thought in his head. Little brat. Didn't she know that he was making it worse? Ducking his head at the compliment that they were both smart (and deciding that it was entirely aimed in his direction only) he shook his head. No. He'd lost his appetite after being mortified like this. He wasa man, not some blubbering boy! Except he wasn't exactly proving the issue, seems like.

"Thank you!" Zoe sang, picking the little card/map out of Ashie's hands before Jared had a chance to reach for the souvenir. Perfect! "I don't have any questions, I think. But if I do I'll come look for you? We can do our nais together!" Zoe's eyes brightened. "When we settle down you can come over for a sleep over and I'll do them for you!"

Sleep? Over? This was killing him.

HE WAS HUGGING HER! "I'm not embarrassed." he managed to get out of his system before deciding that if getting embarrassed got him hugs, then hell he was going be in that state every time he met her! This was nice. And she said they were friends!

Zoe laughed as she watched, wondering why Jared's face was still blooming scarlet when the nice woman was hugging him. And was it just her imagination, or were his hands hugging her back? Probably her imagination, really.

"Of course!" she squeaked, bringing out her slim black phone. She eyed the shinigami keychain with lust. First thing first: she'd bribe Ashie with pedicures for one of those keychains... "Here, give me your number and I'll send you a missed call?" she smirked.

Funny. She had a feeling Jared would probably enjoy the sleepovers too.