Sachihiro/Michael

‘’So how far along are you on your path to Awakening?’’ I asks Michael while also letting myself fall into the couch, lounging with a sigh before reaching for the tea cup on the table.

‘’Ahhh... I don’t know actually. I feel like I’ve been trying to play catch-up on my life since I got here through the blue water.’’ He says cagily, hiding behind his own cup sipping at his tea.

‘’It’s smart not to thrust anyone, keep your secrets to yourself and not give away your power and abilities. But how much do you like my daughter?’’

"’I like your daughter very much.’’ He says without flinching whilst keeping good eye contact.

‘’That’s good ‘cause she certainly likes you. Saya has never brought a man home and though I know her to be a vigorous Barbarian woman she has never shown an ounce of seriousness with any of the men and women I know to have been her lovers.’’

‘’If this is you worrying about me breaking her heart you have nothing to worry about, I love Saya and I appreciate her. I’m married from my previous life, and I know myself to be a loyal man in any relationship.’’ Michael says sternly, getting comfortable with the conversation. He has definitely been in a similar situation before, probably more than once with how experienced and well he seems to be doing Sachi notices.

‘’I don’t have much to worry about when it comes to hearts being broken cause we on Gaia have grown up to lose and fed on death. From what I understand of your people deaths are sad and meaningless things for you, with no honour of battle and those left behind mourn the lose of the deceased.’’ Sachi says getting comfortable in the soft pillowed lounge chair.

‘’I'm asking because if you are as serious with her as she is with you then you are sure to be part of this family and as part of this family you become my responsibility whether you want to be or not. Do you understand?’’ I ask, my voice having gotten lower but still clear even as the ambience in the room shifts slightly.

Michael remains silent, aware of a shift as though a cold breeze swept through the room but with his sensitivity to temperature telling him that everything is as it was. Michael was a soldier, a fighter, and athlete and as such he has always been ready to adopt, learn, and overcome any physical obstacles. If a race needs to be run training can be done, if a mission is in the books then rehearsals, a dry run, training has to be done.

But here on Gaia it has been one obstacle after another almost none stop, something new to learn after something else and its exhausting. Everything in this world is new to him and to be honest with himself sometimes he feel like he barely has his head above water just trying to keep up with input from his now six primary senses.

He’s had a lot of support at the compound and the time he spent up on Sinai with Jonah, Mirabalis and then was vital for my acclimatization to a lot of the basics. But to be honest sometimes seeing a snake swim through the sky like an eel in water or watch a kid take a sword to the gut and come home the same day ready to play warrior again just throws him off a little sometimes. But isn’t about to reveal any of that to this guy though.

‘’Don’t worry about having to hold my hand, I’m sure I can take care of myself just fine and will eventually be able to take care of Saya as well.’’ I say not batting an eye, I’ve dealt with fathers before. I know the drill, or at least I knew the drill at home.

Sachi stands fluidly and quickly in a single smooth motion that shouldn’t be possible with his core as the centre of gravity balancing his large bulk. He probably weighs at least 210 pounds I guess just by gauging the size of him and his very well defined muscular structure. He moves slowly in full visibility to where I’m sitting, coming up to the couch and sitting on the armrest.

‘’You know I once met one of your people, an earthling as fresh from the transition pools as a just birthed fawn. She was naked, confused and extremely suspicious of everyone and everything around her. I gave her clothes and we travelled together for months, I learnt many things about your world from her but of course from her perspective it’s hundreds of years before you were born that she died.

‘’She had some strange ideas, like for instance you only pay attention the five senses touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight on your world. That most of you are blind and dumb to everything else including aura though you seem to have it in abundance.

‘’She learnt many things from me in those months I had previously taken for granted as part of life to be found on any planet. No magic, no drive, constant hunger, very fragile bodies, illness, disease, primitive technologies as you forget the old ways and fumble towards new.’’ He shrugs then sips his tea again.

‘’What happened to the woman you found, the earthling.’’ I ask I try to picture all he is saying.

‘’Her name is Shravanthi, I married her.’’ He says with a shrug.

*

We talk for a while getting to know each other and both of us pleasantly surprised to realise we are getting along so well. People come and go as we talk, Max coming in for a while before going back out to train for his upcoming arena fight.

We talk about that to and Saya’s dad tells me not to worry so long as I fight with everything I have and fight to kill. I’m not sure how he means exactly but I will take his advice as literally as I can for now. Nikita comes and sits in his lap as he is back in his couch and actually ends up asleep for a while as we remain in the room talking and amicably silent.

Saya checks up on us a few times, watching her interact with her dad is interesting to watch. It’s almost as though the two were the same age and for some reason it seems that Saya feels sure that she could take her dad in a fight, I’m not so sure though. If I were him id probably try to make sure I stay at least stronger than all my children and I think Sachi and I are like minded about a lot of things.

More of the kids and the wives and the cousins and the other people come and go throughout the day, drawn in by the light and warmth of his presence. There is just something about this Sachi guy, I’m not sure what exactly ‘cause it’s subtle but there is something endearing about him.

We end up talking power, strength, and fulfilment beyond just the physical. We debate gods, their existence which everyone on this world seems to take for granted as just a known fact. We talk religion and why even the major ones here are known as cults, a sort of ‘’bad word’’ back home.

Saya is sitting on my armrest as I tell the story of my awakening in a way and my process to reaching that point. The accident, my curiosity, seeking of spiritual truths and eventually ending up on Gaia reborn is a way, made better.

Most of the family ends up in the room with the kids sleeping all over the floor and people everywhere holding each other intimately, with love. I think I love this family already.