Gaela Houlton/History

The full history of Gaela Houlton, one of the main protagonists of the comic Cinder Isle, as well as a major character in the animation series Awakening.
== Early Life ==
Born around 1978 as Gavin due to inheriting the gender curse from his biological mother, he was the only child of her and his father Wade. At some point in his youth his mother walked out on both of them and left Gavin alone with Wade saddened by his mother's sudden disappearance and the fighting that had led up to it. After a while however Wade remarried to a woman named Clairissa who herself had a son named Chase a little older than Gavin. Throughout his childhood Gavin had formed a close friendship with Shane Gardiner and Zack Houlton, two other boys who shared similar interests to him. The trio maintained their friend group throughout their years in middle and high school. 
== Main Universe ==
=== Cinder Isle ===
On September 30, 1996, Gavin, Shane, and Zack go into the Underwood Forest on their way to school, when they notice a red lake and a sleeping moose beside it. Zack tries to get close to the moose, which prompts the moose to sneeze on him. Unbeknownst to them that the moose and the lake are infected with the T1-G1 Virus, they went to school, with Zack carrying the virus unknowingly. Gavin is seen stammering and being shy and awkward whenever he talks to girls around his age. Bruce and Frank approaches them and takes Gavin's homework, when Zack sneezes on Bruce, infecting him unknowingly.
Gavin then notices Zack's body gradually transforming while coughing continuously, and after seeing Zack's face change into a woman's face, Gavin rushes Zack to the nurse's office. While Zack is being checked by Nurse Belfast, Bruce also walks into the office, coughing while also having his body transform. Seeing Zack, Bruce, and then the the principal coughing, Nurse Belfast makes Gavin wear a mask, and she orders an evacuation of the school, while she orders Gavin to go home. Gavin then rushes to Shane and Chase, telling about the crazy events that just happened. Gavin and Shane wants to go to the hospital to check up on Zack, but the guards there do not allow them, which forces them to go home.
The next day, Gavin and Shane watch a movie. The person selling popcorn sneezes on it, not knowing that he got the virus from another moviegoer. Shane refuse the popcorn and takes chocolate bars instead. While watching the movie, the infected person starts spreading the virus to everyone else in the theater, prompting Gavin and Shane to leave immediately while covering their noses and mouths. They were greeted by policemen and paramedics outside the theater, including Shane's father Dutch. Gavin and Shane are the only uninfected people in the theater.
The following day, Gavin tries to convince his family about the virus changing people into women, but refuses to believe him. While watching the news, the Scarborough family hears the cover-up story of the government about the island, while Gavin's father Wade starts transforming after unknowingly had been infected prior. Gavin throws out the donuts that Wade brought home, and Wade transforms into Wanda.
About a week later, Zack is finally released from the hospital, and Gavin and Shane go to the Houlton household. There, they see the new Zack, now going by the name Zoey. This has shocked both of them, and Gavin starts stuttering while talking to Zoey. A scene involving Zoey's pet lizard caused Gavin to change his shirt, and Zoey feels surprised when she starts checking him out. They play games before going home. Gavin takes the road, while Shane takes the shortcut to the forest, which lead him to a very strange encounter with ghosts.
The following day, Wanda returns to working on the diner, where Gavin, Chase, and Daphne are also working. Gavin serves some customers, while Wanda adjusts to her new body and flirting with Dutch, who arrived to eat there. Shane then rushes in the diner, freaking out about the ghosts he saw yesterday. No one believes him at first, including Gavin. While Shane tries to convince them, a customer supposed to be served by Gavin gets served by Daphne instead. The customer gets a paper cut from the menu, and Daphne cleans it before finding out that they're infected. This causes Daphne to get infected as well, while Gavin has avoided the infection.
School resumes a few days later. Gavin, Zoey, and Shane are surprised by the sudden amount of newly transformed girls at the school. After Principal Harpswell, who is also transformed, gives a speech, some students rush to Zoey, blaming her for the infection. Shane tries to fight the bullies, while Gavin rushes to a crying Zoey at a classroom. Gavin, and later an injured Shane, cheers Zoey up.
Few days later, the trio are playing bowling. While Zoey is normally good at bowling, her new body proves difficult to adjust to when trying to throw a ball. Zoey blames it on her long hair and wants to cut it off, but Gavin thinks that her hair is beautiful and suggests a ponytail instead. Gavin and Zoey unconsciously flirts while Gavin ties Zoey's hair up. After Zoey finally scores, they talk about their Halloween costumes, and convince Zoey to participate despite being turned into a girl. Moments later, Frank and a transformed Bruce show up. Bruce, now going by Bridget, blames Zoey for spreading the virus, and reveals that she was the one who spread the rumors about her being the source. The two left, but not before giving them a warning for what to expect at school.
On Halloween day 1996, the trio wear costumes based on a popular sci-fi series. After Shane arrives at Gavin's house, they witness Wanda and her wife Clarissa arguing about Chase. They start trick-or-treating after Zoey arrived, when a ghost suddenly shows up and changes the trio's outfits based on a fairy tale story, including giving Zoey a huge ball gown and high heels. Afterwards, Gavin assists Zoey in walking, when they meet Zoey's sister Heather. Zoey persuades Heather to teach her how to walk in heels, while Heather teases her in the process. Heather also reveals that she's going to a Halloween party for upperclassmen, where another ghost attack happens and most people in it get infected except for Heather and Chase. Gavin accompanies Zoey home, where Zoey's father Randy gets shocked at seeing her in the dress, and insists on taking pictures. When Zoey is about to remove her gown, Randy informs them that Chase was arrested because he was the one suspected of causing the infection in the party, due to lack of evidence about the ghost attack. As Chase, Daphne, Zoey, and Gavin all claim that it was the ghosts that caused the virus spread, Dutch and his partner Peter decide to investigate the case. An investigation on the red lake the next day confirms that the ghost stories are real, and Chase is then released after.
Few days later, Gavin and Zoey attend a special sex-ed class, where their teacher Mr. Machias, already transformed into a woman as well, shares her experience with her wife that made her become transformed. She points out that aside from blood contact, sexual fluids also can be a source of the virus. In addition, infected women experience an increase in libido that makes them crave for sex. Safe sex is then discussed in class, demonstrated by wrapping a banana with a condom. Gavin, being a bit naive about terms used in sex, asks Zoey what "oral" is, in which Zoey responds by trying to swallow the banana, surprising Gavin and making him more flustered.
Some time later, Gavin, Shane, and Zoey join a transfer student sitting alone at the cafeteria. The new student introduces himself as Nathan Pembroke, and was forced to enroll there after he and his father got caught sneaking into the island to find the truth about Cinder Isle. Nathan then shares that the outside world believes that all residents of Cinder Isle are confirmed to be dead, which shocks the three of them, especially Shane since his mother is outside the island when the virus epidemic happened. The three then invited Nathan to be their friend.
During Thanksgiving dinner, Wanda and Clarissa have been arguing again, which makes Gavin leave. Chase tries to talk to Gavin, where Gavin tells him that Wanda and his biological mother were also constantly arguing before they got divorced, and he fears that the same might happen to Wanda and Clarissa now. Chase tries to cheer Gavin up, while Wanda leaves the house to meet up with Dutch.
A month later, the four, including Nathan, go swimming at the local pool. Gavin enters the men's shower room, and Zoey also unknowingly enters the men's room as well. While Zoey undresses herself, she sees Gavin after taking a bath, and they see each other naked. They immediately hide their bodies to each other, and while Zoey tries to apologize, Gavin starts stuttering even harder than usual. Seeing Gavin naked also makes Zoey daydream about him even more so than before, and some of her vaginal fluids cause to leak into the pool as a result. After Shane and Nathan got dressed, they play a game of chicken in the pool, with Shane carrying Gavin, and Nathan carrying Zoey. Zoey's fluids cause Nathan to be infected, which prompted Gavin and Shane to leave the pool immediately. Nathan then fully transforms into Natalie.
Zoey, Gavin, and Shane's families, including Natalie, go on a vacation at a ski resort. Gavin still stutters heavily around Zoey a month after the events at the pool shower room. To help Gavin talk to her naturally again, Zoey decides to try boosting Gavin's confidence by learning how to apply makeup and dressing more femininely. Zoey reluctantly offers to kiss Gavin, and after some hesitation, they both kiss and make out at the couch for 45 minutes straight. Zoey notices that Gavin doesn't stutter around her anymore, and Gavin thanks Zoey for it.
After another ghost incident involving Shane and Natalie happens three months later, Natalie then thinks that the red virus and the ghost sightings may be connected somehow. While drawing a map regarding the locations where the ghosts appear, Gavin notices that they're all found around the Underwood Forest. The next day, the four of them, including Zoey, decide to go to the forest to gather evidence, while Natalie notices Gavin's stutter vanished, along with Zoey's flustered reaction. At the forest where the red lake is located, a fortress is erected around it, seemingly guarding something inside of it. Not long after, they are caught and arrested by armed soldiers, but are freed afterwards after Dutch comes to their aid. Dutch then informs Gavin and Shane about the crazy things that happened in the island involving the military, including shooting a civilian, and about the monster lurking inside the walls. They all went to the hospital after learning that Chase has been infected and turned into a woman.
Three months later, Gavin is playing games at his home when Chase wants to play beside him. This shocks Gavin, as Chase is only wearing a shirt and panties, and sits awfully close to him. While playing, rubbing their bodies alongside each other, along with the vibration from the game controllers, causes them to become turned on. Gavin gets shocked and apologizes to Chase after getting an erection, in which Chase suggests to go shopping instead. At the boutique, Gavin and Chase see Zoey also shopping for clothes. While Chase shops for clothes, Gavin and Zoey catch up, noting about Gavin suddenly becoming taller and more muscular, and Zoey lets Gavin share his opinion about the clothes she picked, partly out of jealousy after seeing Chase flaunt off her ass. After trying out an outfit, Zoey then confesses that she has feelings for Gavin, in which Gavin also confesses his own feelings towards Zoey. The two of them officially become a couple.
Two days later, Zoey prepares for her first date with Gavin, and Gavin fetches her at her house. At the movie theater, Zoey decides to hop onto Gavin and offer to make out with him, since no one else is inside the place. Zoey also makes Gavin touch and massage her breasts, in which Gavin obliges. Later, Zoey notices Gavin's throbbing erection, and decides to give it a hand job, but Zoey then hops off Gavin after she notices that she's getting wet already. Not wanting to infect Gavin, Zoey then gives him a blow instead. Gavin then cums on Zoey's mouth, and Gavin then kisses Zoey afterwards. This confuses Zoey as Gavin would know where her mouth just was, but Gavin doesn't mind it that much. Gavin and Zoey then keep dating each other in secret in the following weeks.
After seeing Zoey off outside Shane's house, Gavin and Shane play kites outside. Shane then talks to Gavin about Wanda frequently visiting their house, which shocks Gavin, and suspects Wanda dating Dutch based on Shane's descriptions. Gavin's kite then gets stuck on a tree, which Shane tries to get by climbing a ladder, when Shane sees Dutch and Wanda having sex in the upstairs bedroom. This causes both Shane and Wanda to be surprised. Wanda tries to make Dutch pull off, but is unable to do so since he's at the peak of his orgasm, when the condom breaks and Dutch then gets infected. Dutch turns into a woman, and Shane tells Gavin what he saw upstairs. At the hospital, Shane sees his transformed father, while Clarissa also arrives to finalize the divorce between her and Wanda. Zoey arrives to see and comfort a very emotional Gavin. Due to the divorce, Wanda and Gavin are now living in Dutch and Shane's house.
Weeks later, Zoey visits the Gardiner household. Zoey sees Wanda in the house, showing some symptoms that Zoey deduces that comes from being pregnant. This revelation surprises Wanda, and rushes off to get a pregnancy test. After, Zoey and Gavin enter Shane's room, where they see Dutch, now going by Dyana, and Shane, now going by Sandra after an incident involving a rogue ghost and a barrel of infected lake water almost spilling to the ocean. Sandra then talks about the Harlequin ghost's plan for them to go to the source of the virus under the red lake in the forest, which Zoey refuses to join in.
At their return to school as seniors, Sandra and Natalie find out that Zoey and Gavin have been dating. While initially embarrassed, Gavin and Zoey become okay with revealing the fact after Sandra and Natalie also revealed that they have started dating as well. During a class, Zoey finally agrees to help with the ghost's plan. At the night of the operation, Gavin acts as the getaway driver, since he's the only one not yet infected by the virus, while Zoey, Natalie, and Sandra go under the lake with the help of the ghost's powers. Gavin then drops the "L"-word to Zoey before they proceed.
Gavin then meets the ghosts for the first time: the Harlequin, The Mistress, the Nurse, and The Bride, along with a tied up Queen. Just like she did with Zoey beforehand, the Bride then reads into Gavin's mind and see a deep, dark secret that even Zoey doesn't know. While Zoey becomes curious about it, she respects Gavin's decision to hide it for now. Everyone present then proceeds with the plan to go to the source, with Gavin, the Harlequin, and the Nurse left behind. Hours later, an anxious Gavin is relieved to see Zoey again. Zoey then shows what they found at the source: thousands of blue crystal shards that Gavin deduces that they're made of sapphire, and that they're all pieces of a statue. The Nurse volunteers to assemble the sapphire statue, with Gavin serving as her assistant. Gavin reluctantly agrees. Back at their house the next day, Gavin sorts the sapphire crystals, when Wanda and Dyana announce that they'll be having a baby, and that they're also getting married. Gavin and Sandra congratulate the both of them.
At the first anniversary of the virus, Gavin, Zoey, and Heather eat before going to the festival at the park. There, they see Sandra and Natalie about to be awarded their medals in the ceremony. Unbeknownst to all of them, Bridget and Frank contaminated the entire water supply of infected lake water. They set off the sprinklers of the park, infecting everyone present, including the mayor, Clarissa, Heather, and Frank himself after he and Bridget are busted by Dyana. Zoey cries after Gavin gets soaked in the water as well. Gavin reassures Zoey that he would still love her even if he gets turned into a girl, and has already picked a girl name: Gaela. However, Gavin is left unaffected despite some time has passed after being soaked in infected waters. This leads to Zoey and the rest to think that Gavin may be immune to the virus, which surprises Gavin, as the thought of being immune never crossed his mind. After the mayor also notices that Gavin shows no symptoms, he is rushed to the hospital for checking of his condition.
At the hospital, Elaine has requested to be Gavin's nurse, and the mayor and General Windham also stop by. General Windham reveals that everyone else in Cinder Isle is already infected by the virus, leaving Gavin as the only male person residing in the island. The general also reveals that Gavin has already been infected with the virus prior to today's outbreak, which makes Zoey believe that Gavin may have also been infected alongside her from the very first day of the virus. Gavin's growth spurt is also explained to be because of the virus, with his dick size suddenly becoming the focus of the discussion. Zoey realizes that Gavin is being checked out by everyone else in the room.
Back at school, rumors about Gavin's dick size spreads, and Zoey angrily keeps other women off of Gavin. While Gavin wants to be alone, Zoey points out to Sandra and Natalie that despite Gavin knowing that he's immune, he has refused any offer from Zoey to have sex. Few days later, after the ghosts leave from hanging out in Zoey's room, Zoey then shows off her nightie that she wants to show Gavin. Despite this, Gavin still refuses any advance that Zoey tries to make. Zoey then becomes frustrated at Gavin, in which Gavin then musters up the courage to go all the way and have sex with Zoey.
The next day, Gavin contemplates on telling his deep, dark secret to Zoey. Gavin first asks Zoey what she would do if a cure to the virus would be found, in which Zoey responds that she would take it to turn back into Zack. After hearing her response, Gavin tells Zoey what he's been keeping all this time: Gavin secretly wants to be a woman. This revelation shocks Zoey, as she never got that impression from him before. Gavin then expresses his innermost desires to Zoey, but explains that he also doesn't want to lose Zoey and also the fact that being the last man on the island has put great pressure on him. After Gavin breaks down, Zoey comforts Gavin and explains that she would still love Gavin even if he becomes a girl, and that Gavin doesn't have to be what people expect him to be. Zoey also starts calling Gavin by her desired identity: Gaela. Gaela then explains that if she were to become a girl, she would want Zoey's body the most. Zoey also feels the same way with Gavin's current muscular body. Gaela also deduces that the virus turned their body into whoever they are most attracted to, hence their growth spurts. The two of them share a kiss afterwards.
After their heartfelt talk, it was revealed that the Nurse has been in the room all this time, still trying to assemble the crystal puzzle, which shocks both Zoey and Gaela. After assembling what appears to be a fox head, the crystals suddenly speak. Zoey calls Sandra and Natalie, while the fox head introduces himself as Alistair Huntington. After Sandra and Natalie arrive, the four of them ask Alistair questions regarding the gender-transforming virus. Alistair then explains that the virus is a decomposed version of the gender curses that are residing on his island. Due to some explosion around August 1996, the decomposed curses leaked from the island to the red lake in the Underwood Forest. Once ingested by a human, its body would react violently and cause the curse to be airborne like a virus. The body would then be transformed into a woman and would carry the curse.
Alistair then offers to cure everyone of the virus once his statue form is fully assembled, but also wants to perform mass memory alter to rid everyone's memories from the past year. Zoey and the rest disagrees heavily on this suggestion, and Natalie suggests holding a poll instead in the upcoming local elections in a few weeks, since Natalie and Sandra already registered as poll watchers. A few days later though, Natalie said that the mayor refuses to add their question to the ballot, unless she gets to speak with "Gavin" privately. This puts Zoey on edge, but Gaela agrees to speak with her anyway. Natalie and Sandra also deduces that Gaela wanted to be a woman, which makes Gaela relieved. Gaela and Zoey also ask Natalie and Sandra about their plans if a cure would be found, and the two of them want to keep it secret for now. Gaela then rushes to the office, with Zoey reassuring Sandra and Natalie that Gaela will be immune to the mayor's charms.
At the mayor's office, the mayor, now calling herself Sadie, greets and subtly flirts with Gaela. Wanting to get on Gaela's good side, Sadie reveals some government secrets related to the virus, such as the fact that she's very well aware of the fact that the military has been shipping barrels of infected water, and that the awards ceremony is just for show. She also reveals that she's been drinking the infected water as an experiment, which causes breast and butt growth in her. Despite this, though, Gaela only pretends to flirt with the mayor so that she could ask about the ballot question. Sadie then proposes that she will add the question, as long as Gaela signs a bill that will make Gavin be the center of a bidding system to "spread his seed". Gavin heavily opposes the bill, but gets an idea that she can sign it and have the effective date be after the elections, so that she can still have time to finish assembling Alistair before the time comes. Gaela signs the bill, and Sadie approves of adding the question to the ballot.
On Halloween Day 1997, Zoey arrives at the Gardiner household to fetch Gaela, who is nervous at going to the party, as she will surely be targeted by everyone else in it. Alistair reveals himself, now almost complete, and proposes to cure both Gaela and Zoey of their curse and virus as a test of his powers returning to him. Alistair reveals that the reason Gaela is immune is because she already has the gender curse inside her. Alistair transforms Gavin first into Gaela, and gives her exactly the same figure as Zoey. Gaela and Zoey kiss as Alistair transforms Gaela's head and face. Gaela is now a fully-transformed woman, and thanks Alistair heavily for it. Alistair then transforms Zoey back into Zack, and gives him an even bigger body than Gavin once had. Gaela and Zack have now been cured of the gender curses, and Gaela is now more excited than ever. Alistair then performs mass memory alter in secret, which surprises Gaela as everyone else already recognizes her as a woman. En route to the party, Sandra and Natalie are shocked to see Zack back again, and are doubly shocked once Zack introduces the new and improved Gaela. Gaela thanks Natalie and Sandra for the support.
On election day, while Zack, Sandra, and Natalie are at the voting precincts, Gaela and the Nurse finish assembling Alistair. With the other ghosts already been sent to the afterlife, Alistair wants to deal with the monster in the lake first. At the forest, the Nurse distracts the soldiers, while Alistair cures all of them and puts them to sleep. He then teleports both Gaela and the soldiers off the island, when the monster known as the Abomination suddenly breaks the wall surrounding the lake and attacks Alistair and the Nurse. After they defeat it, Gaela is teleported back on the island, while Zack, Sandra, and Natalie arrive afterwards. They all then bid farewell to the Nurse as she goes to the afterlife, but not before telling that her name is Wyona.
After a kiss between Gaela and Zack, Sandra reveals that she wants to go back to being Shane, while Natalie wants to stay as a woman. Natalie reveals to Gaela that she enjoys some things as a woman, and that she loves Shane so much that she doesn't want to risk losing if she turns back into Nathan. While reading the results of the poll question, Alistair then transforms Sandra back into Shane, and gives Natalie a bracelet to transform back, should she change her mind. Gaela then deduces that she got her gender curse from her biological mother, who left Gaela and Wanda to pursue his transition to a man. Alistair then reveals the reason his island exploded and the curses leaked to Cinder Isle: he tried to kill himself after not being able to bear the responsibility of fixing the damage his ex-wife Sylvana did anymore. After hearing his story, Gaela and the others reassures Alistair that he will always be their friend, and that he's welcome to visit Cinder Isle anytime. Alistair accepts their offers and thanks all of them, and he then proceeds with curing the entire island.
The day after, Zack is back at his bed, where he sees his family and what they all have decided to be. Meanwhile, Gaela and Shane see Dutch transformed back to a man, and Wanda staying as a woman, and also visibly pregnant. Wanda then wants Gaela to try on wedding dresses in her place. Natalie arrives excitedly and says that her whole family relocated to Cinder Isle as well, and Zack also arrives to tell them that the roadblock at the bridge is gone, and that they can finally go outside Cinder Isle. Natalie and Shane go to school, while Gaela suggests to Zack that they should skip school this one time, which surprises Zack given how Gaela is often the studious one. Gaela and Zack then talk about their future together, with getting married and having kids, and Zack replies that they can do all of that when the time comes. They share a kiss together, and the comic ends with Gaela and Zack leaving Cinder Isle.
=== Awakening ===
Over twenty years after the events of Cinder Isle, Gaela and Zack are already married and now have two children, Ricky and Jackie, as well as a niece Sophia and nephew Henry after Shane and Natalie also got married and had kids. At some point, Alistair gave Gaela a book on sorcery to read for her own pleasure despite not being a sorcerer herself. One day while her kids were staying with their aunt, uncle, and cousins for a weekend, Gaela became reinfected with her old gender curse as a result of Sylvana Huntington's return and successful breach of Alistair's curse vault. Once reinfected she becomes one of the Enlightened, making her eyes turn red and cutting herself before attempting to attack Zack with the intent of infecting him with the curse as well. Zack, however, manages to lock her in their bedroom before she can hurt her. To his relief Alistair and his apprentice Isabelle arrive soon after, and are able to help re-cure Gaela just as she manages to break through the bedroom door and nearly attack the three of them.
Alistair removes Gaela's enhanced curse and brings her back to her senses. She is confused at first, but after realizing Alistair has turned himself human and something big is clearly going on, both she and Zack welcome him and the rest of his reformed Sapphire Legion into their home for a while so they can recover from the recent battle. Gaela and Zack do their best to make them comfortable and call Shane and Natalie to give them a heads up about what is going on. They are all understandably concerned after learning that thanks to Sylvana's efforts, a new and worse version of the T1-G1 virus has now begun to spread across the globe. Not only turning all infected into women again but also making them the mindless servants of Sylvana. As the Legion begins to settle in and rest for the night, Shane and Natalie arrive with the kids. While Gaela is happy to see them safe, she and Zack tell Ricky and Jackie that they need to stay a few more days with Shane and Natalie so the Legion can stay in their rooms while they recover. She then joins the rest of the Quad in a brief reunion with Alistair, concerned about the situation but happy to at last see him in flesh and blood.
== Beyond Universe ==
=== Cinder Isle: The Cure ===
In the non-canon Beyond comic Cinder Isle: The Cure, Gavin seems to be less nervous when talking to girls than his canon counterpart, as evidenced by his lack of stutter when talking to Zoey. However, Gavin also seems to not have a crush on Zoey, at least visibly, since during their vacation on the ski resort, when Zoey decides to wear more feminine clothing to impress and flirt with Gavin, Gavin doesn't seem to show any kind of interest on flirting back to her. His lack of reaction caused Zoey to be embarrassed and mad at him, which prompted Zoey to leave Gavin alone and hang out with Natalie instead.
Category:History