Welcome to Gaia! ::

Natsuki wished she had put a deadbolt on her door. With the arrival of spring and the end of day light savings, Sa'ida often tromped into her room bright and early every morning. Every. Single. Morning. It was expected though, how could a rainbow raevan not like the warmth of the sunshine. Another busy, non-stop day at Cafe Jubilee was expected, so Natsuki let her young charge off the hook from garden duty, to go frolic in the park (and hopefully exhaust the young Frei's indeterminate energy source).

It didn't dawn on the redheaded workaholic that her young charge was completely solar powered.

Sa'ida zipped down the familiar paths from the cafe leading to her ultimately favorite park on the planet. It was the best because it was where she met Tariel, another of her kind. Figuring there might be a possibility of finding another one of her kind, she bounced along the sidewalk happily, greeting everyone she saw with a sunny smile and a jangling wave.

The pink clouds of the cherry blossoms were long gone, but replaced with reddish leaves struggling to become green. Her eyes widened in saw at the difference of color. There was green everywhere, and not the pale spring greenery. Lush shades blanketed and draped everywhere! No two leaves were alike, but none of them as rich as her eyes. "Such a pretty park! This park is the BEST!" her melodic voice peaked, echoing gently in the otherwise quiet park.

Close by, she saw another one like her and Tari, but NOT like the two shiny, happy girls. He looked more like Sevilin but with hot, ruby red hair. A flash of red danced across her eyes, along with hues of orange and yellow. Sa'i could fathom the idea of autumn in spring, but he was so... pretty!

"Hellooooo~" she cooed, waving in excitement as she flitted over to the other Frei. Chestnut curls bounced happily behind her in their pony tail, and a translucent ribbon swished in anticipation. A new friend?!"My name is Sa'ida. Sigh-EE-Dah. Who are you?" her smile was charming and quite shameless. The rainbow raevan had a new target in her sights.

"Vah-uh-ROON... Vah-RRRRRROOON! VAH-rrrroooooon... Varun! Yep Yep Yep! Varun is a handsome, pretty sunset! " the rainbow raevan practiced, turning her emerald eyes to the bright, blue sky. She blushed a little when she realized her rolling "r" sound was not inside her head. Sa'i bounced merrily, trying to convince Vaun she was a fun girl. Despite the slight petal pink flush in her cheeks, she returned her gaze to the redhead before her. His hair was like pure fire-- red like the reddest fire truck in Gambino. She loved watching the sunsets from Natchi's roof, just as much as the sun rising in the morning.

That's right! I'm a rainbow, but bow of rain and sky color bow sound so much cooler!! Sa'ida nodded in agreement as she if she were a scientist analyzing some greater truth about the universe. She clapped her hands together as if she'd arrived at a great conclusion. However, the genie's momentum slowed momentarily, catching on that her new friend was not reveling in the moment as much as she was. Varun like colors? Colors like me?

Taking notice of Varun's distance and observation, she did what any little girl would-- she posed cutely, like a miniature model. Gold glittered in the sunshine as she twirled, letting her bevvy of colors shimmer in the sunlight. Sa'i loves sunshine. Natchi says I'm solar powered-- that means the sun gives me energy. Again, she flashed the autumn raevan a bright smile, hoping to show that she was far from dangerous.

Oh man, the rainbow raevan was in bliss. A new frien, albeit one much more reserved and quiet compared to her bouncy gal pal the arch angel or her sea fair boy pal. His speech was pretty, but the vagueness let tiny ripples of confusion undulate through Sa'ida's mind. "Does Varun like the flowers?" were you talking to them?

She hovered closer to the flowers momentarily, brushing the petals lightly. Purple and yellow pansies in near little rows, smiled 'good morning' with their little striped faces. Pink, yellow, red, and white roses climbed trellisses, and light purple wisteria hung from the gazeebos, spilling over in thick clumps. Orange tiger lilies and magenta & white star gazer lilies swayed in the breeze, trumpeting the arrival of spring. For a moment, her bright colors faded slightly and the flowers closest to her pulsated with color. Like turning the color knob on an old TV, the hues grew brighter and richer, but only for a short time. Slowly, as if untouched, the flowers returned to their natural colors, vibrant as ever.

Fever for spring time? Yeah, I think so, Sa'ida replied, tilting her head to the side thoughtfully, touching her fingers to her chin. The winter had been terribly miserable, so cold, and devoid of color. Unlike the rebirth of spring of the dying of autumn, winter was just so white. Not that white was bad, but the balance felt off to the rainbow djinniyeh. She liked Varun, his autumn colors smelled like cinnamon apples, brown sugar cookies, and maple syrup-- her favorite flavors in when the leaves change. It reminded her of the magnificent scents wafting from her guardian's kitchen. She didn't eat, but her nose certainly wasn't broken. Not wanting to scare him, Sa'i tucked that color analogy for later, when she'd see Varun again. "The weather is nice! It feels so good!"

Then inspiration hit her. Maybe a game or something could be fun! Sa'i loved having fun and she was certain that the Leviathan was in dire need of fun. "Have you seen the fountain in the middle of the park? The pool with dancing water?" Sa'ida swooped her arms around, trying to pantomime the workings of the fountain for her friend. The other kids played there all the time, but never any of the grown ups. The young Frei wanted to be like all the other kids.

Sa'ida gave Varun a sidewards glance at the use of the word stupid, pursing her lips slightly. She knew that word. It was one of Natchi's standard and limited vocabulary words used when driving on the highway, mainly used to describe other people, the way they drove, or how long red lights took. Sa'ida often talked to the flowers at the cafe, but she didn't act like those 'idiots' who made Natchi's driving experience feel like she was 'trapped in the march of the idiots.' She hoped that her new friend wasn't calling her stupid.

She watched in awe as the other frei's touch caused the flower to bloom, opening wide and wider. Then colorful petals began to fall. Watching the colors shower onto the grass made her a little sad, but the flower still looked healthy and green. "I'll show you. It's over there," Sa'ida replied, still in awe of Varun's touch. She wondered what would happen if he touched her. Would she change and have her petals fall off? Shyly, she extended a sun-kissed hand toward the other Frei, golden bangles clinking together and reflecting the sunlight.

"It's fun! We can play with water," she said feeling her heartbeat quicken a bit. Why was she nervous? He was a boy just like Sevilin was, but not as... open and friendly. The rainbow child didn't know how to react. Normally, she'd throw her arms around him and snuggle him into submission, but that certainly wasn't going to work.

Across the park, a large fountain over flowed with crystal clear (and clean) fresh water. Statues of angels, water bearers, mermaids, and fish not only accentuated the cascading levels of the fountain, but contributed with their own constant sprays. The fountain appeared to be on a timer, spraying the fountains in a patterned, scheduled manner. The water appeared to jump from place to place at times, while it simply arced and sprayed in others. A group of children were playing together in the fountain until their parents finally pulled them away.

"Isn't it, pretty?" Sa'ida asked after a long silence, imploring Varun with deep green eyes.

Sa'ida loved the comfort that came from contact with other people and raevans. Varun's quiet, gentle acceptance of her made her smile brightly. His fair hand in her own was nice, strong, and reassuring. Unlike Sevilin, the autumnal raevan was a stoic young man. Guarded, but well spoken in his unique speech. The genie started to realize that Varun liked to speak, but quite succinctly.

When he spoke again, calling the fountain theirs, the young Frei's mind reeled. It was like a gorgeous, watery castle in the cartoon videos she watched at home. More importantly, it was theirs to use as they saw fit. A rogue sigh slipped past her lips when Varun let go of her hand. She wouldn't force the issue though, progress was progress, so she'd take it. "I like the sound of that," she mused with an impish smile. She said it with an unintentional sultry tone,mainly because that's the way she heard Natchi use it on the phone when she talked to boys.

If the fresh air was intoxicating to her new friend, then the rainbow raevan was quickly getting drunk on sunshine. The fresh air filled her lungs. She joined him in splashing the water in the fountain. Cool water rippled as they played idly in the water. Normally, she'd be inclined to splash her friend, but she simply cupped the crystal clear water in her hands, letting it drip back into the pooling water from her fingers.

Briefly lost in thought, the young genie was jolted back when she heard a splash and found her playmate dripping wet. She didn't want to laugh, but he managed to do the job for her. He was wet, but seemingly enjoying himself. "Are you okay, Varun?" she asked, trying to stifle her melodic laughter.

Intentional or not, when her soaked friend elected to shake himself dry, the colorful Frei got her comeuppance for giggling at the water assault. Instead of holding her hands up to block Varun's runoff, she welcomed the water, holding her arms out as if to embrace each and every droplet. Droplets of water flew through the air, catching the sunlight, like tiny prisms. For a split second, she saw miniature rainbows in each and every one of them. Rainbows like her. The colors flashed before her as the water beads landed on her skin. "Yeah, it got you real good," she nodded, struggling desperately not to laugh after seeing the Leviathan's new 'makeunder'. Then he dashed into the center of the fountain.

She laughed and giggled, clapping happily. She cheered for the unlikely hero in the battle of David and Goliath. Or in this instance: Varun and the Dancing Water. He was fast, nimble, almost poetic in his fluid movement. He didn't flinch or scream like the other children. The boy of autumn, challenged the fountain, daring it to spray him. It was like a beautiful dance in a movie. When he returned to her, he was soaking wet, but unlike his wet dog shakedown of earlier, he looked majestic, victorious, like a young warrior returning from a battle. A wave of shyness washed over her when he extended a hand to her, asking her to accompany him 'in battle'.

"I will try, Great Varun. Mighty Conqueror of the Dancing Water," she said in a regal tone, fit for the daughter of a sultan. Sa'ida rose from her perch on the side of the pool, floating slowly to his side, surveying all the water around them. Placing her sun-kissed hand in his, she lightly gripped his fingertips, much like a lady would when stepping down from a carriage or being escorted onto the dance floor. Her purple sun rune shined bright, reflecting in the water like a purple dress with her technicolor ribbon swirling around happily. Reaching up, she removed the small cuff binding her ponytail at the ends, liberating her curls, so they could hang freely from her golden, coral hair piece.

It was as if Varun understood one of her secrets. Sometimes, when she was alone, she tried producing color on her own with very little success. She always required something colored, organic and natural with color. Varun's inadvertent challenge or request caught her off guard. Near their 'feet' a sassy fish statue spit a constant stream of water. The water was no thicker than a pencil in diameter, so she reached down and touched the bottom of the arc with her hands. "Here goes nothing," the young Frei said, taking a deep breath. She'd heard Natsuki use the phrase over and over, learning that it meant if she didn't try, she'd never know.

At first the water arched and sprayed her, but she as too focused to flinch. The fountains round sprayed her from other directions, but the rainbow genie didn't care. Sa'ida concentrated hard, drawing energy from her core, and the clear slowly changed. pale colors at first and the longer she held it the brighter the colors became! Pulling her hands away slowly, the tiny rainbow stayed! The miniature arc stood proudly, rippling in the sunshine. Compared to the massive fountain, it was a insignificant achievement to any passerby, but to the chestnut curly cues, a whole new world was opening before her. "Do you see that?! I-I-I did it! Do you like it, Varun?" Interestingly enough, though the mini-sky color bow stood proudly, the pool of water at their feet remained crystal clear.

When Varum moved closer to her, the young Frei's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, when Tari and Sevilin were close, it felt like family. However, Varun felt... different. Different good, but different. Sa'ida watched Varun as he examined her handiwork, subconsciously nibbling her lip nervously. Would it change back if he touched it? She had no idea. It didn't matter, there was plenty of more water to experiment and play with around them.

"You really think so, Varun? Do you really like it?" she said with wonderment, reveling in her companions approval of her word and ... herself? When he reached over to take her hand, the other jumped up to her heart, like she had seen Natsuki do when she was embarrassed... which was a lot. Her bright green eyes for a moment, mirrored the sea green of the leviathan before, glittering with elation as his exclamation and proclamation. She'd seen this over and over in the movies at home-- the princess meets a mysterious stranger and like fate, they dance together. Shaking herself from the beginnings of a day dream, her eyes faded back to their rich jungle green color.

"...Yes, of course, Varun" were the only words to slip past her lips, as she floated closer to Varun. Slowly, she lifted her arm from her chest and placed it on her knight's shoulder. Remembering what she saw from the movie, she lifted the other slowly without taking her eyes off his. As it was the boy's job to lead, Sa'ida took it upon herself to hum a soft waltz, something simple with a nice 1-2-3-4 count.