Welcome to Gaia! ::

Josh never thought he would be here. Sure, LuLu was a girl. At times, the rabbit frei could even be simple minded like a young child. He knew she liked plastic jewelry. He knew she liked fake silks. He knew she liked to sneak into his mother’s makeup. Josh just never knew he would end up here. It seemed like the next new low in the boy’s life.

He stood face to face with a particleboard unicorn strategically positioned on the sidewalk. Its rainbow swirled horn pointed into the pink curtained door of the shop. A few lace covered displays also adorned the store front. Josh’s auburn eyes drifted upwards to a speech bubble that loomed by the magical horse’s head dauntingly. It read “Welcome Pretty Princesses!” in a frighteningly graceful scrawl. Josh sighed and stepped closer to the entrance. It was now or never. He took one more look at the mystical creature turned cartoon horror before he stepped into the shop with LuLu.

The air inside hit him with a perfumed punch that almost sent him flying back through the doors. He looked down to LuLu to see how the raevan was taking this punishing environment.

Her brown nose scrunched up slightly at the floral aroma; however, the second her amethyst eyes caught sight of the display of feathered boas and shimmering gowns all the thoughts of the store’s odor left her head. LuLu’s eyes glimmered with excitement as she ripped her hand from her Josh’s grasp and floated full speed towards the clothing rack.

She snatched up the first dress there and spun around to show Josh. She held it up to her chest and posed for her still dumbfounded guardian. Josh wondered vaguely who had taught her how to strike such a stance. LuLu squeaked softly after a moment of waiting, “Pretty?” Josh was torn from his thoughts and replied, “Yes, it is lovely.” He knew that the price tag on that rhinestone drenched thing would not be as appealing to him though.

LuLu emerged from the center of a circular rack of clothing. She was dolled up from the tip of her furry ears the end of her swaying patterned ribbon. Josh was awestruck at just how quickly the girl could adorn herself in every accessory the store had to offer. The boy cringed. He swore later he would have to convince her that green sequins did not match orange pleather.

Josh was slowing coming to terms with the fact that she may have been as bad as the tweens who were drooling over the plastic batons in the glass case behind him. Josh read the label above them. “Pretty Princess royal scepters” Oh god… This was worse than he had imagined. They had actually managed to convince these kids that a bedazzled stick was worth twenty dollars.

He was about to grab LuLu, pay for whatever she managed to cling too, and hightail it out of there. Unfortunately for him, the bunny frei had managed to worm her way in to the heart of the prepubescent mob. LuLu chirruped over the girl’s squealing, “They are prettiest. They are mine.” She pressed against the case and fawned over the trinkets along with everyone else.

It was too late. There was no getting out of here now. Josh leaned against a display a waited it out.

Josh jumped when he heard a wounded growl erupt from beside him. Before he could look over to see what had happened someone ran straight into him. The boy had assumed that a fight had broken out in the crown isle next to him. It didn’t surprise him that the crazy tweens would bite off fingers to get what they wanted. However, he noticed the person who had bumped into him was much larger, muscular, and well…. hairier than any girl he had seen.

"These people scare me..."

Josh was almost shocked that the man was so afraid of the shop goers. He looked like he could defend himself against a gaggle of clucking females. He was rough, gruff, and looked like a convicted rapist. The boy actually found himself wondering why the man was in here. There were two options: This man wanted to check out the new shipment of stocking to appease a sick fetish or he wanted to leave with an armful of preteen girls to appease a sick fetish. Either option freaked Josh out almost more than this store.

He could already imagine himself having to beat the guy away from LuLu… not that he would win the fight. Josh would try like hell though. Maybe the ‘possible’ rapist would be turned off by the fact she lacked a bottom half and appeared like a twenty year old despite her seven year old attitude. The frei possibility had the biggest breasts in the store Josh judged. Was that a good thing or a bad thing when dealing with a child molester?

The boy ripped himself from his daydreaming to take a second look at the man. His auburn eyes traced the man’s face for a moment before it occurred to him. He had seen this man before! Josh cleared his throat and spoke over the squealing masses, “Umm… Have we met?”

LuLu was pressed firmly against the glass and only dislodged herself from the smooth surface when she heard a voice next to her. She looked over and found an unfamiliar raevan staring at her. This was her first time meeting a female frei. Well, there was the possibility Prajna was a girl, but she chose to forget about them. When she heard them speak it occurred to her that someone may actually purchase the scepter before her.

The humans did not worry her. She was above those peasants who only dreamed of being a princess. LuLu was the only true princess of Gaia. However, a fellow raevan could present a challenge to her throne. LuLu’s arm delicately reached out and slid open the glass case in front of Sevillin. It was unlocked and merely for show. It was not like they would actually take the time to secure a plastic stick.

She grasped the one directly in font of the sea fairy raevan and brought the jeweled accesory to her chest before she made her way to her guardian. She would have much preferred the red one over this blue one. Though, sacrifices had to be made to demonstrate her status to her underlings. She upturned her nose at Sevillin as she floated out of the crowd in a haughty display of airs. She returned the frei’s silent threat tenfold. It was a light punishment for insubordination LuLu concluded.

Josh was taken aback at the man’s sudden display of attitude. He had simply asked a question. The boy did not believe it deserved such an intense stare. Josh watched as the semi-stranger seemed to be ogling him up and down like a hunk of meat.

Once his observation was complete, the tanned man then puffed up. Josh snickered to himself. Someone was having a testosterone trip. Josh pulled himself from the shelving on the isle. He rose to his full height, even though it was still an inch or so bellow the older man. If this guy wanted to make a display then so would Josh.

Josh narrowed his eyes slightly and was about to make another inquiry of the man. However, he was cut off when by something that completed threw him for a loop.

"... Did I try an' pick ya up in a bar?"

The boy shivered and flopped back against the shelving. He sunk against the wooden boards like a deflated balloon. Well, he knew he looked like a fairy in here. Generally, tall, lanky, good-looking men had a way of being gay if they turned up in princess stores. However, he did not expect the most masculine person in the store to be the queer one. Josh blanched quietly, “I am very sure we have not met at a bar.” Not only was he too young to drink, but Josh would never allow himself to be propositioned by a man.

LuLu wrapped herself against Josh’s leg and attached herself to his jeans. With the frei’s arrival she also brought a pleasant subject change. The boy was glad that their conversation was steered away from the older man’s sexual escapades.

LuLu’s eyes grew wide at Sevillin’s exclamation. A true princess would never steal and the certainly would never lie! This frei could not be just a lowly peasant. No, this frei was an evil villain. They must have been sent to take her scepter LuLu concluded. She would assure that they never got it.

She put on the most pitiful look she could muster. Her lavender eyes shimmered with unshed tears and her bottom lip quivered gracefully in false woe. Her voice chimed gently above her bewilderment. “I would never Mister.” She looked between the two guardians as she clutched the plastic scepter even closer into her bosom. She knew this would win over Josh. She was not sure how well it would fair in swaying the other frei’s guardian.

Josh kneeled down to try to comfort his seemingly distressed raevan. “Shsh, Lu. I know you would not steal.” The female frei fluffed up with smugness, LuLu knew she had now won. The rabbit played off her self-satisfaction as another surge of anguish. “I did not…” She murmured pitifully before looking around with shocked and saddened eyes.

Josh brushed back a few stray blond locks that were framing her face. He had never seen her so upset. Well… he had, but not over another raevan. The boy looked up to meet We’rika’s stern gaze and strong features. It seemed like the muscular Mexican agreed with him. Josh sighed then began to stand up again. He took LuLu’s hand in his own, “I am sorry about this.” He had almost completely forgotten about the embarrassing conversation he had shared with the other guardian previously. His raevan took top priority. “How about… I buy something for…,” he looked down at the blue raevan. He felt a small pang of familiarity when his eyes scanned over the frei’s slight, feminine features, “Sev was it?”He gave the sea fairy a smile. He would be happy to spare some money if would cheer up the other raevan.

LuLu was not as happy with the proposal. Her soft, doe eyes sharpened into a glare. Why was HER guardian offering money to THEM? She shot a look of disgust at Sevilin.

LuLu looked on at Sevilin with feigned disinterest. She would not be caught dead giving a homely person like him her full attention; he was not worth the effort.

The rabbit huffed.

The way the finned frei was clinging to his guardian made her want to break into laughter. As if she would want to take that? It would be like stealing trash from a peasant. The idea was absurd.

Josh, on the other hand, was a whole other story. He was HER'S. His money was HER'S. If he was going to spend a cent on Sevvie then she would have the first say in the matter. LuLu's slight arms melded against her guardian's leg. She cooed gently into the folds of denim under her fingertip. "He said no. So no." She fought to hide the satisfaction in her voice.

Josh's eyes widened at the abrupt bickering. He was a bit taken aback at the watery frei's sudden acquirement of a new and colorful vocabulary. It was a shock, yet, the boy could understand were it had stemmed from. Especially now that he had been graced with We'rika's presence for more than five minutes.

Josh could tell that the other raevan really wanted the gift... even if it was to show LuLu up. He did not mind spoiling Sevilin. Everyone needed a bit of indulgence now and again; not just LuLu. Without thinking of the repercussions, he bumped his way into the petty squabble that had erupted between the pair. "Umm, please," he had never gotten the man's name, "Sir... do not think of it as charity." He almost wished to tack on 'or me as a kid' to the end. "I will buy it as a present for him. To new friends?" He flashed a pleasant smile.

LuLu choked back a scream by burying her face into Josh's jeans. FRIENDS!??!! Her gripped tightened until the fabric in her hands bunched up uncomfortably. The angelic manner she had been striving to uphold was beginning to strip away as well, like a worn lacquer. Her head snapped up to glare between Josh and Sevilin. One word escaped her lips as a low growl, "No."

LuLu seemed content to seethe at Sevilin from behind her guardian's leg. Her eyes bit and tore at his silhouette as if begging for him to accept the offer Josh had made. They lashed out at him like cornered beasts asking him to make the first move so they could finally strike.

Josh could not shake the feeling that he had just done something that he would later regret. He had managed to tread somewhere that he should not have. It was evident by the horrified expression plastered across We'rika's face and the venomous frown tugging at his own raevan's lips. He did not know where he now stepped, but one thing was certain. The situation had turned... dangerous.

"Yes... I'd love to be your new friend, Josh..."

Sevilin was right. This was no longer about the scepter. LuLu rose upright and floated rigidly in the air just in front of Sevilin and We'rika as if she was brushing off the last traces of her innocent charade. Her wings rattled and beat agitatedly with each word the smaller frei spoke until she was level with his eyes. Her mouth opened then closed into a single intense line as she mulled over just the right words to use. As her lips parted again, her voice rang out in a harsh chime like an old bell, "I will never be your friend," she motioned to Josh, "He will never be your friend. He is mine! This is MINE!" As the last, sharp words flew from her mouth she lunged for the scepter in the other frei's pallid grip.