Welcome to Gaia! ::

It had taken a while, but poking around in the back streets of the shopping district had finally rewarded Bebe with what she had been seeking out all day. The front of the store had been hung with records and full of manequins dancing to the big band music that blared out the propped open front door.

Racks of clothes had been dragged out onto the street, along with tables covered in memorabilia and boxes full of records. A few people milled around, but most didn't look like serious hobbyinsts, although a few people were looking things over with a more experienced gleam in their eyes. Dismissing the tables, Bebe headed over to the racks and began to search through them.

Collectors, she had never understood. Sure, she liked vintage dresses, but she couldn't understand the appeal to have an elvis wall clock with swinging legs. As for the music, well, it was more appealing than the stuff that came out of the radio today, but the lyrics still were just a pale imitation to poetry. It didn't bother her much, after all a true lady was allowed to have sensitive nerves. And clearly wanting to smash most radios over her knee when they were turned on was a sign of very sensitive nerves.

Oblivious to the other girls covert glances, Bebe quickly lost herself in the racks of clothing. Keeping her budget (small) in the back of her mind, she began to pick out dresses as they caught her fancy. Soon she had three or four draped over an arm, and began to move towards the shop, intent on finding a dressing room. As she did so, a woman stepped back from one of the crowded tables, forcing Bebe to do a awkward hop to the side to avoid being hip checked. Unfortunately, it was just too tight between the racks to avoid any collisions, and she bumped up against the blue haired girl who had been searching the racks beside her.

"Oh! My apologies. It is crowded out here, isn't it?"

Bebe energetically bobbed a curtsy, and pressed her glasses up her nose, taking in the other girl for the first time. Vague familiarity registered in her mind, and she made a rapid leap of logic. Not having spent much time in the city, there was really only one place where she could have seen other girls her age. Her face cleared, lit up with a friendly smile, and the free arm was extended towards the other girl.

"Ah ... and are you from the Academy, by any chance?"

Oh, yes there was some kind of prom thing going on. Bebe had seen the flyers and then turned away as soon as she had seen that all the schools had been invited. Who on earth would want to be seen in the same building as a St. Magdalenas or Hillsworth student? Even having to spend the time conversing with a Meadowview kid would surely be headache inducing. It was a pity, as Bebe was always one for parties, Maybe, if she found a way to put a buffer of Crystal girls and Valley boys between her and the rest of the rabble, it would be bearable. And here was one right now.

"Oh, isn't that queer, I came out today with the exact same goal in mind. What an odd coincidence!"

Her eyes followed the gesture of the spread dress, and she stood back, head tilted, critical eyes taking in Guen's choice. After a pause, she nodded.

"I think it suits you quite well, and it's simple enough to match with heaps of other things. Don't you think that most modern prom dresses are so garish and cheap looking? It's quite distressing to see what they'll do to even the most charming young woman."

A pause in breath reminded her that she hadn't even given her name.

"Oh, where are my manners? You wouldn't have seen me much in school, I'm afraid. I just recently arrived. It's so disorienting arriving during the school year, with absolutely no acquaintances in this area at all. Bebe Aimée Durand, but it's so much simpler to stick with the first name, isn't it? "

The corners of Bebe's mouth twitched good-humoredly at the last comment, and she tried not to laugh as she replied.

"Oh please don't call me Ms - we must be almost the same age! You'll make me feel like one of the teachers - a horrific prospect, and one that I don't think i'll be prepared for until I'm at least twenty."

Turning to the rack, she began to idly play with the strap on one of the dresses, her mind balking at the sudden turn in conversation to family. The falter was barely visible, taking barely a second, and she plunged back into the conversation with no signs of discomfort. But it had been there.

"Ah - yes, but it's only to be expected, disagreeing with parents, isn't it? I mean, you can't feel the same way on every subject. I personally cannot stand purchasing through catalog, the idea seems ridiculous to me! How could you feel the texture, or see how it suits your complexion? No, I couldn't ever make purchases without seeing the physical object first."

Bebe shook her head decisively at the last statement, radiation indignant disapproval. Then, breaking away from the clothing rack, she moved over to a table covered in jewelry and selected a brooch. Holding it up towards Guen and sized them up together, she frowned, put it back down, and tried another.

"Maybe a garnet would go nice, or red jasper. Not too much though. What do you think?"

Picking up a alabaster brooch from among the glittering heap, Bebe lifted it up to her glasses and gave it a keen inspection. The face was very well done, almost eerie in it's perfection. Putting it down, she picked up another and admired it in the same fashion, feeling a bit abashed at her original selection.

"Oh! I didn't even see those, how adorable they look. And of course, so muted and refined. I guess the red would have been a little common-looking. And ah - I'm afraid I haven't had much time to plan and prepare, since I only just arrived when it was announced. However I have found a dress that I could work off. Perhaps some dark accessories would look good, obsidian or something similar. What would you suggest?"

The brooch was set down again, and she hefted the small pile of dresses draped over her other arm. Laying most down on a chair that had been brought out, she began to search through them. Bebe located the one she had been looking for, a light olive affair, and offered it for inspection. Of course, she had held no plans for it when she had picked it off the rack, but it was easy enough to pass off as a something she might have selected for a formal occasion.

How long have I been at Crystal?

Bebe's mind went back to the day she arrived, less than two months ago, but already feeling like a year. She had been out walking the school grounds at night, unable to adjust to the downy beds, when she had met the shadowy figure. And suddenly her life had gotten a whole lot more .... fun. As the saying goes, times flies when you're having fun. Less than two months, but it felt more like a week had gone by. Hidden behind her thick glasses, Bebe's eyes sparkled with an odd light.

"As I said before, I've only just arrived. Why, I've barely been here for two months! And I'm afraid I've been quite distracted for most of my time here, so many new things to see and do. Moving can take ever so long to adjust to, don't you find?"

Reaching down, Bebe picked up the other dresses again, smoothing them down with her spare hand. The feeling of the soft cloth on her skin grounded her, removing the visions that danced across the front of her brain. Back in the here and now, she focused on her current goals. Dress, accessories, budding acquaintance. Her eyes followed the gesture, and she nodded in appreciation.

"Oh, yes if I may? It seems this is one of their busy days, and I imagine that free rooms come at a premium."

"If you say so - oop! "

Catching the edge of some piece of clothing that was sliding out of Guens arm, she tucked it back into the girls arm-pile and watched her with amused concern as she carried the pile away. Then, dragging the curtain shut with one hand, and depositing the landslide of fashion on the wobbly chair in the corner, Bebe turned to the mirror. A few moments were spent re-arranging her elaborate hairdo and polishing her glasses, while her mind ticked through the dresses again, thinking of which other ones she could put in the 'possible prom' pile, now that she had decided she was going.

Bebe spent the next few minutes deep in a mental wrestling match of fashion vs budget. It was tough, she hadn't had time to find a part-time job in this city yet, and she was down to the bare bones of her savings. Oh to lead the life of the idle rich, she sighed as she put aside a beige reject. Eventually, the curtain to the shop were pushed aside, and she exited the dressing room, looking for her new ally. The olive dress had come through, kicking aside opponents and standing as the ring champion, and she carried it out with her, leaving the rest to some unfortunate saleswoman to clean up.

Nodding with satisfaction, Bebe held the dress up to herself and did a small spin on the spot. As she did so, an idea that had been rolling itself around in her mind worked its way down to her mouth. She wasn't quite sure what the reaction would be, but it was bound to be interesting. Coming to a halt in front of the other girl, she proceeded to pat the dress happily.

"I certainly have, thank you ever so much for waiting. I do have a question for you though - I suppose you have a young man escorting you to the dance? If not, I don't suppose you'd mind coming along with me? I'm sure it would brighten up the evening considerably for me."