Welcome to Gaia! ::

Aaron darted through the legs and skirts of the kitchen staff in the bakery below the flat where he and David lived. He was dressed in a clean white shirt and new, un-frayed suspenders, though the black feathers pushing out from under his rolled up sleeves (some left fluttering behind him in his wake) lent a certain disheveled look to his stick-thin figure that his clothes looked intended to avoid.

In his hands were grasped several sets of silverware wrapped in thick cloth napkins. His job, as it were, was to distribute the sets of silverware to diners at the scattering of tables at the front of the store, where people could eat the delicious baked goods that poured out of the ovens at the back all day. The heat from the ovens warmed their apartment during the winter, and the smell of the food warmed their bellies year-round.

Aaron had worked out a sweet deal in which he played the cute little kid for the customers when he got home from school, and Aaron was given the broken and deformed cookies and scones that the bakery couldn't sell. It was quite the mutually beneficial agreement.

"Welcome to Rita's Tasteful Treats! How might we please your palette today, ma'am?" The teenager behind the counter wore a goofy chef's hat and had a spot of what looked like grape jelly on the strap of his apron.

Aaron slid on the heels of his feet across the polished wood, straight across the dark floorboard and the two lighter ones, ending up between a young couple ready to share a piece of creamy chocolate cheesecake. Presenting the two diners with their silverware, he mentally made a note that he needed to recalculate his sliding path to end up a foot or two to the right. An image must be maintained in order to achieve maximum tasties!

However, he was distracted from his thoughts by the entrance of a woman with straight white hair. White! He'd never seen someone who looked so young have white hair! By the time he looked at the stroller, he was looking at the back of it, and couldn't see what was inside. Maybe it was time for a trip to the kitchen, he justified, as he trailed the lady towards the counter.

"One Delight In Red, coming right up! And we make a mean cinnamon tea, though we also offer orange vanilla breakfast tea and Earl Grey." The boy looked around quickly for an available hand to grab out the shortcake for the new customer, but all bakery hands were full of hot steaming pans of goodies.

"Aaron! Grab that lady one of those, wouldja?" The teen waved at the birdboy and pointed down at the large morsel that had been chosen.

Aaron's eyes widened. This was the first time he'd been allowed to actually assist with the real, undamaged food. He snapped to attention, saluted, and dashed around the counter, sliding back the glass door and pulling out a large plate filled with shortcake and a rain of strawberries, covered delicately with a glass shield. Careful 'til the end, he marveled at the height of bakery architecture before his very eyes.

Tiptoeing out from behind the counter, he reached up toward the lady with the white hair to hand her the plate, balanced just so on his hands.

"That'll be $10.50, please! For here or to go, ma'am?"

Aaron couldn't help himself from beaming at his successful maneuver into the next echelon of the bakery. However, from his current angle, he had a clear view into the stroller, and also couldn't help himself from staring at the weirdly human-looking plant sitting in it. He had never seen one like that in his books!

Dusting invisible dust off of his hands smartly, he leaned slightly over the stroller and lightly poked the boy-looking-thing in the chest, watching carefully to see how it responded. Some plants reacted to touch, his Audubon guide to plants said.

Aaron jumped backwards in shock when the plant grabbed his hand, almost knocking his head against the visor as well. Was this like one of those venus fly traps that ate animals alive? Was he about to be eaten? He was saved from the myriad of grisly thoughts threatening to overtake him by the lady's request and subsequent release of his hand.

Davey. The plant had a name. Or was that its species? Aaron had to find out what it was. A plant that could respond to questions and requests like that could be useful for all sorts of things!

Hmm. Aaron pondered. He would have to ask the white haired lady, and he wasn't very good at talking to people, especially out of the blue. The cinnamon tea and glass of milk being thrust into his hands for delivery sealed the deal, though.

Carrying the cups of liquid carefully, not wanting to burn himself with the steaming tea, he walked out into the breezy patio outside the bakery where the lady sat with the stroller. Placing the cups lightly on the table, he cleared his throat slightly, and asked in a somewhat unsteady voice, "Ma'am, could I- may ask what kind of plant that is, please?"

Aaron's brow furrowed in consternation. Was she playing a game? Well, he wouldn't play along!

"The-the one you're holding!"

Aaron's brain started whirring.

Not a plant that looked like a little boy, then, but a little boy who looked like a plant?

Feeling his feathered tail shift in the breeze, he felt almost dumb with the realization. For some reason, it was a lot easier to see an animal mixed with a human than a plant mixed with a human. Aaron felt a little bad, but only a little. It was an honest mistake! Like the time his teacher tried to swat him out of the class with a broom when he wore all black the first day of school.

"O-oh. I see now. I am sorry to mistake him for a plant." Aaron bowed slightly to hide his embarrassment.