Welcome to Gaia! ::

Noon was always the hardest time to be out with Earako. The light hurt her eyes, the heat hurt her skin, and she was generally as miserable as a pre-teen could be. Sulking, wings down, parasol drooping, and generally making Michael feel like a terrible person.

But he had to get some errands done, and after picking her up from her morning classes, it'd only made sense to take her with him. Even if it did mean that the ever hateful and distructive Vimber was tagging along. He and the dragon had reached a sort of truce. They ignored each other, and no one got hurt.

"Do you want some icecream, Kid?" Michael asked hopefully, wanting to summon something, a bit of energy, a hint of a smile, from her. He got a slight shrug for his trouble.

And he couldn't help but think she'd be better off if she wasn't wearing all black. But irritiable Earako was not the girl to be mentioning that to.

Ok, so icecream was out. It'd worked when she was younger. But kids grew up, didn't they?

And then, the gods took pity.

The store looked frilly, even from the outside. The windows were filled with delicately dressed, finally featured dolls, and he could see smaller dolls, no doubt intended for doll houses, just inside the door. Tiny furniture too. Just the sort of stuff that made him roll his eyes and groan.

"Batling, wanna see if there's a doll or somethin' you want?"

And she smiled. Oh, she smiled, sweet as rain, as clear cool moonlit nights.

"Thank you Da'" Her usual near whisper, as she grabbed his hand and tugged him inside, heading straight for the wall that apparently held row after row of frilly doll dresses.

At least she was smiling.

"I think I could make this, Da'." Earako stated, turning a lacey monstrocity over in her hands thoughtfully. She'd been getting better at sewing, and though what she did wasn't nearly so good at store bought, it was also more hers. Soon, she hoped to be wearing things she'd made, and making her own dresses, instead of just adding to stuff they'd bought. "Don't you think I could make this?"

"Sure, kid." He agreed, and she could tell he was half not listening to her. He was always half not listening to her, when it came to stuff like this. He just didn't care. Which was okay, but sometimes she wished she did have someone to talk to. Tansi was too small, and Lithle and Kyle were, well, Lithle and Kyle.

Turning to hide her momentary disappointment, she spotted someone coming into the shop, holding a little girl. A d-corp girl. Or, at least, she looked like one. Earako knew that D-corp kids weren't the only kind on Gaia with animal traits, but they all... well... it was hard to explain.

For one thing they always seemed to have slightly unusual and reluctant guardians.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Remembering her manners class as she moved over to them with a grace impressive for her years, she peered up at the woman through her dark sunglasses, "Is your daughter from D-corp?"

"I'm Earako. I'm from D-corp as well. I'm an albino vampire bat." That exact point became abundently clear as Vimber uncurled from the spot where she'd decided to attempt a nap and made her way over to Earako's feet. The young albino bat reached down to scratch her ears, affectionately. How sweet, she wanted to meet new people too. Hopefully she wouldn't go all shy this time. "And this is Vimber, she's a red dragon.

"You'll get a dragon too, Cleo." She added the last with a bright smile for the young girl, admiring her beautiful colouring and lovely feathers. A bit of envy there, and she could feel it, tried to ignore it. Featherless wings. Colourless skin. So drab compared to the other children.

At least she could dress herself in pretty things.

They were everywhere, weren't they? And always too close to her Special. Just when she was trying to nap too! Hissing darkly, Vimber settled herself in front of what was hers, a guardian against the strange one. The little one didn't worry her. Her Special liked little ones, but they couldn't take her. It was more like littles belonged to Special, in the same way she belonged to Vimber.

That was fine. But the big ones could be dangerous. They could take her away. She'd had it happen, with him, and allowed it. Because it was him, and he belonged to Special too. But this one, this one was only a stranger.

"Of course we have dragons, ma'am." If she wasn't trying to be a lady, she would have laughed outright. As it was, the amusement was there, behind her words, a silver bell sound within the satin of whispers, "That's the whole point of D-corp. That's why we exist. To be with dragons."

She'd long come to terms with the fact that she'd been created, and for one specific purpose. The fear that had come with it initially had faded once she'd actually gotten Vimber. They were close, as close as breathing, and that made it alright. She hadn't failed in her purpose.

And not everyone could say they knew there purpose in life.

She'd already begun to achieve hers.

When the small hand reached for her ear she smiled, moving forward so that the young girl could better reach. They were sensitive, but as long as she didn't tug (and it didn't look like she would) it wouldn't hurt. And she liked the little girl's smile.

"Thank you Cleo. I like your colours."

Vimber simply watched, tail twitching. The little was ok. She wouldn't hurt the little. But the other. Well, they'd seen. Her Special was still touching her, scratching along her neck in the way she loved. It kept her from doing more than growling anyway.

At this, Earako did laugh, a breathy little giggle that faded quickly into the gentle background music that was playing in the shop. "The scientists are kinda single minded," she admitted. "She'll need to take all sorts of classes and things, so she'll be at the D-corp center a lot. I know I am."

At the mention of her dragon, Earako glanced down at the being in question, scratching behind Vimber's horns as she did so. "Oh, Vimber's just being friendly, ma'am. That's how she talks. But they're are lots of types of dragons. The scientists'll pick the sort of egg she gets."

Cleo's chatter brought a smile to her lips, and she lifted her eyes from Vimber to scan the store thoughtfully. "Cleo, did you see the doll with the yellow dress over there?" She pointed toward one of the delicate dolls in the place, dressed in a thing of frills and too many layers, "You'd look pretty in something like that."

Aware that she was being discussed, Vimber preened a bit, her growls turning to churrs as she butted her Special's legs gently. Yes, she was amazing, wasn't she? And it seemed everytime Special had to talk to an other, she was being talked about. Because she was the one Special really cared about. Not stupid littles and the ones they were with.

"Classes in everything, ma'am. She'll need to learn how to do her letters, first. But when she gets older she'll have to take classes in how to fly, in fighting, in magic, and in, well, lots of stuff!" She had begun to list all the classes off on her fingers, only to realize that there were too many to list, and many of them student specific. "Mostly, I don't think any of the dragons need taming. They love us and we love them."

The earnest affection in Earako's voice was almost sickening, as was the look she gave Vimber, a look of worship and pure, blind love.

Very blind.

At the young girls advise on not eating dragons, Earako giggled, the laughter followed by a more sedate smile as the girl lit up at the sight of the yellow dress. It wasn't a colour she cared for, but the feathery child so obviously did.

Vimber, meeting her Special's loving glance with one of superior pride, preened. She had done well, picking her. Her Special was, well, special. Better than all those others.

"I haven't actually had magic class yet." Earako admitted. Hunching her shoulders a bit, she lowered her already whispery voice, "The teacher is kinda scary."

The bat was quickly distracted by Cleo's attention to Vimber. She smiled fondly, giving the dragon an extra scratch for good measure. "Oh, you can pet her if you like. She's a little shy, but she won't hurt you."

The little was reaching for her. They did that some times. Usually she snapped, but when Special was paying attention she suffered herself to be touched by the unworthy. At least this one didn't appear to have sticky, dirty hands. That, she would never allow.

Lifting her head, she sniffed at the offered hand, huffing a bit. the little didn't smell as good as her Special, but didn't smell bad either.

"Earako, are you going to pick something out or not?" Da' sounded tired, and Earako was abruptly reminded of the fact that Da' didn't like 'girly' places like doll shops. With the excitement of meeting the new D-corp girl, she'd kinda forgotten him.

"Sorry Da'," She murmured, smiling over her shoulder at him. "I was talking to Cleo. She's D-corp too."

"Congrats." He came over then, placing a hand on her shoulder and looking at Cleo's mom.

The sound of praise was obvious to Vimber, and she was more than happy to allow it. When the little was stopped, she huffed a bit, laying down, head on paws. She hadn't even growled or anything. Really, some people just didn't know how to trust.

A glance toward her Special's parent. That one was a good example of not trusting.