Welcome to Gaia! ::

Josh was tired of seeing his raevan wallowing about in guilt and misery. The time after the virus had shown him that LuLu was now quietly treading on a very long road to recovery. Her physical wounds were quick to heal and scar; however, the mental damage was lingering. Some days it would only take one or two misplaced words to send the frei into a fit of depression. ‘Rabbit’. ‘Forest’. Even certain names caused the corners of her lips to drape downward into a frown, a telltale sign of her sadness.

A simple agreement had been arranged for today. To put an ease on LuLu’s conscience, Josh had decided to bring her to the nearest pet shop. They had both settled on the idea that they would enter the business with open minds and leave with a new rabbit friend. If LuLu could take one creature under her wing at a time then perhaps she could give it a taste of freedom like she had wanted all along. The boy had given her some idea of what to expect. Josh did not make light of the fact that the rabbits would be more numerous and more crowded than her last run in with them a few months ago. LuLu did not seem too concerned with this. In fact, she even seemed a bit eager to get a second chance at caring for a new brother or sister. It warmed Josh’s heart to see that she was already cheering up.

Nevertheless, he did not know just what to expect when his raevan was confronted by an entire storefront of caged mammals. LuLu was no longer under the influence of the virus; yet, the memory of being assaulted by a crazed raevan and losing said crazed raevan for more than a week was still fresh in the boy’s mind. Maybe Josh was also wandering a long a long road to recovery himself.

Here they stood, at the entryway of the pet shop. Josh was taking slow, tentative steps towards the more boisterous and noisy side of the store. He seemed just as nervous as his frei. Lulu was floating gingerly beside him. Her fingers were laced idly in his pants leg as she followed her guardian. Lithe digits dug deeper as they approached the caged animals.

Josh’s eyes widened as he took notice of a familiar girl just ahead of him. “Anita?” Lulu looked up at Josh with a confused pout. She chimed, “Who?” Josh smiled and responded, “Someone I know Lu.” He strolled closer and sized the girl up again just to be sure he was correct. Sure enough, those frizzy braids belong to his acquaintance. The boy walked up behind her. “Anita! Long time no see.”

This would be a pleasant distraction from the more serious task that was at hand.

Josh's expression morphed to match Ani's. A large, charming smile fit snugly along his face. His voice was laced with excitement, "I am doing well. It is nice seeing you again. How have you been?" He quickly barreled through the accustomed greetings and howdy-doos to get to the meat of their conversation. He noticed how the girl had quickly taken a notice of LuLu. Likewise, Tango had shown interest in the rabbit frei. He cooed gently, "This is LuLu." He was used to the fact his raevan was soft spoken around strangers. Introducing her had become a habit.

LuLu seemed to be put off by the sudden attention placed upon her. When a cold, wet nose brushed against her hand, the appendage shot up and was promptly cradled against her chest. She slipped further behind Josh in an attempt to avoid Anita's dog and his friendly advances. Something about the large mammal was even more frightening than the usual unfamiliar face.

Ani's handshake was greeted with a similar, silent apprehension, expressed with twitching ears and a blank stare. However, as LuLu absorbed the girl's calm words, she seemed to grow less tense. It also helped that Tango had been pulled away somewhat. The raevan now made her first effort to speak to the two, "I am here for a new friend."

Josh chuckled, "I hope there are no more elevators to get stuck in there. Perhaps, we could try to have our game day again sometime? You'll have to give me directions though." He emitted another airy laugh. The boy wisely chose to not pry further for details on Anita's housing situation. The boy could barely keep a handle on his own home now that his father had a vendetta against LuLu. Josh would not be of much help or support to Ani in the long run.

LuLu fidgeted slightly. Her fingers strummed nervously against one another to form an erratic tempo. Lavender eyes grew a bit wider in tandem with Anita's toothy smile. The frei backed up once more from the girl's growing maw. It was one of the annoying habits that still lingered from her mammalian past. If something had put that much effort into showing you its teeth, then it was a threat. However, Anita's soothing words betrayed her frightening facade.

LuLu's ears perked. The rabbit's bell like voice tinkled gently again, "Yes, a bunny." Her nose crinkled to punctuate her sentence. She felt awkward using that term. It was what humans used. She would have felt much more comfortable saying 'brother' or 'sister', but she knew that the humans did not understand her when she used those titles. Josh didn't.

Purple irises flicked to the side, tearing themselves from Ani for the first time in the last few minutes. It appeared that the frei was now searching for something rather diligently. Vividly pigmented orbs darted and bobbed like large lightening bugs as the rabbit became absorbed in her task. Her shoulders slumped dejectedly after a few moments.

LuLu could not hear the familiar speech of her siblings; rather, she heard the barbaric chatters and horrendous squeals of feasting vermin. The two fuzzy satellites atop her head swiveled once more before they gave up on their search. LuLu gave a slight nod and commented tersely, "Please help."

Anita seemed to brush off Josh's inquiry in place of finding the rabbit pen for LuLu. The boy did not take the action to heart. He would plan another play date later. For now, there was a more serious task at hand.

LuLu had peeled herself from the safe haven of Josh's leg in order to float after Ani. The bone like protrusions on her back beat in rhythmic and tentative motions like a bird testing their wings. Josh walked briskly after them.

The rabbit's eyes glossed over the fish tanks with mild amusement. Sadly, not much fun was to be had with a creature who's primary tasks were to flop around and eat. Plus, they reminded her of a certain blue raevan. LuLu bristled. The fish did not seem too interesting overall. Only a few particular specimens would catch her eye every now and again. If she was here for a fish she wold have chosen the large red one in the third tank. No, she averted her gaze from them for good. She was here for something far more important. A fresh start.

Josh's stomach began to churn with unrest as the approached the rabbit cage. It was a carnal feeling rising up through his body like a heavy smoke. Fear. Anxiety. Apprehension. His guess on LuLu's reaction was as good as Anita's. He had been determined to never allow LuLu near another caged animal. Then, all too fast, they were here.

LuLu's jaw tightened when she saw the cage before her. Josh was right. There were more than before and it was more crowded. The creatures mangled in the plush wood chips had grown soft and round. They seemed even weaker than the ones from the zoo. Those around her were forgotten for now. Her eyes went half mast as she floated up to the glass walls in one swoop. Eyes took on a sympathetic glimmer and fingers traced tenderly over the smooth plains. The raevan floated too low to actually reach the top of the pen, a minor inconvenience that was easily overlooked. She seemed content to observe. Only after about five minutes of watching did she make the effort to speak.

Her voice had morphed and taken on a new form, one filled with squeaks and whines. It was the language she reserved only for her brothers and sisters. The creatures in the cage stirred. One or two even paid her enough mind to open their eyes and give a faint glare. Nevertheless, none seemed to care as much as LuLu did. The frei's expression turned pained as she fought to grab the attention of their dull, brainwashed eyes. "They..." She fought to form the right words, "Have no will." She pressed her forehead against the glass and emitted another low murmur in the hopes that she could find just one individual who had not become completely institutionalized in this prison.

It hurt Josh to see LuLu behaving in this manner. The raevan's sharp grimace felt like a steak being driven through his heart. The boy's face flinched then fell into a grim frown. When gloomy emerald eyes sought his company, Josh obliged. He turned to Anita. She mow understood why they were here.

When Josh spoke to her, he fought to keep any semblance of happiness in his words, "I think... we should just let her be for now. I told her it would not be easy and she understood that." Josh's hand reached up to sift through his hair uncomfortably. Brown locks were tucked behind his ear with care. "I do not want to disturb her until she finds someone." To be honest, part of him did not want to look at LuLu anymore. The rabbit had a vicious way of picking at his resolve. If he focused on her any longer, he would end up buying out the pet shop of their rabbits with whatever scant funds e had left in his bank account.

LuLu ignored Anita as her name was called. The human's voice was consumed by the flurry of thoughts in the frei's mind, like a drop of water lost in a great sea. As if her prayers were answered, one rabbit stood out from the others. All of the raevan's efforts were now focused solely on that one individual. Purple irises shimmered thoughtfully as they absorbed all that they could. This rabbit was a female. She was still young and had some spark left in her wide, black eyes. She was also leaner than the others, to LuLu's delight. This one took care of herself. Her deep brown fur fit her like a well tailored coat. The light russet splotch on her shoulder added character to her ensemble. This was the one.

Frowning lips began to curl upward again. It was almost eerie how much LuLu's expression matched the one adorning the shivering ball of fluff. The raevan rose a bit higher. Her ears stood on end as if to greet her new friend. She whispered in her foreign tongue once more, "Hello. I am sorry I was loud. What is your name?"

Josh glanced back to find that they were near the rabbit care isle. As his eyes scanned over the various toys and feeds a weak smile broke over his face. The boy could not help bit envision his own LuLu becoming enamored with these trinkets. The thought of her with a plastic log over her head turned up the intensity of his smile until it was a full grin. He beamed at Anita, "I think it is going better now." He slipped back into casual conversation with little effort, "So what brought you here today?" With the tension behind them, they could relax again.

LuLu's hands spread flush against the glass. Her darkly pigmented digits stretched outward onto the cool surface. She noticed the others confusion and quickly moved to clear up the situation, "I am like you. I speak like you. We are like sisters." LuLu's ears flopped lower. The twin appendages brushed against the part of the tank just above her head to demonstrate the point. The rabbit's rosy lips pursed into a polite smile, "I am LuLu. I came to help you." The raevan was overjoyed when her new friend came even closer. They were now so near to one another that their breathe was beginning to fog the clean glass. The frei wiped away the thin veil of moisture that obscured her vision with an annoyed pout.

Seeing it as an invitation, Josh lowered down to Tango's level and gave him a pat on the head. The gesture soon escalated into a frenzy of pets and rubs as the boy lavished the canine in attention. Quiet mumbles of 'Who's good boy?' could be heard under his breath. He stopped when his fingers were covered in a fine layer of animal fur. Josh flicked his hands to rid himself of the unwanted fuzz. A pleasant chuckle erupted from his throat. "I see what you mean."

Josh looked up at Ani from his kneeling position. He mulled over her question silently before he spoke, "I have been.... alive and breathing. That is always a good thing. I have had a few rough patches here and there but I am always happy to have Lu." He toyed idly with one of Tango's floppy ears, "She was still an essence then." It felt odd stating that fact to Ani. Josh had trouble believing it himself. It had only been a year since he had acquired LuLu. It was disheartening to think that such a strong girl had begun as a simple bottle and a vial.

LuLu's fur fluffed in anger. She have a startled gasp. "No name!? Why not?" Her voice rose a few octaves despite her best effort to remain calm. Though, seeing that she had caused a few rabbits to stir awake did serve to make her quickly quiet down again. He puffed her cheeks out in agitation instead.

The realization that these creatures had no name disgusted the raevan. In this prison each one was know by appearance alone. Individuality and freedom had eluded them all since birth. The majority of her siblings were lost by now. They had been turned into another member of a snoozing mass. They blindly slept away their independence. It hurt her to admit it, but there would be no hope for those individuals. LuLu had witnessed firsthand the way that freedom could consume the weak.

However, she was now determined to provide a pillar of support for the stronger members of this brood. The frei's limit of one rabbit was forgotten for now. How could see limit herself to one when so many needed her assistance? LuLu would help those who sought her aid. She would help them find their lost pleasure. "Yes, you are like me. Choose a name now. One that you want. You are free," LuLu's eyes smiled at the female rabbit, "I will take you somewhere better than here."

LuLu's arms strained upwards. Her wings beat harshly until her fingertips grazed the top of the tank. Well maintain nails clicked against the wooden edges like a enticing drum beat. A soft, pink tongue poked out through parted lips in frustration. Overall, she had only flown a few feet into the air; yet, the ravean seemed winded at this new height. With shaky arms, she struggled to pull herself over the lip of the tank. All her efforts ended with her flopping into the cage gracelessly. A few rabbits scattered about with startled hisses. LuLu had succeeded in making an already crowded tank even more tight fitting. Her billowing rune caused few wood chips to stir beneath her. The rabbit frei chimed, "If you want to be let go, I will let you go. Today, you will get your first taste of freedom."