"I admit that some of those merchandise is rather... adult-orientated, but I don't think that you have any place to complain about boys lusting after their favorite Magical Girls Haruka." Michiru pointed out.
Haruka knew better than to press that particular point so she changed the topic by commenting on the various posters, wall-scrolls and banners that decorated the walls.
"That has to be the most impractical Magical Girl costume I have ever heard about." She pointed out a life sized cardboard stand-up near them. A wedding dress? You can't tell me that there really are girls fighting evil out there dressed like that."
"I think I heard about that. There is supposed to be a whole group of them. It is supposed to bring luck if they appear at a wedding to exorcise evil demons." Michiru passed on some rumors she had heard.
Haruka just harrumphed obviously not a great fan of either weddings or the various superstitions and urban legends surrounding them.
"And what about this? I thought this was about heroes, why are they selling posters of criminals here?" she went on to criticize the next object pointing at a large poster hanging at the wall.
The poster showed a drawing of a young girl in what looked like cross between a gymnastics uniform and a western crusader outfit caught in a spotlight as she leapt away from a building. In one gloved hand she was carrying what likely was supposed to be a sack full of loot and blowing the observers a kiss with her free hand. A caption read "Jeanne stole my Heart!"
Before Michiru could defend this thieving Magical Girl Haruka had already moved on to the next poster. It showed another girl in a really short outfit carrying a wand and a pack of cards that she was fanning out like a card shark while giving the viewer a challenging look. "Mistress of Clow" was printed along the side.
"Now this is just wrong," Haruka complained, "The girl is barely in her teens yet and they draw her like that. Bunch of pedophiles I am sure."
"Oh, Haruka, it is not like they made her look like a pin-up model and from what they say she really goes around in costumes like that. I think it looks cute." Michiru tried to placate her.
"I guess you are right it could have been worse they could have drawn her like that." Haruka agreed gazing at a poster in a different corner of the store admiringly.
This poster entitled "Honey Flash!" showed a more mature girl presumably named Honey doing just that. The only thing covering her naked body from view was a storm of rose petals.
"You know I actually like that one." Haruka observed making to investigate that section of the store further.
"I don't think that this is the right sort of thing for you either," decided Michiru while gently steering her partner away from it and further images not suitable for small children and people who did not want to spend the night on the couch.
Unfortunately this brought them to a display that left both of them standing speechless.
Above several shelves of associated merchandise hung a huge picture of a Magical Girl that judging by the number customers surrounding it was rather popular.
The picture showed a gothic beauty clad in a school uniform-like costume with a very short purple skirt reclining invitingly against some rocks while holding a wicked looking polearm in her hands. The phrase "Don't Fear The Reaper" was written beneath.
"No!" gasped Haruka, "They can't do that. Not to my baby! They make her look like some... , some...."
"Young woman?" Michiru suggested whose shock had given way to amusement.
"No!... Yes, I mean they do make her look far older than she is but they also made her look...."
"Mature? Sensual? Sexy?" Michiru again helped her partner find the right words.
"Aren't you upset about this at all?" Haruka complained exasperated, "They have no right to make her look like that. She is our baby not something for those dorks to lust after. She is still a little girl."
"She is growing up whether you want her to or not." Michiru pointed out. "Sooner or later she actually is going to look something like this. And if you haven't noticed she has been developing a lot in recent months, so it likely is going to be rather sooner than later."
"It is not fair." Haruka objected.
"Yes I know," Michiru agreed, "but there is nothing we can do."
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(Posted Mon, 20 Dec 2004 00:18)
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