Featured in post: Tanner, Estelle, Shola, Fresia, and Arc
Time: Right after Arc sits down and starts talking to Tanner.
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Tanner
As the girls were trying on their clothes, I laid back and enjoyed myself, waiting, until I heard a voice.
“Hey.” I opened my eyes and straightened myself up to see an Arcanine Gijinka standing in front of me in an Arcanine outfit and had a small bag in hand that wasn’t empty, probably holding a kimono, and being held out right in front of me was his hand. “I’m Arc.”
Now where have I heard that name before? Maybe from Shupple? Or was it just the sense that Shupple had been around him, because her aura was coming off him clear as day and something else too but I couldn’t name it.
I stood up and shook his hand with a goofy grin.
“I’m Tanner, a Tangrowth Gijinka. I take it you just got a kimono for the festival tomorrow?” I asked him and he sat down beside me in the empty chair and nodded and leaned back in his chair.
“Yep. Figured I should get one by now,” Arc sighed and I could just see the slight aura beaming off him.
“I guess you do know her,” I said with a smile as I leaned back in my chair with my arms crossed behind my head. Arc tilted his head, which got him out of his thoughts.
“Who?” Arc asked and I rolled my eyes.
“My little sister, Shupple,” I told him with a smile and his face dropped. The thought of Shupple must’ve just reentered his mind.
“Wait… You’re Shupple’s brother?” Arc asked, leaning in and I nodded and then shrugged.
“Well, not biologically, but in a sense, yeah. I just really look after her, is all,” I told him and he just smiled a little in nervousness, probably wondering what connection I had with Shupple. I didn’t have really any business to tell unless he asked me so I just shrugged it off and saw all of the girls pop their heads out of the dressing room and smiles popped out of their faces.
“Ready?” I asked with a smile and they all nodded and Arc looked at me, raising his eyebrows.
“They just want my opinion on their kimonos, hence why I came along with them, besides needing a kimono myself for the festival tomorrow,” I sighed and put my head in my hands as I put my elbows on my knees and watched the girls come out.
I had to admit, they all looked beautiful. Shola had on this blue and yellow kimono that went down to her ankles and I could tell, she hated to have on the kimono itself but she wanted to go to the festival, which was very clear in her eyes. Fresia had on this white and light blue kimono with beads attached to the ribbon around her waist and beads in her hair that matched her hair. I then looked over at Estelle and saw she had a purple, black, and white kimono on with flowers on the edges and the black ribbon looking perfect around her waist, with the sleeves going over her wrists. She still had her choker on her neck and the little red bead still in place on her forehead. They were all really… amazing, I guess, is the word to put it. I couldn’t help but smile.
“Those are the ones!” I exclaimed with a smile on my face as I got up and walked over to them and they all smiled.
“Well, I’m just glad this one actually looks good on me,” Shola sighed and Fresia looked over at her with a smile.
“It does look really good on you, Shola!” Fresia exclaimed with a smile and Shola just sighed and they got into a discussion while Estelle twirled in her kimono like a little girl, and when she noticed that I saw her doing that, she stopped and looked down, all flustered. I was about to say something when Estelle spoke up instead.
“Who’s this, Tanner-san?” Estelle asked as she nodded over to Arc and Arc blinked out of his thoughts and got up and held out a hand.
“I’m Arc,” Arc told her and then Fresia and Shola turned their heads and introduced themselves as Arc introduced himself. I just watched with a smile until Estelle spoke up again.
“Tanner-san?” I turned my heads towards her. “Shouldn’t you get a kimono now?” She asked and I sighed as the girls dragged me off towards the men aisles after getting out of their kimonos, and made me search, picking out something for me that I on and off liked, but I couldn’t say it was the best, because I, in general besides my other half, didn’t like to try on clothes. I just thought it was stupid… I was just glad my other half still wasn’t speaking at all… Otherwise, I think I would have problems…
“Go and try them on, idiot!” Shola exclaimed as they all pushed me towards the dressing rooms and I looked at Arc but all that guy did was smile in a chuckling way. Thanks for the encouragement.
So I tried on the kimonos, which made me feel like a girl, until I found one that fit my style, which was completely black. It went down to my ankles and the sleeves fit around my shoulders with one dropped slightly and it had a slight blue undershirt to go with it. The ribbon was okay, I guess, and the whole kimono wasn’t baggy either. The clogs were annoying just in general, but other than that, it was pretty good, I guess. When I exited the dressing room and showed it to everybody, Arc just stayed quiet but with a small smirk on his face while all the girls flaunted over to me and just gave me complements, which I wasn’t used to. I just smiled until I heard all of the girl’s stomachs go off and I smiled.
“All of the kimonos are on me, and so is lunch!” I laughed and they all cheered, mostly. Once I got out of my kimono, I bought all of them and we all headed out, with Fresia and Shola keeping a steady stream of talk with Arc and he kept it back. He was an interesting guy, which made me wonder if the guy was right for Shupple.
Once the girls dragged both Arc and I over to a restaurant, which wasn’t too packed, I sat down and they all told me to wait because I paid for everything as they decided the food up at the counter with Arc. I wasn’t entirely hungry, but I guess nothing would hurt to have, right?
Estelle was the first one back with a salad in hands and ramen in a bowl and ready with it steaming. She sat down beside me and handed me the bowl of ramen.
“Thanks, Estelle,” I told her and she smiled.
“You’re welcome, Tanner-san,” She told me as she started to eat her salad and I started to eat my salad until a familiar voice came into my head.
She’s pretty… Where’d you find her?
I just blinked and replied to him in my head, instead of usually replying to him out loud, because I’d probably look like an idiot doing that.
Met her at the mansion. Why?
Oh, so cold to me, Tan-Tan? Anyways, that stupid festival is coming up. Why not ask the pretty one there?
Why are you giving me advice? Normally you just want to take over and do it yourself.
Yes… but I don’t have enough energy to do such. Why not do it yourself? I can tell you’ve been thinking about this on and off.
Yes, but my thoughts aren’t directed to you. And besides, what about the other girls?
Then whatever happens happens, Tan-Tan. Just do it before the other girls come around.
I blinked and sighed as I slurped up some noodles and Estelle continued to eat her salad until I swallowed and cleared my throat.
“Estelle, do you mind if I ask you a question?” Estelle tilted her head.
“What is it, Tanner-san?” Estelle asked and I thought of how I would ask her, but I couldn’t honestly think of any other way than just flat out straight to the point, I guess.
“I was wondering, would you like to go to the festival with me?” I said quickly and then some of my thoughts spilled out. “I mean… I know we just met each other and all, but would you like to go like… as friends? There’s no harm in that, right?” I chuckled nervously and she just looked from her salad and back to me as I waited a reply.
I had to sound like an idiot all the time, didn’t I?
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I kind of guessed at the kimono designs, but if anybody wants me to change them, just tell me, okay? :D Oh, and I hope that was okay with you, Naomi-chan! :D
~Anime-chan