Nyarth~
Included in this post: Raine, Xio
Time: Noon/Evening before the festival
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Okay, I’m sure they’re doing this on purpose, I thought as I played around with a tassel –covered fabric. Raine-san and I had come to this store to buy our kimonos and fabric. Me being a feline Pokemon, the dangley yarn bunches completely wrenched my interest away from anything else. I couldn’t stop playing with it as I waited for Raine-san to go around the store picking out fabric.
My ears swiveled and I jumped in my seat a little when I heard Raine all-but-yell, “Ch-Chigau!” She seemed flustered by something… I looked at her in thought. I wonder what kimono she’s going to pick out for herself? While still toying with the tassel, I started scanning the room with my eyes, taking stock of the whole store. There were countless kimonos on display and samples of patterns available for someone to pick out the pattern that was perfect for them. It wasn’t the right store, though, cus none of the kimonos had holes for tails. When Raine was done, we walked to another store that was definitely for gijinkas. The kimonos had Pokemon themes, and some on display were made specifically for a certain Pokemon.
“Nyarth,” Raine touched my shoulder to get my attention, “How about you look around a bit and go find your kimono?”
“Roger, nya!” I chirped and I started ruffling through the clothes. There were tags on the inside of the kimonos that told what Pokemon it was specially meant for. Quilava… Gengar… Hoppip… Froslass… Luxray!! I gasped in delight when I saw one with lightning bolts all over it. It reminded me so much of Lux-onii-sama. I decided to get this one, and I grabbed it and ran straight to the dressing room to try it on.
After dressing, I jumped up and down, peering over the racks of clothes to find Raine-san’s green hair. I saw her a ways off to my left and scurried over to her. “I found it, nya!” I felt so proud, and especially strong, wearing this. I couldn’t stop this huge grin from coming onto my face.
Raine looked surprised at first, then a soft smile registered on her face. “I’m sorry, Nyarth-kun, but I don’t think this one suits you…” she said.
“Whaaaa? But it looks so cool-nya! It makes me look like Lux-niisan!”
She came and pulled the shoulder of the kimono back up my arm; it had slipped off my shoulder, apparently. I guess this one was a biiiit too big… I admitted. “It’s better if you find something that compliments your special traits. You won’t look good if you’re not yourself, right?” She smiled as she said this and I looked up at her. She smiled such a genuine smile and then went to look at more kimonos. So… I’ll look good for the ladies if I act like myself? I wonder if Lux-onii-sama would say the same thing. I did want to get stronger though, but that wouldn’t be wrong to train, would it? I mused.
Raine came back holding a much smaller, tan-colored one with brown trim. Duh. Meowth colors. Honestly, I was tired of wearing tans and browns all the time. I wanted to buy something new.
“Something like this suits you better.” She offered it to me.
I thought so. Disappointed, I whined, “But, it’s so plain-nya…!”
“Sometimes less is more, though,” she responded. “And a flashy kimono would just draw attention away from the person wearing it. That would just lower your value, don’t you think?” She lightly put her finger on the tip of my nose. “The right kimono can let the real you shine through, and when that happens, then people will see how great you really are.”
How great I really am…?? Wow! Just the thought of people thinking well of me made me gasp happily. And it seemed especially flattering because she said it… “Wah… Really-nya?! Honest??” I guess if Raine-san says it’ll make me look better….. “Alright, then I’ll try this one-nya!” I ran back to the changing room and tried on this one. I looked at myself in the mirror before exiting, and I was slightly disappointed with it at first. I mean, I’m used to seeing myself in tans… I wanted to try something new for once. But I told Raine I’d try it, and how could that hurt? If I really didn’t like it I could just refuse the offer and find another one.
I returned to Raine and announced my presence. “I’m back, nyaa~!”
She seemed pleased this time, and smiled widely. “That’s perfect, Nyarth!”
She must really mean it. I can tell in her face. I was just so grateful that she took the time to help me get the right thing! “You mean it?” I guess this one isn’t bad after all….
“Yes. You didn’t say ‘nya’ that time,” she giggled.
I had hardly noticed, but she did… “NYA!” I blurted, my face getting hot again... really! What is this that’s happening…? It’s not hot in here at all… My ears perked at the sound of her happy laughter. It made me smile to hear it.
She hadn’t found her kimono yet, so she went off to look and returned wearing a white one with four-leaf clovers all over it. I gasped. The small bits of green in the fabric somehow brought out the green of her hair, and she looked more adorable than ever. I dropped the tassel I had found again and had been playing with while I waited. “Kawaii……” I breathed, blown away.
“Nyarth…?” She said worriedly, putting her hand up to her mouth.
“AMAZING-NYA!!” I finally yelled, and some people looked my way, stunned momentarily. “That’s the perfect one, nya!!” I continued, bouncing up and down.
“Aha… then I guess I’ll get this one,” She smiled.
On the way to the register, I saw a sign that noted that if you paid for one kimono, the other was free. I insisted on paying for both, and when she started to object, I said with a little more emotion, “You can’t! I’m a man-nya, and a man can’t let a lady pay for things like this! Men have to be strong, nya!” Oops… that last part came out accidentally… My heart sank a little when I remembered my dream earlier today. I looked down at the floor for a second, then remembered that I was in fact, paying, so I ruffled in my bag a bit and pulled out the money I brought. The counter was high up, and even standing on my tiptoes, my nose only just cleared the countertop. I scooted the right amount of money over to the clerk and we left the store.
On the way back, we came to an ice cream stand and Raine suggested she buy us each a cone. My ears perked up at the first mention of it. I guess it’d be okay… I can’t really turn down sweets!! We grabbed them and started chowing down on them on the walk back to the mansion. It was late afternoon by now. I trailed behind Raine a bit, trying to ponder on all that had happened today. I still didn’t understand what was happening. I found myself focusing my gaze on her tail as we walked, and I noticed something stuck on it near the base.
“Raine-san… you have something on your tail, nya…” I squinted at it as I ate the last bite of my ice cream cone.
“Wh-what? Really…?” She spun in place, trying to grab the intruder. She almost looked like a dancer, she turned with such natural easiness. “That was really… graceful.” I murmured under my breath, again amazed.
She obviously heard and stuttered, “Wh-What…? N-No, I’m not, I’m very clumsy… ah!” True to what she just said, she tripped over her tail and fell backward. Thinking quick, I dove forward to catch her. My first chance in my training! To be able to save mama before she falls! I caught myself— Raine, I mean… I got confused in my thoughts and memories. I wasn’t able to stop her fall, however… we both fell with the momentum and I think I bonked my head on something. I rubbed my head and opened my eyes. “Sorry, nya, I couldn’t-”
My eyes widened in surprise and shock. S…she was right there, her face only several inches away from mine, me kneeling on my hands and knees directly over her. My heart completely blew up. It’s like this electric bolt zapped it. I felt myself blush and as fast as I could, I jumped backward, a couple of feet away and scrambled on the dirt into a sitting position. W-what just happened?? I didn’t even.. and.. I was practically stunned but I managed to blurt out loudly, “I… I… I just remembered, I gotta go help Lupe-san with some cleaning, nya!” I scooped up the things I bought and ran as fast as my legs would carry me back to the mansion. I got away from the strange girl who caused weird things to happen to me, but I couldn’t escape the memories. As the cool wind hit my hot face, I knew I was redder than ever.
I needed help with this and I wanted training as well. I knew who I had to find. I flew through the front door and saw Xio-san fast asleep, sprawled on the couch in the living room. I threw my kimono next to the couch and shook him awake. Usually I wouldn’t wake someone like this, but it’s an emergency! “Wake up-nya! Please!” I urged anxiously.
He instantly broke into a scowl, even with his eyes closed. He grumbled, “What is it… don’t you know better than to wake a man from his rest, kid?” He took a deep breath, stretched, and sat up on the sofa holding his head. “This had better be good…”
“I-I was shopping with Raine-san and on the way back she tripped and fell and I couldn’t catch her and she fell down and I fell down on top of her and our faces were so close and… and… and… If this is how it works with the ladies, it’s too scary!!! >/////./////<” I breathed, talking really fast. “Please-nya!! I have to learn how to be a man to impress her and be strong to be able to catch her so that that doesn’t happen again-nya!!”
He looked stunned at first, and then a little disgusted. “Why do you need to have feelings towards her? She is clumsy and rather weak….you need someone better.”
I didn’t think she was that clumsy… “I don’t know what’s happening-nya, but she’s really…”
He interrupted me. “Tch… find someone else,” he scoffed, and stood up.
I stuttered, “H-her tail, I mean. It’s fluffy-nya…” No, as much as I used to think that was the reason, I don’t think it was…
“Bad reason, kid.”
“You need to train me! Tonight-nya!! We both are cats so we can be up in the middle of the night and we can see in the dark,” I said anxiously. “Come on! You promised-nya!! What training do you have in mind for me?”
He grumbled and then said, “Agility and attack would help you out best…”
“Good-nya!! I need to be able to run fast to get aw—I mean… nya…” I looked down. Ooops, it came out again.
“Speak.”
I sighed. “I… I wasn’t able to run fast enough to escape the bounty hunters, and I wasn’t strong enough to save my mama...” I shook my head. “So that’s why you gotta train me-nya!!” I grabbed his hand with both of mine and started trying to pull him off the sofa. He did get up and we headed out the back door to the yard.
He took up a battle stance and said, “Okay, let’s see what you can do.”
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Whee! 6 pages! I loved being able to give Nyarth’s reactions to the deal with Raine… ehehe >w< Kitty-chan and I have created a monster. I’m sorry guys, he’s only almost 13 and she’s 18… but it had to be done. =ewe=
