In which theater kids turn to the dark side and Team Earshot fulfills a forgotten promise.
Chapter 13 – Cold Paws
by Cedsy“Not a particularly compelling lead. ‘They went through North Radiant Forest’ gives us basically nothing.” Rosemary haphazardly rolls up our mission flier and stuffs it in her bag. “We’d better hope the pay is good. We’re about due for a grocery run, after all~!”
I look back at her over my shoulder. “Only because you’re too lazy to go shopping.”
“Who said I have to do it? Can’t you send Hopper?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? He’s not our housemaid. He’s busy enough with the cooking.” I’ve continued helping him with the dishes the past week. Normally I can’t stand cleaning of any sort, but I realized the whole arrangement was a little unfair for him. I’ll gladly take the extra time alone with him, too…
“Then you should make a trip, Eri. You do have the biggest appetite.”
“So insanely rude! And no, I’m not big or strong enough to carry groceries for all four of us.”
My roommate sighs. “Guess we’ve looped back around to Hopper, then. You’re strong enough, right~?” And I thought I was difficult. Rosemary’s gonna work him to the bone.
He mumbles at my side, his big arms hanging dejectedly. “Can’t Samuel do it?”
All eyes turn to him, causing him to tense up. “…these claws aren’t made for that kind of thing.”
An expected excuse.
I know damn well that this is just going to end with Rosemary buying groceries regardless, so I’d much prefer we table this discussion for the time being. “Anyways, are all outlaw jobs this vague?”
“I mean, there’s always some tracking involved. There wouldn’t be much of a job to do if the client already knew exactly where the outlaw was,” Rosemary chimes in. “But this is some of the least I’ve ever had to go on. How are we supposed to track them with just this?”
“Found them.”
“Bwuhuh?” Rosemary stops in her tracks as Hopper speaks.
“Look.” He points to the ground in snow-covered ground in front of the forest, drawing our attention to the steaming footsteps leading in. “One of the targets is a Fire-type, right? Incineroar?”
“That’s the spirit, Hopper.” Samuel shook his claw on Hopper’s shoulder as he passed him. “Chat too much and you’ll miss stuff like that. You and I have the right idea.”
Taking the credit, as usual.
We followed the tracks at a brisk pace, as we only had so long before a fresh layer of snow coated them over. There was another set of steps that accompanied these warm ones, but it was hardly visible by now.
With our footsteps crunching in the snow like this, especially with Samuel’s boots, it’s unlikely that we’ll have the element of surprise on our side. We’ve already had run-ins with a couple wilds, but they weren’t much of a challenge. Still, we’re all listening closely for any activity. Not that my hearing is particularly good anyways. So much for Team Earshot.
“Arceus Almighty, how far did these two possibly walk?” Eri rubs her paws together and tucks them under her sleeves. “They must have quite thick fur to last this long. The Incineroar is probably fine, but their partner must be in agony.”
My paws stay warm with the help of some electricity, and the coat covers the rest, but it seems Eri isn’t so lucky. “Oh, do you want my help?”
“Hm?”
“Like this.” I reach over and tug at her arm, sliding my paw down to hers when she extends it. “Is that any better?”
“It is, but…” She sways back and forth, struggling to keep her eyes on me. “It’s a little embarrassing, y’know… especially during a mission…”
“Ah, the shame and fear of blossoming love stings indeed!” A, boisterous feminine voice calls out from the treetops.
“A-AH!” Her other paw wraps around mine as she pulls me in. “W-Who said that?!”
“Don’t let me distract thee, little lady! Take hold of thine love with open paws!”
Rosemary sighs. “Great, it seems today’s target is a voyeur.”
“Heavens no! I am simply…”
Eri’s face becomes cloaked in shadow, and I yank her towards me without hesitation.
“…a connoisseur of the fine arts!” A chubby feline Pokémon with gray and white fur lands gracefully where Eri stood. She’s adorned with lavish clothing, like a queen in a fairy tale, and carries large bags on her back. Between the weighty clothes and her… larger frame… it’s a good thing I pulled Eri away in time. “A romance such as yours is begging for the stage, but I’m afraid that today isn’t an audition.”
Releasing my paws and assuming a defensive stance, Eri speaks. “What are you talking about? A-And there’s no romance going on here, okay?!”
“Young love. How sweet.” The girl bares her fangs as she flashes a sly smile. “Unfortunately, I’ll be needing those accessories of yours. Nothing personal, sweetheart, just showbiz.”
“You wha-”
Before Eri can finish, the girl’s paw swipes at her neck and latches on to her scarf. As if on instinct, Eri’s paws wrap tightly around it, putting them in a tug of war.
“Impressive reflexes, but I’d be careful if I were you.” The girl pulls Eri’s scarf a little more, causing it to go taut between them. “One tug and we’ll have two scarves, and that’s a lose lose.”
“You pain in the…” Eri taps her foot and looks between the scarf and the girl. With a heavy sigh, she releases it.
“Good girl.” She turns around with the scarf in tow. “And with that I bid thee adieu. Perhaps our paths will cross again on the stage.”
Oh no you don’t! “Hey, give that back!” I take off after her. No way I’m letting this weirdo keep Eri’s scarf!
She looks condescendingly over her shoulder, locking onto me with slit eyes. “Hmph. Emilio~!”
“Of course, my fair lady!”
Huh?
“Hopper, behind you!”
I attempt to look behind as Samuel warns, but-
“HUP!”
Red arms with black stripes wrap around my chest. Their musculature is incredible. I’ve never felt anything like it.
“HAH!”
Cold wind blows through my fur as I’m pulled up and around, coming to an abrupt, face-first stop in the snow below.
“Unf!”
“HOO YEAH!”
“Hopper!” I shift my stance towards him, but Rosemary speaks before I can move.
“Eri, come on, she’s getting away!” The order is accompanied by a wave of her leaf as she runs towards the other target.
“But…” That suplex seems like it hurt, I don’t know if I can abandon him.
I hear Samuel sharpen his claws as he too calls out to me. “I’ll look after him, you go on ahead.”
“I-I’m good! Go ahead, Eri!”
…if Hopper says so. Gotta trust them.
“Bring it on, little mon! Grahahaha!” What a heel. Hopefully they’ll handle him alright.
Alright, eyes on the prize. “Come back here, you!” I dash on all fours after the Purugly with Rosemary at my side.
“Bring it on, little mon! Grahahaha!” My opponent taunts Samuel, tightening his hold on me as he shouts.
It’s not an opportune position, but if I can time things right…
“Why you…!” As Samuel winds up his claw for a strike, I immediately understand what to do. This Incineroar – Emilio – must have excellent reflexes. I can’t get a proper hit in like this, but I can try and open the door for my teammate.
“Fool! Your sluggish attacks are meaningless to one of my magnificent physique!”
Samuel scoffs. “Whatever you say, fuzzball.”
That’s my signal!
I grab hold of Emilio’s fur and expel as much electricity as I can!
ZZZZZT!
“Y-You…!” His grip on me loosens, leaving me momentarily limp in the snow.
“And more where that came from!” Samuel’s claw closes in from the side, slamming bluntly against his cheek with a satisfying THUNGGG!
“Ah! I’ve been had!” With a dramatic spin and a paw to the heart, our opponent goes down without any further resistance.
That… was surprisingly easy. “Samuel, are all outlaw jobs this simple?”
“I wish.”
I’m at last able to get a solid look at him. As opposed to his lavishly dressed partner, this one is wearing only a white tank top and admittedly gaudy striped shorts. A shiny gold belt completes the image.
“Hold a moment!” Emilio jolts up to a seated position, clearly feigning his knockout. “An outlaw, you say? They’ve granted such a damnable title to me?”
He doesn’t know? “You and your friend. Are they usually this oblivious, Samuel?”
“Definitely not…” He stares at our apprehended target with narrow eyes. “Hopper, you go after the others. I’ll keep an eye on this one.”
“Copy!”
“Catch me if you can, darling! Ohohohoho!” Ugh, they’re both heels!
Arceus Almighty though, she’s so fast! Even with the removed bulk of my scarf, she’s still ahead of me! And forget about Rosemary, she’s falling way behind. These winding corridors walled by dense trees certainly don’t help. Has this weirdness from Shimmering Mountain spread to the north and south sections of the forest now too?
And how does this lady do it? With that huge coat of fur and the veritable treasure trove of clothes on her back, she’s gotta be sitting at ten times my weight.
Wait, that’s it! The clothes!
Slowing my advance to free one of my forepaws, I charge and release a Swift aimed for her huge cloak. The beams fly to the oversized garment and catch it behind her, throwing her off balance.
“You insolent little…!”
“Rosemary, follow up!”
“You’ve… huff… got it!”
At my command, a flurry of leaves shoot past me and towards the cloak, slowing her even further.
That’s all the slow-down I need! Picking up my pace just a tiny bit is enough to catch up and yoink my scarf straight off her neck!
“N-No! My latest masterpiece!”
Sliding to a stop in the snow, I fasten my retrieved accessory around its rightful place. “Your masterpiece? This thing was a gift, you know! It’s mine!”
“Insufferable girl! I’d have put it to far better use than you!” She lowers her stance while she looks between Rosemary and me. “No matter, I shall-”
“Rosemary.”
“Yep.”
Without any elaboration needed, she follows my order to restrain the target with her roots.
“Oh, fie!”
Geez, how far do these pawprints go? That lady should drop the thievery and pick up cross continent running, clearly.
In the clearing up ahead – strangely in the shape of a rectangle – I spot three familiar figures.
“Hey, you guys good?”
They all turn their attention to me, two of them with looks of pleasant recognition and the other with a spiteful scowl.
Eri nods to the feline’s paws, which are cuffed by roots. “Yeah, we’ve got this one under control. Where’s the Incineroar?”
“Taken care of.” I cross my arms and puff out my chest in satisfaction. “Samuel’s hanging back with him. We’ll have to figure out how to regrou-”
“Hopper! Incoming!!!”
“Out of my way, pipsqueak!”
Wha-
“UNF!”
A warm wall of fur slams into my back, launching me face first into the snow at Eri’s feet.
“H-Hopper!” The bitter cold snow falls off my face as Eri lifts it, running a paw through my hair to remove the excess. “You okay?”
“Ptoo!” I spit out some snow to the side, taking care not to spit on my partner. “Yeah, I’ll manage.”
“Eyes up, lovebirds.” Rosemary shakes Eri’s shoulder, pulling her away from me. I just barely catch myself from another face full of snow.
She wipes her snow-sprinkled paw on her coat and looks upon our targets, one of them still trapped and the other trying in vain to lift her.
“How could this be so difficult?” He grunts and groans, straining to make any progress. “How could I be rendered so… weak…?”
“Pull harder, I say! We must away at once!”
I’ve had about enough of this farce. While they’re both occupied with each other, I slip behind the Incineroar and whip my tail at his ankle, tripping him effortlessly.
The snow melts around him as he scrambles to his feet. “Gasp! How could I have been bested by a mere Cinccino?!”
“’A mere Cinccino’, hm? Samuel, add a little pressure for me.”
“Copy.” A claw falls to the snow, laying beside the Incineroar’s head.
“Now, enough theatrics. What’re you two doing with all the clothes you steal?” I sorta hate to say it, given how much of a nuisance they’ve been, but they don’t appear malevolent. Just weird. I may as well give them the benefit of the doubt.
“’E-Enough theatrics’, you say?!” The Purugly frantically bounces back and forth in her restraints. “We could never have ‘enough’ theatrics! How dare you make such a suggestion?!”
“Now now, Mademoiselle Beatrice, perhaps they have a point. We, er… we are outlaws to them, after all.” Emilio’s eyes bounce between me, Rosemary, Samuel, and the latter’s claw as sweat-turned-steam rolls down his face.
His partner lets out a frustrated groan followed by a sigh of resignation. “So be it. We’re ‘outlaws’, are we? ‘Stealing clothes’, purportedly?”
Pain in the ass, this one. “Not ‘purportedly’. You stole my scarf right from my neck.” Time to turn up the heat. “I’m giving you a chance to explain yourself. Keep playing dumb and I’ll turn this interrogation over to someone far less sweet than I.”
“I was simply attempting to give the garment a purpose greater than adorning your pretty little neck.” Her eyes scan my body, fixating on my coat. It’s a really uncomfortable feeling. “Come to think of it, I should have made off with that coat instead.”
“I’d have your head if you so much as touched my coat, if my bodyguard didn’t get to you first.” I nod toward Hopper, who has picked himself up since our conversation began. “That aside, what ‘greater purpose’ did you have in mind? Is this some weird cult thing?”
She’s hardly paying attention to me, instead scanning Hopper. “A very heroic look… it would go perfect with that scarf… and those scars, goodness… he’s fit for the stage, yesiree…” His foot taps and a visible chill rolls down his spine. Guess I’m not the only one getting the creeps from this weirdo girl.
“A-HEM.”
“A-Ah!” She jolts up and locks eyes with me. “Not a ‘cult’ by any stretch of the imagination, no! For you see, Emilio and I are directors!”
…
“So you have to steal clothes… why…?”
“What’s a good stage production without costumes to match!” She shakes her head in self-approval, looking to her partner who does the same. “With the generous donations-”
Appeal to emotion. “Strike one. Not donations. Try again.”
Her feigned smile drops to a flat, frustrated frown. “W-With the clothes we were borrowing-”
“Strike two~! You never said anything about giving them back. Try again.” Rosemary chimes in this time, squeezing her leaf in mid-air.
“T-Tight, tight!” Beatrice rocks back and forth above her ankles, prompting Rosemary to loosen her grip. Didn’t realize she had this sadist side… “Fine, fine! The clothes we stole would provide joy to Pokémon the continent over! With my beautifully written drama and romance…” She turns to Emilio.
“And my expertly choreographed action…”
“We’d amaze audiences as a traveling theater troupe, stealing their eyes and hearts as the marvelous Cat Burglars!”
Beatrice, again, nods at her own plan. “Beautiful, isn’t it? Until you ruined it, you meddling kids!”
I didn’t realize it was possible to come up with a plan this stupid.
Samuel’s claw taps against Emilio’s neck, turning everyone’s attention to him. “Have fun pulling any attendance from the people you stole from. Could put on the best play in the universe, but everyone would still hate you.”
In place of a witty retort, Beatrice locks up and stares at Emilio, who does the same.
I feel my brow lower as I address the former. “Sorry, you two hadn’t considered this? Not even for a second?”
Their eyes shoot to me as I address them, but slowly drift to the sides after I match their glares.
Unbelievable.
With a deep sigh, Eri continues. “Alright, you two have illustrated that you’re more or less harmless, so the good news is that we’re not turning you in.”
Their faces light up, but Eri cuts their enthusiasm short.
“But… you’re obviously not gonna keep these stolen clothes. I’ll be confiscating and bringing them to Blitz’s Guild, who will redistribute them to your victims.”
Immediately, those relieved faces turn to pitiful frowns.
“If you want homemade clothes, I know some grannies in Bark Square who might help you out. Ask them nicely, or else.” Eri walks around them, picking up bags worth of clothes. She deposits one in my backpack for safekeeping. “I’ll turn you in on the spot if I see you on a wanted poster again, so keep yourselves out of trouble. Don’t abuse my charity.”
Emilio forces down a nervous gulp. “U-Understood, little miss! We shan’t forget your kindness!”
“You’d better not.” She waves us forward as she follows our tracks back to the entrance. “Happy trails.”
“H-Huh?!” Beatrice’s reply comes out as a squeak. “B-But… my restraints!”
“They’ll release before long. Don’t want you running after us. Consider it your punishment.”
I lean in and whisper in her ear. “Are you sure about this? Feels like we’re going too far.”
She shakes her head and responds without hesitation. “Yeah, it’s fine. A Fire-type like Emilio can burn those roots no problem. Worst case scenario, they should release by the time we leave. Right, Rosemary?”
The captor answers with a shrug. “I’m not even holding anymore. If she tried, she could pull herself out of there on her own.”
I feel a little bad, but that guy did slam my face into the snow… twice… so I guess it’s a fair punishment.
“I’m gonna make some hot chocolate. You three are welcome to it if you’d like.” Samuel didn’t wait for any formal response before beginning his stroll home from town hall.
Rosemary follows close behind him. “I’m gonna stop at home to check on our food. I’ll be making a grocery run right after, so put anything you need on the list~!” I knew she’d fold eventually.
“I think I put everything I needed, but thanks.”
Looking over her shoulder with a mix of frustration and playful mockery, Rosemary responds. “If Eri’s handwriting is half the list, then you two are pitching in extra.” Her head tilts back to normal, and she walks off with a wave. “Toodle-oo~!”
So that just leaves…
At my side, Hopper sits on the top step of the entrance. It’s still snowing, so I’d rather not move out from under this overhang until I know where I’m going.
Meanwhile, he stares blankly at the snow, his eyes following the handful of Pokémon walking along the street. Right, he’s still getting used to populated areas.
It’s weird, isn’t it? Not him, of course. Well, he’s sorta weird too, but that’s not what I meant. I’m talking about the weirdness of me finding him and dragging him along with me. I’ve known Pokémon who were kinda socially isolated before, but I’m pretty sure that I was Hopper’s first real engagement with society. The jerk squad doesn’t count, as far as I’m concerned. Does it feel weird for him, too? It’s gotta.
He seems well, though.
Static traces his cheeks as his partially agape mouth warps into a nervous pout. Slowly, those violet eyes lock with mine. “I-Is there something wrong, Eri?”
Shit, I was staring. “No! S-Sorry! Just spaced out for a second.”
An apprehensive smile forms in short order. “Right. I got a little lost in thought as well.”
Okay Eri, rebound the conversation! “Thinking about what you wanna do today? More Hiraga, I assume?”
As suddenly as it appeared, that smile returns from whence it came. “Not today. Someone checked out the next volume.” His chin drops to his paw as he returns to his Pokéwatching.
“O-Oh, that’s too bad…”
We’re plunged back into silence.
Be real, Eri. You know what you wanna do.
Yeah, I do, but it’s hard!
Why? You two live together, work together, and do dishes together. You went on that birthday date a bit ago, and you even slept on the couch together that one time!
F-Fine, okay! Whatever! Arceus, what is going on with me?
“Uh, Hopper?”
He goes stiff for half a second before turning to me. “What’s up?”
“Did you have anything else planned for today?”
His blank expression doesn’t fade. “I don’t think so. I was probably just gonna look for something else to read.”
This is my chance!
“I see, I see…” Play it cool. “If you’re not busy, do you wanna… uh… do something with me? Maybe? It’s okay if you don’t want to.” Bleh, where’s the cool and assertive Eri when I need her? Curse you Hopper, disarming me like this…
A moment of surprise is followed by an excited smile. “I’d love to! What did you have in mind?”
Shit, I didn’t think this far ahead! The snow limits our options, but it also provides a nice ambiance for a dat- day spent together. Would he be into that, though? He’s less insulated than I am, so I don’t want him to be cold while we walk. Oh, I could warm him with my tail! Wait, no, that’s too assertive! Don’t be a weirdo! Oh, oh! Snow! That’s it!
Eri presses a paw to her chin as her vision frantically darts around. Her eyes pop open one second, then narrow the next. Her mouth rapidly flips between a contemplative pout, a smile of realization, an embarrassed frown, and many more.
That’s the second time now…
“Eri? Is everything okay?”
“Yes! Totally fine!” She clears her throat and shakes the blush from her face. “I was thinking we could go make some mittens together! This snow doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon, so I feel like we could use them.”
More sewing stuff? It sounds fun, but… “Oh, that’s a great idea! I’m not sure if I’ll be much help, though…”
She stands tall and puffs her chest out, beaming down at me with a huge grin. “Nonsense, nonsense! With the Radiant Area’s prodigal seamstress at your side, failure is impossible!” Descending the steps, she grabs my paw and pulls me along. “Now come, my trusty assistant! Let us weave the fabric of history together!”
Her paw is freezing…
His paw is so warm…
“Paper? We’re making our gloves out of paper?”
Before me sits a stack of blank paper and a pencil, along with the sewing machine. My question earns a laugh from the towering staff member across the room.
“No, silly. That would be no good. Here, give me your paw.” I do as Eri asks, and she promptly presses it against the paper.
“Digits together.” Again, I do as I’m asked. Eri takes the pencil and steadily traces the area around my paw.
“Oh, hang on, you’ve got a big wrist. Gonna have to account for that too.” She pushes my forearm to the paper as well, tracing the area around it generously.
“Alright, now for the other paw!” And the process repeats itself.
When Eri’s all done with her tracing, she retrieves another sheet of paper and hands the pencil to me. “My turn!” Laying her paw out on the paper, she looks at me eagerly.
“So I just trace it?”
“Yep. Exactly like I did, alright?”
Tall order.
I lean over her arm and try to get a good drawing angle, but struggle to keep visibility with my big arms and my weird positioning.
“Hey, wait a sec…” With her idle paw, she guides my arms away and inspects my left paw. “You’re a leftie?”
“Leftie? What do you mean?”
Right, he wouldn’t know. “Most Pokémon write with their right hand or paw or what have you, but you’re using your left.”
“S-Should I not? This is how I’ve always done it…”
“No, no. There’s nothing wrong with it. Well, some Pokémon of old had superstitions that left-dominant Pokémon were ill omens. They’d put them on trial for stuff like illness and natural disasters as a scapegogoat. We’re past that stuff, though.”
He shudders as my grim words fall out, not-so-discretely switching the pencil to his right paw. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him that stuff.
“Hopper. Don’t change your handedness. Nobody’s going to put you on trial for it.” I move the pencil back to his dominant paw. “I’m curious, though. Was your grandfather a leftie? I assume he would’ve been the one giving you lessons in writing.”
His nervous expression turns to a blank one. “Grandpa had axes for hands.”
“A-Ah, right. That would throw a wrench in any attempts to write.”
That blank slate is overwritten with a cute smile immediately. “No, it would throw an axe in.”
I move from my position at the desk and grip the electric pouches on his cheeks, stretching them wide. “You dork.”
“I-Ith wath ‘unny vho!” My teasing leaves his words hardly intelligible. His paws wrap around mine and lower them. “It’s what Grandpa would probably have said.”
“Nineteen years old and you’ve already fallen victim to dad jokes. Arceus give me strength living with you.” It is kinda funny, though… Ugh, not me too! You’re corrupting me, Hopper! “Anyways, just move to the other side while you’re tracing. No need to stretch across me.”
With Eri’s paws now traced as well, she steps down from her stool and turns toward Prisca’s desk. “I’ll be back in a sec. You wait here.”
“Aye aye.” I raise my paw to my forehead to salute.
Her eyes flatten as she steals a teasing look at me. “At ease, Private Dork.”
She promptly rushes to her friend, and the two exchange a few whispers. After a few seconds, they both stare at me in silence.
Her paw shoots up. What???
She shakes her paw mid-air and they both nod towards it.
Uh, ok? I raise mine as well. Prisca holds back hysterical laughter, while Eri leans in and narrows her eyes as she inspects it.
Sometimes I’m not sure what Eri’s up to, and she’s quick to start teasing, but I really have zero clue what this is about.
After a few final whispers and giggles, Prisca offers her some sheets of fabric and Eri returns to our table.
“Should I even ask…?”
Eri stares at me with that familiar, unamused look as she settles back into her stool; a seat which stands taller than herself. “Don’t be so shy, she just needed a visual reference.”
“Kind of an embarrassing way to do it…” I blanket my words beneath my breath.
“Hush.” Her tail reaches up beside me and lightly taps my arm. “I don’t wanna hear a word about me embarrassing you. Prisca was insisting on pretty pink gloves, but I spared you from that fate.”
Spared me? Since when was Prisca in control? You’re my partner. I keep that comment in my head, though.
“Which color did you two decide on, then?”
A grin overtakes her sarcastic look as she sprawls her paws out on the table, releasing two sheets: one orange and one white. “What do you think?”
Orange and white, huh? “Which for which?”
“Well…” Her gaze locks to the desk and her face turns a bit red. “…I was thinking the orange for me and the white for you. You get my color, and I get yours…”
She’s taking this very seriously… “I see.”
“U-Unless you want something different! Just a weird little idea I had, haha!”
Oops, I should’ve shown more enthusiasm. “No, no! I think it’s cute. What’s the next step?”
“Cute…?” She locks up for a second before grounding herself by gripping the table. “Ah, the next step is, um, cutting the fabric! I’ll show you!”
After a little bit of cutting… “Alright! We’re ready to sew!”
“W-We? I don’t wanna mess mine up, though…”
He never changes. “Oh, enough with that. I’ll guide your paws for the first one, and then you can try the second one for yourself.”
“If you say so…” He pulls the sewing machine close and begins to layer his cut-out in it.
“Hold on, I’ll make it easier for you.” I pull out the huge, Hopper’s-paw shaped sheet and replace it with the far more petite orange one. “It’s smaller and a way easier shape, so it’ll be easier for a newcomer.”
His face drops as he stares at the machine. “Are you sure? I’d rather mess up my own then yours.”
“Positive, because I know you’ve got this!” He actually did well enough when we started work on Rosemary’s fleece, so I’m not just saying this to be nice. “Now, scooch in.”
He does so.
“And give me your paws.”
Again, he complies with no hesitation. I guide his bulky arms beneath the machine, taking care not to let any fur in the needle’s path. With the flick of a switch, the needle begins to pound.
“Just let me guide you through this one. Pay attention to how I do it, and don’t let the needle cut you.”
His silence serves as affirmation.
A design this simple is effortless for me; the only challenge is keeping Hopper from injuring himself. Surprisingly, his paws aren’t shaky at all. Beginners usually get a little shaken up by the whole needle thing, but he’s coasting along with me just fine.
“Ah, all done!” I flick the machine off and guide his paws away from it, retrieving my now complete left mitten. As expected, it slips on my paw like a glove. Because it is one. “Hey, not bad. Good work, team!” I stretch my covered paw to him, and he slowly reaches to complete the high-five.
“Wow, it looks professional! You did a great job!”
I squeeze his paw and wave it back and forth, surprising him. “No, we did a great job. You did the outline and helped me sew, lest you forget.” After releasing him, I set up the next mitten in the sewing machine. “But now you’re gonna do a great job. You ready?”
His eyes flicker between determination and anxiety, but the former wins in the end. “R-Ready. Let’s do this!”
“That’s, uh…” Eri attempts to put her paw through the second mitten but finds herself unable. “…everyone starts somewhere.”
This is the most embarrassing moment of my life. “You can, uh, do it yourself if you want…”
“No chance!” She whips out her response instantly. “You’re gonna learn, even if I have to keep Prisca here with us after closing.”
“Please don’t.” The girl in question calls out from the edge of the room, but is ignored by Eri.
Before I know it, she’s already done cutting out some more fabric. “Here you are, sir.”
“Okay, okay. One more try.”
CLICK…
CLICKLICKLICKLICKLICKLICKLICKLICKLICKLICK-
“Better, but this one’s sewn too tight.”
And I made this one too roomy…
“Not enough room around my wrist for this one.”
Crap, I put the opening on the wrong side for this one.
“There’s a hole on the side of this one.”
He slumps over as I reject yet another mitten. “This sucks. I suck.”
“No, you don’t suck. And no, this doesn’t suck. Practice makes perfect.”
His tired paws run through his ragged hair, which he pulls back into a Ponyta-tail. He ties it back with his armband and promptly removes his jacket. “You mind holding this for me? I gotta focus.”
“Whatever helps you, seamster-in-the-making.” I hold the black garment tight, admiring my handiwork. I’m glad it’s been working out for him.
He sure is lucky, this thing is so soft that I could… fall…
No! Stay awake, no matter how long it takes! He’s so focused, after all. I gotta stay supportive.
Wow… he looks good with the Ponyta-tail. I also like the shaggy look, though. Maybe I should convince him to let me style his hair, find some kind of compromise between the two styles.
After an eternity of more failed mittens, I remove yet another from the machine.
Eri and I have fallen into a silent routine at this point. I make one, hand it to her, and she tries it on without a word. One sentence is paid to the inevitable mistake I made, and then the cycle begins anew. Speaking of…
I hand it to her.
She tries it on.
…
She stares at it.
Her paw flexes.
She moves her wrist every which way, testing it for comfort.
…
“What’s wrong with this one?”
…
“Eri?”
…
She presses her paws together, closely analyzing both mittens.
With her mouth agape, she gazes into my soul.
“…nothing. This one is perfect.”
“Huh?”
“You did it! This one’s great! Just as good as the first one!”
I look closely at the mitten. It looks fine, but… “No, no, there’s gotta be something wrong with it, right? Are you sure it isn’t-”
“Perfect is perfect, Hopper! It’s seriously, for realsies, 100% perfect!” She hurriedly pulls them off and shoves my jacket back at me. “Which means it’s my turn. Get ready for the best pair of mittens you’ll ever wear in your life!”
I carefully run both of Hopper’s mittens through the sewing machine, paying extra attention when dealing with the wrists. They’re complete in minutes.
I slide his mittens across the table and re-equip mine. “Thine mittens are ready.”
“Thank you, Beatrice.” Ah, it appears I caught the theater kid virus.
He raises his covered paws, and I must say that I did a mighty fine job with these. Between the jacket and the mittens, he’s given full coverage. They appear snug, but not tight.
Suppose I should ask the man himself, though. “So? How do they feel?”
He mimics my earlier movements to gauge their comfort. After a moment, he forms a fist and pumps his arm. “Incredible! Thanks a bunch!”
“Thank you for doing this with me. And for your fine creations, of course. Maybe next time we can make some hats to go-”
Wait… hat…?
“To go…? You good?”
Her neck slowly cranes to the ceiling in sync with her mouth falling open. When both have reached their apex, she snaps back to normal and leans toward me. “Hat! Hat hat hat! We never made a hat for that Ariados, dude!”
“Oh my goodness, I totally forgot!” Gosh, that was so long ago. I’m surprised she remembers at all. “Are you thinking…?”
She nods. “I mean, we’ve got time. It shouldn’t take me too long.”
The sewing needle weaves through a cut sheet of lime green fabric, as close as possible in color and style to the one that Pachirisu wore. Hopper sits at my side, resting from his job well done.
Oh, right, I meant to ask… “Hey, Hopper, I’m curious.”
“Hm?”
“When you were sewing, you didn’t seem very nervous about the needle.”
He lifts his head a little from his sleeves. “Should I have been?”
“No, not necessarily. It just surprised me. Most newbies get psyched out by it. I know I did back in the day.”
His eyes drift to the needle, but I don’t get a good look at his expression. Don’t wanna lose focus here. “Well, I’ve had to deal with needles before. When I was little, I got stitches on my chipped ear. And I guess I don’t care too much if I get cut by it. What’s one more scar, right?”
Bad answer. “Don’t think about yourself that way.”
“W-What way?”
“You’re downplaying your injuries. A scar is a scar; you shouldn’t let yourself get used to getting them.”
“I guess, but-”
Nope, no excuses allowed. “You’re not getting any more so long as I’m around, got that? You’re remaining at five scars and a chipped ear for as long as you live.” Wait, I feel like I just said something kinda loaded…
His head sinks back behind his sleeves, and he replies with a hushed, simple, “Thank you…”
We cut behind the library and through South Radiant Forest. Thankfully, the sun was still up by the time we left the library. Only got a little longer, though.
Our footsteps crunch through the snow, piercing through our otherwise silent walk. The hat came out quite well, but our enthusiasm from earlier has largely faded.
Is it just because we’re in a somewhat dangerous area? I don’t think so. We can probably handle whatever comes at us in here, and we haven’t run into any wilds yet.
No, I think Eri and I are sharing a different, much deeper concern.
“Um…” Her faint voice is the first heard in several minutes. “I think this is about how far we were last time, even if the terrain is a lot different.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” I look around. My memory isn’t the best, but it seems familiar enough. It feels like we’ve walked about the same distance, too. “Should we call for it?”
“Couldn’t hurt.” Her usual confidence is nowhere to be heard. “Uh… ARIADOS! ARE YOU THERE?!”
Guess I’ll join her. I cup my mittens around my mouth and shout. “ARIADOS! WE HAVE YOUR HAT! SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG!”
The shouting continues for about a minute, but nothing appears.
Eri slumps over. “No dice, I guess. Wanna head home? I think the hat should fit on you, too.” She reaches up to put it on my head, and-
PSHOO!
A nearly imperceptibly tiny needle pierces through it, applying enough force to push it out of Eri’s paws and into the snow below.
“M-Maybe it’s here after all…” My eyes shoot around the area: a narrow passage dense with trees on either side. “Eri, do we have Pecha berries?”
“No… I didn’t think we’d need them…”
We inch closer to each other, soon bumping arms and taking position at each other’s backs. “Should we get out of here?”
“I…” She’s usually so confident when issuing commands, but not right now. “Not yet. Let’s see if it shows up. Keep your eyes peeled.” The words give an illusion of composure that’s absent in her tone.
Seconds fly by. Then a minute. Maybe more.
I keep blinking to a minimum, scanning my entire field of view slowly and carefully.
To the left…
To the right…
To the left…
To the righ-
Purple streak!
As fast as possible, I whip my arm to the side, summoning Swift beams to track my target.
Just like last time…
dink!
It connects.
H-HISSSS!
Another poison dart shoots past my head, whipping the air up beside my hair. The detected Ariados leaps from cover.
Its eyes are vacant.
Putrid mucus falls from its mouth.
Its horn points to me. It’ll fall upon me within a second.
“Eri!”
My partner snaps me from my daze. At the last second, I spin him towards my attacker, sending him into a jump.
THUK!
His foot connects with its bulbous body.
THUD!
It flies straight into a tree.
CRSH…
Hopper doesn’t land on his feet, instead falling side-first in the snow.
I silently move to pick him up. He hangs an arm over my shoulder as he stumbles to his feet.
The Ariados’ shaky limbs struggle to stand, and it falls limp.
“I-Is it…?”
He shakes his head. “No, don’t worry. I just knocked it out. That wouldn’t kill it.”
I step past Hopper and stand at its side. With my paw to its body, I can feel faint movement. Hopper is right.
More mucus pours from its mouth.
“It… it didn’t…”
Ares’ speech echoes in my mind. Is this also because… because of…
White fabric comes to rest upon my shoulder, shaking it gently. “Let’s leave the hat with it. Not much else we can do.”
I fight to keep my composure. “Y-Yeah. Let’s…”
Hopper hands my creation off to me, and I affix it atop its head. I got the size just right.
“I hope that he likes it…”
“I’m sure he will, Eri. We did our best.”
That warm, white fabric curls around my paw. I grip it. I grip it tight.
CRSH. CRSH. CRSH. CRSH.
The crunching snow is the only sound in the world as we walk home.
Thanks for reading!
Hoo, after so much action it was nice to bring the fic back to a little slice of life, even if the ending was a little bleak. The next chapter is a big one, so I wanted to get the fluff out of my system while I had the chance.
I hope you’re enjoying Act 2 so far. Look forward to the next chapter!
0 Comments