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Meeting Team Crossroads: An Encounter With Rene Part3
Third part up and it's a long one! After talking with Nigel and Meghan, now Rene spends some time with Floritt!
Madness! Pure madness! Flee for your lives!
Madness! Pure madness! Flee for your lives!
Category Story / Pokemon
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 146 kB
&&&
Rahne LaPries, one of René’s teammates, poked her head in not long after Meghan departed. “Is he sleeping?” She quietly asked Floritt. The smeargle looked up with a slight look of surprise -- watching René sleep tempted her to follow along with the nap idea for a moment.
Floritt kept her voice as low as Rahne's. “Tink so. He a heavy sleeper?”
“Oh yes.” Rahne smiled. “Watch.” She gently tickled the back of René’s ears. He grinned and shifted a little, but did not stir. “Is that uncomfortable for you? Having him there?”
Floritt cuppped her hand to her mouth as she giggled at the sight. “Nah. I've dane dis plenty o' times wit my lil' brothas.” She gestured to Rahne with her head. “Ya want t' sit down?”
“Thank you.” Rahne sat down softly for fear of breaking the bench. “What do you think of René?”
Floritt grinned. “'E's cute! ...oh, wait.” Her grin faded some as she remembered what just happened a few minutes ago. “Ya mean like...overall? Well, 'e got a good heart. Just needs mo' muscle behind it, if you be gettin' my meaning.”
Rahne nodded. “It's okay. We've had that coming for...well, awhile anyway. It's just...hard is all. I mean, for most of the time THIS is how I see him.” She explained as she stroked René's head. “He's like my little brother. What's it like for you when your younger brothers try giving you orders?”
Floritt grinned again. “Dey usually dun't, 'cuz I oft'n kick deir butts alot -- I've a Fighting-type family, so dat's how we sometimes decide on tings. 'Cerse, wasn't like dat at ferst. I took long time to even be able ta out up a fight, let 'lone win. Da fact dat I'm a Normal-type didn't 'elp. But me Papa never gave up on me, me big bro Hakim would root fer me an' me Mama always kept pickin' me up an' saying "you're stronger dan dis, you pick yourself up and get stronger!" and soon 'nuff, I learned ta earn me place.” She looked down at René once more. “But dat the point. 'E can still be yer lil' brotha...but dat dun mean ya should be too easy on 'im, else 'e won't grow strong like 'e supposed ta. An' Big Sis wants 'er lil' bro ta grow strong, right?”
Rahne nodded. “Yes...you're right. Still, doesn't mean you can't enjoy them when they're cute and little, hmm? He really likes it when you rub his head.” She added with a smile.
“Well, dah, 'cerse ya can!” She said as she stole a rub between his ears. “And anyway, da problem ain't when yer just hangin' like dis aftah-class, yanno...” René smiled happily and cuddled closer to Floritt.
“He's so sweet.” Rahne said fondly. “Did you really mean it when you said he was cute?”
“'e's a lil' sweetie, yes.” Floritt nodded.
“Isn't he though?” Rahe smiled for a moment, but then it was gone. “You don't find it...strange? Having someone our age act like this?”
Floritt tilted her head some as she took Rahne's words into consideration. “Now dat you mention it...yeh. 'Cerse, I dun like ta assume tings out loud.”
“He...well, René has emotional issues.” Rahne explained. “His mother's been in a coma for the last eight years and his father...” Her nostrils flared as she got uncharacteristically upset. “Well, my father may have a drinking problem but he STILL isn't as bad a father as René's. The poor boy's been craving attention and loving for years.”
Floritt looked like she would become almost physically ill after that description of René's family. “Oh, mon...oh, dat's awful! Dat explain so much...” She gave René another scritch behind the ears “Poor ting....”
“I know...” Rahne sighed. “Thanks for being so sweet to him. He really needs it.”
“It not a prob, 'mon! Really! So, ah, if I c'n ask...wot do you tink...'bout wut 'e did befo'?”
“When he set us straight? To be honest...I was a little hurt at what he said, but I know that it was harder for him. I'm proud of him. Heh, if Sam where here she'd say 'That I'm proud of him for being able to stand up to someone...and not wetting himself.'” Rahne said ruefully.
“I wus nervus when he said it. Meg be pushy, it work fer 'er, but I wasn't so sure it wus a good move to use on René 'ere. Good ta kno' I was wrong, tho'.” She gave another scritch behind the fox's ear as a reward of sorts. “Sam...dat da Scyther, roight? You sure she took it well? I wus th' most nervus wit' how she reacted to dat speech.”
“Sam...has authority issues.” Rahne understated. “She just needs some time to cool off and see that she needs to treat with René with SOME respect. He's been more than fair to her. She looks all mean and menacingy...but she won't make things hard for René. Who can stay mad at--well, that?”
Rahne pointed at René as he grabbed Florrit's tail and hugged it to his face with one hand and started sucking his thumb. “Oh well, dat's good --...that? Not so much.” Floritt pointed out as René held on to her paintbrush-like tail. It's was an adorable sight...that was quickly made awkward and a bit hilarious by the fact that, since she was training a while ago, she had her tail-covering removed (a simple plastic bag)...which means René's face was now a lovely shade of purple from the Smeargle's natural paint. It's odorless, but still sticky.
Rahne giggles a little. “P-poor René. Only him.” She rubbed his head fondly. “I have to go...do you think you could—?” She pointed at René's face.
Sure...once he wakes up an' notices, of cerse!” Floritt snickered.
“Okay, bye! Would you mind if you...you know, let him sleep for a while? I think he needs it. Thank you.” Rahne said as she got up to leave.
René stired a little but didn’t actually wake up. He just murmured. “Where'd everyone go?”
Floritt gave Rahne a nod and a small wave goodbye. Not noticing that René’s eyes were still closed, she answered: “School's ovah, so most ev'ryone's gone home by now, mon.”
René yawned but still rested his head on Florrit's lap. “Darn. I wanted to thank Meghan. Maybe if she needs a babysitter sometime for her sister, I could volunteer.” He nuzzled his head against Florrit's leg and unconsciously grabbed her tail again. “So tired...”
Floritt blinked in surprise at the answer -- or rather, at getting an answer at all. “Giess he knows Sleep Talk.” She murmured. A touch louder she added, “I tink she'd like dat. An' I tink Maggie'd like meetin' a new face fer a change...” She giggled. “'cerse, you might want ta wash yours ferst.”
“Hrrm?” René didn't understand Floritt's advice and was still half-asleep. He twisted a bit. “My dad's friends with a guy who owns an art store. I can get you free art supplies...my way of *yawns* thanking you for...letting me nap.” He started to drift back to sleep. “Your accent is really cute. You've got a nice voice...tell me a story?”
“Not what I, er...heh. Nev'mind. An' dun werry 'bout it. You wanna repay me, you just stay right dere an' lemme, uh...brush you off dere.” She tried to wipe off as much of the paint off his face with her hands without waking him up. “A story, a story...what kin' of story you want ta hear?”
René smiled at her touch. He’s fond of tactile contact. “Hee...any kind. Story 'bout you.”
“Hmm, 'bout me? Well...heh, I danno, mon, Ain't good tellin' stories, I better at dancin' dem -- me an me family, we do performances fer people togetha'. We dance, we fight...we even won couple Contests, tho' nuthin' big. 'Cus we tink our skills an' strength should help be lead ta happiness, not sufferin'.” Floritt paused to pull the tip further away from René's hands so he wouldn’t get anymore purple, grabbed a nearby rolled-up towel to dab lightly at his snout and clean him up. “Dere we go...”
“I bet you dance great...my mom used to dance a little.” René murmured. He wrinked his muzzle a bit at the touch. “That tickles!”
“Hee, thanks. I rather you told me dat while I in action, tho'.” She said as she gave another pat on the nose with the towel. “You ever dance with yer mama?”
René grinned in his sleep. “Yeah...she was really *yawns* graceful...and beautiful. I miss her. She used to rub my head, right between my ears when I slept...it made everything better.”
Curiously, Floritt slips her hand a bit closer to the spot between his ears and caressed him gently there. “Like dat?”
René’s grin grew a little wider. “Yeah...right there. Hmmm....”
“He. Cutie.” Floritt looked about and then leaned back on the bleachers and slowly closed her eyes, her hand still rubbing the little fox on the head.
René mumbling, half asleep. “Really?”
“Yeh, really.” Floritt answered, mumbling as well at this point.
“'k.” René fell back asleep. As the two of them nodded off, Sam walked back into the gym. Smiling she took a camera out of her bag and snapped a picture. Floritt cried out in fright at the sudden click-whirl of the camera.
“HEY!!” At Floritt’s sudden start, René rolled out of her lap and onto the floor, brusing his...pride.
“OW! What the--?!”
Sam couldn’t help snickering.
“'EY! WOT DA BIG IDEA, MON?!” Floritt protested.
“Just having some fun is all.” The scyther girl rolled her eyes. “Yeesh. I thought people with Jamaican accents were supposed to be mellow!”
Floritt grumbled. “You try bein' mellow when you jest got woken up wit a...izzat a camera?!”
Sam grinned. “Maaaaybe. No, wait...Yes. Yes it is.”
René moaned. “Oww...I think I landed on my head.”
“Aw now why you got to go an' do dat?” Floritt looked down at the poor little Vulpix flat on the ground with purple streaks still stuck to his face and grimaced. “Sorry 'bout dat.”
“No problem. I'm not bleeding.” René assured her as he put a hand to his head and looked at it. He blinked when it came away purple. “Then again...”
Floritt rubbed her eyes awake and then reached down and wiped at his palm. “THAT would be me.” She said weakly, the dripping paintbrush-tail curling over to René’s line of sight. “Liter'lly. Sorry.”
“How'd that happen?” René asked, not recalling any memory of sleeping in Florrit's lap.
Sam just snickered. Floritt blinked. “You were just, uh...sleepin'. On me lap. An' ye hugged me tail...eheh...”
René turned three different shades of red. “I did what? Oh my god I am SO sorry. Geez...Sorry.”
“Well, uh, THAT part ain't too bad...” She gestured towards Sam…and the camera.
Sam looked at them. “What? You want to see a picture? Good thing this is digital.” She handed it to them. “René, you really are too cute for words. Right Flo?”
Floritt cringed “Not what I meant...” She gave the picture a look regardless...and cringed more at the sight. How come no one told her she drooled while she slept? She asked herself, while conceding that René DOES look funny there, though.
“You've got a little, uh, something on your chin.” Sam told René, pointing to her own chin for emphasis.
René looked mortified. “Excuse me ladies, I'm just going to bury my head under the bleachers and not come out again. Good day.”
“Nooo ya don't, you cleanin' yer face off and yer not gunna let dis get to ya!” Floritt gave Sam a rather disappointed look.
“What?” Sam asked. “I was just playing around! You guys looked cute.”
When René heared this he got down on his hands and knees and stuck his head under the bleachers, the rest of his body still sticking out. “I'm not coming out!”
“Picked a fine time ta do dat, tho'.” Floritt said to Sam. “ ...and you stop dat!” She added to René. If he didn’t stop, Floritt resolved that she was just going to randomly pick two of René's tails and pull on them to drag him right out from under there. “You two gotta talk!”
“I'm not moving!” René said defiantly.
“You are mooning though. Sorta.” Sam shrugged.
“Come on, you come out 'ere or I paint yer bum an' ask Sam ta take 'nother photo of you!” Floritt threatened.
“You wouldn't dare! I'm not moving!” René announced.
“I'm countin' ta three, mon! One...Two...”
“Lalala I'm not LISTENIIING!” René called.
“Okay, den, dat how it gonna be...” Floritt said as went up to Sam. “Fine, I'm sorry fer snappin' befo'. Whut you tink, maybe paint a Tauros-eye on his bum or mebbe a smily face?”
“You're the artist.” Sam snerked and raised the camera. “Go for it.”
“Last chance, René!” Floritt warned him. “Yo git outta dere roght now or else yer cute bum is gettin' a makeover an' a glamoor shot!” René however was too stunned by the 'cute bum' remark to respond. Floritt sighed and shook her head. “Guess dis IS how he gotta learn...” She sat down with her back turned and let her tail do the work. Soon Sam would have a cute purple heart-shaped bullseye to take a picture of.
Sam snickered. “Tail on tail action! Sorry, couldn't resist.” She quipped.
René giggled a bit. “Hee! Hey that tickles! Quitit!”
“Did I mention I'm work on the yearbook?” Sam asked rhetorically as she snapped a picture.
“Da yearbook? Really? ...yer not putting THESE pictures in it, are you?” Floritt winced. Sam simply smiled enigmatically and snapped one more photo of René’s rear. Then Floritt turned back to René again. “I paintin' yer whole bum next if ya dun come out!”
“All right, all right! I'm, I'm...I'm stuck.” René groaned.
Floritt groaned too. “ ...oh, mon. Ah, you mind?” She gestured for Sam to grab one set of tails while she grabbed another. “On three?”
Sam joined her and grabbed another set. “One...Two...THREE!” They pulled.
”OWW!” René yelped as he popped out fell back on top of Floritt and Sam. “I think I hurt my butt...”
“OOF!” Floritt yelped as she fell flat on her back as René laid partially right on top of her. “An I tink yer bum hurt MY bum, you silly!”
“Sorry.” He crawled off them. “I hid under the bleachers to prevent talking about how I humiliated myself by sleeping in your lap like a baby...and now I only humiliated myself further by getting my headstuck under the bleachers and getting my butt painted purple. And now I think I'm gonna humiliate myself more because I think I'm gonna—” He wiped his eyes as tears fell down his cheeks again.
“Aw no, René, dun do dat...” Floritt frowned and gave him a hard look. Nowhere near as intimidating as one of Meg's, but it gets the point across. “Dun cry. Ya can't get strongah if you cry over sometin' like dis. An ya can't lead a strong team doin' dat, either.”
René bite his lip, but still sniffles. “Who else but me has to get over having a purple butt?”
Without missing a beat...and a hint of embarrassment in her voice, Floritt replied. “Ev'ryone in my team at least once?”
The answer was so unexpected that he let's out a giggle. “Really?”
“Yah, 'mon. Really'.” Floritt sighed. “Also. you 'member th' locker incident from a while back...?”
“I thought Boris was looking more purple than usual that day.” Sam commented laconically.
“But he's not on your team. I mean, really, how many painting accidents could you really have with them?” René asked.
“Let me put it dis wae: It a good ting dis 'appened aftah school hours or I'd been in ditention again. See, I gots ta keep da tail covered when in school, unless I be trainin' or in art class.” Floritt admitted. “...an you want ta hear 'nother embarassin' ting? I be doin' terribly in art class, actually.”
“You do bad in art? No way!” René scoffed. Floritt’s tail knotted itself in discomfort.
“I only get a passin' grade Mr. Wells’ class. Dunno why but I dun tink he likes me very much. As fer other Smeargles...I dun really know dat many other Smeargles. I dunno, I dun feel like I can 'relate' to 'em. An’ while I do like art, of cerse, it not DEIR kind of normal art, even tho' I once had a teacher compliment me once in dat I prolly stay truer to me ancestor's roots than most other Smeargles nowadays!”
“If you're having trouble, why not just put some canvas' all around you and dance? Let your body do the work. You're good at dancing right?”
“Say I've got an idea...have you ever considered surrounding yourselves with blank canvases and then put on different types of music--classical, rock, country or whatever--and dancing to them? See what you do artistically when you dance to them and paint with your tail?”
Floritt blinked. “Really? And, hmm, nev'r thought of dat befoar! Not a bad idea! 'Cerse, I use reggae to dance to, mostly...and not just 'cuz of th' obvious. See, the particular of da pure reggae sound is 'xactly dat of a heart beat, which keeps me mellow an' focused. 'Cerse I have me phases and pick fastah sounds fer when I want mo' adrenalin in me werk - ya eva 'ear DJ Trebel da Chatot's latah stuff? Stuff like dat. Once I even managed to hook meself up wit' dese pahticular kinds of Pokeblocks dat 'ave da weird side-effect of makin' me tail glow in da dark fer a while. I got me a blacklight, put on some Trebel, and just dance an' spin da night away as if in a nightclub (well I tink - nevah been ta one). Sadly I dun do dat as much as I'd like, cuz dem 'blocks gimme a bad tummy ache da next mohnin'.”
“You're the first mon I know of to tell me that her butt can glow in the dark.” René drawled.
Blinking a bit, Floritt laughed. “...Beheheheheheh! Now now, t'aint like der ain't plenty o' 'mons whose tails already 'ave a light on 'em! 'Eck, Meg's tail does!”
“See? This is why you're in charge, you have clever ideas!” Sam encouraged René. “Plus you're a good cuddler. Right Flo'?” She teased.
“--err, uh...” Floritt coughed and blushed. “Yeh, he is....but der mo' to dat ta be a good leader, tho'! And also a good leader's only as good as his team an' stuff. I like Meg an' I wanna help my team however I can, so I werk 'ard to do so! Not sayin' I'm dat good, of cerse, but yanno.”
Sam smirked. “Come on...I've cuddled with him, you let him sleep on your lap. You've had ample chances to gage his cuddlyness. And I work hard too ya know! I'm the best fighter on the team!”
Floritt sighed. “Fine, you right 'bout dat. An' I ain't sayin' you dun werk hard, but...mind if I ask, du YOU tink René got wot it take to be a good team leader?”
“I'm, uh, just gonna go wash the rest of the paint off my face.” René said suddenly wanting to not be here for this. “Be back in a sec.” He headed for a bathroom.
After he left, Sam turned back to Floritt and looked a little hurt. “'Course I do! Whoever said I didn't?”
“Well, ah...” She watched René go off to clean himself off. Good thing too, she can't guarantee that stuff won't stick for a while if not treated fast enough. “See, I...kinda got th' wrong idea from when 'e did dat speech befo' dat you didn't agree...”
“So I'm a bit snarky, what about it? What, you think I don't care about him? You know what he's like, heck you let him sleep in your LAP for crying out loud! Do you really think he can--or should--shoulder the responsibiliy of being a leader all by his lonesome?”
“ ...not by his lonesome.” Floritt corrected. “Dat wut worried me, actually, dat if you guys didn't accept 'im tryin' ta take his job seriously, well...”
Sam shrugged. “Fine, so we get carried away sometimes. But--not trying to sound like a broken record here--you saw what he's like. Sometimes the impulse to just cuddle him gets kinda, well, powerful. Wait.” She held up a hand as René walked back in with most of the paint off his face. There was still a smudge on his nose.
“Did I get it all?” He asked.
“Well I kno' dat, but--...” Then Floritt snickered suddenly, “Yer nose, René mon.”
“Huh? Where?” René ended up getting cross-eyed as he tried to see the spot on his nose.
“You better help him out.” Sam smirked before adding in a whisper. “And give him a hug would you? He really likes the attention.”
Floritt blinked and with a shrug got up to follow Sam’s advice. She thumbed the purple paint off his nose with one quick wipe and then gave him a nice, tight hug.
René looked at her. “Why're you—” He trailed off as he got into the moment, hugging her back and resting his head on her shoulder.
“He's a big sweety isn't he?” Sam smiled.
“He is cute.” Floritt nodded.
“Cute?” René squeaked, blushing.
“You broke him.” Sam observed dryly.
“Well, he is!” Floritt defended herself. “...wait, he rather be called a he or she? I never found dat out.”
“You can call René he.” Sam answered. “He wants to be a girl but he isn't going to live in denial by forcing people to call him a girl. He does like wearing girl's underpants though.”
René cleared his throat. “Speaking of which Floritt can I borrow—”
“NO.” Floritt answered flatly and firmly. “Not like you'd want ta, anyways. I sleep eitha' in boxers or in da nood.” René went red faced.
“Too much info Flo.” Sam drawled.
“Whut'd I do?” She blinked.
“You talked about yourself. Being naked?” Sam explained. “René can't handle thoughts above a 'G' rating.” Her pointed was made as René blushed even harder.
“Seriously?” Floritt shrugged. “Whut da big deal? I kno' some folks who still leev in all-nude colonies! An' it not like I got anyting ta be ashamed of, right?”
“I don't know. DO you?” Sam wondered.
René snapped out of his embarrassment and defended Floritt. “Of course she doesn't! She's adorable! I'm sure she looks great nak...” He broke off, slack-jawed as Sam snickered. “You set me up!”
Floritt laughed and laughed. Then an evil smirk formed as she got just the right answer for René's comment. “Well, tank ya, René. I'm sure you look great naked too!” She grin evilly. “...an' I bet Sam 'ere does as well!”
René blushed horribly from head to tail tip. Sam just crossed her arms. “Damn straight I do! There's nothing hotter than kinky bug butt!”
“Oh god...” He looked ill.
Floritt giggled some more. “Like 'e wasn't red an' hot 'nuf already 'cuz of bein' a Vulpix...”
René fairly danced from foot to foot in embarrassment. “Girls, STOP! Pleeeease?” He whined.
“Hmmmm....Sam, should we stop?” Floritt asked her co-conspirator.
“Fine.” Sam rolled her eyes. “He’ll probably explode at this rate.”
“Seriously, you think I’m cute?” René asked Floritt again in disbelief.
“Hee.” Floritt grinned as she gave René a grin and sneaked a kiss on the cheek. “Stop askin' me dat an' I promise ta give ya 'nother one. Okay?”
René blushed crimson and squeaked, “Kay.”
Sam cooed. “Awww...his first kiss! How cuute! Seriously though, you think he has a cute butt?” She asked, enjoying making René squirm.
Floritt pecked René on the cheek once more before pulling away. “Ok, now you two are bein' silly. I tell you whut, you both c'n stop by my place sometime an' I be makin ya sum supper. Howzat?”
Sam whispers in Floritt’s ear. “Better idea. You've got a big family right? Cool mom, lots a brothers? René--obviously--is starved for attention, being an only child and only having a jackass for a dad. Why don't you have him come over and let your mom smother him in the affection he's been wanting?”
Floritt gave Sam an odd look. “It not a bad idea, but I dunno, It a biiiig family alreadeh. I'd need time ta talk it ova' wit da folks, tho' it shouldn't be TOO bad an idea...”
“How many brothers you got again?” The scyther asked. “Are you the oldest kid? And don't worry, I wont come...I'm a fighting type. I'd just kick your brothers butts and be forced out before dinner.” She smirked. “René, I know, would really appreciate it. He hasn't had a home cooked meal in years.”
“I, ah, got one olda brotha an' two younger brothas, an we 'elpin' take care of a Sneasel friend o' mine. So we pretty full up as is...Dat said, if René need serious 'elp, der should be no prob! And you stop dat, you invited, too!”
“You took in a friend of yours? What's the dealy-o there?” Sam asked. “And it's okay. René needs the attention.” For emphasis she pointed at René, whose was rubbing his face again Floritt's shoulder.
“Eh, bit offa long story, dat.” Florrit shrugged. “Soffice ta say, 'es got some pretty bad famileh problems, too.” She giggled as René’s snout and fur started tickling her neck “Now now, dat tikles, you!”
“The price of being fluffy.” Sam shrugged.
“No kiddin'.” Floritt said as she gently bit on of René’s ears causing him to squeak. “Dat's enuff, you!”
“Anyone looking would SO think that you two are an item.” Sam smirked.
Floritt blinked. “An item of wut?”
Sam covered her eyes with her hand. “Nevermind...You'll have to excuse René...he gets kinda clingy around girls he likes.”
“...ooooh.” Floritt realized as she looked down to René. “You like me, mon?”
René blushed and buried his face in Floritt's neck. “SAM!” He shouted.
Sam waved her hand dismissively. “Not like that. René get's emotionally attached to girls who are nice to him. He likes being treated like a kid, doll, plaything, or whatever. It's the whole being accepted as a girl thing. When you do it he clings to you like a limpet. It’s ALMOST like a crush, but there isn't really any romantic feelings there. He does this a lot: Ask Weaver. He does this to her too. The only girl he really LIKE likes is Nicole Zune from Team 16...and of course he's too scared to even talk to her for two minutes without babbling.”
“Oooooooh! Hee, dat okay, I dun mind. As fer his problem wit dis Nicole, mebbe...” She patted René on the head. “Mebbe I c'n 'elp? Not so mach tryin' ta play match-makah or anyting like dat, but mebbe help you get strongah so you c'n talk ta 'er?”
René squeaked in embarrassment. “...I guess so. How though?”
“Well, ya lear ta be a leader, like Meg taught you! Only dis time you gonna be facing otha people 'sides yer teammates! And I cheery you on, so what do yo say, mon?”
“I think...I may faint again.” René swooned.
“Noooo you don't, or yer gonna be completely purple dis time!” Floritt threatened.
René swayed on his feet. “I'm good, I'm good...no I'm not.” He fell over. “OWww...” Floritt sighed and kneeled down to take his hand and pull him back on his feet.
“First lesson, René mon? Girls like it when you don't faint on 'em!”
“Don't I get points for being endearing?” René asked. “And...I get nervous a lot. I can't help it!”
“It stops bein' endearing if you overdo it. And dat's wot I wanna help ya wit! If you learn ta be confident, you'll be able ta do lots of tings without fainting like dat!”
“You should see what happens when he has to do a report in front of class.” Sam chimed in.
“Not helping. Okay, what do I do? How experienced are you in this stuff. I mean, do you have a crush on anyone?” René asked.
Floritt blinked in surprise at that question, and stepped back. “Well, ah...I know people who have, dassit! Yah, ah, I am firm believah dat anyting can be aquired with bit o' willpowaa an' strength!”
Sam deadpanned. “In other words, no.”
René looked at Floritt sideways. “I dunno, I almost sounds like she's trying to cover up a crush she has. But what do I know?”
“...way mo' dan ya give yerself credit fer...” Floritt mumbled.
“Beg pardon?” René blinked as it sunk in. “OH! You mean I'm right? Dish! Pleeeease!”
”Oh lord he's in 'girl-talk' mode...you might as well tell him Flo otherwise he'll start wanting you to paint his nails.” Sam groaned.
Floritt shook her head. “NOOOO, me lips be Seels, mon, you no gettin' a peep otta me!”
“Pleeeease?” René begged. Sam shook her head and sighed.
“Allow me...” She walked over to Floritt and gave her a quasi-apologetic nod. Then without another word she lashed out with her claws and starts tickling.
“What're you--HAHHAHAHA NO, HAHAHAHA STOPPIT HAHAHA NOT GUNNA TELL NOOOO HAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Floritt fell back on the floor, tears falling from all the laughing. René, mortified, just buried his face in his hands.
“I can't take her anywhere.”
“Gaah, gahh! HAHAHAHA stop HAHAHA I geev I geev! I'll talk! Just lemme go!” Floritt begged Sam.
“I thought so.” Sam said triumphantly as she stopped. “As the vulpix said: Dish.”
“Well, mon, yasee...I'm sorry, but no!” The smeargle made a break for it right then and there! René used Quick Attack to beat her to the door and barred it with his body.
“Not getting past me!” He announced as he hooked his arms into the door handles. Then he pleaded wit Floritt. “Please? Don't you trust me?” He used the dreaded doe-eyes plus lower-lip pout to guilt her.
“--ehh?!” Floritt screeched to a halt, not actually thinking René would go to these lengths to get her to talk. No, not the Quick Attack, that's not that much of a shocker for him to know. The puppy eyes, though...
“Aw, mon...aw mon no, why you gotta go do dat ting wit yer eyes like dat...no...” Floritt looked away, trying not to let the cuteness overpower her. “Look, it not dat simple. It...it not really a crush, anyway. It like, he be a guy I admire alot an when I finally find a guy I'd want ta have as me soulmate, I'd want him ta be like 'im.” She gestured to the purple footprint on her back, maded visible by the fact that her shirt was backless. “Da one who gave dat ta me. Me brotha', Hakim. He a good 'mon, a good Hitmontop. He da only one of me bros who's age is closest ta mine. We grew up togetha' as best friends fo' long time. I got otha friends an' best friends since, mind, but he was da first...and even tho he's me bro, I care fer 'im deeply. But it a siblin' love, not a real crush. Guess I'm no good to help ya der aftah all...”
René’s eyes were shining when Floritt finished. “Awwww....that's,” René sniffed, “So sweet! I wish I had a sibling like that...you and Meghan are so lucky to have siblings that care about each other so much…” He wiped his eyes.
“And this was so hard to admit why?” Sam asked. Floritt glared at her.
“Mebbe 'cuz it personal?” She sighed, then softened up a bit at seeing René's reaction “Heh. You da secon' person I know who's told me dat, René.”
He wiped his eyes. “Who the first?”
“Charla, if ya c'n believe dat. She an only daughter, so.” Floritt shrugged.
“And you are sweet you know.” René dared to add. “I wish I had that close a bond with, well...anyone really.”
“Heh, tanks, René.” Her stomach rumbled. “...mmm. I'm hungry now, mon. An' I tink most of da school be empteh by now, mebbe we should be goin'?”
“Sure. How about we go grab a bite at McVoltorbs? My treat.” René offered.
“Werks fer me! Whut ab’ou you Sam?” Floritt asked. Sam shook her head.
“Nah, I’ll be heading back to my dorm.” Sam shook her head. “I gotta do some cramming. See you around René. Floritt.”
“Bye Sam.” They waved goodbye as they made their way out
“She’s weird.” Floritt said to René as soon as Sam was out of earshot.
“Look whose talking.” René quipped as they made their way off the school grounds.
“Yea, th’ one who be wearin’ bras fer a reason!” Floritt shot back.
“Why do you tease me?” René asked her suddenly. She shrugged.
“It be fun, mon! 'Cerse, mebbe if you fought back somehow, I might reconsidah...” Floritt said as she wagged her tail at him.
“Don't point that thing at me. It might go off.” René sniffed stiffly. That just made Floritt wag it some more out of spite. René reached out and grabbed it. “I'll tie it in a knot, so help me, I will! Or even...” He smiled as he started rubbing the length of her tail.
Floritt started blushing immensely. “H-hey...quit dat, it sensitive...!”
“Ah-hah, so now the tail turns!” René crowed as he started tickling it as Floritt burst out in gales of laughter.
“Ahhh...ahhh, no, ahahahahaha!”
“Brought this on yourself Flo, you know that?”
“René, stoooop , dun be ticklin' me dere! It not—” Floritt started to explain even as her tail suddenly lashed out and smacked him in the face. “...safe.”
René rubbed his cheek. “This is one annoying appendage you have.” He grabbed it and snapped her tail like a whip at Floritt's own posterior. Then he made good on his threat and tied it into a loose knot.
“--HE-HEY!” She protested, furiously. “Oh, DASSIT, MON! YA DO NOT MESS WIT DA TAIL!” Floritt tackled him.
“Eek! Sorry! I'm just getting sick of ending up purple! Oof! No offense Flo but could you please get off?” He begged.
Floritt growled. “Fine, buty yer untying me tail ferst!”
“'Kay.” René said meekly. Apologizing as he untied her tail. “I'm sorry...I thought we were just goofing around and--I took it too far.”
“Good.” Floritt nodded. “By da way?” She poked René in the nose. “Gotcha.”
“Bwah? Huh?” He asked, baffled. Floritt just giggled mysteriously. It failed at the mysterious part and just ended up being goofy. She even snorted for a moment. “Just teasin', mon. Gotta stick to yer guns more.”
“B-but...ARGH!” René gripped his head. “You keep tricking me, you goof! It confuses me!”
“Oh when are you NOT confused, René mon?”
“I'm not confused when I saw tha you're an oversized kid and a pain in the tails...all six of them!” He shot back. Then he sighed and started smiling. “But you're still cool.”
“Hey, at least I just act like a lil' kid, unlike some 'mon I c'n tink of!” Floritt teased.
“If I’m the kid, why am I the one paying for lunch?” René asked rhetorically as they entered McVoltorbs. Floritt had no real answer for that. It wasn’t long before they had their food.
“I haven't eaten out inna long time!” Floritt said as she and René took their seats.
“I eat out a lot myself.” René said as he paid for their meals. “I can't cook anything edible and my dad isn't the type to make meals...not that we eat together in any case. We can barely stand each other's presence most days.”
“Oooh, dat not good, mon! You waste mo' money eatin' out instead of cookin', plus it mo' satisfyin' an' healthy!” She said as she wolfed down some fries.
“It's his money mostly so that's actually an incentive to eat out.” He shrugged. “I don't always eat junk food you know...and you've got some ketchup on your cheek.” René smirked as he wiped it off with a napkin. “You eat like a rapidash.”
Floritt giggled. “Thanks. Yanno der ARE bettah ways ta get even with yer dad than just wasting his money on food...”
“I'm open to suggestions...what's YOUR dad like?”
“Short answer, you make yerself a bettah person dan 'im. Be strong, be smart, be the Vulpix YOU want ta be an' work on provin' im wrong dat you ain't a baby, ya ain't a fool. As a bonus, ya make yer mom proud.” Florrit shrugged. “My dad? He a good 'mon, talented 'mon. Back in 'is day, he was a fightah, fought in da big tourneys. He met mom dere. Fought her dere. Lost to her dere. Married 'er dere later on, then 'bout when dey first had Hakim he retired and got into performin' in Contests an' tings, means ta keep his talents sharp without riskin' having his new famileh losin' deir dad. An' 'e's still with us, so he doin' someting right!” She took a bite from her meat wrap. “An' jest fer da recerd, I love me dad. He a crazy Hitmontop just like Hakim...crazier, prolly, since he a crazy 'top who da father of five.”
“Easer said than done.” René sighed. “Your dad sounds cool though. Can I ask you a personal question though? How'd you get adopted?”
“Erm...” Floritt dipped her fry thoughtfully in a wad of ketchup. “Dey wanted a girl, dat much I know as ta why. As ta why me? ...would you believe because dey saw me drawin'?”
See, I dun sit still to use me brush when I actually AM doing normal Smeargle marking, I dance. I spin I trip I sway, I move to da beat me tail takes. I figured me tail it a part of me, so why shouldn't I be puttin' in my whole self in me work? An' it was while I was mussin' da murals at da orphanage dat dey saw me, and dey picked me out dere. Dere were arguments at first, of cerse, dat dey shoulda picked a Fightah so I woudn't have so much trouble with dem...but I dunno, guess I did someting right 'cus I got adopted pretty soon aftah dat. I once asked papa what made the decide and he just said, he said "'cuz yer moves are of dat of an artist but yer spirit's dat of a Fightah."”
“Wow.” René looked suitably impressed. “That's pretty amazing stuff. Would it sound insensitive if I said that I've often thought adopted kids were lucky in a way? They KNOW their parents wanted them and loved them. I know my mom loved me...but my dad wasn't interested in me until my mom's accident, when he realized that--for better or worse--I was the only heir he was going to have.”
You know, I once heard him talking on the phone to his PR guy wondering if there was anyway he could divorce my mother without looking like a complete and total bastard...though he still wanted my mother's money signed over to him of course.” He added bitterly.
Floritt bite into her fry as if secretly wishing to be biting someone's finger off instead. “Dat's just dispicable, mon. Had I a darker heart I'd ask if der'd be any way you can disown HIM! Simply dispicible....”
René gave a sad smile. “Thanks Daffy. I appreciate the support, but I've known what he is for a while now. In my more morbid thoughts I wonder...did he sponsor my team and force me to become the leader in the hopes that I'd become more like him? Or in the hopes that I'd fail and humiliate myself, which he'd not mind at all.”
You know, since the media blitz surrounding my mother's accident died down, he hasn't visited her ONCE? In nearly eight years? They're still legally married but somehow I doubt that he's...faithful, if you know what I mean.” René grimaced, clearly uncomfortable.
Floritt ignored the Daffy remark, liking her ketchup too much to want to waste it on René’s smart-alec face. “Ehh, I figered much. And I am honestly not serprised dere, dat e'd tink dat just because his wife won't notice he c'n cheat on 'er like dat. Not saying he IS, jest dat it woudn't serprise me...” She paused. “Altho'...René, serly you have grandparents or someone in yer family you could also look to fer help, jest in case?”
René looked down. “I have no one...my mom's folks are gone. She was an only child they had relatively late in life. Same thing with my dad, only I think my paternal grandparents died young.” He forced a smile. “You may want to cut back on the ketchup there...you look like a vampire after a buffet.”
Floritt wiped some ketchup off her snout with her tongue and gave a quick wipe of her napkin. “Sorry, René. Nnn, no wonder you've had such a hard time of it...da media ting I bet not helping much...”
“Well, it waxes and wanes.” He sighed. “Most kids at the PCA don't even recognize me, partially because my looks have changed and because my mom is more well known by her maiden name, Kitsunegari. And you missed a spot...how the heck did you get ketchup between your eyes?”
“I dat talented, mon.” Floritt remarked as she wiped at her brow with the napkin. “And you lucky in dat sense, at least. Yer mom still at least respected in dat sense, despite da tragedy. Let's just say I kno' some who aren't as fortunate. Not dat dat's very comfortin' ta kno', sorry...”
“Respected? No, you misunderstand. Every other tabloid likes to dig up new 'information,' who she allegedly slept with, other people claiming to be her kids, that she was on drugs, that she was murdered, that she's a scientific experiment....it's disgusting!” René looked ill. “Sure, sometimes the respectable press will run a story about her…and try shoving a mike under my nose.”
“...nngh.” Floritt winced. “Sorry. I jest assumed, since I dun actually read tabloids. Ironic, considerin' who one of me teammates is.”
René winced at the reference to Charla. Floritt titled her head but didn’t press him about it. “Oh and bye the way.” René added casually as reached over and flicked the last bit of ketchup off her nose. “Ping!” The smeargle girl blinked and wiggled her nose as the ketchup stain was flicked off. “You act like such a kid, you know?” René grinned.
“Oh, like you one ta talk 'bout actin' like a kid!” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Is that right?” He came right back and blews a raspberry at her.
“Yeh dat's right!” She gave him a raspberry right back at him.
René waggled his fingers behind his ears and rolled his eyes “Nyah! You’re even more of a kid than I am!”
“Oh yeah? At least MY face isn't purple!” Before René could ask further, he'll found a certain paintbrush-tipped tail aimed straight at him, threatening to do just that.
René’s next words were noticeably lighter. “Do you always shake your rear at people to threaten them?” He asked dryly.
“Well it IS me specie's prime weapon. It like you expect a Mawile ta use its jaw-horns, or a Pikachu ta use its electric moves.” Floritt shrugged. “But no. Not always. Sometimes I also do DIS!” In one swift motion the tail was pull aside so she could reach over and tickle-torture René for a change.
“Heehahahaah! Haahaaaheeek!” René squirmed.
“Say unca', mon! Say unca!”
“Heehee, nevah! Hahaaha!”
“Say it or I tickles with da tail, too!” Floritt threatened with a grin.
“NOOO! Yaayou wouldn't!” René gasped.
“You want ta tryyyy me?” Floritt asked in a sing-song. René raspberried her in response. This time though, Floritt was ready for it. She gave him a grin and tapped his tongue with her tail. Good news, it was non-toxic. Bad news, it doesn't exactly taste like grapes.
René ended up laughing and gaging at the same time. “Ewww...heeheek!” Floritt gave him a very satisfied grin and handed him his drink.
“yer gonna need dis, René mon.”
“Yuck! It tastes like old gym socks!” René complained as he downed his drink. “Like I said before, you ARE a child!”
Floritt giggled. “Well if I'm da child, whot does dat make you?”
“Your baby-sitter.” René answered promptly as he wiped her chin with his napkin. “Show me your hands. I bet they're filthy.”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Show them right now missy!” He insisted as he took a napkin and starts scrubbing her cheek. “You're simply filthy!”
“Oh, fine, fine, 'ere!” Floritt relented as she held out her hands. René grabbed her hands and placed one on her head and other on her stomach. “I've always been curious whether or not you could pat someone else's head and pat someone else's stomach at the same time.” He smiled.
“...I ought to smack you fer dis, mon.” Floritt said, but clearly didn’t mean it.
“But you won’t because you're too nice and I'm too cute.” He grinned confidently as he hugged her and used the opportunity to balance the bag of food on her head.
“Not dat cute, mon!” Floritt bursted his bubble as said bag was then put on top of his head. She then popped open the lid of her drink and downed a couple of ice cubes. “So whut yo doin' next?”
René looked at her oddly as he removed the bag from his head. “...You actually EAT ice?”
“Hmm? What's so weird 'bout th—” She gaves the Vulpix a look...then it clicked. “Oh. Right. Fire-type.”
“It's so...weird.” René blinked. “It's like you. Cute but weird.” Floritt amused herself by making the ice cube pop out of her mouth for René to see, to see if he would squirm, which he did. “How did it not melt in there?” He wondered as he idly poked at it.
“Me body's tempeture ain't high enough ta toste me bread aftah I eats it, maybe?” Floritt guessed as she pulled it away before he pokes it, then puts it back out when René removed his hand. Like Whack-A-Diglett, only the Diglett was an Ice-type and living in her mouth.
“Didn't your mum ever tell you not to play with your food?” René smiled sadly, really wishing he had someone like her around to make meals more bearable at home.
“Yeh, but ice ain't food, it just ice. ‘Sides she ain't here.” Floritt snickered. She eventually did eat the ice fully once it was melted enough. “...you okay, mon?”
“Hmmm?” René asked. “Oh sorry, it's nothing.”
“Dun make me tickle it outta you. An' I WILL, 'cuz you guys did it ta me alreadeh.” Floritt smirked.
“Sensitive type, are you?” The vulpix sighed. “I just keep thinking how really great it would've been if I had someone like you to grow up with.”
“Aw, mon...it not like it too late, yanno. Yer what, fifteen?”
“Sixteen...yeah. But what can I do? You can't be part of my family life...heck I'm not even sure if the word 'family' is one I can still use!”
“Family dun have ta be related to by blood. Trust me on dis one.” Floritt assured him.
“Well yeah but it's not like we live together or anything.”
“...why, yo want ta?”
“Gu...wha? Well, uh, I kinda sorta guess so...yeah.”
“Well...ta early to say now, but who know lat'r on, right?”
“Riiight. It's still nice to dream.” René sighed as he daydreamed about living with Floritt's family...the love, the food, the siblings, having a sister so he can borrow her underwear without going into stores and getting funny looks. Floritt just watched René quietly while he daydreamed. Eventually he noticed her watching. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Whut? Yer cute when yer daydreamin' like dat with yer eyes almost half-asleep.” Floritt said innocently.
“Do you have to do that?” René blushed with a moan. “What would say if I told you that you had a cute butt?”
Floritt just blinked. “I'd say, ah...tank you?”
“Oh, uh. Well...you do. Of course I couldn't help but notice since you kept waving it and your tail in my face...” René commented.
“As da song says, shake whut yer maker gave you!”
“Yeah...Well with all my tails it's all I can do to stand up! They get awfully heavy! But you are very graceful and cute...I say that in a platonic, brotherly way.”
“Heheh. Same 'ere, mon. Same 'ere.” She grinned. René gave her a hug. Then he smirked and blew a raspberry on her neck.
“EEP! You lil' sneak!” She exclaimed.
“At your service m'lady!” René said as he flicked her ears.
Floritt's doglike, floppy ears twitched when they got flicked “Heeey!” She protested as she flicked his ear right back. René flinched but wasn’t deterred.
“Can't do this with my ears.” He pointed out as he took her ears and flopped them up and down. When Floritt’s ears were up she went ‘Aaaaaaah,’ when they were down she went ‘Ooooooh.’
“Aaaaaaah…Oooooh ...Aaaaah…Ooooooh…Aaaaaah…Ooooooh...Aaaaaah....Ooooh...” Floritt went.
“I can do this all day.” René grinned. “In fact, I think I will.”
“You do an' I keek you, mon.” She threatened.
“No fair! You have big feet.” He protested.
“Tee hee!” Floritt laughed. “Yanno, it a shame our teams won't be competin' in da tests dis year. You'd be fun ta compete wit'!”
“Really? Why?”
“I'd have mo' excuses ta use me tail on you, fer one!”
“Oh.” That took a second to sink in. “....Hey!”
“Heeheehee! See? DAT'S why it'd be fun!” Floritt exclaimed.
“...So you could beat me up? That's why it'd be fun?” René asked.
“Nooo, not like dat...” Floritt shook her head. “Fightin' ain't bout beatin' someone up! You c'n learn alot 'bout a person when ya see 'em in action in a ring, givin' it all their heart an' soul. Aftah all, me mama an' papa fell in love dat way...”
“Sam's great at evaluating a person by watching them fight...I'm not that great at fighting though.” He said. “What was your best fight?”
“Best fight?” She asked, “All me fight's have been good ones! Hopefully, da one we be havin' wit Team Pearl soon's gonna be a good one!”
“Hmmm...Are there any moves that aren't allowed in the arena?” René wondered.
“If dere are, I haven't heard of 'em...”
“Ah.” He smirked. “So there's no rule against tickle attacks? I'll have to remember that if I ever go up against you.”
Floritt answered hesitantly. “I tink one of da teachers said Tickle was recently made official as an actual attack couple years back, so *ulp!* yes...” René said nothing, he just grinned evilly…or as evilly as he could manage to pull off.
“Seriously, though Floritt, I really want to thank you for…everything. Would you like to go shoppin sometime?”
“Ah, sure! I'm not much offa fashion followah, tho'...” Floritt noted.
“It doesn't have to be for clothes.” René pointed out. “It can be for anything: Books, music, jewelry, gifts for your family, anything. I just...really appreciate having you to hang around with, you know?”
”Oh, really?” Floritt asked. “'Cuz I like jewelery...”
”What kind?” He asked her. “Earings? Bracelets? Necklaces? Rings? I'll gladly take you shopping. Maybe pick up some gifts as an early birthday gift.”
“Any of dose, really. I like bracelets, tho'!” Floritt answered. “Who's berfdae?”
“Uh, no one special.” René lied. Then Floritt remembered what he’d said earlier about Nicole Zuna, of Team 16.
“Ohoooooo! Now how was it ya put it...oh, yeh. DISH!”
René blushed and stammered. “ I-It's noth-nothing really!” Floritt’s response was expressed through her tail, which lingered threateningly over her shoulder, emulating that of a Drapion's or a Gligar's. The dripping purple paint even looked more venomous than usual thanks to the way she held it.
“Teeeell.” Floritt said in a sing-song tone of voice.
“B-but...” René asked, his knees knocking under the table.
“Te-eell.” She sang again.
Defeated, René groaned. “Oooooh, all right! Her name is Nicole, she’s a sophomore like me. She's a Nidorina, her mom was a famous fighter--even fought in a charity match with my mom as a partner--and has a stuffed ponyta named Mr. Tony. She's a bit of a tomboy and an excellent fighter. I...just like her. You know, in a way that's different from you Weaver and the other girls I get attached to. I LIKE like her.”
“Ohoho, sounds like you two already got lots in common!” Floritt observed. “Why you gotta be all nervus 'bout 'er?”
“Because she's so cute and cool and...I'm not. She isn't exactly that big on the whole dating thing. She loves fighting.”
Floritt suddenly gave René a very, very enigmatic grin. “Who said datin' an' fightin' 'ave ta be mutualy exclusive?”
“Uh, what do you mean? You're starting to scare me...” René gulped.
“Remind me 'gain, yer fightin' 'er team durin' da tests, right?”
“Yes...” He admitted slowly.
“Whut bettah way ta approach 'er dan in 'er own element? Ask her out durin' da match!”
René sat ramrod still, flabbergasted. “Excuse me for a moment.” He mumbled as he took a sip of his drink, and promptly did a spit take. “Are you nuts?! Why on Earth would she go for that?”
“You just said she was big on fightin' right? Den whut bettah way ta communicate yer feelings fer her dan thru yer fists?” She responded.
“But I'm a pretty average fighter and she's...phenomenal. She'll kick my butt and think I'm a loser. Besides....how can I hurt someone I LIKE like that?”
“Yer not trying' ta hurt her, yer tryin' ta show ta her you can can keep up with 'er pace, give 'er a challenge, treat her as an equal in battle! An it dun matter if ya win or lose, what matters is dat you give it yer all, body an' soul. A good fightah will see dis right away and will respect it, no matter whut. And you gotta take advantage of dat fact so you can talk to 'er!”
“You say everything like it's so easy...anyway, the point is that well...how do I just pop out and go 'hi, I've hardly ever spoken to you before. Will you go out with me?'” René asked.
“You trust me, mon. Once you out dere puttin' yer whole on da line, keepin' up wit' 'er? You'll be too pumped up ta fear anyting, even dat. Me dad even told me once he was always shy wit' girls and dat it wasn't 'til he met mom during a match that he finally built up the courage needed to say hello. An' why? 'Cus for that brief moment, he didn't see a woman, he saw a respectable fightah...and dat gave 'im da strength he needed to ask her out....'cerse, he was a complete wreck durin' da actual date, accordin' to whut mom said. But she was so endeared by him tryin' to make tings work out she kept along with 'im...an' it seemed ta hav' werked out, else I woudn't have had brothers. Or I a home.”
René smiled weakly and shook his head. “Well if it worked for your folks I guess I could give it a shot. Thanks.” Screwing up his courage, he planted a kiss on her cheek. “You're the best.”
Floritt blushed a little. “Now now...tank me aftah ya be takin' heed of me words durin' yer fight! It a shame I gotta train with me own team dis weekend or I'd train ya m'self!”
“I'll work it out...somehow.” René sighed as he hugged her. “Love you Flo--like a sister.”
“You do dat. And I be rootin' fer ya.” She hugged him back. One of the other diners just rolled his eyes and called out:
“Geez, get a room!” René and Floritt flinched and hastily separated.
“...I tink we done eatin' 'ere…” Floritt said sheepishly.
“Yeah, we should go soon...” René mumbled as he took a sip of his soda.
“Okay, 'den. Where to?” Floritt asked. René giggled and then sang a little ditty.
“Let's all go to the lobby! Let's all go to the lobby! Let's all go to the lobby and have ourselves a snack!”
Floritt just burst into laughter at the song. “Oh dat...dat funny. An' I tink I might have had too much ketchup to tink that so funny!”
“Sam says I get a bit goofy when I have too much soda.” René chortled.
“...I best not talk.” She answered. “All me bros say dat among ta top three opponents dey'd never fight in deir life, numbuh two on da list is their sistah aftah havin' one too many sweetened Pokeblocks!”
“Oh god, you on a sugar rush?” René felt his eyes widen. “Yikes! You'd either have more manic energy than usual or would be so sweet you'd give everyone cavities.”
“Well, da place got free refill fer soft drinks, you wanna find out fer yerself?” She offered.
“Let's. I bet I can drink more than you!” He bragged.
“Oh, now you gonna be outtin' yer money where yer mouth is, kiddo?”
“Right back attcha.” René returned. He got up to go to the counter and when he returned he had a tray full of soda
“Hooboy, what'd I done...oh, well!” Floritt shrugged as she grabbed a soda.
“Ready...set...GO!” And the two were off. Floritt grabbed two cups and put a straw in each and slurped both down at the same time, doing similar with the next pair. She did stop to breathe every now and then (and to burp -- no room for mannerisms in a sugar rush contest!) but with her speed it's hard to tell at points. And René was downing his drinks at a respectable pace. This was anyone's game.
Before long, Floritt soon stood up on her chair after she had a few more drinks than him and grabbed her tail, turning it into a makeshift microphone. Then she started to sing, hiccupping every now and again.
Sun is shining *Hic!* the weather is sweet, yeah
Make you wanna move your dancing feet now
To the rescue, here I am *Hic!*
Want you to know, y'all, can you understand?
When the mornin' gather the rainbow, yeah, yeah
Want you to know, I'm a rainbow too now *Hic!*
To the rescue, here I am *Hic!*
Want you to know, y'all, can you, can you, can you understand?
Sun is shining *Hic!* the weather is sweet now
Make you wanna move your dancing feet, yeah
But to the rescue, here I am *Hic!*
Want you to know just if you can, here I stand, no, *Hic!*, no, *Hic!*, no, *Hic!*, no, *Hic!*
Can you understand me now, baby?
Do you believe me?
*Hic!*
René belched a little fire but kept pouring down drink after drink. After seven or so cups he's started to get a bit giddy and started to as well sing.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
I sleep all night and I work all day!
I cut down trees, I skip and jump
I love to press wild flow'rs
I put on women's clothing
And hang around in bars! *Hic!*
Floritt watched René up his game, so she did the same, crunching down on a couple of ice cubes. Then, to the tune of Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok," she started up again.
Battle Island, treacherous setting
And the city don't know what the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the Contest-world in a
Show with everything but Jirachi's glimmer
Time flies -- Dialga's there for a minute
Since the Resort spa had the Poke-boys in it
All change -- don't you know that when you're
Playing at this level that's no ordinary Gloom
It's the Orange Isles -- or the Seviis -- or Orre -- or --
or this place!
*HIC!*
One night in Battle and the world's your Cloyster
Shining like Diamonds but the Pearls ain't free
You'll find Arceus in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then his Plate's for thee
I can feel an Absol staring forebodingly.
After a few more drinks René joined her one the table top and HE started to sing again.
Emmanuel Kant was a real pissant who was very rarely stable,
Heidegger, *Hic* Heidegger was a boozy beggar who could drink you under the table!
Alfred Hume could outconsume William Freidrich Schlegel,
and Wittgenstein was a beery swine who was just as sloshed as Kegel.
There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach you 'bout the raising of the wrist;
Socrates himself was permanently pissed.... *Hic*
John Stewart Mill, of his own free will, half a bottle of shanty made him particularly *hic* ill;
Plato, they say, could stick it away; half a pint of whiskey every day.
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle, Hobbes was fond of his dram;
And René Decartes was a drunken fart; "I drink, therefore I am!" *Hic*
Yes Socrates himself is particularly missed....
A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed!
*Hic* *Hic* *Hic!*
When he was finished, René giggled insanely like a six-year old after a dozen pixie sticks and leapt into Floritt's arms just as she was about to start again.
”Tea, girls, warm swee--GAAH!” She fell off the table as she was forced to catch the Vulpix in her arms.
“Hee. Nice catch. We fell.” René giggled for a while. Then he stopped and thought for a second before solemnly announcing; “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“And dat,” Floritt hiccupped. “Is how puppies stop bein' cute, when dey tinkle on you.” She shoved him off her. “Goooo!” Then, a moment later she followed suit to the little female room herself.
René returned first, followed by Floritt, who wobbled over back to the table. René was still giddy. “You look all woozy and funny!”
Floritt blinked “An you don't...?” She hiccupped.
“Heee—” René fell face flat on the on the table and started snoring away.
“...oh, damn you, mon.” Floritt groaned as she fell right after him, lying right on top of him and also snoring.
&&&
Rahne LaPries, one of René’s teammates, poked her head in not long after Meghan departed. “Is he sleeping?” She quietly asked Floritt. The smeargle looked up with a slight look of surprise -- watching René sleep tempted her to follow along with the nap idea for a moment.
Floritt kept her voice as low as Rahne's. “Tink so. He a heavy sleeper?”
“Oh yes.” Rahne smiled. “Watch.” She gently tickled the back of René’s ears. He grinned and shifted a little, but did not stir. “Is that uncomfortable for you? Having him there?”
Floritt cuppped her hand to her mouth as she giggled at the sight. “Nah. I've dane dis plenty o' times wit my lil' brothas.” She gestured to Rahne with her head. “Ya want t' sit down?”
“Thank you.” Rahne sat down softly for fear of breaking the bench. “What do you think of René?”
Floritt grinned. “'E's cute! ...oh, wait.” Her grin faded some as she remembered what just happened a few minutes ago. “Ya mean like...overall? Well, 'e got a good heart. Just needs mo' muscle behind it, if you be gettin' my meaning.”
Rahne nodded. “It's okay. We've had that coming for...well, awhile anyway. It's just...hard is all. I mean, for most of the time THIS is how I see him.” She explained as she stroked René's head. “He's like my little brother. What's it like for you when your younger brothers try giving you orders?”
Floritt grinned again. “Dey usually dun't, 'cuz I oft'n kick deir butts alot -- I've a Fighting-type family, so dat's how we sometimes decide on tings. 'Cerse, wasn't like dat at ferst. I took long time to even be able ta out up a fight, let 'lone win. Da fact dat I'm a Normal-type didn't 'elp. But me Papa never gave up on me, me big bro Hakim would root fer me an' me Mama always kept pickin' me up an' saying "you're stronger dan dis, you pick yourself up and get stronger!" and soon 'nuff, I learned ta earn me place.” She looked down at René once more. “But dat the point. 'E can still be yer lil' brotha...but dat dun mean ya should be too easy on 'im, else 'e won't grow strong like 'e supposed ta. An' Big Sis wants 'er lil' bro ta grow strong, right?”
Rahne nodded. “Yes...you're right. Still, doesn't mean you can't enjoy them when they're cute and little, hmm? He really likes it when you rub his head.” She added with a smile.
“Well, dah, 'cerse ya can!” She said as she stole a rub between his ears. “And anyway, da problem ain't when yer just hangin' like dis aftah-class, yanno...” René smiled happily and cuddled closer to Floritt.
“He's so sweet.” Rahne said fondly. “Did you really mean it when you said he was cute?”
“'e's a lil' sweetie, yes.” Floritt nodded.
“Isn't he though?” Rahe smiled for a moment, but then it was gone. “You don't find it...strange? Having someone our age act like this?”
Floritt tilted her head some as she took Rahne's words into consideration. “Now dat you mention it...yeh. 'Cerse, I dun like ta assume tings out loud.”
“He...well, René has emotional issues.” Rahne explained. “His mother's been in a coma for the last eight years and his father...” Her nostrils flared as she got uncharacteristically upset. “Well, my father may have a drinking problem but he STILL isn't as bad a father as René's. The poor boy's been craving attention and loving for years.”
Floritt looked like she would become almost physically ill after that description of René's family. “Oh, mon...oh, dat's awful! Dat explain so much...” She gave René another scritch behind the ears “Poor ting....”
“I know...” Rahne sighed. “Thanks for being so sweet to him. He really needs it.”
“It not a prob, 'mon! Really! So, ah, if I c'n ask...wot do you tink...'bout wut 'e did befo'?”
“When he set us straight? To be honest...I was a little hurt at what he said, but I know that it was harder for him. I'm proud of him. Heh, if Sam where here she'd say 'That I'm proud of him for being able to stand up to someone...and not wetting himself.'” Rahne said ruefully.
“I wus nervus when he said it. Meg be pushy, it work fer 'er, but I wasn't so sure it wus a good move to use on René 'ere. Good ta kno' I was wrong, tho'.” She gave another scritch behind the fox's ear as a reward of sorts. “Sam...dat da Scyther, roight? You sure she took it well? I wus th' most nervus wit' how she reacted to dat speech.”
“Sam...has authority issues.” Rahne understated. “She just needs some time to cool off and see that she needs to treat with René with SOME respect. He's been more than fair to her. She looks all mean and menacingy...but she won't make things hard for René. Who can stay mad at--well, that?”
Rahne pointed at René as he grabbed Florrit's tail and hugged it to his face with one hand and started sucking his thumb. “Oh well, dat's good --...that? Not so much.” Floritt pointed out as René held on to her paintbrush-like tail. It's was an adorable sight...that was quickly made awkward and a bit hilarious by the fact that, since she was training a while ago, she had her tail-covering removed (a simple plastic bag)...which means René's face was now a lovely shade of purple from the Smeargle's natural paint. It's odorless, but still sticky.
Rahne giggles a little. “P-poor René. Only him.” She rubbed his head fondly. “I have to go...do you think you could—?” She pointed at René's face.
Sure...once he wakes up an' notices, of cerse!” Floritt snickered.
“Okay, bye! Would you mind if you...you know, let him sleep for a while? I think he needs it. Thank you.” Rahne said as she got up to leave.
René stired a little but didn’t actually wake up. He just murmured. “Where'd everyone go?”
Floritt gave Rahne a nod and a small wave goodbye. Not noticing that René’s eyes were still closed, she answered: “School's ovah, so most ev'ryone's gone home by now, mon.”
René yawned but still rested his head on Florrit's lap. “Darn. I wanted to thank Meghan. Maybe if she needs a babysitter sometime for her sister, I could volunteer.” He nuzzled his head against Florrit's leg and unconsciously grabbed her tail again. “So tired...”
Floritt blinked in surprise at the answer -- or rather, at getting an answer at all. “Giess he knows Sleep Talk.” She murmured. A touch louder she added, “I tink she'd like dat. An' I tink Maggie'd like meetin' a new face fer a change...” She giggled. “'cerse, you might want ta wash yours ferst.”
“Hrrm?” René didn't understand Floritt's advice and was still half-asleep. He twisted a bit. “My dad's friends with a guy who owns an art store. I can get you free art supplies...my way of *yawns* thanking you for...letting me nap.” He started to drift back to sleep. “Your accent is really cute. You've got a nice voice...tell me a story?”
“Not what I, er...heh. Nev'mind. An' dun werry 'bout it. You wanna repay me, you just stay right dere an' lemme, uh...brush you off dere.” She tried to wipe off as much of the paint off his face with her hands without waking him up. “A story, a story...what kin' of story you want ta hear?”
René smiled at her touch. He’s fond of tactile contact. “Hee...any kind. Story 'bout you.”
“Hmm, 'bout me? Well...heh, I danno, mon, Ain't good tellin' stories, I better at dancin' dem -- me an me family, we do performances fer people togetha'. We dance, we fight...we even won couple Contests, tho' nuthin' big. 'Cus we tink our skills an' strength should help be lead ta happiness, not sufferin'.” Floritt paused to pull the tip further away from René's hands so he wouldn’t get anymore purple, grabbed a nearby rolled-up towel to dab lightly at his snout and clean him up. “Dere we go...”
“I bet you dance great...my mom used to dance a little.” René murmured. He wrinked his muzzle a bit at the touch. “That tickles!”
“Hee, thanks. I rather you told me dat while I in action, tho'.” She said as she gave another pat on the nose with the towel. “You ever dance with yer mama?”
René grinned in his sleep. “Yeah...she was really *yawns* graceful...and beautiful. I miss her. She used to rub my head, right between my ears when I slept...it made everything better.”
Curiously, Floritt slips her hand a bit closer to the spot between his ears and caressed him gently there. “Like dat?”
René’s grin grew a little wider. “Yeah...right there. Hmmm....”
“He. Cutie.” Floritt looked about and then leaned back on the bleachers and slowly closed her eyes, her hand still rubbing the little fox on the head.
René mumbling, half asleep. “Really?”
“Yeh, really.” Floritt answered, mumbling as well at this point.
“'k.” René fell back asleep. As the two of them nodded off, Sam walked back into the gym. Smiling she took a camera out of her bag and snapped a picture. Floritt cried out in fright at the sudden click-whirl of the camera.
“HEY!!” At Floritt’s sudden start, René rolled out of her lap and onto the floor, brusing his...pride.
“OW! What the--?!”
Sam couldn’t help snickering.
“'EY! WOT DA BIG IDEA, MON?!” Floritt protested.
“Just having some fun is all.” The scyther girl rolled her eyes. “Yeesh. I thought people with Jamaican accents were supposed to be mellow!”
Floritt grumbled. “You try bein' mellow when you jest got woken up wit a...izzat a camera?!”
Sam grinned. “Maaaaybe. No, wait...Yes. Yes it is.”
René moaned. “Oww...I think I landed on my head.”
“Aw now why you got to go an' do dat?” Floritt looked down at the poor little Vulpix flat on the ground with purple streaks still stuck to his face and grimaced. “Sorry 'bout dat.”
“No problem. I'm not bleeding.” René assured her as he put a hand to his head and looked at it. He blinked when it came away purple. “Then again...”
Floritt rubbed her eyes awake and then reached down and wiped at his palm. “THAT would be me.” She said weakly, the dripping paintbrush-tail curling over to René’s line of sight. “Liter'lly. Sorry.”
“How'd that happen?” René asked, not recalling any memory of sleeping in Florrit's lap.
Sam just snickered. Floritt blinked. “You were just, uh...sleepin'. On me lap. An' ye hugged me tail...eheh...”
René turned three different shades of red. “I did what? Oh my god I am SO sorry. Geez...Sorry.”
“Well, uh, THAT part ain't too bad...” She gestured towards Sam…and the camera.
Sam looked at them. “What? You want to see a picture? Good thing this is digital.” She handed it to them. “René, you really are too cute for words. Right Flo?”
Floritt cringed “Not what I meant...” She gave the picture a look regardless...and cringed more at the sight. How come no one told her she drooled while she slept? She asked herself, while conceding that René DOES look funny there, though.
“You've got a little, uh, something on your chin.” Sam told René, pointing to her own chin for emphasis.
René looked mortified. “Excuse me ladies, I'm just going to bury my head under the bleachers and not come out again. Good day.”
“Nooo ya don't, you cleanin' yer face off and yer not gunna let dis get to ya!” Floritt gave Sam a rather disappointed look.
“What?” Sam asked. “I was just playing around! You guys looked cute.”
When René heared this he got down on his hands and knees and stuck his head under the bleachers, the rest of his body still sticking out. “I'm not coming out!”
“Picked a fine time ta do dat, tho'.” Floritt said to Sam. “ ...and you stop dat!” She added to René. If he didn’t stop, Floritt resolved that she was just going to randomly pick two of René's tails and pull on them to drag him right out from under there. “You two gotta talk!”
“I'm not moving!” René said defiantly.
“You are mooning though. Sorta.” Sam shrugged.
“Come on, you come out 'ere or I paint yer bum an' ask Sam ta take 'nother photo of you!” Floritt threatened.
“You wouldn't dare! I'm not moving!” René announced.
“I'm countin' ta three, mon! One...Two...”
“Lalala I'm not LISTENIIING!” René called.
“Okay, den, dat how it gonna be...” Floritt said as went up to Sam. “Fine, I'm sorry fer snappin' befo'. Whut you tink, maybe paint a Tauros-eye on his bum or mebbe a smily face?”
“You're the artist.” Sam snerked and raised the camera. “Go for it.”
“Last chance, René!” Floritt warned him. “Yo git outta dere roght now or else yer cute bum is gettin' a makeover an' a glamoor shot!” René however was too stunned by the 'cute bum' remark to respond. Floritt sighed and shook her head. “Guess dis IS how he gotta learn...” She sat down with her back turned and let her tail do the work. Soon Sam would have a cute purple heart-shaped bullseye to take a picture of.
Sam snickered. “Tail on tail action! Sorry, couldn't resist.” She quipped.
René giggled a bit. “Hee! Hey that tickles! Quitit!”
“Did I mention I'm work on the yearbook?” Sam asked rhetorically as she snapped a picture.
“Da yearbook? Really? ...yer not putting THESE pictures in it, are you?” Floritt winced. Sam simply smiled enigmatically and snapped one more photo of René’s rear. Then Floritt turned back to René again. “I paintin' yer whole bum next if ya dun come out!”
“All right, all right! I'm, I'm...I'm stuck.” René groaned.
Floritt groaned too. “ ...oh, mon. Ah, you mind?” She gestured for Sam to grab one set of tails while she grabbed another. “On three?”
Sam joined her and grabbed another set. “One...Two...THREE!” They pulled.
”OWW!” René yelped as he popped out fell back on top of Floritt and Sam. “I think I hurt my butt...”
“OOF!” Floritt yelped as she fell flat on her back as René laid partially right on top of her. “An I tink yer bum hurt MY bum, you silly!”
“Sorry.” He crawled off them. “I hid under the bleachers to prevent talking about how I humiliated myself by sleeping in your lap like a baby...and now I only humiliated myself further by getting my headstuck under the bleachers and getting my butt painted purple. And now I think I'm gonna humiliate myself more because I think I'm gonna—” He wiped his eyes as tears fell down his cheeks again.
“Aw no, René, dun do dat...” Floritt frowned and gave him a hard look. Nowhere near as intimidating as one of Meg's, but it gets the point across. “Dun cry. Ya can't get strongah if you cry over sometin' like dis. An ya can't lead a strong team doin' dat, either.”
René bite his lip, but still sniffles. “Who else but me has to get over having a purple butt?”
Without missing a beat...and a hint of embarrassment in her voice, Floritt replied. “Ev'ryone in my team at least once?”
The answer was so unexpected that he let's out a giggle. “Really?”
“Yah, 'mon. Really'.” Floritt sighed. “Also. you 'member th' locker incident from a while back...?”
“I thought Boris was looking more purple than usual that day.” Sam commented laconically.
“But he's not on your team. I mean, really, how many painting accidents could you really have with them?” René asked.
“Let me put it dis wae: It a good ting dis 'appened aftah school hours or I'd been in ditention again. See, I gots ta keep da tail covered when in school, unless I be trainin' or in art class.” Floritt admitted. “...an you want ta hear 'nother embarassin' ting? I be doin' terribly in art class, actually.”
“You do bad in art? No way!” René scoffed. Floritt’s tail knotted itself in discomfort.
“I only get a passin' grade Mr. Wells’ class. Dunno why but I dun tink he likes me very much. As fer other Smeargles...I dun really know dat many other Smeargles. I dunno, I dun feel like I can 'relate' to 'em. An’ while I do like art, of cerse, it not DEIR kind of normal art, even tho' I once had a teacher compliment me once in dat I prolly stay truer to me ancestor's roots than most other Smeargles nowadays!”
“If you're having trouble, why not just put some canvas' all around you and dance? Let your body do the work. You're good at dancing right?”
“Say I've got an idea...have you ever considered surrounding yourselves with blank canvases and then put on different types of music--classical, rock, country or whatever--and dancing to them? See what you do artistically when you dance to them and paint with your tail?”
Floritt blinked. “Really? And, hmm, nev'r thought of dat befoar! Not a bad idea! 'Cerse, I use reggae to dance to, mostly...and not just 'cuz of th' obvious. See, the particular of da pure reggae sound is 'xactly dat of a heart beat, which keeps me mellow an' focused. 'Cerse I have me phases and pick fastah sounds fer when I want mo' adrenalin in me werk - ya eva 'ear DJ Trebel da Chatot's latah stuff? Stuff like dat. Once I even managed to hook meself up wit' dese pahticular kinds of Pokeblocks dat 'ave da weird side-effect of makin' me tail glow in da dark fer a while. I got me a blacklight, put on some Trebel, and just dance an' spin da night away as if in a nightclub (well I tink - nevah been ta one). Sadly I dun do dat as much as I'd like, cuz dem 'blocks gimme a bad tummy ache da next mohnin'.”
“You're the first mon I know of to tell me that her butt can glow in the dark.” René drawled.
Blinking a bit, Floritt laughed. “...Beheheheheheh! Now now, t'aint like der ain't plenty o' 'mons whose tails already 'ave a light on 'em! 'Eck, Meg's tail does!”
“See? This is why you're in charge, you have clever ideas!” Sam encouraged René. “Plus you're a good cuddler. Right Flo'?” She teased.
“--err, uh...” Floritt coughed and blushed. “Yeh, he is....but der mo' to dat ta be a good leader, tho'! And also a good leader's only as good as his team an' stuff. I like Meg an' I wanna help my team however I can, so I werk 'ard to do so! Not sayin' I'm dat good, of cerse, but yanno.”
Sam smirked. “Come on...I've cuddled with him, you let him sleep on your lap. You've had ample chances to gage his cuddlyness. And I work hard too ya know! I'm the best fighter on the team!”
Floritt sighed. “Fine, you right 'bout dat. An' I ain't sayin' you dun werk hard, but...mind if I ask, du YOU tink René got wot it take to be a good team leader?”
“I'm, uh, just gonna go wash the rest of the paint off my face.” René said suddenly wanting to not be here for this. “Be back in a sec.” He headed for a bathroom.
After he left, Sam turned back to Floritt and looked a little hurt. “'Course I do! Whoever said I didn't?”
“Well, ah...” She watched René go off to clean himself off. Good thing too, she can't guarantee that stuff won't stick for a while if not treated fast enough. “See, I...kinda got th' wrong idea from when 'e did dat speech befo' dat you didn't agree...”
“So I'm a bit snarky, what about it? What, you think I don't care about him? You know what he's like, heck you let him sleep in your LAP for crying out loud! Do you really think he can--or should--shoulder the responsibiliy of being a leader all by his lonesome?”
“ ...not by his lonesome.” Floritt corrected. “Dat wut worried me, actually, dat if you guys didn't accept 'im tryin' ta take his job seriously, well...”
Sam shrugged. “Fine, so we get carried away sometimes. But--not trying to sound like a broken record here--you saw what he's like. Sometimes the impulse to just cuddle him gets kinda, well, powerful. Wait.” She held up a hand as René walked back in with most of the paint off his face. There was still a smudge on his nose.
“Did I get it all?” He asked.
“Well I kno' dat, but--...” Then Floritt snickered suddenly, “Yer nose, René mon.”
“Huh? Where?” René ended up getting cross-eyed as he tried to see the spot on his nose.
“You better help him out.” Sam smirked before adding in a whisper. “And give him a hug would you? He really likes the attention.”
Floritt blinked and with a shrug got up to follow Sam’s advice. She thumbed the purple paint off his nose with one quick wipe and then gave him a nice, tight hug.
René looked at her. “Why're you—” He trailed off as he got into the moment, hugging her back and resting his head on her shoulder.
“He's a big sweety isn't he?” Sam smiled.
“He is cute.” Floritt nodded.
“Cute?” René squeaked, blushing.
“You broke him.” Sam observed dryly.
“Well, he is!” Floritt defended herself. “...wait, he rather be called a he or she? I never found dat out.”
“You can call René he.” Sam answered. “He wants to be a girl but he isn't going to live in denial by forcing people to call him a girl. He does like wearing girl's underpants though.”
René cleared his throat. “Speaking of which Floritt can I borrow—”
“NO.” Floritt answered flatly and firmly. “Not like you'd want ta, anyways. I sleep eitha' in boxers or in da nood.” René went red faced.
“Too much info Flo.” Sam drawled.
“Whut'd I do?” She blinked.
“You talked about yourself. Being naked?” Sam explained. “René can't handle thoughts above a 'G' rating.” Her pointed was made as René blushed even harder.
“Seriously?” Floritt shrugged. “Whut da big deal? I kno' some folks who still leev in all-nude colonies! An' it not like I got anyting ta be ashamed of, right?”
“I don't know. DO you?” Sam wondered.
René snapped out of his embarrassment and defended Floritt. “Of course she doesn't! She's adorable! I'm sure she looks great nak...” He broke off, slack-jawed as Sam snickered. “You set me up!”
Floritt laughed and laughed. Then an evil smirk formed as she got just the right answer for René's comment. “Well, tank ya, René. I'm sure you look great naked too!” She grin evilly. “...an' I bet Sam 'ere does as well!”
René blushed horribly from head to tail tip. Sam just crossed her arms. “Damn straight I do! There's nothing hotter than kinky bug butt!”
“Oh god...” He looked ill.
Floritt giggled some more. “Like 'e wasn't red an' hot 'nuf already 'cuz of bein' a Vulpix...”
René fairly danced from foot to foot in embarrassment. “Girls, STOP! Pleeeease?” He whined.
“Hmmmm....Sam, should we stop?” Floritt asked her co-conspirator.
“Fine.” Sam rolled her eyes. “He’ll probably explode at this rate.”
“Seriously, you think I’m cute?” René asked Floritt again in disbelief.
“Hee.” Floritt grinned as she gave René a grin and sneaked a kiss on the cheek. “Stop askin' me dat an' I promise ta give ya 'nother one. Okay?”
René blushed crimson and squeaked, “Kay.”
Sam cooed. “Awww...his first kiss! How cuute! Seriously though, you think he has a cute butt?” She asked, enjoying making René squirm.
Floritt pecked René on the cheek once more before pulling away. “Ok, now you two are bein' silly. I tell you whut, you both c'n stop by my place sometime an' I be makin ya sum supper. Howzat?”
Sam whispers in Floritt’s ear. “Better idea. You've got a big family right? Cool mom, lots a brothers? René--obviously--is starved for attention, being an only child and only having a jackass for a dad. Why don't you have him come over and let your mom smother him in the affection he's been wanting?”
Floritt gave Sam an odd look. “It not a bad idea, but I dunno, It a biiiig family alreadeh. I'd need time ta talk it ova' wit da folks, tho' it shouldn't be TOO bad an idea...”
“How many brothers you got again?” The scyther asked. “Are you the oldest kid? And don't worry, I wont come...I'm a fighting type. I'd just kick your brothers butts and be forced out before dinner.” She smirked. “René, I know, would really appreciate it. He hasn't had a home cooked meal in years.”
“I, ah, got one olda brotha an' two younger brothas, an we 'elpin' take care of a Sneasel friend o' mine. So we pretty full up as is...Dat said, if René need serious 'elp, der should be no prob! And you stop dat, you invited, too!”
“You took in a friend of yours? What's the dealy-o there?” Sam asked. “And it's okay. René needs the attention.” For emphasis she pointed at René, whose was rubbing his face again Floritt's shoulder.
“Eh, bit offa long story, dat.” Florrit shrugged. “Soffice ta say, 'es got some pretty bad famileh problems, too.” She giggled as René’s snout and fur started tickling her neck “Now now, dat tikles, you!”
“The price of being fluffy.” Sam shrugged.
“No kiddin'.” Floritt said as she gently bit on of René’s ears causing him to squeak. “Dat's enuff, you!”
“Anyone looking would SO think that you two are an item.” Sam smirked.
Floritt blinked. “An item of wut?”
Sam covered her eyes with her hand. “Nevermind...You'll have to excuse René...he gets kinda clingy around girls he likes.”
“...ooooh.” Floritt realized as she looked down to René. “You like me, mon?”
René blushed and buried his face in Floritt's neck. “SAM!” He shouted.
Sam waved her hand dismissively. “Not like that. René get's emotionally attached to girls who are nice to him. He likes being treated like a kid, doll, plaything, or whatever. It's the whole being accepted as a girl thing. When you do it he clings to you like a limpet. It’s ALMOST like a crush, but there isn't really any romantic feelings there. He does this a lot: Ask Weaver. He does this to her too. The only girl he really LIKE likes is Nicole Zune from Team 16...and of course he's too scared to even talk to her for two minutes without babbling.”
“Oooooooh! Hee, dat okay, I dun mind. As fer his problem wit dis Nicole, mebbe...” She patted René on the head. “Mebbe I c'n 'elp? Not so mach tryin' ta play match-makah or anyting like dat, but mebbe help you get strongah so you c'n talk ta 'er?”
René squeaked in embarrassment. “...I guess so. How though?”
“Well, ya lear ta be a leader, like Meg taught you! Only dis time you gonna be facing otha people 'sides yer teammates! And I cheery you on, so what do yo say, mon?”
“I think...I may faint again.” René swooned.
“Noooo you don't, or yer gonna be completely purple dis time!” Floritt threatened.
René swayed on his feet. “I'm good, I'm good...no I'm not.” He fell over. “OWww...” Floritt sighed and kneeled down to take his hand and pull him back on his feet.
“First lesson, René mon? Girls like it when you don't faint on 'em!”
“Don't I get points for being endearing?” René asked. “And...I get nervous a lot. I can't help it!”
“It stops bein' endearing if you overdo it. And dat's wot I wanna help ya wit! If you learn ta be confident, you'll be able ta do lots of tings without fainting like dat!”
“You should see what happens when he has to do a report in front of class.” Sam chimed in.
“Not helping. Okay, what do I do? How experienced are you in this stuff. I mean, do you have a crush on anyone?” René asked.
Floritt blinked in surprise at that question, and stepped back. “Well, ah...I know people who have, dassit! Yah, ah, I am firm believah dat anyting can be aquired with bit o' willpowaa an' strength!”
Sam deadpanned. “In other words, no.”
René looked at Floritt sideways. “I dunno, I almost sounds like she's trying to cover up a crush she has. But what do I know?”
“...way mo' dan ya give yerself credit fer...” Floritt mumbled.
“Beg pardon?” René blinked as it sunk in. “OH! You mean I'm right? Dish! Pleeeease!”
”Oh lord he's in 'girl-talk' mode...you might as well tell him Flo otherwise he'll start wanting you to paint his nails.” Sam groaned.
Floritt shook her head. “NOOOO, me lips be Seels, mon, you no gettin' a peep otta me!”
“Pleeeease?” René begged. Sam shook her head and sighed.
“Allow me...” She walked over to Floritt and gave her a quasi-apologetic nod. Then without another word she lashed out with her claws and starts tickling.
“What're you--HAHHAHAHA NO, HAHAHAHA STOPPIT HAHAHA NOT GUNNA TELL NOOOO HAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Floritt fell back on the floor, tears falling from all the laughing. René, mortified, just buried his face in his hands.
“I can't take her anywhere.”
“Gaah, gahh! HAHAHAHA stop HAHAHA I geev I geev! I'll talk! Just lemme go!” Floritt begged Sam.
“I thought so.” Sam said triumphantly as she stopped. “As the vulpix said: Dish.”
“Well, mon, yasee...I'm sorry, but no!” The smeargle made a break for it right then and there! René used Quick Attack to beat her to the door and barred it with his body.
“Not getting past me!” He announced as he hooked his arms into the door handles. Then he pleaded wit Floritt. “Please? Don't you trust me?” He used the dreaded doe-eyes plus lower-lip pout to guilt her.
“--ehh?!” Floritt screeched to a halt, not actually thinking René would go to these lengths to get her to talk. No, not the Quick Attack, that's not that much of a shocker for him to know. The puppy eyes, though...
“Aw, mon...aw mon no, why you gotta go do dat ting wit yer eyes like dat...no...” Floritt looked away, trying not to let the cuteness overpower her. “Look, it not dat simple. It...it not really a crush, anyway. It like, he be a guy I admire alot an when I finally find a guy I'd want ta have as me soulmate, I'd want him ta be like 'im.” She gestured to the purple footprint on her back, maded visible by the fact that her shirt was backless. “Da one who gave dat ta me. Me brotha', Hakim. He a good 'mon, a good Hitmontop. He da only one of me bros who's age is closest ta mine. We grew up togetha' as best friends fo' long time. I got otha friends an' best friends since, mind, but he was da first...and even tho he's me bro, I care fer 'im deeply. But it a siblin' love, not a real crush. Guess I'm no good to help ya der aftah all...”
René’s eyes were shining when Floritt finished. “Awwww....that's,” René sniffed, “So sweet! I wish I had a sibling like that...you and Meghan are so lucky to have siblings that care about each other so much…” He wiped his eyes.
“And this was so hard to admit why?” Sam asked. Floritt glared at her.
“Mebbe 'cuz it personal?” She sighed, then softened up a bit at seeing René's reaction “Heh. You da secon' person I know who's told me dat, René.”
He wiped his eyes. “Who the first?”
“Charla, if ya c'n believe dat. She an only daughter, so.” Floritt shrugged.
“And you are sweet you know.” René dared to add. “I wish I had that close a bond with, well...anyone really.”
“Heh, tanks, René.” Her stomach rumbled. “...mmm. I'm hungry now, mon. An' I tink most of da school be empteh by now, mebbe we should be goin'?”
“Sure. How about we go grab a bite at McVoltorbs? My treat.” René offered.
“Werks fer me! Whut ab’ou you Sam?” Floritt asked. Sam shook her head.
“Nah, I’ll be heading back to my dorm.” Sam shook her head. “I gotta do some cramming. See you around René. Floritt.”
“Bye Sam.” They waved goodbye as they made their way out
“She’s weird.” Floritt said to René as soon as Sam was out of earshot.
“Look whose talking.” René quipped as they made their way off the school grounds.
“Yea, th’ one who be wearin’ bras fer a reason!” Floritt shot back.
“Why do you tease me?” René asked her suddenly. She shrugged.
“It be fun, mon! 'Cerse, mebbe if you fought back somehow, I might reconsidah...” Floritt said as she wagged her tail at him.
“Don't point that thing at me. It might go off.” René sniffed stiffly. That just made Floritt wag it some more out of spite. René reached out and grabbed it. “I'll tie it in a knot, so help me, I will! Or even...” He smiled as he started rubbing the length of her tail.
Floritt started blushing immensely. “H-hey...quit dat, it sensitive...!”
“Ah-hah, so now the tail turns!” René crowed as he started tickling it as Floritt burst out in gales of laughter.
“Ahhh...ahhh, no, ahahahahaha!”
“Brought this on yourself Flo, you know that?”
“René, stoooop , dun be ticklin' me dere! It not—” Floritt started to explain even as her tail suddenly lashed out and smacked him in the face. “...safe.”
René rubbed his cheek. “This is one annoying appendage you have.” He grabbed it and snapped her tail like a whip at Floritt's own posterior. Then he made good on his threat and tied it into a loose knot.
“--HE-HEY!” She protested, furiously. “Oh, DASSIT, MON! YA DO NOT MESS WIT DA TAIL!” Floritt tackled him.
“Eek! Sorry! I'm just getting sick of ending up purple! Oof! No offense Flo but could you please get off?” He begged.
Floritt growled. “Fine, buty yer untying me tail ferst!”
“'Kay.” René said meekly. Apologizing as he untied her tail. “I'm sorry...I thought we were just goofing around and--I took it too far.”
“Good.” Floritt nodded. “By da way?” She poked René in the nose. “Gotcha.”
“Bwah? Huh?” He asked, baffled. Floritt just giggled mysteriously. It failed at the mysterious part and just ended up being goofy. She even snorted for a moment. “Just teasin', mon. Gotta stick to yer guns more.”
“B-but...ARGH!” René gripped his head. “You keep tricking me, you goof! It confuses me!”
“Oh when are you NOT confused, René mon?”
“I'm not confused when I saw tha you're an oversized kid and a pain in the tails...all six of them!” He shot back. Then he sighed and started smiling. “But you're still cool.”
“Hey, at least I just act like a lil' kid, unlike some 'mon I c'n tink of!” Floritt teased.
“If I’m the kid, why am I the one paying for lunch?” René asked rhetorically as they entered McVoltorbs. Floritt had no real answer for that. It wasn’t long before they had their food.
“I haven't eaten out inna long time!” Floritt said as she and René took their seats.
“I eat out a lot myself.” René said as he paid for their meals. “I can't cook anything edible and my dad isn't the type to make meals...not that we eat together in any case. We can barely stand each other's presence most days.”
“Oooh, dat not good, mon! You waste mo' money eatin' out instead of cookin', plus it mo' satisfyin' an' healthy!” She said as she wolfed down some fries.
“It's his money mostly so that's actually an incentive to eat out.” He shrugged. “I don't always eat junk food you know...and you've got some ketchup on your cheek.” René smirked as he wiped it off with a napkin. “You eat like a rapidash.”
Floritt giggled. “Thanks. Yanno der ARE bettah ways ta get even with yer dad than just wasting his money on food...”
“I'm open to suggestions...what's YOUR dad like?”
“Short answer, you make yerself a bettah person dan 'im. Be strong, be smart, be the Vulpix YOU want ta be an' work on provin' im wrong dat you ain't a baby, ya ain't a fool. As a bonus, ya make yer mom proud.” Florrit shrugged. “My dad? He a good 'mon, talented 'mon. Back in 'is day, he was a fightah, fought in da big tourneys. He met mom dere. Fought her dere. Lost to her dere. Married 'er dere later on, then 'bout when dey first had Hakim he retired and got into performin' in Contests an' tings, means ta keep his talents sharp without riskin' having his new famileh losin' deir dad. An' 'e's still with us, so he doin' someting right!” She took a bite from her meat wrap. “An' jest fer da recerd, I love me dad. He a crazy Hitmontop just like Hakim...crazier, prolly, since he a crazy 'top who da father of five.”
“Easer said than done.” René sighed. “Your dad sounds cool though. Can I ask you a personal question though? How'd you get adopted?”
“Erm...” Floritt dipped her fry thoughtfully in a wad of ketchup. “Dey wanted a girl, dat much I know as ta why. As ta why me? ...would you believe because dey saw me drawin'?”
See, I dun sit still to use me brush when I actually AM doing normal Smeargle marking, I dance. I spin I trip I sway, I move to da beat me tail takes. I figured me tail it a part of me, so why shouldn't I be puttin' in my whole self in me work? An' it was while I was mussin' da murals at da orphanage dat dey saw me, and dey picked me out dere. Dere were arguments at first, of cerse, dat dey shoulda picked a Fightah so I woudn't have so much trouble with dem...but I dunno, guess I did someting right 'cus I got adopted pretty soon aftah dat. I once asked papa what made the decide and he just said, he said "'cuz yer moves are of dat of an artist but yer spirit's dat of a Fightah."”
“Wow.” René looked suitably impressed. “That's pretty amazing stuff. Would it sound insensitive if I said that I've often thought adopted kids were lucky in a way? They KNOW their parents wanted them and loved them. I know my mom loved me...but my dad wasn't interested in me until my mom's accident, when he realized that--for better or worse--I was the only heir he was going to have.”
You know, I once heard him talking on the phone to his PR guy wondering if there was anyway he could divorce my mother without looking like a complete and total bastard...though he still wanted my mother's money signed over to him of course.” He added bitterly.
Floritt bite into her fry as if secretly wishing to be biting someone's finger off instead. “Dat's just dispicable, mon. Had I a darker heart I'd ask if der'd be any way you can disown HIM! Simply dispicible....”
René gave a sad smile. “Thanks Daffy. I appreciate the support, but I've known what he is for a while now. In my more morbid thoughts I wonder...did he sponsor my team and force me to become the leader in the hopes that I'd become more like him? Or in the hopes that I'd fail and humiliate myself, which he'd not mind at all.”
You know, since the media blitz surrounding my mother's accident died down, he hasn't visited her ONCE? In nearly eight years? They're still legally married but somehow I doubt that he's...faithful, if you know what I mean.” René grimaced, clearly uncomfortable.
Floritt ignored the Daffy remark, liking her ketchup too much to want to waste it on René’s smart-alec face. “Ehh, I figered much. And I am honestly not serprised dere, dat e'd tink dat just because his wife won't notice he c'n cheat on 'er like dat. Not saying he IS, jest dat it woudn't serprise me...” She paused. “Altho'...René, serly you have grandparents or someone in yer family you could also look to fer help, jest in case?”
René looked down. “I have no one...my mom's folks are gone. She was an only child they had relatively late in life. Same thing with my dad, only I think my paternal grandparents died young.” He forced a smile. “You may want to cut back on the ketchup there...you look like a vampire after a buffet.”
Floritt wiped some ketchup off her snout with her tongue and gave a quick wipe of her napkin. “Sorry, René. Nnn, no wonder you've had such a hard time of it...da media ting I bet not helping much...”
“Well, it waxes and wanes.” He sighed. “Most kids at the PCA don't even recognize me, partially because my looks have changed and because my mom is more well known by her maiden name, Kitsunegari. And you missed a spot...how the heck did you get ketchup between your eyes?”
“I dat talented, mon.” Floritt remarked as she wiped at her brow with the napkin. “And you lucky in dat sense, at least. Yer mom still at least respected in dat sense, despite da tragedy. Let's just say I kno' some who aren't as fortunate. Not dat dat's very comfortin' ta kno', sorry...”
“Respected? No, you misunderstand. Every other tabloid likes to dig up new 'information,' who she allegedly slept with, other people claiming to be her kids, that she was on drugs, that she was murdered, that she's a scientific experiment....it's disgusting!” René looked ill. “Sure, sometimes the respectable press will run a story about her…and try shoving a mike under my nose.”
“...nngh.” Floritt winced. “Sorry. I jest assumed, since I dun actually read tabloids. Ironic, considerin' who one of me teammates is.”
René winced at the reference to Charla. Floritt titled her head but didn’t press him about it. “Oh and bye the way.” René added casually as reached over and flicked the last bit of ketchup off her nose. “Ping!” The smeargle girl blinked and wiggled her nose as the ketchup stain was flicked off. “You act like such a kid, you know?” René grinned.
“Oh, like you one ta talk 'bout actin' like a kid!” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Is that right?” He came right back and blews a raspberry at her.
“Yeh dat's right!” She gave him a raspberry right back at him.
René waggled his fingers behind his ears and rolled his eyes “Nyah! You’re even more of a kid than I am!”
“Oh yeah? At least MY face isn't purple!” Before René could ask further, he'll found a certain paintbrush-tipped tail aimed straight at him, threatening to do just that.
René’s next words were noticeably lighter. “Do you always shake your rear at people to threaten them?” He asked dryly.
“Well it IS me specie's prime weapon. It like you expect a Mawile ta use its jaw-horns, or a Pikachu ta use its electric moves.” Floritt shrugged. “But no. Not always. Sometimes I also do DIS!” In one swift motion the tail was pull aside so she could reach over and tickle-torture René for a change.
“Heehahahaah! Haahaaaheeek!” René squirmed.
“Say unca', mon! Say unca!”
“Heehee, nevah! Hahaaha!”
“Say it or I tickles with da tail, too!” Floritt threatened with a grin.
“NOOO! Yaayou wouldn't!” René gasped.
“You want ta tryyyy me?” Floritt asked in a sing-song. René raspberried her in response. This time though, Floritt was ready for it. She gave him a grin and tapped his tongue with her tail. Good news, it was non-toxic. Bad news, it doesn't exactly taste like grapes.
René ended up laughing and gaging at the same time. “Ewww...heeheek!” Floritt gave him a very satisfied grin and handed him his drink.
“yer gonna need dis, René mon.”
“Yuck! It tastes like old gym socks!” René complained as he downed his drink. “Like I said before, you ARE a child!”
Floritt giggled. “Well if I'm da child, whot does dat make you?”
“Your baby-sitter.” René answered promptly as he wiped her chin with his napkin. “Show me your hands. I bet they're filthy.”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Show them right now missy!” He insisted as he took a napkin and starts scrubbing her cheek. “You're simply filthy!”
“Oh, fine, fine, 'ere!” Floritt relented as she held out her hands. René grabbed her hands and placed one on her head and other on her stomach. “I've always been curious whether or not you could pat someone else's head and pat someone else's stomach at the same time.” He smiled.
“...I ought to smack you fer dis, mon.” Floritt said, but clearly didn’t mean it.
“But you won’t because you're too nice and I'm too cute.” He grinned confidently as he hugged her and used the opportunity to balance the bag of food on her head.
“Not dat cute, mon!” Floritt bursted his bubble as said bag was then put on top of his head. She then popped open the lid of her drink and downed a couple of ice cubes. “So whut yo doin' next?”
René looked at her oddly as he removed the bag from his head. “...You actually EAT ice?”
“Hmm? What's so weird 'bout th—” She gaves the Vulpix a look...then it clicked. “Oh. Right. Fire-type.”
“It's so...weird.” René blinked. “It's like you. Cute but weird.” Floritt amused herself by making the ice cube pop out of her mouth for René to see, to see if he would squirm, which he did. “How did it not melt in there?” He wondered as he idly poked at it.
“Me body's tempeture ain't high enough ta toste me bread aftah I eats it, maybe?” Floritt guessed as she pulled it away before he pokes it, then puts it back out when René removed his hand. Like Whack-A-Diglett, only the Diglett was an Ice-type and living in her mouth.
“Didn't your mum ever tell you not to play with your food?” René smiled sadly, really wishing he had someone like her around to make meals more bearable at home.
“Yeh, but ice ain't food, it just ice. ‘Sides she ain't here.” Floritt snickered. She eventually did eat the ice fully once it was melted enough. “...you okay, mon?”
“Hmmm?” René asked. “Oh sorry, it's nothing.”
“Dun make me tickle it outta you. An' I WILL, 'cuz you guys did it ta me alreadeh.” Floritt smirked.
“Sensitive type, are you?” The vulpix sighed. “I just keep thinking how really great it would've been if I had someone like you to grow up with.”
“Aw, mon...it not like it too late, yanno. Yer what, fifteen?”
“Sixteen...yeah. But what can I do? You can't be part of my family life...heck I'm not even sure if the word 'family' is one I can still use!”
“Family dun have ta be related to by blood. Trust me on dis one.” Floritt assured him.
“Well yeah but it's not like we live together or anything.”
“...why, yo want ta?”
“Gu...wha? Well, uh, I kinda sorta guess so...yeah.”
“Well...ta early to say now, but who know lat'r on, right?”
“Riiight. It's still nice to dream.” René sighed as he daydreamed about living with Floritt's family...the love, the food, the siblings, having a sister so he can borrow her underwear without going into stores and getting funny looks. Floritt just watched René quietly while he daydreamed. Eventually he noticed her watching. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Whut? Yer cute when yer daydreamin' like dat with yer eyes almost half-asleep.” Floritt said innocently.
“Do you have to do that?” René blushed with a moan. “What would say if I told you that you had a cute butt?”
Floritt just blinked. “I'd say, ah...tank you?”
“Oh, uh. Well...you do. Of course I couldn't help but notice since you kept waving it and your tail in my face...” René commented.
“As da song says, shake whut yer maker gave you!”
“Yeah...Well with all my tails it's all I can do to stand up! They get awfully heavy! But you are very graceful and cute...I say that in a platonic, brotherly way.”
“Heheh. Same 'ere, mon. Same 'ere.” She grinned. René gave her a hug. Then he smirked and blew a raspberry on her neck.
“EEP! You lil' sneak!” She exclaimed.
“At your service m'lady!” René said as he flicked her ears.
Floritt's doglike, floppy ears twitched when they got flicked “Heeey!” She protested as she flicked his ear right back. René flinched but wasn’t deterred.
“Can't do this with my ears.” He pointed out as he took her ears and flopped them up and down. When Floritt’s ears were up she went ‘Aaaaaaah,’ when they were down she went ‘Ooooooh.’
“Aaaaaaah…Oooooh ...Aaaaah…Ooooooh…Aaaaaah…Ooooooh...Aaaaaah....Ooooh...” Floritt went.
“I can do this all day.” René grinned. “In fact, I think I will.”
“You do an' I keek you, mon.” She threatened.
“No fair! You have big feet.” He protested.
“Tee hee!” Floritt laughed. “Yanno, it a shame our teams won't be competin' in da tests dis year. You'd be fun ta compete wit'!”
“Really? Why?”
“I'd have mo' excuses ta use me tail on you, fer one!”
“Oh.” That took a second to sink in. “....Hey!”
“Heeheehee! See? DAT'S why it'd be fun!” Floritt exclaimed.
“...So you could beat me up? That's why it'd be fun?” René asked.
“Nooo, not like dat...” Floritt shook her head. “Fightin' ain't bout beatin' someone up! You c'n learn alot 'bout a person when ya see 'em in action in a ring, givin' it all their heart an' soul. Aftah all, me mama an' papa fell in love dat way...”
“Sam's great at evaluating a person by watching them fight...I'm not that great at fighting though.” He said. “What was your best fight?”
“Best fight?” She asked, “All me fight's have been good ones! Hopefully, da one we be havin' wit Team Pearl soon's gonna be a good one!”
“Hmmm...Are there any moves that aren't allowed in the arena?” René wondered.
“If dere are, I haven't heard of 'em...”
“Ah.” He smirked. “So there's no rule against tickle attacks? I'll have to remember that if I ever go up against you.”
Floritt answered hesitantly. “I tink one of da teachers said Tickle was recently made official as an actual attack couple years back, so *ulp!* yes...” René said nothing, he just grinned evilly…or as evilly as he could manage to pull off.
“Seriously, though Floritt, I really want to thank you for…everything. Would you like to go shoppin sometime?”
“Ah, sure! I'm not much offa fashion followah, tho'...” Floritt noted.
“It doesn't have to be for clothes.” René pointed out. “It can be for anything: Books, music, jewelry, gifts for your family, anything. I just...really appreciate having you to hang around with, you know?”
”Oh, really?” Floritt asked. “'Cuz I like jewelery...”
”What kind?” He asked her. “Earings? Bracelets? Necklaces? Rings? I'll gladly take you shopping. Maybe pick up some gifts as an early birthday gift.”
“Any of dose, really. I like bracelets, tho'!” Floritt answered. “Who's berfdae?”
“Uh, no one special.” René lied. Then Floritt remembered what he’d said earlier about Nicole Zuna, of Team 16.
“Ohoooooo! Now how was it ya put it...oh, yeh. DISH!”
René blushed and stammered. “ I-It's noth-nothing really!” Floritt’s response was expressed through her tail, which lingered threateningly over her shoulder, emulating that of a Drapion's or a Gligar's. The dripping purple paint even looked more venomous than usual thanks to the way she held it.
“Teeeell.” Floritt said in a sing-song tone of voice.
“B-but...” René asked, his knees knocking under the table.
“Te-eell.” She sang again.
Defeated, René groaned. “Oooooh, all right! Her name is Nicole, she’s a sophomore like me. She's a Nidorina, her mom was a famous fighter--even fought in a charity match with my mom as a partner--and has a stuffed ponyta named Mr. Tony. She's a bit of a tomboy and an excellent fighter. I...just like her. You know, in a way that's different from you Weaver and the other girls I get attached to. I LIKE like her.”
“Ohoho, sounds like you two already got lots in common!” Floritt observed. “Why you gotta be all nervus 'bout 'er?”
“Because she's so cute and cool and...I'm not. She isn't exactly that big on the whole dating thing. She loves fighting.”
Floritt suddenly gave René a very, very enigmatic grin. “Who said datin' an' fightin' 'ave ta be mutualy exclusive?”
“Uh, what do you mean? You're starting to scare me...” René gulped.
“Remind me 'gain, yer fightin' 'er team durin' da tests, right?”
“Yes...” He admitted slowly.
“Whut bettah way ta approach 'er dan in 'er own element? Ask her out durin' da match!”
René sat ramrod still, flabbergasted. “Excuse me for a moment.” He mumbled as he took a sip of his drink, and promptly did a spit take. “Are you nuts?! Why on Earth would she go for that?”
“You just said she was big on fightin' right? Den whut bettah way ta communicate yer feelings fer her dan thru yer fists?” She responded.
“But I'm a pretty average fighter and she's...phenomenal. She'll kick my butt and think I'm a loser. Besides....how can I hurt someone I LIKE like that?”
“Yer not trying' ta hurt her, yer tryin' ta show ta her you can can keep up with 'er pace, give 'er a challenge, treat her as an equal in battle! An it dun matter if ya win or lose, what matters is dat you give it yer all, body an' soul. A good fightah will see dis right away and will respect it, no matter whut. And you gotta take advantage of dat fact so you can talk to 'er!”
“You say everything like it's so easy...anyway, the point is that well...how do I just pop out and go 'hi, I've hardly ever spoken to you before. Will you go out with me?'” René asked.
“You trust me, mon. Once you out dere puttin' yer whole on da line, keepin' up wit' 'er? You'll be too pumped up ta fear anyting, even dat. Me dad even told me once he was always shy wit' girls and dat it wasn't 'til he met mom during a match that he finally built up the courage needed to say hello. An' why? 'Cus for that brief moment, he didn't see a woman, he saw a respectable fightah...and dat gave 'im da strength he needed to ask her out....'cerse, he was a complete wreck durin' da actual date, accordin' to whut mom said. But she was so endeared by him tryin' to make tings work out she kept along with 'im...an' it seemed ta hav' werked out, else I woudn't have had brothers. Or I a home.”
René smiled weakly and shook his head. “Well if it worked for your folks I guess I could give it a shot. Thanks.” Screwing up his courage, he planted a kiss on her cheek. “You're the best.”
Floritt blushed a little. “Now now...tank me aftah ya be takin' heed of me words durin' yer fight! It a shame I gotta train with me own team dis weekend or I'd train ya m'self!”
“I'll work it out...somehow.” René sighed as he hugged her. “Love you Flo--like a sister.”
“You do dat. And I be rootin' fer ya.” She hugged him back. One of the other diners just rolled his eyes and called out:
“Geez, get a room!” René and Floritt flinched and hastily separated.
“...I tink we done eatin' 'ere…” Floritt said sheepishly.
“Yeah, we should go soon...” René mumbled as he took a sip of his soda.
“Okay, 'den. Where to?” Floritt asked. René giggled and then sang a little ditty.
“Let's all go to the lobby! Let's all go to the lobby! Let's all go to the lobby and have ourselves a snack!”
Floritt just burst into laughter at the song. “Oh dat...dat funny. An' I tink I might have had too much ketchup to tink that so funny!”
“Sam says I get a bit goofy when I have too much soda.” René chortled.
“...I best not talk.” She answered. “All me bros say dat among ta top three opponents dey'd never fight in deir life, numbuh two on da list is their sistah aftah havin' one too many sweetened Pokeblocks!”
“Oh god, you on a sugar rush?” René felt his eyes widen. “Yikes! You'd either have more manic energy than usual or would be so sweet you'd give everyone cavities.”
“Well, da place got free refill fer soft drinks, you wanna find out fer yerself?” She offered.
“Let's. I bet I can drink more than you!” He bragged.
“Oh, now you gonna be outtin' yer money where yer mouth is, kiddo?”
“Right back attcha.” René returned. He got up to go to the counter and when he returned he had a tray full of soda
“Hooboy, what'd I done...oh, well!” Floritt shrugged as she grabbed a soda.
“Ready...set...GO!” And the two were off. Floritt grabbed two cups and put a straw in each and slurped both down at the same time, doing similar with the next pair. She did stop to breathe every now and then (and to burp -- no room for mannerisms in a sugar rush contest!) but with her speed it's hard to tell at points. And René was downing his drinks at a respectable pace. This was anyone's game.
Before long, Floritt soon stood up on her chair after she had a few more drinks than him and grabbed her tail, turning it into a makeshift microphone. Then she started to sing, hiccupping every now and again.
Sun is shining *Hic!* the weather is sweet, yeah
Make you wanna move your dancing feet now
To the rescue, here I am *Hic!*
Want you to know, y'all, can you understand?
When the mornin' gather the rainbow, yeah, yeah
Want you to know, I'm a rainbow too now *Hic!*
To the rescue, here I am *Hic!*
Want you to know, y'all, can you, can you, can you understand?
Sun is shining *Hic!* the weather is sweet now
Make you wanna move your dancing feet, yeah
But to the rescue, here I am *Hic!*
Want you to know just if you can, here I stand, no, *Hic!*, no, *Hic!*, no, *Hic!*, no, *Hic!*
Can you understand me now, baby?
Do you believe me?
*Hic!*
René belched a little fire but kept pouring down drink after drink. After seven or so cups he's started to get a bit giddy and started to as well sing.
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
I sleep all night and I work all day!
I cut down trees, I skip and jump
I love to press wild flow'rs
I put on women's clothing
And hang around in bars! *Hic!*
Floritt watched René up his game, so she did the same, crunching down on a couple of ice cubes. Then, to the tune of Murray Head's "One Night In Bangkok," she started up again.
Battle Island, treacherous setting
And the city don't know what the city is getting
The creme de la creme of the Contest-world in a
Show with everything but Jirachi's glimmer
Time flies -- Dialga's there for a minute
Since the Resort spa had the Poke-boys in it
All change -- don't you know that when you're
Playing at this level that's no ordinary Gloom
It's the Orange Isles -- or the Seviis -- or Orre -- or --
or this place!
*HIC!*
One night in Battle and the world's your Cloyster
Shining like Diamonds but the Pearls ain't free
You'll find Arceus in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then his Plate's for thee
I can feel an Absol staring forebodingly.
After a few more drinks René joined her one the table top and HE started to sing again.
Emmanuel Kant was a real pissant who was very rarely stable,
Heidegger, *Hic* Heidegger was a boozy beggar who could drink you under the table!
Alfred Hume could outconsume William Freidrich Schlegel,
and Wittgenstein was a beery swine who was just as sloshed as Kegel.
There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach you 'bout the raising of the wrist;
Socrates himself was permanently pissed.... *Hic*
John Stewart Mill, of his own free will, half a bottle of shanty made him particularly *hic* ill;
Plato, they say, could stick it away; half a pint of whiskey every day.
Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle, Hobbes was fond of his dram;
And René Decartes was a drunken fart; "I drink, therefore I am!" *Hic*
Yes Socrates himself is particularly missed....
A lovely little thinker but a bugger when he's pissed!
*Hic* *Hic* *Hic!*
When he was finished, René giggled insanely like a six-year old after a dozen pixie sticks and leapt into Floritt's arms just as she was about to start again.
”Tea, girls, warm swee--GAAH!” She fell off the table as she was forced to catch the Vulpix in her arms.
“Hee. Nice catch. We fell.” René giggled for a while. Then he stopped and thought for a second before solemnly announcing; “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“And dat,” Floritt hiccupped. “Is how puppies stop bein' cute, when dey tinkle on you.” She shoved him off her. “Goooo!” Then, a moment later she followed suit to the little female room herself.
René returned first, followed by Floritt, who wobbled over back to the table. René was still giddy. “You look all woozy and funny!”
Floritt blinked “An you don't...?” She hiccupped.
“Heee—” René fell face flat on the on the table and started snoring away.
“...oh, damn you, mon.” Floritt groaned as she fell right after him, lying right on top of him and also snoring.
&&&
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