Tea for Two

Disclaimer: None of the Klonoa characters belongs to me, but if I could, then I would marry Lolo! They belong to Namco and Klonoa Works.

Lolo: You're a girl!

Kero Guardian: I said, "If I could"! Anyway, this is a short break from my other stories. Woot, was listening to Rainy Day by Ayumi Hamasaki while writing this!

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One: Umbrellas

Burying his face into a hand, Joka stumbled onto something more solid beside him. The pounding of his head brought an unfamiliar expression over his usually grinning face. He gritted his fangs together before suddenly tripping onto the ground.

He heard a snicker above him to which he responded with another smile, "Janga-chan, how unfortunate for you to see me like this…" He tried to gather himself together in order to focus his eyesight, or at least enough to get him back to his feet. "It seems the little drink that was given to me is having a rather unfavorable effect."

"Some people can't take too much alcohol."

"Ah, yet you are so very fond of it." The smaller figure narrowed his star-shaped eyes to the sky and shivered in the rain that started to fall. It wasn't the water that showered lightly down that made him uneasy, but the wind that was starting to pick up. The rumbling from gray clouds also heightened his nervousness as he knew very well that if he didn't find shelter soon then he'd find himself being blown off miles from his home. "I'm ever so sorry to trouble you, but I appear to be in need of your assistance." Joka sunk into the mud with each movement he made. "Could you by chance lift me up?"

"Sure." The feline sneered as his claws dug lightly into Joka's body. With a swift yank he pulled the fiend into the air.

Though Joka was truly grateful; he couldn't help but notice the extra objects in his co-worker's other claw. The umbrella was not strange, but there was a good set of ropes as well. "Janga-chan…exactly what are you doing in front of my house?"

"Just killing time I guess."

Joka gave a loud yelp when he was released then caught again by his folded tail. "Janga-chan! That is very uncomfortable!! Let go!!!" The mud would have been more pleasant than this position. He stopped struggling when he heard the sound of the umbrella opening, "Janga-chan, isn't it too late for you to be using that when you are already so wet--yeep?!"

Janga grumbled something as he pinned the clown against the handle of the cheap umbrella and tied the ropes tightly around his sphere-like form. "Have a nice flight, jerk."

"Janga-chan, no!! Ack!!" Joka started to float a little before a strong breeze swept him away. "Janga-chan!!!"

"Kikikiki."

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Lolo was caught by surprise when someone shoved her roughly aside. She turned to see an older priestess walk past her and pull her umbrella from the front basket.

"Um, excuse me?" The girl swallowed nervously after the other priestess turned to look at her irritably, "That's my umbrella you have there."

Two other priestesses giggled already standing beside her, and Lolo knew exactly what was to happen next. There were always at least three older girls ganging up on her each day. And for some reason they were different people every day.

This time a red haired priestess pressed a hand onto her shoulder and smiled mockingly. "Oh really? Then how come I don't see your name on it?"

"I brought it in this morning!" Though she wanted to have shouted, her voice remained slightly hushed.

The one at Lolo's other side tilted her chin up to match the same eye distance as Lolo was much shorter than her. "I didn't see you come in with an umbrella. Besides I thought you liked pink, that umbrella is yellow and brown."

Lolo jerked away from the loose grasp and narrowed her eyes, a slight flicker of anger crossed blue pupils. To this the three laughed in voices of melody. Their voices were trained to sound beautiful, not clumsy like the priestess trainee. "Are you going to tell the High Priestess on us?"

There was nothing to be said after that. Lolo didn't want to risk getting in trouble again and no matter what the excuse there was no one to back her up as a witness. It was like a conspiracy, as all the priestesses disliked her for some reason and besides would avoiding a little water be worth troubling the teacher? No, the High Priestess was the only one who showed any faith in the child and Lolo was not willing to trouble the woman.

So she didn't make a sound as they passed her, opening the umbrella. Moments later she wrapped her books in a towel and darted into the rain. She ran as fast as she could with the books over her head.

The apprentice priestess gasped meekly, her fingers meeting the door knob of her house. She finally thought the rest of the day would run as it usually did; going home, studying, then off to bed. Popka was visiting a friend in Volk, so it would be just herself for the night again. Well, it seemed that way until something smacked her in the back of the head.

Lolo quickly lost balance and fell on her face, whirling around to find the thing in question falling into her lap. She instantly recognized the features of volleyball like fiend, "Joka?"

"My…if it isn't the child priestess…what…a journey I have…oh." The umbrella he was strapped to start to tilt and was about to flutter away again had not been for Lolo leaping up and grabbing its handle.

She managed to bring Joka into a cradle only to find that he had fainted from what appeared to be exhaustion.

"…so much for a normal day." She sighed.

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Kero Guardian: That was a nice breather. I hope to keep this short.

Joka: Hahahaha! Very funny Janga-chan! (Angry mark.)

Lolo: Will I get my umbrella back? Popka made it for me!

Kero Guardian: Your guys' own fault! Stand up for yourselves, sheesh!