I do not own Apple Jacks, but my gerbil Pete really likes them. I also do not own "Just to See You Smile" it is owned by one of the greatest country singers of all time, Tim McGraw, who I do own! He is locked in a closet in my basement! No he's not, I don't own him. Sigh.
Risty yawned as she strolled into her apartment. Kyo and Shigure ran to greet her and Yuki ran to the door of his cage to be let into his running ball. She crouched down and scratched Shigure behind the ears and ran her nails down Kyo's back, listening to him purr happily. She shooed the now grown up Mittens away from the fish aquarium, and sprinkled food into the fish tank and Hatori's tank. After scolding Scout and throwing her a piece of string, she opened the cage door and let Yuki into his ball to run around the living room floor. She got a small box of crickets out of the cabinet and dropped the live crickets into Ayame's tank, after quickly checking the heat light. Momiji crawled out of his burrow and twitched his nose at her. Risty smiled and petted his big, floppy ears before refilling his food bowl and letting him eat a baby carrot out of her hand. After taking Sox off the top of the refrigerator, she collapsed onto the sofa. The red-orange sparrow perched on the coat rack flew over to the exhausted girl, turned into a small, red-orange fox, and rested its head on her thigh.
Did I neglect to mention Minahi? She is a vital part, sort of. Minahi is a spirit morph, she can transform into any creature she has seen before. She was a fifth birthday present from Haldir; I'll go into that later. Spirit morphs also have the gift of tongues, the ability to speak many different languages. They learn these languages in the same way they learn their forms, observation. Now, back to Kitten-chan...
Risty absently stroked the fox's head. "I'm worried about Shiori-kaasan," she admitted.
Me too. Minahi answered. I hope she gets better.
"Me too."
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
Risty groaned and called: "Come in!" Rogue and Kurama walked into her apartment.
"What's up with you?" Rogue asked.
"Just worrying about Shiori-kaasan." Risty admitted.
"You should call her that." Kurama began digging through the fridge.
"I do."
"But never around her."
Risty looked down and twirled a piece of her now short hair around her finger.
"Well, we're going to visit her so you can say it then." Rogue said, putting Yuki back in his cage and feeding him Apple Jacks through the bars.
"I think it would make her really happy." Kurama added.
"Don't give Momiji another carrot," she mumbled. "I'll think about it."
Well, it really did pick her up. She started crying, and smiling, and hugging me, it was this whole big fiasco... I've called her Shiori-kaasan ever since. If it'll make someone I car about happy, I'll do anything. It's like that song, "Just to See You Smile" and there's this line, "Just to see you smile I'd do anything that you wanted me to." It's a very nice song. Totally off topic. So, we were on our way to Shiori-kaasan's house...
Risty had walked the whole way with her hands shoved in her pockets. When they got close to Kurama's house a girl their age came jogging down the street towards them. She had a sky blue hat over her light brown hair.
"Hi!" she called. "My name's Kitten. I just moved in. Do you wanna be my friends?" she asked excitedly.
The three kids looked at each other.
"Sorry, we're a little busy right now." Risty said quickly. "Maybe later."
There I go again, pushing people away... She just had so much energy it infuriated me! How could anyone be so happy when there was so much wrong with the world? But...
"Oh, yeah." Kitten said, putting her hands in her pockets and trying to act cool. "I'm actually pretty busy too. Got a lot of important stuff to do. I don't have time to worry about people like you."
She looked so stupid trying to walk away in her sky blue sweat suit Risty couldn't help it, she laughed.
"Do you hear what I hear?" Rogue asked.
"Yeah." Rogue and Kurama smiled.
"Alright Kitten-chan, you can come." Risty finally said.
"Really! I mean, who gave you permission to call me Kitten-chan?"
"Don't try anymore, please. It's too funny to watch." Risty held out a hand. "Risty Ryokin."
"Nice to meet you Ryo-chan." Kitten shook her hand.
"What?"
"I'm Kurama. Do you always cover your ears with that hat?"
"No, sometimes I wear different... Wait. How did you?"
Kurama shrugged. "I've seen you on the 'inside'."
"Oh. Well, it's nice to meet you Kurry-chan."
"What!"
"Chill, Kurry-chan." Risty teased.
"Alright Ryo-chan."
Risty glared daggers.
And so we got our annoying nicknames and I laughed for the first time in over a year. Kitten-chan could always pick you up... Well, who's next? Oh yes...