Hourly Challenge May #2 Nopon

a/n: Tatsu and Lin have an argument about fashion. Elma intervenes because 13-year-olds aren't good at being friends yet.

All the good things belong to Monolith Soft, and I have an issue with certain fashion items in XC2.

"I don't know why you're so upset about it anyway!"

Elma looked up from her calming afternoon tea as two teens, one human, one Nopon, burst into the commons area. The Nopon, moving at a great speed for such a round species, did not answer his friend. Instead, he climbed up on the sofa with difficulty, wrapped his major wing-arms around his face and body, and rocked silently back and forth. The utter lack of complaining "mehs" proved he was very angry indeed .

Lin stood over him, half miffed, half distressed. "Elma, tell the potato-head to just talk to me already. He's been like this since we met at the cafe."

"Insulting him is not a good start, Lin," Elma addressed Lin's back mildly.

"He's being a brat! I got that something was wrong, but he wouldn't talk about it. Just walked away, well, waddled away like a pig really."

Elma hinted at the policy of "not insulting friends" but her pointed cough was ignored.

"He wouldn't even let me buy him a crepe!" wailed Lin. "I don't get it!"

Tatsu burst out of his wrappings and leaned up into the face of the other 13-year-old. "LINLY MAKING FUN OF ALL NOPON!' he screeched. "UGLY STUPID T-SHIRT ON UGLY STUPID HOM HOM!'

"Stop calling me that! I swear, that's a slur you guys have for us."

Tatsu disappeared into his feathery wing-arms again. "Not slur. Old word for stranger friend. No one use. Tatsu think it sound legendary."

"Oh." Lin paused, then went back to shouting. "My new t-shirt isn't ugly! Is it, Elma?"" She twirled round to face Elma, tugging out the hem to display the graphics better.

Elma studied the t-shirt, clearly brand new, the creases still in the sleeves. It was plain white and cheaply made, with a bright blue Nopon dancing on the front. The illustration reached from neck to hem, a simplified sphere with shining eyes and single coil of fluffy head tuft. Lin spun around to show off the back. More Nopon were dancing there, tiny and in a range of flower colors, with a suspiciously mottled tan and green one in the corner. Elma looked over at the real Nopon on the sofa, his pine green merchant's cap lowered over his tan belly and helping to wrap him in more layers.

"I think it is very sweet," began Elma.

Lin jumped back to face Elma again. "It's not sweet. It is the newest hotness. It is the funnest fast fashion that Red Hamster ever came up with!" She tugged the shirt harder, twisting the fabric in her hands.

"Yes, perhaps, for us. But our friend Tatsu might think about it differently."

Tatsu chose this moment to topple dramatically off the sofa and roll around on the floor. "Meeeeehhhhhhh! Very hurtful, very insensitive. Worst thing ever!"

Elma was unmoved. "Maybe not that either. If you'd explain without exaggerating, I'm sure Lin will listen."

Tatsu heaved himself up and swelled as he took a deep breath. He released it in a gust, floating upward slightly. "T-shirt okay but two things Tatsu hate."

"So it's not the t-shirt. What IS it?"

"It t-shirt, but okay on Lin. Not liking brand name."

"Nop & Skinz? It sounds hot," defended Lin.

"Sound like what Marnuck do to people," Tatsu said, then wobbled back in a helpless swoon.

"Oh. EWWWWWWW!" shrieked Lin. She stopped and put both fists on her hips, frowning down at her stricken friend. "Wait a minute, you guys make candy in the shape of littlepon."

"Self depreciating humor works as brand identity, totally different," Tatsu said faintly.

Elma interrupted. "I'm sure the ECP could convince Red Hamster to rename the fashion line, if the Ambassador to All Nopon asked."

"I'll go with you tomorrow, Tater," Lin said. She reached down and offered Tatsu a hand. "You said two things. What's the other?"

Tatsu lifted his minor arm weakly so that Lin had to bend even lower. She yanked him up with gusto. As soon as he stopped rattling, Tatsu adjusted his thick spectacles and patted his tri-lobed hat into perkiness. "Not a problem with Lin, because Linly worthy of such cuteness. But imagine shirt on someone else. No one like picture of self stretched across ugly form."

Elma and Lin stared at him with a lack of understanding.

"Uncle Dougie."

Lin giggled. "I am so buying him an apron with this. The shirts don't come in extra large."

"Mustache Man."

Lin giggled harder, and Elma had to hide a smile. "I don't think the Commander Vandham would wear one." Unbidden images of tank tops emblazoned with dancing Nopon made the smile harder to disguise.

"Stinky bossy Boze."

"EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

a/n: I made a Nopon t-shirt in Animal Crossing, challenge finished. Then I remembered a certain shirt in XC2 and off we go! (Vandham has one but only wears it at home on laundry day; he won't even answer the door on those days. Bose has several, all Nopon magic girls, and wears them on his off hours, in public.)