How we meet

Chapter 8

You awoke when the sun shined through the window. You stirred nearly rolling on top of venipede. He squeaked and dashed out of the blankets. You jumped awake at the movement stumbling up out of your bed. You blankly stared at each other for a moment, laughing lightly as you moved to dig through your things. You dug out your clothes changing into the spare pair you had.

You walked with venipede to the river and you got to work. You washed your clothes, you hummed to yourself as you did. You worked thoroughly messaging the soap into the cloth. It was peaceful to walk back and string them up to dry. A pile of berries and a leftover half of a sandwich you swiped from the cafe in the gym was your breakfast. Then you were straight back to work. You wiped away the dust and the dirt. Pulling out the stuff you had missed. You emptied the drawers, papers, bags, coins, and a deck of cards. You took it out sorting through it papers were tossed in the fire and you looked through the cards checking if it was missing any.

When you had dug through the contents of the cottage and swept away all of the dirt and dust. You headed into town again. You slipped quietly into the store, swiping a small package of pretzels, stuffing them into your bag, and continuing. You looked through soap and cleaners. What should you get? Something cheap but that would work. You pulled a bottle of soap down and grabbed a small bundle of towels. It was more expensive than you liked but you felt it was important to clean the house well before you started staying there.

You left quickly and returned to the cottage. A bucket and mop had luckily been in the same closet. When you and venipede arrived he squealed and whined as you worked. You didn't understand why.

"What?"

He squealed, clawing gently at the counter.
"Do you want up?" you tilted your head in confusion. You placed him on top of the counter and watched as he picked up a rag and dropped it into the bucket of soapy water.

When you fished it back out he happily jumped to the floor hopping in place until you dropped it for him. He stepped back before running onto it. The momentum sent him sliding across the floor, soapy rag under foot. He continued this as he ihelped you scrub away dirt and dried on mud. When it became too dirty he'd hop once and scream so you'd rinse it for him.
It continued like this until the sun drew dark. You huddled together by the stove lighting the small fire. You cracked the shells of nuts that you had found, and tossed them in the air for venipede laughing softly when he stumbled on the landing. With gentle fingers you tucked him into bed, then slipped out the door.

You left the cottage and adventured into the woods. You walked through the swirling lights of fireflies. You were gentle when you plucked long vines of grass from the ground, you were even more gentle when you inspected mushrooms and fungi only plucking the ones you were 100% sure were safe.

You stopped at the sound of a twig breaking. You peered through the bushes. A small deerling was there eating out of the hand of a man. You watched quietly, it was quite cute. The man you recognized, his hair was tied back in that same ponytail as last time. The man who had run into you the last time and was kind enough to make you breakfast was sitting in the woods feeding a lonesome deerling.

With a warm feeling in your chest, you left the two to themselves. Arms full you journeyed back, over the leaves and creaks, rocks and stumps. You'd only been in these woods for a short while but you already loved every inch of them. So you left for your home excited to cook breakfast in the morning.

The man noticed you leave. They and the deerling looked up at the movement. The Pokémon stepped back hiding behind N's legs.
"What was that?" the pokemon asked peaking around N's legs.

"I'm not too sure, but I think it was a person." he was calm he didn't want the deerling to panic. "I'll go look around, okay?" N didn't move until the deerling nodded, sure that they would be fine on their own.

So N left the deerling alone in the woods and followed the person he saw. His steps were feather-light. Even though the leaves sticks and mud that made up the forest floor clung and dragged him down, the vines that tangled his legs never held him back. He could have made it through faster than you would and with less dirt on you.

The difference between you two was that you seemed to waltz through the vines skipping and hopping across flowers. N walk through and the vines and mud that soaks through your shoes seemed to not affect him. You never got cut on plants and thorns but they tore at N's skin. The mud would soak your feet and the feathers of pokemon would tangle in your hair, but N's shoes may have slight stains but you'd never notice.

There you were to strangers unknowing of who the other is. You tugged at vines and cobwebs scaring at the joltics that stumbled in. You jumped and squeeled dropping your things. Venipede would leep inbetween you. With a mighty hiss from such a small thing the Joltic dashed off without a word of opposition. You calmed down quickly, shaking the fear from your head. You'd get used to it, it'll just take time.

N welcomed the Joltic with warm arms. Letting the small bug cling to his clothes and arms. He didn't lean away from pokemon he embraced them. He couldn't embrace the plants like you did. He usually would end up with a withered and weilted plant in only a few day's time. He didn't know that you could underwater a cactus. Yet he oberved you only for a short while, committing the location to memory. He'd leave you be. He left with the Joltic returning back to the deerling happy to share a few berries with the two pokemon.