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More from GammaEradon
Nicole arrives and meets...Nicole! Some confusion and some awkward admissions! What else do you expect?
Category Story / Pokemon
Species Unspecified / Any
Size 50 x 50px
File Size 41.5 kB
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Cold Climates and Warm Company
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Nicole smushed her face against the side of the cab’s windowpane as she tried to keep herself from thinking too hard about today: What if René did try to kiss her? Should she let him? Maybe she could kiss him if he wanted?
“Stop it.” She thought to herself. “What ever will happen…will happen, I guess. Now…I just wish I knew what the weather would be like at the ski lodge...and why the heck Blackclaw was giving us this chance to go? What’s her angle?” Despite René’s bizarre ability to get close to otherwise inaccessible girls, something about Nikki Blackclaw’s offer just struck Nicole as being off somehow.
Was she just toying with them? Setting them up for some humiliation? Maybe she heard that Nicole was so impressed with Charmandra standing up to her that she asked her to sign her arm. Or maybe she was working for her father, kidnapping René so they could make demands to his father. Or maybe Nikki would be there and ambush them, forcing her and René to put on S&M costumes and serve her like slaves. Making them call her their Queen or Mistress and…Nicole shook her head. “And that’s the LAST time I read Emily’s sleazy romance novels!” She shuddered.
That bizarre tangent DID serve its purpose in derailing Nicole’s anxiety over what she would do with René. She did her best not to doze off as the cab drove her from her house to the Blackclaw’s Mansion but the next thing she knew was gently being woke up as the cab pulled into the driveway.
“We’re here Miss.” The driver called to her.
Nicole groggily woke up and fumbled with her bags containing her ski clothes and a change of regular clothes. She tipped the cabbie since the Blackclaws were covering the cost of the ride itself.
Ringing the doorbell, Nicole found herself being buzzed in. She walked through the foyer and into some sort of parlor-cum-living room. There she found René and…
“Oh, you must be the other Nicole!” Nikki Blackclaw noted with a bemused look on her face. She nodded at Nicole.
“…Hi.” Nicole said with a guarded tone in her voice as she tentatively extended her hand. Nikki took in and grasped it firmly. Nicole’s grip was no less firm. It wasn’t a macho contest of strength, but it wasn’t far removed from one either. “I hear I have you to thank for all of this.”
Nikki shrugged as if the whole thing was barely worth mentioning. “Don’t thank me yet you haven’t met Corbin, my instructor. He doesn’t suffer amateurism gladly.” Despite never haven skied before in her life, Nicole narrowed her eyes.
“There’s no challenge I’d back down from.” She said evenly as she looked Nikki in the face. The meowth grinned and turned her head to look at René.
“You’ve got better taste than I gave you credit for.”
“…Thanks?” René said, unsure of how to take that. Nikki turned back to Nicole.
“Nice to see that the other girl with my name isn’t a pushover.” Nikki said to her opposite, who also had no idea how to take that.
René coughed nervously as he wondered if things could possibly get anymore awkward. He should’ve known better. The startled fox let out a yelp as he was abruptly hugged from behind by a growlithe in a bathrobe.
“Hiiiii René!” Mitzi giggled.
“GYAAK! Mitzi…what are you doing?” René wheezed.
“Heee, Nikki why didn’t you tell me you were going out with fluffy tails?” Mitzi grinned as she hugged one for emphasis. “He’s much fluffier than Zap!”
“WHAT?!” Both Nicoles exclaimed as they glared first at each other, and then at René.
“I said…nothing.” The vulpix squeezed out. “I never said that!”
“But you said you were taking her skiing.” Mitzi reminded him.
“I am! I’m taking Nicole!” René explained.
“But you just said you didn’t say that.” Mitzi furrowed her brow.
“I didn’t!”
“But you just DID…”
Nikki rolled her eyes and massaged her temple. “Oookay, we seem to be in a bit of a loop. I’ll handle this. Mitzi, I’m not dating the vulpix. Let him go before you damage his ribs.”
“Oooh, okay.” The growlithe sighed as she did so. René fell to his knees, gasping for breathe.
“Now,” Nikki crossed her arms. “Onto the next hurdle. Mitzi, this is someone I’d like you to meet.” She nodded to Nicole. “This is Nicole.”
“But YOU’RE Nicole.” Mitzi reminded her, her face scrunched up as she tried to riddle this one out.
“She can join the club. I’M Nicole.” The nidoran sighed as she held out her hand.
“Um...okay.” Mitzi nodded as she shook her hand. “So if you’re Nicole and YOU’RE not—” She looked at Nikki. “Then am I still Mitzi? Who am I now?”
René snickered then coughed into his hand to cover for it. That girl was something special. The two Nicoles glared him into silence.
“Mitzi, her name is Nicole too.” Nikki explained.
Mitzi cocked her head sidewise. “’Kay. So are you Nicole One?” One could see the vein twitch just over Nikki’s eye.
“…Mitzi. HER name is Nicole ZUNA. I’M Nicole Blackclaw. We have the same first name. Zuna is the one René is going skiing with.”
“Nicole…”
“Yes?” The nidoran and meowth turned to him.
“…Well that was inevitable.” René rolled his eyes. “Um, Nikki.” He turned to the meowth. “I just wanted to thank you again for arranging this. If there’s anything I can do for you all you need to do is ask—provided it’s within reason.” He added quickly. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. There was no need to…yet.
René turned to the nidoran next. “I also wanted to thank you for agreeing to come. It…it really means a lot to me.” He flushed.
“Sure, no problem.” Nicole said, trying to keep her voice even. “I mean, I like doing things. With you that is.” She coughed. Nikki rolled her eyes at their timidness.
“Why don’t you two lovebirds,” Nikki stressed the word with all deliberation just to see them get even more fidgety. “Get going. The helicopter will be landing out back any minute.”
“Oooh! Can I go see the helly-copter too?” Mitzi asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“This is THEIR trip Mitzi.” Nikki looked at her. “And going outside in just a bathrobe as a helicopter lands is a BAD idea.”
“Aww…really?” Mitzi pouted.
“YES.” Her three companions said in unison.
“Not that this hasn’t been fun,” Nicole said as she grabbed René by the wrist. “We really should get going…RIGHT René?” He nodded at the insistent nidoran’s look.
“Right!” He said as Nicole started to lead him out. “Bye Nikki, bye Mitzi!”
“Bye-bye!” The growlithe waved. Nikki nodded her goodbye.
As René and Nicole headed outside they found the helicopter waiting for them. “Our ride’s here.” René said unnecessarily.
“So I see.” Nicole held his hand as they climbed aboard. “Look René, I…think this was a really sweet thing you did, inviting me. So…thanks.”
René blushed. “It’s no big deal, it WAS Nikki’s idea after all.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just surprised your parents were okay with it.”
“Well, they like you.” She admitted. “So that helped. And they didn’t think you’d start any hanky-panky business with me.” Nicole nudged him with her elbow. “I’m MORE surprised that your dad was okay with this.”
René looked like he was about to be run over by a semi. “…Yeah, about that.” He winced as the helicopter took off. “Funny story…”
Nicole turned her head away from watching the ground fall grow smaller and turned back to her companion. “You DID tell him you were going to be gone for the day didn’t you?”
“I did…” René said slowly.
“But?”
“But…thing is, when I told him that I was going out with a girl named Nicole, guess what he thought?”
Nicole blinked. “…You’re KIDDING.”
René just shook his head. “Nope. Apparently, it’s not just Mitzi who can get confused by that.” He said with a wince.
“And you didn’t correct him?!”
“…Well, no.” René fidgeted. “Please remember that my dad is an elitist snob. You know, from the crowd that doesn’t really like…certain types?”
Nicole crossed her arms. “You mean like poison types?” She asked with an edge in her voice.
“…and ghosts and dark types.” René admitted. “Yeah. So he assumed I meant Nikki—Blackclaw, that is. And well, he REALLY wants this business deal to work so he’d probably have encouraged me to go out with Nikki anyway…and warn me what would happen if I did anything to screw up the deal. So I just thought maybe it’s just as well that I not correct him. Yet.” He added hastily.
“Uh-huh.” Nicole crossed her arms. “And just WHEN were you going to tell him?” She asked archly. René sunk low in his seat.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that…well, I’ve never really stood up to my father before and I REALLY wanted this weekend to go off without a hitch so I thought I’d tell him the truth after the trip was over…I’m sorry.” He apologized again. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of you or anything—PLEASE don’t think that! I just...wanted to know how things stood after this trip before I did anything like invite you over or anything. Sounds pretty cowardly, huh?”
Nicole sighed. “…No, I don’t.” She fluffed his hair, making the vulpix blush. “I think you just need to learn how to deal with your dad…and you’re going to start by taking me to your home for dinner next week.”
René looked like she’d grown a second head. “B-but…”
“No buts.” Nicole held up a finger as she flashed him a confidant smirk. “You’ve met my dorky family and survived. Don’t you think I can do the same to your jerk dad? Or do you not think I’m tough enough to take it?”
“Well, of course you’re tough enough—” He started to say.
“Then it’s settled.” Nicole patted him on the shoulder. “And look at it this way…dinner with your dad is going to be the LEAST of your troubles when we get back.”
“How do you figure?” The vulpix asked slowly suddenly wary.
“Well,” Nicole smiled with a touch of mock-sadness as she gave him a pitying look. “What do you think will happen the next time your dad talks with Mr. Blackclaw and he tells Nikki that you made your father think that the two of you were going out? What do you think she’ll do to you for that?”
The color leeched away from René’s face as his face took on a pall look. He gulped, as if suddenly ill. “Maybe I’ll be lucky and break my neck when we ski.” René moaned as he buried his face in his hands.
&&&
Cold Climates and Warm Company
&&&
Nicole smushed her face against the side of the cab’s windowpane as she tried to keep herself from thinking too hard about today: What if René did try to kiss her? Should she let him? Maybe she could kiss him if he wanted?
“Stop it.” She thought to herself. “What ever will happen…will happen, I guess. Now…I just wish I knew what the weather would be like at the ski lodge...and why the heck Blackclaw was giving us this chance to go? What’s her angle?” Despite René’s bizarre ability to get close to otherwise inaccessible girls, something about Nikki Blackclaw’s offer just struck Nicole as being off somehow.
Was she just toying with them? Setting them up for some humiliation? Maybe she heard that Nicole was so impressed with Charmandra standing up to her that she asked her to sign her arm. Or maybe she was working for her father, kidnapping René so they could make demands to his father. Or maybe Nikki would be there and ambush them, forcing her and René to put on S&M costumes and serve her like slaves. Making them call her their Queen or Mistress and…Nicole shook her head. “And that’s the LAST time I read Emily’s sleazy romance novels!” She shuddered.
That bizarre tangent DID serve its purpose in derailing Nicole’s anxiety over what she would do with René. She did her best not to doze off as the cab drove her from her house to the Blackclaw’s Mansion but the next thing she knew was gently being woke up as the cab pulled into the driveway.
“We’re here Miss.” The driver called to her.
Nicole groggily woke up and fumbled with her bags containing her ski clothes and a change of regular clothes. She tipped the cabbie since the Blackclaws were covering the cost of the ride itself.
Ringing the doorbell, Nicole found herself being buzzed in. She walked through the foyer and into some sort of parlor-cum-living room. There she found René and…
“Oh, you must be the other Nicole!” Nikki Blackclaw noted with a bemused look on her face. She nodded at Nicole.
“…Hi.” Nicole said with a guarded tone in her voice as she tentatively extended her hand. Nikki took in and grasped it firmly. Nicole’s grip was no less firm. It wasn’t a macho contest of strength, but it wasn’t far removed from one either. “I hear I have you to thank for all of this.”
Nikki shrugged as if the whole thing was barely worth mentioning. “Don’t thank me yet you haven’t met Corbin, my instructor. He doesn’t suffer amateurism gladly.” Despite never haven skied before in her life, Nicole narrowed her eyes.
“There’s no challenge I’d back down from.” She said evenly as she looked Nikki in the face. The meowth grinned and turned her head to look at René.
“You’ve got better taste than I gave you credit for.”
“…Thanks?” René said, unsure of how to take that. Nikki turned back to Nicole.
“Nice to see that the other girl with my name isn’t a pushover.” Nikki said to her opposite, who also had no idea how to take that.
René coughed nervously as he wondered if things could possibly get anymore awkward. He should’ve known better. The startled fox let out a yelp as he was abruptly hugged from behind by a growlithe in a bathrobe.
“Hiiiii René!” Mitzi giggled.
“GYAAK! Mitzi…what are you doing?” René wheezed.
“Heee, Nikki why didn’t you tell me you were going out with fluffy tails?” Mitzi grinned as she hugged one for emphasis. “He’s much fluffier than Zap!”
“WHAT?!” Both Nicoles exclaimed as they glared first at each other, and then at René.
“I said…nothing.” The vulpix squeezed out. “I never said that!”
“But you said you were taking her skiing.” Mitzi reminded him.
“I am! I’m taking Nicole!” René explained.
“But you just said you didn’t say that.” Mitzi furrowed her brow.
“I didn’t!”
“But you just DID…”
Nikki rolled her eyes and massaged her temple. “Oookay, we seem to be in a bit of a loop. I’ll handle this. Mitzi, I’m not dating the vulpix. Let him go before you damage his ribs.”
“Oooh, okay.” The growlithe sighed as she did so. René fell to his knees, gasping for breathe.
“Now,” Nikki crossed her arms. “Onto the next hurdle. Mitzi, this is someone I’d like you to meet.” She nodded to Nicole. “This is Nicole.”
“But YOU’RE Nicole.” Mitzi reminded her, her face scrunched up as she tried to riddle this one out.
“She can join the club. I’M Nicole.” The nidoran sighed as she held out her hand.
“Um...okay.” Mitzi nodded as she shook her hand. “So if you’re Nicole and YOU’RE not—” She looked at Nikki. “Then am I still Mitzi? Who am I now?”
René snickered then coughed into his hand to cover for it. That girl was something special. The two Nicoles glared him into silence.
“Mitzi, her name is Nicole too.” Nikki explained.
Mitzi cocked her head sidewise. “’Kay. So are you Nicole One?” One could see the vein twitch just over Nikki’s eye.
“…Mitzi. HER name is Nicole ZUNA. I’M Nicole Blackclaw. We have the same first name. Zuna is the one René is going skiing with.”
“Nicole…”
“Yes?” The nidoran and meowth turned to him.
“…Well that was inevitable.” René rolled his eyes. “Um, Nikki.” He turned to the meowth. “I just wanted to thank you again for arranging this. If there’s anything I can do for you all you need to do is ask—provided it’s within reason.” He added quickly. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. There was no need to…yet.
René turned to the nidoran next. “I also wanted to thank you for agreeing to come. It…it really means a lot to me.” He flushed.
“Sure, no problem.” Nicole said, trying to keep her voice even. “I mean, I like doing things. With you that is.” She coughed. Nikki rolled her eyes at their timidness.
“Why don’t you two lovebirds,” Nikki stressed the word with all deliberation just to see them get even more fidgety. “Get going. The helicopter will be landing out back any minute.”
“Oooh! Can I go see the helly-copter too?” Mitzi asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
“This is THEIR trip Mitzi.” Nikki looked at her. “And going outside in just a bathrobe as a helicopter lands is a BAD idea.”
“Aww…really?” Mitzi pouted.
“YES.” Her three companions said in unison.
“Not that this hasn’t been fun,” Nicole said as she grabbed René by the wrist. “We really should get going…RIGHT René?” He nodded at the insistent nidoran’s look.
“Right!” He said as Nicole started to lead him out. “Bye Nikki, bye Mitzi!”
“Bye-bye!” The growlithe waved. Nikki nodded her goodbye.
As René and Nicole headed outside they found the helicopter waiting for them. “Our ride’s here.” René said unnecessarily.
“So I see.” Nicole held his hand as they climbed aboard. “Look René, I…think this was a really sweet thing you did, inviting me. So…thanks.”
René blushed. “It’s no big deal, it WAS Nikki’s idea after all.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just surprised your parents were okay with it.”
“Well, they like you.” She admitted. “So that helped. And they didn’t think you’d start any hanky-panky business with me.” Nicole nudged him with her elbow. “I’m MORE surprised that your dad was okay with this.”
René looked like he was about to be run over by a semi. “…Yeah, about that.” He winced as the helicopter took off. “Funny story…”
Nicole turned her head away from watching the ground fall grow smaller and turned back to her companion. “You DID tell him you were going to be gone for the day didn’t you?”
“I did…” René said slowly.
“But?”
“But…thing is, when I told him that I was going out with a girl named Nicole, guess what he thought?”
Nicole blinked. “…You’re KIDDING.”
René just shook his head. “Nope. Apparently, it’s not just Mitzi who can get confused by that.” He said with a wince.
“And you didn’t correct him?!”
“…Well, no.” René fidgeted. “Please remember that my dad is an elitist snob. You know, from the crowd that doesn’t really like…certain types?”
Nicole crossed her arms. “You mean like poison types?” She asked with an edge in her voice.
“…and ghosts and dark types.” René admitted. “Yeah. So he assumed I meant Nikki—Blackclaw, that is. And well, he REALLY wants this business deal to work so he’d probably have encouraged me to go out with Nikki anyway…and warn me what would happen if I did anything to screw up the deal. So I just thought maybe it’s just as well that I not correct him. Yet.” He added hastily.
“Uh-huh.” Nicole crossed her arms. “And just WHEN were you going to tell him?” She asked archly. René sunk low in his seat.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that…well, I’ve never really stood up to my father before and I REALLY wanted this weekend to go off without a hitch so I thought I’d tell him the truth after the trip was over…I’m sorry.” He apologized again. “It’s not that I’m ashamed of you or anything—PLEASE don’t think that! I just...wanted to know how things stood after this trip before I did anything like invite you over or anything. Sounds pretty cowardly, huh?”
Nicole sighed. “…No, I don’t.” She fluffed his hair, making the vulpix blush. “I think you just need to learn how to deal with your dad…and you’re going to start by taking me to your home for dinner next week.”
René looked like she’d grown a second head. “B-but…”
“No buts.” Nicole held up a finger as she flashed him a confidant smirk. “You’ve met my dorky family and survived. Don’t you think I can do the same to your jerk dad? Or do you not think I’m tough enough to take it?”
“Well, of course you’re tough enough—” He started to say.
“Then it’s settled.” Nicole patted him on the shoulder. “And look at it this way…dinner with your dad is going to be the LEAST of your troubles when we get back.”
“How do you figure?” The vulpix asked slowly suddenly wary.
“Well,” Nicole smiled with a touch of mock-sadness as she gave him a pitying look. “What do you think will happen the next time your dad talks with Mr. Blackclaw and he tells Nikki that you made your father think that the two of you were going out? What do you think she’ll do to you for that?”
The color leeched away from René’s face as his face took on a pall look. He gulped, as if suddenly ill. “Maybe I’ll be lucky and break my neck when we ski.” René moaned as he buried his face in his hands.
&&&
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