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Today, Jacinthe was straying a little far from her family’s gigantic manor. Sometimes it was nice to be a little further away from home, though the trees of the estate still offered a secure shadow away from any real danger.
Just feeling the fresh air breeze alongside little Cleffa, sat and settled on a small Ivory table adorned with gold details, meant for children, with mini chairs. One for Cleffa, one for herself a vacant seat for her poké doll of a substitute.
It was all too expensive for a child to be playing outside with, for at the very moment of its confection, Jacinthe’s play table was more expensive than most full-grown adults' real tables. Plural.
But Jacinthe’s family was so wealthy, they could afford both the luxury and the possible risks of losing it. For their little daughter to have her little adventures.
“Alors, would you like some more tea, my dear Cleffy?” Jacinthe asked her tiny baby while still holding her own little cup by her lips. She didn't know why, but she loved to say ‘Alors’ every time she could, not unlike some kind of stimming.
Cleffa nodded gently. The delicate little Pokémon really enjoyed her tea.
“Fantastic,” Little Jacinthe said pleasantly. “Then let’s get you-”
CRASH!
Almost instantly, Jacinthe shrieked as a projectile came out of nowhere at rocketspeed and into her little table, pushing her intricate flower vase into the ground and shattering it into pieces, scaring Cleffa and herself half to death.
Jacinthe put down the teapot as safely as she could without breaking it, and held her heaving chest as she stared in horror into her fallen buddies, leaking water into the grass.
“What the… Who is responsible for this!?” She yelled, then looked to her left, her right… far too quickly, and then.
She saw a boy.
“Shit…” The boy spoke under his breath. He immediately struck her as being lower class, with his unkept dark-green hair, bare feet and raggedy clothes.
At the very least, he wore a scared and regretful expression on his face.
“What a foul mouth. Wait, why… you!” Jacinthe puffed her cheeks and then angrily presented the messy glass shards and flowers. “Look at what you did! You ruined Jacinthe’s tea party!” The last few words came out as another annoyed shriek.
“Sorry!” The kid replied almost as if he was more angry than upset. “I’m sorry, okay? I was just playing with my ball!”
Then he looked at Jacinthe again, a better look. Noticing how exceptionally well she was dressed, how well taken care of her hair was, as well as her skin… the sheer quality of her little table and newly broken vase of flowers…
That puffy little white dress, those dainty, spotless shoes…
He started to take careful steps back, “O-oh… Oh no, you’re… you’re one of them rich folks, aren’t you?”
“Wait!” Before anything else, Jacinthe alerted and extended her hand, “Look at what you’ve done, you have to pay for this!”
“P-pay!?” The prospect caused the boy with the green hair to go paler than he already was. “I can’t! I barely have money for… well, anything!”
“That’s not what I meant, though that would be nice!” Jacinthe crossed her arms with a pissed little expression. “You’ve turned my party into chaos, not to mention made Cleffy very upset!”
“Huaw!” Little Cleffa nodded along, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks, much in the image of her trainer.
“T-Then what? Listen, if I can make up for you without money needing to be involved… I’d do anything.”
“Hmm…” Little Jacinthe put her finger to her chin, thinking on it. “Oh! I have the most fitting idea!”
Jacinthe walked up to the boy. “Listen, it may not look like it, but I don’t have many friends aside from Cleffy. I’d love to have someone else tag along to my party.”
“Y-yeah? You want me to play with you? Is that it?” His voice was calmer. He wasn’t wholly against it if it got him out of trouble.
“Non non, not you.” Jacinthe shook her head from side to side passionately. “Boys wouldn’t understand the grace needed for Jacinthe’s Tea Party. You will be playing as a girl.”
“WHAT!?” The boy yelled with eyes of fear. “NO! NO NO! A HUNDRED TIMES NO!”
Jacinthe’s face was shaded by darkness. “Grrr… You ruin my tea party and dare to deny my attempt at forgiveness…? Maybe I should make you pay…. get my parents involved…”
“No, listen, fine! A-Anything!” The boy grabbed a random reasonably sized rock from the ground. “D-do you want me to eat this rock instead? I promise you, I will eat this!”
“What? No! Why would I want you to eat this rock?” Jacinthe was thrown for a loop. “Why would you rather eat a rock than play as a girl for a little bit? Boys are so stupid…”
“I-I have a thing, okay? A… A thing that would make me feel really awkward and weird if I did what you’re asking me to!”
“What!?” Jacinthe crossed her arms, annoyed.
“I don’t know?”
“Why?”
“I DON’T KNOW!”
Jacinthe glared at him, upset. “What, are you afraid?”
“Afraid? No, not afraid, why would I be afraid?”
“I think you are,” Jacinthe gave him a sly grin.
“Am not!”
“Yes you are!”
“AM NOT!” He yelled back, flushed.
“Hmph. Prove it, then. Make up for your mess, too.”
“F-FINE!” The boy screamed. “BUT JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT, OKAY?”
“Okay!” Jacinthe closed her eyes and beamed. “Yay!”
The boy blushed. Despite the bossiness, her smile was really cute.
__________________
Jacinthe had gone back into her house for a little bit, leaving the boy waiting in the same place with Cleffa.
“So, uh… how do you beat dragons so easily? It’s kind of unfair.” The boy attempted to make conversation with the small Pokémon.
“Pip!” Cleffa replied with an innocent face.
“Right, yeah.”
“Alors!” The ever so familiar voice of little Jacinthe called out. “I’ve come back with something befitting of my dress code standards!”
The boy was stunned. It was probably the most beautiful dress he’d ever seen, even more beautiful and pompous than the one Jacinthe was using. It was mostly black with with white details, and reminded him vaguely of something he couldn’t recall.
“This is one of my old dresses, and your uniform for the day.”
The boy snapped back to reality.
“Y-you want me to wear a dress!?” he pointed to it like it was radioactive.
“I wouldn’t want to play with you if you’re wearing those rags! Girls have a far more sophisticated sense of style, so you’ll wear a pretty dress! Be thankful!”
The boy was shivering and shuddering, but soon enough, he ripped the dress from her hands. “F-Fine, give it here!” He said, his face red like the autumn leaves.
“Why are you so embarrassed over it!? It’s really not that big of a deal, I’m just lending you a dress. A pretty dress!” Jacinthe couldn't understand.
“I-I’m not! This dress doesn’t intimidate me in the slightest! It’s pretty!” He said, closing his eyes and pressing his lips together unconvincingly. “So… pretty.” He mumbled under his breath.
“Well, then put it on already!”
“Is… is this really alright? I mean, it's all… well-taken care of and shit…” He spoke with his voice low.
“While yes, I would rather you didn't sully it… Of course it's alright! You owe me, and besides, you look like you'd look cute in a dress either way.”
The boy's eyes widened. “I DO!?”
Then, he seemed to try and stutter out a million different things at once, none of them translating to a single actual word. “I-I don't care! I'm going to have to put this on either way, so I don't have a choice!”
…
…
…
He looked at the dress like it was of a never-before-seen color. He didn't even know where to start with it.
“Alors, I appreciate your sudden enthusiasm, but it seems like you don’t have a clue as to how to put it, do you?” Jacinthe couldn't help her teasing tone.
He was defeated, still holding the dress. “Well, yeah. Come on, I’ve never used one!”
“That’s all fine. Come here!”
“H-hey, what are you doing!?”
“Just stay still, you dummy!”
After some struggle, the dress was put on top of the boy's rags, now covering them completely.
…
“There you go! See, was that so hard?” Little Jacinthe asked. Then, she admired her handiwork. “And you look…’
A pause, with Jacinthe scratching her little chin like she was appraising a piece of art.
The boy looked flushed, but surprisingly, not as upset as one would think. His eyes onto hers almost asked for a sincere evaluation.
“S-so? How do I look?”
“You can see it for yourself!” Jacinthe said, taking a hand mirror out from somewhere on her own dress and handing it to him.
The boy held it as far as his arm would take it, carefully tilting it as to unite the pictures in his head.
A surprised expression began to blossom into a discrete smile.
“You actually look quite great. Although, hmm…” Jacinthe seemed to think. “Certainly some proper shoes would go better with that, as well as some makeup… we could braid that hair of yours, too-”
To Jacinthe's surprise, the boy didn't say anything to that, as if his mind wandered aimlessly.
“But not right now!” The little girl interrupted the moment, clapping her tiny hands twice in quick succession. “Right now, you will be my beautiful servant, Ms… “
Jacinthe paused. “What's your name?”
The little boy had priorities. “Wait, did you say servant?”
“Yes, well! I am the host of this gathering and you're the one who's going to be doing the work now, so you are the servant! Now, your name!”
The boy shrugged, impatient. “Fine, whatever,” He looked at the hand mirror again. “My name is Leb…”
…
He seemingly got stuck.
“‘Leb’ what?” Jacinthe pestered impatiently.
“Do I have to say it?”
He seemed oddly uncomfortable with the assignment. It seemed obvious to little Jacinthe that for whatever reason, the boy wasn't very fond of it.
Soon, she came up with a solution. “Leb… Leb…” Something clicked with a soft gasp. She spun around and joined her fingers together. “Lebanne!”
“...Huh?”
“This is the name of your character, dear!” She pointed to him. “You are now Lebanne!”
“Lebanne, eh?” The boy seemed to have a concerned expression on his mind for a while as he rubbed his neck. But soon, he let himself relax. “Heh, fine, whatever.”
“Alors, let’s start! Now, my dear maid, please, go get us some tea!”
“Uh…” Lebanne looked for the proper words, as she obviously didn't grow up with a fancy vocabulary. “O-Of course… uh, what's your name again?”
“Jacinthe” The little girl whispered to her from beyond the veil of the play, with a smile and a wink. “But call me ‘Lady Jacinthe’, it has flavor.”
“‘Course, Lady Jacinthe!” Lebanne said, doing her best attempt at a bow.
Seemingly, she was taking the role more seriously than Jacinthe would expect her to.
“Wait, Lebanne… do you have any Pokémon with you?”
“Yes, uh… of course, Lady.” Lebanne said, lifting her dress to grab a Pokéball on her shorts’ pocket.
“Lebanne! Don't lift up your dress in front of others, you're a girl!” Little Jacinthe covered her eyes dramatically, even if Lebanne had normal clothes underneath.
“What? O-Oh yeah, my bad!” Lebanne was almost ashamed, but then she held her Greatball and soon let her partner out.
The blue light soon came to release a Sklerp. Jacinthe's face held a silent surprise as seeing this Pokémon was fairly rare to her.
“Hey buddy,” Lebanne crouched to talk to her partner. “We're, uh… ‘playing house’ with Jacinthe here and Cleffa today, that alright?”
“What Pokémon is this?” Jacinthe asked curiously. “It's so funny looking.”
“It's a Sklerp, they live in the sewers. You have to get real dirty to get them,”
Sklerp looked to Jacinthe, and then Cleffa, who waved her ‘Hello’.
“A sewer-dweller, huh? Well, the more attendants at this tea party, the better!” Jacinthe declared loudly. “Please little Sklerp, do take a seat!”
Sklerp nodded almost excitedly, seemingly happy. She quickly knocked over the substitute doll and took over its vacant seat at the table for three.
“How lovely!” Jacinthe said. “It seems that they've already become friends.”
“Right, now let me serve you this tea…” Lebanne really did attempt to focus on the matter at hand, quickly getting to the teapot and tilting it slightly-
“Alors, and be careful now, because if you let a single drop fall off the cup, I'll have to punish you!” Jacinthe said, raising a finger with a smile far too pleased at the idea.
“What!? You're already making me wear this dress, isn't this punishment enough?” The teapot was returned to its angle before any tea could come out.
“It isn't much of a punishment if you like it, non?”
“Ah,” Lebanne said, once again ready to fill Jacinthe's cup.
Then it clicked. “WAIT, DO YOU THINK I'M LIKING THIS!?”
Jacinthe nodded calmly in disparity to Lebanne's explosion. “It is obvious, my dear.”
“Whateverrr whatever whatever whatever! I don't care about what you say, because it's not true!” Lebanne said, finally rushing to properly pour the tea into the three ‘attendants’ cups, fast but surprisingly focused, even with trembling hands.
Not a single drop spilled.
“Oh my, you certainly have skill…” Jacinthe was genuinely surprised. “Have you ever thought about being a real maid? Perhaps my family would like to-!”
“T-there’s your tea!” Lebanne said, abruptly setting the teapot back on the table with the clacking of porcelain.
“Thank you, my dear Lebanne,” Jacinthe said, and brought her little cup to her lips, taking a soft sip. “Indeed, the taste is exquisitor!”
“Ex… what?”
“Worry not, It is an expression of the upper class, you wouldn't get it! Ho, ho ho!”
“S-sure, fine.” Lebanne said, unsure if that word was correct.“How is the tea, Sklerp?”
Sklerp used her.elongated snout to bate in the warm tea, sucking all of it instantly in a single slurp. The Pokémon then hopped in place shaking her head, an excited display of approval.
“Gruwl!” Said Sklerp happily
“Pipi!” Cleffa agreed, taking her own sip.
“Nice!” Lebanne celebrated proudly with a closed fist. Despite not serving the tea, she still felt like she did a good job serving.
“How about you. Would you like a taste, Lebanne?”
She thought about it. “I've, uh… never drank tea before, but if everyone likes it, then-”
“Outagreous!” Jacinthe raised her cup towards Lebanne, there was still tea in it.
“Outa… what? Like the move Outrage? I'm not sure if that's how you-”
Jacinthe ignored her correction. “You've never drank tea before? Take your first sip right this instant! It is the dew of life!” She ordered.
Lebanne looked at what was being offered, and then to Jacinthe. “F-from your cup? Ew! You put that in your mouth! Gross! I'm going to get cooties!”
“Cooties!?” Jacinthe shrieked in a pitch that made Lebanne's ears hurt. “Girls don't have cooties, and you are a girl! You already have cooties!”
Lebanne seemed to try and rationalize that thought process in her head as a very upset Jacinthe fumed. She gave up halfway through.
Lebanne took the cup from Jacinthe's hand. “F-Fine! Give it here!” She said, taking it to her mouth and chugging it all in a single sip, much like her Sklerp.
“Hmph! We need to work on your manners.” Jacinthe said, crossing her arms and turning the other way.
“T-this is amazing!” Lebanne exclaimed. “Is… is this tea?”
“Why, yes, indeed!” As if forgetting her previous issue, Jacinthe turned with pride. “Not just any tea, my dear! Tea made by my own self! With some help from my mother, of course!”
“This is really cool! I don't even mind your cooties…”
Jacinthe glared at her with the will of a thousand angry fairies.
“...Our cooties?”
“Hmph. Just for this, I'm going to have you serve me the entire afternoon!”
“WHAT!?” She screamed. “Th- The entire…?”
“Yes, dear. If you have any objections, you can take it up with my family…”
Little Lebanne popped a vein on her head. “Alright, fine!”
“Talk properly to your Lady now…”
Lebanne settled down. “O-okay, Lady Jacinthe? What else do you want?”
“Well, I am soooo glad you asked!”
________________
The entire afternoon was resumed on the bickering and half-baked lessons between the two children playing Lady and maid, until it started to get dark.
Time had gone by in the blink of an eye, a testament to how much fun they had.
“Lady Jacinthe, I should get going. It's getting dark, my folks will get upset.” Lebanne said, almost like she was sorry.
“Oh, truly? I suppose it's only natural that you have your own business to attend to,” Jacinthe said, upset but accepting. “Alright, Lebanne… give me my dress back and then you are dismissed.”
Jacinthe helped Lebanne take it off, it was faster than putting it on.
“Well, uh… bye.” Lebanne said, taking Skrelp back into her ball, not before the little seahorse could wave Cleffa goodbye with her tail. Then, he soon turned her back on Jacinthe.
“Wait! Er… What's your name again?“
“Huh?” He stopped, without turning back. “...Lebanne?”
“No, dummy! Your real name?”
“Ah,” He raised his head slightly in genuine surprise. As if Jacinthe could possibly have meant anything else.
“...Doesn't matter.” He said with finality.
Jacinthe found this rather weird, but she would respect it. “Alright, I'll just keep calling you Lebanne, then.”
“It's whatever,” He said, hands in his pockets.
Jacinthe felt a little apprehensive. Admittedly, this little afternoon had been enough for her to grow attached. Perhaps they'd make good friends.
“Could we perhaps play again one day, my dear Lebanne?” She asked out of her heart.
Lebanne paused, then she finally turned to look back at Jacinthe one last time.
“... Yeah, maybe. This wasn't awful.” She said, maybe to her own surprise.
“Goodness, I almost forgot, catch!” Jacinthe said, throwing Lebanne's dirty, muddy ball back to her.
Lebanne caught it in the air. That ball was filthy with dirt. “You put your dainty little hands on this?”
Jacinthe shrugged. “Just this one time. I will simply head home to wash them.”
Lebanne chuckled and then turned her back on the princess one last time. “See ya, ‘Lady Jacinthe’.”
She finally walked away into the city.
…
“I did actually end up liking her, Cleffy.” Jacinthe said, picking her baby Cleffa up and holding her like a little baby, so they could both look at the sunset.
Cleffa chirped in response. “Pip?”
Jacinthe corrected herself, “I mean. him. Of course, we were both simply playing roles.”
…
Then, Jacinthe replayed it all in her head, this unlikely, funny little turn of events.
She smiled to herself.
“Non, most certainly her.”