He held her hand. "I know. She's gone now. Got her to just meet me another time. Now we can continue our walk!" he said cheerfully. "What were we talking about? Oh! Meatballs, you can meet Mocha next weekend. Will you come see my play too?"
Echo smiled humbly and squeezed his hand back, continuing their walk. "Of course I would come! Why wouldn't I? " She didn't want to miss it.
At the topic of Meatballs' puppies, she hummed happily. "Really? I'm guessing your friend is coming over to see the film too." Her ears twitched. " Can't wait to meet her! I wonder if she's as brown as a mocha...?"
"My friend's part of the play." chuckled Johnny. "One of the main characters of Marzan, and that's right, Mocha is as brown as mocha. I love food names, makes me happy when I say them, that's how people know my favorite food, though I haven't named any of my summons hazelnut galette." he looked around to see if there were any other fans or the paparazzi.
"I wonder if I should wear a cloak as we walk. I left mine back at the compound. Is there a tailor's shop nearby, Echo?"
Echo tilted her head to think before snapping her fingers with a grin. " There's one nearby. We can go to Mr. Devon's tailor shop. I've never been inside but I have talked with the assistant there." She smiled at Johnny.
"We can try there." If Johnny agreed, the fawn lead the way to the tailor shop where they will see a tiny girl with white hair and fox ears and tail going inside the tailor shop. It seem like she had fruits and vegetables inside of a brown paper bag.
"I guess she did some shopping in the market." Echo mentioned.
Johnny did agree. As they walked, the lights of the town lit up just before it got dark, the ones that were oil lamps being kindled to life by candle boys climbing up ladders. "Is that the daughter of the tailor?" he asked curiously, before they entered the shop.
A door bell tingled from above them. A dapper black cat in a crisp tailor's suit was humming as he swept the floor of the shop. It seemed as though they were about to close shop. He looked up at the sound of the bell and greeted the two with a warm good evening.
"Come in, come in, welcome to Bronson Tailoring Ms. Muses, Mr. Caprice, I am Devon Bronson, how may I serve you tonight?" he bowed. He seemed unfazed by the appearance of two very famous people, that or he was very professional.
When they entered, hearing a bell ring above them and greeted by a dapper black cat, the fawn curtsied back. Manners are important after all. "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Devon. It seems that you were about to close shop but we do need a cloak for my beau." She said meekly. "If that's okay?"
"Of course, not a problem at all, Koko, our cloaks if you please!" said Devon.
"Thank you." said Johnny, smiling. He gazed at the shop, apart from the rustic paneling of the shop, there were decorations that seemed to have come from different places in the world, most of them collections of buttons, threads that would probably make Chenglei crazy, silk, baubles, elven brooches, and what looked like mammoth fur from Brusk. On the walls were moving black and white photos. Johnny was amazed, he had never seen that before, at least not on photos. Mr. Devon seemed to be a hunter and a traveler, and come to think about it, aren't the cat folk from Jahara or the Orients? Yet his mannerisms weren't from those cultures at all. And his assistant . . . didn't her kind come from the Orients?
"Echo," whispered Johnny, now very intrigued, as the tailor disappeared to help Koko with the cloaks. "Who is Mr. Bronson? I don't think an ordinary tailor can afford a camera."
"Yes Sir, Mr. Devon! Sir!" chirped a very young lady's voice. They can hear someone scrambling around in the back before a white fox ear peeked out of the curtains only to dart back in. Light clinks and clanks can be heard as if it's a bunch of hangers being placed on a metal pole.
Echo smiled at the black cat as he went to back before looking at Johnny. Her green eyes spotted the camera he was talking about. "Hmm...Well According to Koko, Mr. Devon is a professional Tailor. I believe he even made Queen Mia's dresses." She only knew that because Serena has mentioned about Mia wearing a beautifully crafted dress made by a Mr. Devon who's a black cat. The fawn assumed this is the same one that Serena was talking about.
"That might explain why he didn't react to us, love."
"Here are your cloaks, Sir! Ma'am- Oh! Hi Ms. Echo!" The red headed fawn perked up at the young voice that's followed by a rolling hanger bar behind her with several cloaks Johnny can choose from. There were many that are colorful and others that are not so much but they were beautifully designed.
"Hello Koko." The young kitsune's blue eyes blinked at the sight of Johnny's horns before asking "So this is Johnny.....You're right, Ms. Echo; he has a handsome pair of horns." Echo blushed red as she giggled and poked her pots.
"Where are my manners? Hello Mr. Johnny. My name is Yoko Inari but please call me Koko!" Yoko chirped with a bright smile, unfazed by their status just like Mr. Devon.
"You-you talked about me?" Johnny asked Echo, going red, pleased. "Hi, Koko, nice to meet you!" he bowed in the style of the Orients. Devon followed after his assistant, showing with a flourish the rest of the cloaks, the two seemed to have rehearsed showing off their wares because they talked in sync as they displayed a mammoth fur cloak, elven cloaks that could hide one from prying eyes, a fashionable cloak lined with fur and threaded in silver, and a simple forest green one with a lining of geometric design.
"Oh, I like this one!" said Johnny, picking up the green cloak and trying it out. Mr. Devon rolled in a tall mirror where Johnny could see himself.
"May I ask why you are looking for a cloak, sir?" said the black cat.
"Well, I wanted to hide from my fans." said Johnny exasperatedly. "Me and Echo were having a date, but it got disturbed. I don't want it happening again."
"Hmm, then would a beard charm work in your favor? Simply make a gesture like this . . ." and he actually made the gesture Makl used to make whenever he wore his green cloak and then turned himself into a little old man, " and a beard will come out. Would Ms. Muses also like a cloak with an illusionment charm that'll make your horns disappear and your hooves? As long as no one touches you, the illusion will look very real."
Yoko's ears perked up when Johnny bowed like in her home country, doing the same.
As Johnny looked and picked a cloak, Echo turned to Mr. Devon when he gestured to her as well. She pondered. It would help keep their identities hidden from the public as they continue their date. So she nodded. "Yes, I would like that very much."
"Oh!" Yoko searched in the elven cloaks section and picked out one that the black cat talked about. It was deep maroon color with intricate warm gold designs of vines and leaves on the edges. A forest green leaf pin is holding the cloak together. "This one!" Trusting the young kitsune's decision, Echo wore the cloak in front of the mirror and looked at herself. she's still her...
"Um...how-?"
"You do the same as Mr. Johnny does. Like this." Yoko did the same motion as Devon's. Echo copied and long and behold-! Her antlers disappeared and her hooves and ears were replaced by human legs and ears. She looked...like a regular human girl. Her green eyes widened and touched her ear, amused that she can still feel the fuzziness of her fur.
"So that's why...it doesn't work if they touch it...I like it." Echo smiled at the tailoring pair. The young kitsune grinned happily and hopped in place. "Lovely!"
Johnny agreed with the beard cloak as well, and while Mr. Devon went off to do the enchantment, he had Koko bring them some blueberry cheese cake, hot cocoa, and also asked her to entertain them. Johnny was quite interested with the assistant, never having met one of her kind before.
"Do you live here with your parents, Koko?" he asked, "I have never met one of your people before, are you like one of the cat folk from Jahara?"
Echo took off the deep red cloak and passed to Mr. Devon, along with Johnny's green one.
"Yes Sir!" Yoko went of to grab a tray that carried the most delicious looking blueberry cheese cake platter and steaming cups of hot cocoa. She made a gesture to follow her to a seating area that has a wooden table with a weaving pattern around the sides; placed the tray on it, cut the slices, and passed them over to a small plate before giving one to Echo and to Johnny. Then once the couple got themselves comfortable in the cushioned chairs, Yoko sat down with a cup of hot cocoa and sipping it. Her ear perked up at Johnny's questions.
"Oh! I actually live with Mr. Devon. I left my village years ago to find my purpose and I stumbled along to Mr. Devon's shop." Yoko said cheerfully, her three fluff tails swayed under the trench coat she's wearing. "So now Mr. Devon is my mentor. Um...hmmm...I'm actually a kitsune or a fox demon. My people are very elusive, so it's no wonder that you haven't seen someone from my kind other then me. Today. Right now...Heheh!"
"Oh, this one is already good to go." said Mr. Devon, handing Echo the deep red cloak back. "This one was made by my apprentice." he said proudly.
As Johnny munched on cake, savoring the heavenly cream and hint of graham crackers, he chuckled. Koko seemed so cheery. "Oh, that's what I did too! I left my village when I was younger to learn magic. Wow, a fox demon, I've heard of nine-tailed and twin-tailed foxes, but never a three-tailed until today. Right now." he smiled. "Is it true you can turn into a giant fox with flames under your feet? And that if someone touches the tail of a nine-tailed fox they'll be cursed?"
"Oh!" Echo's ears perked up and smiled, taking back the cloak. "You have a very talented apprentice, Mr. Devon."
Yoko nodded, sipping her hot cocoa before standing up, placing her cup on the table and grabbed a traditional oriental fox mask. Once she placed it on her face-
POOF!
The puff of smoke disappears and there, where Yoko stood before, is a tiny white fox with an adorable fox mask on and green praying beads around her neck. Her three tails sway, puff and fluffy looking to touch and there's blue flames decorating her paws but it didn't burn anything. She hopped from the floor to the chair and then to the table graceful, avoiding the cheese cakes and hot cups. Then she lifted a tail towards Johnny, as if to say 'Touch it. You know you wanna touch it!'
"Yip!" 'The reason why I have three tails is because I'm still growing. I want to have nine tails.' is what he can hear in his mind from the fox across from him.
"I-is it really okay to touch your tail?" said Johnny. All his experience in tail touching had been intimate. He looked to Echo for permission, as Yoko was a girl too, and if she made a gesture that it was okay, he'd poke the tail. "You can speak through my mind! That's amazing! I've only known dragons and manna trees to do that."
Echo nodded, thinking it's okay before she poked her tail too.
'Yes, it's really okay. We only curse when someone aims to harm us.' Yoko said, yipping again before trilling cutely, shaking her fur a bit. 'It really comes in handy! I learned how to do this when I got my third tail but I have a limit if I'm not careful. Hopefully, I can talk without losi-'
'Poof!'
"-ing my focus..." Yoko froze in her funny pose; She's tip-toeing on one shaky foot, balancing with her arms up and out in different angles. Her tails poof-ed up in fright of breaking anything. Once she got her balance, she simply hopped off the table and giggled in embarrassment.
"Sorry about that...Heheheh~!" She cleared her throat. "That's why I want to get all of my tails soon. So I can do more with ease like my grandpa!" Yoko chirped before climbing back on her chair. "You said you left home for your dream too. How's your dream so far? Did you get there yet?"
"I got there!" said Johnny, brimming with pride. "It's almost complete." and he squeezed Echo's hand and gave her a warm knowing look. At that moment she'd know he was talking about having a family together. "Ah, Yoko, would you and Mr. Devon like to come see my play, Marzan, in Kingsbury next weekend? It's my first moving pictures play about a man who was raised by apes, meets a group of explorers and he realizes he's actually human and . . ." Johnny went on and it seems that he was already spoiling the play in his excitement.
Yoko smiled brightly, nodding happily as she listened to Johnny rambling and spoiling the play he made. She 'ooh'-ed at some parts and gasped in others, excited about the film.
Echo blushed again, leaning her head on his shoulder as he talked about the film. Their horns and antlers 'clank'-ed together, her pots 'thunk'-ed when they bumped into each other before settling still. The fawn squeezed Johnny's hand back, fondly gazing at the intertwined hands.
He's almost to his dream...and she's going to be part of that dream...
She sighed, content as Yoko bounced in her chair. "That sounds wonderful! I would love to go- Mr. Devon! Can we go to Mr. Johnny's play? Can we?" She asked, her blue eyes shined as she looked at the cashier counter where the curtain is behind of. The kitsune guessed that's where the black cat is at the moment, charming the green cloak.
"What play?" said Mr. Devon emerging from the curtain with Johnny's cloak. After being told about it --- the black cat suddenly flinging out a paw to stop Johnny from spoiling him any more beyond a man raised by apes --- he agreed amiably. "A moving pictures play, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I have never seen one. Where are they selling tickets?"
"Oh, it's on the house, Mr. Devon!" said Johnny as he rubbed circles with his thumb on Echo's hand. He leaned his head on hers too. "I'll give you and Koko tickets this Thursday."
Surprised, the black cat thanked him for the generosity and in return gave the couple the cloaks for free. A moving pictures play, the black cat seemed to be sure that tickets were going to be expensive, and more than anything the experience would be so much worth it. And a few days later he would be right. The tickets to the play were very expensive.
Back to the present, the couple stayed for a while, chatting with the two until it was time for the tailor shop to close for the night. Mr. Devon invited them to come back any time for a chat and tea, he was very much interested in their travels just as Johnny was interested in his adventures, one of which was about a mammoth hunt somewhere to shave its fur and encountering giant spiders that unfortunately caught and kissed Devon, which was the most horrible experience he's ever had in his life.
"That's really nice of you!" Yoko piped in, looking like a kid who's stuck in one spot starstruck or just really excited. She never seen a moving pictures before either. This invite is a chance of a life time and later on, when her and her mentor went to see the film, her ears perked up in surprise by how expensive the tickets are. "Whoa..."
Back to the present, after talking with the tailoring pair and having a good time, Echo nodded at their invite to coming back; wondering if maybe she can get some tips from Yoko about sewing. If the red cloak she's wearing is Yoko's work, then she would like to pick on her brain, maybe Mr. Devon's brain too.
Echo wore the red cloak, looking more human again, and held Johnny's hand as they walked in her hometown's cobble stone ground. So far no one has looked over at her yet. Good...
"Mr.Devon is really fair, to give us these in return for your tickets, Ho Nehe." The fawn quietly said.
The bearded man holding her hand, looked at her in surprise. "Yes, he seems an amiable chap." Then he suddenly paused and looked at Echo. "That's the first time I heard you say my real name in a long time." and he leaned in to kiss her. "Please say my name again." the beard twitched as he smiled.
Her beau liked it and nuzzled back, tickling her with his beard until some passing people coughed and Johnny drew back, embarrassed, but still happy. He had forgotten that they were in a public place. He sighed, holding Echo's hand, "Have I told you, Echo, that I keep replaying our intense love making in my head?"
"Oh! Heheheh!" Echo grinned embarrassingly at the passing people who coughed, reminding her of where they are and leaned back. Then she payed attention to Johnny again and went red as her hair. Her eyes wide.
"N-No, you never did tell me. Was it that good for you?" Talking about their love making, the fawn wanted to kiss those red marks before and bring an ice pack for them. She wondered if those marks are still there right now.
"...Ho Nehe, ca-can I kiss your neck when we get back home?" Echo mumbled shyly.