"That was an old memory…"

  I sit up from my bed and arch my back, my tail swinging back and forth behind me.

  The day begins with one thousand practice swings!

  After that, breakfast, which consists of meat, meat, and meat, with extra meat on the side!

  "Come now, we're going to be late."

  Mother cleaned up my face of fats and meat juices and quickly brushed my hair. Like I promised yesterday, I'll be hanging around with my friends.

  It was only a few minutes walk away, but I held Mother's hand the whole way.

  Once we arrived at the small village plaza, where a small fountain was laced in the middle, an adult Cat Furlian woman approached Mother.

  "Selina! Good to see you!"

  Mother and the woman touched noses for a moment before pulling back. I guess that's how Cat Furlians greet each other. Seeing it in real life rather than in my memories… I guess it's cute when women do it to each other.

  Male Furlians don't touch noses, though. They do a soft headbutt to other males and only touch noses with the opposite sex.

  "Why! It's good to see you so healthy again, Luxanna!"

  The woman, Felicity, crouched down and we touched noses in greeting.

  "Hello, Miss Felicity."

  "Ah~ So cute! You look just like Selina when she was your age! I bet you'll grow to be just as beautiful!"

  I shook my head and raised my little fist, "No, Mama will always be the most beautiful!"

  Felicity flinched, clutching her chest, her cheeks slightly blushed and an expression of disbelief on her face.

  "Oh, my…! So cuuute!!"

  She swooped me into a tight hug and spun around. "You have to let her sleepover for a night, Selina! I'm sure little Valerie would be happy, too!"

  Mother giggled and nodded her head. "Of course. Maybe the week after the next?"

  Valerie was one of the girls in friends with. A very rambunctious child, she wants to be a soldier like her father.

  Maybe she could make a good sparing partner?

  Felicity and Mother got into some small talk that didn't interest me, so I just looked around the small plaza.

  It had a few shop stands, selling food and other necessities from the nearby city.

  Suddenly, a puff of short red hair dashed between the adults, holding a basket of wrapped meat bundles.

  "Mom, I got everything!"

  The girl stopped in front of Felicity and held up the basket to show her.

  "Thank you, Valerie! Good job!" She took the basket from her daughter and patted her head.

  After enjoying the pat, Valerie's dark blue eyes locked onto mine, finally noticing me with a wide smile plastered on her face.

  "Ah! Luxanna is not sick anymore!"

  Valerie clumsily hugged me and rubbed her nose against mine. "I missed you, Luxanna! When are you gonna come play?"

  "I can play today, Valy."

  Valy is the nickname I've always called her. It's cute.

  "Really?!" She turned to her mother with begging eyes. "Mom, can we go play with the others?"

  Felicity put a hand on her hip and looked at Valerie with a stern expression. "Hm, but didn't you say you were going to help Mommy with her groceries?"

  Valerie froze and slowly looked down as if her world had suddenly crumbled before her.

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  "Ahaha~ I'm just joking Valerie. Of course, you can go play. Just be careful, okay?"

  Valerie instantly recovered and pumped her fists up into the air. "Okay! Come on, Luxanna!"

  The redheaded girl grabbed my hand and we ran across the plaza to another open area.

  A small group of children were sat amongst some old crates.

  Two boys with brown hair and amber eyes, twins Gabriel and Julian, sat atop the box as they argued over something. Another boy with gray hair and brown eyes, Henry, watched the brothers and tried to meditate; and a girl with dark brown hair and green eyes, Amaranth, sat down reading an open book in her hands.

  "Guys! Luxanna's here! She isn't sick anymore!"

  All the children looked up, pausing whatever they were doing.

  ""Luxanna!!""

  The twins Gabriel and Julian shouted at the same time, nearly fighting each other as they dashed towards me.

  "Good to see you!" Gabriel greeted.

  "Actually, great to see you!" Julian greeted.

  "I mean, it's amazing to see you, Luxanna!" Gabriel countered leaning closer to me.

  "No, it's fantastic!" Julian inched closer.

  Ah, right… they like me… Awkward…

  Valerie blocked their advance and karate chopped their heads. "Shut up, you guys!"

  "Oww…!"

  "Ouch…!"

  Gabriel and Julian held their heads in pain as they backed off. Henry took this chance to approach and chuckled as he passed the twins by.

  "Hehe… Hi, Luxanna. It's good to see you all healthy."

  "Thanks, Henry. Good to see you, too."

  Before Henry could get another word out, Valerie and the twins started arguing about something. Henry signed with a resigned smile.

  "I'll stop them."

  Always the mediator, that one.

  As Henry left to deal with the problem children, Amaranth came up to me with her arms tightly wrapped around her book.

  "H-Hello, Luxanna…! Gods t-to see you."

  This one was always a little nervous, but definitely the smart one of the group.

  I lean forward and touch noses with her in greeting. "Hi, Amara! Good to see you haven't changed, always reading that book!"

  Amaranth blushed and glanced away, "I-It's only been a month, Luxanna…"

  "Hey! No fair, I want to greet Luxanna with noses!"

  "No, I do!"

  "She doesn't want to smell either of your stinky noses! Let's just play!" Valerie shouted.

  "Shut it, mouse brain! You don't know what she wants!" Gabriel retorted.

  "Yeah!" Julian agreed.

  The only time they don't seem to argue is when Valerie is their common enemy, huh?

  Not wanting to spend time watching them argue, I step in with a smile.

  "How about… we play Hide and Chase, and the first to catch me gets to touch noses?"

  Gabriel and Julian looked at me in surprise, then at each other with a competitive smirk, while Valerie shrugged her shoulders.

  "Okay, we can do that. I just want to play."

  I turned to Henry and Amaranth. "That challenge extends to you two, as well."

  Henry scratched his cheek and looked down. "Hehe… really…? Okay."

  Amaranth nodded her head with a blush on her cheeks.

  I went to hide somewhere in town while the others stayed put and counted to a hundred. I made sure to pass closely by the other villagers to mask my scent as much as possible.

  I wonder who'd find me first?

  Knowing Gabriel and Julian, they'd be too distracted fighting each other than finding me. Amaranth might not put in much effort since I touched noses with her already.

  Valerie, too.

  That leaves Henry.

  Though, I don't know if he likes me in that way. He doesn't show it as openly as the Twins, that's for sure. I don't know… he seems like the type to grow to like a girl like Amaranth.

  The image of those two all grown-up and in a relationship is kinda cute and wholesome. I'd definitely root for them.

  After waiting in my current spot for two minutes, I turn around to see the twins.

  ""Found you!!""

  Uh, oh.

  I turn on my heels and sprint through a few houses, jumping over crates on the side of the road.

  "Damn it! Why's she so much faster!"

  "She was sick a month ago, no way she's that much stronger than before!"

  As I'm running away while holding in giggles, I spot Henry emerging from a little alleyway.

  "Whoops!"

  I easily jump over him, looking into his eyes with a wide grin as I pass over him.

  He was so shocked by my sudden athleticism that he just stared back with a dumbfounded look on his face.

  Amaranth wasn't anywhere to be seen. She must be in a corner somewhere reading her book.

  "G-got you…!"

  Before she could grab me I stepped aside and looked at her in shock. "Amaranth? You really want another nose touch, huh~?"

  "N-no…! I mean… I just wanted to play with you after so long…"

  Aw… so cute!

  "Then you better do your best!"

  Now, I had four chasing me. Where's Valerie?

  I turned a corner into an alley and saw a high wooden barrier blocking my way.

  "She's cornered now! Time to catch her!" Gabriel pointed out.

  "You have nowhere to turn, Luxanna! I'll win!" Julian claimed.

  "No, I'll win!"

  "No, obviously I'm the faster brother! I'll win!"

  Gabriel and Julian, of course, fall to their sibling rivalry, but I'm too busy jumping against the wall and onto the fence to listen to them.

  "U-um…?" Amaranth patted Gabriel's shoulder.

  "G-guys?" Henry patted Julian's shoulder.

  ""What do you slowpokes want?!""

  Henry and Amaranth pointed to me as I casually sat atop the fence, waving my hand.

  "You have thirty more seconds to catch me~!"

  ""Wha—?!""

  I lean back and let myself fall on the other side of the fence, landing gracefully on my feet.

  One month of intense workout does a cat girl wonders.

  "Heh~ I guess no one will win this little challenge… Geh?"

  As I turned around, I was met with a pair of dark blue eyes.

  "Gotcha!"

  Valerie tackled me into a hug, catching me.

  "Ah, shoot… Good ambush, Valy."

  Valerie stayed silent and continued to hug me, tighter than before, but it wasn't painful.

  "Valy…?"

  She was trembling. I felt a wetness against the side of my neck. Is she… crying?

  I gently caressed her hair and reciprocated the hug. "It's okay, Valy…"

  "… I missed you, Luxa… I missed you…"

  "I know… I missed you, too."

  I push her off of me for a moment. "Now, for your reward for catching me…"

  I touched noses with Valerie and she giggled as she wiped tears away from the corners of her eyes.

  "Come on, let's find the others."

  "Yeah! Let's play another game!"