[Center]

[img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180513/5ef5b8f32a843a2a76c1b0aa903ab393.png[/img]

[h2]&[/h2]
[b][h1]Kimble[/h1][/b]

[Sub].:⋮Rough Waters⋮:.[/Sub]

[/center]

It was early into the second day of the Vacation and Penny was bored. The mood of the island was mostly excited, most of the others seemed to have gotten caught up in the hype for Keijo, but even with the success of her new outfit Penny wasn’t really interested. 

Instead she was browsing the shop again, looking at the non-magical things while she contemplated how to spend the day. Currently she was eyeing one of the surfboards, wondering if it would be worth the effort of trying if she was just going to sink when she fell off.

It was there when she noticed Kimble also browsing the wares; she seemed to walk along the borders of the shop, passing by the doll shelf more than once or twice. Penny noticed that even if she tried to hide it, Kimble’s attention was focused on the Alicia doll. “Nnyeh...” She whimpered quietly, and opened her palm; she had a single Gold Coin, and not much else.
“It’s so expensive...”

At first Penny didn’t pay too much attention to the wandering cat girl. But as she noticed Kimble lap the shop, yet again, she stopped to watch, curious as to what it could be that was on the other girls mind. Learning that it was the doll of Alicia that had the normally chipper monster girl down was confusing, at least until she heard the quiet complaint Kimble had.

Penny just stayed back and processed what that meant, but after a bit she would give a small shrug and short shake of her head before she start walking over to the other Monstergirl [color=9e0039]“You’ve got it bad, don’t ya”[/color] she’d say as she came up next to Kimble an understanding smile on her face.

Kimble looked a bit surprised upon hearing Penny speak to her, having not immediately recognized her due to her change in bikinis, and tried to quickly hide her hands behind her. “N-Nyah? I was just...browsing...” She averted her eyes, her cheeks puffed like a child who made a weak attempt at lying. “Oh, who am I kidding? I’ll never get the Mistress doll.” She pointed towards the item, a pair of puppy dog eyes, or in this case, kitten eyes, on her face. 
“It’s so many Gold Coins. I usually stay at home, so I don’t get many opportunities to earn money, nyah.”

[color=9e0039]“Well…”[/color] Penny would start as she turned her attention to the small plush of Alicia. [color=9e0039]“Can’t fault you for taste.”[/color] She continued as an idea popped into her head. [color=9e0039]“And I might be able to help you get closer to the five gold you need for it.”[/color] Penny would offer turning back to Kimble as she did.

[color=9e0039]“The dolphin mentioned that Gold Coins were a participation prize for Keijo,”[/color] Penny would explain. [color=9e0039]“I honestly don’t see the appeal playing it, but If you want however we could set up an exhibition match between us.”[/color] And if along the way to the arena, the two of them talked about their mutual friend all the better.

Kimble’s mouth opened as she briefly processed the suggestion Penny gave to her, followed by a gasp. “Thank you so much, Penny!” She hugged the busty girl, causing one of her fluffy ears to tickle the crevice of her chest. “I was hesitant to participate because nobody else didn’t seem to want to try it, but this is perfect! Let’s go, nyah!” She removed herself from her, and waggled her tails as a sign of utter joy, taking her hand and pulling her towards the domed building like a kid in Disneyland. “So you are Mistress’ friend, right? How long have you known her?” She asked numerous questions about Alicia, including what kind of person she was, her hobbies, and even the type of food she likes. “Also also, is she allergic to anything? I am allergic to catnip, nyeh.” 

Penny was caught off guard by the sudden affection, but other than a small cry of surprise didn’t really react other than to tentatively return the hug, during which Kimble might have noticed that Penny was notably colder than yesterday. Internally she let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, glad that her modification to the swimsuit was working.

[color=9e0039]“Yeah, Alicia was one of the first people I met in Penrose in fact,”[/color] she would  explain as she allowed herself to be pulled along by the joyous catgirl. [color=9e0039]“And while that was only a few months ago feel like it has been a lot longer.”[/color] Penny did her best to answer every question thrown at her, something she guessed at, which she was up front about, but having spent a fair bit of time hanging with Alicia felt she had reasonable answers.  

[color=9e0039]“No allergies that I am aware of. Yours sounds like it come up a lot unfortunately,”[/color] she sympathized with Kimble, being allergic to catnip while being a cat girl likely ended up poorly. [color=9e0039]“And before you ask her favorite color is Orange”[/color] Penny would preempt the other girl, shaking her head at the enthusiasm Kimble had towards learning more about Alicia. [color=9e0039]“Reminds her of the fall season.”[/color]

“I don’t mind it,” Kimble answered. “Catnip isn’t that common, and I can smell it from far away.” Kimble kept nodding at the various answers, skipping on the yellow brick road like Dorothy in the land of Oz. “Orange, nya! Thanks for letting me know, Penny. You’re a good friend!”

[color=9e0039]“I take it you’ve had a thing for her since she helped you out?”[/color] Penny slipped in the gap of questions being tossed her way. [color=9e0039]“And is calling her Mistress a holdover or just a personal thing?”[/color] she would add on, honestly curious about that particular verbal tic.

They were now at the gates of the arena when Penny gave her a set of questions. Kimble hopped on top of one of the statues’ heads, crouching on it and resembling a cat about to pounce.
“Mistress is Mistress,” she answered, as if that was obvious. “She means a lot to me, nyah!”


She hopped off the statue, and continued her way to the counter, where Dan was accepting applications to the tournament. “Welcome, welcome! Will you two participate in the competition?” He asked, and Kimble nodded enthusiastically. “Nyes! I want my first round to be against Penny, too!” Dan hesitantly nodded. “O-Ok, but are you sure? Penny here would be more suited for fighting someone like Amaryllis or Ronja...” Kimble reached her arms down the desk, pouting. “No, I want to fight her. It is fine, nhh.” Dan sighed. “Sure kid, but, don’t push yourself too much,” he warned, giving a look at Penny especially.

Oddly enough Kimble’s assessment of Alicia did make sense to Penny, or at least she thought she understood it. Some people were just important, and defied normal explanations. Idly she wondered if that situation was a monster girl thing.

Her musings were interrupted by Dan, and she returned his look with one of her own, one that was thoroughly unimpressed. [color=9e0039]“Shouldn’t judge by looks alone”[/color] Penny would say as she filled out the registration information [color=9e0039]“Kimble’s more than capable of surprising you otherwise.”[/color]

Handing over the paper Penny would ask [color=9e0039]“Any other rules we should know about, other than what you said the other day?[/color]

Dan took the paper with two fins, and sent it fluttering away in the shape of a butterfly. “Nothing much, really. The match has a time limit of five minutes, and if neither side has won before the end, the match is considered a defeat for both sides. Other than that, what I’ve stated applies.” Dan next clapped his fins together, and a  portal began glowing. “Now, off you go. I’ll announce the fight to begin, and then you can start!” He then hovered up into the air, and flew right through a portal. “I’m so excited, nya!” Kimble enthusiastically meowed, and leapt through the portal.

With a sigh Penny followed after [color=9e0039]“Here goes nothing”[/color] She’s mutter to herself as she did.

When Penny followed her through the misty archway, she found herself in a coliseum, the middle of it sunk into a water-filled pool. She was standing on one corner of a circular platform that floated slightly above the surface of the water; it was made of stainless steel on the bottom and sturdy but pleasant polystyrene on the top, and resembled a gigantic coin with Dan’s face on the bottom side. Kimble was crouched down on the opposite side, peering down at the water-filled pool and the ring of seats; she waved at somebody in the audience.
“Mistress! Look, I’m gonna do Keijo, nya!”

Dan popped up in the center, dressed like a wrestling referee. “And now, the moment you’ve waited for; a match of the century, right here at Isla Paradiso!” A spotlight appeared over him as he pointed towards Kimble. “Here in the west corner, we have the Dust Devil, the Fanged Speedster, a genuine animal of a contender who can land a slam faster than the blink of an eye! It’s KIIIII-MBLEEEE!” He shouted, adding a rumble to his voice. Kimble bounced around to the noise of clapping that could be heard in the audience, happy as can be for the attention.

“And in the east, we have the heaviest of heavyweights with kilograms in the triple digits, may I present to you the Titaness, the Juggernaut with power to crack diamonds with her buttcheeks, PEEEEE-NYYY” Once again clapping could be heard, including Kimble who smiled as she hopped in place, immersed in the hype. “Woo, Penny!”

Dan waited for the noise to settle down, and continued. “These two good friends are now about to butt heads, and settle things in a showdown for the ages. Contestants, at the count of ten! One, tw-TEN!” He shot up in a blast of sparkling water, and Kimble’s cute cat-smile turned feral, with fangs bared on her lips. “Nya-ha! Prepare yourself!” She launched forward, carried by green winds as she aimed to slam her butt right at Penny’s collarbone. “I’ll prove myself to Mistress, and earn her love! And then, we’ll be together at last, nyah!”

Almost from the moment she had stepped out onto the arena Penny had her head in her hands. Yes, it had been her idea, and yes she was here willingly, but did it have to be so cringy? Her own introduction doing nothing to diminish that belief. Shaking her head she focused on her opposition, after all she had an idea of what was coming next and even with the skipped countdown Kimble’s feral assault was what Penny had been expecting. Having already seen the normally docile cat girl very quickly turn savage during the volleyball match.

Penny dropped to the floor to avoid the incoming attack, but just as quickly as she was out of danger launched herself back up ready to hip check Kimble out of the air if her repost landed. [color=9e0039]“That’s a nice dream and all”[/color] She’d remark mid-counter [color=9e0039]“But without talking to her are you sure it’ll lead anywhere?”[/color]

Kimble bit her lip, and managed to make just enough of a curve in her trajectory to only take a glancing hit from Penny’s hip check that nonetheless created distance between the two. “Nyah! I have!” She answered, and the green winds intensified around her, forming small whirlpools of wind around her limbs. “Last night, I confessed my love to Mistress!”
She dove down to the middle of the platform facing away from Penny; having landed with all four of her limbs. “She is going through a lot, but she was still so kind and understanding! That is why I will win, nya! I’ll show Mistress I’m dependable!”
She then launched much like a leaping feline but in reverse, aiming to strike at Penny’s lower body; now she moved even faster than before, as she had eliminated some of the air resistance slowing her down.
“Cat Pounce Special!”

Penny had to hand it to Kimble, she knew how to go after what she wanted. Granted a lot of these heartfelt declarations lost their impact due to the ridiculous nature of Keijo, but hey credit where credit is due. 

Diving over Kimble’s attack, Penny rolled to a stop a few feet from the edge. She had learned what she wanted to, said what she wanted to, it was time to end this. [color=9e0039]“That sounds like her alright, but you are going to need more than what you’ve shown so far.”[/color] Penny taunted lightly as she opened her arms showing that she was both wide open and untouched [color=9e0039]“Give me your best shot.”[/color]

Kimble hissed as her high-speed slam was once again dodged with a jump. She flew in a circle around, causing a miniature storm wind to pick up. “I’ll give it my everything! Because Mistress...She told me she wants to do lots of fun things with me, nyah! She even brought me to her cottage when I fell asleep!” Her hair was now flowing behind her, picked up by magical winds. “But enough is enough! Even if it’s impossible, as long as Mistress is there to cheer me onnyah, I won’t give up!”

She charged forward, her sharp teeth grit and pupils turned slitted like a cat’s. And then, she and quickly spun around and began performing attacking faster than the eye can follow, dealing out a rapid onslaught of bullet-speed slams.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/Mdj2vCA.jpg[/img]

“BUTT GATLING!”

To those in the crowd it likely looked as if Penny was being overwhelmed by the ferocious attack, as her body jerked this way and that due to the rapid fire rush, a look of shock on her features as she was pushed closer and closer to the edge of the arena. Near a fitting end for a Heel that seemed to look down upon the feisty feline.

But the truth of it was that Penny hardly noticed the assault raining down on her. 

She was stuck on what Kimble had said, and about what it meant. Kimble had confessed, Alicia had been kind and understanding, and now Alicia wanted to spend time with Kimble.

Her quiet realization would be lost under Kimble’s battle cry. [color=9e0039]“Oh...”[/color]

Between one hit and the next Penny did what she had been planning since the start, and subtlety hopped backwards, allowing Kimble’s attack to knock her off the platform and into the water with a mighty splash. No one would notice the look of heartbreak that would cross her face as she quickly sank to the bottom.

Kimble grimaced as her rear clanged against Penny’s metallic frame; much like repeatedly punching an iron sheet would lead to bruised knuckles, so did her attack quickly leave her pained in the behind. Deep inside, she knew it was hopeless; Penny was the strongest and sturdiest fighter she ever knew, and would likely brush off her slams. However, she did seem to slightly move, so Kimble did not let up, and eventually she tipped over, causing a wave of water to erupt from the pool under the platform. The catgirl fell to her knees and elbows, panting heavily from the strain; she pushed herself to the very limit with the last attack. “Nhh...Nhh...I...wonhh...”
Dan’s eyes widened in cartoony fashion, and he floated down to the stage. “I...I can’t believe it. Against all odds, Kimble has scored a miraculous victory!” He lifted Kimble’s arm up. “Congratulations! You are now one step closer to becoming the Keijo champion, and may proceed to the next round.” Kimble nodded, making a low purring sound, and slowly crawled over to peer over the edge. “Pennyah...Are you okay?”

…

At the bottom of the pool Penny would let out a tired sigh, yet no bubbles came out. The action was ingrained, most of her mannerisms were, but the act of breathing had long since stopped being a requirement for the robotic girl.

[color=9e0039][i]‘I should have expected something like this’[/i][/color]

She was very, very tempted to just stay down here for a while. She couldn’t do that though, not only was there going to be other matches, but it wouldn’t surprise her if there were cameras in the water, and she didn’t want someone watching as she came to terms this latest surprise.

With another breathless sigh, she pushed herself to stand, hardly noticing the added pressure from being at the bottom of the pool, and began climbing up a ladder built to the side of the pool that reached the bottom. It wasn’t that she didn’t know how to swim, and more to do with that she couldn’t. Too heavy, too dense, for her human frame to support itself in water.

Kimble’s lips wavered as she waited for a short moment for a response, and then saw what looked like Penny moving in the bottom. “Pennyah! You’re safe! Oh, thank Beacon! I was worried!” Dan smiled. “She’s all right folks! Because she is a robot, even if she can’t swim, she is in no risk of drowning. By now she has reached the ladder, and will soon join us.” Even if Kimble had no obligation to wait for Penny to come back, she still waited, her tails waggling erratically to show her worried state. Finally, as the beautiful girl surfaced, the crowd clapped, and Kimble went over to help her get back up. “Penny! I was really worried, you know!” Kimble hugged her, even as a towel was given for her to dry up; she flicked her ears in reflex upon having cold water on her, but nonetheless she kept to her familiar antics. “Looks like I caught you by surprise, right?” She asked, a cute cat-smile on her face, only to turn into lip-biting one as she crouched down and placed her hand behind her. “I practiced that move a lot, nya, and I succeeded in making my butt move super fast. But it hurts to use, nyeh.. Maybe I’ll need to get a stronger butt too.”

[color=9e0039]“Sorry, sorry, I’m fine. Learned yesterday that I sink like a stone”[/color] Penny apologised as she half returned the hug before accepting the towel that was offered to her [color=9e0039]“Didn’t mean to worry you. You definitely caught me by surprise at the end though”[/color] She would agree with a sheepish smile. Though her smile was just a touch brittle and she was referring to something rather different than what Kimble was. [color=9e0039]“I don’t really have any advice for using that technique in Keijo, though I think I might have been one of the worst matchups for it, so you should be good for the rest of the tournament”[/color] came her explanation before giving a tired shrug.

[color=9e0039]“Anyway congrats on your win, but I think I’m going to take a break from all of Keijo and head to the juice bar”[/color] Penny would say, giving a small wave with her fingers before turning towards the exit. [color=9e0039]“I’ll try and swing by later to spectate some of your matches though”[/color] she say over her shoulder as she walked away, carefully measuring her step so it didn’t seem like she was running away.

Because Penny wanted to break something, anything almost, just render whatever she could get her hands on into rubble due to the hurt, but it wasn’t Kimble’s fault. Penny knew that cat girl hadn’t meant anything hurtful by what she said, likely didn’t even know that Penny had confessed her own feelings to Alicia once before as well, so she was going to step away as quickly as was polite.

“Thanks for cheering me on, Penny! I promise to make you and Mistress both proud of me, nyah.” Kimble spoke with a purr-like sound to it, and nodded as Penny turned to leave. “Okay then! See you later, Penny!” She waved at her, ignorant of the events that she had put in motion with her innocent, yet painful revelation.