#USAYA Co

[thecuddlymuffintop]

Tonight, at 7 pm CST, I will be playing Fyhir's game pick for Short Game Fridays.

The cursed My Horse Prince.

Feel free to join when I'm live with the above link.

[otomechuchu]

My Horse Prince - Personal walkthrough, all the answers per chapter

I don’t know if you remember this game, but My Horse Prince was released back in Dec 2016. 

I wrote this down back then, but never really posted it (like with lots of walkthroughs I’ve made, most of them I just keep to myself).

When the game first launched, there were only 10 chapters. And then in 2017, they added a few more chapters!

NOTE: Do tell me if I missed some questions!

Want to support the blog? Feel free to Become a Patron for as little as $1/month~   Or Buy me a coffee ~

Check out my other walkthroughs here

PLEASE DON’T STEAL, COPY OR POST ELSEWHERE.

Some tips: 

Bad answers = 0 Good answers = 15 Excellent answers = 30

80-100% gives the “best” animation. Afterwards the animations are showing how tired he is. 

Energy % will determine how many points you get per “item”. (like carrot, leek, treadmill, etc).

Each chapter has its own set of questions, related to what happened in the story chapter, so you won’t get the same questions throughout the whole game.

Album - Re-read all the chapters whenever you want. However you can not do the “training”, so you won’t be able to see those animations (which are very funny).

Shop - buy items, like Golden Carrot or remove ads.

The answers below are the ones that are Excellent. You cna try out the other ones if you want to see his reaction, but they will give less points.

Episode 1 – The First Gallop

What’s the weather going to be like tomorrow?

I think it’s going to rain.

Do you like ranches?

I do!

Do you want to rain with me?

I’ll cheer you on!

I like your hair like that

Thanks! 

I feel so relaxed when I’m with you.

Thanks!

Do you like dogs or cats?

Cats

What do you think about carrots?

I like their orange color

Episode 2 – Treadmill Training

What color horse do you like?

White

How did you get to the ranch?

Bicycle 

Do you want to train with me?

I’ll cheer you on!

I like your hair like that

Thanks!

Episode 3 – The Morning Feed

What do you like in miso soup?

Carrots

That reminds me… the light bulb in the hallway has burnt out.

I think we have another one somewhere…

Do you know what happened to the pudding in the fridge?

It was really good! You picked a good one!

Wanna go somewhere together today?

Theme park

How about bread for breakfast tomorrow?

I like both bread and rice

What kind of fruit do you want this morning?

Carrot

Episode 4 – Street Corner Steed

Having to work is really hard.

It is really hard.

Have your clothes gotten dirty?

I’ve been christened!

“If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” Right?

Yeah, you have to make your own way!

Do you think doing radio calisthenics at work is important?

I used to do that when I was younger.

I want to take you to my favorite store

Somewhere that sells horseshoes?

What do you do after work? 

Work late

Ow! I think I but my hoof!

Want me to kiss it better?

Sweat is a medal of honor.

Guys who work are really hot

Episode 5 – Wave Jumps

I can see a boat on the horizon.

That’s Poseidon

The sun is really strong today.

It feels like summer!

What reminds you of summer?

Fireworks 

I can hear the waves

That’s the sound of the tide.

If you could take one thing with you to a deserted island, what would it be?

A pillow 

Do you prefer mountains or beaches?

Mountains.

Let’s go somewhere together.

How embarrassing…

I heard some guys are trying to pick up on the other side of the beach

I like guys like that

Episode 6 – Trial Fanfare

What do you think of how I run?

You run well

I can’t… go on…

Just one more lap!

I like racing with obstacles.

It looks really hard to race like that

Do you think I can win?

Of course you can win!

Do you prefer dirt or grass?

Grass

Would you go on a date to a racecourse?

Yes

This is my first race, so I'm pretty nervous 

Me too!

I didn't sleep last night so I'm really run down today... 

You can't sleep now

Episode 7 – Wild Whinny

Do you think music can change the world?

My world has changed!

Which member do you like the best?

OJISAN

Let’s sing a duet on stage?

OK, let’s do it!

What kind of music do you normally listen to!?

Fanfare

I'll show everyone mt sweet guitar skills

You can play guitar?

And the next song is…

Midnight Cowboy

You feeling this?

Wooo!

I'll never stop singing! 

Yeah, keep going! 

What's most important to you!? 

Myself

Episode 8 – Street Corner Cavalletti

We must fight against evil.

We have to fight one thing at a time.

The stars look nice tonight.

They’re really pretty

You shouldn’t come to these kinds of places alone, they’re dangerous!

Sorry

I actually don't like fighting 

Just kick him for me!

The city is so busy

It’s actually a pretty good place

It’s dangerous here. I’ll take you home

Can I ride you? 

What are you doing here?

Playing on my phone

Call me if you’re ever in trouble, OK?

OK, I will

Episode 9 – Riding Rivals

What if I lose to Ryouma…”

Stop being such a sissy!

I feel a storm coming.

Sounds like fun

What do you want to do in the future? 

I like things the way they are now

I feel like something bad will happen here…

Yeah, it’s scary!

I'd protect you form a meteorite, you know 

You can't do that

Do you think Ryouma is good-looking?

He’s not as handsome as you

What would you do it I went away…?

Wait for you to come back

I want to give you a ride 

I'd be afraid of falling off

Episode 10 – Stakes of Glory

What’s the track condition like today?

Focus on the race!

I won’t let that suspicious horse anywhere near you, [NAME]!

Please keep me safe!

Have you ridden a horse before?

I’ll just use my intuition

Are you used to the feel to riding now?

I could fall asleep

It’s fun racing with you on board

I’m having fun too!

Your weight…

I-I lost weight

I wouldn’t mind coming in last because I got to ride with you…

We have to come in first

NEW CHAPTERS!

Episode 11 – Leisurely Amble

Do you want to go anywhere?

The Arc de Triomphe

Did the race tire you out?

It was fun!

Want to come to mine?

If you win the next race.

There aren’t many female jockeys so I think you’ll be popular.

Let’s become popular together

Let me know if you ever need help, okay?

Alright, I will

I just saw a bug!

Eeeek!

You’re pretty cute, you know.

Th- thank you…

Do you feel ready to be a jockey?

I’ve always felt ready

Episode 12 – White Turf

The snow melting makes me want to…

Love you

This snowscape is beautiful…

I’m prettier

I guess it is a little cold here…

I’m cold, too

I have to keep practicing

Yeah, you do

I’d like some warm soup after I finish training

Carrot potage? 

Make sure you don’t fall down

Should I grab onto you?

Skiing’s fun!

I can ski a little

I love seeing snow

Me too!

Episode 13 – Lone Sprinter

Is [NAME] waiting for me…?

It doesn’t’ matter either way

What should I do so that [NAME ] will forgive me?

Find her

I can hear [NAME]’s voice…

“Run faster!”

If I give up now…

No… I can’t give up

I’m running out of energy…

Keep running

I wonder if she’s still angry…

She’s still angry

I can’t see because of the blizzard…

Close your eyes

I feel tired…

Sleep is for the weak!

Episode X – Endless Circling

Extra chapter with both old and new questions. 

What would you do if we couldn’t leave?

That would be terrible

[NAME], do you get a lot of attention?

I’m the poster girl for the unpopular kid

I have a spare key to my stable… Do you want it?

You really trust me! 

Want to support the blog? Feel free to Become a Patron for as little as $1/month~   Or Buy me a coffee ~

Check out my other walkthroughs here

[burnt-toast-life]

??? this was an actual game.. ...>???? why's it on my feed. whys it got 10 stars.

[ID: a game called "My Horse Prince" with an icon showing a figure with short brown hair, a horse neck, and horse ears. There is a carrot next to them. The game is rated 10 stars, and was published by Usaya Co., Ltd. End ID.]

every day I am reminded that the existence of My Horse Prince is not common knowledge

[englishotomegames]

My Horse Prince (うまのプリンスさま)

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Release dates (iPhone, Android) Japanese: October 7th, 2016 English: December 9th, 2016

"Will you be my owner? There stands a horse with a handsome human face. Before you know it, you agree to start training him...

Is this a dream or a nightmare? Life on this strange ranch awaits..."

This is a game by USAYA Co Ltd! You can get the Android version here, or the iPhone version here.

[jolienjoyswriting]

A Cat is Fine (ft. “Pink Cotton”), Ch. II

The final chapter (Chapter 2) of "A Cat is Fine," an Uno Usaya fan fiction story. Co-written by AI Dungeon (Gryphon AI)

Just when things seem to be going great, disaster strikes… in the form of a fickle attitude!

Word count: 2,621 – Character count: 14,839 Drafted: November 24th, 2020 Revised: March 28th, 2021 –

The AI was mean.  But, I kind of like the twist it gave me to work with~

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    The fox's eyes slid shut as she continued to groom his fur, even going as far as to give him a little nibble, here and there.  He was enjoying it, no doubt, but he couldn't help but wonder what had brought it on…     Why is she doing this? the fox thought as he let her continue.  She's a cat; they're naturally predatory…  Am I… am I prey to her?  She's so mysterious…     The pair stood there in an embrace for a while more, Cotton teasing her "prey" while Joseph let himself succumb to her whims.  As usual, though, she eventually grew bored and stopped, just leaning against his frame and staying quiet.

    "You're such a tease…" Joseph purred to the kitty, holding her close and wagging his tail.     Cotton hushed him and nuzzled one of his ears… which only made him squirm more.     After a few seconds of silence… Joseph got brave and nudged her head down.  She blankly stared at him.  Then, as he tried to peck her lips…     "Joseph!  What the hell?!"     He was rejected rather harshly.

    Joseph jolted up in surprise as Cotton pulled away.  When he noticed the horrified look on her face, his ears started to fall.  However…     "Some warning would be nice, next time!"     Her expression softened… then she pulled him back in, just like that.

    The fox's heart thumped as his tail wagged as Cotton held him close.  He could taste the cinnamon on her lips as she smooched him with a long, sweet sort of kiss…  As the kiss continued, he thought about how unusually playful she was, for a cat.  He didn't mind, though – it kept him on his toes.  He also noticed how soft and cuddly she was despite her slender frame.  He kind of… didn't want to let her go.  She, however, had other plans.

    "Ow…"     Joseph blinked as she suddenly bit his lip and pulled back to look at him.     "Happy?" the girl purred with a big, somewhat-smug grin.     "W… well, yeah," Joseph found himself admitting.  "You're a pretty girl, and–"     His eyes widened.  She'd slapped him across the face.  Hard.     "If I want a kiss, I'll let you know," she said with a scowl.  "Don't presume you can just kiss me whenever.  I'm not your plaything."     The fox blankly stared for a second.  He was taken aback by her sudden mood-swing!  But then, after a few more seconds…     "Myah!"     He slapped her across the face!

    "What the hell was that about?!" Joseph hissed at the cat, not regretting his decision to slap her in the slightest.  "You didn't have to kiss me!  If you didn't want one–"     The fox's anger was met with a scratch right across his face.  Granted, it was probably warranted, considering he had hit her, but…     "Fickle cat bitch!"     He'd finally had enough of her crap.

    "Listen up, pretty boy," she snarled, keeping her claws drawn, "I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I'm not a whore you can just pay for a 'good time'.  I'm a lady, and you gotta treat me like one!  Take that to the bank and suck on it!"     "Now who's presuming?!" he snapped back, holding his bleeding cheek.  "All I wanted was to have a nice, pleasant date with a pretty girl!  But, all you've done is act bored, stuck-up, and stare at your freaking phone all day!  Then, when you pull me into a kiss, you act like I'm treating you like a hooker?!  Are you god damn insane, Cotton, or just schizophrenic?"     "You got problems," she grunted.  "Dumb asshole."     The fox let his anger get the better of him, again, and he gave her another slap.  She wasn't having it, though, and grabbed a nearby small, metal statue.  When she tried to bash his head in with it, he grabbed her by the wrist and deeply glared.

    "You're crazy," he snorted as he dropped the statuette.  "You think I'm treating you like a whore?  Well, there's a saying you might be familiar with.  'You don't stick your dick in crazy'?"     He narrowed his eyes.  So did she.     "Now, either explain yourself or get the Hell outta my apartment, cat."     The cat girl jerked on her arm, trying to dislodge her wrist from his grip.  She even pounded on his hand with her other one.  When it became clear he wasn't letting go, she sighed and calmed herself, then looked away.     "Finally ready to talk like an adult?" Joseph asked, agitating the situation.     He wasn't too surprised when she spit in his face.     "Fuck you," she grunted.  "How's that?"     "That's what I thought," he replied.     The two stared at each other for a moment, neither willing to give any ground.  Then, after a moment…     "Wh… what?"     Joseph… started laughing.  And Cotton… was not pleased.

    "What the fuck are you laughing about?!" she furiously demanded.     "This whole situation…"     He finally let her go only to remove his glasses and rub his eyes.  She gave him a death-glare, her tail flicking and switching while she rubbed her wrist.  She was angry… but also curious.

    "You told me to kiss you," he started with another soft laugh.  "Then, when I licked your nose, you licked my cheek and started grooming me.  So, when I finally worked up the nerve to kiss you on the lips… you ducked away and kissed me, instead.  Now?  You're being all pissy and acting like I only want to bang you."     "Because you do!" she said with a mix of anger and offense.     "Oh, come on…"     The fox offered a smile as he put his glasses back on.     "We just had our first date, and you were bored all the way through," he calmly told the girl.  "It's painfully obvious you're not into me, and I'm not into you, either."     "Why the hell not?!"     He couldn't help but grin.  Apparently, he'd punctured her delicate little ego.     "Because," he said in a plain tone, "you're not interested in me.  Simple as that."     She was about to retort, but he raised a finger to her lips.  He was a little surprised she didn't scratch his eyes out for it, too.     "You're a very beautiful girl, and I can tell you're reasonably intelligent," he continued.  "But you're also young and insecure.  You don't know how to handle someone like me."     "The fuck's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, smacking his hand away.     "The way I see it, you were banking on me just taking you home and trying to seduce you so you could turn me down and tell me to piss off.  But, instead of treating you like a piece of meat… I tried to treat you like a lady."     "That's a fuckin' laugh!" she interrupted.     "You have no idea how to react to it, so you're just kind of… projecting," he finished.     She narrowed her eyes and folded her ears.  "You're nothing but a limp-dicked whoremonger looking for a quick lay…" she told him.  When he laughed out loud, she got even angrier than before.     "See, that's what I'm talking about," he said as he stepped toward her.  "You're assuming the worst of me without any hard evidence just so you can feel better about yourself."     "Go fuck yourself," she said, turning and heading for the door.  When he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, again, she turned around, snapping her arm back with a hiss.     "Don't pretend like you're enjoying this arguing," he told her as she threatened him with her claws one more time.  "I know this isn't fun for you.  Why not just give me a chance?  Let yourself think better of me."     Though he'd spoken calmly enough, he was starting to get annoyed with her.  Why was trying so hard, to begin with?  Surely, a girl like her was a-dime-a-dozen?  Or, maybe not…  There was something about that angry cat girl that had his attention.  He wanted to know more about her… and wanted her to know more about him.

    The pair stared at one another in complete silence.  The longer they stared, the more Joseph realized… he just wanted to be close to her.     "Please, Ms.  Cotton…" he whispered, his ears and tail falling.  "Don't throw this opportunity away."     "Wh-what opportunity?!" she snapped as her anger surged.     "The opportunity to be yourself… your true self… around a guy like me," was his answer.  "To just… let go.  Forget about what your parents might want, or what your friends want for you.  Forget what society wants.  Just be free.  Do your own thing.  Please…"     Cotton's face was red with anger and she was fiddling with her fur.  She didn't know what to make of what he'd said.  She bit her lip a few times, even drawing a little blood.  Then, after a long, uncomfortable silence…     "Fine.  I'll try."     She gave her answer.  And that prompted him to smile.     "Friends?"     Joseph offered his hand.  As she suspiciously eyed it, his eyes never left her face.  Her lips trembled and her ears flicked.  Then… she hesitantly reached over and accepted his gesture.

    "See?" he said after the handshake.  "I didn't try and yank you into a hug, or pull you into a kiss, or throw you on the bed and have my way with you."     He grinned, saying all of that as kind of a joke.  That was probably not the best idea he'd had, though.  Her face turned such a strong shade, he couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or anger.  It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.     "Or…" he anxiously started, "is that what you wanted me to do…?"     "W-what?" she asked, twisting her wrist around and popping the joints.  Her claws were back out.     "Well… you are very attractive.  And I think it's perfectly natural that I would have thoughts of… exploring that side of you."     Her eyes twitched and, for the first time that day… she looked genuinely uncomfortable.     "Sorry," the fox said as he walked over to the pull-out bed and sat down.  "I stay stupid things when I get nervous, and right now?  I'm desperately hoping I don't say something to induce another mood-swing of yours…  You're a lot cuter when you're calm."     He was pretty sure she was going to spit another curse at him.  However…     "You're trying to hit on a sixteen-year-old girl," she suddenly said.     "Sixteen?"     When she nodded, the fox laughed.     "Oh, stop," he said.  "The website said you were around my age – twenty-five."     Not one to back away from a challenge, she whipped out her cell phone and pulled up her profile to show him otherwise.  When they looked at it, it said "twenty-five" in green numbers right under her other dating profile statistics.

    "See?" he chuckled.  "Nice try, though."     It was pretty clear, from the look on her face, that she felt embarrassed about trying to make him think she was underage.  If he had to guess, she was still in kind of a "transitional" mindset; unsure of what to think of him and even less sure of what to do.  He could relate.     "Cotton," he began as he stood up, "I'm sorry for all the stress and stuff.  I really was enjoying the impromptu intimacy, but when you suddenly accused me of treating you like a whore…"     Cotton didn't say anything.  She just looked down, twiddling her fingers.     "It's fine," he said.  "I'm sure a cute girl like you gets used a lot."     When she glared at him, he realized how poorly he'd phrased that thought.     "N-no, I mean…"     He blinked, then.  Without any warning… she'd scooted up against him and pulled herself into a hug, resting her head against his shoulder.     "Pet me," she quietly commanded.     When the fox did… she purred and closed her eyes.     "Keep going," she quietly said.  He obligingly stroked her back, and before he knew it…     She… she fell asleep…?     The girl was quietly snoring, completely asleep in his arms.     He debated what to do.  Should he wake her?  Or, should he just let her keep sleeping?  After a moment of thought, he decided to pull her in closer and lay down.  He was kind of tired, himself.  When she didn't stir, he figured he was giving her what she wanted.     Freakin' weird date, he thought as he kept petting and stroking over her long, plush hair and down her back.  Freakin' weird girl, too…  Guess she trusts me, now, though…     He quietly looked at the girl, his ears flicking.  A soft yawn passed his lips…     I hope our second date goes a little better…     Seconds later, her warm body and soft purring put him to sleep, as well.

    The next morning, Joseph woke up to find Cotton was gone.  A part of him was kind of glad, considering what a spaz she was… but at the same time, he was also very disappointed.  She hadn't even stuck around to say goodbye.  He double-checked his apartment for a note of some kind, but he found nothing.  No note, not even a sign she'd been there…     "Well," he said to himself, "that's a fine how-do-you-do…"     He sighed and walked back over to his couch-bed, flopping down.  When he looked over at the coffee table, he noticed his flip phone.  He also noticed… it was blinking.  Curious, he grabbed it and checked his messages.  To his surprise… it was there that he found a text message from Cotton waiting for him.     Weird…  I don't remember giving her my number.     He decided she must have gotten it, herself, before she left.     Well, let's see what she has to say…

    "youre right"

    Joseph tilted his head, staring at the message.  Two words.  No punctuation or capitalization.  And, no further clues of any sort.  Just a simple message that said he was right about something.  He scratched his head…     What the heck does she mean, 'I'm right'? he thought as he continued to stare at those two plain words on his phone's screen.  Right about what?     It really bothered him.  And so, he did the only thing that made sense.     "I'm right about what?"     He texted back to her number.

    Joseph went about his day, washing up some old dishes and cleaning his apartment.  It was just after morning when he heard the message tone play from his phone.  Then, when he retrieved the unit and looked…     "What's this?"     All he'd gotten back from Cotton… was an emoji.  Specifically, a smiley face that was sticking its tongue out.     "Cotton?" he wrote back.  "What did you mean, 'I'm right'?"     Seconds later, she went him a winking smiley face.     "Okay," he told himself, "this is getting me nowher–"     Another chime interrupted him.  Then, he read her message…

    "lets meet up next week"

    His face warmed.  She'd even ended that message with a heart emoji.  He knew better than to read into it, but he still felt kind of flattered.     "That sounds nice," he messaged back.  "Let's do that."     She sent him a hug emoji… and he returned the favor.  And, that was all there was.

    "She's so random and aloof…" the fox sighed as he put his phone away.  "But, I guess she's interested enough in me to give me another chance… which is pretty cool."     He smiled, his tail wagging.     "Who knows…  Maybe, in a few more dates, she'll wanna kiss and cuddle, again.  That's something to look forward to!  And if not?  Well… maybe we can be friends…"     He didn't want to be just friends with her, of course.  But, he could see himself being happy enough with her as a friend, certainly.

    She is pretty neat… he thought with a grin.  When she's not being such a cat.

[postdaily]

Spirit Saga Eggplant Escapade 1.9.8 USAYA Co., Ltd. APK Download

Spirit Saga Eggplant Escapade 1.9.8 USAYA Co., Ltd. APK Download

Spirit Saga Eggapant Escapade 1.9.8

Spirit Saga: Rolling eggplant escape with a slight hint of madness, the main character is a brave girl, who flies into the big eggplant. The character fights with various monsters that arrive from a parallel dimension. During the passage process, the player can significantly improve the transfer and unlock new combat skills, which will help in dealing…

[operationrainfall]

REVIEW: My Horse Prince

REVIEW: My Horse Prince

Title My Horse Prince Developer Usaya Co. Publisher Usaya Co. Release Date 11/12/2016 Genre Otome visual novel Platform iOS, Android Age Rating PEGI 12 Official Website When you try to explain the appeal of niche Japanese games to more casual players, you may hear something along the lines of how some offerings are “messed up” (and that’s PG-level language). A game like My Horse Prince would be a…

[jolienjoyswriting]

A Cat is Fine (ft. “Pink Cotton”), Ch. I

Chapter 1 of "A Cat is Fine," an Uno Usaya fan fiction story. Co-written by AI Dungeon (Gryphon AI)

Snowy weather and a blind date.  What could possibly go wrong?

Word count: 3,181 – Character count: 18,459 Drafted: November 24th, 2020 Revised: March 28th, 2021 –

As often happens, someone designed a character I fell in love with at first sight.  This time, it was one Uno Usaya, drawer of delightful furry art featuring cute (and sexy) girls of all kinds! This time, it was a grumpy, pink cat girl wearing winter clothes, as well as casual clothes.  Eight days later, I headed into the AI Dungeon and me and Griff wrote up a fun little story.

It's worth noting that Usaya never officially named this character – or really, any of the ones they cook up.  Consider "Pink Cotton" an online handle, or maybe just my "fan-canon" name for the girl~ I'm also not sure Uno even knows I wrote this story.  I'll have to bring it to their attention after it's posted. (They're natively Japanese, but I think Google Translate can help if they have problems…?)

Small note: Uno Usaya is much more active on Twitter than Tumblr.  Check 'em out!

"Pink Cotton" and related characters and concepts created by and © Uno Usaya

[ ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → ]

    It was a cold, winter's day that ominously loomed over the city.  In a quiet suburban area of a major city, the people therein were out-and-about, doing their daily rituals.     Some were braving the weather because their work required it.  Some were facing the elements because they had errands to run.  Others, still, were outside because they enjoyed the brisk weather.  No matter who they were, though, every single person was dressed in at least two layers of clothing over some area of their body.     One such man was standing outside of a café was a man wearing a cozy, black jacket with a hood and a pair of green slacks.  He was out there waiting for something to happen.  What, specifically?  Well… he was waiting for his blind date to arrive.

    This was not the best venue for a blind date, he thought, standing there with his hands in his pockets.  His body shivered from a mix of cold and nerves.  I shouldn't have come early…     He looked up at the dark and gloomy sky and frowned from beneath his scarf.     It's too cold to be waiting around for someone…     The man began to walk away… only to stop as he bumped into a taller figure.     "Hey, what're you doin'?!" the figure angrily snapped in a cold, feminine growl.     The man blinked and stared, his ears falling back under his hood.  Glaring back at him was a pair of cool, teal eyes surrounded by pink fur.  He could easily see that the tall figure is annoyed with him.     "H… h-hey, I'm sorry," he stammered in a fluster.     The figure narrowed her eyes… then she quietly rolled them and shrugged.

    Things became awkward as the man and the woman stood there in silence.  She didn't seem terribly interested in him, but he was interested in her, a little.  It wasn't every day that he bumped into a pink lady wearing a knit, blue stocking cap and cream-colored, woolen dress-coat.  He kind of liked her blue scarf, too.

    "Are you 'Joseph?'"

    The girl suddenly spoke up, getting his attention.  She still wasn't looking right at him, though.  Despite that, the man nodded.  He was, indeed, Joseph.     "You don't look like much," she continued with a snort.     When she went quiet, again, Joseph spoke up.     "Are you… 'Pink Cotton,' by chance?"     He noticed the girl visibly twitch.     "Just Cotton'll do," she corrected in a low voice.     "So, wait."  Joseph tilted his head.  "You're my blind date?"     "Can we go inside?" Cotton suddenly cut in.  "It's friggin' cold out here…"     "Oh, uh… y-yeah, of course!"     With that, the two went inside the café.

    The inside of the establishment was much more lively – and thankfully, much warmer – than the outside.  Many people were already seated at tables all over the small building, chatting away and sipping their drinks.  Some even had electronic devices – laptops, tablets, and the like – and their fingers were furiously typing away.  When Joseph and Cotton sat across from each other at a table, he noticed her take a phone out of her knit jacket and begin typing on it, herself.  He got the impression she wasn't terribly interested in him…

    "So, how about it?"     The man perked.  He was in the middle of unzipping his jacket when Cotton got his attention, again.     "Er… 'how about' what?" he repeated with interest.     "This place is boring," she told him without looking up.  "I wanna go to your place."     The fox blushed.  That came outta nowhere!     "I… uh… why?" he nervously stammered.     "Why not?" she answered, still engrossed in her phone's screen.     "Well, this is supposed to be a 'date,' isn't it?" he tried to say as a counterpoint.  "I thought–"     "Just 'cause the guys at the site told us to meet here," she immediately countered, "doesn't mean we have to stay put.  'sides, I don't like crowds."     She looked up, her teal eyes focused right on his gold ones.     "I like private get-togethers, more."     Joseph blushed a little harder… but he nodded and zipped his jacket back up.  Just as he got ready to stand, however…     "Hi, there!"     A friendly waiter came over with a notepad in hand and a smile on their face.

    "Welcome to The Jolly Java!  My name is Beatrix!" the servicewoman said, her face brightening.  "What can I get you, today?"     "A cinnamon coffee – iced," Cotton told the lady as she went back to her phone.  "And a pack of biscottis."     Joseph frowned.  His date wasn't being rude, exactly… but she could at least try and be more friendly, he thought.     "And, for you, sir?"     The fox hummed.  "A mint iced coffee with whipped cream, please."     "Splendid!" she replied as she put her pad away.  "That's one of my favorites!"     Beatrix left the area, saying she'd be back in a couple of minutes.  That left Joseph to spend more time with his… inattentive date.

    "So…" the fox began, desperate to start a conversation, "do you like whipped cream?"     Cotton finally looked his way, impatiently tilting her head.     "I like it on pie."     She said that so quickly and so matter-of-factly that he had trouble believing her.     "You… like pie?" he asked, awkwardly following up on her response.     She nodded as she went back to her phone.     "What kind of pie do you like?" he continued, finding himself genuinely curious.     "Black Forest," she answered, quick-as-a-whip.     "They make Black Forest pie?" he asked, surprised.     The girl paused.  "Uh… I mean… never mind!  Whatever!"     It was his turn to roll his eyes, then.     "You're not even paying attention to this conversation, are you?" he asked.     Cotton simply shrugged.  If she was flustered, she wasn't showing it.     This is getting me nowhere… he thought with a frown.  Maybe she'll open up once we're out of here…  I still can't believe she wants to go to my place, of all places…

    About a minute more passed.  Beatrix came by with their drinks, and Joseph paid for them and a pack of biscottis.  Right after, the two headed back outside… and found themselves in the middle of some rather ugly weather.     "Crap," Joseph sighed, "it wasn't snowing this badly when we went in…"     He looked to his date for a response.  She simply shrugged, and they started to walk faster.  However, this only seemed to make snowfall faster as, before long, they found themselves having difficulty navigating.     "Do you know where we are?" Joseph asked Cotton.  "You have a Smartphone, right?"     "Yeah," she mumbled, not looking up from her phone for a response.     "Can you… uh, turn on the GPS?"     Cotton rolled her eyes, again, then brought the phone to her face.     "GPS," she called in an annoyed tone, "where are we?"     She waited for a response.  When she got one, her ears flicked from under her cap.     "We're, uh, outside of an Italian restaurant on Providence Road," she said, reading the phone's screen.  "Is that anywhere near your place?"     "Actually… my apartment is on this road!"  The fox laughed.  "Which direction are we facing?"     She held up two fingers in the direction of the street, then did the same for the restaurants.     "North."     "Alright," he said with a nod.  "It's to the North.  C'mon."     Joseph started to walk quickly in that direction.     "You ever been to that place?"     He looked back toward Cotton for a second.  She'd spoken with genuine curiosity.     "The restaurant?  Strangely… no," he admitted.  "Hey, maybe you and I should–"     "I'm not hungry," the girl cut in, sounding annoyed.  "Let's just find your place, okay?"     The fox frowned, but he nodded.  With that, the two continued onward.

    The pair moved at a quick pace, only slowing when the wind whipped at them.  It took them about thirty minutes to get to Joseph's apartment building due to all of the snow piling up everywhere.  To make things worse, the fox fumbled his keys and dropped them in a snowbank shortly after they arrived.  It took him a good minute of searching before he recovered them, then a few more seconds before he could open the protective gate of his building.  Once all of that was settled, though, they were able to make it inside the entryway of his apartment building and shake off the snow.

    "Geez, it got ugly out there!" Joseph said as he led Cotton to his building's elevator.  "The weather didn't say anything about that!"     "Let's just get inside your place," she flatly replied.     He nodded.  Shortly after, the elevator arrived, and they stepped inside.  It wasn't much longer before they arrived at Joseph's apartment door.

    "I, uh, I hope you're not expecting a palace," he joked as he unlocked the door.  "My studio apartment is pretty–"     "It's fine!" she interrupted, pushing him aside and walking inside.  He became a little flustered at her pushiness, but he kept quiet.     Once inside, Cotton looked around for a moment as if committing the place to memory, then smiled.     "Well… this is cozy," she said.  "Where's your bed?"     The fox became flustered.  Why did she want to know that?  Regardless, he walked over to a small fold-out couch that he used as a spare bed and pulled back the covers.     "I have a bed in my bedroom, too," he casually told her, "but if you just wanna take a nap or something…"     When he looked back over… he felt his face warm.  Cotton hadn't waited long to strip off her cold, wet Winter gear.  She was hiding a pretty cute body beneath all that!

    Underneath the woolen garments, Cotton wore a comfy, long-sleeved, blue-green sweater and pale-yellow short-shorts.  He also got a better look at her legs, which were long and lovely, and covered with black stockings.  And, of course, without her hat and scarf covering her head and face, he could finally see the cute tufts of fur on her cheeks and how expressive her kitty-cat ears were.  He also noticed… just how legitimately unimpressed she looked.  He got a sinking feeling from that…

    "W-well," he stammered as she slid out of her powder-blue high-top sneakers, "you're, uh, you're welcome to make yourself at home?  I know it's not much, but…"     "It's fine," she said, waving him off.     He continued to watch with a blush as she started roaming the apartment.  She didn't seem to have a plan or anything – she was just wandering around… looking at all his stuff.  While she did that, he decided to slide out of his own winter gear.  He wasn't wearing much under his coat, though.  Just a plain, black T-shirt that matched his green jeans.

    As he sat on the pull-out bed to remove his shoes, he noticed her randomly wander over and sit next to him.  His face warmed when he noticed how close she was to him…  Her shoulder light brushed against his and she had a look of curiosity about her.  He wasn't exactly sure what she wanted or how to react…     "V… video games?" he suddenly offered.  "O-or, we could… do… something…"     He trailed off as she rolled her eyes.  Then…     "Wha'…?!"     Joseph's face brightened as, out-of-nowhere, she leaned in and brushed her cheek against his with a purr.     "Where's your game console?" she asked as she pulled back.     He was a little too staggered by her random cheek-rub to answer, right away.  She'd done it so suddenly…  Plus, she didn't even seem to realize she had done it!     M-maybe she just comes from a family with z-zero spacial awareness…     That thought calmed him down, a little…     "It's, uh, it's over there," he told her as he pointed toward the television against the wall.     When she offered an impatient look, Joseph quietly stared back.  It took him a minute, but he eventually realized she was waiting on him to set the game up for her.  When that thought occurred, he quickly stood up and headed over to his TV.

    "Do you have a favorite kind of game, Cotton?" he asked as he booted up his system.     When he looked back over, he noticed that she was sitting on his fold-out bed, legs crossed at the knee and eyes glued to her phone.  She looked frustrated about something…     "Your place has crap reception," she sighed as she poked at her Smartphone.  "What's your Wi-Fi password?"     He frowned, but he told her.  She nodded and punched it in, then…     "Your connection is pretty slow."     She poked at her phone, again, doing something.     "What are you–"     The fox's ears perked as her phone started playing some music he recognized.     "Uh… Cotton?"     She was right back to browsing sites on her phone after turning on the music, completely oblivious to him.  And that… was starting to get on his nerves.

    "Your favorite type of game," he asked again, sounding irritated.  "Do you have one?"     She looked up at him.  It was pretty clear she was annoyed.  He just didn't know why.     "What's your favorite game?" she snapped, trying to sound as nice as she could through her irritation.     He thought about saying he asked her, first… but after another second, he just turned on a puzzle game, grabbed two wireless controllers, and walked back over to the couch-bed.     "You any good at puzzle games?" he asked, handing her one controller.     "I don't know," she calmly said with a shrug.  "Probably not as good as you."     He sat, holding the other controller in both hands and turning to the television screen.  Without a word more, he went ahead and started a two-player game for them.

    For the first few minutes, all they did was focus on the game, not a word shared between them.  Cotton didn't really like the game, and the tiny controller was somewhat awkward for her to use, but she got the hang of it pretty quickly.  Meanwhile, Joseph was doing far worse than she was, to the point in which he was getting frustrated… but he kept it to himself.  About ten minutes later… she beat his high score for the game.

    "This game is boring," Cotton said as she set the controller in her lap.  "What else ya got?"     Joseph's ears fell and he grimaced.  However, instead of speaking his mind… he just changed the game over to something else.     "You any good at fighting games?" he asked as he set the new game up.     "Yeah, I'm pretty good," she said as she picked the controller back up.     "Well, I'm setting this one on hard," he said.  "I'm pretty good at this game."     She just looked at him, her ears flicking and eyes intense.  She didn't have anything to say to that.  Shortly after, the two started playing the new game.

    During the thirty minutes or so that followed, Joseph went through his entire game catalog, trying to keep his date entertained… but miserably failing.  It seemed like Cotton's limit was either one "match" or about five minutes of gameplay.  The fox didn't want to say anything, but he was definitely thinking how typical it was for a cat to get so bored so easily.     What a bigoted way of thinking… he internally scolded as Cotton stretched out on his fold-out bed and yawned.  Still… stereotypes have to come from somewhere…

    "So…" he finally said, "you, uh, wanna do something else, now?"     "I'm good," she said with another little yawn.     He tilted his head as she curled up on his bed and rested her eyes.  He hadn't seen her look so relaxed since the date started.  It was kind of cute…     "Well… I'm gonna turn off the game console, then," he said.     "Okay."     He got up and turned it off, then walked back over, sitting close to where she was laying.  After another, much bigger yawn, she opened her eyes and stared up at him.     "Having fun?" she sleepily asked as she noticed him watching her.     "More-or-less," the fox half-lied as he walked back over.  "I feel like we're getting… more… comf…"     He slowed to a stop, blushing, as Cotton reached her arm out to touch his cheek.     "We both know what you want, Joe," she said, trying to guess what was on his mind.  "Kiss me, already."     The girl finally grinned at him… only to tilt her head.  Joseph had looked down to his feet and fidgeted.     "I can't," he said.     "Why not?" she asked.     He inhaled, then exhaled, before deciding to tell her the truth.

    "Cotton," he began as he looked right at her, "you're a very attractive girl.  I love your pink fur and I kinda wanna nibble on all that soft 'cotton candy' hair of yours."     "It's not cotton candy," she countered, seeming to take him seriously.     "But," he continued, "honestly?  I feel like… like you're not interested in this date… or in me."     He paused, rubbing his hands.     "I really do feel like nothing I've tried, today, has been good enough for you…  It's almost like you just aren't interested in anything I have to offer.  I mean, I can understand getting bored easily, but… but if I bore you that much…"     He tilted his head to look her way.     "Why… why have you kept hanging around?"     Cotton let out a long sigh, causing her bangs to flop into her eyes.  She closed them, shaking her head, then looked back up at the sad-sack-of-a-fox.     "Thought we could have fun together," she simply explained.  "Guess not."     When she extended her hand his way, Joseph took it as a hint and helped her to her feet.     "So, the date's over?" he asked with a faint whimper.     "Yep," she said.     The fox looked down to his feet, again.     "Cotton?" he asked before looking back up.  "Did you… really want me to kiss you?  Or, were you just playing around?"     She tilted her head.     "Dunno.  Thought you would, at some point," she admitted.     He hesitated… then he leaned in and gave her nose a little lick.  She didn't budge or do much of anything, in response.     "And that was…?" she impatiently asked.     "For a while," he said with an unsure smile.  "Good night?"     Cotton stared at him for the longest while, finally wearing an emotion other than boredom on her face.  As she stood there and watched him avoid her gaze, she found herself becoming kind of… intrigued.

    "Ah!"     Joseph blushed and stared in surprise.  Without warning, Cotton yanked his arms around her slender form.  His blush brightened as she purred and drew closer, roughly brushing her body against his.  Was she smiling…?     "C… Cotton?" the confused and flustered fox asked.     She didn't answer.  Instead, with her date still caught off guard, she placed her head just below his ear and licked a trail to his neck.  He wasn't expecting that…     "C… Cotton…" he whispered, letting a faint groan escape his lips.  "That feels…"     He closed his eyes and shakily breathed, his body shivering.  The cat's rough tongue was drawing a path through his plush fox fur and brushing against the skin underneath.  Honestly, it felt pretty amazing.  It was like nothing he'd felt, before.  He just wondered why she was doing it.