Thick flowery heads rustled in soft animation as if to peer at the unfamiliar face among their presence. They almost seemed to sway with each legato breath that slipped past a pair of caramel lips. Silken tresses of luscious purple hair slipped this way and that like branches of shimmering streams across the heads of the flowers; pouring through the thick petals and swaying in small hooked tips in the heated air. Suspended in the comforting dream world of sleep and reality. A mere fragile breath among the flowery audience.     

A few digits twitched on a sun-kissed hand as Lumi slept. She was vulnerable in this state; almost as vulnerable as the immobile flowers that guarded her. The girl was asleep. Entranced by visions of her dismal flaming childhood. Maybe not the most pleasant, but certainly a dream-induced memory. Normally, it wouldn't take much to wake her. But here, in the stagnant comfort of her flowering confidants, she felt truly secure. Only they had been granted the security of looking upon the girl with her hair down, let alone when she was ensnared in the tranquil web of sleep. The insecure action had been a product of utter comfort; something she had not bestowed upon another being after she had left the comfort of her aunt's. If someone were to encroach upon her and witness her true hidden form, what would they think? Nothing but the canopy of blossoming flowers could foretell that answer for now.             

(I hope this is okay, if anyone is interested!)

The flowers and other plants of the greenhouse were used to being tended to by human hands, and occasionally kissed by human lips. The only sounds in the greenhouse were the rustling of the flowers. Another quiet sound could just be made out, not quite shattering the tranquillity of the greenhouse, but loud enough to raise curiosity. If there had been someone in the greenhouse, tending the flowers, and they went to investigate, they would have found the most interesting sight. Someone sleeping amongst the flowers. Not a girl, persay, at least not human. But a catgirl.

Tiernya had chosen to nap in the greenhouse, as she found the orchid scary now, since her new friend Mewnya had been hurt. And most other places were too loud to nap properly. So, when she found the greenhouse, with it's lovely flowers, and their different colours, she chose to nap there. She twitched and stirred in her sleep, with the occasional whimper and moan, her face one of fear. She wasn't having a nightmare, but reliving past trauma. But these soon passed, and the twitching lessened, the fear replaced with a smile, the whimpering replaced with giggling. Several minutes later, she settled into a silent, contented sleep.

Tiernya stirred and stretched, her tail twitching behind her. She sat up, stretched again and looked around, her blue eyes still half closed with sleep. 'That was a nyice nyap, nya' she said happily. 'I'm glad I found this place!' She scratched at her long blonde hair with her black paw gloves, and bits of dirt and soil fell out. 'Though it is a little dirty, nya.' She stood and began to clean her black skirt, the black and white patched leotard she wore, followed by her black and white striped leggings and the black and white patched tail trailing behind her. When she was clean, she looked around. 'What can I do now, nya?' she asked. 'I know! Food!' With that she turned and was about to leave the greenhouse, when she noticed something in amongst the flowers. She paused and went to investigate. When she saw what it was, she let out a mew of surprise.

It was a girl, asleep in the flowers. She had long, purple hair, dark skin and beautiful clothes. Tiernya was speechless as she watched the sleeping girl for several moments. 'Maybe she likes nyaps too,' she said to herself. She watched the girl for a moment longer, before an idea formed. A smile formed on the blonde catgirls lips. 'Maybe she'll want a nyap friend!' With that thought, Tiernya crawled into the flower bed next to the sleeping girl, curled up and closed her eyes. 'I hope we can be friends, nya,' she said before she drifted to sleep again.

(Hope you don't mind!)

Vibrant swirls of orange and red gave away to a blinding green as the opening of emerald eyes chased away the last fringes of her unpleasant dream. The flowery air of the greenhouse was soothing, yet something had displaced it. A presence, it seemed. A presence of another. And that person...was right next to her! Lumi almost bolted up onto her elbows, eyes wide with surprise. Long purple hair swirled behind her. A girl - well, more like a catgirl - was curled up beside her. With blonde hair and wearing a leotard and accessories suggesting appendages of a cat. This girl was adorable! But when on earth had she entered the greenhouse? Lumi hadn't sensed any other presence when she had first settled down to sleep among her flowering friends.

She peered at the sleeping girl in curiosity, trying to discern how deep of a sleep she was in. If the girl was surely into a well-formed sleep, she would be able to hopefully sneak away without being caught in her security. But as fate had it, that girl had probably already seen her, and she didn't just want to leave her all alone here. While greenhouse was a protective, secure area, it was kind of late, and she assumed one would then have to go stumbling through the dark of night to return to the dorms. That wasn't an ideal task to perform alone. 

Lumi instead eased herself quietly to her feet and decided to tend a flower nearby, keeping a watchful eye on the girl in case she stirred awake. Her heart was fluttering in her chest. Whether it be from just the startle of finding another person when she awoke, or just the fear of being seen with her hair down, caressing the flower's arched head seemed to help soothe her a little. She had no way of tying it back up to its original ring of tight curls around her head, so she guessed she would just need to bear through it when the girl woke up. She tended to the flower for a little longer before making her way to the girl once again. The girl was still asleep, and though it was rude to awake a sleeping girl, much more a catgirl, she didn't think it was too good for her to be out here all night. That is, if she had planned to sleep long. Kneeling down beside her, the purple haired girl bowed her head, her purple tapestry of tresses cascading in a waterfall about her face. "Miss? Miss?" Caramel lips barely moved to twitch out the softly whispered words.

(It's completely alright! Thank you so much!) 

The screeching of metal under stress, the tinkering of broken glass. The smell and taste of blood. The world upside down. Darkness. A stark white room filled with shadows and voices and beeping. Darkness. That Woman with her sharp, painful words and mean eyes. The brothers, with their wicked games. The sounds of a stick hitting flesh. The pain of her hair being pulled. Their hands moving over her body. Their laugher drowning out her tears. Darkness. Papa smiling at her, laughing with her holding his hand out to her. Mia, smiling at her, laughing with her. Reading to her. Holding her and wiping away her tears. Mewnya smiling at her, playing with her. Darkness.

Tiernya lay in the flowerbed, whimpering and twitching as she continued to relive her past. Her eyes slowly opened. Only it wasn't the blue gaze of the catgirl of several moments ago. It was the flat stare of her primary personality, Tierney, the emotionally blank and mute girl who had lived through those traumas that she had just awoken from. Her blue eyes showed almost no life in them, no vitality as she just stared, not really seeing. She blinked once, twice. The transformation was instant. Her blue eyes now sparkled with life as she gasped. Tiernya sat up and smiled at the purple haired girl besides her. 'Hello!' she said, jumping down from the flowerbed. 'My nyame's Tiernya!' she introduced herself, patting her chest. 'What's your nyame?' She reached out and took the girls hands in her paws. 'Can we be friends, nya?'

The catgirl was whimpering. Was she having an unpleasant dream? A nightmare? Blue eyes soon shuddered open, and Lumi found a girl far sunder than what she had expected. These were cold and blank. Lifeless, almost. It almost startled the student yet entranced her at the same time. The girl soon blinked twice, and like magic those empty azure orbs flared with vibrant sparks of life. The metamorphosis took Lumi aback. Before she had time to question it, the girl was up and chirping out a greeting and adorable introduction. Her caramel hands were seized by a pair of cat paws.

The girl sure had a lot of energy! And an adorable way of speaking that emulated the mewls of a cat. Lumi couldn't help but smile sweetly at her sunny disposition. She was absolutely adorable! "It is a pleasure to meet you, miss Tiernya." The girl's name fell strangely off Lumi's tongue, but she squeezed the endearing little paws and continued on. "My name is Lumisade Shirokawa, although you may call me Lumi if you desire. And if I am in any position worthy to accept such a generous request, I believe we can be friends, that is, if you'll have me." She spoke softly, her emerald gaze trained on the small paws clasping her darker hands. Was she even worthy enough to have her hands held by this adorable catgirl?

Seeing the girl smile, made Tiernya want to smile more. 'Miss?' she asked, her head tilted cutely in confusion. 'My name is Tiernya, not Miss.' She giggled. 'You're silly!' Without warning, Tiernya wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her. 'Lumeowsade Shirokawa.' She frowned in concentration as she tried to pronounce her new friends name. But when Lumeowsade mentioned she had a shorter name, Tiernya mewed in glee. 'Lumeow!' She hugged her again.

But then her new friend said something that confused Tiernya again. 'Why would I not what mew as a friend, nya?' she asked. 'Mew are a wonderful person, nya! You like nyapping with the flowers, nya! Mew are my...' She paused, and counted her friends on her paw. 'Mewnya, Faith, Kitsmewni, Kono and mew! Mew are my... fifth friend, Lumeow!' With that she hugged her again. 'I want to be friends with mew, Lumeow,' she said, her ears flattening slightly, her tail drooping. 'Please be my friend, nya.'

"Ah, my sincere apologies, Tiernya." It appeared she was getting corrected quite often. The adorable catgirl next suddenly hugged her, and Lumi tensed a little. She hadn't really ever been hugged before... The girl next gave a few tries at her name before settling with the shorter version. She had even incorporated it into that cute cat speech. It was adorable! A smile found its way upon her caramel lips. Lumeow, it was then!

Tiernya seemed confused about her reluctant statement. Lumi watched her as she provided a sunny compliment and rattled off her friends' names on a paw. With as adorable as the girl was, she was surprised she didn't have more friends. Who wouldn't want to be friends with the endearing catgirl? And then she realized her situation. The catgirl wanted to be friends. Friends... It was an amiable label the purple haired girl hadn't been offered in quite a while. When Tiernya hugged her again, this time appearing saddened, Lumi couldn't help but return the hug halfheartedly in an attempt to cheer her up. "I would be honored to be friends with such a lovely and unique girl as you, Tiernya." She wasn't conscious of it, but she had ever so gently hugged the girl a little tighter during her response. "There is no need to fret." She pulled back and smiled, purple curls bouncing in tight bunches about her form. 

'Apologies?' Tiernya asked, looking up at her new friend. 'You're silly, Lumeow!' She giggled again, then hugged her. 'I like mew, Lumeow! You're silly and fun!' She liked hugging Lumeow. But she also like hugging her other friends. Tiernya liked hugs, almost as much as she liked naps and food! Hmmm... food... Tiernya was beginning to drool at the thought of food, when Lumeow began to hug her back. With a happy mew Tiernya closed her eyes and rested her head on Lumeow's shoulder.

She kept holding onto her new friend, afraid that if she let go, Lumeow would disappear. She was so happy! She'd made her fifth friend! Lumeow was so nice to her, said nice things to her. 'And you smell nyice, nya,' Tiernya said aloud, her voice almost dreamy. She nuzzled against Lumeow, a contented smile on her lips. 'Lumeow,' Tiernya began, squeezing tighter. 'Would... would you be my nyap friend?' she asked. 'I like nyapping on my own, but it's more fun with a nyap friend, nya.' She looked up at Lumeow, her ears flat, her lower lip trapped between her teeth. 'Please?'

But before Lumeow could respond, Tiernya's belly made its presence known. 'Oh!' the blonde haired catgirl exclaimed, looking at her belly. 'I'm hungry, nya!' She looked back at Lumeow. 'Let's go hunting for food together, nya?' Without waiting for a response, Tiernya turned and began to excitedly tug on her friends hand. 'Let's go! Let's go, nya! Then we can eat together, Lumeow!'

The more Tiernya spoke and hugged her, the more adorable she became to the purple haired girl! Having a friend was little new to her, she had to admit, but she figured she'd eventually warm up to it. Hopefully soon. Lumi offered another soft smile to the endearing catgirl whom only seemed to hug her tighter whilst mewling. A compliment was tossed her way, and she acknowledged it with a soft chuckle. In truth, she had been afraid to even try hugging the girl back at first. She wasn't used to administering any form of interaction with people besides verbal assistance. She had been concerned that if she tried, she would have hurt the girl. But that hadn't been the case. And to be honest, she found it sort of comforting. Sleepy, almost, with a lulling effect that ignited the previous drowsiness tugging at her being.

As if on cue, Tiernya requested if they could be nap friends. Well, nyap friends, as she had her adorable way of putting it. Lumi was about to respond when a peculiar sound interrupted her. Was that the other girl's stomach? She looked to the girl and before she knew it, was being pulled towards the exit of the greenhouse. Tiernya sure really seemed to like food! "As you wish, Tiernya. Let us go." Came the purple haired girl's soft response. She was a little shy about leaving the secure isolation of the greenhouse in her current state; mostly because of her intense insecurity about herself and the whole fact that her hair was down. She tried her best to push her selfish concerns aside and refocus on her bubbly new friend. They didn't matter as long as the catgirl was happy. 

'Yay! Lumeow is going to eat with Tiernya!' The blonde catgirl bounced with excitement, clapping her paws. She took hold of Lumeow's hands again and lead the way to the exit. She was so excited! She'd made a new friend! She glanced behind her and saw Lumeow brushing her hair. The catgirl stopped, let go of her friends hands. 'How could I be so silly?' she asked. 'Mew need to clean mewself, nya.'

With that she walked over to Lumeow and began to brush her down, small particles of dirt falling from her clothes and hair. When Tiernya was sure there was no more dirt on Lumeow, she nodded and beamed at the girl. 'Are mew ready to get food, nya?' she asked. 'What food do mew like?' She gasped, clasped her paws together. 'Do mew like cake?'

Lumi smiled sweetly at the girl and followed her as she led the way to the exit. Tiernya's happiness was almost contagious. She was just so cheerful and bubbly and carefree. It was almost stunning! The catgirl must have noticed her cleaning her hair, because she chirped another ecstatic cat-like phrase and turned back to aid her. Lumi managed to stand effortlessly still as the girl brushed her down. A significant amount of dirt showered down from the tapestry of purple hair; much more than she had expected. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to sleep in the greenhouse with her hair in its nature state... Lumi felt silly for not taking that into consideration. 

Tiernya soon finished and was bouncing excitedly before her once again. It elicited a warm chuckle from the purple haired girl. "I do like cake." She responded with a smile. She paused for a second then brushed a thick curl from one side of her face, her smiling broadening to a quick flash of the teeth in a rare grin. "Would you like to get some cake, Tiernya?" She had tried experimentally administrating emphasis on the "nya" to try and sound more cat-like, but only ended up giggling when it failed. 

She walked around Lumeow, making sure that she was clean, a look of cute concentration on her face. Then, when she was happy that there was no more dirt on her, Tiernya bunched her own blonde hair over her shoulder and brushed it down one final time. Once she was done with that, she brushed her paws together, to clean them as much as she could. If Lumeow thought Tiernya was happy before, she hadn't seen anything yet.

The moment Lumeow said she liked cake, Tiernya gasped, her paws held together as her eyes sparkled. 'Lumeow likes cake too!' she breathed. 'Lumeow likes cake too!' She bounced up and down, clapping her paws, her blonde hair bouncing behind her. She jumped towards Lumeow, wrapping her arms around her neck. 'Lumeow likes cake too!' The catgirl nuzzled against Lumeow's cheek. 'Yes! Yes! I would like to get cake with mew, Lumeow!' Tiernya laughed when Lumeow laughed, bounced with excitement and took hold of Lumeow's hands. She nuzzled them against her cheek, then turned and began to head to the exit again.

No sooner had Tiernya brushed herself clean of any remains of dirt, had she began bouncing in ecstatic animation. It made Lumi laugh again. The elated laugh quickly metamorphosed into a breathless gasp when the girl next lunged for her. Small paws slithered around her neck and a barrage of nuzzles rippled across her cheek. The purple haired student arched her back to maintain her balance, her purple silken veil of hair haloing around her fragile being. She produced another soft giggle, making the colored tendrils shudder in tranquil accompaniment. When her new friend let go, she found her hands seized once more and nuzzled against the other's paler cheek, before once more being lead towards the exit. Lumi was glad she had made the catgirl happy. Now that she thought about it, had she ever made someone that happy?

As they continued to walk, purple curls swaying in a luscious mass behind her, the girl began to wonder about the blonde walking ahead of her. She appeared young and was exuberantly cheerful, not to mention adorable. And the way she spoke like a cat; it only added to her cuteness. Yet there had been that moment... That one fraction of a moment when she had woken from her sleep in the flowers... Her eyes had been dull and lifeless; devoid of the vibrant childish warmth that illuminated them now. Maybe she had just been imagining things, but something had seemed a little off. But who was she to encroach upon it? It could have just been a trick of the eye... The lighting maybe? The more she pondered about it, the mister the whole ordeal became. She finally shook her head clear of the thoughts. It probably wasn't best to question such things. 

She returned her previously despondent gaze to the catgirl - she hadn't realized she had looked away - and noticed she didn't really know anything about her new friend. Friends were supposed to know a bit about each other, right? Or was that not how it worked? She hadn't had a true friend in so long, she had forgotten the basics. It wouldn't hurt to try, would it? "Tiernya." She began softly. "If I may be entitled to ask, may I ask what year you are in?" She hoped the way she had phrased the question didn't sound too strange. 

With a skip in her step, and tail swinging happily behind her, Tiernya was so happy! Not only had she made a new friend, but her new friend not only wanted to nap with her again, but she also liked cake! Cake! Someone to eat cake with! She glance behind her, at Lumeow and smiled. Lumeow was so nice! But then, everyone Tiernya had met had been nice! Except those girls in the other place with the food, where she'd met Kono. They had been mean! But Kono was nice!

When Lumeow said her name, Tiernya mewed happily. She like the way Lumeow said her name! 'Yes, Lumeow?' she asked, turning to face her new friend. 'What year?' Tiernya stopped. 'What year?' She tapped her chin with her free paw as she looked at the sky, a look of concentration on her face. 'What year?' She looked at her paws, then held them both out towards Lumeow. 'I'm this year!' She paused. 'I think.' She looked at her paws, then gasped. 'I'm ten,' She held out both paws again. 'Plus three!' She took Lumeow's hands in her paws again. 'What year are you in, Lumeow?'

Had Lumi not been a professional with self control, she would have hugged the girl when she mewed. She couldn't remember a time where she desired to hug someone out of purely wanting to.Tiernya was just too cute! Even more so when she paused to answer the question had had been asked. Little paws soon flashed up to display full hands, only to quickly recalculate and be held up again. So she was thirteen? That would make her a second year wouldn't it? A year older than her. Lumi couldn't help but smile when those adorable paws extended once more to grasp her hands, the same question being echoed.

"Ten plus two." She resounded in the same composition, a playful edge to her calm voice. "It appears you are a whole year older than me, Tiernya." Another smile stretched across caramel lips. Now that she thought of it, she couldn't remember a time where she had smiled this much either. It was new, but not unpleasant in the least. In fact, it was almost refreshing. Gripping the catgirl's paws in a single hand, she extended a hesitant hand up from their grasp. Curled uncertain fingers were almost visibly trembling as they uncoiled and lead the hand down to ever so gently pat Tiernya on the head between her cat ears. She was afraid of possibly unsettling the catgirl, and so removed it after a brief moment, lowering her eyes almost apologetically in turn. "Ah, my sincere apologies, Tiernya. Forgive me."