Elaina's Rite of Passage

Shedding

"Can't catch me!" Elaina zig zagged haphazardly around the roset daycare, pursued by a sea of boisterous youngsters all her age. Squeaks of delight erupted each of their muzzles as they dove, trying to grab her. "Missed! Missed again!" She leapt and dodged, weaving nimbly between them all. Ever since she was a tiny fur-ball, Elaina had decided that she wanted to be a ballerina, and had been practicing her dancing for years. It came in handy here, as she leapt and twirled between her peers amidst this game of tag. There were others the "it" roset could be chasing of course, but Elaina's talent had made her such a challenge she became a trophy target, so to speak, for those fast enough to catch her. Sometimes, on occasions such as this, the whole group would become riled enough that several would try and tag her! 

"I've gotcha!" one of the youngest had bolted across the playroom at an angle to cut her off, and dove right for her. Elaina haughtily giggled, and twirled out of the way. However, in her cocky twirling, she had delayed herself, providing the young roset the extra critical inch he needed to grab the scruff of her neck fur. Elaina didn't even notice, and continued twirling away. Until, that is, the child screamed. 

"MRS. MAIA! MRS. MAIA!" He took off sobbing for the kitchen where the daycare head was preparing lunch, a clump of something white clutched in his hand. The whole daycare froze. The fun always stopped when someone started crying. The other children looked at each other. Did anyone see what happened? Had he fallen? Did he get hurt?

"What happened?!" Mrs. Maia dashed into the doorway in a panic, food and utensils still grasped within her six tails. A couple other volunteering attendants from other rooms poked in as well to make sure everything was okay. "I leave for five minutes..." Maia huffed.

"Mrs. Maia!" the youngster sobbed, tugging at her apron. She knelt down to console the weeping roset.

"What happened, little one?" She sighed, scooping him up. Still crying, he showed her the white fuzz in his hand. 

"I... I..." he choked, "I hurt 'Laina!" All eyes turned to Elaina, who reached back and finally felt the missing clump of fur from her neck. 

"N-No you didn't!" She hastily assured. "I didn't even feel it! I'm fine!" She pulled her hand away, pulling a couple more clumps of hair. The youngest rosets squealed, horrified as if they had just witnessed some gorey trauma. Maia's eyes widened, and she beamed with pride. 

"It's alright everyone, Elaina's fine. She's losing her neck fur!"

"Congratulations, Maia!" The older rosets closer to Elaina's own age were less traumitized by the event as the young ones, as the process had already been explained to them. One of them hugged her. "You're like a real grown up now!" A roset's ears always stood upright, but if it was possible, Elaina's perked even taller. 

"Really?!" She pulled another clump out and deposited it on the floor. Then another, and another-

"Elaina! you stop that this instant!" Maia barked in her scariest mom voice. The room again, froze. "I understand you're excited, but there's no need to make a mess. Perhaps we should call your parents to let them know. This is a big step in your life..."

"No! Mrs. Maia, can we surprise them? Please?" Her puppy dog eyes could have convinced the most cold hearted roset to agree.

"Oh, alright. Come with me and I'll help you clean up- properly."

"Okay!" She cheerily danced over. Maia passed the young crying roset, only just calming down, to another volunteer. "Let's go to the bathroom. The tile will be easier to sweep. Then we'll get you in the tub so we can wash out the stray hairs when we're done. No need to be itchy all day." Elaina insisted on pulling out most of the fur herself, but then Maia touched up the rest by meticulously cutting the ragged fur until it was completely even. Once all the hair was cut, the young roset hopped in an onsite bathtub designated for just such reasons and rinsed. The feeling was so... odd. Almost liberating... no more fur inhibiting her movement. 

"Alright, are you ready to see?" Maia helped her out of the tub, meanwhile reaching for a mirror behind her. She handed it to Elaina, whose eyes widened at the sight. 

"Whoa..." she ran a hand under her neck, almost in disbelief that her head could actually be floating. Her parents had shown her before and she had always known, but seeing herself in this state was... disconcerting.

"I know it can be... startling... the first time you see it, but you must remember it's a perfectly natural part of growing up," Maia planted her hands on young Elaina's shoulders.

"I know." She looked up. "Now I get to make my accessory, right? To cover it up?"

"Yes, love. And thats only something you can do. But, there's no need for you to feel so exposed in front of your friends. Why don't you head home? You're responsible enough to walk yourself. Let your parents know, and get to work on that accessory," she booped her nose. 

"Yes ma'am! Thank you, Mrs. Maia!" Elaina darted off, gripping her neck. She wasn't intentionally covering it from embarrassment- at least she didn't think so. It was just an odd feeling, and she kept wiggling her fingers through the gap as she ran. "Mama! Papa!" She couldn't wait to get home.

Trial and Error

Attending daycare had never really been a requirement for Elaina. She had two parents who loved her dearly, and in fact her mother had advocated to keep her home and watch her there. Elaina, however, wanted to go to daycare. That was where most of the other rosets her age went. She lived in a rather secluded area, and most of her town sent their kids to daycare, so attending with them was the best way for her to make friends. Her father, too, thought it a good idea for her to develop her social skills. Her mother, a prim and proper lady, had worried they may rub off on her negatively. But, she admitted, such was life, and Elaina could not remain forever sheltered at home. So night after night, Elaina's mother had walked her to daycare, and picked her up in the latest hours of night. Even when she was old enough to walk herself, it became ritual. For the past few days, though, there had been no such evening walk nor nightly stroll. With Elaina losing her baby fur, she had elected to stay at home to work on her accessory. Her mother of course was proud of her little girl, growing up so fast, but truthfully she missed their daily walk to daycare. Her mother knocked on the door to her daughter's room.

"Elaina, darling?" She cracked the door open, where materials were spread everywhere. 

"I can't get it right, Mama!" Elaina suddenly burst, becoming frustrated again with her latest attempt.

"Oh, honey." Her mother cringed at the mess- she'd taught her better than that- but just this once let it slide. she sidestepped the clutter and sat on the edge of her daughter's bed. Her parents had provided her with the bits of fabric they had left around the house, but it appeared Elaina had gone through all that cloth and resorted to cutting up her old clothes. "No need to fret, dearest," her mother smiled and closed her eyes, refusing to look at the carnage of cloth. "No one gets it right on their first try... or sometimes, their first fifty. Tell you what. Why don't you run down to Nico's? Buy some fresh fabric. And he might have some new ideas for you!" Elaina's ears perked up at the suggestion. 

"Yeah... okay! Thanks Mama!"

"Here love," her mother handed her a sizable quantity of coins. "Spend it wisely," she urged, "but get yourself something nice. Whatever you like- this is a special occasion for you."

"Thanks mama! I love you!" Elaina jumped up to hug her neck, and her mother squeezed back. Once released, Elaina took off in a blur for Nico's Tailor Shop. 

-

Bells jingled quite loudly as the white furry hurricane burst through the door. 

"Nico!" Elaina called, startling the green roset as he fumbled with a roll of fabric. 

"AH! O-oh, uhm, Elaina, it's just you. C-come in," he stuttered, briefly glancing up as he continued fighting the large roll. 

"Guess what?" Elaina skipped up to him giddily, paws behind her back. 

"What's that?" he absentmindedly asked, still distracted. 

"I lost my baby fur!" She gleefully showed off her bare neck. The roset paused, furrowed his brow and abandoned his fight with the cloth, dropping it to take a closer look at his guest. 

"OOOOoooohh," he smiled. "Congratulations! Well, no wonder you're here. In that case, how can I help you Miss Elaina?"

"Mama told me to get new fabric for my accessory," Elaina explained. 

"I see. What kind of fabric are you looking for?"

"I'm not sure," Elaina frowned. "I tried to make my accessory myself at home, but I just couldn't get it right!"

"Hmm, what are you trying to make?"

"Well... I don't really know. I want it to be pretty like Mama's. But her's is too stiff. I want mine to twirl when I twirl! Because I want to be a ballerina!" The wired young roset did a couple of spins for him on the spot. Nico hurriedly caught her shoulder to stop her before she bowled into a display, trying to put on a strained smiled. 

"O-ok, so something that moves. What about tassles?"

"Mmm, no, tassels look like Mama's drapes. And I don't want a scarf, ballerinas don't wear scarves." Nico thought for a moment.

"How about a shawl, then?" he suggested. 

"Mmm, yeah!" Elaina agreed enthusiastically. 

"Okay! Do you want it to cover your gap?" he asked next. Elaina bowed her head, feeling the empty space under her head.

"Huh. Well... not really. It's kinda cool. But most people think it looks funny. Ooh! Can we cover just the back so that when they see the back of me they say "Hmm, nothing unusual here!" but when I turn around and look at them they go 'AH! Her gap is showing!'" Elaina made herself snicker. Nico tried his best to look optomistic, but admittedly was slightly perplexed by the girl's request.

"Let's... start with the shawl," he suggested with a faint smile. "Go pick out a fabric and we'll get started."

Possibly the tailor's most valuable trait was his incredible amount of patience working with young ones. Elaina wasn't about to settle for an easy-to-make, run of the mill accessory, and the already complex design went through many changes halfway through. Many of the requested additions required somewhat advanced sewing techniques, which Nico did his best to teach a first-time student and Elaina did her best to learn. By some miracle, despite all its revisions and its amateur designer, the accessory didn't come out half bad. 

There wasn't anything quite like it, at least not in any sensible line of fashion design. What had once started as a shawl had been cut apart into a short cape that just brushed the middle of her forearms. It was clasped together with a shimmering orange marble clasp Elaina had found in the buttons section while Nico was with another customer. She also requested a high collar that peaked in height at the very back, and receded downwards again in the front. It was made of a very soft, fluffy material that she never tired of rubbing her cheek against. She had also been playing with a scrap of the shawl fabric that they cut away when shortening the cape, twirling it like a scarf. Though she was just playing with it initially she grew attached to the addition and insisted she wear it, too, prompting Nico to show her how to properly hem the edges. He tied it gently around the top half of her neck, which thus far hadn't been decorated, so that it at least didn't interfere with the lower accessory. Satisfied at last, Elaina hugged Nico goodbye, paid for her materials and scurried on home to proudly display their creation to her parents.

Bittersweet Goodbyes

"Mama! Papa! I'm back, I finished it! Close your eyes! I wanna surprise you!" Elaina called into the house, cracking the front door ajar. She heard the deep chuckle of her father's voice from within. 

"Alright, Pumpkin. Your mother and I are on the couch. We aren't looking!" It was getting quite late for the clarosians, or technically, it was very early. The sky was already beginning to lighten. The mister and missus had sat up waiting on their daughter in the living room. With a giggle, Elaina quietly crept into the house and found them sitting comfortably on the sofa, as promised, with their eyes closed. Elaina stationed herself directly in front of them, with her back turned. 

"Okay, open!" Obediently, they did so. Giving them but a moment to see the back collar of her creation, she spun suddenly, shouting "BAH!" exposing her open front. 

"Goodness!" Her mother clutched her chest, a look of concern carved into her face. Her father, on the other hand, belted out with roaring laughter. Her mother had always been far more conservative than he. 

"That's my big beautiful girl," he beckoned Elaina into a hug. 

"It certainly..." her mother fumbled for words. Elaina looked up to her with a somewhat dismayed expression, and her mother's heart melted. She smiled. "It certainly suits your personality," she finally said, resting a paw on her daughter's shoulder. Elaina beamed with pride, and squeezed her tightly. 

"Wait..." Elaina pulled away slowly, almost seeming to float to the floor. Her ears drooped as much as was possible for a roset. "Does this mean... I'm a grown up now? Do I have to leave?"

"No!" her mother hastily stood, face pained. "O-of course you don't have to go. We'd love for you to stay here with us! For as long as you like!" Her father sighed a heavy sigh.

"You don't have to go," he agreed. "But, you've come of age, my little ballerina. Now is the time... that most young rosies... see the world." His scruffy face leveled with hers as he bent down. He was painfully aware that he didn't need to bend nearly so far anymore. His little girl had grown up.

"I... I've never been outside the village before..." Elaina nervously scratched her arm.

"Which is why I think it's especially important for you to explore!" her father urged.

"Dearest!" her mother protested.

"We're your parents, Elaina, and we'll always love you. We'll always want you nearby, and you will always, always be welcome here! But I think it's also important you see that the world is so much bigger than our little home. We can't make you stay and we won't make you leave. The choice is yours, dear one." Elaina stood silent for a moment. It was probably the longest, most heart-wrenching minute of her mother's life, who looked on holding her breath.

"I love you guys so much." Elaina spoke softly, her head bowed. A tear dripped to the floor. "But I want to see the world! Most of the rosets my age have already left. I need to see what they're seeing! Make new friends! I need to find out... where I belong..."

"Oh, honey," the silky fur of her mother completely smothered Elaina. "We'll miss you so much."

"Always," her father assured, clasping his arms around the both of them.

"I know. Me too," Elaina wiped her face.

"I'll... erm... help you pack," her mother offered, seeking a task to distract herself.

"Slow down there, lovelies. It's late. Very late. What say we all go to bed and pack at sundown tomorrow? And we'll send Elaina off with her favorite breakfast? That is, if she's ready to go. No saying you can't hang around a while longer, say goodbye to your friends and whatnot."

"Sure thing, daddy," Elaina smiled. Her ears finally perked back up to their full height. Though they all knew there wouldn't be much sleep for anyone that night.

-

At her father's suggestion, a huge, fanciful breakfast was prepared in Elaina's honor. And, when she woke, essential supplies had already been packed for her- it appeared her mother had not slept at all that night. Though her mother did her best to convince their daughter to stay, just for another night, Elaina would not allow herself to hang around for fear she'd lose the courage to leave. After breakfast both of her parents chaperoned her around the village to say goodbye to her friends. (Along the way they gave another huge special thanks to Nico.) But the inevitable could not be delayed forever.

With one last sad look and an exchange of farewells, Elaina bid her home goodbye.