>The cold winds have come early this year
>The visibility of your breath assures you of this fact
>Looking up from the city streets, not a single cloud dares disturb the beauty of the near-midnight sky
>The blackness, sprinkled with stars and adorned with a full moon, does little to comfort you
>You sigh, turning your attention to the building you stand beside
>ゲームストップ
>Well, less standing and more waiting in line of about a hundred people or so
>Just like you, the mixture of people ahead and behind you wear thick coats to protect against the cold
>Some are chatting about the soon-to-be-released game, others are passing the time looking at their phones, and a few look to be on the brink of slumber
>And finally, there's Botan, holding onto your arm, leaning her head on your shoulder, and excitedly bouncing up and down on her toes, barely able to contain her excitement
>You certainly don't mind her doing so either, the friction of her black parka, hood lined with white fur, certainly helps keeping you warm
>She chose to forgo wearing her hood, as her massive mane kept her head warm as is
>Although, she did wear two, small crochet caps over her ears that Lamy had made for her
>Originally, she was just going to download the game back at home
>Unfortunately, storming down the stairs and on the brink of tears, she informed you that the internet went down
>You look towards the bobbing lion beside you
>"Are you really this excited for a new Call of Duty? There's been a new one for the past, like, twenty years or something."
>Botan shifts her head toward you with an annoyed look
>"Sixteen, and I'm not getting it for me, I'm getting it for my fans! They'd be disappointed if I didn't play it on release day."
>She leans her head back into your shoulder with a pout
>She can only hold her stillness for so long before her excitement catches up and she returns to her rhythmic bouncing
>Just then, midnight strikes and the line begins to move
>The two of you fall in step, slowly progressing your way forward until you're inside and at the front counter
>"The new Call of Duty, correct?"
>"That's the one!"
>Botan's enthusiasm causes the cashier to chuckle
>"Hah, alright, that'll be ○○円."
>She spins around on her heel towards you, clasping her hands together and looking at you with puppy eyes
>You sigh, fishing out your wallet
>You're pretty sure Botan makes more than you, give the amount of superchats she receives
>As soon as the transaction is completed, the lioness happily marches out,
one hand holding the new game to her chest, and the other in the air waving back to the cashier
>"Bai bai! Thank you!"
>The two of you walk side-by-side making your way back home
>Botan holds the game up towards the sky, grinning towards it with a sparkle in her eye
>Her tail excitedly waving back and forth
>"You seem pretty excited about something that's just 'for the fans'."
>Her tail droops, annoyed at your comment
>"Shut up. Maybe if your Holostars application wasn't rejected, you'd know the importance of your fans."
>Okay. That one hurt. Just a bit.
>Holostars was a bit of a sensitive subject for you
>You were still waiting for the next audition chance
>If it ever came
