(no subject)
OOC: The contents of this log took place on Friday. :) There's quite a bit of jumping from conversation to conversation, so hang onto your seats! And . . . the log about the meeting with Sora that Mina mentions to Mimi is forthcoming.
. . . Is that it? I think so. ^^;
The first sound that broke the silence in the otherwise peaceful Digital World that afternoon was the piercing shriek of Mimi Tachikawa, freezing and shocked out of her wits. "IT WAS WARM JUST DAYS AGO!!!" She whined, and threw her arms around her body, rubbing her skin to warm it. "Brrrr that Gennai! Why didn't he warn us?! I am SO not dressed for this!!"
Gennai sat inside the base, drinking a cup of hot chocolate. After he had been out in the garden in the morning he was so frozen the first thing he did when coming back to the base was making lots of hot chocolate. He had more ready for Mina and Mimi who he expected to want some after their arrival in the Digital World too.
The cold was just as much of a shock, if not more so, to Mina, whose eyes widened sharply at the sudden cold and burrowed her neck closer into her jacket. Sari fabric, which she'd worn for the occasion, was simply not meant for this, and the cold seeped in against her legs. Winters where she lived did not get this cold!
Fingers adjusting on the small bag she was carrying, she looked back to see how Bakumon was taking it. Whether or not it bothered him, it was difficult to say; he'd been acting all stiff and stoic ever since they'd first arrived -- silly digimon. "D-does weather always change so suddenly here?"
"I dunNO, you can never TELL with this stupid place!" Mimi wailed over the wind, spitting out the hair that kept blowing into her mouth. She linked her arm with Mina's to keep track of her (and also to attempt to steal some body warmth), and pointed ahead." This portal should be pretty close to Gennai-san's place. Let's get moving before I get sick out here!" Mimi said, and promptly pulled Mina forward.
Gennai leaned back and sighed. "Hmm. I wonder when they'll arrive." He was still sleepy, as he hadn't slept more than half an hour that night.
Meep! Mina hadn't been quite expecting the arm linkage or the tug, and stumbled for a step -- though quickly recovered, quickening her pace accordingly. "I hope at least Gennai-san's place is warm . . ." Glancing towards Mimi as they moved, she attempted to repress a giggle -- and failed. "Hair in this place becomes very interesting . . ." Mimi's was floating upwards in the wind, reminiscent of a mohawk. Of course, her own probably wasn't doing too much better.
Mimi didn't bother to fix her hair in the wind. She had to keep Mina close--they had a mission to accomplish that day, after all. They had to invade Gennai's home and conquer the kitchen. A simple task--provided they could get past the door. This was proving to be a trying obstacle. The girl clenched her teeth in frustration, wiggling the handle. "Stupid thing...won't op--ACK!" The entrance cleared, and Mimi stumbled ahead a few steps, her bird's-nest hair falling in her face.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" the young Agumon, who had waited for Mimi behind the door, screamed. "GENNAI, the Simpsons' housewife has cloned herself!!!" He panicked and ran into the kitchen.
Mimi's eyebrow twitched at that comment.
Gennai looked up from his cup. "Simpsons? You mean these yellow cartoon figures on TV?!" He pulled the Agumon with him when he went to see who the Agumon had meant with that. "Ah, Mimi, it's you!"
Mimi straightened up and started running her fingers through her hair frantically in an attempt to make herself presentable to Gennai. She flashed her trademark super-girl smile and pulled her hair over her left shoulder. "Hi!"
"Aah! Mimi-san!" Still connected, Mina did her best to try to help support the other girl's weight, but given the doorway to navigate and the bag not to be dropped, this was a bit easier said than done.
Bakumon darted forward, catching at the edge of Mina's jacket to prevent her from falling. "Are you all right?" Ah, but surprise was not over yet!
With the sudden appearance of the Agumon, Mina startled, eyes again flying wide, body stiffening. Bakumon released her jacket to dart in front of her, eyeing the Agumon as though he expected some form of attack.
"Uuuh, you must be Mina, right?" Gennai eyed the scene skeptically. "I'm sorry, this Agumon is a bit rude sometimes."
"Bakumon, please . . ." Flustered and embarrassed, Mina disengaged from Mimi to lean forward and tug him back -- only to glance up at the new voice and . . . stare.
"Ah . . ." Words failed her. She'd seen the face before, accompanied by another name, but . . . that was before she'd gotten into Hollywood actors, and the face before her was . . . "A-ah . . . it is all right . . ." she faltered lamely, and lowered her head to try to tug at Bakumon to hide her embarrassment.
Gennai closed the door behind the two girls and softly pushed them into the kitchen. "It's so cold outside. Do you two want a hot chocolate?"
Mimi's expression matched Mina's for a moment as Gennai hurried them into the kitchen. "When did the weather change like this, Gennai-san? It was warm and gorgeous just last week."
"Oh, it was pretty hot yesterday, but when I woke up today and went out to see after my veggies in the garden I almost froze." He laughed cheerfully and let them sit down. Then he searched for two cups to fill them.
Bakumon did *not* appreciate this Gennai being so forward. At Gennai's touch, he made a low noise in his throat, worming his way back in between Mina and Gennai's feet. Distance, plzkthanx. The moving away was much better, and approved of, though he eyed the man warily as Gennai moved through the kitchen.
Mimi skeptically watched Bakumon, and leaned in a bit towards Mina. "Tad touchy, ain't he?" She muttered through the corner of her mouth.
Gennai put the two cups on the desk before Mina and Mimi, then turned to Bakumon. "Would you like one too? I don't know if you can hold a cup, but..."
"Stop." The embarrassed whisper was in Hindi as Mina nudged the digimon with her toe. Bakumon staunchly ignored her, though glanced briefly over his shoulder to eye Mimi in turn. He'd heard that sound. Don't think he didn't think it was about him.
Mina meanwhile winced and did her best to cope with embarrassment, frustration, the flustering that resulted from Gennai, and her Japanese all at once. "I am so sorry . . . --Ah! Thank you, Gennai-san . . ." Was that pinkness? Yes, it was.
Bakumon eyed the man/person/whatever in turn. "Was that supposed to be a joke?" No, his feet were not meant for holding.
Mimi saw the awkwardness this was causing, and disapproved wholeheartedly. Her eyes scanned the room for any means to distract the overprotective Digimon, and fell upon--a-ha. The Agutastic brothers.
Gennai stammered a few strange words before he looked at Mina for help. "What does he mean? I wasn't joking."
Mimi leaned down a bit to beckon the Agutastics over, and said in a low voice: "Bakumon over here is a fire Digimon, maybe you guys can swap stories or tips or something like that? Why don't you go show him some of your tricks?"
Little did Bakumon know the doom Mimi might have been concocting. Mina winced. "He is . . . simply being difficult. Bakumon, you promised . . ."
The Agutastics brothers were sitting in a corner of the room, whispering something. When Mimi spoke to them, they stared back in return. "She's a girl, that Mina, right?" the youngest of the Agumon asked.
Mimi blinked, and straightened up a bit. "Well, yeah."
Gennai shrugged and took out a small dish. He filled it with hot chocalte and situated it on the desk. "This will work, I think."
The young Agumon nodded, while Biggie gasped and the polite Agumon yawned. Biggie spoke first. "I thought so. She's as beautiful as you."
Mimi looked back to Mina, and paused thoughtfully. Bold eyebrows, wide, dark eyes bordered with lush eyelashes..."No...no, she's prettier, I think."
The polite Agumon laughed quietly. "She's not prettier. Nor is she uglier. But what do I know about human girls." He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "They're always saying someone else is prettier than they are."
Somehow Mina didn't think so, but she wouldn't have done anything to insult Gennai's good intentions. (And fortunately she was not hearing the Agutastic conversation, concentrating as she was on the resolution of the conflict; it would well have made her even more awkward to the point of losing Japanese entirely.) "Thank you . . ." Back to Hindi. "Bakumon, stop. He is very nice; he has put out some for you especially. The least you could do is oblige his generosity."
Mimi looked back to the Agumon brothers, "Please guys. Help us out here. Just for a bit."
Gennai gave Mina a rather strange look. "Er, you know... I'm data. One of my programs is featuring every language of known and unknown worlds." He scratched his head and smiled politely.
The three brothers watched Mimi varily. "Hmm, 'kay, 'kay," said Biggie. "Baaaaaakumooon?"
The little Agumon went to catch the Bakumon, and then tried to pull it back to his brothers.
Mimi lifted her hands. "W-wait a second!" ...is that the only way they could approach matters? She facepalmed. Oy...
"Why should I wait?" the young Agumon asked, his eyes wide open in surprise.
Bakumon considered it, glancing sideways from Gennai and back to Mina. "It's not polite to listen in, then, on a conversation that wasn't meant for you." But he moved to the desk, slurping at the chocolate -- only to be interrupted. "What?" Tugging? He would not be tugged! Digging his feet in, he tried to hold his ground.
Mina, meanwhile, flushed hard at Gennai's words. "I . . . I am sorry; I was not intending to be rude. Hindi is simply easier than Japanese . . ." Ah, what a mess . . .
Mimi shook her head, and rested an elbow on the table. "Unbelievable."
Gennai sat down next to her and took a sip from his cup. "Should I arrange it so that the base is language free for today? You can speak your language then and Mimi will understand you."
The little Agumon had soon help from his two brothers. Together, they managed to pull Bakumon with them to the living room. "You're so rude, Bakumon!"
Generous, too. Careful, Gennai. Mina might find herself with a crush. "That would be . . . very amazing . . ." In other words, yes, she would probably appreciate it. Could it be done, though? Only in the Digital World could one get such an offer.
"Wait, I'll just change the data." Gennai closed his eyes for a moment. Long there had been no need to change the rules for the base. Where had he put the command...? Right, where he'd freed place yesterday.
What? What?? He'd just settled down with the hot chocolate, for pete's sake, and here were all these little upstarts *hanging* off him and trying to pull him away. "Get off!!" He did his best to struggle, worming and fighting, once nearly getting away . . . but three were too much for him after all. "Mina!"
But Mina just gave him a wide-eyed, innocent expression and a wave. Her sympathy was somewhat exhausted. "Have fun, Bakumon-chan!"
Mimi hid a giggle behind her knuckles, and stood from her seat. "Well then! Now that THAT'S settled." She gave Mina a feisty look. "Let's get cooking."
"So, you rude little thing," the polite Agumon told him while glancing down at him. His two brothers were occupied with forcing the fighting Bakumon on the floor. "Who are you?"
Gennai sighed and rubbed his forehead. Being tired and making such changes was a bit... tiresome. He hid his upcoming headache behind a lovely smile. "What are you gonna cook, Mimi, Mina? May I help?"
"Nonononono!" Mimi grinned, and took Gennai by the hands, leading him into the living room. "You're giving us your kitchen for the afternoon! No men allowed! So you go...do...something not busy!" Mimi pushed him down into a chair in the corner of the room, and dropped a book in his lap. "Mina and I are gonna boooond!"
His jaw dropped open. "You... won't... burn it... right?"
Mimi gasped in shock. "Gennai-san!" She put a hand to her cheek and dramatically bit her thumbnail. "I am so hurt! Did last week mean nothing?!"
"I'm sorry!" He opened the book and quickly held it before his face. "I'm going to read this book, if needed twice!"
Mimi snapped back from her mourning in a flash, with not a trace of a single tear shed. "That's a good boy!"
Cooking would be a welcome change of pace . . . though no doubt there would be some payback from Bakumon later. It was worth it to at least have some peace for now. Cooking would allow for some much-needed focus. Face lighting up, Mina gestured to the bag. "I brought some spices as well; I wasn't sure if there would be any." Her eyes darted up to Gennai's face -- had there been tiredness there? She couldn't be sure. "Thank you so much . . . and thank you for the use of your kitchen." Internally she was trying not to laugh at Mimi's antics. "We will be very good, I promise." Cross one's fingers there.
"Hehe," said Gennai nervously. Then he tried to find out what book Mimi had given him to read at all.
Mimi shook her head and walked to one of the drawers, giving the impression of being quite familiar with this kitchen. "I swear, that man...not surprising in the least, but still, you'd think..."
Meanwhile, struggling did not end just because Bakumon was dragged elsewhere. In fact, it continued. "I'm a *Chosen's* partner," he retorted, lashing towards the nearest Agumon's arm with his snout. "Let *go.*"
"Pah," mumbled the polite Agumon and slapped him, if not hard though with a bitchy look on his face. "And we're Gennai's kids! We're much more important than you! Muchmuchmuch!"
Biggie gasped. "What the hell are you doing!? Have you eaten some data from the TPC again?!"
"He seems very sweet." Er . . . wait, not the word she meant to use! "Kind!" Sliding open the zipper on her bag, she trailed after Mimi into the kitchen, beginning to remove a small quantity of spices from her bag. ". . . Do you cook here often?" Change of subject, yes.
Mimi held up an apron, and handed it to Mina. "Here you go. Don't want those lovely threads of yours to get messed, now." A warm smile, a friendly gesture. Mimi was doing what she could to get Mina to loosen up a bit. "Not as often as I like, but you know, work and all that..." Mimi turned back to the drawer and pulled out a second apron for herself. "He is, though sometimes I wish he'd stop treating me like I was still a ten-year-old." She added a wistful sigh to accent her point, and tied the apron tightly behind her. "But you know, that's typical for me, it seems." She smiled brightly at Mina. "I don't come off mature and graceful like you do, Mina-san."
Never had Bakumon been struck. No one would have dared. In India, he was a special thing, different from all others . . . there were no other Digimon nearby. A gift from the gods. Now to be hit by these . . . weenie orange things and kept from Mina, this was incomprehensible. ". . . Did you just strike me?" His voice had gone very low.
The polite Agumon hissed and filled his lungs with fire. "What if?"
His little brother dragged him backwards, letting Bakumon go. "Stop it! Stop it! STOP it!" he whined. "Gennai will jail you if you don't stop!"
Biggie turned to look at Bakumon, then let him go as well. "S-sorry."
Shrugging out of her jacket (yes, she'd forgotten to take it off), Mina accepted the apron, tying it over her sari, smiling faintly. "Mm . . . but I wish that I could deal with life as easily as you seem to, Mimi-san. You never seem at a loss."
Better. Much better. As it should be. Bakumon rolled sideways to his feet, placing himself parallel to the other Agumon, watching the so-called polite one. Yes, this one bore watching. "I knew he wouldn't be able to do it."
Mimi proudly smiled. Let her believe it. "Well, life is easy!" Mimi pulled down several shallow pots and deep pans. "You just gotta be able to laugh at yourself, is all." And let go.
Biggie raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a thing to Bakumon. Instead, he scolded his brother. "What stupid data did you eat that you're going crazy like that now? You scare our guest." She pulled her Digivice out of her purse, and looked at it. Followed by her bright green cell phone. Flipping it open, then shut with barely a glance, she sighed and set them both on the counter. Returning to the pots and pans, she smiled through her angry lightheadedness. "So are we going to give that daal another go?"
"I didn't eat any data. I STOLE it! Hahahaha!" He rolled around and spit tiny fire dots whilst doing so. "Well, and then I ate it, of course."
His brothers both stared at him in disbelief. "If Gennai ever says again you're the only one of us three that has a brain..."
"Ah." Mina smiled faintly. "That would be the difficult part." Removing the last of the spices, she folded up the bag neatly and placed it on the counter -- far away from the stove, just in case. Her eyes trailed after Mimi's movements, debated making a query, then decided against it. It seemed . . . private somehow. "I was just about to ask you. I would love the daal, however." A smile. "Since you are here to make sure that I do not burn down the house."
"Should I warn Gennai-san that when I said fire hazard, I did NOT mean Bakumon?" Mimi winked, and looked over the ingredients.
Fire dots. Like little embers. Bakumon dodged one that spilled over near his foot. Damn it, this thing was stupid, and dangerous to boot.
"Mou!" Mina waved her hands quickly, coloring. "It was a joke!" And someday she'll learn that Mimi was joking back.
Biggie fetched his brother away before he could spit another firedot in the direction of the TPC. "Bakumon, would you please help us with keeping him somewhere else, more safely?"
Mimi put her hands on her hips, "Well, get me started, Mina-san! I have never cooked Indian before!"
"He's your kind." Bakumon shrugged and executed a half-turn away, settling down on the ground. "Not mine." And he hadn't forgotten that slap. But the orange thing wasn't being dangerous to himself or Mina at the moment, so . . . therefore it could be ignored.
The young Agumon shook his head, angrily watching the guest. "You're really rude, Bakumon. Maybe that slap wasn't so bad for you."
She was leading? What? . . . Um . . . Mina's hands fluttered anxiously in the air a moment like restless butterfly wings. "Do we have the Moong Dal? It is a small-grain yellow lentil . . ." Yes, she was really glad for the language translation at the moment. "From there it will need to be washed to get rid of the husks or any small stones."
Bakumon's eyes narrowed sharply. "And you're rude to a guest in your house. That's worse. I've got no reason to help you; do it yourself and leave me out of it."
Mimi blanked watched Mina flit away, nearly getting dizzy by her hand movements. She slowly nodded--was Gennai SURE this translation thing worked? "Oh...kay..." She looked around for lentils--she knew what those were...
A small pouch centered on the counter contained the said ingredient. "Okay. Got it. Now we wash it...in the same way we wash rice?" Mimi slowly untied the pouch.
"This is not our house," said Biggie, sitting on his crying polite brother. "It's Gennai's house, and his only."
"RIGHT, we could kill you and it would be absolutely nooo problem!" yelled the not-polite-anymore-but-crazy Agumon.
"Shut up!" said their little brother. "Bakumon, listen. This was a very bad start, but we could try to -- I don't know. You don't seem to be much into playing..." He scratched his nose.
There was no really good translation for the name, unfortunately. Mina went to help, but -- ah, Mimi already had it. "Yes, like rice. And then, like rice, it's important to remember that a little makes a lot." Instead, she went to select a pot, sorting through for a reasonably large one. "I assume that the Agumon will want to eat too . . ." A small frown. "I hope they're doing all right in there . . ."
Mimi smiled. "Don't worry, if there's trouble, I know Gennai-san will leap at the opportunity to busy himself!"
Gennai, who had heard the fighting Digimons, came running to them. He folded his arms. "What are you doing here? Burning down the house, huh?" He grabbed the mad Agumon and dragged it out of the door.
"You'll stay out here till I let you in again." He returned to Bakumon, Biggie, and the young Agumon. "What was going on that you were screaming?"
"You are too stupid to kill me," was the snarled retort. "Your brain is the size of a grain of rice that has been smushed beneath a boot." To the others, "I'm not doing anything with *him* in the picture." . . . At which point Gennai came and snatched the Agumon away. "He always tries to kill the guests?"
"Hehehe," Gennai said, carefully closing and locking up the door. "Not usually. I think he's a bit...schizophrenic lately."
The challenge was coming up -- putting the water over the lentils and setting it on the stove to cook. Mina attempted not to look anxious over this. "I did feel bad for giving him to the Agumon like that. I keep hoping that he will learn to relax and to have some fun, however." Not to mention that he probably would have sat at the side of the kitchen and made sarcastic remarks to Mimi -- and Mimi didn't seem like the sort who would put up with it. No need to inspire holy war.
If Bakumon had eyebrows, they would shoot up. "A *bit*?"
Mimi smiled curiously to Mina. "What about you? What do you mean by 'having fun?' Anything in particular you have in mind?" Mimi watched Mina carefully as she prepared the lentils.
"To be honest, Bakumon -- I don't know what's gotten into him. I have to check that later, though I have an idea already." Gennai watched the Digimon apologetically.
"Getting to know a password like 'Agutastics' isn't complicated AT ALL!!" yelled the maniac Agumon from outside the base.
Gennai turned to close the blinds. "Sorry, again."
"Ah . . . simple conversation, really. Bakumon has the tendency to . . . be abrasive. It would be nice if he could make other friends and not depend upon me for his entertainment." Mina gave a quick smile and tried to rub out a smudge at the bottom of the pot while waiting for Mimi's lentils. "I am not that exciting, you know."
Plainly that orange thing had lost all sense of sanity. Bakumon studied Gennai closely for a moment. "Don't you ever get mad?"
"You're different than me, so that makes you exciting!" Mimi chirped, and handed over the lentils she had swished her fingers through. "And I don't know anything about you, so that makes you even more interesting to me! How's this?"
"Hardly, if ever." Gennai tried to think of when he'd gone mad the last time. He remembered how angry he'd been with the Agumons at times, but acting as strange as the screaming Agumon outside? Never.
The young Agumon blushed and exclaimed, "Gennai is an angel! Besides... if he tells us to go to bed early. Then he's so mean!!"
"That is perfect, thank you." Mina shifted them to the pot . . . and was about to add the water, when she thought back. Ah . . . maybe not. "We will also need two chopped onions and peeled, chopped tomatoes, and coriander . . . Perhaps I should not quite put the water inside yet." Sweatdrop. Not that it bothered her -- water avoidance for now was good. "As as for me . . ." She smiled, tipping her head. "I suspect I am interesting now simply because I am mysterious. What would you like to know? I program for most of the day, and go to class. Sometimes I eat. Occasionally, and perhaps too rarely, I sleep. This is not very exciting."
"That's boring," Bakumon retorted. Careful, Gennai. He might start making you his mission.
Mimi got down a cutting board and knife, prepping the area for chopping vegetables. "Well, have you been in touch with any of the other Chosen yet? What would you like to do in Japan? Is programming your *only* hobby?"
Biggie and his younger brother looked up to Gennai. Would he say something nice or something mean? Bakumon was a guest, but calling Gennai boring -- no way!
"Why is that boring? Why should I run around and spit fire like our 'polite' friend does?" This Bakumon had a really strange imagination of an interesting person. "Is only being aggressive not also a bit boring?"
"Well . . . no." Mina's voice dipped a little. "I like chess. I love movies -- the Hollywood movies from America, and also the area we have in India called Bollywood. I love to read, though I do not have much time for it." A laugh. "I wonder if I am what you would call a nerd . . . As for Japan . . . the culture. I would love to experience more of the culture and the history; it all seems so fascinating, even if the weather is a little cold. I would like to speak with more of the Chosen here, too; there is no one in my area in India. I would love to find my sense of purpose." She paused. "I have seen Sora-san, and helped her to choose a gift for Taichi-san. She was very sweet, and Piyomon is so cute!"
Philosophy. This was to be a challenge, was it? "At least it's doing something about life, reacting, not just sitting and watching the world go by." Bakumon shrugged.
Mimi looked up thoughtfully, and sniffed a bit. The onion was getting to her. "You haven't seen Koushirou-kun or Hikari-chan upon your return, then?" Her eyes started to water. "...I need some gum, the onion is getting to me..." Setting the knife down, Mimi walked back over to her purse, and dug out a pack of gum. She looked to Mina over her shoulder. "Want a piece?"
He nodded, though he didn't seem completely agreeing with that. "True. Yet... can't I be a calm person? There's someone like you, and you have temperament. Would we all be alike... that'd truly be boring."
"Is it the bubble gum?" As Mimi did the chopping, Mina had shifted her attention to the spices she'd brought, prying open the small metal tins, examining and measuring out the contents. Her eyes had lit up at mention of gum. "I like to practice the bubbles, though I am not very good." She grinned a little at Mimi's tears. "I'm sorry; I confess I left the onion chopping to you." Another pause. "As for Hikari-san and Koushirou-san . . . I have greeted them both, but . . . they must be very busy."
"You are boring." This was probably a sign that Bakumon didn't know where else to take the discussion.
Mimi brought out an extra piece of gum, and brought it back to the counter, but not before pocketing her digivice and cellphone, checking both once again--apparently in vain. "Oh, I don't mind." She set the piece of gum on the counter for Mina. "I really actually need to improve my chopping, I am always so worried about getting my nails."
Biggie chuckled. Bakumon didn't seem so dumb at first, but now he had doubts if he wasn't the person who only tried to make himself look intelligent. It would fit his aggressive manners, he thought.
Again with the cellphone and the digivice. Mina watched, holding off a moment with the tumeric. ". . . Are you expecting someone? --And thank you."
Gennai, on the other hand, laughed out loud. "It's okay, Bakumon." He patted him softly, though he knew Bakumon would probably not like that very much. "What would you like to do now?"
"I invited someone...but I am not expecting him." Mimi said quietly. Her face was carefree and apparently concentrating on the onions. And her eyes watered more. "Geez! This gum isn't working!" She dabbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
Bakumon *was* intelligent, darn it. Just let anyone try to tell him otherwise! And . . . what the . . . The man was *petting* him? Personal space! Whatever happened to the personal space? He attempted to duck out of the way of the hand, bristling at their laughter. "I don't want anything! I didn't want to be here in the first place!"
Mina's eyes lingered on Mimi's face a moment. "I see . . ." she murmured softly. "But you are still hoping for him?"
Gennai gave him a surprised look. "I'm sorry, but if it was Mina's choice to bring you with her and you couldn't say no, this is not my problem, and therefore you should act a bit nicer."
"Right-o!" said Biggie and hugged Gennai's left leg, while his brother hugged the right one.
"Pfft." Mimi sneered. "I don't hope for things. I get them." She loudly punctuated each word with a heavy chop, furrowing her brow in concentration. "So if I can't get something I want, I stop wanting it."
"But . . . if you did not want it very badly, Mimi-san . . . I do not think you would be so angry." The words were very, very soft.
"I'm." Chop. "Not." Chop. "Angry." Chop. Scraaaaape. "Onions finished!" Mimi sang.
Bakumon grumbled under his breath. Who said he had to be nice to anyone? He'd come because Mina asked, yes, but he would have come anyway. It wasn't like he would just allow Mina to wander off to this world without him. He hadn't been to the Digital World in a long time, but he remembered it. Did Gennai think he would just leave his partner to the elements? Still . . . Mina had asked . . . She'd requested. And if she came out now and saw the results of this interaction, somehow he didn't think she'd be happy. A low word that might have been an epithet followed the grumbling. "You're the host. We'll do whatever." Well, at least it was something?
"Mm . . ." Mina looked down to the spices, though her fingers were still. "Thank you."
"Gennai, Gennai, let's sing together! And dance! Pleeaaaaseee?" The young Agumon took Bakumon's cloudy tail and tugged him in front of the TV. "Music, please!"
"It's better this why! Girl's time, ne?" Mimi sang, and moved on to the tomatoes.
"Oh, Agumon." He shook his head, but smiled at the same time. "Okay, let's sing." He turned on the TV -- first channel, MTV -- and was momentarily stunned by the naked humans that were seen.
He changed the channel immediately. "Biggie, we have to talk, too."
Biggie laughed at him. "I'm so great, ain't I?" Then he put a CD in the CD player which had nice pop songs from the 90s on it. "You drive me craaaaaaaaaaaaazy!! Uh-uh!"
There were no words. But Bakumon's face somewhat resembled this: "O_o"
"Bakumon, shake your body!" Biggie hopped next to him and started to sway in an Elvis-like manner. "It's so much fun!!"
Gennai clapped his hands together. "Haha! Try it, Bakumon!" He imitated Biggie's moves and sang a low 'so craaaazy' when the Spears girl had sung her 'drive me craaaazy'.
Mina quickly shook her head, taking up the cumin next. "It's fine." Mimi had given the clear indication that she didn't want to discuss it; Mina didn't know her well enough to press. But it didn't seem right . . . and plainly Mimi was unhappy. She summoned cheer back to her voice. "It is your turn, you know -- to tell me about yourself."
"I'm an open book!" Mimi chirped. "I mean, what's left to know? I am interning at Fuji TV, my parents are still back in the States..."
". . . O__o" Crazy. They were all crazy! Was it any wonder that he'd needed to follow Mina here? And that Gennai . . . wasn't he supposed to be a sagey-type or something? Bakumon's eyes roved frantically about the room. Must . . . find . . escape route . . .
Gennai took one of Bakumon's hands, Biggie the other one, and together they pulled him from left to right to left to right. It didn't fit any rhythm, but the young Agumon loved his background dancers nonetheless. "Maybe I'm not going mad, but I have great fun quite often!" Gennai told Bakumon cheerfully.
"Ah! Fuji TV?" It wasn't Hollywood, but it was *TV*. "What do you do there? And what are your hobbies? To what other countries have you been? Was it difficult?" There. Mina would keep Mimi busy.
"I'm a reporter...or aiming to be." Mimi sighed. "As for hobbies...karaoke, shopping, shopping, karaoke...if I'm lucky, guys fall somewhere in there, but that's been a sob story if there's ever been one..." Mimi looked to Mina. "I've traveled around a bit, but America and Japan are the only places I have lived. What about you?"
Maybe he could dig a hole through th -- ACK. He was being *danced* with. This was not in his job description! Bakumon wriggled -- not in any attempt to move to the music, but in an attempt to escape and hopefully hide under a table from the insanity. "Don't you people do anything *normal*?"
Gennai, the young Agumon, and Biggie exchanged looks. "What is 'normal'? If it's not fun, we're not I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T-E-D!" they all sang together.
There it was again -- a hint of something wrong. Mimi had mentioned a "he" . . . could it be the same problem? Better to keep quiet, not to push, and perhaps it would come on its own "Reporting! That sounds wonderful -- do you enjoy the internship, then? . . . And how lucky to have visited America; someday I would like to visit there as well -- or to travel in general." She laughed. "India and Japan are my extent -- unless my small trip to China counts. I did not stay to visit, however, or to buy souvenirs."
Mimi finished up the tomatoes. "All done! How are the lentils?" She smiled brightly to Mina.
". . ." They just sang. In unison. And spelled. . . . This was not normal. Bakumon managed to wiggle away, though the search for convenient furniture was on. "Are you possessed??"
Gennai blinked at him. "No. Our polite one is, I suppose. We're like that every day -- okay, not when it's raining. But that's an excuse for being a bit depressed." He was shocked at how stiff this Digimon was.
Blink. Speaking with Mimi was a little unusual . . . Mina wasn't sure what to expect, and the suddenness of the subject change almost hurt with the abruptness. "I think I can put the water in now . . ." Hesitation. "Mimi-san, are you certain that you're all right? . . . I know that I am just a stranger, and it is not my business, but. . . if you would like to speak of something, I would be glad to listen . . ."
Was that because he lived with three crazy Agumons and one, momentarily sleeping in his basket, baby Digimon? Had they changed him into some teen star? ... No. Too tired for that. If he weren't moving, he thought, he'd fall over and asleep any second. So he kept swaying around.
"Hmm?" Mimi laughed. "Oh you *sweetheart!*" She lightly patted Mina on the shoulder. "Oh, you know how it is! Busy busy busy equals stress stress stress!" She looked around the counter. "What's next?"
Again Mina's eyes lingered briefly on Mimi's face, but she said nothing. "Once the water is in, we can add all the spices and the onions and tomatoes and it will cook. We merely need to watch it. It is a very easy dish when it is not catching fire." She ran water into the lentils, checked the depth . . . and added a little more just in case. "Usually the water simmers off."
"He's possessed?" This did have Bakumon's attention. "By what?"
Gennai's mouth remained open for a while. He freed himself from the two still dancing Agutastics and walked over to Bakumon. "I think he's somehow managed to get the password for the TPC and loaded bad data to his body. I told them they weren't allowed to go on the TPC... but I guess they thought it wasn't to save them from any troubles," he whispered. If the other brothers didn't know about it yet, they better shouldn't know at all.
Better. This was better. Less insanity. ". . . TPC?"
"It's a PC which is able to open ports to other worlds. Though this is not the only use it has. I have a protected folder on it with information of... old Digimons." He sighed. It didn't seem like one he'd fully trust. On the other hand, it was the Digimon of a Chosen one.
Bakumon's eyes gleamed. Now this was interesting. "If he ate the data of an old digimon, he'd be possessed by it?"
Gennai looked him in the eye. He couldn't tell why Bakumon wanted to know. Suddenly, he nodded. "Yes. He wouldn't take over all of his personality, nor would he receive his powers. Just mess up his structure."
"Like a virus . . ." Bakumon mused.
"Just like a virus, correct." Gennai tilted his head. Biggie and the young Agumon were still dancing. "Though, other than a real virus, this will go by. I hope. Hasn't happened that often, luckily."
Mimi watched, letting the steam gently waft beneath her face. "So only a little while longer, right?"
A nod as Mina reached for the spices and chopped ingredients. "Not so long -- and it will be extremely good, I promise." Carefully she tucked the ingredients into the water among the lentils. "Ah, I admire your chopping technique. The pieces are so fine!"
Mimi nervously laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're too kind, Mina-san. My chopping is totally uneven." She looked to the cooking lentils, and slowly inhaled. "Wow, that smells lovely...do you think there will be enough for us to take back?"
Mina peered back into the pot. "Maybe. It will depend on how much Gennai-san and the Agumon eat. I think there will be enough, however. A little makes a lot! Would you like rice with this as well? It can be better with it."
"Well of course!" Mimi walked over to the rice cooker, and opened it to show that there was already rice cooked and warming. "Like any good Japanese man, Gennai always has rice in the cooker!" Mimi winked and waved her finger in a know-it-all fashion. "I taught him that little rule!"
"Mimi-san is very . . ." Mina laughed. "I know not the word."
"Mimi is Mimi!" Mimi declared. "That's what everyone says. I don't quite understand what they mean by it, but they're my friends, so I trust it's a good thing!"
Mimi paused, and looked around curiously. "Oh that's right..." She smiled to Mina. "Wait here." She turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen into the living room. "Gennai-saaaan!" She sang.
"You'd just have to be careful it didn't spread . . ." Yes. This was very interesting indeed. Bakumon considered a moment. "Can the data come out without interfering with the structure?"
"I don't think it'd spread as someone would have to eat Agumon. I don't think he tastes any good, though I admit I've never tried." Gennai thoughtfully watched the other two Agumons again. "Structure is something very sensible. Like the human brain." He turned around to face Mimi. "Huh? What is it?"
Mimi skampered into the living room, and paused silently at the spectacle. "Uhm..."
The young Agumon stopped his movements, while Biggie stopped the CD player. "It's Mimi!"
She jumped a bit once Gennai acknowledged her. "Oh! Uh--am I interrupting?" She said, a faint tint in her cheeks. Maybe she should have just kept to the kitchen.
"No, no!" He shook his head a bit too fast and got nauseated for a moment. He closed his eyes till it was over. "What do you want?"
Mimi tilted her head curiously. "Is everything okay?" She walked further into the living room, and examined the area. "I was just looking for Shai..." She hugged her arms, and stopped in front of Gennai.
Eating Agumon . . . now there was an idea. . . . Except Bakumon was a vegetarian. And there was that girl . . . right in the middle of what was turning into interesting conversation. Sulk.
Gennai nodded eagerly. "I'm fine. Shai is in the bedroom of the Agutastics. He's sleeping, but should be awake by now. Slept long enough." The young Agumon and Biggie said, "We'll convoy you to our bedroom -- if you promise you won't go inside!"
Mimi held up her hands defensively, and waved them in front. "It's okay! If he's sleeping, I don't want to wake him up!" Nothing was worse than a fussy baby digimon. "I...I'll just go back into the kitchen then!" She took a few steps back. "Though you should be washing up, food's almost ready."
Mimi's heel caught, and she stumbled back, flailing her arms to catch herself. Bracing herself onto a wall, she held her breath for a second, her eyes darting to the intimidating fire digimon and Gennai. "...."
Biggie jumped in front of her. "Wuah, Mimi!"
Mimi flashed her winning smile, and twiddled her fingers in a playful wave. "I'm fine! I'm fine! Hee hee...klutzy me~!" She slowly exhaled. She best not leave Mina alone too long...
Gennai went to hold her back from already leaving to the kitchen again. "If you don't feel well, you should sit down for a moment."
Mimi blushed, and pouted out her lip in protest. "I'm feeling fine! I'm not the one who's as pale as a bedsheet!" Mimi pointed up to his face.
The two Agumon brothers looked up at him. "Gennai is a ghost!"
Gennai shot them a deathly glare. "I'm not a ghost!"
Mimi lightly patted Gennai. "Calm down, calm down, I was only teasing!"
He tried to smile politely. "I am calm. Well, admittedly I've overreacted right now." Now, what had he said about not being manic to Bakumon? Maybe he'd lied to himself.
Well . . . there hadn't been too many sounds of chaos from the other room . . . Maybe things had gone well with Bakumon after all. . . . Or perhaps she was just being optimistic. Frowning slightly, Mina gave the daal a stir, tapping the spoon lightly against the edge of the pot to get rid of the excess. And Mimi too . . . that was worrying, but. . . it wasn't as though she could force it out. I'm not a member here yet.
Her eyes caught sight of the gum that Mimi had left for her on the counter . . . too late for it now, but she pocketed it for later. Better to practice bubbles alone, anyway, where no one but Bakumon could laugh as she stuck gum to her nose. Another double check to the daal (okay, she was a little paranoid), and she stepped out of the kitchen in search of the others - only to find Mimi in Gennai’s arms. ". . . Is everything all rig -- ah!! I'm sorry!"
Mina! Sanity at last! Bored of watching the ditzy girl and the semi-boring man, Bakumon trotted over to his Chosen, worming past her into the kitchen to sniff for the food.
Mimi's head turned to the sound of the voice, and her jaw dropped a bit. "Ah!" The rest of her body tried to follow, but it wouldn't--oh. Oh. OH. Mimi's face went a vibrant shade of pink, and she turned back to look at Gennai. "E-excuse me, I should be checking on the daal.." She took a step away from Gennai, albeit cautiously.
He stepped back and looked at Mina. "Has something happened in the kitchen?"
Mina's pinkness echoed Mimi's, and she didn't quite make eye contact. "N-no! Not at all; I just came to see . . . if all was ready . . ." she trailed off lamely.
Mimi scurried over to Mina, and took the girl's arm. "Hurry! We shouldn't leave the daal on its own!" Mimi looked over her shoulder to Gennai before hurrying Mina into the kitchen.
Gennai scratched his head just as the Agutastics did. "Girls," they all sighed. Then he curiously looked out of the window. "I'll see what your brother is doing. You get in the kitchen."
There might be certain other things that might not be good to leave alone, either . . . Mina allowed herself to be towed away. "I . . . was not interrupting . . . ?"
The young Agumon ran into the kitchen, and Biggie followed him slowly. He worried a bit about Gennai. And his usually polite brother. But more about Gennai. He wouldn't get hurt... right?
"Don't be silly! I was just looking for the baby digimon that Gennai was nursing! But he's asleep now, and I didn't feel like waking him." Mimi led Mina over to the stove. "So we've got the daal ready, and the rice is set to go...are we missing anything else? Oh!" Mimi clapped her hands together. "I did bring a little extra something I found at the import market next to my apartment." Mimi rummaged through her purse again, and got out a tiny silver bag, along with two large aluminum cans. "Yougurt lassis...and jasmine tea!" Mimi opened the bag to smell the aromatic tea.
Bakumon had floated up to take in the smells of the cooking daal, his nose busy near the pot -- though at the words, he perked up immediately, as did Mina.
"Ah! Mimi-san!" Scooping up one of the aluminum cans, she peered over the label. "You are amazing, thank you! This will be wonderful!"
"How about it? Shall we drink it with the meal?" Mimi smiled to Bakumon. "How about you? Care for jasmine tea at all?" Mimi smelled it again. "It's so relaxing..."
Bakumon's nose had been edging towards the teabag, his neck stretching out to try to get a whiff . . . and with Mimi's attention, quickly yanked it back, pretending as though he hadn't heard.
Mina giggled. "He loves it; don't be fooled." Stepping closer to Mimi, Mina bent for a sniff as well. "It's such a beautiful scent . . ." She smiled towards the Agumons. "If Agumon and Gennai-san will agree, yes, please." Come now, Agutastics. You wouldn't resist that face, now would you?
Mimi giggled, and offered up the bag of tea to Bakumon. "Here. Do you think you can boil the water and make it, Bakumon? I bet you're really good at it. Right, Mina-san?" Mimi looked to Mina.
"I don't know . . ." Mina's voice lifted in faint singsong. "He has not done it in so long, surely he has lost his practice."
Perk. Eye. Mina wasn't going to get away with that. With a mutter in his throat, Bakumon nipped the little bag away from Mimi, busying himself with putting the tea together. Not make tea -- hah!
"Oooh..maybe I should get one of the Agutastics to--hey!" Mimi looked up as Bakumon plucked the bag out of her hands. She watched with a smug smile, amused with the digimon's contrary nature. "Let's set the table." she suggested.
Gennai carefully carried the sleeping Agumon inside the base and closed the door quietly so not to wake it. The Agumon's body was ice cold. He pressed the Agumon near his body and slowly moved to his bedroom.
The two lone Agutastics in the kitchen tilted their heads. "Hungrrrrrrrrrrrry."
Mina bit her lip against a smile of her own. "I should think that the Agutastics could help with this -- if they are not so hungry as to eat the silverware."
Mimi leaned in closely to Mina. So close she could smell the spices that had seeped into her hair and clothing. "It's okay, you know." Mimi whispered knowingly.
"E-eh?" Personal space bubble invasion! Mina's eyes startled towards Mimi's.
Mimi held up a finger, and tapped it on Mina's chin. "To smile! Go right ahead! I see you fighting it."
Not sure what to make of this, somewhat paralyzed by having someone quite so close, at a loss for words to explain, Mina mentally flailed. "It . . . did not seem polit -- I'd better check the daal!" Oh, yes. The daal.
Gennai sighed and tucked the cushion-nuzzling Agumon in his most loved blanket. How he'd love to take a nap now, too... he slapped himself. "Kitchen." Then he went to see what the rest of the Agutastics was doing.
"Gennai is back!" cheered the young Agumon.
Gennai hugged Biggie and his brother. He felt good as unnoticed as he still was. "Your brother is asleep. He'll be okay by tomorrow," he said quietly.
Mimi set the last of the silverware on the table, and turned towards Bakumon at the stove. "How's the tea coming along?" She looked over the table and nodded in approval. "It's like Indian home-cooking, isn't it?"
"Almost done," was his gruff reply. He knew how to make tea. Oh, yes.
Mimi pulled out a chair, and gestured to Mina. "Sit sit sit! Let's get everyone seated!"
Gennai and the two Agutastics suddenly stood up and took their usual seats. They were smiling at each other, but didn't say a word.
Mina tapped the excess of daal off the spoon with a clatter. "It has not burned! So it is not just like home cooking. I know this is what he will say." Making a playful face at Bakumon, she lifted the pot off the stove and turned off the heat. "Mimi-san, if you will get the rice?" She grinned. "It would be good to have food on our plates first, yes?" She readied to serve. "Gennai-san, I hope you will approve."
Mimi took Gennai's plate first, and took it to the rice cooker to scoop some rice onto it. She handed it over to Mina, for her to spoon the appropriate amount of curry. The smell had filled the entire room, and Mimi felt as though, for a moment, she was transported to another country--someplace she had never been before. That was the joy of food.
Gennai smiled in an encouraging way. "I know it'll taste delicious."
"If the smell is any indication!" Mimi piled rice onto all the other places, and took her seat. "Mina-san, thank you so much for teaching me to cook this today!"
"Let's eat already," whined the Agutastics. "We're so hungrrrrrrrrrry!"
Mimi waited for Mina to take her seat, before partaking in this wonderful meal that they had made together. Mimi smiled in satisfaction. Hopefully, while accomplishing a new cooking skill, maybe Mina had become just a smidget more comfortable with her new living situation.
"The Agutastics will eat the silverware in truth if we do not hurry," Mina spooned out the appropriate amount of daal to each plate as Bakumon finished up the tea, floating back and forth from the stove area to the table to deposit a cup of tea for each. Another grin to Mimi. "Thank you for not allowing me to burn down Gennai-san's house."
Settling in at the table, she let the rich spices flood her nostrils, savoring the aroma as much as the possibility of the meal before her before reaching forward with her hand. Yes. Though this was not like home, for the moment this was a small piece of it.
. . . Is that it? I think so. ^^;
The first sound that broke the silence in the otherwise peaceful Digital World that afternoon was the piercing shriek of Mimi Tachikawa, freezing and shocked out of her wits. "IT WAS WARM JUST DAYS AGO!!!" She whined, and threw her arms around her body, rubbing her skin to warm it. "Brrrr that Gennai! Why didn't he warn us?! I am SO not dressed for this!!"
Gennai sat inside the base, drinking a cup of hot chocolate. After he had been out in the garden in the morning he was so frozen the first thing he did when coming back to the base was making lots of hot chocolate. He had more ready for Mina and Mimi who he expected to want some after their arrival in the Digital World too.
The cold was just as much of a shock, if not more so, to Mina, whose eyes widened sharply at the sudden cold and burrowed her neck closer into her jacket. Sari fabric, which she'd worn for the occasion, was simply not meant for this, and the cold seeped in against her legs. Winters where she lived did not get this cold!
Fingers adjusting on the small bag she was carrying, she looked back to see how Bakumon was taking it. Whether or not it bothered him, it was difficult to say; he'd been acting all stiff and stoic ever since they'd first arrived -- silly digimon. "D-does weather always change so suddenly here?"
"I dunNO, you can never TELL with this stupid place!" Mimi wailed over the wind, spitting out the hair that kept blowing into her mouth. She linked her arm with Mina's to keep track of her (and also to attempt to steal some body warmth), and pointed ahead." This portal should be pretty close to Gennai-san's place. Let's get moving before I get sick out here!" Mimi said, and promptly pulled Mina forward.
Gennai leaned back and sighed. "Hmm. I wonder when they'll arrive." He was still sleepy, as he hadn't slept more than half an hour that night.
Meep! Mina hadn't been quite expecting the arm linkage or the tug, and stumbled for a step -- though quickly recovered, quickening her pace accordingly. "I hope at least Gennai-san's place is warm . . ." Glancing towards Mimi as they moved, she attempted to repress a giggle -- and failed. "Hair in this place becomes very interesting . . ." Mimi's was floating upwards in the wind, reminiscent of a mohawk. Of course, her own probably wasn't doing too much better.
Mimi didn't bother to fix her hair in the wind. She had to keep Mina close--they had a mission to accomplish that day, after all. They had to invade Gennai's home and conquer the kitchen. A simple task--provided they could get past the door. This was proving to be a trying obstacle. The girl clenched her teeth in frustration, wiggling the handle. "Stupid thing...won't op--ACK!" The entrance cleared, and Mimi stumbled ahead a few steps, her bird's-nest hair falling in her face.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" the young Agumon, who had waited for Mimi behind the door, screamed. "GENNAI, the Simpsons' housewife has cloned herself!!!" He panicked and ran into the kitchen.
Mimi's eyebrow twitched at that comment.
Gennai looked up from his cup. "Simpsons? You mean these yellow cartoon figures on TV?!" He pulled the Agumon with him when he went to see who the Agumon had meant with that. "Ah, Mimi, it's you!"
Mimi straightened up and started running her fingers through her hair frantically in an attempt to make herself presentable to Gennai. She flashed her trademark super-girl smile and pulled her hair over her left shoulder. "Hi!"
"Aah! Mimi-san!" Still connected, Mina did her best to try to help support the other girl's weight, but given the doorway to navigate and the bag not to be dropped, this was a bit easier said than done.
Bakumon darted forward, catching at the edge of Mina's jacket to prevent her from falling. "Are you all right?" Ah, but surprise was not over yet!
With the sudden appearance of the Agumon, Mina startled, eyes again flying wide, body stiffening. Bakumon released her jacket to dart in front of her, eyeing the Agumon as though he expected some form of attack.
"Uuuh, you must be Mina, right?" Gennai eyed the scene skeptically. "I'm sorry, this Agumon is a bit rude sometimes."
"Bakumon, please . . ." Flustered and embarrassed, Mina disengaged from Mimi to lean forward and tug him back -- only to glance up at the new voice and . . . stare.
"Ah . . ." Words failed her. She'd seen the face before, accompanied by another name, but . . . that was before she'd gotten into Hollywood actors, and the face before her was . . . "A-ah . . . it is all right . . ." she faltered lamely, and lowered her head to try to tug at Bakumon to hide her embarrassment.
Gennai closed the door behind the two girls and softly pushed them into the kitchen. "It's so cold outside. Do you two want a hot chocolate?"
Mimi's expression matched Mina's for a moment as Gennai hurried them into the kitchen. "When did the weather change like this, Gennai-san? It was warm and gorgeous just last week."
"Oh, it was pretty hot yesterday, but when I woke up today and went out to see after my veggies in the garden I almost froze." He laughed cheerfully and let them sit down. Then he searched for two cups to fill them.
Bakumon did *not* appreciate this Gennai being so forward. At Gennai's touch, he made a low noise in his throat, worming his way back in between Mina and Gennai's feet. Distance, plzkthanx. The moving away was much better, and approved of, though he eyed the man warily as Gennai moved through the kitchen.
Mimi skeptically watched Bakumon, and leaned in a bit towards Mina. "Tad touchy, ain't he?" She muttered through the corner of her mouth.
Gennai put the two cups on the desk before Mina and Mimi, then turned to Bakumon. "Would you like one too? I don't know if you can hold a cup, but..."
"Stop." The embarrassed whisper was in Hindi as Mina nudged the digimon with her toe. Bakumon staunchly ignored her, though glanced briefly over his shoulder to eye Mimi in turn. He'd heard that sound. Don't think he didn't think it was about him.
Mina meanwhile winced and did her best to cope with embarrassment, frustration, the flustering that resulted from Gennai, and her Japanese all at once. "I am so sorry . . . --Ah! Thank you, Gennai-san . . ." Was that pinkness? Yes, it was.
Bakumon eyed the man/person/whatever in turn. "Was that supposed to be a joke?" No, his feet were not meant for holding.
Mimi saw the awkwardness this was causing, and disapproved wholeheartedly. Her eyes scanned the room for any means to distract the overprotective Digimon, and fell upon--a-ha. The Agutastic brothers.
Gennai stammered a few strange words before he looked at Mina for help. "What does he mean? I wasn't joking."
Mimi leaned down a bit to beckon the Agutastics over, and said in a low voice: "Bakumon over here is a fire Digimon, maybe you guys can swap stories or tips or something like that? Why don't you go show him some of your tricks?"
Little did Bakumon know the doom Mimi might have been concocting. Mina winced. "He is . . . simply being difficult. Bakumon, you promised . . ."
The Agutastics brothers were sitting in a corner of the room, whispering something. When Mimi spoke to them, they stared back in return. "She's a girl, that Mina, right?" the youngest of the Agumon asked.
Mimi blinked, and straightened up a bit. "Well, yeah."
Gennai shrugged and took out a small dish. He filled it with hot chocalte and situated it on the desk. "This will work, I think."
The young Agumon nodded, while Biggie gasped and the polite Agumon yawned. Biggie spoke first. "I thought so. She's as beautiful as you."
Mimi looked back to Mina, and paused thoughtfully. Bold eyebrows, wide, dark eyes bordered with lush eyelashes..."No...no, she's prettier, I think."
The polite Agumon laughed quietly. "She's not prettier. Nor is she uglier. But what do I know about human girls." He shrugged and rolled his eyes. "They're always saying someone else is prettier than they are."
Somehow Mina didn't think so, but she wouldn't have done anything to insult Gennai's good intentions. (And fortunately she was not hearing the Agutastic conversation, concentrating as she was on the resolution of the conflict; it would well have made her even more awkward to the point of losing Japanese entirely.) "Thank you . . ." Back to Hindi. "Bakumon, stop. He is very nice; he has put out some for you especially. The least you could do is oblige his generosity."
Mimi looked back to the Agumon brothers, "Please guys. Help us out here. Just for a bit."
Gennai gave Mina a rather strange look. "Er, you know... I'm data. One of my programs is featuring every language of known and unknown worlds." He scratched his head and smiled politely.
The three brothers watched Mimi varily. "Hmm, 'kay, 'kay," said Biggie. "Baaaaaakumooon?"
The little Agumon went to catch the Bakumon, and then tried to pull it back to his brothers.
Mimi lifted her hands. "W-wait a second!" ...is that the only way they could approach matters? She facepalmed. Oy...
"Why should I wait?" the young Agumon asked, his eyes wide open in surprise.
Bakumon considered it, glancing sideways from Gennai and back to Mina. "It's not polite to listen in, then, on a conversation that wasn't meant for you." But he moved to the desk, slurping at the chocolate -- only to be interrupted. "What?" Tugging? He would not be tugged! Digging his feet in, he tried to hold his ground.
Mina, meanwhile, flushed hard at Gennai's words. "I . . . I am sorry; I was not intending to be rude. Hindi is simply easier than Japanese . . ." Ah, what a mess . . .
Mimi shook her head, and rested an elbow on the table. "Unbelievable."
Gennai sat down next to her and took a sip from his cup. "Should I arrange it so that the base is language free for today? You can speak your language then and Mimi will understand you."
The little Agumon had soon help from his two brothers. Together, they managed to pull Bakumon with them to the living room. "You're so rude, Bakumon!"
Generous, too. Careful, Gennai. Mina might find herself with a crush. "That would be . . . very amazing . . ." In other words, yes, she would probably appreciate it. Could it be done, though? Only in the Digital World could one get such an offer.
"Wait, I'll just change the data." Gennai closed his eyes for a moment. Long there had been no need to change the rules for the base. Where had he put the command...? Right, where he'd freed place yesterday.
What? What?? He'd just settled down with the hot chocolate, for pete's sake, and here were all these little upstarts *hanging* off him and trying to pull him away. "Get off!!" He did his best to struggle, worming and fighting, once nearly getting away . . . but three were too much for him after all. "Mina!"
But Mina just gave him a wide-eyed, innocent expression and a wave. Her sympathy was somewhat exhausted. "Have fun, Bakumon-chan!"
Mimi hid a giggle behind her knuckles, and stood from her seat. "Well then! Now that THAT'S settled." She gave Mina a feisty look. "Let's get cooking."
"So, you rude little thing," the polite Agumon told him while glancing down at him. His two brothers were occupied with forcing the fighting Bakumon on the floor. "Who are you?"
Gennai sighed and rubbed his forehead. Being tired and making such changes was a bit... tiresome. He hid his upcoming headache behind a lovely smile. "What are you gonna cook, Mimi, Mina? May I help?"
"Nonononono!" Mimi grinned, and took Gennai by the hands, leading him into the living room. "You're giving us your kitchen for the afternoon! No men allowed! So you go...do...something not busy!" Mimi pushed him down into a chair in the corner of the room, and dropped a book in his lap. "Mina and I are gonna boooond!"
His jaw dropped open. "You... won't... burn it... right?"
Mimi gasped in shock. "Gennai-san!" She put a hand to her cheek and dramatically bit her thumbnail. "I am so hurt! Did last week mean nothing?!"
"I'm sorry!" He opened the book and quickly held it before his face. "I'm going to read this book, if needed twice!"
Mimi snapped back from her mourning in a flash, with not a trace of a single tear shed. "That's a good boy!"
Cooking would be a welcome change of pace . . . though no doubt there would be some payback from Bakumon later. It was worth it to at least have some peace for now. Cooking would allow for some much-needed focus. Face lighting up, Mina gestured to the bag. "I brought some spices as well; I wasn't sure if there would be any." Her eyes darted up to Gennai's face -- had there been tiredness there? She couldn't be sure. "Thank you so much . . . and thank you for the use of your kitchen." Internally she was trying not to laugh at Mimi's antics. "We will be very good, I promise." Cross one's fingers there.
"Hehe," said Gennai nervously. Then he tried to find out what book Mimi had given him to read at all.
Mimi shook her head and walked to one of the drawers, giving the impression of being quite familiar with this kitchen. "I swear, that man...not surprising in the least, but still, you'd think..."
Meanwhile, struggling did not end just because Bakumon was dragged elsewhere. In fact, it continued. "I'm a *Chosen's* partner," he retorted, lashing towards the nearest Agumon's arm with his snout. "Let *go.*"
"Pah," mumbled the polite Agumon and slapped him, if not hard though with a bitchy look on his face. "And we're Gennai's kids! We're much more important than you! Muchmuchmuch!"
Biggie gasped. "What the hell are you doing!? Have you eaten some data from the TPC again?!"
"He seems very sweet." Er . . . wait, not the word she meant to use! "Kind!" Sliding open the zipper on her bag, she trailed after Mimi into the kitchen, beginning to remove a small quantity of spices from her bag. ". . . Do you cook here often?" Change of subject, yes.
Mimi held up an apron, and handed it to Mina. "Here you go. Don't want those lovely threads of yours to get messed, now." A warm smile, a friendly gesture. Mimi was doing what she could to get Mina to loosen up a bit. "Not as often as I like, but you know, work and all that..." Mimi turned back to the drawer and pulled out a second apron for herself. "He is, though sometimes I wish he'd stop treating me like I was still a ten-year-old." She added a wistful sigh to accent her point, and tied the apron tightly behind her. "But you know, that's typical for me, it seems." She smiled brightly at Mina. "I don't come off mature and graceful like you do, Mina-san."
Never had Bakumon been struck. No one would have dared. In India, he was a special thing, different from all others . . . there were no other Digimon nearby. A gift from the gods. Now to be hit by these . . . weenie orange things and kept from Mina, this was incomprehensible. ". . . Did you just strike me?" His voice had gone very low.
The polite Agumon hissed and filled his lungs with fire. "What if?"
His little brother dragged him backwards, letting Bakumon go. "Stop it! Stop it! STOP it!" he whined. "Gennai will jail you if you don't stop!"
Biggie turned to look at Bakumon, then let him go as well. "S-sorry."
Shrugging out of her jacket (yes, she'd forgotten to take it off), Mina accepted the apron, tying it over her sari, smiling faintly. "Mm . . . but I wish that I could deal with life as easily as you seem to, Mimi-san. You never seem at a loss."
Better. Much better. As it should be. Bakumon rolled sideways to his feet, placing himself parallel to the other Agumon, watching the so-called polite one. Yes, this one bore watching. "I knew he wouldn't be able to do it."
Mimi proudly smiled. Let her believe it. "Well, life is easy!" Mimi pulled down several shallow pots and deep pans. "You just gotta be able to laugh at yourself, is all." And let go.
Biggie raised an eyebrow, but didn't say a thing to Bakumon. Instead, he scolded his brother. "What stupid data did you eat that you're going crazy like that now? You scare our guest." She pulled her Digivice out of her purse, and looked at it. Followed by her bright green cell phone. Flipping it open, then shut with barely a glance, she sighed and set them both on the counter. Returning to the pots and pans, she smiled through her angry lightheadedness. "So are we going to give that daal another go?"
"I didn't eat any data. I STOLE it! Hahahaha!" He rolled around and spit tiny fire dots whilst doing so. "Well, and then I ate it, of course."
His brothers both stared at him in disbelief. "If Gennai ever says again you're the only one of us three that has a brain..."
"Ah." Mina smiled faintly. "That would be the difficult part." Removing the last of the spices, she folded up the bag neatly and placed it on the counter -- far away from the stove, just in case. Her eyes trailed after Mimi's movements, debated making a query, then decided against it. It seemed . . . private somehow. "I was just about to ask you. I would love the daal, however." A smile. "Since you are here to make sure that I do not burn down the house."
"Should I warn Gennai-san that when I said fire hazard, I did NOT mean Bakumon?" Mimi winked, and looked over the ingredients.
Fire dots. Like little embers. Bakumon dodged one that spilled over near his foot. Damn it, this thing was stupid, and dangerous to boot.
"Mou!" Mina waved her hands quickly, coloring. "It was a joke!" And someday she'll learn that Mimi was joking back.
Biggie fetched his brother away before he could spit another firedot in the direction of the TPC. "Bakumon, would you please help us with keeping him somewhere else, more safely?"
Mimi put her hands on her hips, "Well, get me started, Mina-san! I have never cooked Indian before!"
"He's your kind." Bakumon shrugged and executed a half-turn away, settling down on the ground. "Not mine." And he hadn't forgotten that slap. But the orange thing wasn't being dangerous to himself or Mina at the moment, so . . . therefore it could be ignored.
The young Agumon shook his head, angrily watching the guest. "You're really rude, Bakumon. Maybe that slap wasn't so bad for you."
She was leading? What? . . . Um . . . Mina's hands fluttered anxiously in the air a moment like restless butterfly wings. "Do we have the Moong Dal? It is a small-grain yellow lentil . . ." Yes, she was really glad for the language translation at the moment. "From there it will need to be washed to get rid of the husks or any small stones."
Bakumon's eyes narrowed sharply. "And you're rude to a guest in your house. That's worse. I've got no reason to help you; do it yourself and leave me out of it."
Mimi blanked watched Mina flit away, nearly getting dizzy by her hand movements. She slowly nodded--was Gennai SURE this translation thing worked? "Oh...kay..." She looked around for lentils--she knew what those were...
A small pouch centered on the counter contained the said ingredient. "Okay. Got it. Now we wash it...in the same way we wash rice?" Mimi slowly untied the pouch.
"This is not our house," said Biggie, sitting on his crying polite brother. "It's Gennai's house, and his only."
"RIGHT, we could kill you and it would be absolutely nooo problem!" yelled the not-polite-anymore-but-crazy Agumon.
"Shut up!" said their little brother. "Bakumon, listen. This was a very bad start, but we could try to -- I don't know. You don't seem to be much into playing..." He scratched his nose.
There was no really good translation for the name, unfortunately. Mina went to help, but -- ah, Mimi already had it. "Yes, like rice. And then, like rice, it's important to remember that a little makes a lot." Instead, she went to select a pot, sorting through for a reasonably large one. "I assume that the Agumon will want to eat too . . ." A small frown. "I hope they're doing all right in there . . ."
Mimi smiled. "Don't worry, if there's trouble, I know Gennai-san will leap at the opportunity to busy himself!"
Gennai, who had heard the fighting Digimons, came running to them. He folded his arms. "What are you doing here? Burning down the house, huh?" He grabbed the mad Agumon and dragged it out of the door.
"You'll stay out here till I let you in again." He returned to Bakumon, Biggie, and the young Agumon. "What was going on that you were screaming?"
"You are too stupid to kill me," was the snarled retort. "Your brain is the size of a grain of rice that has been smushed beneath a boot." To the others, "I'm not doing anything with *him* in the picture." . . . At which point Gennai came and snatched the Agumon away. "He always tries to kill the guests?"
"Hehehe," Gennai said, carefully closing and locking up the door. "Not usually. I think he's a bit...schizophrenic lately."
The challenge was coming up -- putting the water over the lentils and setting it on the stove to cook. Mina attempted not to look anxious over this. "I did feel bad for giving him to the Agumon like that. I keep hoping that he will learn to relax and to have some fun, however." Not to mention that he probably would have sat at the side of the kitchen and made sarcastic remarks to Mimi -- and Mimi didn't seem like the sort who would put up with it. No need to inspire holy war.
If Bakumon had eyebrows, they would shoot up. "A *bit*?"
Mimi smiled curiously to Mina. "What about you? What do you mean by 'having fun?' Anything in particular you have in mind?" Mimi watched Mina carefully as she prepared the lentils.
"To be honest, Bakumon -- I don't know what's gotten into him. I have to check that later, though I have an idea already." Gennai watched the Digimon apologetically.
"Getting to know a password like 'Agutastics' isn't complicated AT ALL!!" yelled the maniac Agumon from outside the base.
Gennai turned to close the blinds. "Sorry, again."
"Ah . . . simple conversation, really. Bakumon has the tendency to . . . be abrasive. It would be nice if he could make other friends and not depend upon me for his entertainment." Mina gave a quick smile and tried to rub out a smudge at the bottom of the pot while waiting for Mimi's lentils. "I am not that exciting, you know."
Plainly that orange thing had lost all sense of sanity. Bakumon studied Gennai closely for a moment. "Don't you ever get mad?"
"You're different than me, so that makes you exciting!" Mimi chirped, and handed over the lentils she had swished her fingers through. "And I don't know anything about you, so that makes you even more interesting to me! How's this?"
"Hardly, if ever." Gennai tried to think of when he'd gone mad the last time. He remembered how angry he'd been with the Agumons at times, but acting as strange as the screaming Agumon outside? Never.
The young Agumon blushed and exclaimed, "Gennai is an angel! Besides... if he tells us to go to bed early. Then he's so mean!!"
"That is perfect, thank you." Mina shifted them to the pot . . . and was about to add the water, when she thought back. Ah . . . maybe not. "We will also need two chopped onions and peeled, chopped tomatoes, and coriander . . . Perhaps I should not quite put the water inside yet." Sweatdrop. Not that it bothered her -- water avoidance for now was good. "As as for me . . ." She smiled, tipping her head. "I suspect I am interesting now simply because I am mysterious. What would you like to know? I program for most of the day, and go to class. Sometimes I eat. Occasionally, and perhaps too rarely, I sleep. This is not very exciting."
"That's boring," Bakumon retorted. Careful, Gennai. He might start making you his mission.
Mimi got down a cutting board and knife, prepping the area for chopping vegetables. "Well, have you been in touch with any of the other Chosen yet? What would you like to do in Japan? Is programming your *only* hobby?"
Biggie and his younger brother looked up to Gennai. Would he say something nice or something mean? Bakumon was a guest, but calling Gennai boring -- no way!
"Why is that boring? Why should I run around and spit fire like our 'polite' friend does?" This Bakumon had a really strange imagination of an interesting person. "Is only being aggressive not also a bit boring?"
"Well . . . no." Mina's voice dipped a little. "I like chess. I love movies -- the Hollywood movies from America, and also the area we have in India called Bollywood. I love to read, though I do not have much time for it." A laugh. "I wonder if I am what you would call a nerd . . . As for Japan . . . the culture. I would love to experience more of the culture and the history; it all seems so fascinating, even if the weather is a little cold. I would like to speak with more of the Chosen here, too; there is no one in my area in India. I would love to find my sense of purpose." She paused. "I have seen Sora-san, and helped her to choose a gift for Taichi-san. She was very sweet, and Piyomon is so cute!"
Philosophy. This was to be a challenge, was it? "At least it's doing something about life, reacting, not just sitting and watching the world go by." Bakumon shrugged.
Mimi looked up thoughtfully, and sniffed a bit. The onion was getting to her. "You haven't seen Koushirou-kun or Hikari-chan upon your return, then?" Her eyes started to water. "...I need some gum, the onion is getting to me..." Setting the knife down, Mimi walked back over to her purse, and dug out a pack of gum. She looked to Mina over her shoulder. "Want a piece?"
He nodded, though he didn't seem completely agreeing with that. "True. Yet... can't I be a calm person? There's someone like you, and you have temperament. Would we all be alike... that'd truly be boring."
"Is it the bubble gum?" As Mimi did the chopping, Mina had shifted her attention to the spices she'd brought, prying open the small metal tins, examining and measuring out the contents. Her eyes had lit up at mention of gum. "I like to practice the bubbles, though I am not very good." She grinned a little at Mimi's tears. "I'm sorry; I confess I left the onion chopping to you." Another pause. "As for Hikari-san and Koushirou-san . . . I have greeted them both, but . . . they must be very busy."
"You are boring." This was probably a sign that Bakumon didn't know where else to take the discussion.
Mimi brought out an extra piece of gum, and brought it back to the counter, but not before pocketing her digivice and cellphone, checking both once again--apparently in vain. "Oh, I don't mind." She set the piece of gum on the counter for Mina. "I really actually need to improve my chopping, I am always so worried about getting my nails."
Biggie chuckled. Bakumon didn't seem so dumb at first, but now he had doubts if he wasn't the person who only tried to make himself look intelligent. It would fit his aggressive manners, he thought.
Again with the cellphone and the digivice. Mina watched, holding off a moment with the tumeric. ". . . Are you expecting someone? --And thank you."
Gennai, on the other hand, laughed out loud. "It's okay, Bakumon." He patted him softly, though he knew Bakumon would probably not like that very much. "What would you like to do now?"
"I invited someone...but I am not expecting him." Mimi said quietly. Her face was carefree and apparently concentrating on the onions. And her eyes watered more. "Geez! This gum isn't working!" She dabbed her eyes with the back of her hand.
Bakumon *was* intelligent, darn it. Just let anyone try to tell him otherwise! And . . . what the . . . The man was *petting* him? Personal space! Whatever happened to the personal space? He attempted to duck out of the way of the hand, bristling at their laughter. "I don't want anything! I didn't want to be here in the first place!"
Mina's eyes lingered on Mimi's face a moment. "I see . . ." she murmured softly. "But you are still hoping for him?"
Gennai gave him a surprised look. "I'm sorry, but if it was Mina's choice to bring you with her and you couldn't say no, this is not my problem, and therefore you should act a bit nicer."
"Right-o!" said Biggie and hugged Gennai's left leg, while his brother hugged the right one.
"Pfft." Mimi sneered. "I don't hope for things. I get them." She loudly punctuated each word with a heavy chop, furrowing her brow in concentration. "So if I can't get something I want, I stop wanting it."
"But . . . if you did not want it very badly, Mimi-san . . . I do not think you would be so angry." The words were very, very soft.
"I'm." Chop. "Not." Chop. "Angry." Chop. Scraaaaape. "Onions finished!" Mimi sang.
Bakumon grumbled under his breath. Who said he had to be nice to anyone? He'd come because Mina asked, yes, but he would have come anyway. It wasn't like he would just allow Mina to wander off to this world without him. He hadn't been to the Digital World in a long time, but he remembered it. Did Gennai think he would just leave his partner to the elements? Still . . . Mina had asked . . . She'd requested. And if she came out now and saw the results of this interaction, somehow he didn't think she'd be happy. A low word that might have been an epithet followed the grumbling. "You're the host. We'll do whatever." Well, at least it was something?
"Mm . . ." Mina looked down to the spices, though her fingers were still. "Thank you."
"Gennai, Gennai, let's sing together! And dance! Pleeaaaaseee?" The young Agumon took Bakumon's cloudy tail and tugged him in front of the TV. "Music, please!"
"It's better this why! Girl's time, ne?" Mimi sang, and moved on to the tomatoes.
"Oh, Agumon." He shook his head, but smiled at the same time. "Okay, let's sing." He turned on the TV -- first channel, MTV -- and was momentarily stunned by the naked humans that were seen.
He changed the channel immediately. "Biggie, we have to talk, too."
Biggie laughed at him. "I'm so great, ain't I?" Then he put a CD in the CD player which had nice pop songs from the 90s on it. "You drive me craaaaaaaaaaaaazy!! Uh-uh!"
There were no words. But Bakumon's face somewhat resembled this: "O_o"
"Bakumon, shake your body!" Biggie hopped next to him and started to sway in an Elvis-like manner. "It's so much fun!!"
Gennai clapped his hands together. "Haha! Try it, Bakumon!" He imitated Biggie's moves and sang a low 'so craaaazy' when the Spears girl had sung her 'drive me craaaazy'.
Mina quickly shook her head, taking up the cumin next. "It's fine." Mimi had given the clear indication that she didn't want to discuss it; Mina didn't know her well enough to press. But it didn't seem right . . . and plainly Mimi was unhappy. She summoned cheer back to her voice. "It is your turn, you know -- to tell me about yourself."
"I'm an open book!" Mimi chirped. "I mean, what's left to know? I am interning at Fuji TV, my parents are still back in the States..."
". . . O__o" Crazy. They were all crazy! Was it any wonder that he'd needed to follow Mina here? And that Gennai . . . wasn't he supposed to be a sagey-type or something? Bakumon's eyes roved frantically about the room. Must . . . find . . escape route . . .
Gennai took one of Bakumon's hands, Biggie the other one, and together they pulled him from left to right to left to right. It didn't fit any rhythm, but the young Agumon loved his background dancers nonetheless. "Maybe I'm not going mad, but I have great fun quite often!" Gennai told Bakumon cheerfully.
"Ah! Fuji TV?" It wasn't Hollywood, but it was *TV*. "What do you do there? And what are your hobbies? To what other countries have you been? Was it difficult?" There. Mina would keep Mimi busy.
"I'm a reporter...or aiming to be." Mimi sighed. "As for hobbies...karaoke, shopping, shopping, karaoke...if I'm lucky, guys fall somewhere in there, but that's been a sob story if there's ever been one..." Mimi looked to Mina. "I've traveled around a bit, but America and Japan are the only places I have lived. What about you?"
Maybe he could dig a hole through th -- ACK. He was being *danced* with. This was not in his job description! Bakumon wriggled -- not in any attempt to move to the music, but in an attempt to escape and hopefully hide under a table from the insanity. "Don't you people do anything *normal*?"
Gennai, the young Agumon, and Biggie exchanged looks. "What is 'normal'? If it's not fun, we're not I-N-T-E-R-E-S-T-E-D!" they all sang together.
There it was again -- a hint of something wrong. Mimi had mentioned a "he" . . . could it be the same problem? Better to keep quiet, not to push, and perhaps it would come on its own "Reporting! That sounds wonderful -- do you enjoy the internship, then? . . . And how lucky to have visited America; someday I would like to visit there as well -- or to travel in general." She laughed. "India and Japan are my extent -- unless my small trip to China counts. I did not stay to visit, however, or to buy souvenirs."
Mimi finished up the tomatoes. "All done! How are the lentils?" She smiled brightly to Mina.
". . ." They just sang. In unison. And spelled. . . . This was not normal. Bakumon managed to wiggle away, though the search for convenient furniture was on. "Are you possessed??"
Gennai blinked at him. "No. Our polite one is, I suppose. We're like that every day -- okay, not when it's raining. But that's an excuse for being a bit depressed." He was shocked at how stiff this Digimon was.
Blink. Speaking with Mimi was a little unusual . . . Mina wasn't sure what to expect, and the suddenness of the subject change almost hurt with the abruptness. "I think I can put the water in now . . ." Hesitation. "Mimi-san, are you certain that you're all right? . . . I know that I am just a stranger, and it is not my business, but. . . if you would like to speak of something, I would be glad to listen . . ."
Was that because he lived with three crazy Agumons and one, momentarily sleeping in his basket, baby Digimon? Had they changed him into some teen star? ... No. Too tired for that. If he weren't moving, he thought, he'd fall over and asleep any second. So he kept swaying around.
"Hmm?" Mimi laughed. "Oh you *sweetheart!*" She lightly patted Mina on the shoulder. "Oh, you know how it is! Busy busy busy equals stress stress stress!" She looked around the counter. "What's next?"
Again Mina's eyes lingered briefly on Mimi's face, but she said nothing. "Once the water is in, we can add all the spices and the onions and tomatoes and it will cook. We merely need to watch it. It is a very easy dish when it is not catching fire." She ran water into the lentils, checked the depth . . . and added a little more just in case. "Usually the water simmers off."
"He's possessed?" This did have Bakumon's attention. "By what?"
Gennai's mouth remained open for a while. He freed himself from the two still dancing Agutastics and walked over to Bakumon. "I think he's somehow managed to get the password for the TPC and loaded bad data to his body. I told them they weren't allowed to go on the TPC... but I guess they thought it wasn't to save them from any troubles," he whispered. If the other brothers didn't know about it yet, they better shouldn't know at all.
Better. This was better. Less insanity. ". . . TPC?"
"It's a PC which is able to open ports to other worlds. Though this is not the only use it has. I have a protected folder on it with information of... old Digimons." He sighed. It didn't seem like one he'd fully trust. On the other hand, it was the Digimon of a Chosen one.
Bakumon's eyes gleamed. Now this was interesting. "If he ate the data of an old digimon, he'd be possessed by it?"
Gennai looked him in the eye. He couldn't tell why Bakumon wanted to know. Suddenly, he nodded. "Yes. He wouldn't take over all of his personality, nor would he receive his powers. Just mess up his structure."
"Like a virus . . ." Bakumon mused.
"Just like a virus, correct." Gennai tilted his head. Biggie and the young Agumon were still dancing. "Though, other than a real virus, this will go by. I hope. Hasn't happened that often, luckily."
Mimi watched, letting the steam gently waft beneath her face. "So only a little while longer, right?"
A nod as Mina reached for the spices and chopped ingredients. "Not so long -- and it will be extremely good, I promise." Carefully she tucked the ingredients into the water among the lentils. "Ah, I admire your chopping technique. The pieces are so fine!"
Mimi nervously laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "You're too kind, Mina-san. My chopping is totally uneven." She looked to the cooking lentils, and slowly inhaled. "Wow, that smells lovely...do you think there will be enough for us to take back?"
Mina peered back into the pot. "Maybe. It will depend on how much Gennai-san and the Agumon eat. I think there will be enough, however. A little makes a lot! Would you like rice with this as well? It can be better with it."
"Well of course!" Mimi walked over to the rice cooker, and opened it to show that there was already rice cooked and warming. "Like any good Japanese man, Gennai always has rice in the cooker!" Mimi winked and waved her finger in a know-it-all fashion. "I taught him that little rule!"
"Mimi-san is very . . ." Mina laughed. "I know not the word."
"Mimi is Mimi!" Mimi declared. "That's what everyone says. I don't quite understand what they mean by it, but they're my friends, so I trust it's a good thing!"
Mimi paused, and looked around curiously. "Oh that's right..." She smiled to Mina. "Wait here." She turned on her heel and walked out of the kitchen into the living room. "Gennai-saaaan!" She sang.
"You'd just have to be careful it didn't spread . . ." Yes. This was very interesting indeed. Bakumon considered a moment. "Can the data come out without interfering with the structure?"
"I don't think it'd spread as someone would have to eat Agumon. I don't think he tastes any good, though I admit I've never tried." Gennai thoughtfully watched the other two Agumons again. "Structure is something very sensible. Like the human brain." He turned around to face Mimi. "Huh? What is it?"
Mimi skampered into the living room, and paused silently at the spectacle. "Uhm..."
The young Agumon stopped his movements, while Biggie stopped the CD player. "It's Mimi!"
She jumped a bit once Gennai acknowledged her. "Oh! Uh--am I interrupting?" She said, a faint tint in her cheeks. Maybe she should have just kept to the kitchen.
"No, no!" He shook his head a bit too fast and got nauseated for a moment. He closed his eyes till it was over. "What do you want?"
Mimi tilted her head curiously. "Is everything okay?" She walked further into the living room, and examined the area. "I was just looking for Shai..." She hugged her arms, and stopped in front of Gennai.
Eating Agumon . . . now there was an idea. . . . Except Bakumon was a vegetarian. And there was that girl . . . right in the middle of what was turning into interesting conversation. Sulk.
Gennai nodded eagerly. "I'm fine. Shai is in the bedroom of the Agutastics. He's sleeping, but should be awake by now. Slept long enough." The young Agumon and Biggie said, "We'll convoy you to our bedroom -- if you promise you won't go inside!"
Mimi held up her hands defensively, and waved them in front. "It's okay! If he's sleeping, I don't want to wake him up!" Nothing was worse than a fussy baby digimon. "I...I'll just go back into the kitchen then!" She took a few steps back. "Though you should be washing up, food's almost ready."
Mimi's heel caught, and she stumbled back, flailing her arms to catch herself. Bracing herself onto a wall, she held her breath for a second, her eyes darting to the intimidating fire digimon and Gennai. "...."
Biggie jumped in front of her. "Wuah, Mimi!"
Mimi flashed her winning smile, and twiddled her fingers in a playful wave. "I'm fine! I'm fine! Hee hee...klutzy me~!" She slowly exhaled. She best not leave Mina alone too long...
Gennai went to hold her back from already leaving to the kitchen again. "If you don't feel well, you should sit down for a moment."
Mimi blushed, and pouted out her lip in protest. "I'm feeling fine! I'm not the one who's as pale as a bedsheet!" Mimi pointed up to his face.
The two Agumon brothers looked up at him. "Gennai is a ghost!"
Gennai shot them a deathly glare. "I'm not a ghost!"
Mimi lightly patted Gennai. "Calm down, calm down, I was only teasing!"
He tried to smile politely. "I am calm. Well, admittedly I've overreacted right now." Now, what had he said about not being manic to Bakumon? Maybe he'd lied to himself.
Well . . . there hadn't been too many sounds of chaos from the other room . . . Maybe things had gone well with Bakumon after all. . . . Or perhaps she was just being optimistic. Frowning slightly, Mina gave the daal a stir, tapping the spoon lightly against the edge of the pot to get rid of the excess. And Mimi too . . . that was worrying, but. . . it wasn't as though she could force it out. I'm not a member here yet.
Her eyes caught sight of the gum that Mimi had left for her on the counter . . . too late for it now, but she pocketed it for later. Better to practice bubbles alone, anyway, where no one but Bakumon could laugh as she stuck gum to her nose. Another double check to the daal (okay, she was a little paranoid), and she stepped out of the kitchen in search of the others - only to find Mimi in Gennai’s arms. ". . . Is everything all rig -- ah!! I'm sorry!"
Mina! Sanity at last! Bored of watching the ditzy girl and the semi-boring man, Bakumon trotted over to his Chosen, worming past her into the kitchen to sniff for the food.
Mimi's head turned to the sound of the voice, and her jaw dropped a bit. "Ah!" The rest of her body tried to follow, but it wouldn't--oh. Oh. OH. Mimi's face went a vibrant shade of pink, and she turned back to look at Gennai. "E-excuse me, I should be checking on the daal.." She took a step away from Gennai, albeit cautiously.
He stepped back and looked at Mina. "Has something happened in the kitchen?"
Mina's pinkness echoed Mimi's, and she didn't quite make eye contact. "N-no! Not at all; I just came to see . . . if all was ready . . ." she trailed off lamely.
Mimi scurried over to Mina, and took the girl's arm. "Hurry! We shouldn't leave the daal on its own!" Mimi looked over her shoulder to Gennai before hurrying Mina into the kitchen.
Gennai scratched his head just as the Agutastics did. "Girls," they all sighed. Then he curiously looked out of the window. "I'll see what your brother is doing. You get in the kitchen."
There might be certain other things that might not be good to leave alone, either . . . Mina allowed herself to be towed away. "I . . . was not interrupting . . . ?"
The young Agumon ran into the kitchen, and Biggie followed him slowly. He worried a bit about Gennai. And his usually polite brother. But more about Gennai. He wouldn't get hurt... right?
"Don't be silly! I was just looking for the baby digimon that Gennai was nursing! But he's asleep now, and I didn't feel like waking him." Mimi led Mina over to the stove. "So we've got the daal ready, and the rice is set to go...are we missing anything else? Oh!" Mimi clapped her hands together. "I did bring a little extra something I found at the import market next to my apartment." Mimi rummaged through her purse again, and got out a tiny silver bag, along with two large aluminum cans. "Yougurt lassis...and jasmine tea!" Mimi opened the bag to smell the aromatic tea.
Bakumon had floated up to take in the smells of the cooking daal, his nose busy near the pot -- though at the words, he perked up immediately, as did Mina.
"Ah! Mimi-san!" Scooping up one of the aluminum cans, she peered over the label. "You are amazing, thank you! This will be wonderful!"
"How about it? Shall we drink it with the meal?" Mimi smiled to Bakumon. "How about you? Care for jasmine tea at all?" Mimi smelled it again. "It's so relaxing..."
Bakumon's nose had been edging towards the teabag, his neck stretching out to try to get a whiff . . . and with Mimi's attention, quickly yanked it back, pretending as though he hadn't heard.
Mina giggled. "He loves it; don't be fooled." Stepping closer to Mimi, Mina bent for a sniff as well. "It's such a beautiful scent . . ." She smiled towards the Agumons. "If Agumon and Gennai-san will agree, yes, please." Come now, Agutastics. You wouldn't resist that face, now would you?
Mimi giggled, and offered up the bag of tea to Bakumon. "Here. Do you think you can boil the water and make it, Bakumon? I bet you're really good at it. Right, Mina-san?" Mimi looked to Mina.
"I don't know . . ." Mina's voice lifted in faint singsong. "He has not done it in so long, surely he has lost his practice."
Perk. Eye. Mina wasn't going to get away with that. With a mutter in his throat, Bakumon nipped the little bag away from Mimi, busying himself with putting the tea together. Not make tea -- hah!
"Oooh..maybe I should get one of the Agutastics to--hey!" Mimi looked up as Bakumon plucked the bag out of her hands. She watched with a smug smile, amused with the digimon's contrary nature. "Let's set the table." she suggested.
Gennai carefully carried the sleeping Agumon inside the base and closed the door quietly so not to wake it. The Agumon's body was ice cold. He pressed the Agumon near his body and slowly moved to his bedroom.
The two lone Agutastics in the kitchen tilted their heads. "Hungrrrrrrrrrrrry."
Mina bit her lip against a smile of her own. "I should think that the Agutastics could help with this -- if they are not so hungry as to eat the silverware."
Mimi leaned in closely to Mina. So close she could smell the spices that had seeped into her hair and clothing. "It's okay, you know." Mimi whispered knowingly.
"E-eh?" Personal space bubble invasion! Mina's eyes startled towards Mimi's.
Mimi held up a finger, and tapped it on Mina's chin. "To smile! Go right ahead! I see you fighting it."
Not sure what to make of this, somewhat paralyzed by having someone quite so close, at a loss for words to explain, Mina mentally flailed. "It . . . did not seem polit -- I'd better check the daal!" Oh, yes. The daal.
Gennai sighed and tucked the cushion-nuzzling Agumon in his most loved blanket. How he'd love to take a nap now, too... he slapped himself. "Kitchen." Then he went to see what the rest of the Agutastics was doing.
"Gennai is back!" cheered the young Agumon.
Gennai hugged Biggie and his brother. He felt good as unnoticed as he still was. "Your brother is asleep. He'll be okay by tomorrow," he said quietly.
Mimi set the last of the silverware on the table, and turned towards Bakumon at the stove. "How's the tea coming along?" She looked over the table and nodded in approval. "It's like Indian home-cooking, isn't it?"
"Almost done," was his gruff reply. He knew how to make tea. Oh, yes.
Mimi pulled out a chair, and gestured to Mina. "Sit sit sit! Let's get everyone seated!"
Gennai and the two Agutastics suddenly stood up and took their usual seats. They were smiling at each other, but didn't say a word.
Mina tapped the excess of daal off the spoon with a clatter. "It has not burned! So it is not just like home cooking. I know this is what he will say." Making a playful face at Bakumon, she lifted the pot off the stove and turned off the heat. "Mimi-san, if you will get the rice?" She grinned. "It would be good to have food on our plates first, yes?" She readied to serve. "Gennai-san, I hope you will approve."
Mimi took Gennai's plate first, and took it to the rice cooker to scoop some rice onto it. She handed it over to Mina, for her to spoon the appropriate amount of curry. The smell had filled the entire room, and Mimi felt as though, for a moment, she was transported to another country--someplace she had never been before. That was the joy of food.
Gennai smiled in an encouraging way. "I know it'll taste delicious."
"If the smell is any indication!" Mimi piled rice onto all the other places, and took her seat. "Mina-san, thank you so much for teaching me to cook this today!"
"Let's eat already," whined the Agutastics. "We're so hungrrrrrrrrrry!"
Mimi waited for Mina to take her seat, before partaking in this wonderful meal that they had made together. Mimi smiled in satisfaction. Hopefully, while accomplishing a new cooking skill, maybe Mina had become just a smidget more comfortable with her new living situation.
"The Agutastics will eat the silverware in truth if we do not hurry," Mina spooned out the appropriate amount of daal to each plate as Bakumon finished up the tea, floating back and forth from the stove area to the table to deposit a cup of tea for each. Another grin to Mimi. "Thank you for not allowing me to burn down Gennai-san's house."
Settling in at the table, she let the rich spices flood her nostrils, savoring the aroma as much as the possibility of the meal before her before reaching forward with her hand. Yes. Though this was not like home, for the moment this was a small piece of it.