[Day: Saturday, June 11th. Time: 3:00 p.m.] [Makoto is at Rei's place.] [Mini Start] * Makoto climbs the stairs to Rei's apartment. His car is nice and comfy in the parking lot. He knocks on the door to Rei's apartment. (He being Makoto, not the car. ;P ) (The car has gender?) (Given the navi system, it would probably be female anyway.) * Rei yells, "Coming!" from inside. A thud can be heard, followed by an oof, and then the door opens, with Rei peering through the crack. Makoto can smell something chocolate and yummy from inside the apartment. * Rei grins madly. "Hey, Makoto! 'Bout time you got here. Where were you yesterday, anyway, get more cat problems?" She opens the door. * Makoto arches an eyebrow at Rei, and steps inside. He slips his shoes off easily, like a good guest. "Thanks. And no cat problems this time. My aunt and uncle had me go pick up one of the... thigns they found at a garage sale or something. Kind of after the fact. What's cookin'?" Cake. That's why I called you over, actually, I'm gonna need a ride over to the- * Rei blinks as the oven beeps, then runs over to turn off the timer. Anyway, I'm gonna need a ride over to the meeting today 'cause I don't think I can balance this on my bike very easy, and I don't exactly want to stuff it in my backpack. It'd kinda squish it, y'know? Sad cake. Very sad. * Makoto follows Rei at a lazy, unhurried pace. Yeah, can't abide sad cakes. I know! And then they start crying and get wet and salty and it's just nasty, y'know? Yeah, and it's not a sea cake. You can count on me for a ride, no problem. What's the cake for, anyway? * Rei pulls on mittens and extracts the cake, putting it on top of stove. "Huh? Oh! My birthday." * Makoto nods, as if were the most ordinary thing in the world. I see you're one of those people who makes a big deal of birthdays. Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but that kinda... got ruined. Yeah. Oh. If it's any consolation, I'm still surprised. * Makoto smiles crookedly. * Rei nods, though she doesn't seem to be paying much attention, as she's peeling bananas and busily slicing them. Uhm. So... what did I miss? * Rei bites her lip at that. "A lot." Oh. * Makoto falls silent for a little while. Do you... need any help? I... uh. Sure. See those almonds and walnuts on the table? I'm gonna need them ground. * Makoto nods and approaches the nuts. Is there a grinder thingy, or do I just get all Lazar on 'em? * Rei snickers. "Whatever works. Hang on a sec." She stops and digs around in one of the cabinets, pulling out a nut grinder. "Here, use this. Just make sure you crack them first, 'cause people usually don't like to eat shells much." Aye-aye, captain. * Makoto busies himself cracking the nuts, setting the shells apart from the insides. * Rei salutes. "Of my own apartment even! Behave or I'll make you walk the plank!" * Makoto snickers and shoots Rei another lopsided smile. I wouldn't want to do -that-. At least, not until after a couple of dates. * Rei grins back and stops mid-slice. "Wait, what?" Well, you could pick your interpretation. If it makes you more comfortable to think that by dates I meant raisin-like fruits, then that's okay too. * Rei blinks again. What? * Makoto chuckles and looks up at Rei. * Rei looks completely stunned. You know, a date. Like, hanging out somewhere. Heckling passersby together. Plotting blackmail in our underground lair. Sort of thing. * Rei opens her mouth, then closes it. "You're... asking me on a date?" Yes. You want to? You're asking me on a date. You're asking me on a date! * Rei cheers, jumping up and waving her hands. "Happy birthday to ME!" * Makoto grins hugely for a moment. I hope that's a positive response. * Rei laughs and practically pounces on Makoto. * Makoto *beams!* and hugs Rei. Well, that was a nice surprise. I got a date. I got a date! And I didn't even ask! This is so cool, it'll be my first date ever, and what're we gonna do- cake! * Rei lets go and goes back to getting the cake ready. Makoto now has banana on him. * Makoto laughs, and doesn't seem to mind being banana-fied. He returns to the task of crushing (and then chopping) nuts. I'm sure we'll think of something to do. I've already got an idea or eight. * Rei digs around in the fridge, extracting whipped cream, and starts applying it liberally to the cake. "Eight? Do you have them ranked in order of importance, difficulty, and time-space distortions?" The first two, yes. I hadn't gotten around to the temporal disturbance thing yet. * Rei waves her knife, whipped creep flying everwhere. "You haven't? What's wrong with you! Temporal distortion is very important! Next thing you know, oh, we're gonna be sucked two hundred years into the future, and how're we gonna explain *that* to Peter, huh?" * Makoto soon finishes with his task. He now has a pile of nutshells and one of crushed nuts before him. This does not bother him as much as it might, if he were thinking about it the way he normally would. Well... it's not like he wouldn't expect something like that of us. In fact, I think we owe it to him to get ourselves sucked two hundred years into the future. I bet tomorrow he'll look at us and say... * Makoto imitates Peter's voice--again. Why are you two still here? I thought you were supposed to get sucked two hundred years into the future. I was expecting a report on your findings. In triplicate. And a post card. * Rei cracks up. * Makoto grins. A post card from the future! Really, he asks too much. What does he think we are, the mailing service? I bet if Katsu... * Rei quiets down and goes back to whip-creaming the cake. * Makoto perks up worriedly, like an old fox who's heard a hunting horn somewhere in the distance. That's what I missed, isn't it? Your brother. * Rei didn't exactly blow a hunting horn, but she sighs. "Yeah." * Rei stays silent for a while, then blinks and changes the subject. "Oh yeah, and another thing. I'm gonna need your help. Have to get my driver's liscence today." * Makoto opens his mouth as if to say something, then hesitates. "But you zoom around on your cycle all the time. You mean to say you're biking illegally?" * Rei powerposes. "Turned eighteen today!" * Makoto chuckles and shakes his head. You're so cute when you're criminal. So, how can I help? Aww, and I'm not cute otherwise? I should work on- huh? Oh, you're gonna need to drive me there. On my bike, or in your car, whatever, but I can't drive there on my own and take the test, 'cause that's illeeeeeeeeeegal. * Rei nods to herself and slabs a generous amount of cream onto the cake. Of course you are. You'll notice that I did not say that you're cute - only- when you're criminal. And sure I'll drive you there! What should I do with my... these... hrm... THE nuts you had me crush? * Rei snerks. "Hand 'em over. Chop chop! Cake waits for no man! Woman. Nut. Whatever." * Makoto assumes a hunched-over stance and scoops the chopped nuts into hands. He hobbles over to Rei. "Yes, master. Here are the brains you requested." * Rei holds them up to the light. "Yeeeeees, excellent brains, Igor. You are quite skilled in the arts. We shall turn you into a master chef in no time." She grabs a handful and sprinkles them onto the cake. * Rei keeps it up, getting the sides, too, then follows it up with all those banana slices she made. "I hope this turns out right. I've made this before, but not for so many people, y'know, 'cause my birthday parties are usually pretty small and just my family." She pauses, then swallows and keeps up her work. * Makoto gives Rei's shoulder a brief little squeeze, then lets his hand drop so as not to distract her from her work. Sorry, Makoto. I must be a real party pooper right now, you know? * Rei laughs nervously. "I even hurt Chie's feelings yesterday, and I really didn't mean to, but... uh. Yeah. That stuff." You're not a party pooper, Rei. You've just been under a lot of stress lately. Perfectly understandable, considering. Don't let yourself think that you're putting anybody out being the way you are. If you -do- let yourself think that, tell me right away so I can tie you to a chair until the moment passes. Oh yeah, tie me to a chair. Like that'd ever hold me down. You don't understand. I'd use *spectral duct tape*. * Rei gasps. "My sekrit weakness! How did you know? How did you know?!" * Makoto cackles. "Bwahaha! I will not divulge my methods to you, until the moment I have you at my mercy. And then of course I will waste precious time explaining every little detail, so the hero has time to come save you. Or something." You would, wouldn't you? You fiendish fiend! Well, I won't let you! I've got a toothbrush and I'm not afraid to use it! And we all know toothbrushes beat spectral duct tape. It's common knowledge. * Makoto covers his cheeks with his hands. "Shock!" I am not so easily defeated! You are so! Am not! Are so! Am not! * Makoto grins a tiny, impish grin before grabbing Rei around the waist and gently tipping her backwards, just far enough to steal a quick kiss. He then stands her right back where she was a moment before, as if nothing had happened. * Rei blinks. * Rei blinks again. * Rei blinks a third time. "Hang on. I need to process what just happened. Brain malfunctioning. Core dump imminent." * Makoto nods patiently. Should I get you a chair? Yeah. It's always easier to dump your brain when you're sitting down. * Makoto nods and quickly crosses the room, grabs a chair, and brings it back. He scoots it up behind Rei so she can plop easily into it if she so desires. * Rei plops quite easily, a dazed look still on her face. I was making a cake. Right? * Makoto nods again. You just finished putting banana slices on it. You'd already done the frosty stuff and the nuts, too. Right. And then you said you'd tie me to a chair. Uhm. Yes, but only if you thought you were putting us out by being anything less than cheerful. So, this chair right now isn't for tying. Yeah, that could be taken the wrong way. * Rei blinks a couple more times. * Makoto nods a third time, as patient as ever. It could. But so can almost anything I say. No, lots of times when what you say is taken the wrong way, that's already the right way and the right way's the wrong way, which means you'd be a great politician, but I'm pretty sure even you're not that evil. You're right. I'm not -that- evil. I'm not quite sure how evil I am, after what you just said, but I'm pretty sure I'm not as bad as a politician. Right. So you'd tie me to a chair, but not this one, and you're not that evil. * Rei frowns a little as she goes over this. "And then... we got into an argument. Kind of. But not really." Right. It was a silly argument, sort of thing. Spectral duct tape and toothbrushes. Because toothbrushes beat spectral duct tape. Especially spectral toothbrushes, but those are hard to come by, and then... * Rei blinks again. "Then my brain shut down." Right. I guess that must have been around the time I kissed you. Sorry. I thought you were really cute just then, and I couldn't help it. You thought I... was kissed... and. * Rei blushes. "Um." * Makoto looks sheepish. Would you rather I hadn't? No? No! No, I wouldn't, I liked it, I think. Probably. Yeah. I just... uh, was never kissed before or anything, and I was kinda surprised, and then my brain went zonk and I sat in a chair and suffered a minor temporal displacement. You know how it is. Or maybe you don't. * Makoto looks around Rei's apartment. Your place looks pretty much the same two hundred years in the future as it did a minute ago. I mean, two hundred years ago. Whenever. * Rei grins suddenly. "Think we should send the prof a postcard? I've got his address." * Makoto grins too. "Yeah! Only, what should it be a post card -of-?" ( Kirby. DUH! ) ( All postcards have Kirby on them. Because Kirby's on the stamps :P ) That's a good question. We could stop and get a postcard after I get my liscence and before the party, I suppose. Oh! And we've got to pick up favors. Lots of favors. Like party hats! (Unsurprising. ^^) * Makoto salutes smartly. Aye-aye! ( Heh. Kirby stamps rock. ) And those silly string things and balloons and you know those things you blow into and they make a tongue-type shape come out? They're curled up when you don't. What are those called, anyway? ( I dunno, but some ninja use them for weapons. ) (*snerk*) (*snickers*) Uhm. Party... not horns... whistles? Blowers? Tooters? Frog tongues? Frog tongues! From now on, I dub them frog tongues. And they should be sticky, so you can catch flies with them. Or just honey roasted peanuts. * Makoto nods sagely. But the sugary bits might come off. Of the peanuts, I mean. Well, that's no good. No good at all. We need to improve frog tongue technology! But first we need to get the current prototype, which would entail those trips I was referring to earlier. Yup. Understood. Well then, let's get ourselves packed into the car and we'll be on our way. And don't forget the cake. * Rei nods and goes about preparing the cake for travel, which doesn't, oddly enough, involve putting it in a doggie carry-on case. (*snrk*) * Rei finishes and picks up the cake. "Okay! Let's get moving. Today is my birthday, and I'm gonna have a good time!" Yeah! And I'll whack anybody who tries to say otherwise! * Rei laughs. "My own personal birthday bodyguard. Can I hire you to do other things, too? Christmas, Easter, Meat Day?" * Makoto grins cheekily. "Sure! Uhm. When's meat day?" * Rei pauses. Y'know, I forget. But I'm pretty sure there is one since I get reminded every once in a while by the gossip that invariably floats around the school halls. Oh, okay. Well, you know gossip. It's very reliable. I bet when we see Chie she'll say something about me kissing you. Yup. Very reliable, since it actually happened. Uh, question though. Do we have to go through some funky proceedure 'cause we're going on a date or something, or what? I'm not really used to this stuff. Mmm, it really depends on your preference. We could just go on like normal, except that now we'll be going out when we can and stuff. It's not like we become totally different people just because we're going on a date. We don't? Wow, TV says the strangest things. But that's not as reliable as gossip, as we all know. * Rei opens the door and steps outside. * Makoto chuckles and nods his agreement as he steps out behind Rei. [End]