1449A Annunciation St. - The Aidou Residence

[More than Music]

OOC: I think this is set a little in the past, because they're talking tickets... But it can't be too far back, because he knows Erinchan will be behind them... So, yeah. : )

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the romanji and translation of the song he's playing.
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou (except with this hair)

Sitting on his bed, Kagayaki swayed back and forth, guitar in hand. He wasn't really sure what to play, but just having it in his hands... it made him feel better.

Slowly, his hands fell onto chords. He smiled. Yameteyo Shite Sawaranaide by Miyavi.

"Nee, atashi baka dakara nanimo wakaranaino.
Dakara mouiiyo, kamawa naideiiyo.

Gogatsu ni sayonara tsugeru koro, o sora ga namida shite mashita.
Atashi wa, toiuto namida modeya shimasen.

Doromizu hanerareta dakeno kototo,
Inu ni goumareta dakeno kotodato..."

He looked around, still mindlessly playing the song. Erinchan would be here soon, and they would talk about money for the tickets.

No one was paying attention to Kagayaki except him. No one. And, for the first time, it was kind of... okay.

"Yameteyo shite sawaranaide, aka ga tukukara.
Anta nante daikiraiyo.
Bi bi de ba bi de buu

Ano hito ni, ano hito ni, okasareta, okasareta."

Things just weren't the same after breaking up with Cassie... Now she was going out with that... That Clarence guy. She just didn't seem like herself. She was changing more than she ever had that he'd seen, and... something just didn't feel right.

"Nante."

It really upset Erinchan, that much he knew. Yukito seemed to be kind of withdrawn about it... like he was afraid of something. Kagayaki pouted his lips for a moment. Yukito didn't usually get scared of things. It wasn't good he was scared now.

"Haiso jimita serihu,
Tatoe shita hikko nukaretatte
Zetutai hakanaiwa. Zetutai, hakanaiwa.
Dattedatte watashi onna no ko damon. Daijoubu damon."

Maybe it was because Clarence was a big guy. He did look kind of strong... That worried Kagayaki too. Cassie was so delicate right now... She was getting back her strength and needed gentleness to push her forwards, not... not whatever Clarence was doing. Erin and Yukito wouldn't be so upset with someone for no reason.

"Rokugatsu ni sayonara tsugeru koro, atashi ga namida shite mashita.
O sora wa toiuto, chobbiri osomeno itsu tsuki hare deshita."

He swallowed. Things were getting harder every time he thought about them, weren't they?

His hands froze on the strings, not finishing the song.

"Cassie..." he breathed, his eyes growing distant.

Then someone knocked on the door. He jumped up, but his father called out "GOT IT!" in a very loud voice so Kagayaki hesitated, forgetting to take off the guitar -- it fit so well against him with the strap on now that it felt like part of him -- as he walked towards the front door.

"Well, hello Erinchan!" Tosan stepped back to let her in, holding the door. "Make yourself at home."

Kagayaki's face lit up when he saw her. "ERINCHAN!" He threw his hands up in display. "Hi-hi-hi!"

Because Erinchan made everything better. Everything.

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

Niisan wanted to talk stuff about the trip, so Erin had headed out as soon as she could. The idea of their trip to Japan still sent Erin into a totally blissful, excited mood. She practically skipped up the walkway to knock on the door, greeted soon by Aidosan behind the door. It was kind of weird, because she only had a fuzzy memory of meeting him last time. He didn't seem to let that faze him, though.

"Well, hello Erinchan!"

"Hiii," she replied, scooting in the door and into the front room.

"Make yourself at home."

She giggled at the phrase-- it was so funny, and you never quite knew how to respond to it. So she slipped her shoes off and grinned. "I can do that!"

It didn't take long for Kagayaki to appear, and Erin automatically started waving, even if he was a few feet away and closing. "Heeeey!! Ooh, I---"

Her words were cut short by Kagayaki's loud, "ERINCHAN!" He threw his hands up in display. "Hi-hi-hi!"

"Hiii!" she echoed, starting to laugh loudly. "Niisan, I can't hug you with a guitar around you!" She laughed some more, tugging at the strap on the guitar. "And I was gonna say that I really like your guitar! Here, take it off," she insisted, tugging more at the strap and starting to bounce on the balls of her feet again. "Take it off so I can hug you! Then I can play with the guitar! Then we can talk about our triiiiip!"

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"I can do that!"

Erinchan was here!

He waited excitedly to see her. She started waving right away. "Heeeey!! Ooh, I---"

Kagayaki just couldn't hold it in! "ERINCHAN!" He threw his hands up happily. "Hi-hi-hi!"

"Hiii!" she laughed, keeping him smiling. "Niisan, I can't hug you with a guitar around you!" He looked down at it, pouting.

"Move, silly," he said to the guitar. Then he put his hand over his mouth. "Oh, silly! I must move!"

Erinchan tugged on his guitar strap, still laughing. "And I was gonna say that I really like your guitar! Here, take it off," she demanded, bouncing up and down and yanking on the strap so much it made him teeter a little. But he laughed.

"Okay, okay, okay..."

"Take it off so I can hug you!"

Kagayaki quickly moved to take it off. "Okay!"

"Then I can play with the guitar! Then we can talk about our triiiiip!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" He set the guitar on his bed and ran back to her, wrapping his arms around her tight. "I love youuu~!"

'Never go away, okay? Never hate me, okay? I love you... You're the best family I've ever had.'

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Heeeey!! Ooh, I---"

She was cut short on her bursting compliment by Kagayaki's loud, excited, "ERINCHAN!" He threw his hands up happily. "Hi-hi-hi!"

"Hiii!" she laughed, waving back even though now she wasright next to him. "Niisan, I can't hug you with a guitar around you!"

Kagayaki looked down, like he'd forgotten it was even there, and Erin giggled. "Move, silly," he said to the guitar, making Erin snort in laughter. Then he put his hand over his mouth. "Oh, silly! I must move!"

"Yes, you!" Erin laughed, tugging on the guitar strap. "You move this[/]! And I was gonna say that I really like your guitar! Here, take it off," she demanded, bouncing up and down and yanking on the strap even more.

"Okay, okay, okay..." Kagayaki responded, laughing.

"Take it off so I can hug you!" Erin persisted, and finally he did, making her grin in victory as she gave him a hug.

"Okay!"

"Thank you! " Erin cried, then put her hand on the guitar's neck. "Then I can play with the guitar! Then we can talk about our triiiiip!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Kagayaki slipped the guitar out from her hand and his own, resting it on the bed. Soon he was back with his own hug. "I love youuu!"

"I couldn't tell!" Erin teased, laughing and pulling herself away. "I love you too! And your guitar!" She automatically gravitated to the lonely instrument, picking it up in her hands. "It's so pretty," she cooed, poised to play. "Where have you been plugging it in at? I wanna hear it....!" She didn't wait for him to answer, instead started playing the muted, soundless strings.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Move, silly," he told the guitar. Then, he put his hand over his mouth. That made her laugh. "Oh, silly! I must move!"

"Yes, you!" shelaughed, tugging on the guitar strap. "You move this! And I was gonna say that I really like your guitar! Here, take it off."

"Okay, okay, okay..."

"Take it off so I can hug you!"

"Okay!" He took it off, gaining a hug from Erin.

"Thank you! Then I can play with the guitar! Then we can talk about our triiiiip!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" He put the guitar on the bed and returned to give her a hug of his own. "I love youuu!"

"I couldn't tell!" she laughed. "I love you too! And your guitar!" Erinchan picked up the guitar, playing with it. "It's so pretty. Where have you been plugging it in at? I wanna hear it....!"

Kagayaki nodded fervently, rushing over to his amp and grabbing the cord. "Here, Erinchan!" He plugged it into the guitar, which sent an extremely loud cord through the room. "AH!" Kagayaki stumbled over to turn down the volume, already laughing wildly by the time he got back to her side. "Loud-loud-loud..." He let his eyes fall on the strings. "Is pretty," he cooed, looking up at her. "Can... can I try?"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

"Take it off so I can hug you!" Erin ordered, which finally caved Kagayaki.

"Okay!" He took it off, earning a hug.

"Thank you! Then I can play with the guitar! Then we can talk about our triiiiip!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" He put the guitar on the bed and returned to give her a hug of his own. "I love youuu!"

"I couldn't tell!" she laughed. "I love you too! And your guitar!" She ran over to start strumming the silent guitar. "It's so pretty. Where have you been plugging it in at? I wanna hear it....!"

With a nod, Kagayaki rushed over to plug it into the amp she hadn't seen before. "Oh! Right!"

"Here, Erinchan!" Just as the cord hit the plug, Erin had strummed a chord that reverberated throughout the room, making them both jump. "AH!" By the time he'd turned down the volume, the both of them were laughing. "Loud-loud-loud..."

"I know!" she said, laughing double over the guitar.

"Is pretty," Kagayaki echoed cooed, eyes on the guitar. "Can... can I try?"

"You mean you want to play with your own guitar?" Erin asked, pretending to be shocked. Then she held it out a little. "Of course. Here! Take it! Play something! Oh, and what about the trip? Tell me about the triiip!" She bounced a little on the bed in her excitement.

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" He rushed to put his guitar on his bed then swooped back over to Erinchan for another hug. He loved hugs. He'd gone so long without hugs and every chance he got to have another one was definitely worth it. "I love youuu!"

"I couldn't tell!" she laughed, making him pout his lips a little. "I love you too! And your guitar!" Erinchan went over to the guitar and Kagayaki just watched her, smiling.

'You're so beautiful, imouto. Yukitokun is so lucky to have you.'

"It's so pretty. Where have you been plugging it in at? I wanna hear it....!"

He nodded, running over to amp.

"Oh! Right!"

"Here, Erinchan!" He ran over and plugged it in, just as the thing blasted out a sound that made him cry out. "AH!" He turned down the volume, but by that time they were both laughing hard. "Loud-loud-loud..."

"I know!"

Kagayaki went back to her side, staring down at how her hands were playing with the guitar strings. "Is pretty," he said softly. "Can... can I try?"

"You mean you want to play with your own guitar?" She looked a little surprised. He sent her a raised eyebrow and an amused smile.

"Yes."

She held it out to him with her normal energy. "Of course. Here! Take it! Play something!" Kagayaki smiled, taking the guitar and pulling the strap over his head. 'What should I play?' "Oh, and what about the trip? Tell me about the triiip!"

"Okay, okay," Kagayaki laughed, his fingers finding the strings like they belonged there. Maybe they did. "I play... hm..." He tilted his head to the side, testing the sound of the guitar in the meanwhile. "A song... I like... Eto..." His eyes sparkled. "Nukegara. Pura Tori." He met her eyes now. "Purasutikku Tori... P... Plastic... Tree." Smiling at his recently-acquired ability to speak things better in English.

But his ability to figure out what to say was what he needed help with. He would have to speak with his mother when he got to Japan about that.

Thinking for a moment, his hands found the slow chords.

"natsu no hi no bokura wa
awai hikari no kibou no naka ni
zutto okizari datta
yuuutsu o tokashite aruiteita

hosoi eda ga kishinda
kyou wa hodoku kaze ga tsuyokute
nanimo kawaranai no ni
kowaku nari-dashite shita o muita"

He smiled. This song suited his voice, since him and Ryutaro-san both had higher voices. He looked at Erinchan, looking for some smile of approval out of habit from working with Yukito.

"takai sora wa anmari suki janai
semi no himei mo jibun mo suki janai"

He took a deep breath, winking at her. "Is be loud," he warned, just before he struck the ending of the song.

"hontou no kimochi janai nara donna koto mo mou, shinai de
hontou no kimochi janai nara donna koto mo mou, shinai de yo"

He finished the bridge then stopped abruptly. Narrowing his eyes, something didn't feel right. His hands were shaking a little.

"W...What?" His voice was barely above a whisper. He looked at Erinchan. "I... I been... back." Kagayaki took his guitar off and slipped into the other room, where his father was sitting at his laptop, his glasses reflecting the colors of the screen. "Tosan..."

Hideo looked up. "What is it?"

No. Here they came. The rainbows.

Kagayaki shut his eyes really hard. "You don't see rainbows floating around here, do you?" he said, forcing a laugh as he opened his eyes.

Hideo rose and put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Seizure." Kagayaki bit his lip and nodded. "I know this sounds really weird, but... go play Mario Kart."

Kagayaki blinked. "What?"

"Just do it. Play Mario Kart with Erinchan. Trust me."

He took a deep breath. "I can't, my hands are shaking."

"Just do it. Now."

Kagayaki shrugged, walking back to his doorway. "Hey, Erinchan..." He sauntered over to the table with his little TV on it, picking up the game his father had told him to play. "Play game?" He smiled, trying to make her think everything was okay.

Because if Erinchan thought everything was okay, then it would be, right?

[GGJ5]

OOC: I don't know what the thingies that you play video games with are called.. so I guess they're called controllers? If my lingo is wrong, correct me. lol. XD BIC:

Erin Spenser

"Play something!" Erin ordered, as payment for returning his guitar to its rightful owner. Kagayaki took it back, and she added excitedly, "Oh, and what about the trip? Tell me about the triiip!"

"Okay, okay," Kagayaki laughed, pausing to think of a song. Erin bounced a little on the bed. "Come ooon!"

"I play... hm..." A song... I like... Eto..." He spouted off a long sounding name-- or names-- in Japanese, then translated, catching her confused face. "P... Plastic... Tree."

Erin grinned, settling back on the bed to listen, and to watch his fingers on the fretboard, and once she confirmed the sound was a good one, she watched to try to memorize it. It didn't sound exciting or extreme, but reminded her of a campfire or bonfire or some small-intimate audience concert. Kagayaki gave her a little "warning" at a rest, and her smile widened at the feeling of laughter bubbling inside her. I'll try to contain myself, she wanted to joke back, but he had already moved on so that she'd have been drowned out. It wasn't her definition of loud, but it was loud relatively, and it was cute the way he "warned" her of it. Erin switched between watching him in curiosity and dancing/bouncing along to the sounds.

Then he stopped. Erin pouted. "Hey, I paid for a full show," she teased with a grin, missing Kagayaki's concern.

"I... I been... back."

"'Kay," Erin said, offering to take back the guitar and giving him a quick peace sign as she waited.

"Hey, Erinchan..."

She looked up from where she was trying to mimic what she could remember of what Kagayaki had played. "Hi!"

"Play game?"

"'Kay!" she chirped again, leaping up to grab a game controller.

[More than Music]

OOC: Okay, I'm just gonna fast-forward this a little, since it's kind of an old interaction... I know that's mostly my fault, but... I'm trying to be betterrrr~
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou

"Hey, I paid for a full show," Erinchan teased when he stopped playing.

Something just didn't feel right. "I... I been... back."

"'Kay," she said, seeming fine enough to take the guitar for a moment while he left to talk to tosan. He was guessing his father meant 'distract yourself' when he said 'play Mario Kart' so he just listened.

'You're very strange, Tosan, but I guess I'll just have to take your word for it.'

He came back into his bedroom, a little wary because his aura was making him dizzy. "Hey, Erinchan..."

Erinchan was playing with his guitar, making similar sounds to the ones he had just played. "Hi!" He was glad she didn't seem worried.

He smiled at her. "Play game?"

"'Kay!" She looked perfectly happy. That was good.

He started up the game -- though he dropped the disc for a moment because of his shaking hands -- and sat beside her on the bed, looking over. Her face, to his eyes at the moment, seemed glittered with rainbows. But, for some reason, this just didn't seem like a normal aura. Maybe he was just being silly.

Maybe.

~ - ~ - ~ - ~

Playing video games with Erinchan was funny. It reminded him kind of how much the same they were... that was why he loved Erinchan so much. She was like, a prettier, happier version of himself... and a girl, of course.

Yeah. That thing.

He looked over at her with a smile. He'd been right and it had just been a strange aura, but he was still kind of worried it might come back... He had to talk to her about the trip now.

"Erinchan..." He leaned back on the bed, still kind of looking at her. "We need get you money... for... for you and Yukito... for... ticket." Kagayaki smiled. "We help. Said could... ne?"

[GGJ5]

Erin Spenser

She fell into the rhythm of the game easily, enjoying opportunities to show off how skilled she was at manipulating little pixels on a screen. If everybody could just jump into things and laugh at all the ridiculousness of it all like they were doing, then the world would be a better place, Erin decided. Lots of loud, happy exclamations came from Erin at each little victory, which made the game as fresh as if it were her first time playing.

"Erinchan..." Kagayaki called at some point, taking her head out of the game for a bit. "What?"

He leaned back on the bed, only half looking at her. "We need get you money... for... for you and Yukito... for... ticket."

"What do you mean 'get money'?" An edge of wariness was in her voice. As much as she wanted to go, she didn't want it all on the Aidou tab or anything.

Kagayaki smiled. "We help. Said could... ne?"

"Oh, yeah, helping's fine, it's great," she told him honestly as she leaned back on the bed with him. "Just not, like, the whole thing... or too much. My parents are paying for my passport and shots and stuff." She held out her arm to show where they would be poking her. "So I don't die of a brutal Japanese cold of death!" Erin giggled. "I think they can help some with the tickets, and we have some savings, I think... I don't really know, because Yukito does all the money stuff." Only after she said it did she think Yukito probably didn't want her babbling about their finances to people, even Kagayaki. Erin shrugged. "But yeah, helping is good, but not too much, though-- y'all are not going in dept over us!" she commanded with a slight air of playfulness.

[More than Music]

OOC: Sensei, feel free to have her get a phonecall or fast-forward it or something... We need to wrap this up.
OOC:

Kagayaki Aidou

"Erinchan..."

She didn't answer right away. "What?"

He leaned back on the bed, only half looking at her. "We need get you money... for... for you and Yukito... for... ticket."

"What do you mean 'get money'?"

Kagayaki looked up, a little confused. "Eh?" Slowly, he smiled. "We help. Said could... ne?"

"Oh, yeah, helping's fine, it's great," she said, laying there next to him. He smiled a bit more. 'Laying here with my sister. Wow. This feels great.' "Just not, like, the whole thing... or too much. My parents are paying for my passport and shots and stuff." She held her arm out, pointing to it. "So I don't die of a brutal Japanese cold of death!"

He couldn't help but giggle with her. "Oh, had no heared of that, ne!"

"I think they can help some with the tickets, and we have some savings, I think... I don't really know, because Yukito does all the money stuff." She shrugged, so he shrugged. "But yeah, helping is good, but not too much, though-- y'all are not going in debt over us!"

He laughed holding up his hands in mock-surrender. "Iie, iie..." he said, insistently. "We be... okay!" He looked up, finding his tosan standing in the doorway with a little smile. "Eh?"

"Nothing," Hideo said, "What are you two talking about?"

"Money, tickets, yah!" Kagayaki said, nodding. "For... for Yuyukun and Erin-chan!"

"Ah, that's right..." Hideo took out a little notepad and a pencil, pushing up his glasses. "I figured how much it would be." He glanced up at them, though he was still facing his notepad. "I know you won't want us to pay all of it, but he really wants you to come, so..." He shrugged. "How does half sound to you?"

Kagayaki nodded, folding his hands behind his head. "Yeah, yeah!"

'Please, Erinchan! We want to help you. I need you to come with us. Both of you.'

[More than Music]

OOC: New interaction! Liliyaki, AKA Lilith/Brian.
BIC:

Kagayaki Aidou

This was one of those moments that made him feel so stupid he could cry.

He wasn't sure how it had happened. All he knew was that he was sitting on the floor with his legs tucked under him, on the kitchen floor, holding one of the phones for the number he'd had hooked up a week ago.

And there was Momo, sitting on top of the refrigerator.

Taking in a deep breath, he stared at the phone. He'd called her a few minutes ago, but it felt like a long time. He'd only managed to say a few words before she said she was on her way. It felt a bit embarrassing to know that his friend -- though she was his neighbor as well -- would have to help him out of this. Of course, what else would he have done if his friend or neighbor called and said 'puppy on fridge' in such a sad way as he had?

Brushing some hair out of his face -- growing it out had turned into a bit more of an annoying thing than he'd expected -- he met Momo's eyes again. The dog, when on his hind legs, could put his paws just below Kagayaki's shoulders. Sitting down on the refrigerator, he seemed to be about the same height as Kagayaki was as he sat on the floor.

"Why you so silly, yah? Stuck bad, Momo."

Kagayaki had always believed that animals had emotions too. Now, more than ever, he was sure he could see tears in the poor thing's eyes. He was scared that he would fall.

"Yah, understand. No falling, yah. Stay, Momo. Tomaru."

Momo obviously understood Japanese better than English, since he'd been trained with that, but he seemed to be picking up on both. That way, no matter what Kagayaki said, Momo would know what he should do. And, it helped Kagayaki keep himself in both languages pretty good. But the result was that he now seemed to be in a habit of repeating everything in Japanese after he said it in English, and the other way around too.

The door opened, and he just turned. "Lilyyyyy-saaaaan," he whined, feeling a bit of tears in his eyes. "Momo." He pointed towards the dog, who whined at the sight of this by-now familiar friend. "Help, please. Tasukete, kudasai."

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

She hadn't been too busy that afternoon; just looking up new crafts for the kids at the daycare center, when her cell phone rang. Lilith answered, to hear the simplistic sentence in slurred English, trying desperately and pathetically to explain the situation. “Hold on, hold on, just stay calm. I'll be right over, okay? Bye.” She hung up, calling across the house to her roommate, “Cassie! I've gotta go out for a bit. My friend Brian is having trouble with his dog. I'll be back soon!” She grabbed her hat and raced out the door. It wasn't really a problem, heading over to his house at the last minute, at least not to her. She liked his goofiness, and sincerity, something that for weeks she'd taken as something else. No, Kagayaki Aidou was as honest as they came, and she thought he was a sweet guy. He always tried hard in everything, and seemed to want so badly to be able to laugh off his mistakes and just take the most out of life. I want that, she thought to herself, I was to be happy like that all the time.

When she got to his door, she gave it a little rap with her knuckles, even as she opened the door, knowing it wouldn't be locked. “Brian? You in here?” Lilith knew his real name was Kagayaki, but after their first meeting she had dubbed him with the familiar alternative because she couldn't pronounce his real name. It didn't make much sense, in retrospect, but it had caught on as a habit.

"Lilyyyyy-saaaaan," came his little whine from the kitchen. She wandered in and stared for a long minute, then began to laugh at the sight that met her eyes. He'd said something about 'puppy on fridge' on the phone, but she'd figured she had heard him wrong. But there was Kagayaki, sitting on the kitchen floor practically swimming in a grey-blue sweater, looking up at her with tearful eyes. Momo, his enormous, fluffy, and adorable dog, was perched atop the refrigerator like a child on top of a playground jungle gym. Lilith's mouth opened in surprise, and she hid her returning laughter behind a hand.

"Momo,” he said simply, pointing up at the dog. Momo gave a little whimper, acknowledging that he was in a tight spot. "Help, please. Tasukete, kudasai."

“How did he even get up there?!” Lilith stepped forward, raising a hand up to Momo, who whimpered some more and nudged her hand with his nose, worried and fretting. She thought for a moment, hoping he wouldn't just take the chance and leap at her from the top of the fridge. He was just a huge dog, and they were both sure to get hurt. She pressed her lips together, thinking while at the same time suppressing a smile. “Hmm...come on Momo. You can get down, boy. You're a gooood boy, yes you are..” She patted his head when he leaned down to her, then she turned to Kagayaki. “If he got up there by himself, he could probably get down if he had to. But he could slip and hurt himself that way. And even together, I don't think we could lift him. He's going to have to jump down on his own. Do you have a small mattress we could move in here, maybe?” She stepped back from the fridge, then gave another laugh, and a shake of her head. Momo gave a loud whimper, feeling as though she had abandoned him. “I can't believe he got up there...wow..”

[More than Music]

Kagayaki Aidou

She was here! Maybe she could help him with Momo, but more he just needed her to make him feel a little better.

"Lilyyyyy-saaaaan."

Lily walked in, staring at Momo for a minute before she put her hand over her mouth.

"Momo,” he said, pointing up at the dog. Momo whimpered, making Kagayaki want to cry. "Help, please. Tasukete, kudasai."

“How did he even get up there?!” she asked, reaching up so Momo could push his nose against her hand.

Kagayaki shrugged helplessly. "Don't know... silly puppy..." He sighed, looking down. "Should watch better."

“Hmm...come on Momo. You can get down, boy. You're a gooood boy, yes you are..”

He smiled. Everybody loved Momo. He was just such a wonderful, sweet, helpful puppy.

Lily looked at him, and he perked up a little. Did she have an idea? “If he got up there by himself, he could probably get down if he had to."

Thinking for a minute, Kagayaki wondered if she was right, then nodded. "Guess so."

"But he could slip and hurt himself that way."

He nodded again, more this time. "Yah, is what I thinking."

"And even together, I don't think we could lift him."

Kagayaki laughed, getting up and wiping his hands on his pants. "No, no, no."

"He's going to have to jump down on his own. Do you have a small mattress we could move in here, maybe?”

Looking towards the bedroom, he thought for a moment. Well, there was his mattress, which was pretty small, but he didn't know if he could get it in here... There was the mattress in the room his dad had been using before he went back to Japan. They could use that.

"Tosan's, we could," he said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Is little... kinda..." He smiled, shrugging again. "Maybe?"

Lily stepped back, laughing and shaking her head. Momo whimpered, so Kagayaki went up and pet the poor puppy's head, which seemed calm him a little.

"Sh, Momo," he soothed. "Kitto daijobu. Kitto."

“I can't believe he got up there...wow..”

He smiled, glancing over. "Yah, is very silly," he said, putting his hand out for Momo, who easily put his paw in Kagayaki's palm. "You okay, silly. Will be. Yah?"

[Elda Forever]

Lilith Eytinge

They discussed back and forth for a minute their options with getting the miniature bear-sized canine down from the top of the refrigerator, then Lilith suggested a mattress for him to jump down with. "He's going to have to jump down on his own. Do you have a small mattress we could move in here, maybe?”

Kagayaki thought for a moment, while Lilith continued to stretch up on her tiptoes to scratch Momo's nose to calm him. "Tosan's, we could," She wasn't sure what 'tosan' was, but if it was a possibility, she was up for it. Kagayaki thrust his hands into his pockets, still uncertain. "Is little... kinda...Maybe?"

“It's worth a shot!” she declared, stepping back and giving a laugh, shaking her head at the whole affair. To think she would be called for an emergency dog-stuck-up-on-a-fridge dilemma. Of all things. Kagayaki didn't make things boring, to be sure. Since she had stepped back, Momo gave a fearful whimper, and Kagayaki stepped up to give him a pet, speaking to him in a language she couldn't understand. But it seemed to make Momo feel better, at least.

“I can't believe he got up there...wow..” she murmured, tempted to laugh again. Kagayaki gave her a adorable smile.

”Yah, is very silly," he said, putting his hand out for Momo, who easily put his paw in Kagayaki's palm. "You okay, silly. Will be. Yah?"

“Well, let's get this going, shall we?” They went into the bedroom and hauled out the mattress into the kitchen, having to shift around quite a bit to manage the task. The mattress wouldn't quite lay flat on his kitchen floor, but it would cushion Momo's fall enough, she hoped. Now the trouble would be getting him to take the leap of faith.

“Come on, Momo!” she called out cheerfully, patting her knee and beckoning him down, “Come on down! Pleeease? We'll give you your treats if you come down, you goof!”