K-Chan: *more than a little fed up with this damn bus* Tell me again. WHY are we trying to salvage this god-forsaken bucket of bolts?
MJ: *sigh* Go back to the intro and read it again. It's ALL THERE. (K-Chan takes out the notebook with the original script, goes back to the intro, reads it again, and scowls, first at the book, then at MJ, who smiles triumphantly.) You see? Perfectly logical! If the "popping" between your minds wears down each character at the rate of . . . (blah blah blah quantum physics & technical BS no one really wants to hear yatta yatta . . . )
Neko: *aside to K-Chan* Give me a monkey wrench that I may silence her yammering. (A monkey wrench lands beside her on the pavement. She looks up. Nuriko winks back at her.)
Nuriko: *stage whisper* You want it, you got it. Just shut her up, would ya please? (Neko nodds, but before she can bean MJ with said wrench, MJ shuts up of her own free will.)
MJ: *happily; as she has no idea what just went on* I'll be right back! (She pops out of existence, reappearing about thirty seconds later with two buckets of paint in each hand. This happens twice more. After Tani finishes with the axle, everyone, grabs a paintbrush, except Nuriko, who is still working on the engine. They begin repainting the bus. All of the paint is blue, but not all of the same shade.)
Tani: *from the top of the bus* By the by, M-Chan, where'd you find this old thing, anyway? (Points to the bus.)
MJ: *after consideration* Well, it has to come from somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain . . . and they can get pretty dark . . . I think it might have come from a bad dream I used to have when I was a kid.
Nuriko: *dryly* It certainly looks like a nightmare . . . . (Everyone laughs.)
MJ: *shoots Nuriko a dirt look* ANYWAY, [smile xjo-chan] I'd be on a bus or in a car or something like that, and it'd just start moving all by itself, I mean, like driving and everything. Used to scare the living hell outta me.
K-Chan: *smirks* Doesn't take much, does it? (Just as MJ is about to deliver a snappy retort [which I couldn't think up], another character arrives on the scene.)
Neko: (usual hyper greeting) Hi-eeeeeeeee! (She poings over to the newcomer and hugs him enthusiastically, covering the poor guy with blue paint in about four different shades.) Kon’nichi wa, no da! [You'd better know who this person is by now.]
Tani: Well, if it isn't Neko's favorite monk!
K-Chan: One of them, anyway.
Chichiri: *smiles wryly and tries to unstick himself from Neko* (When he finally succeeds, he is splattered with four shades of blue paint from shoulders to knees.) Kon’nichi wa to you too, no da. (Nuriko backs out from under the hood, slams it shut, and starts cleaning oil and grit off his hands with a rag.)
Nuriko: That should about do it. We might want to pick up a new . . . (He notices Chichiri, Neko, & the abundance of paint on both of them . . . ) Oh my . . . *snicker* You two . . . . (He bursts out laughing and falls off the front of the bus.)
Chichiri: *vein pop* It's not that funny, no da. (The other girls, besides Neko, glance back and forth between Nuriko, who is rolling on the ground laughing his butt off, and Chichiri, who is turning a lovely attractive shade of pink. They all look at each other. MJ & Tani crack up, while K-Chan remains silent.)
K-Chan: *stoically* Really, you guys, it's not. (Nuriko, Tani, & MJ completely ignore her.) Oh, come on! It's just a monk covered in blue paint! (That sets Neko off.)
Chichiri: *glaring at everyone in general; vein pop pop pop* You all suck, no da. (They ignore that too.)
Tani: *breathlessly* K-Chan, you'd laugh if it was Tasuki!
K-Chan: (considers this for a moment, gets the funny picture in her head, starts to giggle, but stops when Chichiri gives her a "Don't-even-think-about-it,-no-da look.") *clears throat; composes herself* Gomen-nasai.
MJ: (manages to stop laughing long enough to catch her breath and deliver her line) *wipes away giggle-induced tears* Oh geez, Chichiri! If only you could see how funny you look right now! (She collapses in laughter again.)
Chichiri: *sigh* Does anybody have a towel? *to MJ* And don't make fun of my face, no da!
Neko: *breathlessly* I don't . . . think . . . she was!
Nuriko: *also gasping* It's . . . not . . . so much . . . your face . . . as . . . THE REST OF YOU!!!!! *howls with laughter* I mean, come on, I knew blue was your favorite color, but . . . don't you think you're taking it a bit too far? (Everyone laughs harder, except K-Chan, who is trying to be polite and not laugh at the nice monk.)
Chichiri: *looks absolutely miserable* I hate you people, no da. (This is too much for K-Chan and she cracks up.)
_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_
(Some time later . . . when everyone has FINALLY stopped giggling . . . the repair crew takes a lunch break. Chichiri has taken off his mask and kesa and is attempting to clean the paint off the latter. Neko is doing the "Happy Fangirl Adoring Stare" at him.)
Nuriko: So, why where you late? Usually, you're the most punctual person I know.
Tani: *glances at the paint-spattered kesa and stifles a chuckle*
Chichiri: *glare* I tried to get everyone else up and moving before I left, no da. They're incredibly slow.
MJ: *glances at kesa; swallows a chuckle* Doesn't much matter, anyway. We had just started painting when you got here.
Chichiri: *grimly* I noticed. But some of it seemed to go astray. Neko-chan, you really need to work on your aim, no da! (Everyone chuckles at this. Neko continues to gaze.)
Neko: *little hearts around her head* Uh-huh . . .
K-Chan: *waves a hand in front of Neko's eyes; snaps her fingers a couple of times*
Neko: *no reaction*
K-Chan: Um, Chichiri? You might want to put your mask back on.
Chichiri: *looks puzzled* (He hasn't noticed Neko worshiping him yet.)
Nuriko: Neko-chan's gone off to her Magical La-La land of Monk-Watching.
Chichiri: *finally notices Neko, who is completely oblivious to everyone and everything . . . except him* Oh, right. *puts mask back on* Gomen, no da.
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