In the past month, it had been clear that Haruka was settling in at the Future Foundation better than expected. Maybe it was the protag tradition. Maybe it was the fact that most of the other seven awkward teenagers she'd had varying degrees of confusing romantic tension with were there too. But maybe it was also that the existing staff were just too entertaining. For example, the old alien guy who hung out in the labs all the time making hilarious genetic experiments. Sure, Aniki disapproved, something about chimeras and cults or whatever, but he just needed to lighten up! Jumba was great. Anyone who ate her raspberry-lime muffins without question (and they were amazing) couldn't be that bad.
"Ah, little repair girl!" Jumba downed one of said muffins in one bite, including the wrapper. "How are cooking lessons with little dog girl? Jumba heard that there were no fires today in falafel attempt."
"Is that the bare minimum?" Haruka dramatically sulked for about two seconds and bounced back up. "Actually, it's going great! I'm not fantastic with the deep-fryer yeeeeeeeet, but Isa-chan's, like, perfect, so with her help I'll be able to make everything in no time. I mean, I'll need someone else to teach me how to make stuff with meat, since she doesn't eat it if it's not fish, buuut..."
Jumba gave a hearty laugh. "Is better than time you spoke about, with little purple boy helping with the chiffon cake?"
Haruka sniffed. "Don't remind me. I guess I probably should've known a Super High School Level Something-related-to-food wouldn't automatically be a great chef. I mean. Aside from the he-actually-eats-people thing. No offence, Tsukiyama-san -- I know he's not actually here, but I kinda feel like I have to say it just in case he teleports in anyway when someone talks about him? Oh, but speaking of whom!" She jumped back to the conversation. "I got another postcard from them. I guess Ryuutan discovered glitter gel pens. And stocked up on stickers."
"Ryuutan?" Jumba scratched his head. "Oh! Little sculptor who wears loud shoes. Jumba met him once, is nice boy. Is too bad they do not take visitors."
Haruka gave a nervous laugh at that. "I guess it's super dangerous there, plus they... well, anyway! You wanted to hear about that one time Meri-Meri walked in on me putting her underwear on a statue, right?"
"Jumba always likes to hear stories from the games he wasn't in," he said. "Underwear on a statue? Well, is not as bad as time General Fink took little pegasus girl and loud explosion boy on mission together. Only one time. His judgment, it is not very good, even when Jumba met him. He was Colonel Fink then. Was probably worse."
"Oh, yeah, you said he and Prince Lion-Face made you mad for a while," Haruka mused. "I forgot his name again. I know I've heard it, like, ten times by now and he works here, so I'll probably get it eventually."
"Is no matter!" Jumba laughed. "Everyone knows who little repair girl talks about anyway, even with silly names. Jumba finds that a lot himself."
Haruka looked around at the confused lab techs trying desperately not to look like they were listening in and trying to figure out who was who in this mess of a conversation.
no subject
"Ah, little repair girl!" Jumba downed one of said muffins in one bite, including the wrapper. "How are cooking lessons with little dog girl? Jumba heard that there were no fires today in falafel attempt."
"Is that the bare minimum?" Haruka dramatically sulked for about two seconds and bounced back up. "Actually, it's going great! I'm not fantastic with the deep-fryer yeeeeeeeet, but Isa-chan's, like, perfect, so with her help I'll be able to make everything in no time. I mean, I'll need someone else to teach me how to make stuff with meat, since she doesn't eat it if it's not fish, buuut..."
Jumba gave a hearty laugh. "Is better than time you spoke about, with little purple boy helping with the chiffon cake?"
Haruka sniffed. "Don't remind me. I guess I probably should've known a Super High School Level Something-related-to-food wouldn't automatically be a great chef. I mean. Aside from the he-actually-eats-people thing. No offence, Tsukiyama-san -- I know he's not actually here, but I kinda feel like I have to say it just in case he teleports in anyway when someone talks about him? Oh, but speaking of whom!" She jumped back to the conversation. "I got another postcard from them. I guess Ryuutan discovered glitter gel pens. And stocked up on stickers."
"Ryuutan?" Jumba scratched his head. "Oh! Little sculptor who wears loud shoes. Jumba met him once, is nice boy. Is too bad they do not take visitors."
Haruka gave a nervous laugh at that. "I guess it's super dangerous there, plus they... well, anyway! You wanted to hear about that one time Meri-Meri walked in on me putting her underwear on a statue, right?"
"Jumba always likes to hear stories from the games he wasn't in," he said. "Underwear on a statue? Well, is not as bad as time General Fink took little pegasus girl and loud explosion boy on mission together. Only one time. His judgment, it is not very good, even when Jumba met him. He was Colonel Fink then. Was probably worse."
"Oh, yeah, you said he and Prince Lion-Face made you mad for a while," Haruka mused. "I forgot his name again. I know I've heard it, like, ten times by now and he works here, so I'll probably get it eventually."
"Is no matter!" Jumba laughed. "Everyone knows who little repair girl talks about anyway, even with silly names. Jumba finds that a lot himself."
Haruka looked around at the confused lab techs trying desperately not to look like they were listening in and trying to figure out who was who in this mess of a conversation.
"Hmm. I guess you're right."