~*Karins cousin*~
As always Doctor Aki was in the conveniance store, eating pudding, while Henry stood in the background frowning and vigorously putting boxes away while muttering about how he hoped some people would actually pay for what they were eating and not going to put it on yet another of the ever growing IOU lists. Nothing was happening and he wanted nothing more then to close up store and go home. He was about to tell Doctor Aki to go away when Karin walked in and went over to her uncle. Henry groaned. Soon the store would be flooded with Karins ardent admirers. How one girl could have so many guys after her and still remain clueless was the eighth wonder of the world. He could see what every guy her age saw, and if she was only three years older, he might have flirted with her himself, but she wasnt. And he sort of saw her as a little sister as well. He wandered over listlessly to evesdrop. Not as if he had anything better to do.
" Uncle Aki...." asked Karin sweetly, waiting for him to notice her while she stared at him with her big greeny gray eyes.
" Yes Karin? " he said, responding only after finishing off his latest pudding and staring sorrowfully into its empty depths.
" I just wanted to remind you that you said you'd be waiting at the airport for someone today." she said.
" What?" said Aki frowning into his empty pudding depths again.
" You told me and Miss Caviar to remind you that you need to go to the airport." repeated Karin patiently.
" The airport huh?" he said " Now why would I want to go to the..." he stopped mid sentance and his face visably paled. " Uh...I gotta go do something... somewhere." he said glancing at his watch, and turning even paler.
" You mean you need to go to the airport, right Uncle?" said Karin
" Yes...no...I'll see you later." he said before running to the door.
Henry was rather amused until he realised that the doctor had yet again failed to pay for any of the puddings he'd consumed.
" Hey...wait...the puddings!!" he yelled running to the door.
" Put them on my tab.." came the reply floating back on the breeze as Dr Aki jumped into his car and sped away, narrowly avoiding pedestrians. Henry kicked the door in frustration and turned to go back inside, when he was run over by Rintaro, who carried on dancing on his back while talking at top speed..
" Hey, your crazy Uncle dude almost ran us over Karin whats his deal? Pudding overload or something? I like your hair...it looks different what did you do to it? Dude...Wheres Henry? Did he also leave or something?" said Rintaro pausing at last in the doorway.
" Im underneath you." said Henry weakly.
" Oh sorry dude." said Rintaro jumping off in a hurry.
" Poor Henry." said Karin walking over to examine him. " How are you feeling?"
" Fine." said Henry brusquely standing up. " Now if you could all just..."
He didnt get to finish off his sentance before Ikki, Koji, Erika, and their medabots all stormed into the store as well.
" Did you see that?" asked Erika bubbling over with joy " It'll make the headlines. I can see it already. 'Top Medabot scientist goes crazy due to too much pudding intake.' It'll be sensational. " she said finishing up her eyes shining with delight.
" Oh come on Erika, he hasnt gone crazy and you know it. He was in a hurry to get somewhere." came Ikki's rather superior reply.
" Gk gk gk. Then why did he try and kill us with his car?!? Huh? Expain that one to me mr smarty pants." came Medabees sarcastic retort.
" Will you commoners stop assulting my ears with your vulgar and annoying voices." came Koji's reply in his usual polite fashion. Then he saw Karin standing next to Henry, a store clerk who dismissed, and Rintaro. A rival. He sauntered over. " Ah Karin my darling, I've been looking for you all day."
" Hi Koji...Ikki..Erika. How have you all been?"
Immediately both boys went red and tried to tell her how wonderful they were, how much they missed her. Even Rintaro was no longer immune to her charm. He couldnt stand by while the other two tried to get Karins affection. While all three boys made complete fools of themselves, Erika and the medabots stood watching. Medabee narrowed his verdent eyes and muttered a comment under his breath while Erika nodded and muttered one of her own.
Henry sighed. Yup, another uneventful day. He went back to polishing the counter glumly.
**************************
As Doctor Aki drove down the road like a maniac towards the airport, he was cursing himself for a fool. He had to pick up Karins cousin, Katerina today. Her parents had just been killed in a tragic shoot out and the girl needed someone to stay with till she could find her own feet. He paused at a red light and carried on thinking...Instead of remembering that she was coming today, he'd been stuffing his face with pudding...(his one and only weakness.) and was now late as a consequence. He sighed and resumed driving. He prayed that she'd still be there, he was after all only an hour late...
************************
Katrina waited at the airport shivering. She'd been waiting for forty-five minutes already and decided to wait fifteen more before she called a cab. She remembered Uncle Aki as being a bit of a scatter brain and wondered if he'd even remembered that she was coming. She sighed outloud and resumed her pacing. The airport staff were looking at her strangely and she knew that they were still wondering why she was here...why she hadnt yet been picked up. Story of my life. She thought bitterly. The one whose always forgotten, the quiet one, the shy one...well Im sick of it...all of it. Im going to take a stand and find a new identity. I can now that my parents...She broke off her train of thought as her breath caught in her throat... Now that they're no longer with me... The last thought echoed round her head like an out of control merry-go- round. She went back to her bags and got out her cell phone. Time to call in the cavelry. She dialled Uncle Aki's phone and it rang and rang and rang. Just as she was about to hang up he answered. " HELLO?!?" he yelled down the line. " HI..Uncle Aki...its Katrina." " AAH... KATRINA...IM ON MY WAY. JUST SIT TIGHT AND I"LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE." " But Uncle..." she stopped, He'd already hung up. So she went to the bench and sat, waiting.
**********************
When Doctor Aki finally arrived at the airport and wandered around, he passed a small waif of a girl with her head in her hands. Long greasy hair hung down concealing her features. Dr This couldnt be Katrina could it? This girl on the bench looked so different to the happy, carefree girl who was so like Karin, yet more sophisticated...and more polished. He tentively walked over. " Katrina?" he asked questioningly. She looked up at him and he saw at once that it was her. Her clear green eyes that had a way of staring straight down into the soul of whoever she looked at. But now they were filled with a sorrow that seemed too big for words to express. He came closer and she threw herself into his arms and he hugged her. Letting her work out all the pain and sorrow in the torrent of tears that followed.
As always Doctor Aki was in the conveniance store, eating pudding, while Henry stood in the background frowning and vigorously putting boxes away while muttering about how he hoped some people would actually pay for what they were eating and not going to put it on yet another of the ever growing IOU lists. Nothing was happening and he wanted nothing more then to close up store and go home. He was about to tell Doctor Aki to go away when Karin walked in and went over to her uncle. Henry groaned. Soon the store would be flooded with Karins ardent admirers. How one girl could have so many guys after her and still remain clueless was the eighth wonder of the world. He could see what every guy her age saw, and if she was only three years older, he might have flirted with her himself, but she wasnt. And he sort of saw her as a little sister as well. He wandered over listlessly to evesdrop. Not as if he had anything better to do.
" Uncle Aki...." asked Karin sweetly, waiting for him to notice her while she stared at him with her big greeny gray eyes.
" Yes Karin? " he said, responding only after finishing off his latest pudding and staring sorrowfully into its empty depths.
" I just wanted to remind you that you said you'd be waiting at the airport for someone today." she said.
" What?" said Aki frowning into his empty pudding depths again.
" You told me and Miss Caviar to remind you that you need to go to the airport." repeated Karin patiently.
" The airport huh?" he said " Now why would I want to go to the..." he stopped mid sentance and his face visably paled. " Uh...I gotta go do something... somewhere." he said glancing at his watch, and turning even paler.
" You mean you need to go to the airport, right Uncle?" said Karin
" Yes...no...I'll see you later." he said before running to the door.
Henry was rather amused until he realised that the doctor had yet again failed to pay for any of the puddings he'd consumed.
" Hey...wait...the puddings!!" he yelled running to the door.
" Put them on my tab.." came the reply floating back on the breeze as Dr Aki jumped into his car and sped away, narrowly avoiding pedestrians. Henry kicked the door in frustration and turned to go back inside, when he was run over by Rintaro, who carried on dancing on his back while talking at top speed..
" Hey, your crazy Uncle dude almost ran us over Karin whats his deal? Pudding overload or something? I like your hair...it looks different what did you do to it? Dude...Wheres Henry? Did he also leave or something?" said Rintaro pausing at last in the doorway.
" Im underneath you." said Henry weakly.
" Oh sorry dude." said Rintaro jumping off in a hurry.
" Poor Henry." said Karin walking over to examine him. " How are you feeling?"
" Fine." said Henry brusquely standing up. " Now if you could all just..."
He didnt get to finish off his sentance before Ikki, Koji, Erika, and their medabots all stormed into the store as well.
" Did you see that?" asked Erika bubbling over with joy " It'll make the headlines. I can see it already. 'Top Medabot scientist goes crazy due to too much pudding intake.' It'll be sensational. " she said finishing up her eyes shining with delight.
" Oh come on Erika, he hasnt gone crazy and you know it. He was in a hurry to get somewhere." came Ikki's rather superior reply.
" Gk gk gk. Then why did he try and kill us with his car?!? Huh? Expain that one to me mr smarty pants." came Medabees sarcastic retort.
" Will you commoners stop assulting my ears with your vulgar and annoying voices." came Koji's reply in his usual polite fashion. Then he saw Karin standing next to Henry, a store clerk who dismissed, and Rintaro. A rival. He sauntered over. " Ah Karin my darling, I've been looking for you all day."
" Hi Koji...Ikki..Erika. How have you all been?"
Immediately both boys went red and tried to tell her how wonderful they were, how much they missed her. Even Rintaro was no longer immune to her charm. He couldnt stand by while the other two tried to get Karins affection. While all three boys made complete fools of themselves, Erika and the medabots stood watching. Medabee narrowed his verdent eyes and muttered a comment under his breath while Erika nodded and muttered one of her own.
Henry sighed. Yup, another uneventful day. He went back to polishing the counter glumly.
**************************
As Doctor Aki drove down the road like a maniac towards the airport, he was cursing himself for a fool. He had to pick up Karins cousin, Katerina today. Her parents had just been killed in a tragic shoot out and the girl needed someone to stay with till she could find her own feet. He paused at a red light and carried on thinking...Instead of remembering that she was coming today, he'd been stuffing his face with pudding...(his one and only weakness.) and was now late as a consequence. He sighed and resumed driving. He prayed that she'd still be there, he was after all only an hour late...
************************
Katrina waited at the airport shivering. She'd been waiting for forty-five minutes already and decided to wait fifteen more before she called a cab. She remembered Uncle Aki as being a bit of a scatter brain and wondered if he'd even remembered that she was coming. She sighed outloud and resumed her pacing. The airport staff were looking at her strangely and she knew that they were still wondering why she was here...why she hadnt yet been picked up. Story of my life. She thought bitterly. The one whose always forgotten, the quiet one, the shy one...well Im sick of it...all of it. Im going to take a stand and find a new identity. I can now that my parents...She broke off her train of thought as her breath caught in her throat... Now that they're no longer with me... The last thought echoed round her head like an out of control merry-go- round. She went back to her bags and got out her cell phone. Time to call in the cavelry. She dialled Uncle Aki's phone and it rang and rang and rang. Just as she was about to hang up he answered. " HELLO?!?" he yelled down the line. " HI..Uncle Aki...its Katrina." " AAH... KATRINA...IM ON MY WAY. JUST SIT TIGHT AND I"LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE." " But Uncle..." she stopped, He'd already hung up. So she went to the bench and sat, waiting.
**********************
When Doctor Aki finally arrived at the airport and wandered around, he passed a small waif of a girl with her head in her hands. Long greasy hair hung down concealing her features. Dr This couldnt be Katrina could it? This girl on the bench looked so different to the happy, carefree girl who was so like Karin, yet more sophisticated...and more polished. He tentively walked over. " Katrina?" he asked questioningly. She looked up at him and he saw at once that it was her. Her clear green eyes that had a way of staring straight down into the soul of whoever she looked at. But now they were filled with a sorrow that seemed too big for words to express. He came closer and she threw herself into his arms and he hugged her. Letting her work out all the pain and sorrow in the torrent of tears that followed.
