Hanami – Chapter 36
Pipes flopped into a kitchen chair and hung her head over the back of it. +"…Aaaah…"+ It wasn't a loud noise, or one with any particular meaning, but when she made chords with it, it made a pleasant distraction. Raise the pitch. Lower the pitch. Thirds, fifths, sevenths, take the minor chord, then drop an octave. She stopped when she heard someone else in the kitchen.
"You didn't have to stop. I mean, I didn't recognize it or anything, but it didn't sound bad." Mike was shuffling through the dish rack.
+"Oh, it's ok. There wasn't anything to recognize, just me making sounds. Hey, if you find a mug or something 'cup-ish' in there, can you get me some tap water?"+
"Sure."
+"Thanks."+ Pipes drained the glass in three swallows and shut her eyes.
"I'm sorry."
+"What for?"+
"Your sister… "
+"Did you have anything to do with it?"+
"No! But I mean, we told you that you guys would be safe with us…" The sound of a mixing bowl and some measuring cups jingled on the counter.
Pipes opened her eyes and watched Mike gather ingredients from the pantry and the fridge. +"And now you think we're not safe with you?"+
Mike spun around, "How can you ask that? You saw what he did!"
Pipes saw that the hand with the vanilla extract was shaking slightly. +"Mike, honestly at this point I'm more worried about what she could have said to provoke that kind of reaction than the reaction itself. They both insist it was an accident. When she gets down here, we'll be able to ask the right questions."+
Pipes smirked, +"You've never had an argument with her. She can be one of the most spiteful little toads on the face of the planet. Hell, I've hit her. More than a few times, too. Sometimes the only way to shut her up was to leave a handprint on her face."+
Mike was staring at her; Pipes shrugged uncomfortably, +"Oh please, it's not like she didn't hit back. We're sisters. All four of us shared one room. The humans told us we would all live or die based on the strength of one another's performance reviews. 'Stress-pressure' doesn't begin to cover it."+
Pipes sighed, +"The only real difference it that we don't really know Raphael. I mean, just because you epoxy-ed nipple-stars to your brother doesn't mean you'd let some other random person get away with it."+
Mike fought off a grin. "You heard about that already?"
Pipes nodded, eyes sparkling. +"Raph obviously doesn't know his own strength; that's scary, not just for us, but for him as well, I'd wager. And our initial reactions got a lot of the panic out of the way. Cabbage won't have the energy for hysterics. I know I won't. Yeah, Raph's guilty of violence, but that surgery and all that blood and that messy stuff in the living room? All that was cleaning up HER mess -- HER choice. Sterling didn't have to re-injure herself, but she did. And that should in no way reflect on Raphael."+
"Damn, I thought you were mad at him." Mike started adding dry goods to the bowl.
+"Oh I am. He shouldn't have hurt her."+ Pipes got up and refilled her water glass. +"But we still don't have the entire story."+
"I'm just glad it's not a hung jury." Raphael stepped out from beside the fridge, placing the flashlight on the table.
Sterling entered the kitchen to the sound of Pipes singing. Of course, that wasn't as straightforward as it sounded. She was doing piano, vocal, and base guitar on a slow jazz version of something… 'Frim Fram Sauce by uh, Diana Krall.' Sterling congratulated herself; ordinarily she was lousy with song names, let alone their recording artists.
+"I don't want French fried potatoes,
Red Ripe tomatoes;
I'm never satisfied.
I want the Frim Fram Sauce with the aus an' fey
With Sha-fah-fah on the side!
Don't want pork chops and bacon
That won't awaken
My apeti-ii-ii-ite inside
I want the Frim Fram Sauce with the aus an'fey
With Sha-fah-fah on the side!
You know we girls,
We really got'to eat
And you know we should eat right
Five will get you ten,
I'm gonna feed myself right tonight!
I don't want fish-cake and rye bread
You heard what I said,
Waiter, please, I want mine fried
I want the Frim Fram Sauce with the aus an'fey
With Sha-fah-fah on the side!
Oommmm with Sha-fah-fah on the side."+
Sterling smiled and instantly regretted it, but she knew who was in the kitchen if Pipes was singing. She rounded the fridge and watched Shima beaming happily as she tapped her foot in time to Pipes' efforts. Raphael and Splinter sat at the table, enjoying the floorshow as Mike tried to juggle baking sheets full of cookies—both the cooked and the uncooked. Pipes and Shima were cranking out dough balls faster than he could find places to put the fresh cookies. Donatello came from behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Here, I found a pad of paper and pen." Sterling bowed her head in thanks.
'Damn, It's gonna be awkward to explain; my actions seem so foolish now. But if Raphael could just out and say it, then I guess it's my turn. I feel a lot more relaxed now I've had a hot shower anyways.' Using that last thought to convince herself, Sterling focused on her 'calm' state and nervously entered the kitchen.