Mimi looked at the two Digimon in the doorway with trepidation.
Their towering height alone intimidated her. Myotismon stared down at her
with hard eyes. She gazed upwards at him, and smiled. His expression did
not change.
"Well," chirped Mimi, voice as bright as a new penny, "so good to see you both. If you could follow me...?"
"Why?" asked Piedmon, who had just stepped inside.
"Because..." Mimi stopped short, her mind blank. The question never once occurred to her. It was a social convention, as ingrained to her as the correct way to fold a napkin, or which shoes went with what dress.
"Because everything we're doing is in here," said Sora, stepping in. Mimi's face had turned an alarming shade of white. "But, hey, suit yourselves. If you want to stand in the doorway all night, who am I to tell you no?" She strolled away, her pace far more casual than she felt. "Come on, Mimi. Do you still want to paint my face?"
The two Digimon exchanged glances. "Very well, if you insist," said Piedmon, his demeanor cool. He frowned in puzzlement, at a complete loss as to what was happening. Turning to Myotismon, he saw that Myotismon was as mystified as he.
"I'll bet you guys are wondering what we're up to, don't you," offered Kari.
"The thought had crossed our minds," replied Myotismon, fixing Kari with a cold stare.
"Well, gentlemen, you happen to be in luck," said Sora. "We are about to let you in on one of the greatest secrets of Mankind."
"And why would you do something like that?" Piedmon raised one eyebrow.
"Well, because..." began Sora. She stopped, mid-sentence, unable to think of a thing to say.
Kari came to Sora's rescue. "...because the more you understand about human beings, the easier it will be to conquer Earth," she finished. "Don't you think?"
Piedmon looked baffled. Myotismon looked skeptical. But neither could refute the logic.
"Very well, then," said Piedmon. "Just what are these secrets of yours?"
Sora looked at Mimi. Mimi nodded. "What women do at a sleepover."
"And this is supposed to be significant how?" Myotismon gave Mimi the entire brunt of his attention.
Mimi turned even paler. "That's why it's a secret," said Sora, stepping in before Mimi crumbled. "Boys just assume we do dumb girl things."
"Nobody would ever suspect that we're part of a secret international organization," said Mimi, trying to pull herself together.
Mimi had everyone's attention now. Not only the Digimon, but her two friends were staring at her in blank confusion. "Of course, you two being Digimon, I don't expect you to know about the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."
"The Ya-Ya Sisterhood," repeated Sora slowly, trying very hard not to make the statement sound like the question it really was. What on Earth was Mimi up to?
"We're sworn to secrecy," said Mimi. "But we've decided to make an exception for you."
"Why?" Myotismon was openly suspicious now.
"Because you'd only try to torture it out of us anyhow, or something mean and icky like that," Kari pointed out.
Myotismon thought about it, then nodded slowly.
"Now, don't you think this way is much better than that?" asked Kari.
"No," stated Myotismon, his voice flat. "I enjoy torturing others."
"Yes...um, well..." Kari whistled and fidgeted, unwilling to take that conversation any farther.
"Of course, you realize that we'll have to swear you two to secrecy, too," added Mimi.
"Won't that make us part of your society?" asked Myotismon. "What makes you think we want anything to do with that?"
Mimi made an elaborate show out of being surprised. "What? turn down the opportunity for millions of potential loyal minions the world over?"
"That many." Myotismon gave Mimi a long, hard look. "The idea is not without merit, I see."
"There, now that that's settled, let's begin."
Sora moved to Mimi's side, positioning them so that the two Digimon could not overhear their conversation. "Begin what? Mimi, I have no idea what you're doing! And what's this secret society stuff, anyway?"
Mimi shushed her. "It's a real group. My mother belongs to it. She turned to see Myotismon's attention riveted to her. She could feel the suspicion he radiated. "Play along. I'll explain it when I can."
"Yes, but what makes you think you can get away with it? These guys eat normal Digimon for breakfast!" Sora tapped her toe, waiting for a rational answer to an insane situation.
"Sora, the only thing these guys know about the real world is what they've seen and heard," explained Mimi. "How do they know if we're lying or not?"
Sora thought about it, shrugged and went back to the living room. She sincerely hoped Mimi could pull it off.
"So," said Myotismon, as the two girls rejoined the group. "What are these esoteric and arcane rites you mentioned?"
"Well, for starters, we ready ourselves with the proper clothing, makeup and accessories," said Mimi.
"Ceremonial robes, and...?" Piedmon started to look interested.
"Uh, yeah, that's it," said Kari, trying to look serious. "And then we find music we li---I mean that's proper to the ritual, and...umm..."
"Perform sacred dances to it," finished Sora, dredging up memories of social studies classes."
"And what does all this accomplish?" Myotismon was still wary.
"It brings us together on a deeply spiritual level, and aligns us with our innermost needs," stated Sora.
The pronouncement was met yet again with blank stares.
Mimi made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "But I'm sure you two know all about that sort of thing, don't you?" Her voice was sweet enough to pour over pancakes.
"Besides, we're serving food afterwards," said Kari.
Piedmon's eyes lit up. Myotismon noticed and gave Piedmon a sharp dig with one elbow. Piedmon glared at Myotismon.
"Don't give me that look," said Myotismon. "Your trousers are getting tight enough as it is."
"I don't want to know just why you've been staring at my pants, Myotismon," snapped Piedmon. "Trust me when I tell you that it's as close to getting in them as you're ever going to get!"
"Don't be absurd, Piedmon." Myotismon raised one eyebrow. "I wouldn't be caught dead in your clothing. It's much too tacky for me."
"Tacky!" cried Piedmon. "You go too far, Myotismon!" Both digimon faced each other, eyes narrowed in murderous rage, the digidestined forgotten for the moment.
"Gentlemen! Do you want to continue or not?" Sora's voice cut through the commotion. She frowned at both digimon in a remarkable imitation of her mother's 'adult' look. "I thought your intentions were serious."
Piedmon sulked. Myotismon muttered something under his breath, then lapsed into sullen silence.
"That's...better," said Sora, wishing she could say what she really meant. But the situation was tense enough. She didn't want to make things any worse.
"Mimi, just where did you put the latest...um, discs of sacred chants?" Kari piped up, trying to bridge the awkward moment.
"Over by the CD player," said Mimi, still trying to calm her jangling nerves. She couldn't repress a hysterical giggle, and went into the linen closet to see what was available.
Kari stood in awed silence, looking at more CDs than she'd seen at a music shop. "Um...guys? Which 'sacred chants' would be proper for tonight? Britney Spears, Christine Aguilera, or what's left of the Spice Girls?
"I don't know," said Sora. "All those seem a little too...worldly, don't you think?"
"There are some Enya CDs in there," said Mimi, reappearing with an armful of sheets in a wild array of colors and prints. "Is that spiritual enough?"
"Spiritual, yeah," said Sora. "But have you ever tried dancing to it?"
Sora looked at Mimi, then motioned her over. "Mimi! What are you doing with the sheets?"
"Ceremonial robes," said Mimi.
"But they're sheets!" said Sora. "Don't you think these guys are going to think that's just plain wrong?" She glanced behind herself. Apart from throwing venomous glances at each other, both Digimon looked supremely bored.
"Sora! Come on! It's the best I can do," cried Mimi. "There is no clothing in the house that could possibly fit either one of them. They're both over seven feet tall!"
Sora's face fell as she realized the inevitability of the situation. "But is this going to work?"
"Of course it will," replied Mimi. "My mother says you can do anything with a sheet, some imagination, and safety pins."
"Oh." Sora pondered the point. "Was that why you were a technicolor ghost for Hallowe'en last year?"
"That, and the rash I got from eating something weird my mother cooked. I mean, I couldn't be seen in public looking like that," said Mimi. She shuddered at the memory. "I still have no idea what I ate."
"Hm..." said Kari, still poring through endless stacks of compact discs. "Who's the big Yanni fan in your house, Mimi?"
"Oh, that's my father's music," said Mimi. "Try the leftmost CD tower."
Kari moved past a bookshelf crammed with discs, eyes skimming over the titles. She stopped abruptly, and grabbed one, reading the contents. Her mouth quirked, then widened into a huge grin. "Hey, Mimi."
Mimi looked up.
"I didn't know you did aerobics," said Kari.
"Oh, that was something my mother started," said Mimi. "I do it every now and then, because it's fun and the music is good."
"Still remember any of the routines?" Kari laughed softly now.
"Remember them? Sure," said Mimi. "But why...? Oh!" A smile appeared, as she understood. "Oh, my! Yes, that would work!"
Sora joined them. "What would work?"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?" Kari bit her lip to keep from laughing any louder.
"I think so, Brain," answered Mimi, her eyes shining. She could picture it so clearly.
Kari handed Sora the CD. "Sacred chants and dances," she explained, matter-of-factly.
Sora took the disc, staring down at it without comprehension. Suddenly she got the picture.
"Oh--my--god," said Sora slowly, clapping her hand over her mouth to keep from howling like a demon. The very notion was supremely funny.
"You know, the boys are going to hate us for leaving us out of this, don't you?" Mimi looked smug.
Sora could only nod, hand over her mouth yet, her other arm wrapped around her middle, as she shook with suppressed laughter. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.
She finally got herself under control enough to talk. "I think I'm going to order some pizza for later," she gasped, and headed toward the kitchen.
"Well," chirped Mimi, voice as bright as a new penny, "so good to see you both. If you could follow me...?"
"Why?" asked Piedmon, who had just stepped inside.
"Because..." Mimi stopped short, her mind blank. The question never once occurred to her. It was a social convention, as ingrained to her as the correct way to fold a napkin, or which shoes went with what dress.
"Because everything we're doing is in here," said Sora, stepping in. Mimi's face had turned an alarming shade of white. "But, hey, suit yourselves. If you want to stand in the doorway all night, who am I to tell you no?" She strolled away, her pace far more casual than she felt. "Come on, Mimi. Do you still want to paint my face?"
The two Digimon exchanged glances. "Very well, if you insist," said Piedmon, his demeanor cool. He frowned in puzzlement, at a complete loss as to what was happening. Turning to Myotismon, he saw that Myotismon was as mystified as he.
"I'll bet you guys are wondering what we're up to, don't you," offered Kari.
"The thought had crossed our minds," replied Myotismon, fixing Kari with a cold stare.
"Well, gentlemen, you happen to be in luck," said Sora. "We are about to let you in on one of the greatest secrets of Mankind."
"And why would you do something like that?" Piedmon raised one eyebrow.
"Well, because..." began Sora. She stopped, mid-sentence, unable to think of a thing to say.
Kari came to Sora's rescue. "...because the more you understand about human beings, the easier it will be to conquer Earth," she finished. "Don't you think?"
Piedmon looked baffled. Myotismon looked skeptical. But neither could refute the logic.
"Very well, then," said Piedmon. "Just what are these secrets of yours?"
Sora looked at Mimi. Mimi nodded. "What women do at a sleepover."
"And this is supposed to be significant how?" Myotismon gave Mimi the entire brunt of his attention.
Mimi turned even paler. "That's why it's a secret," said Sora, stepping in before Mimi crumbled. "Boys just assume we do dumb girl things."
"Nobody would ever suspect that we're part of a secret international organization," said Mimi, trying to pull herself together.
Mimi had everyone's attention now. Not only the Digimon, but her two friends were staring at her in blank confusion. "Of course, you two being Digimon, I don't expect you to know about the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood."
"The Ya-Ya Sisterhood," repeated Sora slowly, trying very hard not to make the statement sound like the question it really was. What on Earth was Mimi up to?
"We're sworn to secrecy," said Mimi. "But we've decided to make an exception for you."
"Why?" Myotismon was openly suspicious now.
"Because you'd only try to torture it out of us anyhow, or something mean and icky like that," Kari pointed out.
Myotismon thought about it, then nodded slowly.
"Now, don't you think this way is much better than that?" asked Kari.
"No," stated Myotismon, his voice flat. "I enjoy torturing others."
"Yes...um, well..." Kari whistled and fidgeted, unwilling to take that conversation any farther.
"Of course, you realize that we'll have to swear you two to secrecy, too," added Mimi.
"Won't that make us part of your society?" asked Myotismon. "What makes you think we want anything to do with that?"
Mimi made an elaborate show out of being surprised. "What? turn down the opportunity for millions of potential loyal minions the world over?"
"That many." Myotismon gave Mimi a long, hard look. "The idea is not without merit, I see."
"There, now that that's settled, let's begin."
Sora moved to Mimi's side, positioning them so that the two Digimon could not overhear their conversation. "Begin what? Mimi, I have no idea what you're doing! And what's this secret society stuff, anyway?"
Mimi shushed her. "It's a real group. My mother belongs to it. She turned to see Myotismon's attention riveted to her. She could feel the suspicion he radiated. "Play along. I'll explain it when I can."
"Yes, but what makes you think you can get away with it? These guys eat normal Digimon for breakfast!" Sora tapped her toe, waiting for a rational answer to an insane situation.
"Sora, the only thing these guys know about the real world is what they've seen and heard," explained Mimi. "How do they know if we're lying or not?"
Sora thought about it, shrugged and went back to the living room. She sincerely hoped Mimi could pull it off.
"So," said Myotismon, as the two girls rejoined the group. "What are these esoteric and arcane rites you mentioned?"
"Well, for starters, we ready ourselves with the proper clothing, makeup and accessories," said Mimi.
"Ceremonial robes, and...?" Piedmon started to look interested.
"Uh, yeah, that's it," said Kari, trying to look serious. "And then we find music we li---I mean that's proper to the ritual, and...umm..."
"Perform sacred dances to it," finished Sora, dredging up memories of social studies classes."
"And what does all this accomplish?" Myotismon was still wary.
"It brings us together on a deeply spiritual level, and aligns us with our innermost needs," stated Sora.
The pronouncement was met yet again with blank stares.
Mimi made a dismissive gesture with one hand. "But I'm sure you two know all about that sort of thing, don't you?" Her voice was sweet enough to pour over pancakes.
"Besides, we're serving food afterwards," said Kari.
Piedmon's eyes lit up. Myotismon noticed and gave Piedmon a sharp dig with one elbow. Piedmon glared at Myotismon.
"Don't give me that look," said Myotismon. "Your trousers are getting tight enough as it is."
"I don't want to know just why you've been staring at my pants, Myotismon," snapped Piedmon. "Trust me when I tell you that it's as close to getting in them as you're ever going to get!"
"Don't be absurd, Piedmon." Myotismon raised one eyebrow. "I wouldn't be caught dead in your clothing. It's much too tacky for me."
"Tacky!" cried Piedmon. "You go too far, Myotismon!" Both digimon faced each other, eyes narrowed in murderous rage, the digidestined forgotten for the moment.
"Gentlemen! Do you want to continue or not?" Sora's voice cut through the commotion. She frowned at both digimon in a remarkable imitation of her mother's 'adult' look. "I thought your intentions were serious."
Piedmon sulked. Myotismon muttered something under his breath, then lapsed into sullen silence.
"That's...better," said Sora, wishing she could say what she really meant. But the situation was tense enough. She didn't want to make things any worse.
"Mimi, just where did you put the latest...um, discs of sacred chants?" Kari piped up, trying to bridge the awkward moment.
"Over by the CD player," said Mimi, still trying to calm her jangling nerves. She couldn't repress a hysterical giggle, and went into the linen closet to see what was available.
Kari stood in awed silence, looking at more CDs than she'd seen at a music shop. "Um...guys? Which 'sacred chants' would be proper for tonight? Britney Spears, Christine Aguilera, or what's left of the Spice Girls?
"I don't know," said Sora. "All those seem a little too...worldly, don't you think?"
"There are some Enya CDs in there," said Mimi, reappearing with an armful of sheets in a wild array of colors and prints. "Is that spiritual enough?"
"Spiritual, yeah," said Sora. "But have you ever tried dancing to it?"
Sora looked at Mimi, then motioned her over. "Mimi! What are you doing with the sheets?"
"Ceremonial robes," said Mimi.
"But they're sheets!" said Sora. "Don't you think these guys are going to think that's just plain wrong?" She glanced behind herself. Apart from throwing venomous glances at each other, both Digimon looked supremely bored.
"Sora! Come on! It's the best I can do," cried Mimi. "There is no clothing in the house that could possibly fit either one of them. They're both over seven feet tall!"
Sora's face fell as she realized the inevitability of the situation. "But is this going to work?"
"Of course it will," replied Mimi. "My mother says you can do anything with a sheet, some imagination, and safety pins."
"Oh." Sora pondered the point. "Was that why you were a technicolor ghost for Hallowe'en last year?"
"That, and the rash I got from eating something weird my mother cooked. I mean, I couldn't be seen in public looking like that," said Mimi. She shuddered at the memory. "I still have no idea what I ate."
"Hm..." said Kari, still poring through endless stacks of compact discs. "Who's the big Yanni fan in your house, Mimi?"
"Oh, that's my father's music," said Mimi. "Try the leftmost CD tower."
Kari moved past a bookshelf crammed with discs, eyes skimming over the titles. She stopped abruptly, and grabbed one, reading the contents. Her mouth quirked, then widened into a huge grin. "Hey, Mimi."
Mimi looked up.
"I didn't know you did aerobics," said Kari.
"Oh, that was something my mother started," said Mimi. "I do it every now and then, because it's fun and the music is good."
"Still remember any of the routines?" Kari laughed softly now.
"Remember them? Sure," said Mimi. "But why...? Oh!" A smile appeared, as she understood. "Oh, my! Yes, that would work!"
Sora joined them. "What would work?"
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Pinky?" Kari bit her lip to keep from laughing any louder.
"I think so, Brain," answered Mimi, her eyes shining. She could picture it so clearly.
Kari handed Sora the CD. "Sacred chants and dances," she explained, matter-of-factly.
Sora took the disc, staring down at it without comprehension. Suddenly she got the picture.
"Oh--my--god," said Sora slowly, clapping her hand over her mouth to keep from howling like a demon. The very notion was supremely funny.
"You know, the boys are going to hate us for leaving us out of this, don't you?" Mimi looked smug.
Sora could only nod, hand over her mouth yet, her other arm wrapped around her middle, as she shook with suppressed laughter. Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes.
She finally got herself under control enough to talk. "I think I'm going to order some pizza for later," she gasped, and headed toward the kitchen.
