Standard Disclaimer: Uh…I don't own Digimon, and uh…gotta go! (runs)
Lord of swords and waffles: Rar!
Cloud-821: Too far? He he…then you are going to be shocked as the Prank War continues on…
Anthony1: Dark side? Nah…just him being the rascal he is. :P
Dark Qiviut: Heh. I thought you'd like this chapter…
ficmaster: Using the Guardian God as a scare tactic? For shame. :P
Dot Cubed: HI-HO!
Trey Miller: Cool. Perfection!
And that's true; Bandai would've made a killing selling a DragonZord/T-Rex hybrid.
Chosen Child of Darkness: …you think I'd use a hallucinogenic drug instead of a laxative? That's a dub decision I WOULD support. Drugs like that have no place in a K+ rated story. And come on; would Davis really do that to Yolei? How would he even come to procure the drug? Seriously.
generic reviewer: Well, 4Kids HAS made some bad decisions…(points to the opening theme of One Piece) Rap…agh…X.X;
feral-halliwell: Already left hints. And welcome to Housemates!
Ninetalesuk: No problem. A job is coming up soon as well…
duskmon87: Just keepin' it real.
Assamite: Davis being immature is understandable (most of the pranks he used ARE immature). But raunchy? He's not that kind of guy.
Silver Warrior: I've actually found a web site that detailed these pranks…once the Prank War ends, I'll list the URL for all to see!
Yami Vizzini: Aye.
sjbaby: Welcome to Housemates! And thanks for the 'Revision' praise.
Digi fan: Indeed.
Angel of Fire: Welcome! And you are correct! (hands her a cookie)
saiyoto: Envy – it leads to bullies. :P
Bluesv20: Good times indeed. Why, back in my day… (rambles)
Malebolgia: Good question. I was wondering that myself (the College Years is still unfinished!).
Kmoney: Lying's not my thing.
Begin!
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Chapter 16: Fixing What's Broken
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/Sidewalk, Odaiba, 3:41 PM/
Davis sighed out of pleasure. The day had been an absolute dream for him so far.
Boy, he had gotten Yolei back GOOD. Social embarrassment, frog guts, laxatives…the works! Yeah…now maybe she'll get the hint and stop bugging me.
Oh, who was he kidding…Yolei was a vengeful beast. So he had to be on guard.
"Davish?"
Davis looked down at Veemon, who had a confused look on his face. "Yeah Veemon?"
"Any idea why they're looking at me funny?" asked Veemon as he pointed at the numerous people on the sidewalk.
Davis followed his partner's finger to see that almost everyone walking on the sidewalk with him. Their eyes were filled with resentment, and several heads were shaking out of dismay, as if saying 'unbelievable'. The Child of Miracles quietly seethed; such looks drove him crazy. "Veemon…they don't understand. They're the kind of people who'll hate you…even if you haven't done anything wrong."
"Oh. Okay!" replied Veemon with a smile. "I get it now. No biggie!"
Veemon… Davis smiled. Despite his goofy disposition, the little Rookie was a lot more mature than most people gave him credit for. He didn't even think much about the looks now…and he was right. Their opinions of him weren't worth meriting. Heh…for a little guy, he can be tougher than me sometimes.
"Davis."
Davis looked up to see Daichi walking toward him. His brown eyes lit up at the sight of the black-haired boy. "Daichi! We were heading for your house!"
"Ironic…I was heading for your place," remarked the Etsuya child. He glanced down at Veemon and waved. "Hello."
"Hi Daichi!" exclaimed the little blue Rookie.
Daichi glanced into Davis' eyes…but frowned at the confusion found within. "Something wrong?"
"Where's Impmon?" asked the Child of Miracles.
Daichi was silent…and then he sighed out of remorse. "Couldn't get a permission slip from my parents." His yellow eyes were narrowed slightly.
Davis understood. The look in the eye…the sudden tensing of the body frame. The guilty quality of his face… "…you couldn't get a permission slip, because they didn't let you…right?"
"Hmph." A bitter chuckle escaped Daichi's lips. "I only wish I were that brave. I couldn't even bring myself to ask…they don't even know Impmon exists."
Davis and Veemon were silent…and Daichi couldn't blame them. After all, he was nowhere near as brave as Davis was; he sure didn't have the guts to do what he had done…
"Well, then let's go ask!"
Daichi blanched; Davis and Veemon had already walked beyond him, heading in the direction of his house. "HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!" yelled Daichi as he took chase.
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/Yolei's Room, Inoue Apartment, Odaiba, 3:50 PM/
Yolei Inoue had never been so embarrassed in her entire life.
The previous day had been wrought with complete social disasters (no student would forget the papers in her locker, and the teaching faculty CERTAINLY wouldn't forget her continuous leaving of the classroom) and an absolutely degrading experience (she ate the insides of a dead frog AND she had soiled herself!)…
Oh, Davis was going to rue the day he decided to prank her. She quickly pulled out a small booklet from under her bed; it was filled with the numbers of her non-Digidestined friends from school. She needed allies for tomorrow…
"Yes…I'll get him back…" Yolei laughed maniacally. Meanwhile, Poromon watched on with worry. Oh man…Davis is going to be in SO much trouble when he gets home…
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/Outside the Etsuya Apartment, Odaiba, 4:01 PM/
Tink.
"…"
Tink.
"…"
Tink.
"…think he's asleep?" asked Davis.
Daichi sweatdropped before replying, "Nope." He threw the small marble at his bedroom window again.
Tink.
"You sure?" asked Veemon.
"He gets bored too easily to sleep," replied Daichi as he threw it again.
Tink.
Davis frowned as a worrisome thought came to mind. "Do you think…your folks might have found him?"
Daichi shook his head. "Nah. Mom usually stays out until evening, and dad isn't home from work until…" A look of dread crossed his face as he suddenly remembered something. "…oh no…oh NO."
"Oh what? Oh what?" asked Davis and Veemon simultaneously.
"Today's Monday…" His yellow eyes widened out of fear and absolute horror. "Dad doesn't work today!"
A lightning bolt of shock ran through the two children and Veemon…there was the possibility that…Impmon had been found out!
Daichi immediately rushed around to the front door of the apartment building. His mind became a whirl of activity as his body ran on its own. Davis and Veemon were right behind him as he roared into the apartment building and towards the door that led to the Etsuya Apartment. Was Impmon okay? Why hadn't he answered? Had he been found out?
No…Daichi was right in front of his door. What if his father had…
NO…He reached for the door handle. Was Impmon…
NO!
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/Living Room, Etsuya Apartment, Odaiba, 4:04 PM/
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Daichi, Davis, and Veemon froze at the sight of Mr. Etsuya, holding a bottle of sake, laughing without a care. He had a muscular build, and he wore rather plain clothes. He had a head full of thick brown hair, but it was getting thin around the edges. His yellow eyes were filled with the mirth and abandonment that all drunkards shared. He was sitting on the couch…
And sitting in the chair opposite of the couch was Impmon, who was also holding a bottle of sake. Both of them appeared quite drunk. Impmon was slurring out, "Sho I shay to dish Gatomon dat her partner'sh notin' but a bunch'a garbage…"
"Uh huh," replied Mr. Etsuya, obviously fixated with Impmon's tale.
"And then she SHLUGSH me in the kisser!" exclaimed the purple Rookie.
Mr. Etsuya jovially laughed at the Rookie Digimon. "HAHAHAHA! Looks like ya got no luck with dames, eh?"
"When the dame'sh a witch, sure!" Impmon and Mr. Etsuya laughed together.
Davis blinked. "They're…"
"Laughing…" finished Veemon.
Daichi looked like he was about to smack himself. Why? So he could wake up from the dream he was obviously in. His father…warming up to a Digimon? It was unthinkable!
"Heh…" chuckled Mr. Etsuya as he glanced at his son. "I thought that Digimon were monsters…even though five of them restored this city, I still thought they had no place in our world…but to think my son had one for a friend…and such a witty one at that."
Impmon took a sip of sake before staring at Daichi with a lopsided grin. "Heh…and youshe shaid he'd toin me into minshemeat…he'sh more like a drinking buddy!"
"Amen!" finished Mr. Etsuya as he took a chug of the sake.
At this point, Daichi facefaulted. Davis grinned as he watched Impmon and Daichi's father drink together. "Looks like…you didn't have to worry so much…"
"Guess not," muttered Daichi as he got off the floor. Although…secretly he was glad. No matter how absurd it seemed…he was happy that his father – Seta Etsuya – had accepted Impmon.
Now there was the matter of his mother.
Unfortunately for Daichi, his mother was already there. He had left the door open when he had rushed into his apartment…and oddly enough, his mother had decided to come home early for a change.
Yumi Etsuya was a rather thin woman with neatly combed black hair. She wore very prim clothing – a blue, ankle-length dress with a white jacket, plus black dress shoes – and her figure was curvy in the right places. Her eyes were a turquoise-green, and her skin had a milky white tint.
And right now, she was furious. For one, her husband was already drunk at 4 O'CLOCK PM …and now there were Digimon in her household! Unbelievable…unbelievable! She quickly turned around and stormed out of the apartment.
However, Veemon had seen her. "…" While Davis wasn't looking, Veemon slipped out after her.
Meanwhile, Seta was smiling as he walked into the kitchen, putting away his open bottle of sake. "Heh…a nice guy…it's a shame my wife probably won't accept him."
"Feh. Like I care for shome broad'sh opinionsh!" exclaimed Impmon.
"It doesn't matter…she's out too much of the time to care anyway," muttered Seta as he closed the fridge door. It was all stupid really…it had been her fault that he had started drinking in the first place! She started going out on her own and out with her friends all the time…leaving him alone until late hours. What other recourse had he had BESIDES drinking?
Davis frowned at the sight of Daichi, whose expression had suddenly turned forlorn. "You okay?"
"Yeah." Actually, no; he could recognize the look in his father's eye. He was thinking about his mother…
Feh. It's stupid…He only wished those two would resolve their stupid problems. It would make things a heck of a lot easier for him!
"Hey. Where's Veemon?" asked Davis, suddenly noticing his partner was gone.
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/Park, Odaiba, 4:16 PM/
Yumi Etsuya sat down on a park bench with a huff. "That Seta…drinking with a Digimon…and how could my son hide that thing?" Her turquoise eyes gazed at the green grass of the park…the walking passersby…the little blue Digimon sitting beside her on the bench…the birds flying through the air-
Wait.
"Hiya!" exclaimed Veemon.
"WA!" yelped Yumi as she leapt away from Veemon. "Get away!"
Veemon scratched his forehead out of confusion. "What? I only wanted to talk."
"I have NOTHING to say to you. To you or any other Digimon!"
"Come on! It's not like I'll bite!" innocently replied Veemon.
Yumi eyed the Rookie with suspicion. "Those who say that usually do."
"True. But I only wanted to talk about Daichi and Impmon!"
The black-haired woman snorted. "I have nothing to talk to you about. Go away."
Veemon looked hurt by the woman's words. "Aw, come on! What harm could talking with me do?"
Doesn't he get the hint? Mrs. Etsuya turned away and began walking away.
"Going home?" asked Veemon.
The woman froze. She quickly decided to answer one question, just to get the little Digimon off her case. "No. Going to visit some of my friends and arrange a get-together at a restaurant."
"Why aren't you going home? I thought most people wanted to go home after working all day," said Veemon.
Yumi paused. "…I don't work. My husband works for a tech company…he's our source of income."
"…oh." Veemon suddenly looked bewildered beyond comprehension. "Okay, I'm confused…how come you don't stay home then?"
"I like to keep myself busy. I have lots of friends…so I don't really have time for home." It was strange how things worked; despite Yumi's earlier words, she now found herself talking with a Digimon.
Veemon clutched his head out of apparent pain. "Gah…now I'm REALLY confused. Davish told me husbands and wives like to spend time together. How come you don't?"
"Because Seta's not a person you want to spend time with." At least…not anymore. "He used to be so nice…but now he'd rather drink than do anything else." It was ridiculous…all she had done was start spending more time outside the home, with old friends. With old work buddies. What else was she supposed to do? After all, she had only done it because of his tendency to work overtime…and then after that, there was the drinking. Eventually, the overtime had come to an end…but the drinking had remained.
"Oh…okay." Veemon hopped off the bench and started walking towards Yumi. "How come you don't like Digimon?" He immediately caught himself. "Wait…do I even need to answer that?"
Mrs. Etsuya found herself smirking. "Indeed…it's no secret Digimon are hated throughout Tokyo…that's why I don't want my son hanging around that digital monster."
Veemon only smiled at Yumi Etsuya's words. "Well, Daichi sure seems to have been made happy by Impmon…and I know Davish wants me around because I help make him happy…"
"Preposterous," grumbled Yumi. "What could Daichi want from a digifreak?"
"All I know is this…Daichi sure would like to take Impmon with him to school. He needs his parents' permission!" With that said, Veemon happily ran off back toward the Etsuya Apartment.
Yumi Etsuya was oddly silent…all because of the little Digimon's words. Why…why would Daichi need a Digimon…he has his folks…right?
Oh, who was she kidding…she was wrong. Wrongy wrong wrong.
Her dispute with Seta…had it driven Daichi away…?
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/Etsuya Apartment, Odaiba, 4:27 PM/
"There we go," muttered Seta as he signed the permission slip. "Now all that's left is your mother's signature."
Daichi took the permission slip and glanced at, smiling a small smile. "Good…" Davis glanced at the man's signature…then grimaced. Man…awful handwriting.
"HELLO!"
"WAH!" yelped Davis and Daichi as they leapt into the air. They whirled around to see Veemon. Davis yelled, "WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU?"
How come I'm making people jump in the air today? wondered Veemon before replying, "I was following your mom."
Silence.
Then, Impmon cheekily muttered, "Sho…was she a good looker?"
"Well…she does have eyes!" exclaimed Veemon.
Impmon, Daichi, Seta, and Davis facefaulted simultaneously.
"Seta. Daichi."
Everyone looked around toward the living room entrance to see Yumi Etsuya standing there.
Seta frowned. "Yumi."
Daichi muttered, "Mom."
Yumi glanced down at Davis Inoue and his partner, Veemon. "…if you don't mind…'Davish', right?"
Davis facefaulted. "It's Davis…Veemon just has a lisp."
Yumi sweatdropped. "…oh. Well…if you don't mind…please leave right now. We have things to discuss."
"…okay. Let's go Veemon." Davis knew that now wasn't the time to interfere; it was Etsuya time. Which meant strangers, friends, and all non-Etsuya people go out. But before he left, the Child of Miracles flashed Daichi a thumbs-up.
Daichi and Impmon were silent as Davis and Veemon left, leaving them to Mr. and Mrs. Etsuya. "…"
Yumi glanced at Seta.
Seta stared at Yumi.
Silence.
Impmon grumbled as his foot twitched. Man, what's with all the silence? These punks are ruinin' my buzz!
Finally, Yumi said, "I don't want to tiptoe around the issue, so I'll just tell you WHY I started staying out so late."
Seta nodded. "Fine…then I'll explain why I stared drinking. Ladies first."
"Hmph. Fine then…" She sighed once more. "Look…your working overtime…it was too much. For two months, you worked overtime nonstop. How's a housewife supposed to make a living when the husband is out most of the time?"
"I TOLD you about that," irritably interrupted Seta. "The company had to meet its deadline for the unveiling of a new line of microchips. Everyone was experiencing crunch time."
Yumi snorted. "Say whatever you want. That's why I made an effort to meet up with old friends. To get together with them. To find some way to occupy myself! And it worked."
"Too well," grumbled Daichi. "Once you got into it, you had a habit of not being home at all YOURSELF."
Seta finally said, "And that's why I started drinking…to erase the pain of not having my own wife here when I come home."
It was at this point that Seta, Yumi, AND Daichi figured it out…and they suddenly looked aghast.
Yumi muttered, "So you started drinking – and kept ON – because of…?"
Seta uttered, "And you kept going out because I kept…?"
"…you have got to be KIDDING ME!" roared Daichi as he angrily walked away from his folks. "I can't believe it…your whole dispute was all for NOTHING? I can't believe I have such stupid parents!" He angrily walked towards the door to his room. "I've had enough. JUST KISS AND MAKE UP ALREADY!"
SLAM!
Seta and Yumi sweatdropped as their son slammed his bedroom door shut. Suddenly, Seta started chuckling. "Well…I always imagined that when we ever got back together…the conclusion wouldn't be quite so anticlimactic."
"True enough," said Yumi. It was strange how the human heart and the human mind worked…and it was strange how fickle they were in reactions. In some cases, anger directed at another human being would last forever, no matter what happened or what the target did to appease the accuser. In other cases, the anger would simply disappear, and the accuser would wonder why it had been there in the first place.
Thankfully, it was the latter in this case.
Seta handed his wife the permission slip. "You need to sign that."
Yumi quietly read the permission slip…and frowned. "…does Daichi really want this? I mean…I may not like Digimon, but I'm nothing compared to some of the radicals. He might be-"
"AHEM. Digimon right here," indignantly muttered Impmon. Joik. "Besides…thanks to the two twerps dat just left, my partner would be more miserable than he looks. So let me just tell youse guys dis…if youse don't let me go with him to school, youse'll be cruisin' for a bruisin', if youse get my meaning."
Yumi narrowed her eyes at the little imp. "Are you threatening me?"
"I just might, toots!" retorted Impmon.
Seta, meanwhile, just chuckled. "It's not like that Yumi…he's just can't think of a nicer way to phrase his words. He's too macho."
Impmon snorted.
Yumi quietly glanced down at the permission slip. Should I…? If I do, I condemn Daichi to public ridicule…but if I don't…what will become of his joy?
Concern for her son's safety…or concern for her son's happiness.
Which one would she choose?
Which one SHOULD she choose?
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/Outside Odaiba School, Odaiba, Tuesday, November 29th, 7:39 AM/
Davis sighed as he walked towards the school with Veemon by his side. To be truthful, he was kind of wondering when his partner would dedigivolve; his partner had never gone on this long without reverting to his In-Training form. Maybe he's just gotten used to his Rookie form.
"Look Davish!"
Davis looked ahead towards the front doors of the school…and to his complete and utter joy, he saw Daichi waving goodbye to Impmon. The little purple Rookie immediately took off for the soccer field. Alright Daichi…
Veemon smiled as he exclaimed, "Yay! Lemme go say hi!" The little blue Digimon took off after Impmon.
Davis grinned as he quietly walked toward the school. A marriage had been rectified, and Daichi's partner finally got to stick with his partner 24/7…
Yes! What a great start! Nothing can slow me down today!
Unbeknownst to Davis, he was stepping into the lion's den…
And the lion was named Yolei.
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To be continued…
Next time…
Chapter 17: Attack of the Pranks
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Author's Notes: Bleh. It only took me two days to right, but this chapter went through more revisions than any other. Originally, Daichi was supposed to have found out about the Crest of Miracles, and Futa Ishisamee of all Digimon would've made an appearance to help out! But I stuck with this one to help with the happy ending factor.
(smiles) But the pranks return in the next chapter!
See you soon, and please review!