To Panic – I really, really wish there was a way for me to contact you so I can answer all of your questions. I can't do it immediately if you're always a guest reviewer. But to answer your interesting question, I'll take it into considering, although I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to approach it, or even when when I got several chapters already planned out. Well, I have one chapter I can think of that could work, but that's not for a long time.
Anyhoo, hope you'll enjoy!
Chapter Nine: Her Determination
Roused from her sleep by breakfast (somehow the light wasn't what disturbed her), Gatomon sat up with a scrunched pout and grouched, "Did you even sleep?"
"Of course I did." A wide-awake Wizardmon smiled over at her from the small kitchen, flipping an omelet.
She turned for a peek outside. "I can't even see the sunlight," she mumbled, rubbing at her eyes and getting to her feet. "Ugh..."
"It's going to take a bit to get used to all of this," he assured her as much as to himself upon glancing at what little counter space there was. "At least it's something."
"I'm not complainin' about work, Wiz."
"And our housing?"
She bobbed her head side-to-side as she stretched. "...maybe..."
Amused, he shrugged and sighed. "Well, we should at least be thankful it's a bargain. I feel like the rent would be higher if we weren't employees."
Gatomon stood awkwardly by the entranceway splitting the living space and kitchen, taking in the corner where their futons occupied. She hadn't let it fully sink in since they had to fill out paperwork once the rent was settled, and then turned in afterwards. Normally, she would've grumbled about having to sleep on a futon, but she had chosen to take what she could get for the night, and figured they'd be able to customize the room eventually.
"This was the only one they could rent out, huh?" she muttered what she thought was to herself.
"Must be." Wizardmon turned off the stove and unstuck hash browns from another pan to lay out on a plate beside the hotcakes. "It's not that big of a complex, so there must be other employees for the café."
"So why was it just Makuramon, then?"
"Hm..." After a brief pause, he pulled out more dishware. "Get the table up, please, Gatomon?"
Her tail flicked when she kicked aside the futons to do as asked, not wanting to bother folding them up at the moment. "Think all of the apartments here are the same size?"
"Possibly."
Once the table was set down, she sat with her back to the window. "Guess this counts as being 'roommates', eh?"
Wizardmon chuckled as he brought over the silverware. "Since we're splitting the rent, yes."
Gatomon crawled away to grab their (makeshift) pillows to use as cushions. "So if there are more employees, why was it just Makuramon yesterday?" she pointed out again. "Think there was a sickness going around?"
"They would've closed up if they were short-handed. Maybe they needed the business and had to stay open."
She sniffed, propping her chin on her paw. "Well... I didn't notice too many customers anyway before we got there..."
The breakfast was laid out in the middle. "There's no need to dwell on it," he reasoned with a sigh. "We wouldn't be hired if they weren't short on workers."
As he eased himself into a comfortable sitting position adjacent from her, she asked sincerely, "Was the floor alright, last night?"
Wizardmon wryly smiled. "It wasn't bad. Wasn't as rocky as the ground."
Gatomon smirked for a second before filling her plate. "I still hate futons, but I was too tired to care."
"Sounds like you should make it a habit of doing all-nighters."
She jeered briefly at his joke. "I'd much rather prefer sleeping on the table if I can. Not like it'd be any different..."
Shrugging, the Data took his turn when she passed it on. "We'll figure something out."
That was his response she knew he wouldn't expand on. Biting into a hotcake, she mused as she glanced around, "I wonder if the previous renter left anything here..."
He snorted, briefly casting his eyes about the empty room. "We'll go treasure hunting after work."
She fought back a groan, returning her attention to her plate. "I should probably let Kari know about this..."
"Would she be up at this time?"
"The computer wouldn't be." She tried to shrug it off. "I guess I'll check in later, then."
Wizardmon dropped his fork to reach inside his vest. "In which case, would you like to have a computer or television set in the corner?"
"Yeah, I think in... that corner..." Gatomon trailed off when he pulled out a familiar portable TV, then ducked her head to laugh.
"There was no way I could hide this any longer," he admitted, grinning. "It's a nice one, too, I'd hate to lose it."
Getting up and refusing to look him in the eye because she knew she'd burst out howling, she took it from him and set it down in the farthest corner. She deeply inhaled and bit her lip to calm herself before returning to the table to resume eating—but couldn't keep a straight face. "Damn it, Wiz," she chuckled, peering up at him.
"Had to get something off my chest this morning."
She pushed him (playfully, but still roughly). "Stooop, it's too early!"
Snickering, Wizardmon ruffled up the fur on her head, and she swiped his hand away in light retaliation. Staring down at her, his expression softened. "How're we going to explain this to her without it sounding awkward?" he whispered out.
She raised a brow at him, still smiling. "What do you mean by that?"
He waived it off. "Just talking to myself."
Nearly a half-hour later, they were on their way to the café, résumés in hand, the crack of dawn on the horizon. The light from the overhead lamps created a homey glow Gatomon couldn't remember it being like the previous evening. Makuramon nearly slid out of the kitchen on cue of the jingle, his cap slipping off in the process.
"Good morning, you two!" he greeted, looking a little too chipper for someone who almost pecked the floor.
"Good morning, Makuramon," they answered back (though Gatomon nearly mumbled it).
"You two did pretty well yesterday with little training, I kind of don't want to put you through it." The simian grinned as he shrugged. "But it's protocol, and my ass will be on the line if somehow the kitchen caught fire because it was 'skipped'."
"I'd promise you that'll never happen, but now I'm not so sure," Wizardmon quipped.
Makuramon then clapped his hands together. "Good, good! Arbormon will be right out any minute now, but he told me to go ahead and show you the works. As for Miss Gatomon, you should go get yourself ready. Your supervisor will be with you shortly."
She blinked. "Is it the absent waitress?"
The Data nodded, face like stone. "You will be just fine."
"That wasn't the concern," she mumbled, shooting her companion a glance. It was then she noticed Wizardmon had his hair tied up at the nape, so it still hung low, but it wasn't as loose as before. She couldn't help staring in disarray, wondering why she had just realized it.
"Well, right this way, Wizardmo—"
"Just a moment, Makuramon."
They turned to Arbormon as he arrived around the corner, a second figure stepping out from behind. Gatomon and Wizardmon both stared in surprise at the ebony feline, her golden irises coldly studying them and tail swaying sharply at the tip. When their gazes locked, the fur bristled as her lips curled over her fangs.
"I knew something smelled fishy," was the hiss, arms folding tightly. "I'm insulted."
Pupils contracting, Gatomon returned the leer, though she swerved it over to Makuramon as she spoke, "This explains everything."
The cyborg immediately stepped in. "This is BlackGatomon, your co-worker. I've asked her to be your supervisor, Gatomon."
"It was a last minute request," she sniffed, her tail whipping in a zigzag.
"We couldn't contact you last night, Bea." If it was an apology, it had to have been the umpteenth time judging from the weary tone. "I was surprised as well when I hired Wizardmon and Gatomon on the spot."
BlackGatomon's brow twitched. "You know I hate surprises."
"Well, nice to meet you, too," Gatomon grumbled, catching herself too late. The mage had to suppress a facepalm, though he couldn't hold off a small groan.
An ear twitched, and the Virus sneered. "Drop that attitude."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me—"
Arbormon cut her off by clearing his throat in warning, then addressed to Gatomon, "I expect there to be no problems on your first day."
She kept a steely eye on the other feline as she replied in a tight voice, "I will do my best, sir."
The atmosphere became increasingly tense the longer they stared at each other, Gatomon hardly noticing the others becoming uncomfortable about it. She nearly missed hearing the go-ahead and Makuramon whisking Wizardmon into the kitchen, leaving the two to themselves. BlackGatomon sniffed and straightened up, but still kept her gaze locked with her counterpart.
"I heard you made an impression on some customers yesterday," she broke the ice, not sounding impressed herself.
Gatomon's neck prickled at the reminder. "Apparently I did."
"The 'one day special' back by popular demand. Never thought I'd say that to something off-menu."
"Are you making fun of me?"
The golden irises gleamed at the flash of teeth, and BlackGatomon tilted her head toward the back. "Let us go dress, first, and I'll show you the works." She turned around gracefully, her head held high as she led the way. "Do you have a uniform?" she then asked, albeit nonchalantly.
Burning a hole into the back of her skull, Gatomon answered, "I returned it to the changing room yesterday."
"Ugh, do we need to get a new set, then?"
She frowned, flexing her paws. "Sorry we're the same size."
The dark cat whipped around to hold a claw to her chin, eyes darkening. "You Holy Beasts are all the same," she sneered, voice deadly. "You look down on us Demon Beasts just because we're of a different attribute than you. It's not our damn fault our coding turned out to be malicious, but then you go around 'troubleshooting' everything."
"Just wait a damn minute," Gatomon growled back, whiskers bristling. "What makes you think I do those things? I've never even heard of a 'demon holy beast' until now."
BlackGatomon bared a fang. "Are you pulling my tail?"
"I only know of Vaccine, Virus, and Data Digimon. I've known plenty of Virus Digimon like yourself who were angry with the world, but I don't care what it is you do as long as you're not threatening our way of life. It's the way we work: you leave me alone, I leave you alone." Despite feeling her blood boiling, she pushed the intruding paw away for room. "I don't want to start a cat fight so soon over something so trivial."
A hum in her throat, the Virus stepped away to grab the doorknob. "There's something different about you. It intrigues me... Well, we can settle this later." She ushered her inside and nearly slammed the door shut. "Which one did you use?"
Gatomon looked away long enough to point at it.
"Then it's yours." BlackGatomon tossed her gloves into a locker before swiping the closest uniform off a nearby rack. "Search it first, though. If you find anything odd, just throw it in the trash where is belongs. Oh, and wipe your feet so you don't stain the stockings."
The scorn left her ruffled up as she did as told. Once everything was secure (she still didn't like it), she followed BlackGatomon out of the room to begin protocol, even though it was more-or-less the same things she had done yesterday, but with more instructions and "proper etiquette". It was still quiet in the café, so they could hear Makuramon beyond the kitchen doors amid the bustling about in preparing the first courses.
"Can you sing and dance?" came an odd question as they returned to the dining area after going over janitorial duties.
Gatomon blinked, unsure what to make of it since they weren't on good terms at the moment. "Eh? What for?"
Stopping in front of the rainbow portrait, BlackGatomon gestured to the dais. "Every now and then, we set aside some time to entertain the customers. So do you know how to sing and dance?"
With a curled lip, the Champion crossed her arms. "I sing and dance, but only when I feel like it. Just not at the same time."
"I take it that's a 'no'."
"No, I can!" The headpiece nearly fell off from how quickly she swerved her head.
Her supervisor rolled her eyes. "Let's hear it, then. Not much, a couple of verses will do."
Gatomon had to think for a moment before she settled on a song she recalled Kari liking for a while. Though self-conscious about her voice, she kept it short, and didn't bother trying to sway about.
BlackGatomon remained rather neutral after she finished. "Hm. You got a somber drawl going on, but not bad, I suppose."
"Why does that matter?"
"It's not what we sing here. We want to make the clientele happy, not depressed. It's like this."
It was like her countenance suddenly changed as she moved about and sang a tune with a small smile on her face. Although it caught her off-guard and made her fluster, Gatomon couldn't help thinking it sounded familiar.
"You get it?" she questioned, her composure dropped to normal. "Try it."
So she did.
BlackGatomon's face faulted before she finished. "...this is going to be a problem."
"What, did I ruin that bubbly image?" the Vaccine snipped.
"More like I don't think your voice is cut out for it. And you're too tense."
Gatomon's fur puffed up. "So what if I'm not as good of a singer and dancer?"
"I never said you were bad. The dancing was to be expected since you need to learn the dance moves." It was hard to tell if the smirk was intentionally smug or gloomy when she turned away. "We're just going to have to wait for you to make your debut while I come up with a decent list of songs you can do."
Refusing to be left in the dark, Gatomon demanded, "I want to see the list. I'll tell you which ones I know."
With a shrug, the dark feline went over to the machine and tossed over a booklet. "If you want to hear the songs, I'll wake this up."
She curtly nodded before flipping through, her brows steadily furrowing as she remembered why it was familiar. "Is this a karaoke bar?" she muttered, wondering what she got herself into. Once the music (loudly) started playing and she glanced up at the words—the playlist—on the monitor, Gatomon's jaw slacked the more pages she looked at.
"Is something the matter?" BlackGatomon purred, looking amused.
Now realizing the music was sounding familiar, she picked up the remote to scroll through the list. "These are from the human world."
The Virus shrugged. "They're very popular."
"...I think I've heard these on TV..." Gatomon then blinked at a particular title. "'Bludgeoning' what?"
"That's the manager's favorite," her co-worker sighed, propping her chin. "He requests it once every week, and I hate every minute of it."
She made the mistake of choosing it to play. Although the opening notes made her cringe (not helped by the way it blasted through the speakers and attracted Wizardmon's attention), the moment the words appeared on the screen, she just about lost it. "Are you kidding me!"
"Yeah, I'm not a fan of his tastes, either," she could barely hear BlackGatomon shouting over the music.
"THAT BASTARD MADE ME RECITE SOMETHING SO DISGUSTING AS THIS!?"
Makuramon, donned in an apron and hairnet like Wizardmon while still wearing his cap, poked his head in. "You rang?"
The remote slammed squarely into his face.
"Gatomon!" her friend gasped, catching him as he fell with a dazed expression.
"What the hell is with this selection?!" she screamed, her tail frizzled. "They're nothing but songs from cartoons in the human world!"
"Makuramon happened upon them one day, and liked them so much, he decided to showcase it in our café," BlackGatomon explained once she stopped the song. "It's attracted many-a customer since."
"This is disgraceful!"
"This happens to be my favorite."
Gatomon's ear flicked from the intro riff and bells. "Hey, I recognize that. That's Kari's favorite show." She stared at the lyrics to confirm it, then returned to scowling. "But it still doesn't excuse this line-up!"
The black cat shut off the machine to push it back into the corner. "Just so you know, no one's making you sing these," she stressed matter-of-factly. "Regardless, I'll still have to go through and find the ones that'll fit your style. That's going to take a while."
"No, thank you! I'll go through on my own and find the ones I can sing!"
BlackGatomon "hmph"ed, lazily waving her paw. "Suit yourself. Look through the song list on your own time, and find something by the end of the week." Then with a crooked beam, she added, "And remember: bubbly image."
Gatomon fumed.
The first hour started right when they finished protocol, and Gatomon wondered if she even had been prepared for it. Although the first customers of the day were greeted by the two of them in unison, they hardly seemed to have cared and were mainly BlackGatomon's to wait on, who acted like a different person in their sights. The next group that followed after were Gatomon's, but they were nonchalant about it unlike the others who more-or-less fawned over the dark feline, and didn't care who jumped in to answer their orders. Her supervisor had experience in dealing with them while keeping them satisfied, it showed in her movements and in her tone of voice. When the Vaccine tried to copy it, she sounded strained and she was clumsy in her stance, which her table quickly noticed and snickered at.
Possibly because of word of mouth, the next batches almost couldn't believe their eyes to see double and one (briefly) squabbled over who they wanted as their waitress. It was a step up from earlier, however, all but one in that group found favor with BlackGatomon by the end despite Gatomon's efforts in offering good service. The morning would go on without much trouble afterwards, but it wasn't helped that the Virus was hitting all the right marks, even once shooting a smug smile her way as she passed to deliver her table's meals. Upon pawing at the booklet stuffed in a pocket, a nerve was struck and Gatomon's competitive nature kicked in so she could blaze through with more determination, even willing to skip her lunch break until persuaded against it.
For a good half-hour during lunch hours, BlackGatomon had a one-'Mon song-and-dance show for the customers, whose full attention was on her even as their cups were filled and meals were delivered; even Wizardmon and Makuramon (although he was cleaning the glasses at the bar) had paused for a listen. As much as it irritated her, Gatomon had to admit to herself her co-worker blew everything out of the water, even if she did it to show off her skills.
"Any last requests?" the black cat then inquired over the microphone, and hands immediately shot back up and voices drowned each other out.
Except for one: "How about the manager's pick?"
In perfect unison, both felines' faces fell, though BlackGatomon was quick to pull herself back together to point the remote over her shoulder. "Manager's pick, it is!" she crowed with a half-smile, visibly empathizing with a few customers' dissatisfaction.
It was all Gatomon could do to keep composure as the first dreaded notes played and the first lines (if she could even call the words that) were sung in a sugary voice. She slipped into the kitchen quick as possible hoping for some solace, but it didn't help. "It's-in-my-head," she seethed, pressing down her ears.
Wizardmon glanced over with a look of pity. "We still have the dinner hours to look forward to," he informed her, which did nothing to soothe the pain.
She wanted to smash her head through the oven at the chorus. How could BlackGatomon stand singing it? "Wizardmoooon, please tell me you have something to get rid of ear worms," she pleaded through her teeth, knowing she'd never live it down.
"Selective hearing helps. Oh, here's table three's order." He handed her a large platter, promptly kicking her from the protection of the kitchen. Gatomon had to make sure she was presentable before stepping out, almost losing face when she got wind of Makuramon humming and swayingalong with the music.
Soon after a large portion of customers left at the end of the performance, BlackGatomon stepped up to her as she was cleaning a table. "You get the gist of it, now?"
Stiffly nodding, the Vaccine replied back flatly, "You sure know how to knock 'em dead."
With narrowed eyes and flick of the tail, her supervisor sniffed, "Just so you know, most of it is for presentation, not flaunting."
"I could see that," Gatomon muttered, not wanting to meet her stare again.
"At least pretend to show some interest," was the scoff when she walked away. "It'll be your turn one day."
"Like hell I'm singing that," she hissed to the side, scrubbing wildly.
There was temporary relief when activity had a small spike before quietening by closing time, which Gatomon faced with a plastic smile and last bursts of energy. She may now have come to hate standing, and she might have popped a vein, and might never get certain customers' smells out, but anything to keep her mind focused on work was worth it. Even Makuramon's compliments on her cleaning up were welcomed, and he still was unsettling.
And right as she was taking off her uniform, her paw bumped against the booklet and it all came flooding back.
"You did good out there," BlackGatomon said, ignorant of her co-worker's motionlessness. "Not sure why you would want a full-time position here, but outside of that rocky start, you caught on fast. I do think you lucked out with the customers, though. Most of the past waitresses who had to put up with them almost immediately ended up leaving not long afterwards. You must have some experience—" She stared at the shadow that fell over the Vaccine's face just to glance down at booklet steadily being crushed in her paw. With a quiet sigh of indifference, she shrugged it off and finished up without her.
Once Arbormon dismissed and granted permission for them to borrow the karaoke machine, Wizardmon and Gatomon returned home with the equipment. The feline's mood had soured and remained so even after the mage hooked up the TV. Wordlessly scrolling through the list left her in a half-dazed, half-irritated slump while he made dinner. On occasion, her ears twitched as she took note of the songs she recognized and didn't mind, though she didn't stop glowering at others that rubbed her the wrong way.
"Is there anything I can do, Gatomon?" Wizardmon later offered as he let dinner simmer.
"No," was the huff. "I'll be fine."
He sighed to himself, leaning up against the frame. "So do you know most of them?"
"By ear. It's different hearing them in the real world, I at least wasn't being pressured to sing."
"You only need one for now. You could go for that one—how's it go?" he mulled over in singsong. "The one that goes 'pipiru piru piru pi—'"
"I will clock you upside the head if you mention that again," she growled in his smirking mug.
Finished with the one disc, she put in another and Wizardmon returned to tending the food. To start it off, some of them didn't sound too bad, she thought, but it wasn't any better if only because the lyrics were in English Digicode and she couldn't keep up.
"Are you kidding me?" she grumbled over the blaring trumpet. "Where's he getting all these songs from?"
Wizardmon peered over his shoulder to look at the screen for a moment. "No one's forcing you to memorize them."
"I know, but I think it's ridiculous he has such a selection."
"I think someone needs to stop turning their little pussycat nose up at everything and just relax a little."
She glared at him, and skipped to the next song. The overture made the mage pause that Gatomon didn't catch, although her ears had perked in interest. Even before the lyrics came up, she read through its entry in the booklet, her brows knitted.
"I feel like... I know this from somewhere," she mused.
"The world makes a turn, and time crawls to a stop. The lights fade into nothingness..."
"What're you mumbling over there?"
Wizardmon cleared his throat. "I was just... going over the melody," he fibbed, smiling over at her.
Gatomon gave him a suspicious glance. "Do you know this song?"
He turned away a little too quickly, she noticed. "It's a well-known song. I'm surprised you don't recognize it."
"The lyrics are familiar, I just don't remember where I know it from."
"Read them off for me."
"Uh... 'The world turns once and the clock stops its needle... The darkness swallows the light... And there we remain...'" She trailed off, frowning as she read further. "This doesn't really rhyme. What kind of song is this?"
Wizardmon chuckled to himself. "To be fair, it was never about the rhyming as it was the composition. As long as the words match without throwing off the accompaniment, that's what matters in the end."
"You know about music, Wizardmon?"
"A bit. You'd be a bit surprised how well magic and music go together. Anyway, dinner's ready," he then steered the subject. "You can go back to it later."
They ate in silence, Gatomon keeping her eyes down to write out a list. The Wizard Digimon glanced over on occasion, taking note of how little she ate at a time, her stare glazed over and whiskers drooped.
"When were you going to tell Kari?" he reminded her.
Her eyelids and brows twitched. "Oh yeah," she mumbled, then expelled a sigh. "I think I still have time to get a hold of her—"
"You don't have to right now," he interjected when she moved to get up, list in hand.
"No, I might as well. I need to ask her to look these songs up for me, anyway."
Wizardmon watched her set aside the equipment and move the antenna and dials to tune into a channel that would allow connection to the Digi-Port. It was still open, though no answer came immediately. "Wonder if they're busy," she muttered, tapping a claw on the floor.
"You can try again after we've finished eating," the mage suggested. "They might be having dinner themselves."
"Just give me a minute..."
He took a long breath, straightening up when Tai's face blinked onto the screen. "Oh, Gatomon!" he greeted.
"Sorry if I came in at the wrong time, Tai."
"You couldn't have timed it better." He grinned and sat back a little. "I'll go get Kari for you."
"Thanks," she said before he walked away. She then glanced over her shoulder with a smile. "You want to tell her, Wiz?"
"Do you mean to ask for advice in how to tell her?" he corrected slyly.
Gatomon scowled for a moment until Kari sat down. "Evening, Gatomon."
"Hey, can I ask a favor?" she inquired off the bat.
The girl tilted her head. "Oh? Is something the matter?"
"Eh... kind of?" She skimmed over the list, lightly biting her lip. "It's for work."
Kari looked past Gatomon. "Are you there right now?"
"No, I'm in the apartment. Wizardmon and I are in the middle of eating." She leaned over a little to bring him into view, so he gave a polite wave when he was spotted.
"You have an apartment now?" came the echo, umber eyes wide in interest.
"Yeah, our boss leased it to us. We just had our first day today."
Clasping her hands, Kari beamed. "That's great news, Gatomon! Where're you at?"
"It's this little café called Northern Starglow. He's the cook, and I'm waiting tables." It was nearly said through her teeth, but she put up a front for her partner.
The explanation excited her further. "I'm so happy for you, Gatomon! That sounds like a lot of fun!"
Gatomon had to bite back a sigh. "Yeah, I guess. But uh... a-anyway, can you look up some songs so I can listen to them later?"
"Sure, I can try. How many songs do you need?"
Her ears and tail lowered as she stared at the list and the booklet. "...a whole lot. I have to memorize them by the end of the week."
"Not all of them," Wizardmon spoke up. "One should be just fine."
Kari giggled when her partner glowered. "Do you have a way to send this list over for me to look at?"
Gatomon's face faulted some more. "No... should I read them out to you?"
As she did, the mage could tell by the DigiDestined's expressive smile she was amused and aware of what she was being told. The feline was clearly attempting to hide some embarrassment with each title she read off, though her voice was starting to betray her.
Upon finishing jotting down the list, Kari held it up with a smile. "I'll check them out when I can. T.K. and Yolei might be able to help, too."
"Thanks a lot, Kari," Gatomon thanked her through a sigh, reaching up for the dial. "Oh, is the Halloween thing still going on, by the way?"
"For Shibuya? Yeah, we still have plans to go. If you're unable to because of work, that's understandable."
"I'll let you know, but yeah, I don't think we'll be getting off early."
"I'll take lots of pictures for you." Glancing over, the girl then waved. "You two have a good night."
"Good night, Kari." The connection ended before Gatomon could turn the knob. Her façade dropped right as she returned to her seat at the table without another word.
Wizardmon chose to hold his tongue for the next few moments to wait for her next move, but she quietly resumed eating. He saw at a glance she was tuning everything out and looking ready to fall asleep at the ready, which he couldn't help wryly smiling at.
"I don't think I can go back," she mumbled.
He could hear alarms ringing in his head from the statement. "What do you mean, Gatomon?"
"It takes up too much energy going back-and-forth like that."
"Was it really that busy today?" He slightly frowned in thought. "I mean, it's rather monotonous since you're just doing the same things for different clientele, but—"
"Not that, Wiz. I'm talking 'bout going back-and-forth between the DigiWorld and human world."
Wizardmon straightened up with a nod. "I see."
Gatomon let out a slow sigh as her utensil went limp in her paw. "It was bound to happen sooner or later, I suppose..."
Sensing the mood turning sour, the mage cleared his throat as he eyed the list she left on the floor. "If you want, Gatomon, I can help you memorize the song I know. It'd save you some time," he added when she gave him a look.
"...thanks." It wasn't of relief or even of gladness, but he could tell there was less anxiety present on her face.
They spent the rest of dinner in silence, more for breathing room than out of awkwardness.
Kari stuck around in her father's office a little longer, tapping the desk as she gave the list a scan to mentally check off titles. While she was happy about what Gatomon said, she kept thinking back to her tired expression as she glanced at the calendar. If her intuitions were correct, she was going to be kept busy with work, and there was no way she had wiggle room so early in her schedule. Even though Wizardmon was there, guilt began to brew in the girl the longer she thought about it.
She had been sitting on a thought for a while having foreseen such a complication popping up down the road—school-wise, as the pressure to study for the entrance exams had been looming over them for months. While her mother's trust in her to be on top of her studies was what gave her leeway to attend the Halloween festive, she couldn't speak for the others. And now with new development on Gatomon's end, she wanted a second opinion.
Crossing the apartment to her room (and stepping around Miko where she rested), Kari picked up her cellphone off her bed and called the first contact number she glanced at.
T.K. picked up two rings later. "What's up, Kari?" he greeted.
Before she could get a word out, she heard in the background, "Hey, how come Kari calls you?"
"I take it I'm interrupting study hour?" she guessed with a laugh.
"We're just taking a break right now. Is there something you need?"
Kari hummed a little. "Well, I've been thinking we should consider a change of plans for Halloween."
"But Veemon and I worked so hard on our costumes!" Davis whined (sounding closer to the phone), then quickly composed himself. "Wait a second, are you unable to make it, Kari?"
"It's not that, although I have a sneaking suspicion at least one of us is going to get a lot of homework that night." There was a sound of protest from the boy when she glimpsed at the pictures on her desk. "But that's not all I'm calling about. I think you guys might like to hear some good news."
Cheek propped on a paw, Gatomon blankly stared at the windows, absentmindedly rubbing a cloth in circles on the tabletop. "I hate Mondays," she mumbled under her breath.
Of all her luck, just when she was getting used to the hustle and bustle of the café (as well as the uniform) of her first week, it had to be a slow day. After a steady breakfast rush and a couple of groups that came by for a casual lunch, it settled down before the clock struck two, and only a few individuals trickled in since. In between customers, she made sure everything was clean and orderly as she was trained, but then had nothing to do afterwards outside of her own lunch break. It was just her in the dining area: BlackGatomon left her on her own sometime ago to do whatever in the back room, Makuramon had manager duties to take care of, and Arbormon checked up on her once before leaving for someplace. Even Wizardmon was keeping himself busy in the kitchen, though she wasn't exactly allowed to dawdle and chat there during the day.
She figured she could go out and attract more customers (and some brownie points with her boss), but there hadn't been a single passers-by in hours. And then there was the fact that if she so much as scuffed up the shoes, BlackGatomon would throw a hissy fit. Not that she particularly cared what her supervisor thought given how strict and smug she was about everything, though after nearly getting her ear chewed off just for having the headpiece tied tight so it wouldn't slip off, she didn't want to go through that ordeal again else she herself were to snap.
Twirling the cloth around her paw, she huffed to herself, "Boy, business sure is booming."
As if on cue, the bell tinkled rapidly, prompting Gatomon to hop up to greet the customers, and barely getting the recited words of welcome out when she saw who it was. Davis and Veemon, costumed as a knight and dragon, respectively, took in the place for a moment after rushing in before they turned to her and their jaws dropped.
"Whoa, no way!" they exclaimed in unison, the boy's (fake) helmet slipping off his head.
Kari poked her head around and then gasped, stepping on over to reveal herself dressed as a black cat. "Oh, look at you!"
After the shock wore off, the Champion smiled up at her, glancing at the fake ears atop of her head. "Ah, but Shibuya? Isn't it tonight?"
"Yeah, but we can't really go because of school work. So we decided to come bring it over for a little while." Her partner grinned at the gang as they crowded in for a look. "I think we'll fit right in with this little café."
"That is really adorable on you, Gatomon!" Yolei cooed, wearing a long purple gown and yellow contacts. Ken gave a nod, his long cloak almost hiding the skull and crossbones on his front. Both Wormmon and Hawkmon were perched on his shoulders, with the latter somehow dyed all black.
"Could've eased up on the gold, though," Cody noted, the only one not dressed in a costume. "Almost mistook you for Armadillomon."
"Lighten up, kid," his Digimon spoke up, looking a little dejected.
When T.K. came around donned in black robes and a school uniform, Patamon perched on his shoulder, he added with a wink, "He's just teasing. You look great."
Straightening up, Gatomon managed her best smile. "Table for eleven, then?"
Once everyone was settled down and they placed their orders (no less from Davis and Veemon), and Makuramon had been introduced when he returned, she had nothing better to do and decided to join in the chatting during the wait. She didn't mind answering their questions about the job and how she was doing, but what she missed the most was just being there, sitting comfortably among the others as they talked and hung out and perhaps sneaking a cat nap in Kari's lap—which she realized she was daydreaming about when Wizardmon helped bring out the orders. He didn't stay long afterwards, content instead with seeing them all again (as well as getting praises for his cooking, with T.K. admitting to now believing Kari).
At one point in the middle of refilling drinks, Gatomon noticed at the corner of her eye Veemon was peeking up her skirt. So did Davis, and he had to derail the current discussion of what had happened in gym class to bring attention to it. "Whoa, buddy, what're you doing?!"
"Isn't this what you're supposed to do when you're at a restaurant?" he asked, genuinely confused by the outburst.
"No! It's rude and an invasion of privacy!"
"Besides, Veemon, there's nothing up there that you haven't seen before," T.K. noted, a sly smile on his face. "She's usually naked anyway."
Everyone but the Digimon were choking on their laughs. Only Gatomon had noticed Makuramon had to duck behind the counter, which she wasn't happy about on top of everything else.
"Oh, my God," Kari giggled through her hand, "you went too far."
"That's nasty," Ken snickered.
"But T.K., we're all naked," Patamon pointed out, though he was smiling.
"Not that you can't see nothing on me, anyway," Armadillomon blurted out, gesturing to himself.
Cody covering his face was the catalyst for everyone to get louder. Though she was flustered, Gatomon couldn't help a scoff, looking away in time to spot BlackGatomon's tail disappearing around the corner.
"Say, isn't it about that time?" Makuramon piped up at the bar after quickly recovering, trying to be subtle about it only to drop it in the next sentence. "How about a one-'Mon show for the customers?"
The DigiDestined all took interest at the announcement, turning to the now-stiff feline for her response. "Isn't it a day early?" she inquired through her teeth, realizing she actually didn't know the performance schedule. She had memorized a song as she promised thanks to Wizardmon's help (and she was grateful Kari went out of her way to get her the songs for reference), but she still didn't participate in them all of last week.
"Ooh, does he mean what I think it means?" Yolei teased behind her fingers.
"Do it, Gatomon!" Davis and Veemon goaded, fists pumped in the air.
She stared at them in near-disbelief before her gaze darted to Kari, who was smiling and nodding in encouragement. And from that, she understood why they had stopped by so suddenly. Almost reluctantly, she avoided interaction to boot up the karaoke and mentally psyche herself into it, trying to block out the cheering and chanting going on behind her.
"You don't have stage fright, do you, Gatomon?" T.K. asked either in concern or curiosity, she couldn't tell. His inquiry at the very least brought the noise level down a notch.
Quickly, she replied with a sharp "No, of course not!", whirling around to face her audience with a smile of assurance (she hoped).
They looked her over for a silent moment before Davis' grin widened once more. "Don't listen to this party pooper and just go for it!"
"Yeah, don't listen to him!" Patamon echoed as his ears twitched. "And not because I'm running him over with a bus!"
"It's 'throw him under the bus'," Yolei corrected before adding, "and I third it! You go, girl!"
Wringing the remote in her paws, Gatomon's eyes scanned her friends the more they expressed their support, taking in the glow on their faces. Movement at the edge of her peripheral got her to glimpse over to where Wizardmon stood in the doorway, giving a nod and a thumbs up when their gazes crossed. Makuramon was cleaning the glasses again wearing his trademark smile that still unnerved her, though it looked softer and friendly and seemed to remind her "There's a first for everything". Or he was visibly trying to hold back from recommending "the manager's pick" as her first performance piece, it was hard to tell with him.
With a breath, the feline put in the disc she wanted and scrolled her way to her pick. Hopping onto the platform, she pressed the play button and closed her eyes for another breath, letting the overture sweep her away back to the apartment for that moment. Just like how Wizardmon taught me, she reminded herself before opening her mouth for the first notes:
"The world turns once and the clock stops its needle.
The darkness swallows the light
And there we remain, lost in time,
Daring to dream just a while longer."
She couldn't exactly register her friends' expressions while concentrating, so she had to guess based on their silence it was going alright. Even if she was assaulting their eardrums in one way or another, if anything, she was glad they were being courteous unlike most of the customers whenever BlackGatomon was performing. That behavior never did appeal to her, but neither did jeering.
"Give away pieces of my heart and soul
And of my weary bones.
Bleed me dry as I breathe
Before I speak my mind.
But of these time cannot erase
Memories of me and my days with you."
There had to be a reason the song was included on the karaoke, she thought. Not that she cared for the others (save for the one she was pushing from her mind), but it was different. It wasn't that she didn't believe Wizardmon when he said it was well-known, it was just the tone couldn't allow for a "bubbly image" the café wanted to present. Gatomon had to wonder if her supervisor was even aware of it when she had brought it up.
For all she knew, the upbeat melody might've thrown her off and she just didn't think of it. Perhaps this was meant to be danced to after all.
"Vagabonds we have become,
Shifting through the sands of time.
The world suddenly stops and you slip away.
Is this how your journeys end?
May the gods plead your case..."
During the instrumental break after the chorus, Gatomon briefly returned to reality for a quick peek at the reception. The Digimon and Makuramon swayed in tune to the music (Veemon consciously making the effort to not loudly clap along), looking lost in reminiscence. For it being the first time hearing the song, Kari and the others listened intently with content smiles on their faces, Davis the most lively in mimicking his partner. Wizardmon looked to be following along with a bob of the head, not in the conducting sense as he was keeping tabs. Based on his smile and the brief acknowledging wink she caught, he was pleased.
She became aware of her voice having leveled out when she resumed singing, but by then she was no longer caring how she sounded. Just what was she even worried about to begin with? She had attended karaoke before and got to experience everyone's singing voice at least once, and she thanked her lucky stars she was no Agumon. Then again, that alone would've prevented her from keeping the job if BlackGatomon were to have her way.
"And should the world fade before our time,
Promise we'll smile at the end.
With a raise of the glass and a 'Here's to us!'
I hope to see you on the other side."
It wasn't how she practiced and only Wizardmon would've known, but she purposefully lowered her voice on the long note so she wouldn't feel like passing out. Dropping her arm, Gatomon gave a bow and took a breath as her audience clapped and cheered. She allowed herself to be flattered by the heap of praises they were piling on over each other, but took to heart Kari's own words:
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, Gatomon."
She reflected on it as they paid and headed out with a wave of goodbye just before the dinner rush, and it stayed on the back of her mind the rest of the night. When she returned to her shift, BlackGatomon was the same as ever, but she could tell from a glance there was a change in the Virus Digimon's attitude from the way she was avoiding her. She chose to not let it bother her, not while Makuramon's smile suddenly didn't look as uncanny as before.
Arbormon still had of yet to return by the time they clocked out, so the simian saw them off with a wave and a "Good work, today!" On the way back to the apartment in good spirits, Wizardmon finally gave his compliment. "You did good up there."
Rubbing the back of her neck, Gatomon averted her eyes, mouth curled to the side. "Well... I could've done other songs, but well..." Her tail whipped in slight irritation, not wanting to ruin the good mood she was in. "I just didn't feel like showing off today."
He quietly chuckled. "Practice makes perfect, you know."
"Yeah, I know. I just don't care for singing or dancing, but a paycheck's a paycheck, and Kari went through all that trouble getting those songs for me. So I might as well enjoy myself from now on, like she said."
Had it not been for Wizardmon immediately humming an irritably familiar tune and her kicking him in the calf in return, it would've been a nice lesson to end the day on.