Agni Blaze knew he had messed up. Kagami Monomane was nothing like her father, Aza Nikko. Yet she was exactly like him. She was calm and confident on the outside but had his swirling hurricane on the inside. It made her all the more dangerous. And he fell for it.
Smiling at him, the jadette crossed her arms. "You might be better than me at this and you might have better skills than me, but you know what I am?" Her smile grew a bit. "I'm a master tactician. I will think through any problem. And staying awake all night with my dad to defeat you is nothing compared to everything else I've done. You might be stronger, but I'm smarter."
Baring his teeth, he glared coldly at the young girl. His hands were balled tightly into fist.
PJ was just as uneasy as his boss was. Gulping, he kept his composer as he stepped in front of the judges. "N-Now I recommend you take your time in determining who wins here." He eyed each and everyone of them. "When you've thought it all through, please, grab the plate which you would like to eat again and push it forward."
Without a moment of hesitation, there were three soft clinks as plates were placed down. Wincing, PJ looked away for a moment before looking back ahead. With a sharp exhale, he barely hid a grimace as he eyed the three plates with spoons on them.
"As good as yours was, Chef Blaze, lamb has been done time and time again." Fawn sat back in her seat. "I ate all of it, and it was very delicious and I would definitely eat it again, but Miss Monomane's ramen..."
"It was unique." Princeton continued for her. "Refreshing and purifying. It cleanses and warms your soul. Even with just one bite it set off a million different sensations in my body. I need more than just one bite of it. I need to eat it again."
"Agreed." Honoo nodded with his eyes closed. "Her's was original as well. Unlike yours." He suddenly stood over Blaze as a dark shadow swarmed around him. His eyes were glowing in the darkness. "You say no one taught you to plate like this, boy, but I know all too well this was one of Aza's original dishes." Rolling his shoulders back, he let his black robe fall off his body and onto the floor. All across his back were tattoos of flames with different cuts of meat cooking.
"I am a man of my word." He continued. "That's the only reason you were able to get my vote last time. I did want your forsaken fish over Aza's filet mignon. Only because you dared to cheat." His presence grew larger and larger. "But I was honest. I knew your time would come and you would once again get what you deserve." Reaching into his belt of knives, he pulled out a butcher's knife and lodged it into the table with a sharp thud.
"You have brought dishonor onto our family again." His eyes narrowed. "It's time for you to repent, boy."
Glancing between the two of them, Kagami blinked a few times. Taking note of the chef's missing pinky and the knife, her eyes grew wide. Stumbling a little, she slid between the two. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on." She held up her hands. "I just wanted to get my dad's place back. There's no need for that."
Slowly tilting his head down, the old man stared at her. They would have continued staring for a while, but a hand quickly jerked the jadette to the side.
"Sorry, sir!" Aza nearly fell as he pushed his daughter behind him. Quickly lowering his head, he closed his eyes. "My apologies, Honoo-Sama! Kagami doesn't know much about your practices. Or anything really. I'm so sorry!"
"Hmm..." Lowering his shoulders, he looked behind him and at Kagami. "Do you forgive him?" He suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Her head tilted.
"Do you forgive him?" He repeated.
"Um..." She blinked a few times and gulped. "For taking my dad's restaurant? I mean, I guess. It's still rude but he did just get beat by someone who isn't even nineteen yet so... I guess it's fine. Sometimes humiliation is a good teacher."
"Hmm." He rubbed his chin a little. "You've raised a good one here, Aza." He nodded a few times. "Brave, kind and smart."
"I um, I actually-" Aza started before being cut off.
"Traits I wish MY son had!" Honoo glared over at Blaze. Exhaling, he looked back. "Can I count on him still working for you here? His debt just tripled."
"What!?" Blaze's eyes grew wide. "You can't be-"
"Quiet!" The old man's voice roared. "Does he?" He spoke calmly.
Blinking a few times, Aza quickly nodded before lowering his head. "Yes, of course, Honoo-Sama."
"Good." He smiled back. Grabbing his knife and robe, he slid the knife away and put his robe back on. "Until next time." He walked past Kagami. "Monomane-Sama." He nodded. "Boy! Let's go!" He headed towards the door with a frazzled Blaze stumbling after.
Blinking rapidly, Kagami let out a very quiet sound of confusion. "...huh...?" She glanced around before looking up at her father. "What... what even just..." She shook her head. "You have weird friends."
Smiling, Aza gestured over towards where the others were sitting. Kris was still laying on the floor after falling over before and Elise was whispering to Cheyenne. "Is it weird if I think the old guy was hot?" She asked quietly just as the Faunus smacked her in the back of the head.
She really didn't know what her friends were thinking sometimes.
Back at the Monomane family home, Kris faceplanted into the couch. "I don't even know what to say about today. I hardly even know what happened honestly."
"This was definitely one of our more... unique adventures." Cheyenne agreed as she sat down at one end of the couch. "It was..." She trailed off while reaching up to scratch her antlers.
"I'm just happy we can finally do nothing and relax!" Elise exhaled while plopping into a seat at the dinner table. "Kagami's parents are both at work, her dad has his own place again, Kuro has Gurin, mama is out shopping with Aero..." She huffed while laying her head down. "I'm tired. I need a day to do nothing."
"You're the one always getting us in crazy situations!" The redhead glared over.
"Not all the time!" She defended. "It was Kagami's fault this time!"
"Please don't remind me." Kagami sat at the other end of the table. "Or anyone else." She added. Behind her, Baren rested her arm across her chest and glared.
"I mean, do you really have to be mad at her, Baren?" Cheyenne softly asked while taking her shoes off. "Everything was fine in the end."
"That's not the point." The old warrior exhaled while lowering her shoulders. "It's..." She shook her head. "It doesn't matter that everything was fine. I am very happy everything is fine. But the problem is the fact this was a situation to begin with. This never should have happened."
"But it did. I did a dumb thing." Kagami leaned back while waving her arms. "It probably won't be the last. But can we please stop talking about it." She sighed a little while tilting her chair back. "I just want to move on from this cooking thing. What's done is done."
Keeping her glare, the Baren stared at her for a moment. Hearing the doorbell ring, she took a step to the side and headed towards the door. Though not without sliding her foot underneath the jadette's chair. Hearing her hit the ground, she faintly smiled. Grabbing the door handle, she pulled it open. "Yes?"
In a light blue polo shirt, a short and plump old man held out a package along with a few letters. "Mail's here." He smiled before tilting his head. "You're not Miss Midori."
"I'm a friend visiting." She clarified while holding out her left arm. "I'll take that."
Staring at her sole arm, the mailman smiled more as he let himself inside. "I'll set it on the table for you. Don't worry."
Blinking a few times, the pinkette stood frozen in place for a moment. She didn't even have time to tell this man no and refuse his help. He just pushed past her with a smile. With a confused look, she shook her head and pulled back inside the home. Looking over, she watched as the overweight old man set the mail down and headed towards the kitchen.
"I'll go put on some tea for you. Think nothing of it." He waved his hand.
With her head up, Kris stared before looking over at Cheyenne. "Wha...?"
With an equally confused look, the Faunus shrugged. "Vytal people are weird."
"Hey!" Elise suddenly shouted. Poking the package, she grinned. "It's for Kagami!"
"Huh?" The leader of team MACE let out an audibly confused sound while laying on the floor and staring up at the ceiling. "What do you mean? We haven't even been here for a week. How did someone send me a package to a place I don't even live at?" She pushed herself up.
"Dunno." She grabbed the box and began to examine it. "Looks like there's some Mistral postage stamps on here. Who do we know that lives there?"
"Nihilus and his sister? Well, and their mother too." Cheyenne answered. "Oh, and Val. Technically Prac too but I don't know why he would send us anything."
"Unless it's a bomb and he still wants us dead!" Kris quickly sat up straight. "We're going to explode!"
"It's not a bomb." The mailman popped his head out. "Everyone likes jasmine tea, yes?" Before anyone could answer, he disappeared back into the kitchen.
"Hold... hold on! Just who do you think you are??" Baren raised her voice while storming off into the kitchen. Among the muffled talking, the name Hisato was spoken.
"Sooo..." Turning her head away, Elise snatched the box up and got up. "Let's see what's inside!" She walked over towards the coffee table and set it down.
"Wait!" Kagami quickly stepped up beside her. Nudging her out of the way, she smiled. "This is my gift. Move out of the way." Opening the box, she tossed out a bit of bubble wrap before pulling out an object neatly wrapped in bubble wrap.
As she went to unwrap it, Cheyenne leaned over. Reaching in, she pulled out a letter.
Furrowing her brow a bit, the jadette tilted her head at the strange bracer she unwrapped. "Huh. Does the letter say who it's from?" She asked while taking the bandana on her left wrist off and sliding the bracer in place. Tightening the straps, she closely examined it.
"It's from Nihilus." The Faunus replied. "He wanted to repay you for everything you've done for his sister and him and Val. So he made you-"
Flexing her wrist, a short blade sprung from the top of the bracer and across the back of Kagami's hand. Each of the girls jumped slightly as the blade made a distinct sound as it revealed itself.
"Holy shit! He made you a hidden blade!" Kris grinned with wide eyes.
"Shh, we can't say that." Elise waved her hand at her. "That's copyrighted!"
"Cool." Smiling, Kagami flexed her wrist again as the blade retracted. "Oh I like this." Her smile grew.
Continuing to read the letter, Cheyene's eyes quickly went back and forth before going wide. "Hold on! Kagami! Wait! It's not just-"
Flexing her wrist once again, the jadette expected the blade to push back out. Instead of that happening though, the blade shot out in a blur and lodged itself into the ceiling of her parent's living room. Blinking rapidly, she stared up with wide eyes.
With a yelp, Elise stumbled away. "What did you do!?" She shouted.
"How am I supposed to know?!" She turned her body to face her while jerking her arm back. "I just put it on-" She cut herself off while noticing a purple glow from the bracer. Looking up, the blade in the ceiling gained the same glow before it suddenly pulled itself free and flew back inside the bracer. "Oh." She stumbled slightly. Carefully reaching up, she slid it off and set it down. Glancing up, she eyed the hole in the ceiling. "I'm going to get grounded soon..."
"It's also a ballistic knife." Cheyenne let out along with a shaky breath. "He says to be very careful until you're used to how it works. You know," She swallowed while looking up at the hole in the ceiling. "So you don't impale anyone."
"Right..." Kagami slowly nodded. Looking back inside the package, she eyed a second item wrapped up. "What does it say this is?" She asked while unwrapping it. Slowly.
"It is..." The Faunus read ahead a little. "Oh." Her eyes widened a bit. "Oh?" Her head tilted. Setting the letter aside, she stood up and leaned over the box.
"Huh?" Kris sat up with a much more interested look now. "What is it?" She asked while moving closer.
"Ooh, what are we all looking at?" Elise stepped back over to peer inside.
"Something..." Staring inside the box, Kagami took a small step back while lowering her arms. "Something not for me." She smiled ever so slightly.