Vincent: Hello? Is anyone home? Knock, knock!
Victor (to Vincent): Dad?! What are you doing here? Is everything alright? Nothing happened did it?
Vincent (to Victor): Everything is fine, kiddo. Don't fret. I just popped in to see how everyone was holding up. Where is the crew?
Victor (to Vincent): Oh. Good! Uncle Eddie is at work, Mars and Gabe are in school, and Aunt Mouse went shopping.
Vincent (to Victor): Well, that works out. I wanted to have a talk with you as well. It's time well past time I told you about Hiiri.
Several hours later:
Victor: God... I wonder what normal people's lives are like?
Vincent (to Mouse): Hey, hun. Give me a hug, before I scoot. I'm headed back.
Mouse (to Vincent): Of course. You & Victor were talking for a long time. Everything okay?
Vincent (to Mouse): I hope everything will be alright. I told him about Hiiri. He's pretty upset. Understandably.
Mouse (to Vincent): Oh, did you tell him everything?
Vincent (to Mouse): Yes. God help the poor kid. I didn't want Hiiri being able to ambush him, because we KNOW how much she loves to do that. Plus, he needed to know. Both what kind of person Hiiri is, and what she can drive people to do. He's old enough to understand. I hope.
Mouse (to Vincent): I know. I just wish it wasn't the case. Are you really heading back now? Don't you want to stay & make sure he's okay?
Vincent (to Mouse): Heh. Why do you think I was with him so long. He asked for some time to himself to process it all. And, if I'm asking him to act like an adult about it, I'm going to have to be willing to treat him like one. That doesn't mean I won't be checking up on him tomorrow morning, and asking you to keep an eye on him, of course.
Mouse (to Vincent): Oh yes of course. It was silly of me to think otherwise. You & Poppy be careful, okay?
Vincent (to Mouse): We will. You lot be careful as well. I'll see you tomorrow morning.
Mouse (to Vincent): See you then, little brother.
Yukiko: Oh god, i just got back from meeting my mother's idea of the "perfect husband"... It wasn't pleasant at all. Can I run away? I think I need to go for a walk & decompress after all of that.
A couple hours later:
Yukiko: Pssst... Mars, are you awake? ... I really hope that's the right window.
Victor (to Yukiko): Alright. Who the hell is out there? I've got a... Um. Don't worry about what I've got. I've got a weapon.
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh, I'm terribly sorry, Victor. I thought that was Mars' room.
Victor (to Yukiko): Yoyo?! I mean, Ms. Kobayashi? I'm so sorry! I didn't realize it was you. Why are you on my Aunt's porch?
Yukiko (to Victor): I was out for a walk... and, I needed someone to talk to, but if Mars is asleep, I guess I'll just walk back to the dorm.
Victor (to Yukiko): I'm not sure. I haven't ventured out into the rest of the house for a few hours. Would you like me to check?
Yukiko (to Victor): No, that's okay... I'll just work it out on my own... I'm sorry to have bothered you.
Victor (to Yukiko): It was no bother. If you want someone to talk to, I'm a good listener, and honestly, I wouldn't mind a distraction myself.
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh... That would be nice. Is there something troubling you, too?
Victor (to Yukiko): Yeah. It's a long, and very complicated tale. I'm still trying to process it, if the truth is told.
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh well, I certainly don't want to bog you down with my problems. How about we just sit here & talk about something else?
Victor (to Yukiko): It's alright. I don't mind, but if we can talk about something else if you'd like.
Yukiko (to Victor): Well... I just got back from a date setup by my mother. He's in college getting his degree in accounting. He was so dull. I was sitting there the whole dinner picturing my future with him & it was awful. I'm way too young to have to think about that sort of thing & I have a terrible feeling that if I don't stand up to my mother soon, I may never stand up to her. I don't want her deciding my life for me... Oh, I'm sorry. I just threw all of that at you. My mouth opened & everything just flew out.
Victor (to Yukiko): Heh. No, no. It's fine. I was being honest when I said I didn't mind. All of that sounds dreadful, incidentally. Poor Seph's parents are always doing the same thing to her. Seph, um, Persephone is my other cousin on my Mom's side. Her mother runs an inn that's been the family business for--God, forever, I suppose. Her parents have been pushing her to take it over practically since birth.
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh... How does she deal with it?
Victor (to Yukiko): Honestly? By complaining, pouting, and getting us into trouble, mostly. Heh. I think they know she's kind of a hopeless case, but they're not quite willing to give up yet. I just keep telling her to bide her time. Sooner or later she'll be old enough and independent enough that it won't matter.
Yukiko (to Victor): I hope it works out for her... None of us have ever gone against anything my mother has told us to do. Going to art school is the closest thing I've ever done to not listening to her & that was thanks to my father, mostly. And only because I got the invite for early admission, otherwise, I'd probably be engaged by now... My mother is very old-fashioned about how a young lady is supposed to be. My two older sisters were married by the time they were both 21.
Victor (to Yukiko): Yeah. Seph's parents are--old fashioned is a good word. They're pushing her to think about marriage already too. Not that they're ones to talk. Honestly, I think they're hoping if she marries, she'll "settle down." Are you the youngest?
Yukiko (to Victor): I'm the youngest of the girls. 3 girls, 2 boys. What about you, Victor? You haven't told me anything about yourself... Any siblings? Secret Aspirations?
Victor (to Yukiko): Wow. Big family. I can't even imagine that. Unsurprisingly, I'm an only child, although Seph is pretty close to a sister. I'm not really sure what my aspirations are yet. Secret or otherwise. Honestly, I'm not all that interesting.
Yukiko (to Victor): Heh. I highly doubt that... You seem interesting to me.
Victor (to Yukiko): Heh. That's only because I may not be very interesting, but I'm rather good at being charming. ;-p
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh... That's very kind of you. And, despite your modesty, I think being interesting & charming go hand in hand.
Victor (to Yukiko): I get it from my dad. He's... I'm not sure. I don't think I know him as well as I thought I did. Please excuse me, Ms Kobayashi. I'm sorry for my behavior. It's been an odd night. Don't worry too much about your mother. You're far too pretty and intelligent to end up with a boring accountant, no matter what she says.
Yukiko (to Victor): I'm sorry for whatever has been troubling you, I hope it works out for the best... and, I don't mean to be so forward but... nevermind... I should probably go.
Victor (to Yukiko): Oh. Um, of course. Thank you for the chat, Ms. Kobayashi. It was nice not to stew in my own head for a while. And you can speak your mind; I don't mind forward. You should meet my parents. They could make Gomez & Morticia Addams blush.
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh well, in that case... Would you be interested in going out to a movie with me? You can say no, if you're not interested. I won't be offended... Well, maybe a little, but I'll get over it.
Victor (to Yukiko): Oh! I--I wasn't expecting that. I'm certainly not adverse to seeing a movie with you, but,um, I don't think I'm allowed. I'm as grounded as Mars is at the moment. She, Seph and I kind of went, um, joyriding? In a, um, borrowed vehicle.
Yukiko (to Victor): Oh... So, maybe later when you're not grounded?
Victor (to Yukiko): Honestly, there's too much going on right now to think about it. Things are...God. Complicated. Hugely, damnably complicated. BUT, later, provided I'm not shipped home immediately or grounded further, I would really like that.
Yukiko (to Victor): I'll keep my fingers crossed then... And, since I'm trying my hand at being forward...
Victor (to Yukiko): I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no gentleman will EVER complain about you being forward like that. I... Wow.
Yukiko (to Victor): ... And, with that, I should probably go home. Don't forget our future movie date!
Victor (to Yukiko): I won't! Good night.
Yukiko: Wow...
Victor: Talk about a roller coaster. I think... I think now would be a good time to lie down.
