Encounters of The Maid Kind

 AbnormallyNice:     It was the next day and Ryan just left the school grounds. He had stayed back after classes to find the tutors Charity had spoken of. He got some worksheets and extra help and was now off the clock.  

Chiwamon popped out of Ryan's bag when he was sure it was safe to do so. "Ahhh, that was a good day~ Especially considering what the previous two days had been like, right Ryan?"  

 "I have to admit, today did not suck as much." he smiled. Even if he and Charity had their snarky exchanges for each other, he was starting to find it to be the norm, and thus the day was pretty easy.  

"Where are we going? The bus is the other way, isn't it?" the Digimon asked from where he hung on Ryan's shoulder.  

 "Did you forget? I owe Lapis cake for saving your life and for saving our hides." the boy recalled the previous day.  

 "Oh yes, just rewards I would say. Oh! Are we going to that little cafe? Zeke says they have really good cake!"  

 "You understand what Slymon says?"  

 "He draws me pictures and teaches me digicode." the Digimon proudly announced his progress.  

 "Look at you. At this rate you'll pass Japanese before I do." Ryan joked and gave a tiny grin.  

 Beeku:     Charity had finished going over the table in her area and placed the fresh cut flower centrepiece. Each area was divided up by the colour of the flowers on the table, and the maid in charge of that area wore a corresponding coloured rose pinned to their apron. Another silk rose of their corresponding colour was also sewn onto their head dress. Charity's colour was blue.  

 Her boss was already setting out the special cakes and dessert for tonight. Some of the other maids were in the back pulling out the dishes from the dishwasher while others were placing the menus down.  

 AbnormallyNice:     The Tamer and Digimon duo reached the cafe and Ryan gave a sigh as he checked the place out.  

 "So...girly...and...frilly...Okay. We get in. Buy cake. Get out. Simple." he set out the battle plan.  

 "And I shall have your back. Literally, haha!" Chiwamon chuckled and hid in Ryan's backpack once more.  

 One more deep breath and Ryan pushed the door open and stepped inside.  

 Beeku:     "Welcome Mast- YOU FUCKTARD!" Charity screeched at Ryan when she lifted her head from the curtsy she was doing. "I told you not to come in here" She hissed at a quieter volume so her boss couldn't fire her over harassing a customer. She tugged the ends of the short skirt, just willing it to grow two inches longer. Charity blushed beet red while waiting for a response from Ryan. She couldn't boot him out or shove him as she normally would if he annoyed her.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan stood in the doorway, frozen. For a moment he hoped he wasn't imagining what he was seeing because it was probably the most amazing and hilarious thing. Ever. In the history of the world. Maybe even the universe.  

 When Charity waited for his reply, an awkward moment passed before his mouth started to turn into a crooked smile and he softly snicked.  

 "I...I'm sorry, Miss...pfft...D-do I..kgh pfffft...know you...?" he tried to talk while stifling his laughter. It was taking every fiber of his being to not just fall on the floor a laugh his guts out. He never expected this in a million years.  

 "Ah hah...T-table for 1...please." he straightened himself out, still clear he wanted to laugh.  

 Beeku:     Charity growled, but could feel the eyes of her co workers keeping an eye on her. "Aha come in come in" She honestly tried to smile, but the corners of her lips twitched as she scowled darkly at him. "You may choose any seat, and the maid in charge with pick up your order."    *pleasenotbluepleasenotbluepleasenotblue God if you're real he will NOT pick the blue tables*    Charity was hoping Ryan would be someone else's problem.  

 AbnormallyNice:     "Hmmmm~" Ryan looked around, teasingly looking at one section and then skipping to the next. "Pink? Nah...How about yellow? No, no."  

 He rolled his eyes so the landed on Charity, then he smiled mischievously. "Those are lovely blue roses. Ah. Blue...yes I think the blue section will be good, thank you~"  

 He was being annoyingly suave and happy about this, only because he would probably never have this opportunity again...seeing as he'd probably have to flee the country to escape Charity's wrath. So he was going to milk this for all it was worth.  

 Beeku:         *WAS I SUPPOSED TO SACRIFICE A GOAT FIRST BEFORE YOU DID THE ONE THING I ASKED FOR*     Charity mentally seethed. Oh how she wanted to throttle that smug bastard stinging in front of her. Oh how she was going to find her spikiest, sharpest steel toed boots so she could stamp him into a fine pulp. [    Fuck you tiny trouser shitter!    ] She growled in German under her breath before remembering 'service with a smile' "I mean sit right down, I'll get you your team master" Charity felt like she died a little on the inside.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan sat down, resting his hands under his chin as he smiled wide.  

 "Oh? A team you say? Lovely, lovely." he commented and awaited whatever was in store for him. "Also, the 'master' is a nice touch~"  

 Curious as to why Charity and Ryan sounded so out of character, Chiwamon peeked out of Ryan's backpack from where the boy had placed it on the floor next to him. He made sure no-one spotted him as he took a look around. Why were they sitting down? Chiwamon thought they were getting in and out as fast as possible.  

 Beeku:     "T-tea. I meant to say tea!" Great, now she was so flustered she was messing up her words. Charity went into the back room where the kitchen was. "Maybe I can drop some rat poison in his tea" She mused, but didn't even try to do it. There was a definite boundary Charity wasn't willing to cross. No matter how much he was going to harass her all day, Charity would never really do anything so reckless and life threatening. Charity glared at the countertop- or more specifically what was happening there.  

 A fork was levitating with a bit of cake at the end of it. "Zeke you peabrain" She flicked her invisible digimon, breaking the illusion. "That doesn't work when you're eating the cake." Zeke lifted his nose. He could smell a familiar smell on Charity's uniform. Since she left it in her locker upstairs, the only scents on her were her customers. Zeke blinked. Chiwamon and Ryan were here then? He pulled his leaf back onto his head before disappearing to go look for them.  

 Charity assembled a nice     flowery     tea set, a pitcher of hot water, and an assortment of tea leaves. Of course to pamper their customers Charity HAD to pour the water into the pot for him. Damn this was going to be a long day.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan waited patiently for his tea to arrive, a much too cheerful smile plastered on his face.  

 "Psssst!" a voice called from Ryan's bag and he looked down at Chiwamon.  

 "Ryan, what's going on? What is Charity doing and why are you sitting there...?" the Digimon curiously inquired.  

 "Hehe, Charity is my maid today." he chuckled almost a little too loud.  

 "...."Chiwamon's face revealed exactly what he was thinking: that this was going to end badly in some way or another.  

 "Relax, I'm just tugging on her strings a bit...no harm done." the boy tried to reassure the creature.  

 "I do wonder why she hasn't punched you yet. You are clearly not strong enough to take her if it comes to that." Chiwamon mused, finding these two Tamer's 'friendship dynamic' very strange.  

 "Hey!" Ryan warned Chiwamon and the little monster chuckled to himself, hiding back into the bag.  

 Beeku:     Charity placed the set in front of Ryan and waited for him to pick a flavour before she started pouring water into the teapot for his table. It was while the tea leaves were steeping that she got an idea. "Here-" She lifted the teapot but her 'hand slipped' and scalding hot water splashed onto the table and onto Ryan as well. Charity was satisfied most of the water landed on his pants, he would have to walk home looking like he had an accident.  

 "Oopsie~" Charity grinned while tilting her head and smacking herself in a cute way. "I'm sorry master your clumsy maid did an oopsie" She was using that sweet voice that might have passed for apologetic to someone else, but Ryan KNEW Charity well enough. "Don't worry! I can get you some ice cream to make it up to you" Charity scurried back into the kitchen.  

 Zeke clicked his tongue as he reappeared again under Ryan's table. A bit of the hot water was still raining from the table and splashed his nose causing him to sneeze. He pulled up a pamphlet and offered it to Ryan. It had some interesting rules and attractions for this particular cafe- such as paying extra to have the maids cosplay for you. There were some games you could play with the maids, or repeat customers can gain enough points for homemade chocolate from the servers. It probably explained why there were some guys here in this girly restaurant.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan jumped up as the hot water burned this lower body. "OW! FREAKING-! What the hell is wrong with---!" he stopped himself before he caused a scene. He padded himself in an attempt to get the water of his pants and the lower part of his school-shirt. When Charity scurried of, he glowered at her.  

 "Accident my foot." he grumbled to himself. "I'll get you for this, 'little maid'."  

 It was then that Zeke clicked his tongue and grabbed Ryan's attention. He went down on one knee to get under the table.  

 "Hey, buddy. I don't know how you put up with that Tamer of- oh? What's this?" he took the pamphlet from the fox.  

 Chiwamon then scampered out of Ryan's bag as soon as he sensed Zeke was near.  

 "Hello Zeke!" he whispered. "I warned Ryan this was going to happen. But these two just love poking each other don't they?"  

 Ryan's mischievous grin returned as he read through the pamphlet. "Zeke, you just handed me my ticket to revenge~" he pet the Digimon's head before standing back up.  

 "Um, excuse me?" Ryan tried to grab another maid's attention. "Do you have a bathroom where I can change?"  

 Fortunately, he had a t-shirt in his bag in case of emergencies. Not a clean pair of pants though, but that was no problem. Ryan would use his wet pants as an excuse to stay a little longer and wait for them to dry.  

 Oh Lapis, if only Ryan wasn't buying cake for you, or he would have used the money on a cosplay request~  

 Beeku:     Charity came out with the free ice cream in a decent sized bowl. There were different scoops of ice cream flavours from green tea to strawberry all placed on bananas cut perfectly in half. Of course as a maid working in the cafe Charity had to be trained in food preparation. Half the fun of working here was making something so cute. It wasn't a life skill, but it was still something nice to have when hosting a party- not that Charity really could hold a birthday party with no friends.  

 "Master" Charity had to grit her teeth to stop herself from letting out a foul insult. "Here's your ice cream. Here let me pour the chocolate sauce for you" She picked up the squeeze bottle and started writing on the ice cream with the chocolate sauce as her ink /You're so dead/ she had a chipper smile on her face. "Now do you need me to spoon feed you to master?" she asked him in a challenging tone, as if to dare Ryan to say yes.  

 Zeke wrinkled his nose. This was going to end badly, on the other hand Ryan had a big bowl of ice cream. if Ryan turned Charity down he'd find a way to climb up onto the seats and eat it himself. At least when Charity see him she'd be kind enough to feed him.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan just smiled back at Charity as she dared him. It looked like he had found some kryptonite. He quickly bent down and pulled a clean shirt from his pack.  

 "Not yet." Ryan chimed.  

 He stuck his finger in the ice cream and pulled a line through the chocolate sauce message. He looked up at Charity and popped his finger in his mouth, licking the chocolate.  

 "Your 'Master' does request a cup of coffee. And when I come back, please do tell me about these-" Ryan held up the flyer. "'games' we can play." he gave a wink and then turned and went into the restroom.  

 It was really weird for Ryan to act this cheerful around...anyone. But he was having fun,which was equally as weird. It might have been a strange dynamic but the boy liked being around Charity, truly. Even going as far as being 'flirty' with her.  

 Beeku:     "Wu-wuh?" Charity couldn't help but be flabbergasted. She must not have heard right, but she spotted her digimon's tail under the table and she saw the pamphlet. If Charity wasn't already painting on her white foundation she would have gone paler. She gripped the dish rag between her two hands stretching it, thinking about how easy it would be to wring the cloth around his neck until his face turned red.  

 ...Too many witnesses.  

 "Ugh, you can't just order coffee in a cafe" Charity explained to him as if he were a really slow child. "What size, how much milk, sugar? Do you want a latte? I can draw latte art you know" since Ryan was a 'special' customer to her though, Charity would be sure to draw a skull and crossbones in his cup. ((Charity can probably prep a Latte Chiwamon if she put her mind to it, but she'd be too busy glaring at Ryan so the final result would be derpy))  

 "Right games. Well you can't do any betting games like poker or blackjack. I can play go fish with you or slapjack. Depends on how long it would take, I have other tables to look after" Charity checked, nope her section was still deserted. "Another game is a drawing one. Basically we have a magic hat at the front where other customers write down suggestions. You and I get a piece of paper and we pick a suggestion We get other maids to judge it and winner gets a small prize- nothing big. It's probably a cake slice"  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan went into the restroom and quickly swapped shirts. He soon returned and sat down by the table again, where he heard the games that could be played.  

 "Hmmm...that drawing game actually sounds fun. And if I win a piece of cake, then I don't have to pay for Lapis' bribe." he pondered the last bit for himself.  

 "Cool, let's do that." he said out loud to Charity. "And latte? Ew...too much milk.  Double espresso, three sugars, no milk. Can you make that?" he asked. He meant to ask it like was it something they made at the cafe, not that he thought Charity was unable to make it. It probably sounded like the latter.  

 Chiwamon was still under the table with Zeke. He poked Ryan in the leg to get his attention. "Ryan? Are you going to eat that ice cream...?" he inquired, his eyes sparkling.  

 The boy knew what his Digimon was really asking and took the bowl and placed it on the floor for the Digimon to have.  

 "Thank you!" Chiwamon whispered and licked his lips.  

 "This looks so good! At least, it smells really nice~ Oh...wait. Does this have chocolate in it...? I wouldn't want a repeat of the other day." The tiny creature asked his friend.  

 Beeku:     "Don't treat me like some special kid who burns down the kitchen. I wouldn't HAVE a job here if I can't make good coffee" Charity glared at Ryan. Honestly why did he bother entering the cafe if he didn't trust the staff to at least be competent at their jobs. "Ugh" Charity went to the front to retrieve the cafe's magical hat before putting her cute act back on.  

 "Master~" She wanted to throw up "I brought the magic hat, and now he have to say the charm to bring us both luck" This was still a maid cafe that does market cuteness above all else. "Ok give me your hand and close your eyes" Charity's lips twitched trying to keep a straight face "when I count to three I transfer all my doki doki charms to you while you pick up a slip." Usually the maids were supposed to tell the customer to say a cutesy chant like pi-pi-picori to complete it, but she would rather kick his shins and get fired before they did something so cute together. ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS WEIRDO WAS FLIRTING WITH HER. It was weird. Charity felt greasy just thinking about it.  

 Zeke nodded. Charity did write her threat to Ryan in chocolate sauce after all. If Slymon could facepalm he would be once he read Charity's handwriting. Points for having neat curvy cute handwriting though. Zeke leaned in and licked the chocolate sauce off of the whole dish. Slymon whistled lightly and gestured to the ice cream indicating Zeke ate all the chocolate. If Chiwamon wasn't grossed out he could take the first bite since he had a mouthful already.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan hesitated when he had to give Charity his hand, wondering if it was such a good idea. For all he knew, she'd pour hot coffee on his palm. But he did it and he was so glad when he did.  

 Ryan bit his lip and smiled like a goof. He had to muster everything in his being to not laugh his lungs out from the cute Charity was trying to give him. He snickered and chuckled as he stuck his hand in the hat and grabbed a slip.  

 "Your Master...is pleased...pffft AHAHAHA!" he couldn't hold his laughter anymore as he pulled a slip and fell back in his chair. He was probably going to lose his head from an incoming boot to the face, but seeing Charity being 'cute' was totally worth it.  

 Chiwamon rubbed his paws together and licked his lips. "Thank you Zeke! You are as true as friends come~" he thanked the Digimon and stuck his face in the first scoop of ice cream. Honestly, he didn't think what Zeke did was all that gross. Dogs licked far 'grosser' things than that from what Chiwamon knew. And quite frankly, the ice cream looked so good, that he didn't care.  

 When the Digimon lifted his head, his face was covered in pink cream, a wide smile hiding behind it. "Hmmmm~!"  

 Beeku:     "Seriously why the fuck are you here" Charity hissed under her breathe. Some of her co workers had turned to look to see why her customer was laughing so hard, and flashed her the thumbs up for getting her customer to relax so quickly. The only way she stayed sane without foaming at her mouth in anger was the thought of tomorrow. Tomorrow when Ryan sat in front of her in class. She was going to make him pay.  

 "P-p Pi pi picori~<3" Charity was not having fun. Charity sighed and waited for Ryan to pull out a paper slip. "Congratulations, we have to draw Momotaro and friends" At least Charity knew what that was, but she doubted Ryan was well acquainted with Japanese folk stories. "Right" Charity sat down with the entry paper in front of her. She wrote her name neatly at the bottom before she got to work.  

 Zeke frowned slightly. Ice cream was one of those things you had to eat slowly or else you get brain freeze. He plopped down and gripped one of Chiwamon's frills with his toes and gently tugged him away from the bowl while shaking his head, though he suspected the damage would have already been done.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan kept chuckling and a few tears formed in his eyes from laughing so much.  

 His laughter sided when he heard what the subject was.  

 "Wait. Momo and...what?" he asked, genuinely confused. He group up in a foreign African country, so naturally he didn't know what the folk tale was. He did recall the name from somewhere though. He probably read it somewhere long ago. He wished he could remember, mainly because he felt like Charity would rub it in.  

 Chiwamon had fortunately only flopped his face in the treat and licked some of it, so he hadn't frozen his brain...yet.  

 He looked at Zeke questioningly. "What's the matter? Is this not the best way to enjoy ice-cream? It smelled so good I just wanted to dive right in. Heh heh." he chuckled, licking ice cream that was around his mouth.  

 Beeku:     "Well numbnuts today I feel gracious so I'll tell you a story" Charity started drawing a peach "There was once a boy who was the size of a peach that was adopted. When he grew up and was still tiny he decided it would be a good idea to leave his parents behind and travel demon island to fight ogres." Charity finished drawing the needle sword that Momotaro wielded. "On his way he befriended three animals, a monkey, a pheasant, and a dog. They agreed to come on his quest after he fed them donuts" Charity lied and instead drew some millet dumplings. "When he arrived the ogres there didn't notice they stepped on him and so his quest ended in vain. Moral of the story is, don't bite of more than you can chew" Well that story got dark very fast. Charity finished off her picture before turning it over. "You have five minutes before I submit this to the voting panel."  

 Zeke waited a while before eventually shaking his head. His keen programming made note that Chiwamon didn't get brain freeze, and therefore must have some ice type affinity. His programing took this a step further and selected the best virus core digimon to destroy Chiwamon should the need arise. Slymon looked at the ice cream with a sullen expression. It was painful to make friends knowing you will hurt them in the end. He sat down and pushed the bowl over to Chiwamon. He just lost his appetite.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Wow. That didn't end the way Ryan had expected. But he remembered a lot of other fairy tales with less that happy endings, so Ryan guessed it was somewhat to be expected.  

 "A boy, a monkey, an pheasant and a dog? Sounds simple enough." Ryan said and started to draw.  

 The animals were simple enough, he thought. He drew a monkey with a long tail, the pheasant with a proud look and a dog, that sort of looked like Hachimon. He guessed the dog would be close to a Shiba Inu, since the breed seemed popular to the Japanese. He got stuck on the boy though. Ryan didn't know if Momotaro had a certain look that Charity declined to say. But he tried to copy the drawing Charity had made, along with the sword. He guessed the boy was very proud and brave, you had to be if you wanted to take on ogres. So he drew Momotaro in a heroic pose. It all looked pretty good, if Ryan had to say so himself. Those hours spent doodling had come in handy.  

 "Done. I think..." Ryan said, having no trouble to finish in the time given.  

 Chiwamon tilted his head to the side, sensing Zeke was a little less than himself.  

 He pushed the bowl toward the fox again. "Please, my friend. Share this with me. It would much like to enjoy it with you!" he gave a warm smile, hoping that whatever Zeke was worried about could be fixed with a friendly gesture.  

 Beeku:     Charity took the sheets of papers before submitting them. "You'll know by the end of your stay if you won anything or not." she told him bluntly. "Anything else master" She was really getting tired of saying this to Ryan. Charity was holding up the ends of her maid skirt to curtsy to him.  

 Zeke considered it but just ate the ice cream anyways.     *There is no datamon. There is no datamon. He's not telling me to do the things. As long as he stays away I won't have to hurt anyone again QnQ*     Zeke reminded himself firmly. The digital world was a scary place. Echo server especially, it had too much memories of people he had betrayed in the past. Zeke was not as bloodthirsty or as malicious as his two brother specimens, but that didn't make him any less responsible for the downfall of that server.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan grinned, rather liking the whole 'Master' bit. His amusement of it was starting to die down a little, as he guessed he was getting used to it.  

 "A question, if I may." he asked, holding a finger in the air.  

 He didn't wait for a response as he leaned a little closer and quietly asked: "Why would you work in a Maid Cafe?"  

 Chiwamon smiled and helped Zeke devour the cold treat that was given to them.  

 Beeku:     "Tch. It's because I like cosplaying, and acting. Who can really say they get to dress up in cute costumes for a living? Also, since this cafe is close to a school that allows international students, speaking Japanese fluently isn't a requirement" That would have been a pain when Charity first moved to this country. Ryan might actually encounter this as well- unless he joined some after school club for his high school transcript. "Besides, my demonic cousin is charging me rent and I need the cash. To be honest since my personality caters to a very niche market, I get good tips from patrons who enjoy pissing me off" not that Charity was expecting much if he was trying to win free cake.  

 Zeke curled his tail around him in contentment. If he still had the ability he would be purring. Instead he just cleaned the leftover ice cream residue off of his face with a silly grin. Today was pretty fun, even if it seemed like his partner was still in a foul mood. She was probably going to use his abilities to get revenge on Ryan. The poor sap.  

 AbnormallyNice:     "I see." Ryan nodded knowingly. "But aren't you afraid people would see you? I mean, even with all the things you mentioned, you looked less than thrilled when     I     walked through the door."  

 Ryan sat back in his chair, folding his arms to get comfortable. "And you actually enjoy getting pissed off?" he raised an eyebrow, criticizing her choice in employment and her reasoning behind it.  

 Chiwamon sighed after finishing the treat, his stomach a little extended.  

 "Delightful~ If we can get treats like this, Ryan and I should come by all the time!"  

 But upon saying that, he realized that Charity would probably not be pleased, seeing as she seemed to be quite bitter at having them there. "Th-that is...maybe just every once in a while." he nervously chuckled, cuddling more into Zeke.  

 Beeku:     "You idiot" Charity hissed. It was difficult to explain, even if the concept was easy for Charity to grasp. Ryan was in a different category than her regular customers. Her customers just itemize her, put her on a pedestal and treat her as a one dimensional caricature for their amusement. "I don't know them personally. For us seeing me like this is purely professional. They won't see me on the streets, and if they do it's not like they'd go out of their way to spend time with me" Charity scowled.  

 Ryan was different. He's seen her, and probably can anticipate her mood swings. He doesn't think of her only as "that one moody kid" or "that goth chick". He was someone Charity genuinely enjoyed talking to when they had the chance. Even if she was in a bad mood, encountering him put her in a better state of mind, even if she couldn't show it. "I'd hate to have you think of me as some puppet to dance for your amusement." She finally admitted  

 Because he was her friend. It didn't matter if other people saw her do the cosplay and acting, but Ryan knew her as a person. Him walking in on her here might change that, and Charity would hate to lose his friendship if he started treating her differently. "Really if you think you can blackmail me with telling people at the school about this, I'd be really disappointed in you." She had better expectations of him than that.  

 Zeke shrugged as he tried to shuffle around on his rounded belly. Though Chiwamon was worried about Charity's bad temper, he was delighted to think that his tamer was finally making friends, reliable ones. In his opinion she needed this kind of companionship to recover from her traumas in the past. It was good to see that she was reaching out, and that she was finally able to express her other feelings rather than anger. It was as if Ryan was slowly pulling out her good traits that were hiding behind her crabby, spiked shell.  

 He smiled at Chiwamon and shook his head to disagree about limiting their visits. 'Ryan good friend' he mouthed to the other digimon, exaggerating the lip movements so Chiwamon could figure it out.  

 AbnormallyNice:     "...." Ryan raised his brow, finding Charity's words less than he expected. There was something behind them, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. A puppet for his amusement? Sure, this was entertaining, but not in the way she was describing it. He wasn't going out of his way to make fun of her, but purely to just joke around. If it was anybody else he might have known from school, he wouldn't have put them through the paces like he did with Charity. He did it because he knew she could take it, and dish it back out, which made her fun to be around.  

 Ryan put his arms on the table, looking down at the teacups and decoration that was laid on there.  

 "Why the hell would I do that? I'd get nothing from 'blackmailing' you. I'd probably lose more than I would gain." he commented calmly. He would lose a friendship if he did that most likely.  

 "I'm not some sadist who just wants to see you squirm. I just like yanking your chains because I know you know I'm not doing it to be malicious."  

 It was hard for him to just say: 'because you're my friend'. It's been long since he's had a 'friend' outside of his immediate family.  

 "Or at least, I hope you know it."  

 He looked up again, giving a mischievous grin. "Although that dancing sounds pretty funny. Is that a thing I can ask for?" he tried to joke and lighten the mood, looking around as if to find a menu he could request it from. If he showed too much of his softer side, Charity might find a way of making fun of him later.  

 Chiwamon smiled and nodded when he got what Zeke was saying.  

 "Very good to hear~ And your Tamer seems to be having an impact on mine as well, for the better of course."  

 He was happy. Not only for Ryan, who had found someone equally as hidden in their shell and could help each other out. But that if they were to be friends, Chiwamon could spend more time with Zeke. Even though he was silent, the little Fox's company was delightful. And if getting rid of the chocolate syrup was any indication, Zeke could like out for him.  

 Beeku:     "Yeah yeah fucknuts. Just know that I've dealt with real shit classmates alright?" There were some kids in school who were outstanding in terms of finding excuses to harass her. It was like they had no lives. Then there were even worst ones who just pretended nothing was wrong in their little worlds. "I don't lump you in with those retards, but don't ever give me a reason to" Charity gave a grin to mirror his mischievous expression "You might find something gross in your locker some day" Charity snickered. The best thing about having a digimon who was modified and coded to be a super spy was, she was able to get into things that were supposed to be secured.  

 "You wanna dance?" She asked him blandly "Once I start the music you're going to have to sit through all the doki doki beats" she told him with a serious face "The music they have in the jukebox there" Charity pointed at a pearl white jukebox in the back that had minimal floral decorations engraved into the wood. "The songs are so sugary sweet, but if you put the money in there for a song, the maids in the whole store are supposed to start dancing. It's like an impromptu disco party, but not with disco"  

 Zeke's ears perked up when Charity talked about the juke box. Personally there was one song he did enjoy from it, but every time someone did manage to play it, Charity would dance with him since he 'enhanced her cuteness'. At least he wouldn't be left behind or ignored.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan snickered, again surprised that this place had something like this. "You know I was totally kidding...right?" he chuckled, but leaned in to grab a few loose coins in his bag. "But if you insist."  

 Chiwamon watched as his Tamer got up to go somewhere, and noticed that even Zeke seemed pumped up for...something.  

 "I do hope this does not end in disaster." he chuckled nervously.  

 Ryan stopped by the Jukebox, looking for any 'good' songs to play. They all seemed very gross and pop-ey...from what he could tell. The Japanese writing was still a little hard to read sometimes. He picked a song that had some English titling in it, shoving the coin in the large box and pressing the button.  

 The music would probably make his ears bleed, but he was curious to see what would happen, especially if all the maids joined in.  

 Beeku:     The maids seemed to have noticed that someone had put on music. They quickly pulled over one lucky customer in their sections to start dancing with. The place was filled with the quiet murmurs of "Please come dance master" as the maids started a co ordinated dance. Charity rolled her eyes and also played along. "Master Ryan you have to dance now you dingbat" Charity reached under the table to grab her partner. She was NOT going to hold Ryan's hand and dance to pop music.  

 Zeke grinned when the music started playing. A pleased trill left his muzzle as his tail swayed to the bubblegum pop tune. He carefully studied Chiwamon's reaction. He was a fairly new digimon right? Had Chiwamon heard human music before? Digimon didn't really have -good- music, not unless you were fond of Etemon's music based attacks. He hopped over to let Charity pick him up as she held him in her arms for a dance.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan looked around at what was unfolding before him. Why were they taking customers out of their seats?  

 When Charity explained, Ryan stared at her for a long second.  

 "HAH! No." he spat out, sounding very amused on the first laughed, then incredibly unimpressed on the dismissal. He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked back to his seat, sitting down and showing     no     intention of dancing.  

 Chiwamon listened to the curious sounds and started to lightly bob his head. Sure, he'd heard music before, but not really anything this...bouncy? The Digimon started to clap his little paws together on the beat while watching the maid's and Zeke dance.  

 Beeku:     Charity grinned "Everyone saw you pay for the music, you're fucking obligated now" If she had to do this she was going to drag him down with her. She placed Zeke back onto the table before reaching out and grabbing Ryan by his wrist. A small pout worked it's way onto her lips as she tugged gently "come on, don't be a mule about this" She held herself from cussing as she invited Ryan to at least stand next to her.  

 Zeke scrambled back down beside Chiwamon. He seemed to be snickering seeing Charity insist on dancing with Ryan. So much for staying in his comfort zone right? At least it would be an interesting story to tell his friends in the future. Zeke grinned as she still swayed to and fro beside Chiwamon, flashing the other digimon a cute smile.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan wanted to protest, but hearing her asking him (seemingly nicely) to dance, he grumbled and let her pull him along.  

 When he was standing, he pushed his hands back into his pockets and raised his shoulders in an attempt to hide his cheeks. They were quickly turning red from embarrassment. He was definitely out of his comfort zone so he just stood there, like a statue.  

 Chiwamon giggled at Ryan's blush. It was kinda cute whenever that happened, the Digimon had to admit.  

 This dancing was getting contagious and Chiwamon started to sway a bit more, until he bumped into Zeke.  

 "Oh pardon! I don't know what's gotten into me." he chuckled. "But it is very intoxicating in a way, no?"  

 Beeku:     Charity was pleasantly surprised Ryan put up a fight. The blush he was attempting to hide though was predictable. She had to clamp down on her urge to roll her eyes at him, or make a snarky comment. Yeah if she were to be doing something different she would probably have the same reaction, only she would be slapping whomever dragged her into the mess. "You'll be fine. But if you just stand there like a garden gnome you'll stand out more" Charity pointed out. She raised her hand above her head and started dancing, gently bumping her hip against Ryan.  

 Zeke shook his head and shrugged. There was nothing to apologize for, they were both having fun. His tail thumped rhythmically in morse code saying that human music was good, and dancing meant it was doing what it was meant to do. Slymon though about his 'big brother' digimon Lapis. That cabbit was able to launch into musical numbers and choreograph intricate moves for it- at 2 in the morning no less.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Being bumped, Ryan pouted and blushed more. But she did have a point. He didn't want to stand out more than he already was. However, every fibre of his being worked against him, wanting him to just stand there like he was frozen. Working against the voices in his head that were telling him he looked stupid, he     somehow     moved his feet. Only from side to side, though. His hands remained in his pockets and he forced his head to bop to the music slightly. No one had to tell him because he could feel it: he looked ridiculous.  

 Feeling the happy tune, Chiwamon grabbed one of Zeke's paws/feet and twirled around him. Digimon dancing was probably not the most graceful thing, but Chiwamon was having fun with his friend, so he wasn't as worried about how he looked like his Tamer was.  

 Beeku:     Fortunately for Ryan, the song didn't last too long. Charity didn't make a comment as she sat back down in the booth with Ryan. "There, not the end of the world" She spoke in a nonchalant tone while twirling one of her pigtails around one of her fingers. Charity noted that Ryan had finished most of the food he ordered and started to clear the table and stack them. That awkward silence...  

 Zeke was dexterous enough to balance on one foot and hop along to the dance. He didn't even care that the music ended. Chiwamon's laughter was contagious as they enjoyed themselves.  

 AbnormallyNice:     "That's what you think..." Ryan mumbled as he sat down at Charity's comment.  

 He watched as Charity cleared the table and thought it was probably about time to head home. Then he remembered.  

 "So did I win the cake or not?" he asked, recalling the earlier drawing contest.  

 Beeku:     Charity glanced at the front desk where 2-3 maids were gathered together sorting though entries. "I think they're still debating. You're not the only fucker who entered today" Charity rolled her eyes. "Just let me bring these to the back and I'll ask them nicely" Charity wore a teasing smirk "I can see you being the type who can't handle talking to cute girls" She took back the tray of dishes and disappeared to the back room.  

 AbnormallyNice:     "L-like you would know!" Ryan called after her, a little embarrassed. She was probably right though. Normally, girls didn't really catch his attention, but he had to admit that the fact these girls were already wearing relatively cute clothing, it might have been harder to converse with them. Not that he was into that sort of thing...  

 The boy wondered for a second that, if he hadn't met Charity prior to this, would he have been flustered to talk to her as well?  

 He quickly tossed that thought out of his head.  

 Beeku:     Charity came out of the kitchen area and hesitated to move onto the maids judging the entries. Every workplace or classroom had a Rina, that one girl who was the embodiment of a mean girl. Charity wanted to avoid this girl if she could, but there the drama queen was, examining the pictures with a judgemental look. It must have been the way her nose seemed to crinkle, but Charity got the feeling that Rina was mentally mocking the artists.  

 Charity casually walked up to them, unwilling to show fear to or hesitation "So have we decided winners yet?"  

 "No, they're all horrible" Rina glanced at Charity before bringing up the entry Charity gave in "ESPECIALLY this one" Charity wanted to punch the smug look off of her face.  

 "Well if that's especially bad, then fuck off the other entry wins" She growled "I'll go pack his prize up" Charity quickly turned her heel before storming back to Ryan while grumbling choice words in German. "Let's go. You won so pick out a fucking cake from the front" Charity got a cute box to put a slice of cake in.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan pulled a surprised yet 'wtf' look on his face seeing Charity so steamed.  

 "What got into you?" he asked, not really thinking.  

 As for her question, Chiwamon recalled that the cake would go to Lapis, seeing as Ryan promised him cake for two weeks.  

 The Digimon turned to look at Zeke. "I suppose we must get a flavour Lapis likes, yes?"  

 Beeku:     Charity reacted like an angry cat and literally hissed at him. Her upper jaw had a tooth that was chipped, making her other incisor look like a large fang in comparison. "That one bitch I hate was the one judging. Ugh now I have to shower soon, I feel like she shit all over me" All the pent up negativity and Charity couldn't even vent at work. She balled her fists until her knuckles turned white and her nails cut into her palm. "Just don't be a dumbass, pick a cake before she gets here." Rina usually came over when a customer took too long with their order. "She likes to boss me around like I'm pants on head retarded"  

 Zeke rolled his eyes and shrugged. He had seen Lapis eat leftover cake that was burnt. When it comes to flavour his sense of taste was dull, even if his tamer was excellent culinary skills. Looking through the glass display case, Zeke spotted the carrot cake and pointed to it before wiggling his ears. If he had fingers he would mimic having rabbit ears to make fun of his 'older brother' digi. Later Zeke would go over names of cake flavours and things on the menu when teaching Chiwamon how to read.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan rolled his eyes. Not at Charity, but at the description of the supposed bitch. "Lovely." he commented. "Then let's get the cake and get the hell out."  

 Ryan had no intention of meeting this girl after what Charity had said. She sounded exactly like the type of people he despised. Those pushy people who enjoy nothing more than to ruin your day because they think they're better than you. Sure, it might be prejudiced of Ryan to think that way, seeing as he thought he was better than most people, but when he snapped at someone, it was because he wanted to be left alone, not to boost his own ego or spoil the other's mood.  

 The boy stood and headed toward the display case. Chiwamon pointed to the cake Zeke had so descriptively pointed out. The Digimon looked at his Tamer. "Seems like that carrot one over there would be best from Zeke's recommendation, Ryan."  

 "Whatever. As long as my part of the bargain gets filled." the boy added.  

 Beeku:     "Right away master" Charity chimed robotically as she went through the motions of packing the cake. She inhaled deeply as she picked up a tube of icing to decorate the cake with, at least this much was therapeutic. The slices were already frosted over slightly before they were cut, but then the rosettes, writing and walnut shavings were added at the customer's request. Charity studied her handiwork before smiling in satisfaction "Here, Lapis will be happy to release you from your blood oath" Charity gave one of her smug grins.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan held a hand up as Charity handed the cake to him.  

 "Probably easier if you take it with you and give it to him. You live with your cousin, right?" he explained.  

 The boy threw his bag over his shoulder, holding onto the strap. Chiwamon knew what that meant and instantly flew up to his Tamer and scurried into the backpack. He stuck his head out, to get a final look at Zeke and gave a tiny wave and smile.  

 Ryan stood in front of Charity, feeling a bit stupid and embarrassed. He was about to say good-bye but he also wanted to ask if she would be okay, seeing as the other waitress thoroughly ticked her off. He hesitated because he knew she would just make him feel 2 inches tall if he asked her that. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Ryan just kinda stood there awkwardly, face starting to form a pout.  

 Beeku:     Charity felt creeped out by his starring. She checked to make sure no one was watching before she leaned over the counter and flicked his forehead. "Is school really eating away at your brain there? Keep that act up and people will think you're a literal zombie" she told him flatly. "Now shoo. I still have the rest of my shift until 8" Charity would be here for a while, and she still had homework once she got home.  

 Zeke smiled and waved before disappearing with his magical leaf.  

 AbnormallyNice:     Ryan rubbed his forehead as he gave an annoyed glare at Charity. 'She'll be fine', he thought.  

 The boy turned on his heels to leave, giving a final remark as he headed for the door:  

 "Whatever. I'll be back tomorrow!"  

 On that last line, he grinned and you could hear the teasing tone in his voice. He still owed Lapis cake everyday for two weeks, so he could come here to get it and have the added bonus of giving Charity a run for her money. With that he headed out the front door.