[OOM: The Hamato Family Suite]

[mnt_mike]

They're going to be here any minute now.
She's going to be here any minute now.
And Mike? Has no idea what to do with himself...so he's pacing. And Stampy, for her part, is watching him pace from the comfort of a corner cushion of the couch.

Lunch is made. Drinks are chilling. Heck even Stampy's had a bath.
All there is to do now is wait...and hope.

Comments

[slayer_fray]

Yeah, she's well aware of the double batches. She remembers.

Mel turns her attention back to Stampy, tugging ears and scritching under her trunk.

"How's she doing? Still eating okay?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike leans his head out of the kitchen to make sure the she being referred to is indeed Stampy.

"Oh yeah, she's great. She's kind of become Splinter's miniphant if we're going to be honest. He spoils her rotten, but...he does some how get her to go out with him for morning meditation which is far more exercise than I was ever able to."

[slayer_fray]

"It's easy to get her to exercise," Mel points out. "You just chase her. Right, Bignose?"

[mnt_mike]

Stampy toots her affirmative, but all attempts to wag her bottom just make her squirmy.

"Yeah well...I haven't exactly been up for much chasing, so."

[slayer_fray]

"Yeah?"

That'll be a cue to fill her in.

[mnt_mike]

He leans against the doorway between the kitchen and living room and sighs.

It's some time before says anything.

"Yeah. Life's been keeping me on my toes. And when Life doesn't, X does."

[slayer_fray]

"So you should be all over the chasing," Mel thinks. "It's only a little more cardio."

[mnt_mike]

"Good chasing means not being completely worn out by having been chased yourself."

[slayer_fray]

"Good time management means combining them."

[mnt_mike]

"I tried that early on, and ended up carrying Stampy for fifteen miles. It was a long day."

[slayer_fray]

"But she's getting exercise with Splinter?"

This is more important than Mike's inability to run fifteen miles while carrying an elephant.

[mnt_mike]

Heh, clearly.

"Every morning, right before dawn even. They walk to Master's favorite meditation spot overlooking the Air Temple, watch the sun come up, and have tea."

Mike knows this because not long after that he's running laps around the Lake.

[slayer_fray]

"Walking and meditating?"

Really, that's exercise?

[mnt_mike]

His hands go up for defense.

"Maybe he's making her run in circles when they're up there, who knows. I just know that she's well within the healthy weight Donnie said she was supposed to be in. I mean, look at her. She's great."

[slayer_fray]

Mel lifts her up and grins at her.

"Yeah," she says fondly. "She's great."

It makes her almost sad, really. Like she doesn't need Mel.

[mnt_mike]

Stampy reaches out to boop Mel's nose with the tip of her trunk.

...

Or she tries to.

Mike doesn't do anything at first because...well, because he's not entirely sure what to do. Watching the two of them makes him so happy and sad to such a large degree that he finds himself caught in the moment.

The moment.

Mike takes a step back and reaches for the camera he keeps in the kitchen. The simple one that even Splinter can use. The Polaroid older than all of them. And then he takes a picture of Mel in Splinter's chair holding Stampy who's trying to boop her nose.

[slayer_fray]

At the click, Mel looks over her shoulder, and grins softly.

"What was that for?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike pulls the picture from the camera and begins shaking it the way you do with such things.

"Sentimental flight of fancy."

Mike doesn't have any pictures of Mel that don't bring back...memories.
Or well, he didn't used to.

[slayer_fray]

"Okay."

He can have those, if he wants.

If he wants to be friends again.

Which - Mel hurts so much, and this makes it worse, but she wants it too.

[mnt_mike]

It's not what he wants, but if it's what he can get...then that will have to do.

"I can make you a copy, if you want," he offers slipping back into the kitchen to stow the camera.

[slayer_fray]

"I don't need a photo of me'n Stampy," Mel says. "I got Stampy."

[mnt_mike]

Yes, he thinks but doesn't say. But moments are fleeting. They're always fleeting.

"It's true. And she's waaaay more snuggly."

[slayer_fray]

Don't need to tell Mel that. She's stopped trying to hold on to them.

"So how about I come and give her some real exercise?"

Mel? Looking for an excuse? To hell you say.

"Once a week?"

[mnt_mike]

Mike is quiet up until the point that a laugh erupts from him.

"Sounds like a plan. Sounds like a good plan."
He leans out of the kitchen.

"Hear that Stampy? You're going to have someone with superpowers chasing you too."

[slayer_fray]

Stampy trumpets her approval - well, it's partly a trumpet partly a raspberry on Mel's face.

"Don't mind?" To Mike. "What's a good day?"