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"Fine, fine! We'll hang around the HQ for a bit!"

Out of all the days, Kimiko wondered why baby Mayu had chosen THIS day to visit the Legend building. The weather was fair, and a few lazy clouds hung in the vest, bue sky. A perfect day for the park, she had deduced. Perhaps even swimming. But the baby had in-si-sted to come to the HQ, and they were there.

Opening the doors, Kimiko managed to haul in the stroller seating Mayu, who was hugging her kitty companion quite tightly (it would have been a disaster had Verdi been left in the Talaye's care).

The toddler struggled to get out of her seat, finally finding the release clasp on her safety belt. She and the cat tumbled to the carpeted (( Is this right? Or do the floors have laminate over them? XD; )) ground, landing quite uneventfully on their tushes.

Kimiko couldn't help but laugh just a little, striding over to the kitchen. Well, if she was stuck inside on such a nice day, she would have some nourishment to sustain her.

Mayu had been playing with the tabby for a while since their arrival, traversing the many boundaries to a baby's -- and a cat's -- eye. Hearing Paestri's hello, the toddler turned her head up from her current "adventure" and hobbled toward her friend cheerfully.

Verdandi followed the toddler precariously, wide eyes staring at the pink-haired one whom Mayu appeared to be so friendly with. She mewed as she surveyed the strange being -- looked friendly enough, she would pass.

Peering out from the kitchen, Kimiko waved to Huni quickly then turned back to the stove.

"Hi! Want anything to eat? I'm just heating up some water myself. Tea, y'know. Of course, iced tea is always better in the spring .." Rambling on, the black-haired girl shuffled through the cabinets in search for a few tea leaves.

(( This PD is going to be hard to keep up. XD What's your exact timezone? Mine's GMT-5. ))

"Alright, then." Kimi chirped, grabbing a washed cup from one of the higher-up cupboards. Walking over to the refrigerator, she pressed the cup against the pressure pad and a few blocks of ice fell from the hole. Changing the setting to water, a steady flow of cool water poured from the fridge, filling up the glass quite quickly. Ah, the marvels of modern technology -- producing ice and water quickly and efficiently, and the fun touchpads were a plus.

While Verdi went off on her seperate way to explore the HQ, Mayu returned the squeal with a babble and embraced Pasteri in a good ol' fashioned bear hug.

(( XD Dang.. That's like my mom trying to call my aunt. She either has to call early in the morning or late at night. So annoying.. But that means we'll only be able to exchange a couple of posts per day except on weekends and holidays, when I get to stay up late. Grr. ))

Kimiko walked out of the kitchen with the the cup of ice and water, presenting it as if it were a grand wedding cake or something of the sorts.

"Here you go, madam: a freshly baked .. cup of water." She grinned, then sat down to watch the babies play. It was cute, and she couldn't help but to giggle. Most unlike her.

Mayu giggled as well, rolling on the carpet with delight. She stood up with great trouble, tugging upon a coathanger for support. She wanted to introduce Paestri to her new pet -- she was certain that she would adore Verdi!

(( XD Poor you. I was panicking because I thought I would miss the start of a prompt flatsale around a year ago. I ran home with a rolling backpack on my back. Killer. ))

"They sure do," replied Kimi. "Excuse me, I think the water's boiled."

Rising from her seat, Kimiko walked to the kitchen where she had already prepared a cup and a tea bag.

The kettle begun to whistle loudly as the pressure built up inside the small space, and switching off the stove, she began to pour the scalding hot water into the small cup.

Mayu led her companion around the room in zigzags, trying to figure out the location of the cat. From behind came a small mew, and out walked the cat which she had been playing so fondly with a few moments ago.

Pointing to the kitten, Mayu bluntly stated, "Cat!"

(( It's not that bad, really. XD But I had so much stuff crammed in it that it was painful. Very much.

There should be something exciting. Like.. the stove blowing up. ninja
But I wrote her turning off the stove in the last post, so that wouldn't work. D: ))

Kimiko returned a few moments later carrying a cup of tea on a saucer, and she placed it carefully on the coffee table. She sank back down onto the sofa, and began to watch Mayu play as well. They were two peas in a pod, Paestri and Mayu.

Mayu nodded, patting the cat a few times on its head.

"Cat!" She stated again, and giggled.

Meowing at the pats she had just recieved on her head -- they were more like swats, but a baby really can't pet cats -- and squinting, Verdi wriggled to attempt to get out of Mayu's grasp. She was going to investigate this "Paestri" figure a little bit more, and figure out why Mayu was so friendly with her.

(( XD Sounds fun. They could go on a sort of Rugrats-esque 'sploring adventure too? ))

"Oh, well over a year." Kimiko nodded, picking up her cup. The tea had cooled since she last put it down, and she blew at it instinctively just to be sure it wouldn't burn her lips.

"Paystli pet pet!" Mayu nodded, holding down the kitten so that it could not run away. "Mama nam'd cat Vuh.. vuh.." Stumbling over the Norse name, Mayu managed an incoherant babble before falling over with giggles.

(( Oh! XD This reminds me. DS made a crack about Mayu being the rincarnation of George Washington, and it really does fit! ))

"It is," Kimiko agreed. Sinking back in her chair, she began to remininsce of just how much they had done together, her and Mayu. "I'm ... not really sure, myself." Chirping in laughter, Kimiko was a bit embarrased to admit that she knew almost nothing of her child's past.

"She's Japanese, I know, and she has a strange fascination for any and all types of flowers, but she seems to prefer cherry blossoms the most. Obviously, because she's surrounded by the goshdarned cherry blossoms and sitting in a tree ..."

The cat drew back a little, which was rather hard to do, seeing as how Mayu had her grip on its fur so hard. Mewing, Verdi struggled to get out of the toddler's grip.

"Vuh!" Mayu nodded, pleased that she had discovered a new nickname for her feline companion. Relinquishing her grip on the small, furry thing, Mayu watched as it dashed away in sweet relief.

Looking back at Paestri, Mayu attempted to match her hushed tone to the best of her ability. "S'plore, yes yes." She nodded, clasping her hands together.