Third Floor Common Room [Monday evening]

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime had popcorn, chips and salsa, and candy corn (hey, it was that time of year!) spread out and was flopped back on the couch sorting through a small stack of DVDs. He wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to... Aha!

Giant robots with over-the-top (if somewhat awkward) CGI effects were just what the doctor ordered. Not that the movie was really good, but Jaime wasn't looking for good.

And at least it wasn't the sequel.

[Open as such things are.]

Comments

[heromaniac]

"I've been to your house, remember? What was it your mom called you... meeho, right?"

That would be, mi hijo, Momoko.

"And she said, 'no taybourlies' that one time you said something smart about your chores! Totally not English! Even I know that." She elbowed him. "And you never did tell me what a taybourly was."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Ow!" Jaime rubbed at his ribs theatrically. "It means... you're the best."

No it didn't.

[heromaniac]

She snorted, both at the idea she'd hurt him and at the translation. "I'm sure it does. It was totally the tone of voice my mom uses when she praises us."

[weldedtomyspine]

"That sort of thing's universal, then!" Uh huh. Which meant that Momoko almost certainly knew what it meant.

[heromaniac]

Momoko didn't sass her parents, thank you very much. But she did occasionally get into arguments with her little sister, so maaaaybe.

"Jaime." She pouted at him. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" Was someone going to have to google? Or, more likely, email Milagro?

[weldedtomyspine]

"I did." And that wheedling tone was totally going to convince her that he was being honest!

[heromaniac]

It came close, since he didn't use it often, but...

"Then you won't mind my calling your mom and telling her how I think she was taybourly for putting up with us that week." Momoko leaned forward to exchange her almost empty candy bowl for the popcorn.

[weldedtomyspine]

"Um..."

"No?"

As long as he could call her first and warn her.

And figure out some bribe to get her to play along. That would be tough.

Or maybe he could not say anything and his mom's natural kindness would keep her from laughing at Momoko?



A really good bribe.

[heromaniac]

Momoko blinked. "I can? Really? Oh." Maybe there was some family thing she didn't know about that his mom would say that he was 'the best' in a scolding tone?

She ate some popcorn, trying to think of something that would fit, but couldn't. "Well, okay then. I'll trust you. But I still say it's not English. I'm not that bad at it."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime had to laugh at that. "It's not," he admitted a bit sheepishly.

"Espanol. Spanish."

[heromaniac]

"See? I knew it!" She nodded and settled back. "Why don't you ever speak it? I use Japanese sometimes."

[weldedtomyspine]

"I don't know," Jaime shrugged. "We don't use it all that much at home? Not unless we have family visiting. Or if there's a word that doesn't quite translate into English, you know?"

[heromaniac]

"Oh!" Momoko nodded. "But you know both, right? That's awesome. English is the only other language I know, and it was hard to learn. Well, not the alphabet, but the words."

[weldedtomyspine]

Jaime chuckled. "I think any language is hard to learn if you don't grow up with it. I just got lucky."

[heromaniac]

"Or super smart," Momoko said around a mouthful of popcorn. "I'm just glad I don't have to learn another one. And that what I do know has gotten better since I came here. Especially living with Spock; he likes to use big words that I've never even heard of!"

[weldedtomyspine]

"I don't really know him, but he looks like the kinda guy who uses big words that nobody's ever heard of."

[heromaniac]

"He's really super nice. He is! He's just smart and always uses words that mean what he wants to say, but I don't always know them."

Momoko shrugged. "Maybe I won't seem as dumb if he used Japanese in the room. His mom says he knows how. Oh! Did I show you the sweater she made me? It's totally awesome!" And pink.

[weldedtomyspine]

"I think you failed to show me said sweater, Momoko. I'm very disappointed."

Yeah. He sounded disappointed.

[heromaniac]

"Next time you're in my room, I'll show you! It's totally cute! It's pink and has sparkly sequins around the collar," she ran her hand across the top of her chest. "They make this really cute almost bow shape! And it's totally warm and fits just right! I don't know how she made it."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Maybe she used magic!"

Jaime was teasing her. He didn't think Spock's mom had used magic.

[heromaniac]

Momoko frowned. "I think Spock would have mentioned she had magic. Probably he just described me really well. He's really into science and stuff, so he could probably do that."

[weldedtomyspine]

"Into science and stuff?" Jaime repeated with a snicker.

[heromaniac]

Mean!

"Remember when I said he uses words I don't know? A lot of them are when he tries to tell me what he's studying."

[weldedtomyspine]

"So what does that make me? Not into science and stuff?"

Jaime liked science!

Mostly.

[heromaniac]

"When did this become about you?" Momoko bumped him, chuckling. "Or are you jealous that I think someone else is smart, too?"