milliways_bar | (no subject)

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Time in Milliways is weird.

It is perhaps because of this that the Momiji poking his head into the bar door, tonight, is significantly younger than the one that's up in his room in the Bar, at the moment. This one looks perhaps early elementary school age, though, apparently, the rabbit-boy's tendency to act younger than he ought to cuts across age limits, as he has one thumb jammed firmly in his mouth and a bunny doll dangling in the crook of one arm.

He looks utterly confused. He knew the Sohma house was big, but no one had ever mentioned this part of it to him! None of these people looked like family members, anyway. Weird.

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"It's a long story," Mia says.

She'll explain while they're waiting for the cookies to bake. It's likely better to focus on this first anyway.

She hands him the cup of chocolate chips when all the other ingredients are mixed.

"Now I'll mix while you pour these in."

"Oh."

His question is easily put off because...so many chocolate chips! Yay!

Once they get mixed in, Mia says, "We should wash our hands. I've got an idea."

And once her hands are nice and clean, she spoons some of the cookie dough out onto the baking sheet and shapes it like a little bunny.

If Momiji asks, she'll say it's his doll.

"Okay."

Momiji obediently washes his own hands, before standing near the baking sheet, getting on tiptoes so that he can watch and grinning wide at the rabbit. His doll is back in his arms, clutched tight, and the expression on his face at the sight is positively gleeful.

"...It's a bunny!"

Observent, isn't he?

She nods happily and puts another dollop of cookie dough on the sheet.

"Want to make one?"

"Uh-huh!

The boy reaches up, putting his hands on the dough and starting to try to shape it into a rabbit, coming up with something a little more...unrecognizable.

She still smiles at it, though. The attempted ears almost look sort of like gorgon eyestalks.

She's not going to mention it, but she still thinks it's cute.

Momiji would be totally freaked out by the idea that his bunny has eyestalks.

But he doesn't notice. He happens to think that it's an excellent bunny.

"...Do you like it?"

"Yes, it's very cute," she says honestly.

"Good!"

He smiles down at it, before taking a step back and squeezing his rabbit doll tight.

It occurs to him that now he can't eat the cute bunny cookies. But there'll be others!

Thankfully, Mia is working on other shapes for the other cookies.

Some stars, some flowers, some lightening bolts (hey, as long as Draco's not around, why not?), even some puzzle-piece like shapes.

"That's really neat, Mia...!"

Momiji leans on the edge of the counter, holding his rabbit up so that he can "watch," too. This new kitchen is nice!

Once she uses all the dough on the sheet, she puts them in the oven.

"It'll be a few minutes. Time enough to tell you about this place. You see, this isn't actually part of your home. This is Milliways."

There's a long pause and then a blink. And then another blink. And another.

"Huh?"

"Milliways," she says again. "It's a restaurant, and yet so much more than that. There's a lot to it. Rooms, a lake, mountains, woods, a garden, a library, and many other things."

His eyes widen at this explanation - all of that sounds really cool, except...

"But...I was at the Sohma house. I remember."

She nods.

"That's kind of what Milliways does. It's a magic place. In fact-"

She summons up a few snowflakes.

"-I know a bit of magic myself."

Magic easily makes up for disturbing temporal and spatial displacement. Especially magic snowflakes.

"Wo-ow..."

She smiles bright.

"If you want, I might be able to teach you."

"Really?"

His eyes widen for a moment, before his expression suddenly dampens.

"I prob'ly can't. I'm not supposed to go wandering off."

"You can always ask," she says. "Here, I'll check on the cookies."

It's just moments later that she brings back a plateful of warm cookies and her own glass of milk.

"Be careful not to burn yourself."

"Okay..."

Momiji smiles wide at all of the cookies, conveiently not responding to Mia's suggestion. He's pretty sure everyone at the Sohma house would say no, and he's not sure who he's supposed to ask, anyway.

"Thanks for helping me make them!"

"Anytime."

She carefully tries one of the cookies.

"Especially since you make such good cookies."

"Aww...I just stirred and stuff."

This doesn't stop him from practically glowing with pride.

"You measured, stirred, mixed, and shaped the dough for cooking. If that's not cooking, then I don't know the word for it."