Mignyanniversary ~ Mitsi's Interview Adventures

“Zzzzzzzz… Zzzzz… Zzzz…”

Deep in my subconscious, I’m having a sweet, savory, and salty dream. All I can eat, an infinite buffet all made just for me. Servants made of fried chicken and stuffed turkey bring me serving after serving of everything and anything I want. More than I can eat but never enough. This, this is truly heaven.

Suddenly a sharp pain flashes by, making my whole body wince. A rush of static slowly invades my brain, and with it the world begins to crumble and turn to black.

“No! My food! Come back!!!!!!!”

Unable to hold on, I fall into the infinite and dark void. The white noise caring not for my cries and sobs.

“BOMF”

With an audible thud, I fall out of the nest of clothes and plushies I had made for myself. Sitting up with a groan, the static spark from my dream flashes by once again. My body stiffens as my head begins buzzing. If I could look into my skull I swear I’d see white and black bars of noise. This feeling...I know this feeling! A message from the mothercrab!!

“H…..lo. He..llo. Hello? Hello everyone! I have a message to share from a special guest. Their name is Dandelion, and they’d like everyone’s help.”

The transmission goes on for a while after. The groggy and just awakened me can’t really keep up, but I think I got the jist of it. This Mignyan named Dandelion is looking for a brand new trait and is asking everyone for help. Help how? By gathering information and sharing it with them. I’m cranky from being woken, but I have to admit that it sure sounds fun. Though I'm not sure how I'm supposed to give them any information I find…

Finally getting up and giving myself a good stretch, I look around for something to put my hair up with. Many things come into my view, a mountain of toys, the ocean of clothes covering every inch of the floor, oh there’s the stain on the wall from the pizza I ate yesterday. Wha! There’s still a pepperoni piece left over! Going over to it I peel the stale meat off the filthy wall and swallow the delicious snack in one gulp. Hmm not enough, I’m still hungry.

Completely forgetting what I was originally seeking out, I run out of my room and into the kitchen. In the dining room, my roommate and highschool friend Seki is sitting down with a bowl in front of him and a spoon in hand. He seems to be eating breakfast.

“Seki! Good morning! What do you have? I want some.”

The blue haired Mignyan looks over at me with a helpless expression before lifting his bowl up for me to see. It’s empty.

“Haah. Good morning Mitsi. I just finished my food, but I brought a few things home last night. They’re in the fridge”

Before he can even finish his sentence I’m zooming over to the cold storage box and throwing it open. It gives a stubborn creak followed by ‘bang!” as I force it to reveal my food to me. I easily locate the new containers inside the empty space. Lunchables!

Grabbing the small trays, I one by one rip open the plastic tops with little resistance and swallow the contents after only a few bites. I taste ham and cheese. There are definitely crackers too judging by the salty taste and crunch. There’s something sweet too I think, like some kind of chocolate? I can’t be sure though as I hastily devour tray after tray.

After only a minute later, all the Lunchables that Seki bought were gone. The trays and clear plastic are messily thrown on the ground around my feet. Despite the amount I still felt hungry. Turning to the boy I set my gaze straight at his hair covered eyes.

“Is there anything else? I’m still starving.”

At this time he’s by the sink filling up a glass of water. After filling it up to the top he carefully stepped towards me and hands me the cup. The water inside spills slightly from the movement, letting cool drops slide down the transparent surface and wetting my hands. The feeling is uncomfortable as it sticks to my skin.

“Nope. That’s all I got. Here, don’t choke please.”

“Thank you Seki!”

Raising the cold glass up to my mouth I drink the whole thing in one go. The liquid slides comfortably down my throat, moistening the passage and making me belatedly realise how thirsty I actually was. It’s nice and refreshing after my meal. I’m sad that there’s no more food but at least I got a nice breakfast thanks to Seki. I’ll need the energy for all the things I’ll be doing today! … Ah. Wait, aren't I forgetting something?

Seki walks over to the couch and crouches down to where his backpack is. As I debate the question in my head, he sorts through his bag and checks that he has everything he needs for the day. Even immersed in his task, he still makes small talk with me.

“Did you wake up because of the transmission? I was zoning out when it happened so it scared me. I thought I might choke-”

“AHHH THAT’S IT!”

Cutting him off with a scream, I finally realise what it was I was forgetting. The transmission! The new trait! The interviews!!

“Seki! Seki! I’m going to go out today to find information for that Dandelion person!  Want to come with me?”

While staying frozen in his crouching position, the taller Mignyan stares at me with wide eyes for a few seconds. I think I scared him with my sudden outburst. After the shock wears off he gives me a tired smile and a small chuckle.

“That sounds fun, but I have school Mitsi. So sorry but I can't.”

Ah, right, college. Looking at the boy, he’s already dressed and finishing up with packing his bag. I guess he’s just about ready to head out for class.

“Well…I’ll work extra hard then and tell you all about my discoveries when you get home! Let’s walk out together!”

“Sure, I’d love to hear about your adventures. And yeah, let’s go down together. But, are you not going to put your hair up?”

Hair? HAIR!! Oh yeah!

“Give me a second! I’ll be right back!”

I race back into my room as I remember what I was looking for before the pepperoni slice distracted me. After some frantic searching and many thrown clothes and plushies later, I finally find a hair tie. Bolting into our shared bathroom, I go up to the mirror and struggle to bunch my hair up properly. Taking one final look at myself in the mirror, I see my pink and black haired self staring back.

My clothes are a wrinkled mess and stained with who knows what. My hair looks like it shouldn’t be staying up, but I’m a bro at getting it to do what I want now. My teeth are as sharp as ever. After confirming that my looks are just how I like them, I head back out and rendezvous with Seki. He’s already finished sorting out his backpack and is waiting by the door for me with my shoes. What an amazing friend. Taking the shoes from him I slip them on and follow him out the door.

Stepping outside, the two of us turn left and make our way down the creaky stairs. The “tang tang tang” of metal against rubber echoes with each footstep. Nearing the bottom, I decide to jump off the last few steps. Taking a deep breath and making a small “PUU!” noise from the effort, I’m sent flying through the air. As a light “don!” sound resounds I make a perfect landing! I throw my arms up in victory of overcoming the deadly jump, then quickly spin towards Seki with an expectant look. He gives me a weary look in return and a little clap before patting my head.

“Ok Mitsi, I’m going now. Good luck with your uh, ‘interviews.’”

“Alright! Bye-bye Seki! Good luck at school!”

With that farewell, the blue haired Mignyan heads off. I stand staring at his receding back for a while before taking a deep breath and striking a pose to psych myself up. Let’s get started! Ah, but where do I start? I’m not sure… Well standing around doesn’t help me. Let’s just walk until we find something. With my course of action decided, I start walking in whatever direction I please.

……✎

Walking along the sidewalk for a while, many things pass me by. People jogging, kids at their bus stops, cars going who knows where, but nothing that I think would help me with my mission so far. I wonder how long I’ll have to walk.

After strolling around a good distance, I hear a light clanging sound to my right. Turning to the sound, a back alley stands before me. Squinting harder to see inside the dark crevice I swear I see a cat digging through the trash. Perfect! I think as I jumpside the passage. Cats go to lots of places and see lots of things. Especially strays! I bet they’ll know something!

As I walk towards them, the emaciated orange cat stops what it’s doing and turns towards me. Caution fills its eyes as it stares me down. It hunches down and backs up, looking ready to run off at the slightest movement from me.

“Oh, wait! I have a question, kitty! Do you know anything about the ‘new Mignyan trait?’ I’m trying to find out about it. Can you help me ?”

At my query, the cat gives me a mean hiss and runs off in the opposite direction. I think about chasing after it, but figure it wouldn’t want to talk to me even if it could. I guess they didn’t know anything. Well that didn’t go well, but it was my first try so it’s fine. It’s not like you can get it right everytime. Looking down at where the cat was, a realization strikes me. If the cat was in there, that must mean there’s food!

I take a step back, ready myself, and dive headfirst into the small pile of foul garbage. It reeks of rotten things, chemicals, and who knows what else. Rotten things means there’s something that can rot though, which means food!

I spend a while in the pile of filth devouring various things. Newly thrown out food, some scraps of fruits and vegetables that look half composted, there’s some meat covered with mold, the mold gives it extra taste! “Clank!” A sharp sound and pain suddenly comes from my mouth as I bite something hard.

“Owww that hurt!”

Fishing the thing out from my maw and giving it a good look, it seems to be a magnifying glass. The glass is slightly dirty and part of it is cracked. The black handle remains perfectly intact despite this. I don’t think glass is edible though, so I better not eat it. Looking through the transparent surface, the world looks even more fuzzy than it usually does. The way it shrinks and expands the different colors is fun though.

…

Uh, wait, wasn't I doing something before? Magnifying glass. Trash. Cat. Right! The message! I’m supposed to be interviewing people! Well, I think I’ve eaten everything here that’s still edible so I guess I should get back to that.

Picking up the eye glass I finally stand up and head out of the alley with it in hand. I can take this with me. Maybe it will help me search for clues. See, something good did come out of this. Thank you kitty!

Finally back on track I take a peek up through the towering buildings and into the wide sky. The light blue mass is cloudless, with the sun hanging in the middle of it. I guess it must be around midday. Bringing my vision back down to the sidewalk, I rub my eyes to disperse the feeling of burnt retina and once again head in whatever direction I feel like.

……✎

After a few hours of walking my legs feel like jelly and it’s hard to keep my disguise up. I figure it’s probably a good idea to find a quiet place to sit down and rest. It’s hot so I want to sit somewhere shady too. Surveying my surroundings, I spot a bridge under a road and decide it’s the perfect place to relax. Making my way down and finally into the darkness, my eyes refocus from the sudden lack of light.

The hole is surrounded in grey, cold concrete. Bright and colorful graffiti covers the inside walls on all sides, showing obvious signs of life despite its seeming desolation. There's another hole deeper inside leading to who knows where. A bit outside the entrance of the inner bowels sits an old man on the granite colored floor.

Well this is a great spot to rest, but I can’t undisguise myself. What do I do…

“Hello! Are you hiding from the sun too?”

“...You could say that.”

The man gives me a look, makes a disgusted face, and turns back to continue fiddling with a black backpack in front of him. There’s a shopping cart full of stuff next to him. Taking a closer look at him, his clothes look kind of tattered. There’s a slightly unpleasant odor coming from him as well. He probably smells better than me though.

Well, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be moving anytime soon. Luckily there's the big hole in the middle of the tunnel. Stepping past the mysterious man and into the privacy of the second mouth, I finally undisguise myself and plop down with a thud. It’s a wonderful feeling as my legs slowly start feeling like actual legs again.

I sit here for a while basking in the cold. The only sounds in the cavern being the occasional vrooming of cars as they pass by overhead and the scratchy sounds of the man messing with whatever is in his hands. I wonder if he has food in his bag… Taking a sniff, I smell many things. The earthy scent of concrete and dirt, a distant chemical trace of spray paint, and the tangy stench of the man on the other side. Not a whiff of food though. Sad.

Looking down at my own hands as boredom creeps in, the magnifying glass once again comes into view. For the third time today, I’m reminded why I’m out here at all. This man seems like he’s seen a lot of things, maybe he knows something. Peaking my head out just enough to look at him, I start my interview.

“Hey, do you know about Mignyans?”

“Migaans?”

“Close enough. You know, meat crab aliens. There’s apparently news of a new trait and I’m trying to find info on it. I’m wondering if you know anything?”

To my perfectly reasonable question, the older guy’s face scrunches up. He then quickly backs up away from me. Uh oh.

“Miss, if you’re here for your next fix then go somewhere else. This is my spot.”

Fix? Fix what? I don’t think anything is broken though? Does he know how to repair stuff? That’s really cool but I didn’t ask him to fix anything.

“No, there's nothing I need fixed. I’m asking about aliens! Do you know anything about the new trait? Anything at all will be helpful!”

He once again scowls at me and retreats even more, this time with an obvious wariness. After he’s some distance away, he finally turns back to his stuff. I can hear him mumbling to himself. Straining my ears I hear the words ‘addict’, ‘crazy’, and ‘good spot.’ I’m not sure what he means but I don’t think he’s happy.

I settle back against the wall as I hear him continue on with whatever he has in his hands now. The scratchy sound turns into a “zzziip!” followed by a crinkling one. It almost sounds like a zip lock. I wonder if he has food in it!

Hopping up and putting my disguise back on, I run out of the bowels and over to the man. As I get closer, I can see that he does indeed have a zip lock bag. It sadly doesn’t look like there’s food inside. Rather it looks like there are…pictures? Not what I expected.

The man is once again glaring at me. I don’t think I’m welcome here anymore, but I might as well ask one more time before I leave. Just in case.

“You really really REALLY don’t know ANYTHING?”

“No miss, please leave.”

Ah well. With disappointment evident on my face, I make my way out of the concrete den. If he doesn’t know then there’s nothing I can do but go back to walking I guess. As I emerge back into the land of the sun I start heading up the hill to where the road is. I suddenly stop in my tracks as a smell invades my nostrils. It’s savory, meaty, and delicious. Something smells SO good.

Following my nose up and to the other side of the road, I catch sight of a truck on the side in what looks to be a resting area. What? This was here the whole time? I didn't notice it.

Finally getting near the automotive, I find that it’s a food truck! On the side is a banner with all kinds of tacos. My mouth starts watering as I look at the options. Steaming, greasy beef. Tender and soft chicken. Gooey cheese, crisp lettuce, violently hot peppers. I’m sure I must be making a river with my mouth at this point.

Sprinting in a flash over to the white van, I practically jump into the window. The man and woman working inside yelp in unison at the surprise visit.

“AHH!”

“WHAA!”

“Hello! I want some food!”

After stating my reason for being here, I fully climb inside the truck and look around at what they’ve got. The two people seem to be stuck in place like statues. Are they ok? Whatever, not my issue.

I grab a handful of diced chicken and stuff the warm meat in my mouth, then another handful, and another. As I shovel yet more meat inside my maw, the woman finally seems to jump start and rushes over to grab me.

“MA’AM! You can’t do that! What’s wrong with you!! Tim help me!”

“Ah!”

At the woman’s scream, the guy also comes back to life and rushes over to catch me. They’re actually pretty strong, but my appetite is even stronger. Slipping from their grasp, I run to the other side of the truck and stuff two handfuls of soft tacos shells into my mouth. I devour them in just a few bites.

“Someone call the police!!”

After that scream there’s a sudden panic and flurry of motion outside the vehicle. The call to action seems to have created a big stir. I’m not sure who screamed it, but I know it’s not good if the police actually show up. I need to get out of here before they do. As fast as I can I grab a bowl, fill it with as much seasoned beef as I can, and zoom back out the window.

A crowd of people are collecting outside. After steading myself from the fall I make a mad dash for as far away as I can get. I hear screams of ‘Catch her!” behind me and even some laughter. There’s a crunching sound gaining on me as well. I think someone is actually chasing after me, and they’re fast. I won’t get caught though when food is involved!

Streaks of grey, green, blue, and other colors I don’t quite catch rush by as I speed away from the crime scene. After what feels like a mini marathon, I finally can’t hear anything following after me and slow down to catch my breath. After steadying my breathing, I eat whatever didn’t spill out during the chase. There’s only about half of it left and it’s now cold, but it’s still delicious. Compliments to the chef.

Finally settled down, I take in my surroundings. I seem to have made my way to a park. There are large fields of vibrant green grass, a couple of purposefully placed trees, and a smokey grey pathway leading through the big yard. In the distance I see some large, bright colors. Wonder what that is.

As I get closer to the colorful structure it finally comes into focus. It’s a playground! How fun! Turning my head from side to side and directing my ears, I don’t hear any noise coming from it. Doesn’t sound like anyone is around. That just means more playground for me! I speed down the sunflower yellow slide, spin the rose red crank until it breaks off, and jump from sea blue monkey bar to sea blue monkey bar. I spend a long time enjoying the recreations.

……✎

“Squeeee. Squeeeeeeeee.”

The bright red swings slowly cry out as I move leisurely back and forth on them. Replaying everything in my mind as the quiet of the sunset park sets in, I can’t help but feel like I've been very busy today. Cats, long walks, mysterious men, and high stake chases, a lot has happened in a short amount of time. I haven’t actually gotten any closer to learning about this new trait though. I can’t help but be kind of dispirited about it.

The hush of the empty and open fields doesn’t help my mood. Though I guess the quiet is actually pretty peaceful. I look up and stare over the greenery. I can’t actually see much, but the colors are very pretty. A golden and soft glow illuminates the whole place as the sun says farewell. The gentle warmth of day fades into the crisp coolness of night. The sharp and sweet smell of cut grass reaches my nose as the purifying wind carries many different smells and stories with it to beyond .The bugs hum fleeting songs as the distant sounds of laughter mark people making their way home. It’s actually really calming.

I can’t help but close my eyes and enjoy the peaceful moment. That’s right. I couldn’t find anything out today, but that’s ok. I tried my hardest and I can try again tomorrow too. The soft melody settles my chaotic mind as comforting thoughts and reassurance seeps into the space left behind.

Opening my eyes to watch the world pass by, I spot someone throwing something white into the trash. I excitedly bounce over and into the garbage can wondering if it could be a food wrapper. Fishing the paper out though, it just seems to be a newspaper. Wait, newspaper’s have recent news on them. I wonder if there’s anything in this?

Fighting against my poor eyesight, I squint to try and read what it’s about. A new book coming out, mysterious disappearances, something something politics, Oh! There’s a new clothing shop opening soon! I should go there when I get the chance if I can find it.

“...Mitsi?”

A sudden call from my right shatters my concentration. Following the noise, I see Seki a distance away. He seems baffled by my appearance, but I'm just as surprised by his.

“Seki!? What are you doing here!”

I race over to the taller Mignyan. Despite him interrupting my investigation, I’m not mad at all. It’s always a joy to see my best friend, especially out in the wild! As I practically run into him, Seki catches me and gives me a pat on the shoulder while tiredly chuckling at my energy.

“I just finished my part time work and was heading home. When I looked over into the park nearby I thought I saw you. I figured there’s no way you’d be all the way over here, but came to check just in case… Lo and behold here you are! What the heck are you doing here?”

“I was looking for people to interview!”

“All the way out here? Well, did you find anyone?”

“Yep! I interviewed a cat that hissed at me then ran away, and a man who I think thought I was crazy. Neither of them were any help though. Oh I found a magnifying glass too- ah.”

After a quick check of clothes, I realise that I had lost the lens. I probably dropped it when I was running away from the food truck people. I had wanted to bring it home with me, that’s so disappointing.

“...You, you don’t say? Pfft, HAHAHAHA!”

Seemingly unable to hold back at my story, Seki bursts out in a joy filled laugh. I pout for a moment at the feeling of being mocked before giving a wide grin and joining in. The taller man pets my head as he calms down and returns to his usual expression.

“Well would you like to walk home with me? We can get food on the way.”

“YES! FOOD!”

“Alright, alright calm down. Let’s go.”

Seki begins walking forward and I follow behind for a few steps before stopping as something shiny catches my eye. Jogging in the direction of the flash, I find a pleasant surprise. My magnifying glass!! I must have dropped it on the slide.

“Mitsi?”

Seki calls over to me, no doubt wondering what I ran off for this time. Returning to the boy I proudly show him my find.

“I found this earlier with the kitty! I’m bringing it home as my prize for my hard work today! I’m glad I found it again, I was scared I lost it.”

“Be sure to hold on to it, Mitsi. Actually, do you want me to put it in my bag? That way you won’t lose it.”

“Yes! Thank you Seki! You’re the best!”

I give him a big, firm hug for that! Seki really is the bestest ever! He returns the hug with just as much warmth, albeit less energy. After I release him, he once again pets my head before depositing the lens into his bag. With that finally settled, I fall in place beside him as we head home. On the way I tell Seki all about my day and we begin making plans for a movie night.

I might not have been able to find anything out about this new trait Dandelion mentioned. But it was still a good day.