801Chapter 95: A Night of Respite Part 1
Hi everyone. I hope that all of you are still well and safe during these difficult times.
Many thanks to Raxius, IanAlphaAxel and Lilly The Omega Wolf for your reviews of the previous chapter. I appreciate the feedback on how I approached writing the meeting and how I handled the Digidestined speaking different languages. Thanks for letting me know that you liked how I wrote it.
I read that Covid-19 has caused the Digimon Adventure reboot to be put on hold for the moment. Hopefully the people working on it are well and safe, and that they can return soon to continue it. It's one of many currently airing anime or anime that were planned for this season that have been paused or put back for now.
Speaking of the reboot, of the three episodes we've been given, it sure is different so far to the original Digimon Adventure. I'm not going to spoil anything, but those of you who have seen it will know what I mean when I say it's gone from 0 to 100 really quickly. It makes me worry about the pacing if they've gone straight to that point. Based on that, we might be getting a shorter season too instead of the 50 or so episodes that we usually get with Digimon seasons.
And now on with the story …
Tai was sitting on the side of his bed with his chin in the palm of his hand. He sighed loudly before he gritted his teeth and stared at the floor. The party to celebrate Kari and TK's marriage was going to begin in about half an hour and he wasn't looking forward to it.
The patrols earlier today and the day before had been without any issues. There were more evil Digimon and Deep Ones in Tokyo now, like there had been when Kari and her team had spotted Metalseadramon three days ago, but it was nothing that could stop the Digidestined from having a celebration tonight and a well-deserved rest tomorrow.
Tai wasn't looking for an excuse to stop the party and he guessed that it was probably better to get it over with now than it was to put it back again. After all, that would probably incur the wrath of Mimi and that was something that he wanted to avoid. He also didn't want things between him and Kari to get any worse either.
From his perspective, the meeting with the international Digidestined had gone very well too. They had a general outline for the plan now and Tai had spent a lot of the day talking to his comrades from around the world and listening to some of their feedback whilst some of the other Japanese Digidestined were out on patrol. Kari's plan was beginning to slot into place and they could now see the light at the end of the tunnel. At the very least, the Chosen now had an excellent chance of driving Dragomon out of Tokyo. Although, defeating him might be a different matter because of how strong the demonic monster was.
Tai wondered if taking time off really was a good idea because of the amount of work that they still had to do. More evil Digimon being in Tokyo did concern him and he'd already decided that, once their short rest was over, Matt, Sora and Yolei would be joining Kari's team. He rubbed his chin as he wondered why Metalseadramon had followed Kari and the others around Tokyo that day and why there were more forces in the city again. All of the possibilities didn't really sit well with the goggle-head.
"Come on, Tai," Noriko said softly as she bent down so that her eyes were level with his. "Please don't go to this party with that frown on your face. This is going to be the only time we get to celebrate Kari and TK getting married and I'm sure that Kari would want you to enjoy the party. I know that you're still very angry about what has happened and upset that they broke your trust, but please don't try to ruin it. Please try to have a good time."
Tai sighed again as those feelings came back to the forefront of his mind before he chuckled. "Actually, I was thinking about what Metalseadramon was up to so that I wouldn't think about the circumstances around Kari getting married to TK. I guess it's a bad choice of thing to think about because it's making me frown even more."
Noriko was right though about what she had said and Tai knew it. He was still very angry about what his sister and her husband had done, and the wounds were going to take some time to heal. He definitely hadn't forgiven them for breaking his trust and it was still going to be a long time before they would be likely to earn it back.
"I know it's going to be difficult because you're our leader, but try not to think about that too." Noriko smiled as she sat down next to him and placed her hand over his injured one. "Try to enjoy yourself, Tai. You need to relax just as much as the rest of us. You might have been injured but that doesn't count as a proper break, especially when you've been pushing yourself to recover and doing things around the base. You should take some time to relax."
Noriko shuffled a little closer to him. "Also, think of it this way. This is a once in a lifetime event for Kari. She wouldn't want you sitting in a corner and sulking because that would probably upset her too. Try to enjoy it for her and TK so that, when things are better between you again, you won't look back on this in a negative way."
"You're right." Tai forced a smile and hoped that he would be able to get through this. "I'll try to have a good time and relax."
Kari and TK were his family, after all, and he did still deeply care about both of them. However, it was that care that made this still so difficult to take. His sister's life was ruined because she was pregnant and part of Tai still didn't think that this was something that they should be celebrating. However, he also understood what Noriko said and Mimi's point of view too. It would be a once in a lifetime thing for Kari and TK, so they should celebrate it otherwise they will never get the chance to again.
It was the worst possible mess at arguably the worst possible time, even if Kari and TK's daughter did seem to be helping them turn the tables on Dragomon. If it had happened at a different time, Tai knew that he still would have been angry but he wouldn't have been as mad as he was. At least they were taking responsibility and trying to make amends for what happened, so Tai guessed that it would only be fair that he'd try to enjoy himself at their wedding party.
"Also, Tai." Noriko pulled him from his thoughts again, making him glance in her direction once more. "I'll be there with you, so I'll try to make it an enjoyable night for us both."
"I know." He smiled as his eyes met hers and he leaned forwards. Tai wanted to make sure that she didn't have anything to worry about and that he wasn't going to deliberately ruin the party for anyone. "I promise that I'll enjoy our time together tonight."
The couple closed their eyes and Tai pressed his lips against his girlfriend's. They held them there for a few moments as he sealed his promise with a kiss. He definitely didn't want to ruin Noriko's night and he knew that he'd probably be able to put most of the negative things to the back of his mind for one night if she was with him to help him do that.
They pulled back and reopened their eyes. Tai glanced down briefly at what his girlfriend was wearing once again. Her pink dress followed the curves of her boobs and hips, whilst hugging her slender waist and flat stomach. It came halfway down her thighs and Tai was glad that she seemed to have the confidence in herself to wear something that showed off her great figure for once.
"I also promise that you'll be the only reason that I leave early tonight." Tai gave her a wink as he watched her cheeks turn as rosy pink as her dress was. A grin spread across his face and the goggle-head gave her a quick peck on the lips before he started getting ready.
"Thanks, Izzy dear." Mimi took the labels from her boyfriend before giving him a peck on the cheek. She'd asked him to print off the labels to make sure that everyone knew which drinks were the alcoholic ones and the non-alcoholic ones. With a pregnant woman and Digimon around, she knew that it was something important that had to be sorted out to make sure that there weren't any accidental mix ups. "These look great."
Mimi made her way over to the part of the kitchen counter and fridge where all the drinks were being kept in the Digidestineds' living area. She put the labels in place, carefully making sure that she hadn't messed anything up. The young woman checked once more for good measure before she turned to the others in the room.
"You guys better make sure that these labels don't get mixed up." She pointed at them before she focused specifically on Davis. "Don't go swapping them around for a joke."
Davis rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Don't worry, I won't."
"Keiko." Mimi glanced over at his girlfriend. "Make sure that he doesn't."
The younger teen gave her a thumbs up. "I'll make sure that he doesn't."
"Thanks." Mimi gave her a smile before she glanced around the rest of the room. The finishing touches were being put into place for the party and she wanted to make sure that it was all ready in time. There was less than half an hour to go now and thankfully everything looked like it was in place.
She had recruited the help of Izzy, Davis, Keiko, Matt, Sora, Ken, Yolei and Joe to get everything set up and ready. Mimi had planned out what they needed and she'd got them to help her collect it and get it all to the base. They'd used the digiports to get to the Digital World before using their parents' laptops to get outside of the barrier and go shopping for what they needed. They had managed to get everything during the previous evening thanks to Mimi roping in her parents too, so today was spent getting everything ready.
With a bit of sweet talking, she'd managed to get the cooks in the canteen to help out and prepare some food for her. The alcohol and drinks in general had been organised by her parents, which she paid for with the money that she was getting from the DPD. The others had been given their specific tasks too and, bit by bit, everything had come together.
Mimi had decided to go with a buffet set up instead of a large meal. She figured that getting everyone to sit down and have a meal together was just too much work because of all of the timings involved, so she decided that it would be easier to let everyone pick what they wanted. It had been her, Matt and Davis cooking up the food with the help of the people in the canteen and the fruits of their labour were now laid out on the sides in the kitchen. The plates and cutlery were all laid out too for everyone to pick up once the party started.
Yolei and Keiko had been left in charge of sorting out the snack food and drinks, as well as laying out the food once it had been cooked. That left Izzy, Ken and Joe to prepare the decorations for the room and have everything arranged as Mimi wanted it. She'd gotten them to arranging things so that they had a dancefloor and Matt had provided them with the sound set up for their music. Of course, Mimi had made sure to pick the music herself because, while she trusted Matt, she had to make sure that there was a good mix of tracks and that there were plenty of love songs in there.
Mimi had also made sure that everyone had managed to go and get something good to wear for the party, which included making sure that they had time to get changed into their clothes. She'd picked out an emerald-green dress for herself, which snuggly fitted her body and showed off the curves of her butt and hips. It hugged her flat stomach and showcased her very large boobs whilst revealing plenty of her cleavage. Her long smooth legs were on show too as the dress stopped midway down her thighs. She'd finished the look by matching it with green shoes that had a good heel on them and, based on how Izzy had reacted when he saw her in it for the first time, her boyfriend seemed to approve of how she looked.
Of course, Mimi had insisted on picking a kimono for Kari and she'd roped Sora and Yolei into it too. They hadn't had a lot of time to search but they'd managed to find something that they were all happy with. With Matt's help, the girls had managed to pick out something for TK too and the couple liked what they'd been given when Mimi handed it to them earlier.
The bubbly brunette made one more check over everything before she turned to the others. "Right, let's make sure everyone is here before Kari and TK arrive."
"I don't know how Mimi and Sora managed this," TK chuckled as he looked at himself in the mirror before glancing back over at his wife. "They managed to get us these kimonos at such short notice and they fit rather well."
Kari was wearing a white kimono that was rather similar to what she might have worn if they had a formal wedding, but it was of a simpler design. It was more of a white yukata than the more padded and traditional wedding shiromuku or uchikake that would have normally been worn by a bride. Mimi had also decided on using a western style veil for Kari, which TK thought gave an interesting blend of modern, traditional and western wedding clothes.
He glanced down at his own outfit and wondered how they'd managed to get him a traditional groom kimono that fit perfectly. Of course, Mimi needed to put her twist on it too, much to Sora's disapproval and Kari's amusement. TK rolled with it because, after all, wearing a hat was his thing and he was rather happy to rock the black top hat with a white band around it that matched his kimono.
"They look good on you," Patamon commented as he gazed down at his bow tie. Mimi and Sora had even got a few things for Patamon and Gatomon too. "And that hat looks like a good place for me to sit."
Gatomon adjusted the flower next to her ear. "Yeah, you both definitely look good in them."
"And you both look good too," Kari replied with a smile. "You look really cute."
Given the unusual circumstances behind the party, and their marriage as a whole, they hadn't gotten dressed and ready in the traditional manner either. After all, they were sharing a room in this base and they couldn't really get ready in separate rooms because the others needed to get dressed too. It didn't bother TK that much because, after all, it was the fact that he'd be with Kari forever that mattered. Besides, this was kind of the reception party and not the wedding itself, which he considered was when the documents were signed at the place where their parents were staying.
The couple's gazes met and TK realised that he'd zoned out while staring at his wife. She smiled at him and closed the distance between them. Kari closed her eyes as he closed his too and tilted his head. Their lips met and they held them there for a few moments before pulling back and looking lovingly into each other's eyes.
"It's time." Kari spoke quietly as her smile grew a little more. "Mimi said to come out at exactly half six."
TK smiled back. "Let's not keep everyone waiting."
He reached out and took Kari's hand in his, lacing his fingers with hers as they made their way to the door. They walked side by side down the corridor to the living area with Patamon and Gatomon following them. They stopped just before walking into the room to share a glance. The couple smiled once more as their eyes met again before they turned the corner and walked into the living area.
"Congratulations!"
Mimi and Davis stood in front of the other Digidestined and Digimon as they formed a semi-circle around the doorway. Party poppers were pulled, sending strings of paper through the air with them landing on the married couple. TK and Kari laughed as their friends kept setting the party poppers off while Davis and Mimi set off a few confetti cannons.
Eventually they ran out, but TK was rather surprised by just how many they had because his friends had been pulling loads from their pockets. He brushed some of the strings and glitter off Kari before she did the same to him. The couple shared a grin again as they relaxed and waited for whatever was planned next as Davis stepped away to join the others.
"Give me a moment. Don't move," Mimi instructed them before she and Matt made their way through their friends to get something. It seemed to act as a cue because the others moved over to the kitchen counter, which made it clear what was going to happen next. They grabbed some sake as Mimi and Matt approached them with three sake cups and a bottle. "We can't miss this part out. It's important after all."
Mimi held out one of the cups for Matt to pour sake into before she offered it to TK. "Don't worry, it's not alcoholic. I'm not going to make Kari drink sake when she's pregnant."
"Thanks." TK gave them a bow before taking the drink from Mimi. He took a sip before handing it to Kari. She took it from him before he lifted her veil so that she could drink the remainder before handing the cup back to Mimi.
Matt poured sake into the second and larger cup that Mimi was holding out before she passed it over to Kari. TK watched his wife take a sip before she handed it to him so that he could take his sip. He passed the cup back before Mimi gave him the final and, in the traditional Shinto wedding style, largest sake cup. He took a large sip from it before handing it to his wife. Kari took her sip too before passing it back.
"Don't worry." Mimi gave them a wink. "We're not going to make you recite any vows, prayers or present any offerings. We're just going to skip to the good part."
Matt and Mimi prepared another sake cup for each of them before taking their own. TK glanced around at all of his friends as they stood with their own sake and ready to toast. Matt held up his cup, prompting the others to hold up theirs too. "Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
The Digidestined and Digimon drank their sake before cheering again and Davis set off a couple more glitter cannons that he'd held back. Everyone put their sake cups on the side before Mimi led TK and Kari over to what looked like a dancefloor that had been set up. She spun around to face them with a wide grin on her face.
"It's a tradition in western weddings for the bride and groom to share the first dance." Mimi gave them another wink before proudly strutting off the dancefloor and over to the speakers that were set up to one side. "I've picked out one of your favourite songs by Matt for this. It's that particular love song you two like to sing when you play your guitars together. It should be easy for you to dance to because you know it so well."
She stopped for a second and glanced over at them again. "But before you do all of that, we need to see a kiss. Takeru Takaishi, you need to kiss your bride, Hikari Kamiya."
There were a few whistles from their friends as the couple turned to face each other and they stepped closer for a kiss. TK cupped his wife's cheek with his right hand as his left arm slid around her hips. Kari's right arm snaked around his neck and her hand rested on his hat, making sure that it wouldn't fall off. Her other arm made its way around his back as they pulled one another closer.
The couple closed their eyes and TK parted his lips, readying himself for the kiss. His lips met Kari's and locked perfectly with hers, giving him that familiar rush that he always felt and enjoyed. They kept their lips together for a moment longer before slowly pulling back. The couple paused for a few seconds and TK didn't need his eyes to be open, for any words to be spoken, or their minds to be linked to know that Kari was pondering the same thing as him.
He didn't care if his friends were watching as he opened his mouth a little wider and pushed back against Kari's lips. She pushed back too, deepening the kiss and adding more passion to it. They didn't need an invitation to kiss one another and neither of them ever liked holding back. The couple's lips glided back and forth over each other's a few more times before they restrained themselves and pulled away.
The Digidestined and Digimon cheered again as TK opened his eyes and gazed into his wife's enchanting mahogany orbs once more. He shifted his arms so that they were in a better position for them to dance, prompting Kari to do the same thing. The couple had danced to this song plenty of times but it wasn't always in the most appropriate way, so TK knew that they would have to tone down the usual amount of body contact that they would engage in when dancing at one of Matt's concerts.
Mimi hit play. "Dance time!"
TK took a deep breath as he kept his eyes fixed on Kari's and they started dancing. They moved slowly and in time with the beat, keeping things simple as TK led the way. The loving smile on his wife's lips made him want to kiss her again as they moved around the makeshift dancefloor.
Their usual synchronicity was on full show as they danced in perfect timing with one another like they'd done it a thousand times. TK just was following his instinct and doing a variation of how they normally danced when a slower or more romantic song was being played. They kept their hands in the right places as they continued swaying and moving to the music.
If this had been them dancing at one of his brother's concerts, TK knew that his hand might have been elsewhere right now. Having his hand on or near her butt made it clear to guys that Kari was spoken for and that they shouldn't try to bother the couple. Kari's more provocative movements towards TK at those concerts kept the girls away too because she often made it rather clear that they were together. Thankfully, none of that was needed as they continued dancing around the room only filled with their friends.
The track came to an end and the couple stopped in the middle of the dancefloor. The Digimon and Digidestined clapped and cheered once more as TK kept his gaze fixed on his wife. Kari began leaning closer and she licked her lips, hinting at what she wanted from him. He closed his eyes as he parted his lips again and they placed them back together.
Their lips slid back and forth over one another's as they kissed passionately once more. TK really didn't want to let her go and Kari's grip on him suggested that she felt the same way. They continued pressing their lips together passionately, using their actions to tell the other of the love that they felt for them.
Having their friends around them meant that TK knew that they couldn't keep kissing like this for much longer. It normally led to more and now was not the time for that because that kind of intimacy and demonstrations of their love was planned for much later on in the evening. Given what they normally were like, it would probably last long into the night too.
TK pulled back, breaking the contact between their lips as he reopened his eyes. Kari pouted at him before she sighed. He gave her a wink as he grinned before moving to whisper in her ear. "We're going to have to wait until later for that."
"I know," she whispered back before using her embrace to squeeze him. He tightened his grip too as they stood there for a few moments. "I love you."
"I love you too," TK instantly replied before the couple glanced in Mimi's direction to see what she had planned next.
I hope you liked the style Mimi decided to have for the reception party. Given that they are in the base and that having a proper reception party and wedding ceremony wouldn't be an option, I figured that Mimi would try and find ways to get around that and incorporate certain things into what she had planned. I also think Mimi would probably use her time in both Japan and America to blend the traditional Japanese weddings and western weddings together whilst adding her own twist.
Obviously, this is only the beginning of it and there is plenty more to come. There's plenty of romance and they're getting a well-deserved rest for the first time in a long time.
Please let me know what your thoughts are about this chapter by posting a review. Stay well and stay safe :D
