Go, my self-indulgent sona and critter interaction and also Daisuke is there. There's a second part to this that's more meta introspective on my part in the reblog, but for now here's Vice with Vice
(also check out @kamenrider-critters to see more small and cute Vice :) and everyone else, I guess)
"So, what's this supposed to be?"
"You'll see~!"
Mako continued to drag Daisuke through the unfamiliar world, to a location he had yet to know about.
"Fine, keep your secrets," he pouted. "But why do I hafta be in human form for this?"
"It'll make things a lot less complicated, trust me," Mako replied.
"What, this place can't handle a single demon?"
"Nah, three pint-sized ones are more than enough."
"What'd'ya mean pint–"
"Aaaand here we are!" Interrupting Daisuke's query, Mako gestured to… some person's house.
"Jeez, not even your narration's impressed, huh?" Daisuke teased.
"It's called 'building suspense', Dicey." She rolled her eyes as she knocked on the door. Soon enough, the door opened, revealing the house's owner to be one Tsukasa Kadoya. "Yo!" Mako greeted him casually.
"Who…" Tsukasa began, before recognizing his old acquaintance. "Oh, Mako. Here for them?" At her nod, he sighed and stepped aside. "I need to buy more supplies for them anyway. Keep an eye on them, will you?"
Mako gave him a thumbs up as she and Daisuke walked inside, watching as Tsukasa left.
"… Sometimes your script powers scare me a bit," Daisuke said after a while.
"Well, I don’t have the most experience with Decade. It was either that or Tsukasa called the cops on us." the author shrugged, before a big grin found its way onto her face. "Now c'mon! I gotta show you the little guys!!"
“Little guys?”
Mako didn’t answer, instead taking her friend by the hand and leading him into the main room of the house. “May I present to you… THE CRITTERS!!!”
The girl spread her arms wide as Daisuke took in his surroundings. Spread out throughout the room were tiny, brightly colored creatures with very familiar traits to an anniversary Rider like him. They looked at the newcomers curiously, the friendlier ones starting to approach them while the more cautious ones stayed back.
“Oh dang, you weren’t kidding,” Daisuke said, picking the first one that walked up to him, a pink critter with a cable for a tail, “these ARE little guys!!” He squinted as he noticed the critter’s heterochromatic eyes. “Hey is that Pa–”
“Shhh, no spoilers!” Mako held a finger to her friend’s lips. “There are still other people in the house!” she exclaimed, unable to write excuses for the remaining caretakers to leave. “But I concur. Little Guys.” She holds up the critter currently in her hands, a green, lizard-like creature larger than most of the others. Still a Little Guy, however.
They continued to hang out with the critters for a few minutes, before Daisuke began searching the room. “Hey, wait a minute, where’s my generation at?”
“We’ll get to that,” she answered, “in three… two…”
Sougo entered into the main room with a menagerie of critters, surprised to see two people already there, much less people he had never seen before. At least, not until he noticed Mako. “Oh, hi, Mako!” he greeted, waving. “Who’s your friend?”
Mako waved back. “Just a very special someone, don’t worry about it,” she answered. “Mind if we see the sibs?”
“Sure,” replied Sougo. “I just finished giving them all their baths, anyway.” He nudged forward a particular set of critters, who already had their eyes trained on Daisuke. “I’ll be outside if you need me,” He said, and with that, he left.
Mako eyed Sougo’s retreating figure before she turned to Daisuke, who was staring at the new critters in awe. “Well?”
“Ho… ly… ****!!!” Daisuke eagerly lifted up two pink critters, one caught off-guard by his sudden movement and the other matching his joyful expression (at least he thought he was. It was hard to tell when they didn't have mouths). “WE’RE ADORABLE!!”
“Right!?!” Mako eagerly scooped up the remaining critters into her lap. “The way the animal traits are integrated into their designs is soooo cute!!” She held up the wings of a bat-like one as an example, the black and teal critter looking very unamused.
“Lovekov still looks the same, though,” Daisuke noted.
“Eh,” Mako shrugged, “can’t change perfection, I guess. But…” She carefully took Daisuke’s alternate from his hands. “Vice has been drawn, like, way more than the other Igarashis, y’know.”
“For real??”
The girl nods, grinning as she holds Vice tight.
“HA! Knew I’d be more popular eventually!!” exclaimed Daisuke.
But instead of acknowledging Daisuke’s comment, or even just letting out a small huff in response, Mako was entirely focused on the tiny Vice, continuing to coo at him as she gave him a hug.
Daisuke wilted slightly, but then he noticed the critter staring directly at him. It was hard to tell just by looking at his eyes, but he seemed almost… smug?
Then he remembered. This was a Vice.
Vices were self aware.
And this one knew Daisuke was one of them.
Vices loved attention.
And this one was trying to make him jealous.
Vices were competitive.
And Daisuke wasn’t going to just stand there and take this favoritism.
“Hey, Dicey.” Mako interrupted her friend’s inner thoughts. “I’m gonna make food for the critters, wanna help?”
“Sure thing!!” he answered eagerly. To his chagrin, he noticed his counterpart jump up and down eagerly.
“Oh, looks like Vice wants to help out, too,” the author noted. “That’ll certainly make things… more fun,” she said, because as much as she loved Vice, he sure didn’t make anything easier.
“Can we skip the jabs and go to the montage already?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m on it.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Daisuke, did you wash your hands before handling the meat?”
“Uhhh…”
“… You’re lucky there’s coincidentally a second batch of every ingredient in the fridge, cause I can’t make that happen again.”
“Yes ma’am!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I appreciate you trying to carry the stock, Vicey, but it might be a bit too heavy for you.”
“Leave this to the Professional Big People, like me.”
“Pfft, hehe!”
“I’m winning~!”
“What was that, Daisuke?”
“Nothin’!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“WHO GAVE VICE A KNIFE!?!”
“Don’t worry, I got it!!”
“DAISUKE, DO NOT FIGHT VICE WITH ANOTHER KNIFE–”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Against all odds, they managed to finish cooking. And it was actually pretty good. While everyone else was chowing down, Mako made her way over to Daisuke, attempting to brood in the corner edgily.
He was not doing a good job at it.
“So, how’d you like the critters?” she asked.
“They’re fun, except for some of ‘em…” he grumbled.
Mako chuckled. “Jealous of yourself?”
“What! No!! What makes ya think that!!!” Daisuke answered unconvincingly.
The author just smiled at him. “The fact that I asked critter Vice to make you jealous.”
“… You WHAT?!”
Mako’s smile grew before she burst out into laughter. “Yeah, last time I visited I asked Vice if he wanted to help piss another version of himself off, and he said yes. Hilarious, ain’t it.”
Daisuke was about to protest, before he realized he, too, probably would’ve done the same thing if Mako offered.
He was a Vice, after all.
“I hate when you make yourself right,” he deadpanned. “And didja really have to ignore me like that?”
“Sorry, sorry!” Mako said genuinely. “Just part of the bit. But I promise, I love every version of you equally.”
“… But you love me more equally, right?”
“Daisuke.”
“Kiddin’!” He held his hands up in surrender. “Hey, while we’re here, d’ya think Mama-san’s curry still tastes the same?”
“You’re still hungry?”
“‘Course I am!” he answered. “But, y’know, might also be a nice gift for the other me and the family.”
Mako blinked at him. “… Hm.” Then, she smiled. “Guess I’ll have to see if she’s here.”
