Mokuba's Plan

By Pearl of the Dark Age

References

1. Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following: Yu-Gi-Oh, Nintendo DS lit, Toyota, DC Comics, Chip'N Dales, Kodak, Styrofoam, the Statue of David, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Armani, Versace, the Academy Awards (Oscars), the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Care Bears, Calvin Klein, Harry Potter, Cracker Jacks, Monopoly, Disney characters (Tinkerbell, etc.), Post-It, and Friends.

2. "From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E. L. Konigsburg; published by Atheneum, 1967. This is a very good childrens' book. I got the idea to utilize this book as a plot object after I started writing this story, not the other way around. It isn't really all that relevant to the story. In any case, I strongly recommend reading it if you are a kid, to your kid(s) if you're a parent, or just a kid at heart.

3. There isn't a coffee cup, cooler or packaging material in the world made from actual Styrofoam® extruded polystyrene insulation. Styrofoam® is a registered trademark of The Dow Chemical Company that represents its building material products, including insulating sheathing, house wrap, and more. While the expanded polystyrene material in common household products is a good insulator, it has nowhere near the compressive strength and moisture-resisting properties of Styrofoam® extruded polystyrene insulation and polyisocyanurate from Dow.

Polystyrene's most common use is expanded polystyrene (EPS). Expanded polystyrene is produced from a mixture of about 5 polystyrene and 95 gaseous blowing agent. The solid plastic is expanded into a foam through the use of heat, usually steam. Extruded polystyrene (XPS), which is different than expanded polystyrene, is commonly known by the trade name Styrofoam®. Expandable polystyrene is the lightweight material of which coffee cups and takeaway food containers are made.

So I call the cup, "Styrofoam," for the sake of vernacular. If I said "expanded polystyrene cup" the majority of readers would think I've lost my marbles.

4. A double is an American standard size for a bed, which is 61 inches by 79 inches 155 cm by 201 cm. I do own a double size bed, but obviously am not entitled to any copyrights or patents.

5. The David I refer to is the name of a particular and well-known statue made by Michelangelo. (You can google the image. It's well worth it!) Not the ones made by Donatello, Verrocchio, or Bernini. However, the Statue of David was started by a different artist, Agostino di Duccio, in 1463. Michelangelo worked on it from 1501 to 1504, when it was completed and placed in his hometown square. There are many copies, but the original can be found in Galeria dell'Academia in Firenze (Florence), Italy.

6. …beaten to the punch. To beat someone to the punch is an American idiom that means to do something before someone else can do it. I'm trying to stay away from such expressions but they do liven up the diction sometimes.

7. This guide is for people who are rusty or completely clueless with Japanese.

Japanese to English: nii-sama / onii-chan - older brother, ano - similar to the English use of "Well…", ja ne - see ya, atta - I found it, bishonen - beautiful man/men, ai - love, oiishii - yummy/delicious, un - yeah (a casual yes), otouto - younger brother, hara-kiri - (literally: stomach-cut) a ceremonial suicide by ripping open the abdomen with a dagger or a knife; formally practiced in Japan by members of the warrior class when disgraced or sentenced to death, jii-san - grandfather, kisama - you (a very impolite version), bounenkai - "forget-the-year" party, getabako - shoe shelf / cupboard, (name)-tachi - (name) and associates, tansu - chest of drawers, washitsu - Japanese style room, fusuma - sliding paper door(s), moshi-moshi - a telephone greeting (no literal translation),

8. Bean-bags are large bags filled with beans used for lounging in. I don't know how popular they are in other countries.

9. Chip'N Dales: A famous showroom in Las Vegas that features male strippers.

10. A Kodak moment is an old slogan used in Kodak's advertisement. It means that it's picture-worthy - a moment to treasure forever. I still remember it from my childhood; and anyone who has ever seen the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie knows in which scene that this quote is also used.

11. Ger - a Mongolian style home. Google it for an image.

12. Alfred Hitchcock - a famous film director.

13. Armani, Versace, and Calvin Klein are famous clothing designers.

14. Dorothy's ruby-slippers refers to sparkly red high heels that were used in the movie, The Wizard of Oz. In the books, Dorothy wears silver slippers.

15. Pilates : a method of exercise and physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body. It's particularly good for sculpting the perfect abs. Created by and named after Joseph Hubertus Pilates.

16. Kamiokande Dome - a big dome in Japan equipped to detect neutrinos, which are particles emitted from the Sun that penetrate the earth in two seconds. They are very small and difficult to detect.

17. Bedtime Bear is one of the Care Bears, which are assorted colorful stuffed teddy bears with little symbols on their bellies.

18. Ajvar is a spread made of roasted pepper and eggplant.

19. To butter someone up means to flatter them until they soften. Usually it's to achieve some advantageous goal on the behalf of the person doing the "buttering."

20. Cracker Jack Box is a box of candied popcorn that comes with a very cheap toy inside.

21. In Japan, most people try to "hide" as much as possible in cupboards or closets. Just because you don't see a lot in a room, doesn't mean that a person doesn't own much.

22. In Japan there are no laws to protect homosexuals from discrimination.

23. Cloud Nine is the highest level of happiness, joy, and ecstasy (etc.) that you can reach.

24. Boxer-briefs are not boxers or briefs, but a sort of hybrid. They're long in the trunks like boxers, but tight like briefs.

25. Choba dansu - "merchant's chest" - a kind of tansu (7) about three to four feet high.

26. Play the flute is the common Japanese metaphor for fellatio.