Big Hero 6 x My Neighbor Totoro

Chapter 1

So, my dad told me that my mom's friend's son is going to stay at our house for a couple of weeks. Apparently he's some robotics genius, a city boy, and he's two years older than me.
I don't know which out of those three is the worst.

I just know what he's going to be like. Full of himself, and bragging about how he's in college already even though he's only thirteen. Complaining about how we live in the middle of nowhere compared to the modern city that he lives in. Bossing me and Mei and around just because we're younger.
I'm not looking forward to this.

(2 weeks later)

His name is Hiro Hamada. He barged into our house looking really annoyed. Did my father even notice?
"Hi, Hiro!" he boomed. "I'm Mr. Kusakabe. This is Satsuki and Mei over here," he said, gesturing to us.
Hiro glanced over at us and nodded. "Hi," he said unenthusiastically.
My father smiled wide. "I'll help you with your things and show you to your room, Hiro! Right over here!"
I love my dad and all, but he really sucks at reading the mood.
Hiro trudged out of our sight, nearly running into the door before Dad pushed it out of the way. I could see why. Hiro had brought like six suitcases with him. Was he moving in or what?
After they were out of earshot, I whispered to Mei, "I heard that Hiro's aunt made him come here because he was so focused on his robots that he wouldn't even eat or sleep properly."
Mei's eyes widened. "Woahh! I like to play outside a lot, but even I want to eat!"
I nodded. "Right? How can you be so interested in something that you don't even eat proper meals? I even heard that his aunt is a good cook an everything."

Mei and I then walked over to Hiro's new room, where he was now unpacking.
I leaned my head into the doorframe. "Need any help?"
He looked up. Already scattered across the room were several computers and metal pieces. I should have figured that if he couldn't make his robots there, he would make them here. No wonder he had brought six suitcases with him.
Hiro shook his head. "I'm fine," he mumbled, and unpacked some more robot parts.
Jeez! The nerve of this guy!
I shoved the doors out of the way, marched into his room, then dragged Hiro out of the pile of metal pieces he was sitting in.
"Hey!" He tried to pry my hand off but trust me, I have a grip of steel.
After I dragged him outside I let go and gave him a lecture. I don't care if he was older than me.
"Your aunt sent you here to calm down, and to try to look at the world around you instead of always at your robots. You should take care of yourself too! We don't waste food around here, so you better eat everything we give you." I turned to Mei, who looked excited that I was talking to someone older than me like that. "Mei, let's go to the attic."
Mei's eyes brightened, and she nodded enthusiastically. I looked over at Hiro. Or rather, I glared at him, silently saying in my mind, "disappoint my sister and I will personally give you a time out in the outhouse."
Hiro sighed and said he would play along.
We ran up to the attic, which both me and Mei knew was full of the black soots.

I told Hiro and Mei to sit very still on the floor and close their eyes. Mei grinned, because she knew what was going to happened. I winked at her and we all sat down and closed our eyes. After a minute or two, I peeked to look at the walls, and sure enough, the susuwatari, the black soots, were cautiously trickling out of the cracks. I knew they liked dark places, so I knew exactly where they were going to head.
After waiting another ten minutes or so, Hiro started getting visibly annoyed. "Are you trying to teach me how to meditate or something? I'm going to die of boredom before you can show me the world," he said sarcastically.
I sighed, frustrated with this guy. "If you can't even sit still for ten minutes, I don't see any hope for your future. Oh, would you look at that. There's something in your hair, Hiro."
I reached over and plucked a wriggling black soot out of his hair and waved it in front of his face.
Hiro looked disgusted.
"You made me sit here for ten minutes in a dusty attic just to get bugs in my hair? Are you still a kid or something?" he asked incredulously.

It was my turn to be disgusted.
"Hah? This is a black soot, not a bug! Just how bad is your eyesight?"

"A black soot.. with eyes, huh.." he started skeptically.
Hiro squinted at the poor thing who got mistaken as a bug. Suddenly the susuwatari in my fingers squeaked and hopped into Hiro's hand. All the others in his hair slid down into his palm after the first.
Hiro still looked a bit skeptical, but his face was mostly shocked.
Mei giggled at his expression.
"They're cute, aren't they?" she laughed.
Hiro still seemed surprised, but he answered. "Um, yeah?"
I grinned. "If you're surprised by that, you won't believe what Mei and I can show you next."
He looked up from petting the susuwatari. He had an expression that was definitely not one of unpleasant feelings.
I was actually starting to have a slightly different perspective of him, since he was able to have affections so easily for the dust balls that Mei and I had befriended.
I smiled.
1st mission accomplished.