Hi! This is for True Colour's Pai/Lettuce competition. Its just a bit of Halloween fluff to get everyone in the mood for the season! Well, actually its not little at all... It was six pages on Microsoft Word. But, I still hope it's enjoyable! Read and Review!
Humans are indeed the strangest of all creatures, Pai concluded as he walked down the streets of Tokyo. Normally, just the thought of walking down the street as casually as he was would petrify the alien, but tonight was anything but an ordinary night.
Everywhere he turned there was something eccentric or, frankly, scary. And where ever he walked no one would stare. The most recognition he had gotten was when a young human boy approached him and said, "Dude, awesome costume!"
And even that statement confused him. And what confused him even further was that every single human he passed by, was wearing a very peculiar outfit. Nothing in his studies told anything about humans dressing up as beasts. Perhaps it's a certain ceremony, he wondered.
"Pai?"
Pai turned his head to head to see a girl dressed in a long, black robe with a tall pointed hat. He did, in fact, recognize this outfit from his studies of the town of Salem, Massachusetts in the Americas. Witches, he believed they were called. But, it was not the witch costume that caught the alien's eye, it was the girl's face hidden behind the large brim of her hat. He knew he had recognized that voice.
"Mew Lettuce?" he answered, surprise evident in his voice.
Lettuce blinked a few times. Her mind was drawing a blank at that moment. She knew that Pai was smart enough to know that walking out in the open was a bad idea, but, alas, here she was face to face with her enemy on a Halloween night. But, then again, she thought, at least everyone will think that he is wearing a costume, so it's possible he won't be discovered.
Pai smiled inwardly. He decided that this Mew was harmless enough to ask for some information, "Lettuce, what's going on here?"
Lettuce, still trying to get over her initial shock, took a moment to respond, "W-what do you mean?"
Pai, not letting his emotionless mask slip from his face replied, "Why is every human dressed so oddly? And why do people keep telling me I have an 'awesome costume'?"
Lettuce could not restrain herself, she giggled, "You've never heard of Halloween?"
"Halloween?" his eyebrows furrowed together. What in the world was she talking about?
Lettuce had to admit that Pai's face was adorable at that moment. Up until that point she thought that Pai had known everything there was to know about Earth and its diverse cultures. And, yet, here he was looking as lost as a young puppy opening its eyes for the first time.
"Yes, Halloween. You know, the holiday where you dress up in a costume and go to people's houses and collect candy, which is commonly known as 'Trick or Treating' and/or celebrate with a costume party. Like me, for example, I'm going to go Trick or Treating and then I have to go home for my mom's Halloween costume party." She answered.
Her explanation took him by surprise. He had never heard of a stranger custom in his life. But still, being of his nature, he wanted to know more about it, or he could no longer claim to be an expert on humans. He inwardly groaned when he realized that in order to get that information he would have to act nice to the enemy. Truly a fate worse than death in the poor alien's eyes. Oh! What he did in the name of knowledge, "Do you mind if I accompany you?"
"W-what?! Why would you want to- or more importantly, why should I let you?!"
It almost scared Lettuce how calm he remained, "Simple. You have knowledge of something I want to know about. Therefore, the only logical thing to do in this situation is to learn through observation of an up-close specimen."
Lettuce hated how he made her sound like a science experiment, like studying an ameba or something. But, even so, he was still the enemy. She could not trust him easily, "How do I know this isn't some trick to get me alone and then kill me off?"
Pai, much to Lettuce's surprise, laughed, "Do you really think I'm so brutish that I would viciously murder a completely unarmed girl?"
He chuckled again, this time a tad darker, "No, Mew Lettuce, if I were to kill you, I would kill you when you are fully armed. Not when you are defenseless, like some coward!"
Lettuce didn't know whether to be relieved that he had no intention of kill her, or be terrified that he did think about killing her. She felt a cold shiver race its way down her spine.
Letting out a final chuckle, Pai summoned forth his fan. Lettuce tensed. He flipped the fan around so the handle was facing Lettuce, "If you are so worried about me harming you, you may take my weapon."
Lettuce was dumbfounded. She couldn't believe that he was serious. Did he really want to learn so much that he would give up his weapon, leaving himself defenseless? To her of all people! She supposed if he was really that desperate to learn, who was she to deny him? With a shaky hand she reached up and took hold of the handle of the fan, which easily slid out of Pai's hand. Pai quirked a small, almost invisible, smile. She was cooperating. Lettuce tucked the fan into her candy bag. Deciding that she wanted to make this experience as enjoyable as she could, she let herself smile, "Well, we don't have all night! Let's go!"
She took hold of Pai's hand and began to pull him down the street. She came to a halt in front of the first house with decorations she saw, "This one looks good!"
Pai couldn't believe his eyes. The house was eerily lit with ominous green lighting that entwined itself with the white puffs of fog rolling slowly from the inside of the house. On the lawn were headstones and coffins strewn about almost carelessly. But, that was not what scared Pai. On the porch, dangling off the overhang, were human limbs, "OH MY-!" he shouted jumping back from the gruesome sight.
Lettuce followed Pai's gaze to the porch and laughed when she saw what he was looking at, "Pai," She said between giggles, "They aren't real!"
Blinking, Pai began to register that the limbs, were, in fact, fake. A light pink tinted his cheeks, though it was hardly visible in the moonlight, "Oh, uh- of course."
It took everything Lettuce had to suppress a giggle. She had never thought Pai was so easily frightened by a little fake blood. Especially, when not even she was. She took a hold of Pai's hand again, and, unbeknownst to her, the pink blush grew two fold.
She pulled him toward the front of the house. With each step, their feet became less and less visible in the fog. Pai felt fear grip at his heart as it became more and more difficult to see, even with his extraordinary vision. And then, over the fog, a voice was heard. The voice was ruff and scary and sounded not too far off of where he and Lettuce were standing.
But then the owner of the voice came into view. He was wearing a bloody butcher's outfit and his face was covered with fake blood. Seeing the couple, He laughed manically, causing Pai to tense and Lettuce to jump and grab the closest safe thing, Pai.
The man in the Butcher costume couldn't deny how cute the couple looked, although their costumes were completely different. A Witch and a... Elf, perhaps? Looking at the way the Girl clingned to the Boy and the way he subconsciously put himself a little bit ahead of her to fight off any on coming dangers, reminded the Man of the way him and his wife acted when they were younger. He laughed delicately at the fond memory, "Alright, come on you two lovebirds. Come get your candy!"
Pai and Lettuce scrambled as they realized what position they were in, while Pai fumbled with a response to the man, "Uh-no, no! It's not like that!"
This only amused the Man more. So this is how they where? Denying the inevitable? Even he, who knew so little about the two, could tell the obvious attraction, "Sure it isn't," He placed candy into both of their bags, "Now both of you stay safe, ya hear?"
Both Lettuce and Pai's heads were still spinning. Did that man really just call them a couple? Still half-way in a daze, the two walked away from the house and continued down the street. All the while, the Man stood from his porch and watched. They truly did make a lovely couple, he concluded.
Brushing off what happened at the last house, the pair proceeded to the next house. This house, much to their relief, was not as scary as the previous one. A few houses later, Pai had come to the conclusion that this 'Trick or Treating' was not bad at all, in fact, he mused, it was the most fun he had had in a while.
Nearly an hour later, Lettuce stopped and looked at the clock on her cell phone, "Oh, Dear! Look at the time! I have to get home for the party!"
Something within Pai didn't want this night to end, "Is it alright if I join you for this party?" he found himself blurting out involuntarily.
Lettuce started. He still wanted to spend time with her? No, she corrected herself, he wants to know more about the holiday. Smiling she replied, "Sure, If you're up for it."
"Is that a challenge, Miss Lettuce?" He mocked playfully back, even surprising himself at how bold it was. He was starting to sound like Kisshu, he thought disgustedly.
Lettuce found herself laughing, "Well, perhaps it is, Pai. You think you can handle it?"
Pai scoffed, "Please, I think I can handle a couple humans at a party."
"Well then, let's go!" She exclaimed as she grabbed his hand and began to pull him in the direction of her house. Meanwhile, Pai couldn't help but like the way her hand fit in his and smile that kept appearing on her face. But, these thoughts were continuously ruined by the fact that she was still his enemy.
Before he had time to completely regain control over his thoughts, she stopped them in front of a fairly plain house. Of course, the house was decorated with very miniscule decorations, like a paper skeleton and a single jack-o-lantern, "This is your house?"
Lettuce ducked her head in embarrassment when she remembered that this was the first time she had ever brought a boy over to her house. But, then again, tonight seemed to be a world of firsts for the two, "He he, yeah. I know it's not much, but its home!"
Pai laughed, "Alright, come on, show me what a human party is like." He offered out his hand, and Lettuce took it and began leading him toward the front door.
Inside the house, the party was in full swing. Every guest was dancing or eating, and not a frown was to be seen. Though, what worried Lettuce was that the house was very packed, almost air tight.
The two made their way through the crowd hand in hand, both afraid of losing each other in the crowd. And they succeeded in remaining unnoticed until Lettuce's mom caught sight of her daughter hand in hand with a handsome man.
Her mother was of the meddling type. She loved her Lettuce and wanted to see her happy, especially in the department of love, which even she had to admit, her daughter was not too well off in. So, she justified, a little push in the right direction wouldn't be so bad. After all, she was a mother.
She pushed her way to the DJ booth and asked to borrow the microphone from him. After obtaining it, she slid a CD out of the case that she had gotten out of her room after she saw her daughter. Her green eyes grazed the crowd until she saw that her intended couple was walking right in the direction of the dance floor. Fate seemed to be on her side today.
She lifted the microphone to her mouth as she stopped the music after the end of the previous song, "Ladies and Gentlemen! Now is the dance you have all been waiting for! The dance of the Couples!"
A loud roar of approval erupted from the crowd, "Now, to announce the couple of the evening: Lettuce and her date!"
Loud cheers were heard as the spotlight shined down of the wide-eyed couple. Both Lettuce and Pai were completely frozen. How were they supposed to respond to something like that? They weren't even a couple!
The two began to protest weakly, but their excuses were drained out by the crowd's chants, "Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!"
Deciding it was better to just roll with it instead of fight against it, Pai bowed formally, before offering his hand, "Will you honor me with this dance?"
Lettuce, not wanting to embarrass Pai in front of the now silent crowd, placed her hand in his. He led her to the middle of the dance floor, which had been cleared of people especially for them.
Lettuce's mom smiled victoriously as she pressed the play button on the sound mixer. The speakers sprung to life once more as the opening notes to I Put a Spell on You began to pour out.
Pai led Lettuce in a waltz style dance as they gracefully covered the entirety of the floor. Neither of their eyes leaving the other's for even a fraction of a second. Pai couldn't help but marvel at the feeling of his body against hers. It felt so natural, and yet so wrong at the same time. But, he supposed, that was what it all came down to: The mind vs. the heart.
She was a Mew and he was an alien. She was free young girl free to live her life as she chose, and he was doomed to his fate of solitude since birth. She full of life and emotion, but what little emotion he felt he rarely showed. She was his enemy, and… he loved her.
He loved her. The phrase sounded so foreign in his mind. And, yet, the statement rang true in his heart. He loved her adorable shyness, her lime green hair and emerald eyes. He loved the light pink that was coloring her otherwise pale cheeks. He just loved her.
The final chords of the song came to a close and Pai landed Lettuce in a dip. Not giving himself or her time to think, he swooped in and claimed her first kiss.
Lettuce remained frozen beneath Pai while her brain tried desperately to regain control of her muscles, but her problem was, she didn't know whether to kiss him back, or push him away. Seeing no response from her coming, he slid one of his hands behind her and into her candy bag that had been tied onto her belt. He pulled out his fan, but did not release her quite yet.
Breaking his lips away from hers, he brought them right back down to her ear, so close that his lips brushed against the inner channels of her ear as he whispered, "You put this spell on me, Lettuce. And now, I'm yours."
Placing one last kiss on her ear, he set her on her feet, and backed away into the crowd. When he was safely out of sight, he teleported away, promising himself that he would not let his love for Lettuce come between him and his loyalty to his people. No matter how much it pained him, tonight had to remain in the past, like a secret only the two of them could share.
Review please!