Chapter 02: Rule Breakers
"So, after I left last night, what all happened with Gizmo?" Jane asked Daria as they headed for their math class with Mr. Elric. "Quinn seemed to take a liking to him, and…I guess I can't really resist him either," Daria said. Just then, Jodie Landon walked past her and overheard part of the conversation. "Who can't you resist?" she asked curiously. "Um," Daria hesitated.
"Her new friend, Gizmo," Jane said. "Gizmo?" Jodie asked. "He's…our new pet. My dad bought him at some shop up in Chinatown during a business trip the other day," Daria explained, hoping to prevent any misunderstandings. The school's rumor mill was always running.
"Oh, that's cool," Jodie said in a complimentary tone. "So, what kind of animal is this Gizmo anyway?" Jodie asked them. "Um, we're really not sure," Daria replied. "What does that mean?" Jodie asked her. "If you have time after school I suppose we could show you," Jane said eagerly. She had really taken an interest in the Mogwai.
Meanwhile, the Fashion Club was walking through the hallway. "So, anyway, he is just the most adorable little critter I have ever seen!" Quinn exclaimed to her friends. "What exactly is a…Mogwai?" Stacey asked her. "Yeah, Quinn. I've never, like, heard of anything like this before, and I used to have… pets," Sandi said, her face briefly taking on a hint of sadness before being replaced with her usual expression.
"Well, I'm not really sure what a Mogwai is, but Gizmo is just so adorable! You guys just have to come over today and see him!" Quinn implored. "Well, we'd already planned to have a club meeting at your house this week anyway, so I guess there isn't a problem," Sandi said thoughtfully. "Oh, I just thought of something!" Stacey said.
"Yeah, Stacey, what is it?" Quinn asked her. "We could totally do a project on how to properly apply fashion to different pets or other animals!" Stacey said giddily. "I…guess we could," Quinn said contemplatively. "Sooo, where did your dad…buy Gizmo?" Tiffany said. Quinn had started to notice lately that Tiffany's speech patterns had started to become…slower than they were when they had first met.
"Um, he said that he found him at this little shop in Chinatown," Quinn replied. "How exactly did your dad find a "cool" pet in some dainty little no-name shop?" Sandi asked, unimpressed. "Well, if Mogwai were available in brand-name stores, then we all would have heard of them by now wouldn't we?" Quinn countered. Sandi was taken aback by Quinn's response. "I…guess you have a point, Quinn," Sandi said in that tone she used whenever she had to concede an argument against her will.
Later, after school had let out, Daria and Jane had invited both Jodie and Mack, Jodie's boyfriend, over to see Gizmo. Quinn, of course, had convinced the Fashion Club to come over as well. Of course, neither party was aware of the other, so when both groups arrived within mere minutes of each other, a compromise had to be made. Everyone had gathered around Quinn's bed where Gizmo sat, while Quinn had made sure that the lights weren't too bright.
She'd learnt the previous night that while bright lights didn't seem to hurt Gizmo, he was definitely sensitive to them, as a bright reflection of light from one of her hand-held mirrors had sent Gizmo falling off of her bed in a tizzy. Quinn had felt genuinely sorry and had even apologized to the Mogwai, but Gizmo had decided to stay in Daria's company for the rest of that night. Come morning, Gizmo seemed to have forgiven her, since he didn't behave in a hostile manner towards her, nor did he retreat from her when she went to pick him up either.
Right now, he seemed a bit shy, especially with so many people around him at once. "Oh, he's so cute!" Stacey exclaimed. Sandi and Tiffany both nodded their heads in agreement with Stacey's assessment.
"Um, what did you say he was again?" Michael "Mack" Jordan Mackenzie asked Daria. "He's a Mogwai," Daria replied. "Our dad named him Gizmo, and I guess he likes the name," Daria said just before Gizmo said his name out loud. "Aaawww," went Stacey, who had become completely captivated by Gizmo. "I wish I had a Mogwai," Stacey said longingly as she gently scratched the back of Gizmo's head. He purred very softly, much like a cat.
"So, what does he eat?" Jodie asked Daria. "Um, I'm not really sure. I'm guessing he might be omnivorous, but I haven't really seen him eat very much since Dad brought him home," Daria replied. "Wait, Quinn, I thought you told us that this girl was your cousin," Sandi said. "Um, we share the same father," Quinn said sheepishly. She remembered hearing some interesting revelations in the aftermath of her cousin Erin's wedding, especially in regards to Daria and Aunt Amy.
"Wait, wouldn't that make you half-sisters instead of cousins?" Tiffany asked in a normal voice. "Well, considering that Dad and A-" "That really isn't important right now," Daria interrupted. "So," Jane began, trying to steer the conversation back to comfortable territory, "Just what does a Mogwai eat?"
"Didn't I just say that I'm not sure?" Daria asked her friend. "Does he have set feeding times?" Jodie asked, knowing that some people kept their pets on schedules so that they could better maintain their health. "Not really, except that he's not allowed to eat between ten pm and three am," Daria answered. "Really? Why is that?" Mack asked her.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Dad didn't really explain what happens if he does, but I don't really want to find out either. We're also not supposed to get him wet or expose him to sunlight, since that would kill him," Daria explained in her usual monotone. "Sunlight will kill him?" Mack asked incredulously. "Well, he is very sensitive to light; that's why we have the lights dimmed here in Quinn's room. And with last night's little mishap, Gizmo seems to prefer my bedroom the most," Daria explained.
"What happened last night?" Jodie asked her. "Quinn tried to convert Gizmo to the shallow ideals of our modern consumerist society by introducing him to her makeup and jewelry collection. He wisely sought refuge within the padded walls of my room. Unfortunately, I don't have a spare straight-jacket small enough for him," Daria replied.
"Hold on," Jodie said, "You mentioned that you aren't supposed to get him wet. What specifically does that mean?" "Really it just means no exposure to regular dihydrogen monoxide," Daria replied. "Wait, no water? Well, what about other liquids?" Mack asked her.
"I'm not really sure. He had a few sips of orange juice this morning without any ill effects, but then again, orange juice isn't exactly just water," Daria responded. "How do you clean him?" Tiffany asked her, having eavesdropped on the conversation while Stacey, Quinn and Sandi had begun trying to dress Gizmo in various fabrics. Jane had left Daria's side and was currently moving in to save the poor creature from the fashion club's clutches.
"I'm not sure. I guess he might lick himself clean, like a cat, but I honestly don't know. He doesn't seem to pick up a lot of dirt either. In fact, for a pet, he's cleaner than most of the population of Highland," Daria said. "Highland?" Jodie asked her. "It's where I lived before my family moved here to Lawndale," Daria explained. "It's in Texas," she added.
"Huh, I didn't know you were from Texas," Mack said. "I mean, you don't have an accent or anything," he added. "That seems a little biased to assume that being from Texas means that I would have an accent," Daria said in response, carrying a slight hint of offense in her otherwise monotone voice. "Sorry, I didn't mean it that way," Mack apologized. "You're forgiven," Daria said. "As long as you don't tell Kevin or Brittany," Daria added.
"Hey, I know what would happen if I told Kevin. I still wonder how he gets by in half of our classes sometimes, until I remember that corruption doesn't exist solely outside of school," Mack said, hinting at his knowledge of Principal Li's grade-fixing schemes for the school's various sports and athletic teams. Mack was one of only a very small handful of students on the football team who could maintain anything above a "C" average on their own.
"Aw, come on, let me hold him!" Daria, Mack, Jodie and Tiffany turned their attention over to the bed where Jane had rescued Gizmo from being an unwilling model for the fashion club. "Can you promise to not dress him up like one of those little pageant contestants?" Jane asked her. "Yes, I can promise! I just want to hold him; he's so cute!" Stacey exclaimed. "Okay, but be gentle," Jane said. She faintly heard Gizmo mumble something before she handed him over to Stacey, who held him very carefully.
"Aw, he's like a furry little baby," Stacey said. "I'm going to be sick," Daria said after hearing Stacey's words and her sickeningly sweet tone of voice. "Who's a cute wittle Mogwai, who's a cute wittle Mogwai?" Stacey asked in an overly cutesy manner. Gizmo rolled his eyes. "That's right, you're a cute wittle Mogwai!" "Scratch that, I am sick," Daria said.
Later, after the Fashion Club had left and Jodie had gone home, accompanied by Mack, Jane and Daria had spent an hour trying to get Quinn to help them get the various articles of clothing off of Gizmo. "Last time I ever expect Stacey to keep a promise," Jane grumbled as she pulled Gizmo's "dress" off. "Quinn, you aren't planning to have the Fashion Club over again tomorrow, are you?" Daria asked her. "Maybe just Stacey," Quinn said.
"I think Gizmo's been traumatized enough for one night. He may not survive another one without a few days of rest," Jane said. "Well, you guys had your friends over too," Quinn pointed out. "Jodie and Mack aren't eccentric or empty-headed," Daria said, although she wasn't entirely certain if Jodie and Mack could really be considered friends or just acquaintances who she tolerated more than most of the other people at her school.
"Hey, now that I think about it, aside from that science project with Kevin, Jodie and Mack are the first people you've invited over here other than me," Jane said. "I…find them more bearable to be around than most of the other people at school. Quinn, why are you smiling?" Daria asked her sister. "Aw, you're coming out of your shell!" Quinn said happily.
"Quinn…never say that again," Daria said. "I can't wait to tell Mom!" Quinn said. "Jane, will you please adopt me?" Daria asked. "Sorry, but I have enough siblings as it is, even when they aren't home," Jane replied with a smirk. "Damn," Daria replied.
One week later, Daria answered the doorbell no less than twenty minutes after arriving home to find Stacey Rowe at the door. "Hi, Daria, is Quinn home yet?" "Let me check," Daria said before she glanced around the living room for a few seconds. "Nope, she must have already gone off to fight in the Great Spice Wars. She'll be back in a few hundred years," Daria said sardonically.
"So…Joey, Jeffy, or Jamie?" Stacey asked, referring to which of the Three J's Quinn might have gone out with that day. "I don't know, and I don't care," Daria replied. "Daria, who's at the door?" Quinn asked from the top of the stairs. "Oh look," Daria said flatly, "Quin has returned to us, alive and unharmed. Tell me, did you bring anything from meeting with the Great Harkonnen?"
"The what? Is that one of those metal bands, like Van Halen?" Stacey asked. Quinn and Daria both looked at her. "What?" Stacey asked. Daria wasn't sure if she'd heard right. One of Quinn's fellow Fashion Club members…knew the name of a rock/metal band. As if the singing fur-ball called Gizmo wasn't strange enough.
"So," Daria began, "Where's the rest of the Fashion Club?" "Oh, Sandi is stuck with her mom doing some kind of…thing; she wouldn't say much about it, and Tiffany is doing some kind of thing with her family involving a big candle or something," Quinn said. "And Gizmo is learning how to play the harmonica," Daria said. She was actually being serious, but as she used the same tone of voice that she did for everything else, Quinn and Stacey just assumed that she was being sarcastic again as they went upstairs. A minute later… "He really is playing the harmonica!" Quinn yelled in surprise. "Told you so," Daria muttered as she went to grab a soda from the kitchen.
"Yeah, they've been playing with Gizmo and talking about fashion for over an hour now, and while I'm not exactly a voluntary…pet-cuddling type person, I will admit that I'm not averse to spending more time around the fur-ball. He certainly seems more intelligent than some of our classmates," Daria told Jane over the phone. Currently, Jane was at Casa Lane, as Jane and Trent's home was often called, painting a portrait in her bedroom.
"Hey, do you think Gizmo would survive being around fresh paint for a day?" Jane asked over the phone. "I'd really rather not find out," Daria said. "Eh, maybe you're right," Jane agreed. "I mean, a human such as myself can survive being around paint fumes, but a small little guy like Gizmo? I can see why you wouldn't want to bring him over here," Jane said seriously.
"Well, that and the fact that Trent might mistake him for a pillow and drool all over him," Jane added as she put a few more yellow brush strokes into her painting. She smiled. "Anyway, that dinner thing for Christmas; were you talking about a meal on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?" Jane asked.
"We could do both, if you don't mind sleeping over while my parents cook what will mainly be Lasagna and, if we're lucky, green-bean casserole that isn't burnt to a crisp, only slightly charred throughout," Daria said. "Mmm, burnt green beans with a hint of smoke and culinary failure; it's almost too beautiful to think about," Jane quipped.
"Well, you'll be eating it when you come over," Daria replied. "Is that a warning?" Jane asked mischievously. "No, just a contractual obligation when encroaching upon family holiday time. Any and all visiting parties must partake in the consumption of undercooked, overcooked and/or other potentially inedible foods," Daria said with the faintest hint of a smile on her face.
Meanwhile, in Quinn's room, Quinn and Stacey were busy discussing a series of winter outfits being promoted in the December issue of Waif magazine. Quinn had a glass of water on her bed post, and there were several articles of clothing lying on the floor. Gizmo was sitting near headboard of Quinn's bed, observing the two girls while he fiddled with some of old combs and non-functioning fashion accessories that Quinn had taken out of her closet.
"You know, the dark blue eyeliner probably looks good when it's snowing outside, since it would match the weather, but the magenta eyeliner probably makes you look warmer and would then make people more likely to notice you during the cold weather," Quinn said. "But does it go with that cute little parka we looked at earlier?" Stacey asked her. "Wait; was that in Waif or that Cashman's catalogue?" Quinn asked her. "I think it was in the Cashman's catalogue," Stacey answered. Quinn searched the bed for the catalogue but couldn't find it. "Where did we put it?" she asked rhetorically, before she spotted it on her bedpost.
She didn't realize that part of it was right underneath her glass of water. She reached over to grab it, pulled, and then gasped when he water came sloshing forward out of the glass as it fell onto the bed. Then she heard the high-pitched squeals and screams coming from Gizmo.
"Oh my god, what's happening to him!?" Stacey cried worriedly. "I don't know!" Quinn replied, trying to cover her ears, before she remembered the water rule. "I must've gotten him wet!" she exclaimed as she saw the wet spot on her bed right next to Gizmo, who was lying on his stomach, his back convulsing and forming multiple bumps that were pulsating. Soon, Daria entered Quinn's room after hearing the commotion.
"Quinn, what's wrong with Gizmo?" Daria asked with concern in her voice as soon as she saw the Mogwai writhing in pain on Quinn's bed. "I spilled some water on him!" Quinn admitted, terrified that Gizmo might die. Daria was busy trying to figure out what she could do to help, looking around the room for a towel or something to absorb the water, and then all three girls heard the pop sound as something shot out of Gizmo's back, rising into the air and then landing on Quinn's bed.
The object was some kind of ball, and it was covered in white and brown fur. It was pulsating…and growing. Soon, more balls of fur were launched from Gizmo's back before his screaming stopped. The three girls looked at the balls, noticing the first one already growing to a size that matched Gizmo. The fur-ball had what appeared to be a short ridge of extra fur on it as it uncurled itself to reveal that it was another Mogwai. The rest of the balls soon reached their size and uncurled as well.
Daria stared wide-eyed at this event, while Quinn was trying to get a hyperventilating Stacey under control. The newly born Mogwai all looked around the room and then up at the three girls and over at Gizmo. Daria looked at Gizmo and saw the he was now sitting upright, looking at his progeny. She also saw a look of worry and sadness on his face.
"Quinn, is Dad still home?" Daria asked her sister, not taking her eyes off of the new Mogwai. "He should be," Quinn answered. "Quinn, go get Dad. I'll stay here with Stacey and keep an eye on the Mogwai," Daria ordered her sister. "Sure," Quinn said nervously. "Stacey, I'll be right back," Quinn said as she left the room. Daria watched Quinn leave before looking back over at Stacey to see the girl staring wide-eyed at the Mogwai, confusion and other emotions displayed on her face.
"Dad?" Quinn asked as she saw him in the kitchen, trying to read a recipe book of some kind while gathering various ingredients. "Dad?" Quinn called again, louder this time to get her father's attention. "Huh? Yes, Quinn?" Jake asked after almost dropping a can of yams.
"Dad, I need to tell you something, or rather, show you something," Quinn said timidly, somewhat unsure of how her father would react to finding out that she broke one of the Three Rules, even though it was an accident. "Yes?" Jake asked somewhat nervously. The way his daughter was acting right now seemed odd.
"Quinn, are you okay? Do you need help with your homework?" Jake asked, knowing that Quinn did sometimes act like this when she was in trouble, although the reasons for her trouble often varied wildly, ranging from spending too much money to having bad grades. "Well, it's about the Mogwai," Quinn said hesitantly. In a rare moment of clarity, Jake picked up on his youngest daughter's tone of voice. "What's wrong?" Jake asked slowly. "Um, the Mogwai, well, they, uh, multiply…with water," Quinn said. Jake stared at her. "Huh?"
Daria turned her head when she heard the footsteps behind her. Jake and Quinn stood in the doorway. Jake stepped closer and looked at the Mogwai. "There are five of them," he counted out loud. "This just happened from getting Gizmo wet?" Jake asked as he turned to face the girls. "Yeah, just plain water," Quinn said. Jake noticed the glass on the bed.
"Um, how did Gizmo get wet?" he asked Quinn. "I spilled my water by accident when I was trying to get one of my magazines," she admitted. "Um, I'm gonna' go call Jane," Daria said as she retreated to her room. "Hello, you've reached the House of Lane. All of our suites include oozing walls and screams of the damned," Jane said when she picked up the phone. "Jane, would you be willing to come over right now?" Daria asked her. "[I]Um, sure, but why such short notice? Is something wrong? " Jane asked. "I'm not entirely sure. You'll see why when you get here. It's about Gizmo," Daria said. "I'm on my way," Jane said before hanging up.
