DAY TWELVE, WORD TWELVE: DEAD WRONG
"Go fish."
"…Lieutenant… we're not playing Go Fish…."
"…Poker."
"No."
"…Old Maid."
"Try again."
"…Chess."
I couldn't stop myself from chuckling. "Apples to Apples, Lieutenant."
Garuru made a face and sighed, putting down the cards. "I don't understand."
"Not surprising." I gestured to the third player, my dog, seated awkwardly on a chair, who obviously didn't want to play. "Especially since she doesn't want to go by the rules."
My dog let out a long, annoying string of whines.
I sighed. "Fine. Go."
She eagerly stood up, pounced to the ground, shook herself, and trotted away.
"What was the point of this?" Garuru asked, splaying the cards out.
"I dunno. I honestly thought that you might be interested."
"But there weren't enough players."
"…True," I said thoughtfully. I placed everything back where it was and put the box away in the… bigger box… where we had all our board games. When we're bored. See what I did there? Bored game-...?
…Yeah, that was horribly lame… even for me.
Shun the punbeliever. SHUUN.
"Let's play Clue!" I said suddenly, slightly startling the purple Keronian. He shifted his body toward me and perked up a brow.
"…'Clue'?"
"It's a murder mystery game!" I said, perhaps a tad too eager. I set a game that was in the shape of a book in the middle of the table, slid the top off the box, and then took out the materials.
"…Murder… mystery?" Garuru repeated, slowly.
"You find out who killed this billionaire."
"'Billionaire'?… Like… Zeroro's mother?"
"Who?"
"…Nothing. Proceed with the instructions."
"Okay, so this one guy is found murdered in this house," I said, gesturing to the cardboard game set. "You have to figure out which room he died in, who killed him, and with what weapon."
"….You seem a bit too enthusiastic about this," Garuru observed slowly.
"Really?" I blushed. "I-I'm sorry. I'm really into this kind of stuff."
"I see," Garuru said simply. He waved his hand. "Go ahead."
"So we have three different kinds of cards," I said, showing him the cards with a cartoon figure, the picture of a room, and a weapon. "I'm going to split it with-"
"Does this game require more than two players?" Garuru asked testily.
"…Yes."
Garuru jumped off the chair.
"…I can go get my dog?" I offered weakly. He stared at me dully. "…My brother's fish?"
He rolled his eyes and continued down the kitchen, toward the stairs. I sighed and put everything back where it was again, telling myself that later I would somehow persuade my sibs to play with me instead.
And if that didn't work, I still had blackmail, so it's all good.
"Where are you going, Lieutenant?" I followed him.
"Outside."
"It's cold outside."
"Yes. But it rained recently, so it will be fine."
I felt like pouting, but I knew he would comment on it, so I resisted that urge. "Can I come with you?"
Garuru shrugged. "If you want to."
"I'm going to go get a jacket," I said quickly. "Wait up."
I snagged it from my bed and ran down the stairs… missing a step and tumbling down. Garuru side stepped out of the way as I crashed on the tile.
Garuru gazed down at me. "…Are you okay?"
"Who let those birds in here?" I muttered. I reached out for them, mesmerized. "They're so beautiful…"
"You're okay. Let's go."
I felt my jaw, and then my head, but when I saw he was just going on without me, opening the door and pretending I was as dandy as candy, I fumbled to my feet and ran after him.
"It's blue," I said, bored. I stared at the sky before waving my fist in aggravation. "You could have at least given us a cloud!"
"…Who are you talking to?" Garuru said, in a tone that almost painfully obviously showed he was trying to diagnose me with some sort of mental disorder.
"That," I said in mock bitterness. "Everyday it's sunshine and… sunshine. And more sun. 'Specially on Tuesdays."
"So it's rare that it rains," Garuru interpreted dryly.
"Yes."
Garuru looked like he wanted to punch something, so he settled with a firm face palm to his forehead. "Of all the places…"
"Sorry," I added unnecessarily.
"Stop saying that."
"Okay." I put my hands in my coat pockets. We walked in quiet solitude for a moment, until I paused to pick something off the ground. "…Hey. Garuru?"
"Mm?"
"Let's go to the Dollar Store."
Garuru stared at me. "… 'Dollar' store?"
"It's typically a place where you can get everything for a dollar," I explained, waving the five dollar bill I had found.
"…A 'Dollar'?"
"It's the United States' currency."
"Ah." Garuru cast a tired glance at the thin object in my hand. "You trade paper for goods?"
"Yes. Yes we do."
Garuru grunted. "Interesting." He folded his arms. "So everything in the store could be purchased with a dollar."
"Yup. Anything in there." Something hit me, and I grinned down at him. "…Hey. Have you ever tried chocolate?"
"Chocolate," Garuru said, contemplating deeply on the word. "…Chocolate… it sounds familiar."
"…I was joking," I said, my smile faltering. "…Seriously. You've never tried it before?"
"Look who's gullible now," Garuru said, almost sarcastically. Or at least, I think that's what he intended. It's not like his monotone voice did anything to help the comedic overtones in that statement. "I was joking as well. I've had chocolate before. HQ would send us rations with the candy inside."
"Let's buy some, then," I said cheerfully, my face a bit red for falling for that.
Did you know the word 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary?
"Where is this 'Dollar Store'?" Garuru asked after a while.
"It's nearby. Um. Sorta." I smiled sheepishly. "By car. But it'll be fine! I need the exercise."
"That you do."
"Oh, hush."
The bell rang when I opened the door.
The boy at the cash register glanced up before he returned his attention back to the iPad on the counter, his cheek resting against the palm of his hand. A girl, about his approximate age, was pinning up pink and red and purple decorations against the walls and the ceilings, humming some sort of song that I had heard on the radio once.
"Welcome!" The girl sang, waving with a free hand.
"Thanks!" I said with a smile.
The girl squeaked as she tripped over her sneakers, ripping the décor she had in her fist. She slammed her face against the wall, and then fell back on her rear.
I immediately ran to her aid. "Hey. Are you alright?"
"Hm?" She gazed up at me, her face a pink color, no doubt from hitting herself against the brick wall. Yeesh. "Yeah. I'm fine." She rubbed her forehead.
I gave a small sigh of relief. "Be careful."
She picked herself up and dusted herself, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. She then paused, and examined me. "…You're a lot shorter than I thought you were from the ground." Before I could protest, she added, "I haven't seen you here before."
"I haven't been here in a while," I said truthfully. I was about to mention getting chocolate for my friend, when I remembered that of course Garuru was not allowed to be, erm. Mentioned.
"I'm Idelle," She said, holding out her hand. I accepted it. "And you?"
"Johnny," I said cheerfully.
Idelle pointed. "That's my brother, Ulliam." She waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about him. He's lazy."
"I heard that."
"So you work here?" I looked around, not that there was anything new to look at, really.
"Ehh, more or less." Idelle shrugged. "Our uncle- he's the one that works here- lets us drop by and help him out. He's on lunch break right now, though." She planted her hands on her hips. "So! Can I help you with anything?"
"I wanted to buy some chocolate." I held out my five dollar bill.
Idelle gave me a sly look. "Who for?" She gestured toward the area that was selling chocolate hearts.
"Just for a friend of m- no." Okay, maybe I said that a little too rudely. But still. The thought of me giving Garuru a lovey-dovey themed chocolate case? I shuddered. He would never let me hear the end of it. "Just plain chocolate. I don't have a girlfriend or anything."
"Not even a Valentine?"
"Don't celebrate it. Sorry."
Idelle gave me a strange look. "What?"
"I don't. For me, it's 'Singles' Appreciation Day'."
Ulliam laughed in the background, and Idelle huffed slightly. "Fine! Have it your way." She pointed behind me. "The normal chocolates are over there."
"Yeah, I know," I answered truthfully. "I've been here before."
Idelle waved me off, like she had waved her brother off earlier, and I went off to look at the assortment of candies and things that made your teeth rot. Yum.
Garuru was already there, looking at the candies intently.
"See anything you like?" I inquired.
"I don't recognize anything."
"No surprise," I said, pulling off a small box of Reese's Pieces. "You are in a different planet, you know. I would feel the same way if I was in a different country- like Mexico."
"…Mexico?"
"It's a country that is below the United States. Err, or at least on the map. I got family down there. It's a really nice place."
"Hm," Garuru muttered, folding his arms. After another moment, he looked at me. "There doesn't seem to be anything of interest here."
"Maybe…" I looked off to the side, and saw something that caught my eye. I ran over to this small machine, about as tall as my waist, and pulled the top open. The icy breath of the freezer chilled me, but I took out two ice creams nonetheless, closing it when I was done.
I walked back over to Garuru. "I'm getting you this."
Garuru perked a brow. "And that is-?"
"Ice cream."
"…Ice cream." Garuru caught the first word, and then flickered his eyes at my coat, and my semi-red nose from outside's venture. "…Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Why not?" Before Garuru could say anything else, I interceded, "It's chocolate flavored." and then went off to the cash register to buy it.
I had to pull Ulliam off the iPad in order to get him to scan the items, but other than that, it was no hassle. He was pretty quick, giving me the change and then returning back to his technological wonder.
"Here," I said, tossing Garuru the frozen treat. "No need to thank me, you're welcome."
Garuru looked over the wrapper, holding it gingerly in his hands.
"Do you need help opening it?"
"…I have it."
Watching him pull at the ends, trying to stretch up the popsicle to pop the front, and eventually even going as far as trying to bite off the top was priceless. I was just watching him as I enjoyed my M&M ice cream sandwich.
"Do you give up yet?"
Garuru glowered at me, and I decided to shut up.
He finally managed to rip the bag apart into five different pieces (I have no idea how…), but he was finally able to enjoy his ice cream. In the most stoic way possible.
Laptops are fun to use.
"Okay, you have to tell me now." I said, comfortably seated on my bed while Garuru was sitting down on his.
"…What?" Garuru blinked at me.
"You know! About the sirens!"
"…Ah," Garuru smirked for a moment, but then looked down quickly. "You must share with me something first."
"But-"
"Our agreement."
I yanked my guitar from off my furniture and played him a song. I couldn't remember what it was called, but it was soothing and I was just surprised I even remembered it from my Sophomore year. When I finished, he gazed back up at me.
"…That doesn't count-"
"You said I must 'share something first'." I put the guitar away. "I shared you my music."
Garuru opened his mouth, probably to retort, but held it in and gave me something of a smart look. "…Point taken."
Garuru slipped on some headphones and slid the dial of his music player to max, the music screaming mercilessly against his eardrums. He materialized a rifle and brought down his visor, cautiously walking down the hallway.
He was right- that's exactly what they were.
He told me to imagine them as Pekoponian women, but with green scales and large, fly-like blue eyes. Very creepy in retrospect, but to an alien like Garuru, they're passable as, well, other aliens. Not only that, they shape shifted into anything the viewer wanted. They could be beautiful women, or attractive men, or… I don't know. (I asked Garuru what he saw when he first encountered them, but he just shrugged and continued on.)
When you're under their 'spells', your irises share that blue color, and you're rendered completely useless against them.
Their voices could be compared to a sweet lullaby, with an alluring echo that trailed after their words.
They were irresistible- except when you wore goggles (or in Garuru's case, shades) and something that could somehow dim their musical voices.
Garuru was prepared.
The others… not so much.
"Come back, baby!" Taruru sang, his arms outstretched, eyes wide in a trance. "I'll treat you well~!"
Tororo seemed to absolutely enjoy the attention that one in particular gave to him, giggling shyly, though more than likely he was hypnotized. "I didn't mean what I said before. You're cute! I wouldn't even mind sharing my snacks with you, if you're willing to like me back."
"I didn't say I liked you!" Zoruru stammered, his face red. He turned away and nervously fidgeted as one of the sirens played with his mask. "S-stop it!"
Garuru would had overall enjoyed this if their lives weren't at stake. He immediately sprang into action when he saw Pururu sweetly walking into one of the sirens that had transformed into a giant mouth, large, pointed teeth protruding, eagerly awaiting for the taste of frog flesh to enter onto their tongue.
Garuru summoned a gun and shot at it several times, making it scream in agonizing fury for his patronizing its lunch. Pururu snapped out of it, startled. She looked about worriedly.
"L-Lieutenant?" She stammered. "What going on-?"
"Space Sirens," Garuru said quickly. He pushed her out of the way. "Look out!" The siren lunged toward the two, but the pair had managed to split fast enough to avoid its ravenous jaws.
"What can I do?" Pururu asked the purple Keronian, after he had whipped out another weapon and shot it to smithereens.
"Don't look at them," Garuru said hastily, reading her lips. "Try and cover your ears while you're at it. Don't succumb to their spells." He glanced at Taruru. "And keep an eye out for the platoon members…"
"On it!" Pururu saluted, and then ran off.
Garuru watched her a while, and then shook his head, confident that she could do it.
Next ones up were Taruru and Tororo, who were walking right into the very same mouth.
Garuru shot that one two, making it explode and spew out something that resembled brown mucus on the two youngest members.
"Eugh!" Tororo cried out. "This is so gross!"
"Space Sirens," Taruru said, nodding at the stuff on his skin. "You're wrong! I'm right. You owe me money."
There were only three sirens, as it turns out. Garuru flipped his visor out and took off his screaming music, his ears pounding in pain.
"Is it over?" Garuru called out, a little too loudly.
"Z-Zoruru!" Pururu giggled nervously. "You're not under the spell now! You can stop kissing me!"
"…Huh?" Zoruru looked down at Pururu, turned a heavy red color, and then gazed over at the other three male Keronians that were watching him. His color went from gray, to red, to white, all in one setting. He dropped her and flew up to the ceiling.
"…Well that was awkward," Taruru said unnecessarily. "Yeuch."
"What happened?" Garuru inquired, turning to Pururu.
Pururu, who was blushing slightly for some strange reason, said, "I was just doing what you asked me to, Lieutenant. And then-"
"Tororo accidentally opened the door," Taruru added, puckering his lips out.
"Did you, New Recruit?"
"NO! …Well… yeah…"
"Why?"
Tororo was silent.
Taruru grinned. "Wait for it…"
"Well, New Recruit-?"
"I thought they were girl scouts, okay?!"
Taruru laughed, Zoruru cursed openly, Garuru turned away, and Pururu face palmed.
Garuru issued a punishment for the salmon colored tadpole, to everyone's surprise.
Tororo was to be suspended from eating snacks (more than what was necessary) for about a week.
It didn't end well.
