Really lame random disclaimer skit thingy:
Seldom: Me wanna play Puzzle Pirates! Geddoff!
Urby: Well, me writing Crimson! Lemmealone!
Seldom: Oooh! Lemme help.
Urby: Oh dear. Please don't.
Seldom: (pulls out her frying pan) Write the disclaimer, you!
Urby: Don't hit me, mew!
Seldom: DISCLAIMER.
Urby: I own naught but Byruu, Hammer, Tacks, and the storyline. Mew. You don't own them, and I don't own TOS or Namco. Sad, ain't it?
Seldom: That...was lame.
Urby: (snorts) Well, why don't you try, mew? I'm outta ideas.
Seldom: I thought Byruu said mew, and you said dood.
Byruu: Well, posh on you, dood.
Urby: What she said, mew.
Raine paced impatiently. Little brother, where are you?
She glanced outside where Presea was...or...supposed to be...
"Presea?" she called out, running outside. "where are you?"
A muffled sound came from under where she was standing. "Immphrghthrr."
Raine got on her knees and dug her out. "Why...how?"
Presea pointed at a rooftop. "Snow on the roof piled on me."
"Why didn't you come inside? You could get frostbite out here."
"I'm waiting for Genis," the pink-haired one growled, licking snow off her face.
"Well, you can wait for him inside. We all are worried about him, not just you. And if he waltzed in and saw you looking like this, he'd throw a fit. Now get inside."
"Yes, Professor..." Presea yawned, stumbling.
Raine sighed and picked her up. "First, some food, then bed. No buts."
"Please don't make the food yourself, Professor."
"I heard that."
"These people you journey with are interesting," Hammer said, preening a quill that was out of place. "where were they last?"
"They were in Flanoir. I was with them, and then I got separated."
"Flanoir? That place! But...it has Katz in it!" Tacks shrieked, jumping. "they're evil, thieving bastards!"
"Katz are everywhere," Genis snorted.
"Which is why we stay here," Hammer sighed. "they love nothing more than to make fun of us."
Genis flexed his gloves. The suit was not unlike his Katz suit, so would real Katz and Penguinists be that different?
"But aren't you...kinda the same?" he asked.
Hammer and Tacks thought for a moment. "Well, we are both non-humans. And we both look like we're wearing suits of some sort..."
"But they're still greedy fools!"
"Aye, they still poke fun at us. Still don't like them, never will!"
Discrimination doesn't apply exclusively to humans?
"Can you just show me the way to Flanoir, even if you don't like Katz?" Genis interrupted.
Tacks pointed. "Keep walking and you will be there. Stay safe, Genis."
Genis waddled over and tucked his clothes in a pocket. He then belly-flopped into the snow, sliding in the direction indicated. This beats walking any day! But if I had a choice, I'd stick with Rheairds.
"Presea? Is that you? You look like a mess," Sheena worried, poking her.
Presea grumbled something unprintable and sipped some hot chocolate, pulling a blanket closer to her body. "Raine is making me stay inside."
"You should be! There's a snowstorm out that could kill."
Presea sighed and looked out the window. "Do you think he will come back?"
Sheena turned. It was true the little taciturn girl cared about Genis a lot. And he had been gone for more than a week...
"Yeah, he'll turn up soon enough. You must be really worried about him."
Presea stared into her mug of hot chocolate, as if she expected it to jump and attack her. She sniffed.
"Presea? Are you alright?"
"Fine..." she choked. "it's just..." Presea then broke down, sobbing into the blanket. "I miss him so much!" Sheena patted her on the back. "We all miss him, Presea. We all do."
"He...was my everything!" Presea sobbed. "I don't know what I'd do without him!"
Sheena, at a loss for words, let Presea cry herself out. "I think I might be able to find him."
Presea brightened visibly. "You...can?"
Sheena drew a Summoning circle on the floor. "I'm not sure, but I'll try. Celsius, come!"
Celsius poked her head out of the circle. "Never fails...get into the bathtub and someone calls for you. What?"
"I'm looking for a little half-elf boy, silver hair, about this tall," Sheena instructed. "we're not sure where he went, but hopefully he's still nearby." Celsius nodded and vanished, leaving behind a few icy bubbles and a rubber duck made out of ice. (rubber duck made out of ice? What the heck am I talking about? I might as well say gobblydook while I'm at it. I have to stop drinking milk while I write this...)
"Now we wait and see if she can find him."
Presea looked around the room nervously, hoping.
Celsius poked her head out of the circle again. "Good news! I found him!"
Presea cheered softly. "Where is he?" Sheena asked.
"Oh, that's the bad news. He's being tailed by monsters."
What a sorry way to go, being eaten because I look so much like a Penguinist! Genis ran/slipped/stumbled away from the Lobos that were chasing him, howling for their pals to get the multi-colored snack. If I only could concentrate long enough to cast a spell, I could blast these dogs to oblivion! But no, I'm too busy running, and I left my kendama at the inn, besides!
He tripped over a rock covered with snow. Oh, woe...
The Lobos caught up to him, their breath nauseating and their drool dripping on to the snow.
"You will not come near him!" a beastly voice roared.
Like a flying tank, Presea cannonballed into the first few Lobos, yelling. Genis, terrified, burrowed himself in the snow, leaving enough room near his eyes to watch her dance of death. After all the Lobos either died or ran away, she plopped on the ground, exhausted.
"Presea, Presea, you were amazing!" Genis cried, jumping out of his hiding place and running up to her. "you took them all on your own and you beat them, too!"
"Right...like I need another Raine to fuss over me...Presea? Uh, are you alive? Preeeesea?" Genis waddled to her side. She's all cold...maybe I can hug her and keep her warm?
He held her, his mind wandering. Wow, I'm hugging her! It's certainly not in the way I expected...wait...where are we? He looked around. It was snowing, not a storm, but enough so that he couldn't see Presea's tracks anymore. Oh, woe...we're lost, I got off track when I was running away, Presea probably doesn't remember the way back, and we don't have anything to eat.
Presea shivered, coughing. Am I not warm enough? Hey, I have an idea.
He changed quickly into his normal clothes and fitted Presea in the Penguinist suit. Okay...mind over matter...it isn't cold out...
Presea twitched and woke up. "Genis...what are you doing?"
"Freezing, can't you tell?" he shivered as the snow fell faster, becoming a flurry of ice pelting them.
Presea looked at the suit, which fit rather well. "Genis..."
Genis shivered, teeth chattering. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine!"
Presea flopped on him. "You'll be warmer like this."
Genis protested. "I said I was fine!"
"I'm not moving."
Genis gave up and snuggled closer to her. Penguinist quills aren't so prickly...they're nice and soft.
"Where did you get this suit?" Presea asked.
Genis related the tale sleepily.
"I always thought Penguinists were just people dressed up as penguins."
"Well, they aren't, just as much as Katz aren't people in cat suits."
Presea sighed and shifted. "Are you hungry?"
"I was trying not to think about that."
"So...are you?"
"Stop talking about it! You're making me hungry!"
"Presea?" Sheena called, wandering through the snow. "can you hear me?" I'm such a fool, letting her get out of my sight. Now I can't find her, and goodness knows if she found Genis, and goodness knows if I can even find my way back. I'm a fool. Didn't I already say that? How stupid of me.
She sat down on the snow, thinking about how she could have been safe by a fire at Flanoir, but she had decided to follow Presea and help her find Genis. I wasn't even much of a help...
From under her, muffled screaming and shrieking broke out. Sheena yelped, frozen in place. The snow under her moved. And then, a small hand poked out of the snow.
"Shnna, gttoff!"
Sheena dug furiously, trying to get them out. I found them! I mean, I sat on them...
Presea was still in the Penguinist suit, coughing up snow. Genis was dusting snow off of his shirt.
"What was that for?" he yelled.
"I didn't mean to!" Sheena stammered.
Presea waved a flipper. "Do you know the way back?"
Celsius existed, pointing. "You're all lost, so just so you know, Flanoir is over there. You're welcome." she vanished.
"Do we have to go now? Can it wait?" Genis yawned, curling up. "Sheena...woke me up from a nice dream." soon he was snoring softly. Presea draped herself over him, falling asleep.
They look so cute together. But, we have to go. Sheena picked them up and walked toward Flanoir. Ugh, someone needs to go on a diet...
Lloyd knocked on the door. "Colette? Professor? Are you in there?"
Raine shooed him away. "Sorry, Lloyd. Colette has a cold and I can't let you in. Wouldn't want you catching it now, right?"
"A cold won't stop me," he said, dodging Raine. "Colette, you okay?"
Colette sneezed into her pillow. "No. I feel terrible and I have that bitterness in my mouth again." Mitsmuzz whined, licking her face.
"She was also attacked last night," Raine added. "I found her outside, near the entrance to the city."
We aren't safe anywhere...
Zelos suddenly burst in. "Sheena!"
"Sheena's not here," Lloyd snorted.
"I know that! I'm just saying she's back! And she's got Presea and Genis too, but the important thing is Sheena's back!" he bounded down the hallway where she was, greeting her ecstatically. There was a loud slap sound. Mitsmuzz barked.
"They're asleep," Sheena breathed, plopping Genis and Presea into their beds.
"Sheena! You look like a mess!" Lloyd whispered.
"I do? Well, I sure feel like one."
Genis shifted, waking.
"Genis!" Raine cried, grabbing her brother. "Genis! Are you alright?"
Genis sighed dreamily. "Are you Presea?"
"No, it's Raine, your sister."
"Where's Presea?" Genis yawned.
"She's right there," Raine pointed. Genis wriggled sleepily out of her grasp and curled up next to Presea.
That's so cute! Colette and Lloyd thought.
I wonder if I'll find someone like that? Raine and Sheena mused.
It's so sweet...it's giving me a toothache! Ha, I made a funny! Zelos started chuckling, and then he was doubling over laughing. It's not that funny...ahaha...I can't stop...ah, damn...
"What's so funny?" Sheena wondered. "it's just Genis and Presea in a bed. Wait...Genis...and Presea...together..." it dawned on her. "Zelos, you perverted monkey bastard, you!"
Zelos yelped. "It's not that, I swear!"
Nothing would stop Sheena now. She was intent on tearing him apart, but he ran down the hall before she could catch him. Yelling, uh, roaring? in a very unhumanlike fashion, she dashed after him.
Colette sniffled and coughed. Mitsmuzz whined and licked her face. "Watching them like that is making me sleepy."
"Who, Sheena and Zelos, or Genis and Presea?"
"I dunno. Both?" Colette yawned. Sensing a sneeze coming on, she grabbed her pillow.
"Will you be alright?" Lloyd asked.
"Yeah," Colette coughed. "don'd you jusd hade id when, you dink you'll dneeze, bud you don'd, and your node is all dickly and you're all miderable and dick and sduff?"
"I love that!" the doctor grinned, entering. "it means I get a new patient. Oh, it's you...what ails you?" Colette finally sneezed, sending Mitsmuzz into a barking frenzy.
"Common cold, eh? I'll get that out of the way," the doctor had a thermometer in her mouth before anyone could react. "now, out, the rest of you!" he booted Lloyd and Raine out.
"I got kicked out of my own room," Raine fumed.
"We could always get you another," Lloyd offered.
"That would be nice. That puppy of hers drives me nuts!"
Zelos hid in a tree, panting. Is it safe yet? Or is that violent banshee still out for my head? 'Cuz being in this tree isn't very comfortable... He climbed down the tree, falling with all the grace of a duck on ice.
A small sound made him start. He had heard it many times before, the sound of crying.
Let's see...it's female...I can't recognize it. Zelos, the Tethe'alla Chosen, to the rescue?
He crept toward the sound. "Sheena?"
"Get away from me," she spat.
Zelos put a hand on her shoulder, which she brushed away. "Don't you have a girl to hit on or something?" "Sheesh! I'm only trying to help."
"I don't want your help."
Lies... a ghastly voice whispered in her mind.
What was that?
"I don't need your help," she corrected herself, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.
Why do you lie? Do you like lying? The Voice continued in a more questioning, childish tone. Lying isn't good for you, is it? Is lying fun? San...uh...you shouldn't lie, Sheena!
"Stop lecturing me," she grumbled.
"Huh? Who are you talking to?"
I hope you don't lie any more.
Stop talking in my head! Or whatever! Who are you, anyway? Are you Corrine?
Perhaps...hey, don't you think it's a nice evening out? Spend it with your beau.
He's not my beau!
"You wanna go back?" Zelos asked.
"I'll get there. Go on without me."
Zelos sighed and left.
Was I really lying...?
Zelos, not paying attention to which room he was going in, found himself in a dark room.
Where's the lights? Aha, here they are. Wait...why aren't they turning on?
A strange sound came from underneath. Zelos cast a small Fire Ball for light.
It was Genis, snoring, on the ground. A puddle of sleep-drool was collecting underneath him. Hanging on to him was Presea, still in the Penguinist suit. She dozed, muttering.
Zelos moved his hand over to Genis' face, trying to find out if he really was asleep.
"Gurr." Zelos retracted his hand. What was that? He tried again.
"Gurr!" Oh, it's Presea...how does she know? She's asleep. Zelos tried again, with the same result. Hey, this is fun!
Regal, who was passing by, entered. "What are you doing?"
"Oh! Oh! Watch this!" Zelos squealed, putting his hand close to Genis and leaving it there.
"Gurrrrrrrrrrrrr-" (here she took a breath) "urrrrrrrrr..."
Zelos took his hand away. "Hey, hey, do that to Presea and see if Genis growls or something!"
Regal shook his head. "Leave them be. Imagine what would happen if they woke up?" he sighed, leaving the room to cook something to eat.
Zelos pouted. I can do whatever I want! Bah, it's not very fun anymore.
He satisfied himself by watching them, their chests slowly rising and falling, their kittenish yawns and their occasional shift.
They're so peaceful, meant to be, and all that corny stuff.
A slushball connected with the back of his head.
"What the..."
Sheena giggled evilly. "I gotcha!"
"Oh yeah?" Zelos challenged, pouncing on her. "I gotcha now!"
"Ayeee! Help!"
Colette exited her room timidly, wondering what the racket was about. She spied Sheena and Zelos playing an "I-pounce-on-you-and-you're-it" kind of tag and smiled softly.
Play now while you're still together...
Author's notes, dood
In case you don't get the "Genis and Presea in a bed" joke, Sheena thought he meant "Genis and Presea in bed." Get it? Got it? Good. You know the drill-read, review, and make me a happy camper, dood.