Okage Densetsu - Lookit the Fancy Japanese
Chapter 9 - Mixed Emotions
"Hello honey!"
"Hello..." A quiet voice barely emitted from the girl near the stove.
"Hi Mom... thanks for finding Marlene for me." Ari blinked, looking at Marlene, "What are you doing?"
"Oh, she came and said she knew you. I started making lunch, and she asked if I could teach her to cook. Hehe. It's like having another daughter in the house."
Ari blinked. "Well, while I'm home, I guess you should meet my new friends. The one I'm holding here is Rin."
"Hi, lady!" She made Sampson wave a paw, "Sampson says Hi too!"
"Oh my!" Mom giggled, "What a little cutie! Hi, Sampson."
"Then we have Doctor Kisling. He researches ghosts."
He walked in, exclaiming, "Hello, Miss! A pleasure to meet someone so fine as you!"
Mom giggled again, "Glad to meet you, Doctor."
"Then there's Rosalyn..."
"Hello." She walked in and bowed slightly, "Always a pleasure."
Mom nodded.
"And last, you already know her- Corona."
"Hi again, dear." Mom waved. She smiled as Corona waved back. "Now see, Ari? Since you've gone on adventure, you've already made a handful of friends!"
"Friends my rear end!" Stan shot up, "The only people I approve of here is this small thing and my slave Corona! The rest of them I hate!"
"Hello, Stanley dear, are you doing well?" Mom smirked.
"HEY!"
"So how long until Marlene's cooking lesson is over?"
"Oh, we'll get in touch with you guys when she is. You all come in and relax, and meet the family! Any friend of Ari is a friend of ours.
"Thank you, ma'am!" Nearly everyone spoke, as they all spread out around the house.
"Hehe... so many friends. My little boy is becoming such a social butterfly."
"A social... butterfly? Will he spin a cocoon?" Marlene looked away from what she was doing for a moment.
"No, my, no! Hehe! That means he makes alot of aqquaintences. He didn't used to, before. Very shy... Oh, watch yourself, it's going to boil over!"
"Oh!" Marlene went back to rapid stirring, trying not to panic as Mom chuckled good-naturedly in the background.
"LUNCH TIME, EVERYBODY!"
They had to set up two card tables out in the foyer for everyone to sit at. Since Mom and Marlene had made double the dinner, everybody got a big plate of food- Mom had decided to teach Marlene something easy, so today's meal was macaroni and cheese. Nobody complained, as everyone was very hungry. They all sat at the dinner, then prepared to eat. Mom had just come from the kitchen to sit down as they began eating.
"Delicious! Wonderful stuff!" Rosalyn was stuffing her face like she'd never seen food before, "Oh, I haven't had a homecooked meal for years!"
"Mom, can I have some extra cheese?"
Mom paused from sitting down, taking Annie's plate. "Of course, dear."
"Thanks! Make sure you get lots and lots!"
"It is amazing. Processed food never tastes quite the same as a mother's home cooking." Kisling had to comment, "Could somebody pass the salt?"
"Oh, I don't see it on the table." Dad suddenly looked at Mom who just got back with Annie's food and was attempting to sit down, "Honey, can you go get the salt?"
"...Yes dear." She got up and headed back into the kitchen.
"Now let me tell you all my daughter makes the best dinners in the world," Grandpa spoke proudly, "She's also one of the prettiest women you'll find around here, right, honey?"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh, that's right dear."
"I like Grandma! Everyone needs to meet -my- Grampa!" Rin was seated next to Grandma, having to sit on some books to reach the table. She pointed a fork at Ari, "Grampa hides behind Ari all the time!"
"Shut up! I told you to stop calling me that!" Stan appeared, swinging his hand through the air- in the motion, he managed to knock the salt shaker straight from Mom's hand as she came in, which fell to the ground, all the salt spilling out, "I am NOT related to you!"
"Dear, the salt?" Dad looked over.
"...It's coming, dear." Mom sighed, picking up the shaker, and walked back into the kitchen.
"Tasty good..." Corona was eating at a steady pace- she had a bib on, however, so she wouldn't drool all over herself during the meal.
"Indeed!" James cut in, who was sitting next to her, "Madam's food is the best!"
"JAMES! Who give you permission to eat dinner?"
"But master, it's SO good! Without it, the everlasting afterlife has very little meaning- oh, I mean, it's not as important as YOU, sir, but it's just so-"
"Whatever! Don't let me catch you doing it again!"
"Yes sir!" James continued eating happily.
"How does a ghost digest things?" Rosalyn's eyebrow raised.
"Well, they eat it in the same way we do, and as I believe James here is more physical than normal forms of ghosts... oh, thank you, ma'am." He took the salt and put some on his macaroni and cheese, "He probably has a whole, relatively working digestive system. If not, it simply rapidly decomposes thanks to the warping of time that consists of most of their being."
"...Wonderful." Rosalyn sighed.
"Mom?" Ari looked at her as she tried to sit down again.
"Yes dear?"
"My milk is a bit warm, can you put an ice cube in it?"
"...Yes dear." She took the glass and wandered back in.
"It is not fair!" Marlene suddenly spoke up- she hadn't even touched any part of her meal, "She hasn't even sat down yet!"
"..." Ari blinked, "I didn't even notice..."
"Then pay attention with your eyes." Marlene sighed, looking at her plate.
"Hey, are you going to eat that?" James rubbed his hands together after having shoved his empty plate away.
"No..."
"Your majesty, you need to eat, otherwise you'll get sick."
"I am not hungry."
"Yipee!" James snatched the plate up and worked at shoveling all that down.
"Here, dear." Mom set Ari's glass back down, complete with it's ice cube, then attempted to sit.
"Honey, can you get me a napkin?"
"Yes..." She tried NOT to grit her teeth as she left the room, causing everyone but Marlene to laugh.
Instead, she stared at the door to the kitchen, silently contemplating things.
Later on in the evening, everyone went back to socializing and having a nice time. Marlene was helping Mom again, so all was well. Rin was busy entertaining the grandparents, while Kisling and Dad were talking about serious scientific stuff, while Rosalyn was speaking with Annie who was trying to convince her a pink shadow wasn't all that of a bad thing. Corona seemed content to stand in the foyer and drool into her bucket, while James was talking to her about how wonderful Stan and Mom's cooking was. That left Ari with the 'other person', Stan. He decided it was best to go outside, since hardly anybody in this town ever noticed him. Out in his yard, the fountain (running now, thank goodness, the water supply was therefore still on) gurgled, so he took a seat on the bench that faced it. Letting out a sigh, he leaned forward, relaxing a bit.
"Hmph, and you'd think a scary house like this would be haunted or something."
"Huh? Oh. I've never thought it was scary. Just needs some dusting."
"Well it's a shame such an ugly building isn't being used for evil purposes! Slave, you should consider converting it."
"How about not?"
"Ugh, you humans truly have no taste."
Slowly, a pair of red shoes stepped out of the door and into the grass.
"I may not have any taste, and apparentally no say in anything, but I don't plan on changing my house. It's the only predictable place I have."
"Life itself is unpredictable..." A small voice floated over the fountain's gurgles, "To live otherwise is not to live."
"Marlene!" Ari sat up, "Weren't you helping Mom?"
She nodded, "We are done, however. She told me to talk with the family, but everyone is occupied. So I looked for any family member who wasn't. You do not seem occupied."
"Well, he IS, thank you!" Stan grumbled, "I get him at least fifty percent of the time!"
"Do not change the figures. You own thirty percent."
"Thirty?" Ari blinked, "Who owns the rest?"
"SHE does."
"Oh." Ari sighed. He was hoping some of it would have been his, but it didn't seem to be so. "Did you need something, Marlene?"
"..." Marlene blinked. "I do not believe so."
"Hey... why did you run away?"
"I grew tired of the adventure I was on."
"Huh? Why?"
"I never get to do anything adventurous." Marlene put one hand on her hip, holding the other out slightly, "It is the same thing over and over. I grew weary."
"Then why did you come here?"
"I was looking for somewhere... somewhere... cozy. I walked to the gates of this house and thought it was cozy. So I came in and met your Mother, and she let me in and taught me about cooking and other things. She also talked alot about you, about how nice you are."
"Don't believe everything she says, she's just trying to sell me to you." Ari scratched the back of his head, "She wants a daughter-in-law or something. It's really actually annoying."
"Oh. I see. She wishes you to marry, but you do not want to."
"Er... yeah, something like that."
"Interesting. Why would you not wish to do that? Is that not what men do?"
"Not ALL men, I mean, I don't have a girlfriend- the last one I had just spontaneously dumped me."
"Dumped...?"
"...You mean, you've never heard that before? She said she wanted to stop being my girlfriend."
Marlene blinked. She looked more confused than anybody Ari'd ever seen before, "Why?"
"I would like to know, too. ...You've never heard of this stuff before, have you?"
"No, I do not think so. This topic is very new to me and I do not know what to say about it."
"..." Ari began to feel almost sad for Marlene. How could anyone live in such a sheltered way? "This will sound odd, but, has anyone ever comforted you when you've been upset?"
Marlene shook her head, "I don't get upset. It is not good for me."
"Not good for you? Whoever said that is an idiot! In order to truly feel emotions, you must feel the full spectrum of them!"
"But..."
"I'm not kidding! You can't live until you've felt happiness... but you must also feel sadness and anger to truly appreciate happiness. No matter what anybody tells you, you need to feel whatever emotion comes to you at the moment, otherwise... well..." Ari sighed, "You're not truly living."
"Truly living... alright, I will try. However, I am not sure how to feel angry."
"...unbelievable."
"What is?"
"Never mind. It's getting late. We should get back inside before Mom gets worried."
"Alright. Escort me to the door."
Ari blinked, but then got up and walked her to the door. He had to wait for her to walk in, then he came in and closed the door. As she headed upstairs, he could do nothing but stare. "What a sad existance..."
"What a pathetic waste of life." Stan chuckled.
"..." He shook his head, then headed up to his room for the night.
"Please awake..."
Ari sighed. He hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in how long again? He turned over, but was surprised to see Marlene. "Hey... Something wrong?"
She shook her head, "I wish to repay your mother for all she taught me. I wish to find... to find a Moonbloom... They are flowers that glow at night."
"Huh? I'll come with then..." He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes, and yawning. "This place can be dangerous at night."
She waited until he rose, and then demanded to be escorted outside. However, at the bottom of the stairs, they were interrupted.
"And where are you going this late, Your Majesty?" Rosalyn STILL had her parasol with her, which made her look really stupid.
"Oh, Rosalyn. We are going outside to find a flower for Ari's Mother."
"Well, there will be ghosts, no doubt. I'll come with and keep you safe on your search."
Marlene nodded, then led everyone outside. They headed down the path into the woods, beginning their search in between trees. Ari was never too far from Marlene, keeping an eye out for flowers and ghosts- upon seeing one, he'd sound the alarm and Rosalyn would immediately run over and scare the crap out of the spirits, who would run away more often than they would attempt to fight. Though try as they might, it seemed impossible to find the flower... when Ari felt like he could pass out from exhaustion, it was decided the search would have to be cancelled. But as he dragged himself back to the house, he paused.
"Hey, over there."
Marlene stepped around some trees, then came back out with a rose-like flower that was giving off a soft glow like the moon. "You've found it. Thank you for helping me look. Now I can give it to your mother!"
Ari smiled a bit when Marlene smiled, nodding. "You'll have to wait until morning, though, so you might want to put it in some water and then... please.. try to sleep."
"Okay. Let us retire for the night."
They all headed gratefully back inside, the moon shining softly down on them as they did. Each said goodnight a last time and headed to their rooms to sleep, Ari of course being the most appreciative of the oppurtunity. He fell asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow. Again he had the usual nightmare of being surrounded in darkness, but now there was that flower... the glowing bloom was now part of the dream, which provided a bit of light and comfort. He woke up a bit easier in the morning, finding nobody had even tried to wake him up.
"Oh wow... thank the gods..." Ari slowly sat up, stretching. Hopping out of bed, he headed downstairs to find everyone chatting it up again. It was clearly after breakfast, since the scent of scrambled eggs still lingered lightly. "Uh... good morning, everyone!"
Nearly everyone said good-morning in his or her own way. Apparentally they were all waiting for him to wake up, as they all then bunched together at the end of the stairs. Heading down, Ari found they were all there to again wish him good luck on his journey. This brought a bit of happiness to our hero, who thanked them all, then got the party organized. Just as he was about to leave, though, Mom caught him by the arm.
"Honey?"
"Uh, yeah, Mom?"
Mom looked at Marlene, then at Ari and winked. "Remember that gift I gave you? This may be the time to use it."
"Huh? No, wait a minute- I don't..." Ari paused. He began thinking again about how sheltered Marlene was... perhaps she had never gotten a gift in her life. He sighed, then nodded. "Okay."
"Good boy. You have a good time, alright?" She winked again, letting him go.
"Alright, guys!" Dad cheered, "One more time! Three, two, one..."
"GOOD LUCK!"
Upon exiting, Marlene stopped in front of Ari and turned around. "What was your mother talking about?"
"Huh? Oh..." Ari dug about in his pockets until he found the small music box. "This."
"Oh..." She lightly took it and lifted the lid, a quiet but pretty tune suddenly floating out. "Wow... so pretty..."
"Do you like it?"
She nodded, clearly enjoying the music a little.
"Well... you can have it."
"Wow! Ari gives out cool presents!" Rin grinned, "It makes pretty music!"
"Hmm." Marlene looked at it, then sighed. "But I haven't need for such a thing."
"Er, your majesty, that's the point of a gift." Rosalyn did her best to explain, "It is an object you don't much need, but still would like. They give it to you so you can enjoy it."
"Yes, it's like a psychological treat." Kisling butted in his own stuff, "I haven't recieved much gifts myself, but I enjoy every one of them greatly."
"Gifts are cool..." Corona wavered in place, but got stable again.
"I suppose... as he is my servant, everything he owns is mine anyway."
Ari sighed. Marlene had just defeated the entire purpose, but it was worth the effort anyhow, he figured. "Well, I hope you like it."
"This is my first gift. Therefore... it is precious and cannot be broken, right? Then this will remind me of the day we met forever."
Everyone laughed as Ari's cheeks grew a bit pink.
"Yeah... sounds good."
"Well, let us not stall." Marlene closed the box, but kept it held closely in her hand, tightly enough that it seemed nobody would ever be able to take it from her, "We must head off onto adventure."
"Ugh! This is MY conquest! We're destroying fake Evil Kings! You think you're in charge here!"
"Because I am. Seventy percent is still mine."
"..." Ari just rolled his eyes. Today was going to be another weird day, he could just feel it.
