Pseudo-Sibling Squad Bonding
Eosinophil sat on the sofa in the karaoke room, nervously clenching her fists on her lap.
Her four best friends, U-1146, U-2626, U-2048, and U-4989, fiddled with the song menu on the screen.
Apparently, during the incident where the body got too drunk, the neutrophils visited the liver with some red blood cells, and one of the things they did was sing karaoke. Since then, they had revisited karaoke a few times, and now they wanted to do it together with her.
The room wasn't big, but it wasn't cramped either. A long sofa made an L-shape against the back and and side walls. From the back wall, where Eosinophil sat, the entrance was on the left-hand side, opposite half of the sofa. In front of the sofa was a low table with a large pitcher of water and several cups, as well as two microphones. The neutrophils crowded around a small screen on the wall with the song menu, while a larger screen on the wall would display the lyrics.
Eosinophil looked down at her knees. What was she doing here? She loved these neutrophils like big brothers, but did they really expect her to sing in front of them?
It wasn't just the idea of singing in front of them that made her nervous. What would they think of her song choices? Eosinophil liked to listen to music on her off-time, but she didn't know how the neutrophil squad would react.
"Ohh, this one looks good!" said 4989 as he selected a song.
"Yo, Eosinophil, you wanna choose any songs?" asked 2626.
Eosinophil shook her head. "No thanks."
"Don't be nervous, Eo-chan!" said 4989, looking over at her. "It's a lot of fun!"
Eosinophil tugged on the bill of her cap, trying to make herself smaller. "It's really okay."
"It'll be fine, I'll show you! Does anyone mind if I go first?" asked 4989.
"Go right ahead," responded 1146.
"Thanks. Ready, 2626?"
Both 4989 and 2626 grabbed microphones as the other two sat down. Were they going to sing together?
Both of the neutrophils blew into the microphones, testing to make sure they worked. When they were rewarded with amplified puffing sounds from the speakers, 4989 hit the "play" button on the screen.
Immediately, an upbeat and lively tune sounded from the speakers. It sounded like it might be from some kind of plucked instrument. Lyrics appeared on the screen, and they looked almost like Kanji, but… not. Some of the characters were recognizable Kanji, but other characters were not. They looked like they could be Kanji, but they didn't look like any Kanji Eosinophil had ever seen. She recalled a bacterial invasion, where the bacteria spoke in a language she didn't understand. Antibiotics also speaking the same strange language came in capsules labelled with similar weird almost-Kanji. Eosinophil wasn't much help against the bacteria, but at least that time she wasn't the object of ridicule. Everyone was too busy protecting the lactic acid bacteria from antibiotics that were even more ineffective than she was against the invasive bacteria.
The intro to the song continued, and a series of four dots appeared on the screen, counting down to the start of the song. Both 4989 and 2626 pulled out papers from their pockets, unfolding and looking at them.
Three dots. Two. One…
4989 lifted the microphone to his lips and began to sing.
"Wo zhong xia yi ke zhongzi,
Zhongyu zhang chule guoshi,
Jintian shi ge weida rizi."
Eosinophil stifled a laugh. This sounded like the same language from that bacterial infection! But how was 4989 singing it?
Before she could think of an answer to the question, 2626 sang the next stanza.
"Zhai xia xingxing songgei ni,
Zhuai xia yueliang songgei ni,
Rang taiyang meitian wei ni shengqi."
Both neutrophils looked at the papers in their hands, rather than the almost-Kanji lyrics on the screen. U-4989 seemed more at home pronouncing the foreign words, while 2626 had a noticeable accent in comparison. The two sang the bridge together, before jumping into the chorus.
"Ni shi wo de xiao ya xiao pingguor!
Zenme ai ni dou bu xian duo!
Honghong de xiao lianr wennuan wo de xin wor!
Dian liang wo shengming de huo! Huo! Huo! Huo! Huo! Huo!"
Eosinophil laughed in earnest now. The neutrophils were singing loudly, doing silly dance moves, and generally being crazy and entertaining. From the almost-Kanji on the screen that she could recognize, they appeared to be singing about an apple? It didn't make sense, but that didn't matter. She just enjoyed the show.
Finally, the two finished their performance.
"Ni shi wo de xiao ya xiao pingguor!
Jiu xiang tianbian zuimei de yunduo!
Chuntian you lai dao liao huar kai man shanpo,
Zhong xia xiwang jiu hui shouhuo!
The music faded out, and Eosinophil, 1146, and 2048 doubled over laughing. U-4989 basked in the praise, while 2626 was unable to keep from laughing himself.
"What was that?" asked 2048, gasping for breath. "Doesn't that… doesn't that remind you of the salmonella invasion?"
"Actually, it's the language that the germs and antibiotics spoke!" 4989 said happily. "After that invasion, I wanted to learn what they were saying, in case something like that ever happened again… partially so I could yell taunts back at them as we fought, heh heh…" 4989 rubbed the back of his neck. "Somehow I ran across Basophil and mentioned this, and he just lent me a book for learning it. Apparently it's called 'Chinese.' A while later, I stumbled across this song while doing karaoke one time, and I thought it would be fun to sing!"
"Wait, why did Basophil have a book specifically for learning that language?" asked 2048.
"Don't question it," said U-1146 and Eosinophil at the same time. Since they were both Basophil's kouhais at one point, they knew better than anyone that Basophil had the strange and mysterious ability to obtain pretty much any book about any subject, no matter how obscure. In fact, the more obscure the subject was, the more likely Basophil was to have it.
"Alright, who's next?" asked 2626.
"I'll go," offered 2048. He got up, typed something into the screen, then took the microphone 4989 offered him.
The music started with a rhythmic drum intro. The title of the song scrolled across the top of the screen: Uragiri no Yuuyake, "Treacherous Sunset."
The first lyrics came on the screen, and Eosinophil was happy to see they were written in a language she understood. The set of four dots appeared to count down to the start. Three dots. Two. One…
"Uragiri no yuuyake
Yakkai ni karamitsuku ase o
Kirisaku you ni shite
Mashin wa sakebu utau you ni"
The melody instantly drew Eosinophil in, and the electric guitar in the music made her mitochondria thump with anticipation. Not even twenty seconds into the song, and she could tell it was going to be good.
"Blow up louder!
Mukuchi na yousei wa soko ni iru.
Blow up louder!
Tsugunai wa kudaketa ai no kakera!
A-ah!
Asahi wa noboru, yeah!
Biru no tanima!
Ima shinjireba kawaru no sa,
Murmi ja nai ano yumi o-oh!"
The chorus exploded with intensity. It made Eosinophil feel like she was zooming down a street on a very fast vehicle, her pigtails whipping out behind her. This was a very different style of song than the one 4989 and 2626 sang, but it was enjoyable in its own right.
U-2048 certainly gave it his best. Even though his voice was higher-pitched, he still managed to give it a subtle sort of gravelly-quality sound that added to the experience, almost reminiscent of a vehicle without a muffler. It wasn't overbearing, and his normal voice was still recognizable, but it added yet another dimension to the song.
He sang on, the lyrics mentioning a "Fairyride" and talking about accelerating and breaking through dark clouds as the sun rises. Eosinophil wasn't the only one enjoying it. U-1146 tapped his foot, while 4989 nodded his head to the beat, eyes closed. U-2626 was also dancing in his seat.
Finally, like a roller coaster going through one last loop before stopping, the song came to an end.
"A-ah!
Asahi wa noboru, yeah!
Suiheisen!
Ima shinjireba kawaru no sa,
muimi ja nai ano hikariiiii-yeeeah!"
U-2048 let his arm holding the microphone drop to his side as the final notes of music played. The group of immune cells cheered his performance, and 4989 even let out a wolf whistle!
"Alright, 1146, you wanna go next?" asked 2048.
Next to Eosinophil, 1146 tugged on his cap. "Ah. Sure."
He looked a little nervous to Eosinophil. Was he nervous to sing? To Eosinophil, the words "nervous" and "U-1146" were as incompatible as oil and water, fire and ice, immune cells and germs.
U-1146 stood up and took the microphone from 2048. As 2048 sat down, he poured himself a cup of water from the pitcher on the low table in front of the sofa.
"Ah, that feels nice," he sighed after taking a sip. "My throat feels a bit scratchy right now."
U-1146 hit the play button for his song choice. Unlike the other songs, there was no intro music. The lyrics appeared on the screen and the four dots counted down in silence, as 1146 held the microphone at the ready. The title scrolling across the screen said Lemon.
The last dot disappeared, and 1146 began.
"Yume naraba dore hodo yokatta deshou.
Imada ni anata no koto wo yume ni miru."
A piano accompaniment began as soon as 1146 started singing. The song was slower than the songs that the other neutrophils sang, but not super slow. Eosinophil's breath actually caught in her chest. U-1146's voice was deep and smooth, and he sounded like a natural while singing. She never heard him sing before, and his skill now impressed her.
U-1146 continued singing, steady and strong. The song seemed to be from a man to his significant other, describing how much better things are with her than they are alone. She thought of the redheaded erythrocyte she often saw around 1146, AE-3803. Was he thinking of AE while singing the song?
That would be adorable! she thought.
"Ano hi no kanashimi sae,
Ano hi no kurushimi sae,
Sono subete wo aishiteta anata to tomo ni.
Mune ni nokori hanarenai nigai lemon no nioi.
Ame ga furiyamu made wa kaerenai
Ima demo anata wa watashi no hikari!"
The chorus made Eosinophil swell with emotion. The lyrics basically said that through all the pain that he experienced, with his partner, he loved it all, the scent of lemon lingers on his chest, and that even in the rain, the one he loves is his light. It was so sweet, and 1146 sang with such conviction, that Eosinophil was sure he was thinking about AE-3803. U-1146 wasn't even looking at his friends, instead looking up off into the distance, his mind clearly on something else.
As the song went on, it seemed that the lyrics indicated that the lovers were not physically together and that they missed each other. More instruments made up the music backing 1146 now, but his voice was what held the four immune cells enrapt. As she heard the lyrics describing a deep longing to be with the loved one again, Eosinophil felt a tear come to her eye.
Finally, 1146 finished the song, singing:
"Ano hi no kanashimi sae,
Ano hi no kurushimi sae,
Sono subete wo aishiteta anata to tomo ni.
Mune ni nokori hanarenai nigai lemon no nioi.
Ame ga furiyamu made wa kaerenai,
Kiriwaketa kajitsu no katahou no you ni,
Ima demo anata wa watashi no hikari!"
The group clapped for their friend as he put down the microphone. Eosinophil wiped away the tear and looked around. Evidently, she was not the only one whose eyes did not stay dry. U-4989 looked to be on the verge of bawling.
"That was beautiful!" he said.
"Thanks." U-1146 bowed his head and looked over at Eosinophil. "Eosinophil, would you like to try?"
"M-me?" Eosinophil stuttered. Her mitochondria twisted. She wasn't prepared for this!
"Sure, it'll be fun!" said 2626.
"Come on, Eo-chan!" urged 4989.
"I'm curious to hear your voice," said 2048.
"No pressure, Eosinophil. If you don't want to sing, you don't have to," 1146 said kindly.
Eosinophil squirmed in her seat. Even though 1146 said "no pressure," she still felt very put on the spot. It did look like fun, and she did want to try… but what would her neutrophil friends say? Still, she couldn't live her entire life being shy and afraid to move outside of her comfort zone. She had already been making such good progress, so far…
"Okay, guys, she doesn't want to do it," said 1146. "Anyone else want to-"
"I'll do it!" Eosinophil said, standing up from her seat. The four neutrophils looked at her, surprised. Her mitochondria thumped in her chest, so loudly that she was sure they could all hear, and she wanted to shrink into a dot and disappear with all their eyes on her, but she stood firm. "I-I'll do it. I wanna try."
U-1146 smirked and handed her the microphone. "Have fun. I know you'll do great."
Eosinophil took the microphone from his hand, shaking a little. She approached the smaller screen with the song menu, and began scrolling through the songs. It was never confirmed, but a rumor stated that all the songs available in karaoke were songs that the body itself had listened to. If true, the body had a very broad taste in music, with many different genres being listed on the screen.
Eosinophil gulped as she selected a tab and looked through the songs. She found what she was looking for. Some time back, Basophil had given her a CD for her to listen to, saying she would particularly like the second song in the album. Confused, she put it in a CD player and listened to it. Immediately, she was hooked. It was a powerful, energy-pumping song, and even though she didn't understand the words at first, she loved it. Eventually, she got around to using an English-Japanese dictionary that Basophil lent her (because, of course Basophil would have such a thing) to understand the words. She knew the entire song by heart now.
Still, it was nerve-wracking for her to actually try and sing it out loud, in front of her friends! Her finger hovered over the screen, about to select the song, when she turned back to her friends.
"Um, please don't judge my song choice too hard," she asked in a small voice.
"Whatever you pick literally could not be any weirder than what 4989 and 2626 sang," 2048 pointed out.
Eosinophil gulped, nodded, and selected the song quickly. If she hesitated any longer, she might have backed out.
The music began to play. An intro from electric guitars set the feel of the music, punctuated with what sounded like chorus of men shouting as they heaved heavy objects. In English, the song's title scrolled past at the top of the screen: Powersnake.
When she had looked up the words, Eosinophil realized that the reason Basophil gave her the song to listen to was because it reminded him of her battles against parasites.
Eosinophil kept her eyes glued to the screen, not daring to look at her friends. The four dots counted down to the start.
Three dots.
Two.
One…
"Deep beneath the surface
Lurks a mighty beast,
A reptile of the ocean,
A viper unleashed!
This creature is enormous,
With fangs as tall as trees,
The wretched spawn of Loki
That was banished to the seas!"
Eosinophil felt her voice growing stronger and stronger the more she sang. Even though her friends were watching her, she felt confidence blossom in her chest. Even though she wasn't completely used to the English pronunciation, turning the "TH" sound into an "S" and mixing the "L" and "R" sounds so that "the wretched spawn of Loki" became "the letched spawn of Roki," she ignored it and continued to sing on. She wasn't looking, but her neutrophil friends were amazed that Eosinophil, ordinarily such a quiet girl, could have so much power in her voice. As the chorus came on the screen, all her anxieties melted away, and she sang with everything she had.
"Powersnake!
You will fade under the shadow of the
Powersnake!
The wingless dragon
Storm-fiend!
Rival of the Thunder God,
Stronger than all!
POWERSNAKE!"
Eosinophil sang the next verse, describing the awesome size of the legendary beast, and even listing its names. he neutrophils didn't understand, but they still felt the power in the music.
All too soon, she came to the final chorus.
"Eyes
Glowing red in the dark on the ocean floor,
Mighty serpent
Roaring in the deep
He's a beast that devours all.
And the serpent awakes!
Powersnake!
You will fade under the shadow of the
Powersnake!
The wingless dragon
Storm-fiend!
Rival of the Thunder God,
Stronger than all!
POWERSNAAAAAKE!"
Eosinophil held the final note for as long as she could, and stopped as the music ended. She panted, slightly out of breath from that final note. She turned around slowly to look at her neutrophil friends.
They were looking back at her in awe, all four with their mouths open. Then, they all started to clap and cheer.
Eosinophil felt her face grow hot. "W-what?"
"Eosinophil, that was amazing!" said 1146.
"I had no idea you were that good at singing!" said 2626.
"Your voice is so good!" cried 4989.
Eosinophil gulped. She was worried that her friends would think it was weird that she picked the song that she did, or that her voice wouldn't be strong enough, or her accent too thick. This was the opposite of what she expected. However, as much as she didn't want to be teased by her friends, she really, really had no idea how to cope with praise.
"Um, th-thank you, guys," she said, growing redder by the second.
"You really are a great singer, Eosinophil!" 1146 said.
"Seriously, Eo-chan, that was so awesome it made my mitochondria race!" said 4989.
Eosinophil rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, it's nothing Really, you don't have to say that…"
"That was a really great song choice, how'd you find it?" asked 2048.
"Um, Basophil gave me a CD with this song on it."
"I didn't expect Basophil to enjoy this kind of music," 2626 chimed in. "To be honest, I didn't expect it from you either, but that was awesome! You're a natural!"
Eosinophil tugged on the bill of her cap. "Guys, really, don't make such a fuss…"
"But we like making a fuss, Eo-chan!" said 4989. He got up off the couch an placed a hand on Eosinophil's head, adjusting her hat so that her eyes were visible. "You're like family to us, after all!"
"Guys…" Eosinophil felt her eyes brim with tears. "Stop, now I feel stupid!"
Immediately, 4989 wrapped her in a tight hug. "Nope! Our little sis doesn't get to feel stupid, because she's awesome! Right guys?"
Eosinophil felt three more pairs of arms wrap around herself and 4989 as the entire squad entered the group hug.
"Right," the other three echoed.
Eosinophil chuckled and freed an arm so that she could wipe the tears off her face. What did she ever do to deserve such good friends? Big brothers who looked out for her and cheered her up when she was down? She wrapped her free arm around 4989 and 1146, the closest neutrophils to that side.
"I love you guys," said Eosinophil.
"We love you too, Eo-chan."
"2626, get your hand away from there!" said 2048.
"Sorry!"
"Anyone else wanna sing anymore?" asked 1146.
The group hug dissolved, and Eosinophil sat back down on the couch, feeling as light as a feather. She wiped another tear off her face, smiling as 2626 went up to select a song of his own.
It was easier to not get wrapped up in her own anxieties with such good friends.
I really love my family, she thought to herself with a smile.
Author's Note:
I wrote this after my story Destination: Intoxication, in which the body gets drunk and the erythrocytes sing karaoke. I thought it might be nice to have some more karaoke fun, so here you go!
My friend Mira Avis, another fanfic author here, actually prompted this story when she told me that Powersnake reminds her of Eosinophil! Thanks for the inspiration, Mira!
Please enjoy!
I got the Japanese Romanizations from Anime Lyrics dot com.
Songs are (in order of appearance):
小苹果 (Xiǎopíngguǒ, "Little Apple") by 筷子兄弟 (The Chopstick Brothers)
裏切りの夕焼け (Uragiri no Yuuyake, "Treacherous Sunset") by THEATRE BROOK
Lemon by Kenshi Yonezu
Powersnake by Brothers of Metal