Chapter Twenty-two: Warm Deductions

As the snowcapped roof of the small cabin glistened from the misty daylight, two beings within engaged in one of their favorite pastimes.

Joy and Moreau enjoyed a fair amount of time of Go Fish. Originally, they were going to play it after the party games, but Moreau suggested it. Joy suspected that he just wanted to sneak a piece of their birthday cake that was atop the table, still under the big bowl. And by her friend's spying eyes on the concealed baked good, she was right. So, Joy had prepared some wheat crackers with peanut butter and marmalade preserves to tidy her friend's big appetite while they played their rounds.

In front of the backdoor of the lodge and scratching a bare scalp, the fish-man stood confused as the young woman pinned four pieces of paper together onto the back entry. Each had a part of some kind of drawn shape and when the little sheets were fully connected, they formed a hoofed animal.

"Is... is that a horse?"

"It's supposed ta be a donkey," replied Joy, moving a step back. "I hope I penciled it dark enough ta make out okay."

Moreau went closer. And after marveling at the simple, dedicated artwork, he hummed approvingly.

"Oh, oh! Now I see it. Joy can draw really good!"

His friend made a proud beam. "Thanks! I loved art class and lots'a times, I stayed after school for private lessons. I like drawing but I really like painting."

Moreau nodded quietly. His big bossy sister seemed to have liked paintings, too. Whenever his family had meetings in her castle, he often wondered if she created any of them herself, seeing that there were some canvases almost as lofty as she was.

Moreau discerned the illustrated equine; his raking murky white sights stopped at its hindquarters.

"Uhhh, Joy?" Why does the donkey have an 'X' instead of a tail?"

The woman's rosy lips contoured into a playful grin. "Dat's 'cause we're gonna play Pin the Tail on the Donkey."

She beckoned her friend to shadow her to the kitchen. On the square tabletop, she picked up a small strip of aluminum foil with an attached metal thumbtack on one corner.

"I got da idea for da tails after we decorated our lodge. It's why I needed da tinfoil box again..." She made a small smile. "Thanks for letting me still use it, Mo."

The fish-man nodded. He knew that Joy had sensed his worry. After she'd cut her thumb on the sharp rim of the foil's box, he fully studied her little digit to make sure the tiny wound coagulated.

"Of course. Mo trusts Joy."

The woman's cheeks elevated from her beam.

"And Joy trusts Mo."

Blinking happily, the best friends refocused on the little shiny strip.

"So dis is da donkey's tail." Joy began. "Ya win da game when da first gets da tail on da 'X' or gets da closest ta it."

Slightly, Moreau canted his head. "It?"

"A'hem... y'know... where a donkey's tail should ummm... be..."

The fish-man saw the young woman's face reddening and an impish grin slowly spread to his misshaped ears.

"Hmm-hmm... So..," he chuckled deeply, "shouldn't the game be called... Pin the tail... on the Ass?"

"Oh my goodness!" Joy squeaked, covering her mouth with both palms.

Moreau moved his hands from his ashen lips and stopped quivering from his snickers. Somewhat.

"I'm s-sorry, Joy! I had to as- ask! He-hee-hee!"

His friend's shock turned mirthful as she returned his smirk, slowly swaying her head from side to side.

"Dat was so naughty, Mo! But... Tee-hee-hee, it was pretty funny!"

Joy tapped her lower lip. "I read a book called Aesop Fables. I always thought it was weird whenever da stories called da donkeys..." A snort escaped amid the titters. "...'butts'."

Clearing her throat, she laid the tinfoil tail next to five others. On the right and across from those, were six longer ones. And besides those, were three white dishtowels tied together which caught Moreau's curiosity.

"Why have the towels been knotteded, Joy?"

Joy winked. "You'll see!" Her small hand indicated to the foil slivers. "Da wittle tails on da left are mine... And da bigger tails are yours. Dis way, we'll be able ta tell who got der tail pinned-"

"On the butt!" Moreau blurted out. "Or on the as-!"

"AS I was saying!" laughed the clean-spoken woman. "Da tails are different sizes so we'll know who pins da tail on da donkey! And like I said, whoever gets da closest or on da spot where da tail's supposed ta be, wins da game."

Rubbing a lowered left hand, Joy slanted her head at her grinning friend. "Did... Did I e'splain it okay? Does it sound easy peasy?"

"Hmm-hmm! Yes, yes, Joy."

"Oh good! Thank you, Mo."

"Joy... is m-most wel-welcome..."

Moreau kept giggling. "J-Joy?"

"What?"

The fish-man snorted noisily, putting his knuckles to his globular chin.

"...Donkey butt!"

The woman sputtered, putting her hand over her mouth but quickly relented, allowing the laughs and tiny snorts to flee out of a straight yet crinkling, small nose.

Tee-hee-hee! Mo! S-Stop it! Tee-hee! Or we're never gonna get ta play dis!"

Moreau bowed his head in agreement and calmed his sniggers. He just couldn't resist amusing his friend.

"Would Mo like ta go first?"

Moreau nodded again and accepted one of the longer strips. For once, he comprehended the rules of a game straight away. It seemed so simple. It had to be his super smart precious person making him smarter!

Standing a few meters away, Moreau fronted the backdoor and squinted his sights at the tacked drawing. He lifted a right hand with the dandling silver tail.

"This is going to be easy peasy! Huh-ha!"

The fish-man readied to take a step forth, however, Joy softly held his arm.

"Don't worry! Dis'll make it trickier and much more fun!"

"Huh?"

Before Moreau could blink twice, a makeshift blindfold was softly wrapped over his eyes.

"I was saving dis part as a surprise," Joy admitted as she looped and tied the dishtowels.

Once she was certain that the little knot was secure, she hopped and faced her puzzled friend.

"How many fingers am I holding up, Mo?"

The fish-man blindly looked around to and fro. "Uhhhhh... Why did Joy ask Mo that? ...I... can't see anything."

The young woman clapped her hands together. "Good! Dat means da blindfold is just right for our game!"

"Oookay... I still don't know how not seeing the game... will help me play the game."

Joy held his free hand, pearly whites in unseen display.

"You'll see!" was the cheery, repeated reply.

"Uhhh... But how can I see, if I can't see?"

"Tee-hee-hee! Don't worry! I mean you'll learn why it's needed ta make da game fun."

Moreau smiled. Not just by his friend's assurance, but because their palms and fingers were coupled.

"I'm gonna turn ya around three times, so ya don't remember where da tee-hee... donkey butt is."

"He-he-hee... butt."

The woman made a merry bounce in the air. "Is Mo ready?"

The fish-man's misaligned overbite sported an excited grin. Joy was right. This did sound like fun! And this Pin the Tail on the Donkey sounded like a tough challenge that he could actually do!

"Yes, yes! Mo is ready!"

Still holding her friend's finned hand, Joy guided him in a small circle. She made the motion leisurely as she didn't wish for him to strain himself or get dizzy. She knew personally that becoming light-headed would erase any entertainment instantly.

After the third spin, the woman skipped back, allowing Moreau some space. He put both arms in front of himself and began to waddle forward... all while having not a single clue on his direction.

Joy restrained her giggles as Moreau made his way to the kitchen table which was the exact opposite location of the donkey. He grunted, widely swirling. Fortunately, the shaken lamp on the table was not lit since the windows were bright with cloudy daylight.

Moreau walked again and he somehow sidestepped into the wooden clothesline. He was quite bewildered. How in the world did his spooky little sister get around with that black handkerchief thing over her face?!

Moreau shuffled some more again and stopped when he felt the off-grid sink. At least he was still in the kitchen...

Then, the fish-man's hazy senses partially dispersed. If he could recognize what the items were that he touched, then he could figure out how to head to the backdoor with the targeted hindquarters!

I'm so smart! Moreau paused, sniggering to himself. Butt...

He moved onward, poking the air with the tacked tail. Joy giggled as he tried pinning the wall. She skipped backward into the eatery so she wouldn't be mistaken for her drawing.

Concentrating as much as he could, Moreau slowly kept going. He passed the big slide-in door of the food pantry, therefore, he had to be almost there. And when his bumpy hand groped onto a hard rectangle, he heard Joy gasp.

This was the wooden bar for the backdoor, for sure!

Moreau patted upwards until the old door made crinkly sounds. His grin widened.

It's the papers!

Following a minute of feeling around, with an emerging pale tongue, the fish-man pushed the tiny tack in.

"How did I do?"

When he didn't hear a response from the observing woman, he took several paces back.

"That bad, huh?"

"Oh... my... goodness, Mo!" squealed Joy, now standing by the door. "Lookit!"

"I know..," he breathed dejectedly, pulling up his blindfold. "I'll do better... next time?"

Moreau's profound jaw slacked open. His sightless deduction was on the mark; his donkey tail was almost perfectly placed. It was no more than a millimeter away from the 'X'!

Bouncing, Joy applauded loudly. "You're a natural at dis game, Mo!"

"I am? I... did it?"

"Uh-huh! Ya sure did! Great job!"

Moreau's eye-lines crinkled more so from full-on sheer pride.

"Dat's super-duper hard ta do on da first try," mentioned the woman, motioning to her friend for the blindfold. "It's gonna be really hard ta beat!"

Returning to the kitchen, Moreau handed over the tied dishtowels. Joy prepared to sheath her closed eyes.

"I did it!" shouted Moreau, pumping the air. "I nailed the ass!"

With a gasp, the woman dropped the towels and hid her mouth at the same time as Moreau. All the unblinking pair could do was gawk at one another in startled silence.

Then, after a few snickers and sputters, bursts of raw laughter, hitched with more snorts erupted in the kitchen like overzealous piglets. Quavering, the fish-man hunched even more so, gripping his bulbous belly as Joy held onto a kitchen chair. However, the laughing woman leaned in more than expected, and the tall furniture tilted to the floor, along with her.

"Oh! Oh, is, is Joy all right?!" yelped Moreau, shuffling to his fallen friend.

"I'm alright, Mo," she grunted, blotting her teary eyes. "I landed on my..."

"..." "..."

The dual bellowed in utter hysterics again.

What they were chortling over was rather puerile. But sometimes, just saying something naughty and silly made it even sillier. And as always, for the once ridiculed fish-man, it was great having someone to laugh with him.

"A... A bird?" queried Moreau, sitting forward on the couch, watching the small woman flap her arms without producing a single noise.

Presently, they were partaking in a game that was referred to as Charades. Joy said usually there'd be a timer and points to count for the fastest deduction. But Joy recommended just to guess... for just the thrill of guessing.

She made a stern nod and waved her hand at herself, repetitively, causing Moreau to scratch his globular chin.

"A... A... windmill?"

Mutely, Joy shook her head. She flittered her hand faster while puffing out air. Her furrowing friend squinted his sights in slow but deep concentration.

"Uhhhhh... a fan? The bird is a fan..? Oh! The, the bird is a Strum?!"

The woman froze with a tilt of the head and arched eyebrows at the strange deduction. She swayed her head again. Sticking out a pink tongue, she wiped her small brow.

"Uhhh... the bird is the sun?" asked the conjecturing fish-man. "...The bird's melting from the sun!"

Joy responded with another head shake. Signaling to herself, she performed the same actions.

"Joy's melting from the sun?"

His friend smiled and waved her clamped hands inwards for him to go on. Moreau rose to his feet, shaking his fists with excitement.

"Joy melted! No! Joy is hot from the sun!"

Bobbing her head, Joy lay herself, stomach down on the wooden flooring, followed by long strokes with her arms and legs.

"Joy, Joy is swimming in the reservoir!"

The young woman scrunched her lips, not sure what the heck a reservoir was. Regardless, it wasn't the word she wanted.

Joy picked herself up from the pine panels and resumed the motions of the soaring bird and fanning herself, then went back to lying on the floor, waving all four limbs consecutively.

"Uhhhhh..!" drawled Moreau, "...Joy is swimming because, because it's very hot!"

She bobbed her head over and over.

"Because it's summertime!"

Grinning, Joy's nods grew quicker.

"It's summertime and, and..! Joy is swimming and there's lots of birds... and lots and lots of water..!"

The shore-loving fish-man halted his mini marching, managing a half jump.

"Seagulls! Joy is swimming at the beach!"

"That's right!" the young woman cheered with a hop. "Good job, Mo! You're getting great at dis!"

Flushed, Moreau beamed brightly. Whenever Joy gave him praise, it always made him feel like he was at his best!

"He-hee-hee! Now it's Joy's turn to guess!"

Moreau toddled over, taking his friend's spot in the center of the living area and she decided to recline in the big rocking chair. Moreau yearned to contently swing while indulging in a good storybook, but of course, his back would not allow it. Nevertheless, he was quite contented with Joy being able to make use of it.

With tapered eyelids, the contemplating fish-man droned; deciding on what title or thing he could pretend to be. The last few tries, Moreau acted as a single animal and Joy always got them right away, hence, it wasn't fun for very long. He needed to be clever like his precious person. And after a few more hums and jaw-tapping, he gasped with a toothy, gleeful grin.

Oh, I know what I'm going to do!

Moreau held up a fist and with it, created a familiar shape.

"A bunny!" Joy giggled.

Moreau bobbed his head and lifted his webbed hand, pulling in his first finger with a clawed thumb out.

"A bunny and a puppy!"

Her friend nodded a yes for her hopeful affirmation. He then proceeded to move his hands around.

Holding onto the armrests of the rocking chair, Joy began swaying back and forth as she pondered.

"Umm... Da puppy is chasing da bunny!"

Soundlessly, Moreau smiled broader and rotated his hands for her to continue.

"Huh?" peeped the befuddled woman, flittering her lashes. "Ummm... da bunny is chasing da puppy? Dey're playing tag?"

Moreau continued. He lifted his hands slightly higher than his face.

Joy placed a finger on her bottom lip. "Da bunny and puppy can fly?"

Moreau shook his head and kept his molded hands near his creased forehead. Growing excited, the woman rocked her chair with more gusto with her wiggling sock-covered feet dangling.

"Da bunny and puppy are climbing hills?! Dey're in an elevator?! Dey're playing tag in da clouds?!"

The fish-man halted his arms, chuckling at the last deduction. He pointed an index digit to her, to himself, to the roof, then, placed his thumbs together with waving fingers...

With a huge and wide smile, Joy clapped.

"Our butterfly! I got it now! It's us playing shadow puppets!"

Nodding gaily, Moreau put his hands together, as well.

"Yes, Joy's correct! Good- OH!"

His friend had gotten so enthusiastic with their game, the rocker was literally in full swing and she was unceremoniously flung forward.

At a speed of which he didn't know that his bloated body was capable, Moreau lurched forward, latching under her arms before she fell onto the floor panels. The alarmed woman's breath hitched as she clung to her supporting friend's leather sleeves.

"Is-is Joy h-hurt?!" he puffed heavily.

"I'm... I'm okay, Mo." Joy straightened her buckled legs. "Tee-hee... I'm sorry, I shouda kept my hands on da chair's arms."

"Don't worry. ...I'm glad Joy's okay."

"Uh-huh... me, too. I woulda been a flipped pancake if it wasn't for my bestie. Thank you, Mo."

Relaxing, the fish-man beheld his view. Being so close to the round and fair face of his precious person without her flinching an inch from his grotesqueness would always be a dang miracle...

A dang, beautiful miracle.

"Joy is most welcome."

The woman's smile faltered. "Oh! Your back, is it alright?"

Her friend gave her a reassuring nod. "Joy is... light as a feather."

Joy's happiness returned to her soft features.

"Oh, dat's good. I wouldn't want ya ta get a backache on your birthday."

"Hmm-mm, Mo wouldn't want that, either."

With tinted cheeks, the pair beamed with their limbs still fastened. Emitting a coy titter, Joy squeezed his arm, relenting her gentle grip.

"So, um... is Mo ready for a new game?"

"Yes, please, please!" replied Moreau, lacing his thin fingers pleadingly.

"Alright! Next is Hot Potato. We'll need da egg timer and 'cause we don't got any real potatoes, we can use a pair'a rolled up socks ta be da tossed potato."

Moreau bobbed his head readily, although, he hadn't a notion of what that all meant. And as he admired his best friend joyously retrieving the mentioned items, with a low groan, the fish-man cautiously rotated his malformed shoulders.

His back had indeed, felt a harsh wrench when he saved his precious person. However, Moreau cast his backache aside. For his fluttering heart outweighed his pangs tenfold by beholding that warm smile...

That warm, beautiful smile.