Post by Jas on Dec 18, 2009 19:32:41 GMT -5
I WROTE SOMETHING! 
And surprisingly enough, the world didn't come to an end, much as I had expected it to do.
And thank you Sadie for suconsciously giving me the idea XD
It was an idea I got and I had to let it out somehow and I didn't feel like I could do it very clearly through a picture, so I decided I'd try writing instead. The idea might come across a bit better that way X3
Anyhoo, I cannot write very well, English is not my mother language, so you'll probably find a lot of grammar mistakes and all that, but I still hope you'll manage to enjoy it somewhat XD;
I really would have loved to include more people's characters in this, but I don't have the skills to come up with a creative idea to do so. And the story is so short and plotless that it probably would've felt too crowded as well ^^'
But I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless! X3
And sorry for the lame title and the lame ending XD; Endings have always been my weak point ever since I attempted to write something.
Anyhoo, enough chattering! X3 Here goes!
“Stupid lunk head…”
Stomping through the hall she went, her long, dark green hair whipping out behind her as she strode, her paces hefty and violent. Her teeth were grit, her jaw was set, and her orange eyes were narrowed, blazing with fury. Watch out, here came Tala Ganmade. And she was not happy.
Hardly realizing where she was going, Tala rounded a corner and entered a door at random, not really caring where she was headed anyway, as long as it was very far away from there.
“Here comes a bright ray of sunshine.”
A familiar voice made the girl startle out of her angry daze and she looked up in surprise, looking straight into a pair of eyes that matched her own, except that they were blue. Blinking a few times, Tala glanced around and realized she’d walked straight into their Sector’s kitchen. At the end of the table sat her brother. His hands were limply held out in front of him, pointing towards a glowing red potato, which was peeling itself with the use of Etoile’s telekinetic force.
“Hi, Tala!”
A happy voice spoke up, which made Tala turn her head further down the table. Standing upon it was Nebulos, who was elbow deep in a ginormous cooking pot, apparently in charge of washing the potatoes Etoile dropped in. He flashed her a bright smile, his antennae and face beaming. Normally, his smiles had the tendency to be contagious, but today was no such day, as Tala’s mouth barely made a twitch when she made an attempt to return the smile.
“What’s the matter?”
Sitting opposite Etoile was a third person. Her dazzling, rainbow coloured hair was tied up in a neat ponytail and she wore a colourful apron, which was decorated with elegant swirls and sparkly, gold lace trimming. Niji, was too peeling potatoes, though she required the use of a kitchen knife to do so. She smiled kindly at the younger girl, her face gentle and inquiring.
Tala merely shrugged and used her telekinetic powers to carry herself to a chair opposite the trio.
“Nothing,” she grunted, dropping herself into the modern seat. Her face still grumpy, she rested her chin on the table top, which made her frown deepen even more, her arms hanging limply beside her.
“Well, if it’s nothing,” Etoile said, his red curls bouncing off his shoulders as he turned to face his sister, “You might as well help us out.” With that, he flicked his left hand and the potato he’d been peeling suddenly jerked out of its position and soared straight for the moping girl.
“Hey!” she cried, pulling her head off the table, “No way, flashlight, I had kitchen duty last time!” She whipped her hand in the air fast enough to parry her brother’s attack with a telekinetic blast of her own and the incoming spud changed from red to green. Almost immediately, it altered course and raced back to its original aggressor.
Etoile, seeing the assault coming, quickly dodged the projectile, which soared past him and went straight into the cooking pot. The potato landed in there with a loud, wet ‘CLUNK’, making the water inside it splash across the edges, soaking the little alien who’d been dutifully washing them.
“Hey!” he called out in surprise, his antennae flashing in alarm as the fluid hit him right in the face, drenching his clothes and hair. Tala’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping into an ‘o’. She blinked, and a second later, her face folded itself back into a frown, the idea of having almost drowned the innocent little creature certainly not helping to lift her spirits, but adding the extra weight of guilt instead.
“Sorry...” she muttered, glancing at the table’s surface guiltily and resting her chin on top of it once more, “I didn’t mean to do that...”
“It’s alright!” the Luminarian teen chirped, a smile gracing his blue face already while his sopping white bangs covered his eyes from those around him. A full-hearted laugh was soon to follow, as he considered the situation quite humorous already. Tala looked over at him and wondered why not everyone could smile as easy like that.
“So, what is the matter then?” Etoile inquired, while using his psychic force to help Nebulos dry himself by shifting the water off his hair. He glanced over at his sister, the brotherly concern showing very clearly in his bright cyan eyes.
Tala, knowing well enough that she could hardly hide her feelings from her older brother, huffed and shrugged. “Nothing...” she repeated.
As she said this, her frown deepened and her orange eyes caught fire again, glaring at someone who wasn’t there.
“That’s exactly the problem, isn’t it!” she suddenly cried out, straightening up and slamming her fist on the table, startling the other three aliens. “Nothing’s ever the matter! It’s always nothing! How can someone be like that, seriously?!”
If looks could kill, the poor cooking pot Tala was glowering at surely would have had it. Surprised, Nebulos wiped the wet hair out of his face, trying to get a better look at the incensed girl. Niji, who’d been assisting Nebulos by trying to dry his face with a napkin, looked over too, her eyebrows raised in light confusion. Etoile, being more used to his sister’s antics than the other two were, frowned a bit, seeming concerned.
Tala averted her gaze from the pot and scrunched up her nose, annoyed. “I swear...” she said, eyes narrowed still, “He’s such a... a...” she ensued by saying something in a language neither Nebulos or Niji could understand, but which made Etoile jerk his head over at her and say “Tala!”
“Alright! Alright! I’m sorry! Now don’t you start, too.” she retorted with a snort, resting her head back on the table. Apparently she’d said something rather offensive, judging from her brother’s reprimanding look. “He’s still a fuzz-butt anyway!”
“I take it by your unblemished description, you are referring to my employee?” Niji said, picking up the knife and proceeding to skin the potatoes. Her expression was stern, but her tone of voice revealed she was only pretending to be.
“Unless there’s someone else who fits that picture.” Tala responded grumpily, which got a laugh out of the colourful teenage girl.
“I should’ve guessed...” Etoile said, raising his eyebrows while he fished his half-peeled potato out of the cooking pot.
Nebulos, looking a bit more dehydrated than before, also continued with his chore. “What’s he done now?” he inquired, putting his hands back in the water.
“Nothing!” Tala exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air to emphasize her frustration. “That’s exactly the problem! He doesn’t smile, he doesn’t cry, he hardly even gets angry! Not anything! Does he seriously never smile?” she added, turning to Niji, looking almost desperate.
“Hmm...” Niji lifted her gaze to the ceiling, looking thoughtful as she continued to strip the potatoes, their peel coming off in an elegant swirl, “Well, I think the times you and I did see it happen, can be counted on one hand.” She looked over at the green-haired girl, an amused smile making her different-coloured eyes squint.
Frustrated, Tala fell back into her chair, uttering and ‘ugh!’. She glared to the side for a minute while the others continued their cooking, before she spoke up again. “You can’t even argue with this guy! Talking to him is like bouncing off a solid wall, which you have to drill through first.” She squeezed one eye shut, stuck out her tongue and motioned about with her hands, impersonating someone drilling. Nebulos laughed at the impression and so did the two others.
“What’s made you this upset then?” Etoile asked, plunging his skinned spud into the pot, his voice patient and calm, and very brotherly.
Thinking back to the event that had occurred not long ago, Tala rolled her eyes and grunted. “I was simply telling him a joke! It was a great one, too! I was sure this one was going to do it!” She folded her arms aggressively, obviously signifying that whatever she’d told hadn’t done it. “So I tell him and then he goes off being all like ‘I don’t get it.’” She crossed her eyes and lowered her voice mockingly in order to do an impersonation of the alien she was referring to, which made Nebulos giggle once again. “What’s not to get?? Really! The things you have to go through to make this dude crack one measly smile! I don’t know why I even bother!”
She grit her teeth and shot the table a dirty look, as if it had called her a bad name.
There was a short silence, which was only disturbed by the scraping of Niji’s knife and the splashing of water in the pot.
“...Which joke was it?” Etoile informed kindly, glancing over at his sister for a brief second, before focusing back on the self-peeling vegetable in front of him. He sounded a bit unsure, as if there was a slight possibility the joke she was talking about was rightfully considered not funny.
Knowing well enough what her brother meant, Tala shot him a short glare too, but she was quick to respond, apparently convinced that she was right about the whole thing. “It was the one about the Telarian and the satellite dish,” she said, holding out her arms as if this answer just stated the very obvious and indicating there was no room to argue.
Etoile looked up and stared at the ceiling, his eyes squint thoughtfully. Then, a few seconds later, a wide smile spread across his face. “Oh yeah!” he said, turning back to his potato while chuckling merrily. “Yeah, that is a good one.”
“HA! You see?” Tala called out, heaving a hand in the air triumphantly. “And he said he didn’t get it! Honestly...” she muttered, crossing her arms again. “Some people are just born without no sense of humour at all.”
“It’s a good one?” Nebulos said, lifting his arms from the pot, leaving them dripping. “I haven’t heard it yet! Could you tell me, please?” A broad smile had already spread across his blue features, his face looking as luminescent as his antennae, clearly excited and the thought of a joke he didn’t know yet.
“I don’t think I’ve heard that one either.” Niji declared, looking over at the yellow girl, smiling kindly.
The idea of retelling the joke seemed to lift Tala’s spirits a little. A smile appeared on her face and her long, snake-like tail flicked from side to side as she leaned forward on the table eagerly. “Alright!” she said, putting one hand on the wooden surface. Etoile smiled as well, seeming amused at his sister’s reaction, but didn’t comment on it and continued his work while he listened.
“It really is a good one,” Tala promised, wiggling her eyebrows in anticipation. She leaned across the table even further, almost looking as if she was about to unfold some kind of conspiracy. “You see,” she began, “One day, there was this Telarian boy, who was walking down the road. He was happily minding his own business, when suddenly this other guy shows up and—“
“Kid?”
A deep, hoarse voice called out, coming from outside the door and down the corridor. Hearing this, Tala’s face visibly darkened and her eyes narrowed dangerously. Her lips were pursed onto each other tightly, her mouth merely a straight line. Clenching her fists, the girl leaned back into her chair, her burning gaze glued onto the opposite wall.
Not very long after that, a dark figure appeared inside the doorway. His bright green eyes scanned the room at a fast rate and they came to rest upon Tala’s back, which was facing his way. As usual, the look on boy’s face revealed no emotion whatsoever, his thoughts stored securely inside his thick mind.
“Hi, Masurao!” Nebulos said, waving a hand at the guard, who looked over when being addressed. Not really expecting one in return, the little creature smiled up at the taller one, before returning to his washing. Etoile also raised a hand, waving limply, not feeling very much at ease due the bodyguard’s rather frosty presence. After a few seconds, Masurao acknowledged both boys’ greetings with a curt nod. Shifting his gaze away from them, a change occurred in the Egriadanian’s usual expressionless face, which happened as soon as he spotted another person in the room.
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he now became aware of Niji sitting at the other end of the table, who was still busying herself peeling the vegetables serenely.
“Princess Niji,” he said, looking slightly bewildered. He blinked his eyes a few times, as if he was trying to register her presence. Niji turned to face him, her own eyebrows also raised, though inquiringly. “…They’re making you do kitchen duty?” the wolf-like boy said, lifting one brow. His stern gaze now shot over to Nebulos and Etoile, eyes narrowing almost accusingly, as if he could already imagine how they had forcefully dragged Niji from the safe confines of her room, ignoring her pleas for mercy and demanding she’d prepare food for them.
Simultaneously, Nebulos and Etoile looked up at Masurao, their own eyes widening when seeing the guard’s face. They glanced at one another apprehensively, clearly very perplexed by the green glare they were receiving. Looking back, they saw Masurao still hadn’t looked away and they both seemed to shrink back into their chairs, except for Nebulos, who was actually standing up, but looking quite unnerved and confused all the same. Why was it that it always felt like they were doing something they weren’t supposed to every time this boy stared at them, his eyes freakishly not needing to blink when he did?
“No one’s made me do anything,” Niji said, jumping in to rescue her friends from Masurao’s cold stare. The bodyguard turned away from the two boys, who both sighed audibly in relief. Patient and calm, Niji continued her chore, plunging a peeled potato into the water. Obviously, she was rather used to Masurao’s behaviour, and was hardly fazed by it anymore. “I signed up for kitchen duty myself. It’s not because my father happens to be a king that I don’t have to work around this place. We’re all part of the same team,” she explained unwearyingly, her eyes not leaving her work.
Masurao went silent after his princess’ explanation, apparently considering if what she said made any sense. It seemed it did, as the reserved guard didn’t make any remarks, which probably would’ve startled everyone anyway, seeing he couldn’t possibly disagree with one of Niji’s ideas.
“Is there anything you wanted, Masurao?” Niji enquired kindly, starting to scrape the peel off a new spud.
The addressed boy didn’t respond immediately. He stared out in front of him for a minute, then threw a quick glance at Tala, who hadn’t said a word so far, but continued to burn holes in the wall. Masurao looked the other way again, frowning slightly, apparently unsure of what to do next.
Niji, having been observant from the corner of her eye, had been able to catch the fleeting look. This being all she needed to understand, she managed to suppress a giggle and she gently put down her knife and half-stripped potato. “Perhaps it’d be better if we—“
“Oh, please, Princess Niji!” Tala spoke up suddenly, her voice loud but her tone unusually airy and light. She no doubt used this title to address the colourful girl because someone else in the room always used it. That someone else seemed to notice and lifted an eyebrow.
“Please, don’t leave on my behalf,” she continued, making an spacious wave with her hand. “I don’t see any reason why you should either.” With that she shot the wolf-like boy behind her a short, but heated glare. She whipped her head around again, her long curly braid lashing out behind her as she did, and continued to glower at the wall. The guard, having caught the girl’s leer full in the face, made some kind of throat-noise and his eye twitched slightly.
A silence fell, which made the three aliens on kitchen duty feel a little awkward. They exchanged glances, before meekly looking back at the two others, who had their eyes attached firmly onto the opposite wall, both stubbornly quiet.
After a few moments, Etoile cleared his throat uncomfortably and turned back to his half-peeled spud, making it lift from the surface by using his telekinesis. The other two aliens quickly followed his example and resumed work as well, apparently glad to have an excuse to look away from the unnerving duo.
Silent minutes passed and Tala’s lips were squeezed together so firmly that the edges around her mouth had been drained of all colour. But she still refused to say absolutely anything as she sat there, her arms crossed forcefully, as if she was waiting for something.
After another few moments of quiet, something seemed to happen, though it was hardly perceptible at first. Masurao’s face started to twitch lightly and his eyebrows furrowed together. He tore his gaze from the wall, glancing to the right instead. He narrowed his eyes again, his face suddenly becoming extraordinarily animated. He didn’t look exactly pleased. As if he was about to do something he’d rather not do. Like eating something extremely sour. The guard shifted his eyes away and placed it on the wall in front of him again. His left eye was slightly squinted and his mouth twitched. Then, suddenly, completely out of the blue and as unenthusiastically as anyone possibly could, he said: “Ring ring.”
In chorus, Etoile, Nebulos and Niji looked up. Their mouths dropped, the looks on their faces completely and utterly bemused as they froze in the midst of their actions. Masurao, the skin beneath his thick fur tinting slightly pink, was very determined not to look at anyone in the room and kept his gaze glued firmly onto the wall, his expression glum.
The three aliens continued to gaze up at him, mouths hanging still, looking at the guard as if he’d suddenly lost his mind. Which, by the current looks of it, he obviously had. The senseless, ludicrous words clashed with Masurao’s character so much it would cause a spontaneous fit of laughter, but the three aliens were so stunned at this surreal scene that they seemed to forget.
The only one who seemed to be completely unfazed by it was Tala, who hadn’t moved an inch still. She didn’t even budge slightly, but carried on scowling. Masurao glanced at her for a brief second, scowled a bit himself and stared out in front of him again. He huffed and uttered a soft grunt. “Ring ring!” he spoke up again, much louder this time, annoyance now seeping through his gruff voice.
Etoile, Nebulos and Niji’s mouths fell even further, their eyes widening in utter befuddlement. And what surprised them even more is when Tala suddenly spoke up.
“You have reached Tala Ganmade. Please wait while we try to get your call get through…”
Another few seconds of complete silence followed, silence in which Masurao was still drilling holes in the wall, looking a bit bristled, as if he’d much rather be anywhere else but here. Whatever he was doing, it looked like he would’ve preferred it without an audience.
Niji was the first to get out of her flabbergast state. She averted her gaze and pressed her lips tightly onto one another, casting her gaze down, though her twinkling eyes revealed the suppressed laughter. She managed to disguise a chuckle through a small, odd cough and turned back to her chore, though making sure to bend over her work low enough so that one of her multicoloured bangs hid her face from view. Masurao seemed to notice this and his frown deepened, clearly not very pleased that the princess was here to witness his very un-guard-like presentation.
Nebulos, as well as Etoile, had also shifted his gaze and both boys had returned to their work once again, seeming a bit too interested in skinning their potatoes, as a purple blush on their cheeks revealed their concealed mirth.
“This is Tala Ganmade,” Tala abruptly spoke up after a few seconds. Het voice was dry an monotone as she gave a rather flourishing imitation of an answering machine. “If you are calling to leave a message, press one.” The trio sitting opposite the girl looked up again, their eyes strangely watery. Masurao, on the other hand, uttered another soft grunt and was still having a staring contest with he wall up front.
“If you have no idea why you are calling and you’d like to have the reasons explained, press two. If you are calling because you are an insensitive fuzz-butt with obviously no funny bone in your body whatsoever and you’d like to apologize for it and you think Tala is awesomesauce, press three.” Another grunt. “If you are calling for absolutely no reason at all and you’re just going to continue being that way, please hang up and never dial again!”
After that last option, Tala opened her eyes and shot the guard behind her another dirty look, as if she was daring him to choose the wrong number.
The three aliens on the other side of the room kept staring at the other two, their amused looks now mingled with those of confusion and astonishment. It was such an absurd scene to witness, but –apparently- neither Masurao or Tala seemed to be the least bit startled at what was going on. As if this was just an ordinary thing that happened on a daily basis. Which, come to think of it, might just be the case.
A few more moments of silence passed, moments in which Masurao still glowered at the wall at his side. He threw a quick glance down at the three others, and his hidden, embarrassed blush intensified beneath his thick fur. It seemed that he wasn’t too eager to choose either number, or at least not with a crowd nearby.
More silence.
“Threeeee...” the wolfboy eventually uttered, over-articulating the word and dragging out the last syllable as dispassionate as one could muster. Niji clamped a hand in front of her mouth and turned her head away, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Masurao seemed to notice and looked the other way again, raising an eyebrow to the wall as if it had said something offensive.
More silence.
…
Etoile cleared his throat.
…
And more silence.
His eye twitching in mild irritation, Masurao shifted his gaze from the sidewall to the green-haired girl on the chair. Said girl opened one eye and peeked through it, catching his olive enquiring stare with her orange one. After a minute or two, she closed her eyes again, sitting up straight, her expression unrevealing.
“You didn’t do the dance.”
With a much louder groan and his face now obviously aggravated, the now less-stoic guard turned on his heel that instant and strode out of the room, his slender tail soaring after him.
“Oh, come on! I was just kidding!” Tala cried out, throwing her arms up in the air and floating off her seat and after the hot-tempered teen, all the previous grudge seeming forgotten. “What’s the matter, can’t you take a joke?” she called after him, disappearing out of the doorway as she chased him, her long tail disappearing around the corner. One could almost hear her roll her eyes right after that. “Well, obviously you can’t, but what else is new on the block, right?”
The trio that was left in the kitchen stared at the door through which Masurao and Tala had just disappeared, listening to their voices echoing through the corridor.
“Can I have a piggy-back ride?”
“No.”
“You are so stiff!”
Etoile, Nebulos and Niji, having overcome their initial surprise, now exchanged glances. They refrained from saying anything, each of them returning to their chores. The mere line that their lips formed explained all the things that were left unsaid, and they continued peeling and washing, deciding not to ponder too much about his unusual experience, which they were bound to see happen again another day.
And there you have it!
I hope it was a little alright X3; And I certainly hope I managed to keep everyone into character!
And surprisingly enough, the world didn't come to an end, much as I had expected it to do.
And thank you Sadie for suconsciously giving me the idea XD
It was an idea I got and I had to let it out somehow and I didn't feel like I could do it very clearly through a picture, so I decided I'd try writing instead. The idea might come across a bit better that way X3
Anyhoo, I cannot write very well, English is not my mother language, so you'll probably find a lot of grammar mistakes and all that, but I still hope you'll manage to enjoy it somewhat XD;
I really would have loved to include more people's characters in this, but I don't have the skills to come up with a creative idea to do so. And the story is so short and plotless that it probably would've felt too crowded as well ^^'
But I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless! X3
And sorry for the lame title and the lame ending XD; Endings have always been my weak point ever since I attempted to write something.
Anyhoo, enough chattering! X3 Here goes!
Please Hold
“Stupid lunk head…”
Stomping through the hall she went, her long, dark green hair whipping out behind her as she strode, her paces hefty and violent. Her teeth were grit, her jaw was set, and her orange eyes were narrowed, blazing with fury. Watch out, here came Tala Ganmade. And she was not happy.
Hardly realizing where she was going, Tala rounded a corner and entered a door at random, not really caring where she was headed anyway, as long as it was very far away from there.
“Here comes a bright ray of sunshine.”
A familiar voice made the girl startle out of her angry daze and she looked up in surprise, looking straight into a pair of eyes that matched her own, except that they were blue. Blinking a few times, Tala glanced around and realized she’d walked straight into their Sector’s kitchen. At the end of the table sat her brother. His hands were limply held out in front of him, pointing towards a glowing red potato, which was peeling itself with the use of Etoile’s telekinetic force.
“Hi, Tala!”
A happy voice spoke up, which made Tala turn her head further down the table. Standing upon it was Nebulos, who was elbow deep in a ginormous cooking pot, apparently in charge of washing the potatoes Etoile dropped in. He flashed her a bright smile, his antennae and face beaming. Normally, his smiles had the tendency to be contagious, but today was no such day, as Tala’s mouth barely made a twitch when she made an attempt to return the smile.
“What’s the matter?”
Sitting opposite Etoile was a third person. Her dazzling, rainbow coloured hair was tied up in a neat ponytail and she wore a colourful apron, which was decorated with elegant swirls and sparkly, gold lace trimming. Niji, was too peeling potatoes, though she required the use of a kitchen knife to do so. She smiled kindly at the younger girl, her face gentle and inquiring.
Tala merely shrugged and used her telekinetic powers to carry herself to a chair opposite the trio.
“Nothing,” she grunted, dropping herself into the modern seat. Her face still grumpy, she rested her chin on the table top, which made her frown deepen even more, her arms hanging limply beside her.
“Well, if it’s nothing,” Etoile said, his red curls bouncing off his shoulders as he turned to face his sister, “You might as well help us out.” With that, he flicked his left hand and the potato he’d been peeling suddenly jerked out of its position and soared straight for the moping girl.
“Hey!” she cried, pulling her head off the table, “No way, flashlight, I had kitchen duty last time!” She whipped her hand in the air fast enough to parry her brother’s attack with a telekinetic blast of her own and the incoming spud changed from red to green. Almost immediately, it altered course and raced back to its original aggressor.
Etoile, seeing the assault coming, quickly dodged the projectile, which soared past him and went straight into the cooking pot. The potato landed in there with a loud, wet ‘CLUNK’, making the water inside it splash across the edges, soaking the little alien who’d been dutifully washing them.
“Hey!” he called out in surprise, his antennae flashing in alarm as the fluid hit him right in the face, drenching his clothes and hair. Tala’s eyes widened, her mouth dropping into an ‘o’. She blinked, and a second later, her face folded itself back into a frown, the idea of having almost drowned the innocent little creature certainly not helping to lift her spirits, but adding the extra weight of guilt instead.
“Sorry...” she muttered, glancing at the table’s surface guiltily and resting her chin on top of it once more, “I didn’t mean to do that...”
“It’s alright!” the Luminarian teen chirped, a smile gracing his blue face already while his sopping white bangs covered his eyes from those around him. A full-hearted laugh was soon to follow, as he considered the situation quite humorous already. Tala looked over at him and wondered why not everyone could smile as easy like that.
“So, what is the matter then?” Etoile inquired, while using his psychic force to help Nebulos dry himself by shifting the water off his hair. He glanced over at his sister, the brotherly concern showing very clearly in his bright cyan eyes.
Tala, knowing well enough that she could hardly hide her feelings from her older brother, huffed and shrugged. “Nothing...” she repeated.
As she said this, her frown deepened and her orange eyes caught fire again, glaring at someone who wasn’t there.
“That’s exactly the problem, isn’t it!” she suddenly cried out, straightening up and slamming her fist on the table, startling the other three aliens. “Nothing’s ever the matter! It’s always nothing! How can someone be like that, seriously?!”
If looks could kill, the poor cooking pot Tala was glowering at surely would have had it. Surprised, Nebulos wiped the wet hair out of his face, trying to get a better look at the incensed girl. Niji, who’d been assisting Nebulos by trying to dry his face with a napkin, looked over too, her eyebrows raised in light confusion. Etoile, being more used to his sister’s antics than the other two were, frowned a bit, seeming concerned.
Tala averted her gaze from the pot and scrunched up her nose, annoyed. “I swear...” she said, eyes narrowed still, “He’s such a... a...” she ensued by saying something in a language neither Nebulos or Niji could understand, but which made Etoile jerk his head over at her and say “Tala!”
“Alright! Alright! I’m sorry! Now don’t you start, too.” she retorted with a snort, resting her head back on the table. Apparently she’d said something rather offensive, judging from her brother’s reprimanding look. “He’s still a fuzz-butt anyway!”
“I take it by your unblemished description, you are referring to my employee?” Niji said, picking up the knife and proceeding to skin the potatoes. Her expression was stern, but her tone of voice revealed she was only pretending to be.
“Unless there’s someone else who fits that picture.” Tala responded grumpily, which got a laugh out of the colourful teenage girl.
“I should’ve guessed...” Etoile said, raising his eyebrows while he fished his half-peeled potato out of the cooking pot.
Nebulos, looking a bit more dehydrated than before, also continued with his chore. “What’s he done now?” he inquired, putting his hands back in the water.
“Nothing!” Tala exclaimed, throwing a hand in the air to emphasize her frustration. “That’s exactly the problem! He doesn’t smile, he doesn’t cry, he hardly even gets angry! Not anything! Does he seriously never smile?” she added, turning to Niji, looking almost desperate.
“Hmm...” Niji lifted her gaze to the ceiling, looking thoughtful as she continued to strip the potatoes, their peel coming off in an elegant swirl, “Well, I think the times you and I did see it happen, can be counted on one hand.” She looked over at the green-haired girl, an amused smile making her different-coloured eyes squint.
Frustrated, Tala fell back into her chair, uttering and ‘ugh!’. She glared to the side for a minute while the others continued their cooking, before she spoke up again. “You can’t even argue with this guy! Talking to him is like bouncing off a solid wall, which you have to drill through first.” She squeezed one eye shut, stuck out her tongue and motioned about with her hands, impersonating someone drilling. Nebulos laughed at the impression and so did the two others.
“What’s made you this upset then?” Etoile asked, plunging his skinned spud into the pot, his voice patient and calm, and very brotherly.
Thinking back to the event that had occurred not long ago, Tala rolled her eyes and grunted. “I was simply telling him a joke! It was a great one, too! I was sure this one was going to do it!” She folded her arms aggressively, obviously signifying that whatever she’d told hadn’t done it. “So I tell him and then he goes off being all like ‘I don’t get it.’” She crossed her eyes and lowered her voice mockingly in order to do an impersonation of the alien she was referring to, which made Nebulos giggle once again. “What’s not to get?? Really! The things you have to go through to make this dude crack one measly smile! I don’t know why I even bother!”
She grit her teeth and shot the table a dirty look, as if it had called her a bad name.
There was a short silence, which was only disturbed by the scraping of Niji’s knife and the splashing of water in the pot.
“...Which joke was it?” Etoile informed kindly, glancing over at his sister for a brief second, before focusing back on the self-peeling vegetable in front of him. He sounded a bit unsure, as if there was a slight possibility the joke she was talking about was rightfully considered not funny.
Knowing well enough what her brother meant, Tala shot him a short glare too, but she was quick to respond, apparently convinced that she was right about the whole thing. “It was the one about the Telarian and the satellite dish,” she said, holding out her arms as if this answer just stated the very obvious and indicating there was no room to argue.
Etoile looked up and stared at the ceiling, his eyes squint thoughtfully. Then, a few seconds later, a wide smile spread across his face. “Oh yeah!” he said, turning back to his potato while chuckling merrily. “Yeah, that is a good one.”
“HA! You see?” Tala called out, heaving a hand in the air triumphantly. “And he said he didn’t get it! Honestly...” she muttered, crossing her arms again. “Some people are just born without no sense of humour at all.”
“It’s a good one?” Nebulos said, lifting his arms from the pot, leaving them dripping. “I haven’t heard it yet! Could you tell me, please?” A broad smile had already spread across his blue features, his face looking as luminescent as his antennae, clearly excited and the thought of a joke he didn’t know yet.
“I don’t think I’ve heard that one either.” Niji declared, looking over at the yellow girl, smiling kindly.
The idea of retelling the joke seemed to lift Tala’s spirits a little. A smile appeared on her face and her long, snake-like tail flicked from side to side as she leaned forward on the table eagerly. “Alright!” she said, putting one hand on the wooden surface. Etoile smiled as well, seeming amused at his sister’s reaction, but didn’t comment on it and continued his work while he listened.
“It really is a good one,” Tala promised, wiggling her eyebrows in anticipation. She leaned across the table even further, almost looking as if she was about to unfold some kind of conspiracy. “You see,” she began, “One day, there was this Telarian boy, who was walking down the road. He was happily minding his own business, when suddenly this other guy shows up and—“
“Kid?”
A deep, hoarse voice called out, coming from outside the door and down the corridor. Hearing this, Tala’s face visibly darkened and her eyes narrowed dangerously. Her lips were pursed onto each other tightly, her mouth merely a straight line. Clenching her fists, the girl leaned back into her chair, her burning gaze glued onto the opposite wall.
Not very long after that, a dark figure appeared inside the doorway. His bright green eyes scanned the room at a fast rate and they came to rest upon Tala’s back, which was facing his way. As usual, the look on boy’s face revealed no emotion whatsoever, his thoughts stored securely inside his thick mind.
“Hi, Masurao!” Nebulos said, waving a hand at the guard, who looked over when being addressed. Not really expecting one in return, the little creature smiled up at the taller one, before returning to his washing. Etoile also raised a hand, waving limply, not feeling very much at ease due the bodyguard’s rather frosty presence. After a few seconds, Masurao acknowledged both boys’ greetings with a curt nod. Shifting his gaze away from them, a change occurred in the Egriadanian’s usual expressionless face, which happened as soon as he spotted another person in the room.
Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he now became aware of Niji sitting at the other end of the table, who was still busying herself peeling the vegetables serenely.
“Princess Niji,” he said, looking slightly bewildered. He blinked his eyes a few times, as if he was trying to register her presence. Niji turned to face him, her own eyebrows also raised, though inquiringly. “…They’re making you do kitchen duty?” the wolf-like boy said, lifting one brow. His stern gaze now shot over to Nebulos and Etoile, eyes narrowing almost accusingly, as if he could already imagine how they had forcefully dragged Niji from the safe confines of her room, ignoring her pleas for mercy and demanding she’d prepare food for them.
Simultaneously, Nebulos and Etoile looked up at Masurao, their own eyes widening when seeing the guard’s face. They glanced at one another apprehensively, clearly very perplexed by the green glare they were receiving. Looking back, they saw Masurao still hadn’t looked away and they both seemed to shrink back into their chairs, except for Nebulos, who was actually standing up, but looking quite unnerved and confused all the same. Why was it that it always felt like they were doing something they weren’t supposed to every time this boy stared at them, his eyes freakishly not needing to blink when he did?
“No one’s made me do anything,” Niji said, jumping in to rescue her friends from Masurao’s cold stare. The bodyguard turned away from the two boys, who both sighed audibly in relief. Patient and calm, Niji continued her chore, plunging a peeled potato into the water. Obviously, she was rather used to Masurao’s behaviour, and was hardly fazed by it anymore. “I signed up for kitchen duty myself. It’s not because my father happens to be a king that I don’t have to work around this place. We’re all part of the same team,” she explained unwearyingly, her eyes not leaving her work.
Masurao went silent after his princess’ explanation, apparently considering if what she said made any sense. It seemed it did, as the reserved guard didn’t make any remarks, which probably would’ve startled everyone anyway, seeing he couldn’t possibly disagree with one of Niji’s ideas.
“Is there anything you wanted, Masurao?” Niji enquired kindly, starting to scrape the peel off a new spud.
The addressed boy didn’t respond immediately. He stared out in front of him for a minute, then threw a quick glance at Tala, who hadn’t said a word so far, but continued to burn holes in the wall. Masurao looked the other way again, frowning slightly, apparently unsure of what to do next.
Niji, having been observant from the corner of her eye, had been able to catch the fleeting look. This being all she needed to understand, she managed to suppress a giggle and she gently put down her knife and half-stripped potato. “Perhaps it’d be better if we—“
“Oh, please, Princess Niji!” Tala spoke up suddenly, her voice loud but her tone unusually airy and light. She no doubt used this title to address the colourful girl because someone else in the room always used it. That someone else seemed to notice and lifted an eyebrow.
“Please, don’t leave on my behalf,” she continued, making an spacious wave with her hand. “I don’t see any reason why you should either.” With that she shot the wolf-like boy behind her a short, but heated glare. She whipped her head around again, her long curly braid lashing out behind her as she did, and continued to glower at the wall. The guard, having caught the girl’s leer full in the face, made some kind of throat-noise and his eye twitched slightly.
A silence fell, which made the three aliens on kitchen duty feel a little awkward. They exchanged glances, before meekly looking back at the two others, who had their eyes attached firmly onto the opposite wall, both stubbornly quiet.
After a few moments, Etoile cleared his throat uncomfortably and turned back to his half-peeled spud, making it lift from the surface by using his telekinesis. The other two aliens quickly followed his example and resumed work as well, apparently glad to have an excuse to look away from the unnerving duo.
Silent minutes passed and Tala’s lips were squeezed together so firmly that the edges around her mouth had been drained of all colour. But she still refused to say absolutely anything as she sat there, her arms crossed forcefully, as if she was waiting for something.
After another few moments of quiet, something seemed to happen, though it was hardly perceptible at first. Masurao’s face started to twitch lightly and his eyebrows furrowed together. He tore his gaze from the wall, glancing to the right instead. He narrowed his eyes again, his face suddenly becoming extraordinarily animated. He didn’t look exactly pleased. As if he was about to do something he’d rather not do. Like eating something extremely sour. The guard shifted his eyes away and placed it on the wall in front of him again. His left eye was slightly squinted and his mouth twitched. Then, suddenly, completely out of the blue and as unenthusiastically as anyone possibly could, he said: “Ring ring.”
In chorus, Etoile, Nebulos and Niji looked up. Their mouths dropped, the looks on their faces completely and utterly bemused as they froze in the midst of their actions. Masurao, the skin beneath his thick fur tinting slightly pink, was very determined not to look at anyone in the room and kept his gaze glued firmly onto the wall, his expression glum.
The three aliens continued to gaze up at him, mouths hanging still, looking at the guard as if he’d suddenly lost his mind. Which, by the current looks of it, he obviously had. The senseless, ludicrous words clashed with Masurao’s character so much it would cause a spontaneous fit of laughter, but the three aliens were so stunned at this surreal scene that they seemed to forget.
The only one who seemed to be completely unfazed by it was Tala, who hadn’t moved an inch still. She didn’t even budge slightly, but carried on scowling. Masurao glanced at her for a brief second, scowled a bit himself and stared out in front of him again. He huffed and uttered a soft grunt. “Ring ring!” he spoke up again, much louder this time, annoyance now seeping through his gruff voice.
Etoile, Nebulos and Niji’s mouths fell even further, their eyes widening in utter befuddlement. And what surprised them even more is when Tala suddenly spoke up.
“You have reached Tala Ganmade. Please wait while we try to get your call get through…”
Another few seconds of complete silence followed, silence in which Masurao was still drilling holes in the wall, looking a bit bristled, as if he’d much rather be anywhere else but here. Whatever he was doing, it looked like he would’ve preferred it without an audience.
Niji was the first to get out of her flabbergast state. She averted her gaze and pressed her lips tightly onto one another, casting her gaze down, though her twinkling eyes revealed the suppressed laughter. She managed to disguise a chuckle through a small, odd cough and turned back to her chore, though making sure to bend over her work low enough so that one of her multicoloured bangs hid her face from view. Masurao seemed to notice this and his frown deepened, clearly not very pleased that the princess was here to witness his very un-guard-like presentation.
Nebulos, as well as Etoile, had also shifted his gaze and both boys had returned to their work once again, seeming a bit too interested in skinning their potatoes, as a purple blush on their cheeks revealed their concealed mirth.
“This is Tala Ganmade,” Tala abruptly spoke up after a few seconds. Het voice was dry an monotone as she gave a rather flourishing imitation of an answering machine. “If you are calling to leave a message, press one.” The trio sitting opposite the girl looked up again, their eyes strangely watery. Masurao, on the other hand, uttered another soft grunt and was still having a staring contest with he wall up front.
“If you have no idea why you are calling and you’d like to have the reasons explained, press two. If you are calling because you are an insensitive fuzz-butt with obviously no funny bone in your body whatsoever and you’d like to apologize for it and you think Tala is awesomesauce, press three.” Another grunt. “If you are calling for absolutely no reason at all and you’re just going to continue being that way, please hang up and never dial again!”
After that last option, Tala opened her eyes and shot the guard behind her another dirty look, as if she was daring him to choose the wrong number.
The three aliens on the other side of the room kept staring at the other two, their amused looks now mingled with those of confusion and astonishment. It was such an absurd scene to witness, but –apparently- neither Masurao or Tala seemed to be the least bit startled at what was going on. As if this was just an ordinary thing that happened on a daily basis. Which, come to think of it, might just be the case.
A few more moments of silence passed, moments in which Masurao still glowered at the wall at his side. He threw a quick glance down at the three others, and his hidden, embarrassed blush intensified beneath his thick fur. It seemed that he wasn’t too eager to choose either number, or at least not with a crowd nearby.
More silence.
“Threeeee...” the wolfboy eventually uttered, over-articulating the word and dragging out the last syllable as dispassionate as one could muster. Niji clamped a hand in front of her mouth and turned her head away, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Masurao seemed to notice and looked the other way again, raising an eyebrow to the wall as if it had said something offensive.
More silence.
…
Etoile cleared his throat.
…
And more silence.
His eye twitching in mild irritation, Masurao shifted his gaze from the sidewall to the green-haired girl on the chair. Said girl opened one eye and peeked through it, catching his olive enquiring stare with her orange one. After a minute or two, she closed her eyes again, sitting up straight, her expression unrevealing.
“You didn’t do the dance.”
With a much louder groan and his face now obviously aggravated, the now less-stoic guard turned on his heel that instant and strode out of the room, his slender tail soaring after him.
“Oh, come on! I was just kidding!” Tala cried out, throwing her arms up in the air and floating off her seat and after the hot-tempered teen, all the previous grudge seeming forgotten. “What’s the matter, can’t you take a joke?” she called after him, disappearing out of the doorway as she chased him, her long tail disappearing around the corner. One could almost hear her roll her eyes right after that. “Well, obviously you can’t, but what else is new on the block, right?”
The trio that was left in the kitchen stared at the door through which Masurao and Tala had just disappeared, listening to their voices echoing through the corridor.
“Can I have a piggy-back ride?”
“No.”
“You are so stiff!”
Etoile, Nebulos and Niji, having overcome their initial surprise, now exchanged glances. They refrained from saying anything, each of them returning to their chores. The mere line that their lips formed explained all the things that were left unsaid, and they continued peeling and washing, deciding not to ponder too much about his unusual experience, which they were bound to see happen again another day.
- - - - -
And there you have it!
I hope it was a little alright X3; And I certainly hope I managed to keep everyone into character!
