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 Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:25 pm
The pinto screeched through the city of Gambino, weaving through traffic and zipping down residential streets. Well, perhaps it didn't so much zip as it did trundle along at the speed one would expect from a thirty-year-old car. Popion hunched over the steering wheel, peering out through the windshield at the rows of identical houses that stretched out on either side.
"Hoooo," he whistled, "these cats must be in some serious money to have roofs. Wouldn't you like a roof, Dice? Wouldn't you?"
"It'd be nice," Dice replied indifferently from the passenger seat, more concerned with the map he was looking over than his lack of natural comforts. "Are you sure this is the right street?"
"How am I supposed to know? They all look the same." While this was true, Popion was paying more attention to one of Gambino's many island girls than he was the street. "Why are we going to Nio's house again?"
"Because he invited Udell over to play with his son Adonis," Dice reminded him for the hundredth time since setting out that morning.
"And Udell would be...?"
"The other boy you adopted who is currently sitting behind us."
Udell was sitting in the center of the backseat and staring ahead intently. He was not at all interested in the array of vibrant colors and bustle of activity that surrounded them. He concentrated instead on the back of Popion's head, so as not to be distracted while he thought about how much he hated being dragged away from the pleasant isolation of the abandoned marketplace. The fact that he was being taken to "play date" and the fact that it was actually being referred to as a "play date" only deepened his loathing of the whole ordeal. He was so focused on his own thoughts that he did not notice Dice staring at him.
"I think it might be good for Udell to learn some social skills. Maybe it'll help him to stop being so... creepy."
"Creepy? Nonsense! The kid's a ball of sunshine." Popion looked into the rearview mirror only to immediately avert his eyes once he saw Udell staring back at him. "Besides, what the hell is he going to learn from one of Nio's spawn? That guy has no class."
Dice turned back in his seat and took another look at the map. "Make a right."
"His wife, though. Shenoh? Lenoh? Mary, I think. Now that broad's got class slathered all over her hot, naked body."
"Left."
"Though I'd rather slather something else over that body, if you know what I mean."
"Third house down on the right."
"I mean my pen-"
"We're here!" Dice exclaimed, hopping out of the car before Popion could even bring it to a stop.
Udell looked out the window for the first time since they left, looking over the house with a critical eye. If these simpletons wished for him to associate with them they'd better be bearing gifts.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:59 pm
Inside the Love Household, there was a table all set up with little finger sandwiches, and drinks, and chips, and oh, all sorts of goodies. Nio had done this himself, after setting the table out and covering it with a festive drape. He had gotten no help from his son, who was flipping through the channels on the television set. The boy was brooding heavily, and Nio didn't want to press on him further. At least he had remained in the house, for the playdate Nio had set up for him!
When Nio had heard the news of Udell's adoption by none other than that.. that.. Popion, he felt it his own duty to do something about it. He remembered Popion all too well, and knew that, though he hadn't met Udell yet, the boy was in less than capable hands. Nio figured that Popion could use all the help he could get! So, in a grand gesture of kindness, he had invited the man and his sons over for lunch, refreshments, and some playtime for their sons.
Donny, however, was not one for 'playtime'.
He made his own friends, his own way. Having a friend, even another Tale, forced upon him this way made him sourer than usual. He was in a stage in his life where he felt the need to disagree with and hate everything his father did and said.. but still respected the man enough to obey his commands.
Not that Nio ever 'commanded' much, anyway.
A car drove into the driveway, and Nio perked. "Donny, they're here! Look presentable."
Donny looked down at himself, and smirked. He always looked presentable. heart
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:38 pm
Dice bounded excitedly up to the doorway and gave it several eager knocks. He didn't want to make it too obvious, but he was overjoyed at the opportunity to spend time with people who weren't either a) a crazed sex hound or b) a mostly mute demon child. While enthusiasm wasn't exactly his strong suit, Dice could not help but bristle with energy. His face beamed brighter than the Gambino sun, which scorched and sizzled in the cloudless blue sky overhead.
Popion and Udell, however, opted to linger in the car a little longer. They glared at the house with equal levels of distaste.
Popion was not naive enough to think that the invitation to the house was extended out of the pure, lovable goodness of Nio’s heart. No, the man was gloating. Nio was towering ten feet above him, lording the house and the running water and the windows over his head. Popion boiled with envy... no, rage! Good old-fashioned rage. He was not at all envious of Nio's flagrantly obnoxious of wealth. He was perfectly content with his hobble in the sand. He was happy to know that the rest of his life would be spent living off of an endless supply of bento box crates from an old sushi stand. So happy, in fact, that he'd only steal a hundred dollars worth of valuables from Nio, rather than the previously planned five hundred.
Udell was not so much concerned about the house's worth, but rather its demeanor. It lacked the decaying charm of the old marketplace and was too colorful and full of life to be at all trusted. The entire area seemed to exist for the sole purpose of personally tormenting him. The air was sweet, the sky was bright, and the grass was so green it looked like God had laid it down himself. Udell felt his lungs literally stifled by the cheerfulness of his surroundings. He could only imagine what sort of happy-go-lucky imbeciles dwelled within. He imagined a child with cheeks as red as apples and eyes so blue they bordered on inhuman. He no doubt skipped everywhere he went and his fingers were probably sticky from popsicles or jelly or whatever it was he consumed to constantly feed his endless sugar rush.
The car’s occupants looked at each other.
"I've got a candy bar with your name on it if you kick the purple-haired guy in the shin when he tries to say hello," Popion said.
Udell had a feeling that the day might not turn out to be so bad afterall.
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2006 10:38 pm
A knock at the door sent Nio flittering over to open it. There was Dice, grinning and perky and excited, greeting an equally grinning Nio. While Nio was glad to see the boy, he was a little confused at the lack of anyone else around him.
"Dice! It's so nice to see you again. Come on in, make yourself at home." He leaned out and spied Popion in his car, chatting with his new son. It brought a warm feeling to Nio's heart. The man was giving his son a pep talk! How nice.
"There are snacks if you'd like some, on the table here, and you can take them and sit with Donny in the living room, he's just watching some TV. Donny, why don't you come say hi to our guests?"
Donny looked up, and waved at Dice. He had no problem with the boy.. but he wasn't going to stand up for anyone today. Today was wrestling night. He wasn't moving from this spot unless the couch was aflame.
And even then it would only be long enough to get the fire extinguisher.
"I thought you said a Tale was coming?"
"He is, they're still in the car."
He gestured a welcoming wave to both Popion and Udell, encouraging them to come out of their car and enter his home.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 5:27 pm
Dice failed to notice that he was the only one who had stepped up to the door, Popion and Udell having both remained in the car. Or he just chose not to notice. The young boy was more concerned with the snack table than he was the whereabouts of his family.
“Hi Mister Nio!” he attempted to say, though his mind was working so fast in an attempt to balance his good manners and his desire to throw himself upon the plate of sandwiches that his words came out as “HMISTAHNO.” He barged in through the door, shoving past his host and making a beeline for the food. He came to a screeching halt before the spread and bounced from foot to foot. He didn't want to be rude and eat before the others got there, so he quietly watched the food, eyes glossy with the anticipation of a third world child in front of a big, juicy steak.
Outside, Popion had just tried to help Udell out of the car, but the child refused to be assisted. He hopped out of the car himself and strode slowly up the walkway, like a king descending upon the mud hut of a mere village peon. He glowered with such ferocity the sun attempted to hide itself in his wake by hiding behind the only cloud in the sky.
Popion was close behind, waving back at Nio and smiling politely. "Jackass," he muttered under his breath before speaking in his usual, boisterous tone. "Nio, long time no see! Apparently it takes two kids to get an invitation to your house. If I get a third do I get to sleep with your wife?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:57 pm
Nio gave Udell a small smile, but the boy didn't seem to care too much about him, and so he just moved out of the way and let him enter. "Adonis, this is Udell." He murmured, but the boy had already perked enough to get a look at Udell. Any Tale's presence was interesting enough to pull him away from the current commercial that interrupted his show. Of course, when the show came back, he would likely forget anyone was there all over again. "You can go sit down with Adonis and get to know him if you like, Udell, or you can have some snacks with Dice first!"
He looked up and there sauntered Popion. His remark seemed pleasant at the beginning, and it made Nio smile awkwardly, almost in guilt. That smile soon turned to a tooth grinding forced grin, however, when Popion had completed his thought.
"Aheh.. no. Sorry I haven't invited you over much, Popion, I just.. haven't had much time lately." And you made a nuisance of yourself every time we've found ourselves in the same vicinity, he thought to himself, biting his lip.
As Popion reached the doorway, Nio ushered him inside and closed the door. He had an epiphany, but would soon regret it a moment after he voiced it. "I know. How about I make it up to you by inviting you to a card game next weekend? Me and the boys-" Here he stopped, realizing that telling the man of his weekly get togethers with his closest friends would surely warrant more Popion-time than Nio thought he could handle. "-Were thinking about making some time to play. Just to try something new."
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:01 am
Udell strolled into the house and stood quietly at Nio's side. He took a moment to gloss over the room with an even level of disinterest, allowing the house to know that it failed to impress him. His eyes lingered on Adonis a second longer than they did everything else, regarding him as only a slightly more interesting addition to the room than the couch. He glared up at Nio, wondering whether he wanted to kick him now or save it for a more opportune moment. He decided he would wait until he could further ascertain how much he disliked Nio and determine whether or not it warranted physical action. Udell went over to join Dice for the moment being, wishing to avoid Adonis and his most likely sticky fingers.
Popion's interests peaked at the mention of a card game. Gambling was one of his many vices and played a large part in him living out in the middle of nowhere with only a couple of boxes of clothes, a car, and two kids to his name. That is to say, despite how much he loved doing it he just wasn't very good at it. Though that didn't stop him from pretending to be the best there ever was. "A card game? I guess you and the girls get together for a bridge game every now and than, huh?" he scoffed. Since entering the house he had not once looked Nio directly in the eyes, instead shuffling from bookcase to table to wall hanging in an attempt to scope out the most valuable of valuables. This b*****d had a wife, didn't that entitle him to leave a fine china set sitting around somewhere? "If it's a poker game you're looking for you can count me in, but don't get your panties in a bunch when I fleece you suckers for every cent you have. Hey, food!"
Dice had just returned from the snack table with a heaping pile of food meticulously arranged upon his plate. The potato chips weaved together with a wall of pretzel supports to form a solid foundation. A battlement of a sandwhich triangles were erected upon the plate's perameters in order to protect the precious cupcakes that dwelled within. Various deli meats lined the inner walls in order to give the presentation a decorative flair. Dice was so focused on his culinary amalgam that he failed to notice Popion's big hand swooping down and wrenching it from his grip. The poor fox boy's face twisted into a look of utter horror as Popion heartlessly tore away one of the keystone potato chips, causing the entire structure to fold in on itself. He popped the chip harmlessly into his mouth, grinning at the dejected Tahnee.
"Thanks, kid. Be a dear and get me a beer, will you?"
Dice's ears fell flat against his head. He promptly turned face and stomped back towards the snack table, grumbling to himself the entire way.
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Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:28 pm
Considering the company Nio kept, he didn't really mind them being called girls. Some of them had just been turned into girls, for example. Really, it wasn't more of an insult than a cute little joke that Popion would not realize he had made. Nio laughed brightly and nodded. "All right then, Sunday night! Let's say.. 7pm? Don't worry if you're late, we're always slow to get started. Oh, and if you don't have a babysitter, feel free to bring the kids.. we've got room upstairs, if Dice and Udell don't mind sleeping over with the rest of our kids."
He smartly decided not to mention that they didn't use money in their poker games. It could possibly turn Popion off to the idea entirely.
Adonis had, in fact, lost interest in the other Tale, as well as everyone else in the room. His show had returned, and he was sitting up straight, bobbing in excitement. Wrestling was such a crude, ridiculous sport, but as soon as Adonis had found out it was fake, he found it delightful to watch. People threw chairs, and bounced in the air, only to fall on top of one another.. he didn't know what it was that captivated him, but it was very amusing nonetheless.
One wrestler had just smashed into the other from on high, and Donny covered his mouth, making a gurgling noise of empathy as the crowd went wild. If that elbow had really hit the man right in his gut, ouch.. he held his own gut as he thought about it. These people were crazy!
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Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:23 pm
"Babysitter?" Popion replied, looking Nio in the eyes for the first time only to look into them in bewilderment. "I usually just light a camp fire and sit them in front of it when I go out. Keeps em' busy for hours."
Udell glared at the table edge. He would have preferred to glare at the tabletop, but his short stature limited him to the edge. He knew there was food laid out above him, and despite not knowing what food it was he knew he wanted it. There was just the problem of being unable to reach any of it. He briefly considered the options of pulling down the tablecloth and all the food with it, or just simply tipping the table over, but he quickly dismissed them both. Those methods were far too barbaric and his superior intellect was capable of conjuring something far more ingenious. Perhaps formulating some sort of catapulting device that would launch him on to the table. Maybe constructing a pair of rocket boots that would propel him to the food.
… or he could just climb on top of the chair that was sitting a few feet away.
By the time Dice had trudged back to get himself a new plate of food Udell was situated comfortably in front of a plate full of Oreos. A small pile of the black cookie crusts was growing besides him, barren of the delicious cream that was usually sandwiched between them.
“What are you doing?” Dice asked, looking mournfully to the empty Oreos.
“Eating.” Udell’s voice was hoarse from the lack of use and the words sounded strange on lips that were usually sealed tight.
“If you wanted food you could have just… are you going to eat all the cookies?”
“Probably.”
Dice sighed and moved on to the other end of the table, making sure to stick with the food that wasn’t in Udell’s reaching range. The kid had a nasty set of teeth and Dice didn’t want to get in their way when they were chewing.
“So, where is your wife, anyway?” Popion asked Nio through a mouthful of macaroni salad. “This whole shindig has a real sausage fest feel to it so far. If you want, I got some girls I could ring up and we can have ourselves a real party.” If Nio appreciated his sanity and his appetite, he would do good to not inquire further about Popion’s idea of a real party.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:50 pm
Another commercial. This was as good a time as any to go take advantage of the snacks and be semi-social. He climbed off the couch and walked over to the snack table, grabbing a soda can and pulling the tab to open it. He gave Dice a half-smile, tilting his head upward in lieu of a friendly nod, before resting his eyes on the boy's new little brother.
"So, Udell right? My name's Donny. How's your new place treating you?" He snagged himself a handful of cheetos, and bent his head back to check the TV. Nope, still commercial, he was safe.
Nio rolled his eyes at Popion's suggestion. "Stop fooling around man. Enoh took the girls out shopping for Christmas suggestions. Besides, this is about letting your new boy get to know other people, and have friends, remember?" He pat Popion on the back, and looked at the three boys, who seemed not so much friendly as much as tolerant with each other.
Well, it was a start.
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Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:40 pm
Udell looked over the plate of cookies he had snatched up and regarded Adonis as he would an inquisitive bug. "I live in the middle of the desert," he replied coldly, "I sleep in a box and eat food that comes from inside a can." Granted, it wasn't the amicable introduction the other child may have hoped for, but it was more than he had said to anybody else all day. Udell resumed devouring whatever he could fit in his small hands while he stared ahead intently. The image was slightly unsettling, a fact that was not at all lost on Dice.
"Maybe I'll just grab something a little later," he muttered sourly as he laid his plate back on the table. He turned towards Adonis and put on his best 'I'm-desperate-for-attention-but-not-too-desperate-please-just-be-my-friend' face. It was a combination of an overbearingly friendly smile and two very wide eyes. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to properly interact with kids his own age. After all, he spent every day attempting to placate a very energetic and very insane man some ten-plus years his senior. "Hey Donny! I 'member you from that wedding. How have you been? Since the wedding. You have a very nice house." Dice was obviously more receptive than Udell, but perhaps a little too much so.
Meanwhile, Popion was beginning to realize this wasn't the sort of get together he had led himself to believe it was. "That's why you invited me over? For a play date?" It wasn't through any fault of Nio that Popion believed he had been invited over for broads and alcohol, he just naturally assumed there would be broads and alcohol wherever he went. "Well, good luck with trying to get anything to make friends with that thing," he laughed, slapping Nio on the back. "Couldn't get that kid's trap open with a stick of dynamite. Vocally speaking, of course. The kid's actually very good at the closing and opening of the mouth." Popion held up his other hand, which was covered in several clearly outlined bite marks.
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Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 6:13 pm
Donny listened with a cocked brow as the boy told of his abode.
"Well, that's.. uhm.. interesting! I'm sure you've got a lot of stories. I bet you could write a book about them all, and people would buy lots of them and you would make lots of money. You could be a billionaire. Or maybe even a millionaire."
Hey. Nobody ever said Donny was good at math.
However, he was impeccable at manners, so when he saw Udell continue to inhale food at a rate that didn't allow for all of it to enter his oral cavity, Donny had had enough with the boy. At least for now. He tried to hold in the stomach that churned suddenly inside him, and gave the boy a slight wave. "I'm gonna go sit down and watch wrestling now." He left it at that, taking his treats and moving away. He turned and listened to Dice as he walked away, leaving the boys room on the couch to sit. Dice seemed the kind of boy that offset Udell very well; clearly Udell had been put in the right household. Perhaps Dice would teach Udell some manners after all.
"Thanks Dice." Donny responded, before plopping down on the couch and zoning out to the show. Mmmm, bodyslam.
Nio tried to remain calm at Popion's surprise over his reason for inviting them over. He cringed when he saw the bite marks, but his eyes turned toward the boys. "Well, they were just talking. That has to be a good sign. Give him some time, I'm sure he'll warm up to you too."
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