Chapter Four: Cathy?s Clown (part two)
Note: This chapter is a bit disgusting? and I?ve changed into the other version of spelling a specific person?s name. Go figure. ^^
- - -
[Narrator: previously on Yu-Gi-Oh?]
- - -
?You meant that woman whom he met??
?For your own knowledge, they knew each other already.?
?What was her name again??
?Middie Une.?
- - -
Trowa?s mind echoed with those last two words he just heard as the conversation between his friends continued distantly in the background. Lying flat on the hospital bed he stared at the ceiling and kept repeating her name into his head. He had been acting very odd today.
?Trowa??
M.U.
The last time he had seen her was when they were merely kids, they had become friends but that stopped when he discovered she was using him. She reasoned that it was to save her ailing father and her three younger brothers. He didn?t believe her, not wholly anyways.
Then she disappeared.
- - -
(After Wu Fei?s wasabi incident)
- - -
?So, will you tell us your name?? Hilde asked kindly, while Duo flopped over in his chair and laid his exhausted head on her lap.
?Middie Une.?
Trowa?s jaw physically dropped open when he heard her name spoken out loud. For reasons unknown to him, he felt the urge to speak quite rapidly.
?Middie?? She looked at him with a slightly confused look on her face.
?Yes, that?s my name. Didn?t I pronounce it properly??
?Doyourememberme?I?mNanashi.? he said in one breathless voice.
?Pardon??
?Nanashi!? he repeated with unchecked fervor in his tone, ignoring the looks of the others at the table. It took a few tense moments for her to comprehend what he said before she jumped off the chair and lunged at him with arms wide open. Catherine looked scandalized.
?NANASHI!? she screamed aloud, ?I CAN?T BELIEVE IT?S YOU!? and she hugged him, jumping up and down in happiness for all to see.
?I haven?t seen you in ages, how have you been doing, where are you staying, what happened with your father? Why are you here on Earth?? they shot questions at each other and their smiles reached from ear to ear.
Catherine cleared her throat rather loudly. As helpful as that girl was, she had her arms around her brother?s neck. Not good in public and not good for her.
?Oh, sorry everyone. This is Middie Une, we met each other when we were about 10 years old back at the colonies.?
?Trowa, Middie, why don?t you sit down.? Relena asked politely. They obliged and Trowa had a gigantic smile plastered to his face. Highly unusual for his usual demeanor that it truly scared them.
?Trowa? Is that your real name?? she turned to him earnestly and he scratched the back of his head.
?Actually, it?s a name I made for myself, Trowa Barton. But it?s just a name, right?? He started to introduce her to the rest of the group. ?Gang, this is Middie ? Middie the Gang.? She nodded curtly, ?Nice to meet you all, I apologize for my rash behaviour earlier,? and nodded towards Wu Fei.
Just then, two more bodies joined the group looking refreshed from their extremely long washroom break. Dorothy and Sally had returned and looked for their seats.
?Did we miss something?? The surgeon looked around at the table in all its glory of broken dishes and scattered food and noticed that the tablecloth was missing.
?Quatre, what happened?? Everyone else seemed to have changed seats as well, not to mention the addition of a new body. And why was Trowa was smiling like an idiot?
?Oh, I?m sorry. I?ve taken your seat.? Middie stood up and gave the chair to Dorothy.
?Thanks, and you are??
Pilot 04 took the liberty to explain all that had happened while the two ladies were absent from the action, taking special care and detail on the sushi bits and ending with the introduction of Middie. Sally craned her neck towards Wu Fei, grabbed his wrist and checked his pulse.
?I?m breathing, you know.?
?Just making sure.? Then she reached for her jacket and slyly transferred something to her pocket. ?Lucrezia, please come with me.? The Chinese man looked at her; she didn?t need to go to the washroom again, did she?
?I?m going to talk to the manager about cleaning this place up before I eat. Looks like the rest of you have, but Dorothy and I haven?t.?
?Acutally, just Duo and Wu Fei ate.? Nonetheless, the woman rolled her eyes and stood up. Lucrezia and Middie followed suit.
?I?ll come with you,? but Sally shook her head, ?No need.? The girl insisted she come and Lucrezia explained that she worked here. ?Alright then.?
- - -
At the front desk, Middie took care of the manager and explained the situation to them. They seemed to understand the mess and apologized to the other two ladies for the inconvenience. They would clean up the area right away and prepare them new food for the ones that had been lost.
?How did you do that? Get them to agree with you without hesitation??
?Did I forget to mention I?m a cook here as well?? she smiled pleasantly, missing the exchange between Sally and Lucrezia.
?Here?s what you asked for,? and the surgeon put something into her friend?s hand.
?Thanks, I wanted to keep it a secret.?
?But you?ll tell me once you know, won?t you??
?Of course.?
?Ladies?? a waiter interrupted them, ?would you like to return to your table, the food will be ready in half an hour.?
- - -
The extremely late luncheon was better this time around when Wu Fei stayed clear of any sauce and kept refilling his glass with water. No ice included. Trowa invited Middie to stay and he sat down beside her, Catherine was on his other side.
?So?? and Hilde?s face lit up, ?how about a little contest everyone??
?You?re not thinking of an eating contest, are you?? The girl nodded her head because that was exactly what she had in mind. But not quite.
?An eating contest of unusual proportions though, it is not for the faint of heart.? She said dramatically, ?Some of you might be disgusted with the intensity of this challenge, some of you might not make it though, and in the end there can only be one victor.?
The others sounded interested and yet? apprehensive. Dorothy?s expression was one of daring.
?What do we have to do?? the woman with the beret grinned sadistically.
?You see, the challenge is quite simple and easy to prepare. Seeing that we?ve all finished our food here, all that remains are the leftovers. But the object of the game is that the contestant must drink the contents of the glass fully and of their own free will.?
Heero Yuy didn?t think that sounded too hard as he exchanged glares with Milliardo. He could do that.
?But that?s not all; everyone at the table participates in creating this special drink.?
?Clarify, Hil. You?re not asking us to order more food, are you??
She continued to grin like the Chesire Cat.
?No. You drink the scraps off the table.?
- - -
Game: Hilde?s Disgusting Yet Challenging Eating/Drinking Contest of the Wills
Object: be the one to finish the contents of the glass completely
Contestants: Heero Yuy, Dorothy Catalonia, Milliardo Peacecraft, Middie Une, Trowa Barton
Referee #1: Chang Wu Fei (no ketchup for me please)
Referee #2: Duo Maxwell (bet Heero will win)
Doctor at hand: Sally Po (I can?t believe Wu Fei choked)
Judge: Hilde Schbeiker soon-to-be-Maxwell (thank you very much)
Caretaker of the Drink: Lucrezia Peacecraft (Milliardo better not die on me)
Spectators: Relena Darlian Peacecraft, Quatre Raberba Winner, Catherine Bloom (what? We don?t have a say in this?)
- - -
Procedure of the game:
Each member present at the table (regardless of status in the game) must put at least one item of food, condiment or beverage into the glass. Paper, wrappings, and plastics are not allowed. Chicken bones permitted but not required to swallow. Allergies will be taken into consideration.
The Caretaker of the Drink shall collect the items in the glass and mix them together until the contents seem to be of a proper revolting consistency or until it appears unsavory enough. She shall give the drink to Ref #1 while Ref #2 holds a timer in his hand.
The cup shall be passed to each contestant by Ref #1 to the first willing contestant.
The contestant shall take one gulp/sip of the drink and Ref #2 shall time how long the contestant has taken his/her turns.
The cup shall be passed back to Ref #1 who then shall pass it to the next contestant and so on and so forth.
Spectators may make noises of repugnance and revulsion at the appropriate times. They may cheer for their favourite contestant as well. Name-calling and insults will not be tolerated.
Contestants may not take longer than five seconds while holding the cup or they will be disqualified.
The Doctor at hand will be ready.
The Judge determines the winner.
The game will proceed until the glass is completely empty of its watery and edible contents or until there is one last contestant left.
All contestants shall receive a bottle of Advil, two bottles of Peptol Bismol, a pack of laxatives, and an ice pack. Further requests are allowed.
But no projectile vomit.
$200.00 for the winner?s reward (added last minute by Quatre Winner for that was all he had in his wallet ? cash wise), plus 10% of any money that has been pooled into the Spectators bets.
And a full week off work. Courtesy of the VFM.
- - -
Hilde: Are all contestants ready?
Contestants: (all nod)
Hilde: Lucrezia, is the cup prepared?
Lucrezia: Just a moment. (and she called upon Referee #2)
Duo: (takes out a straw that has somehow lodged itself between the soggy tomatoes.)
Hilde: All ready?
Lucrezia: Ready, Judge.
Hilde: Spectators, is your money placed in their proper betting pools?
Spectators: Yes, ma?am.
Hilde: Sally, call out the numbers!
Sally: Heero Yuy- 3 to 1 (Milliardo snorted)
Dorothy Catalonia- 4 to 3
Milliardo Peacecraft- 3 to 1 (Heero snorted in return)
Midii Une- 7 to 6 (the Spectators cheered)
Trowa Barton- 5 to 4
Hilde: Referees at the ready?
Referees: Aye-aye, Cap?n!
Hilde: (taking a deep breath) Three? two? one? GO!
Lucrezia walked over to Wu Fei and gave him the cup. Wu Fei stood in front of all five contestants and Milliardo Peacecraft took the first step forward, just beating Heero by a second. The drink was placed in his hands and Milliardo stared down at it.
Milliardo: (O_O)
Duo: (clicks the timer) Proceed.
- - -
And for the sake of some readers here, I?ll neglect the details of the contest and the contents of the drink. Let?s just say there were a few steak bones, salsa, ice mints, mashed potatoes, remains of barbecue grilled vegetables, ketchup, whipped cream and pepper to name a few?
- - -
Just ten minutes into the game and already there were only two contestants left. Heero, Milliardo, and Dorothy all decided to bail out when they reached the stage of the drink that consisted of cheese mixed in with lemon custard and a generous amount of salt on top. Now, it was just Middie and Trowa.
Duo: It?s Mr. Barton?s turn
The last two contestants turned towards each other and stared each other down.
Lucrezia: (to her husband) Milliardo, are you feeling alright?
Milliardo: x_x
Relena: Heero?
Heero: x_x
Quatre: Dorothy?
Dorothy:
Hilde: Are you ready, Trowa? There?s not much left.
Trowa: (feeling quite sick already) I?m ready.
Middie eyes him suspiciously and says nonchalantly, ?You know, it?d be the gentlemanly thing to let the lady win. Besides, you have a debt to pay.?
Trowa hesitated taking the cup from Wu Fei?s hands, ?What debt??
?About you not believing me all those years ago.? She crossed her arms. ?I thought you were my friend but then you left.?
?You used me before. But this is now and seeing you again, you?ve done well.?
?How about the food and Wu Fei?? Middie interjected, pointing towards the rest of the Gang who watched them in anticipation.
?She has a point, you know.?
Hilde: Referee interference!!!
Wu Fei: INJUSTICE!!!!! (And he stormed off the page only to be brought back to the table when Lucrezia chased after him, for taking the drink away from the contest.)
- - -
Ref #2 aka Duo: The clock?s ticking?
Trowa grabbed the glass and took a gulp, wiping his mouth on his sleeve.
?Yummy.?
Trowa licked his lips at Middie, running his tongue across his teeth, completely unaware that he had a bit of parsley stuck on them. How she managed not to laugh at that moment, I simply do not know.
The Spectators ooh-ed and ahh-ed and made other such cheering noises at pilot 03?s comeback.
Catherine: (looks at the others) You people are disgusting.
Wu Fei: (with a icy look towards Hilde) Your turn, Middie. (she nods)
Trowa: (who eyes his drinking rival with those gorgeous green eyes) Are you sure you?re ready, Middie? You can back out anytime?
Middie: (stares right back at him) Bring it on.
- - -
The contest was almost over and there was just one last gulp left. Hilde looked over at the remaining two contestants, who no longer stood on their feet but sat down on chairs, facing each other as if it were a hand wrestling match. Everyone gathered around them in a large circle, swapping money and changing their bets and shouting words of encouragement.
Middie and Trowa locked eyes on each other. The tension escalated.
Neither of them was going to back down, not this time. This was their chance to make up for the mistakes of the past.
The nearly empty cup was placed in the middle at equal distance from each person. The first one to grab it and down its contestants would be the winner.
Just one last gulp.
You had to hand it to these two; nobody would expect they would last for so long. The tides were in sway, it was a perfect match.
He really was quite handsome, in that silent, debonair way that she couldn?t understand. Even underneath that odd hairstyle of his, his emerald eyes twinkled in competition.
Middie reached for the glass?
She brought it to her lips, all the while her eyes remained on Trowa?s face?
The smallest twinge in his lips alerted her senses. He smirked.
Why would he smirk?
And she made a vital mistake at this pivotal moment in the game. She looked down at the glass to see just what was in it.
She saw a squid?s head. Eyes, beak and all. It was smiling. Smiling at her! Middie let out a small gasp and her posture swayed.
EYES!?!
She ran for the washroom at breakneck speed?
One contestant down. One left.
- - -
Hilde: But it?s not over yet.
The Gang turned their faces towards her in confusion; didn?t she say the winner was the last one standing? Or sitting in this case.
Hilde: Yes, but since I am the judge, let?s just see whether Trowa is able to do what nobody else has.
Catherine just fumed in her seat silently since she had lost her bet to Relena. She had laid a hefty wager that Middie would win.
Trowa looked at everyone and back to the glass. The evil squid was still smiling at him. Nightmarish indeed. Shutting his eyes, he swallowed the remains of the horrid concoction and made a face. He felt it slide down his throat and with an echoing *plop* settle into his gut.
Lucrezia: And we have a Winner!
Quatre: Of course we do!
But Trowa didn?t fare so well although he knew that he had a complete week off from work now. And Tylenol. And Peptol Bismol. He needed a barf bag, one of those plastic things that the airlines gave sick passengers during flight. Forget gravel, his stomach was not feeling well. He turned green.
?Oh my god, he?s gonna blow!!!?
Pilot 03 sprinted towards the bathroom, bowling over an elderly lady and a young woman in the process. Too bad for them, but Trowa had to go to the washroom. He heard someone call his name.
Back at the table, people were exchanging money and arguing. Who had won? You decide. Besides, Heero and Milliardo were caught between who had to wash each other?s socks in return for quitting the game early. The two had made a side bet at the beginning and now Milliardo was accusing Heero of cheating. Yuy claimed to be allergic to flower petals and Wu Fei had to fish them out of the drink with chopsticks. Who ever heard of being allergic to roses? Men.
[Meanwhile]
Trowa slammed the door open of the washroom and slipped on the tiles.
He bent over the nearest thing?
A sink?
Turning his head up to the mirror?
He took one look at himself.
And fainted.
- - -
?So, that?s what happened?? the boy sat up in the hospital bed, trying to recall that moment in the washroom. He didn?t remember much of it, and that could be a good thing. The others nodded in unison. ?Oh.? The doctors here must have pumped out the contents of his stomach. He shuddered to think of what they would find.
Her name rang through his head like crashing cymbals. The ring to her name refused to go away.
?Did you get her number, Trowa?? He shook his head and Quatre looked disappointed.
?How long do I have to stay here?? He felt terrible about not getting her number, much less bowling her over in his mad dash to the washroom when she saved a friend?s life.
So that?s who called out his name.
The Gang must have rushed him out there in a hurry.
M.U.
?Just until you feel ready, the hospital staff said you don?t need to stay overnight.? Sally concluded, taking her place beside Wu Fei.
?What?s the matter, bud?? Duo noticed the slightly downcast look in his eyes.
?Middie? He probably wasn?t going to show his face in that restaurant again, not for a long time. It had been so long since they had last seen each other, and he wasn?t about to deny that seeing her again stirred up something within him. And he wasn?t talking about his upset stomach either.
?Hey, don?t sweat about it. We can always go back, err?? then he stopped when all ten sets of eyes turned towards him. ?? or maybe not.?
?I?ll never see her again. It?s been years and now I?ve lost the chance.? Catherine sat down on the bed and hugged her brother. ?I made a total idiot of myself today.?
?Not all is lost.? He raised his head.
?What are you hiding, Cathy??
She smiled, ?Everyone out!? They all stared at her in confusion. The petite acrobat stood up to her full height of 5?4? (is that right?) and set her shoulders straight to the rest of the group, her back to her the one lying on the bed. In a very commanding voice that rivaled Lady Une?s, she repeated,
?EVERYONE OUT!? but the way she raised her eyebrows indicated they were to do some eavesdropping. They all got the hint quickly and scrambled out of the room.
- - -
Middie Une sat patiently on the benches in the hallway as the Gang filed out in a hurry, all giggling and whispering in anticipation. She had gotten a ride with Sally and Wu Fei when they discovered what had happened to her drinking rival. She refused to enter with the rest of them, slightly afraid that it was her fault he had to be brought to the hospital. She didn?t like this place, it reminded her too much of the time when her father was ill.
Then the Gang caught sight of her.
?You can go in now.? Catherine nodded and shut the door quietly when the young woman entered the room.
?Hi, Trowa.?
?Hi.? She stood at the foot of the bed, feeling a bit out of place that she should be alone with him. She tried to stir up some conversation. ?How are you feeling?? He shrugged his shoulders, ?Fine.? The situation felt awkward for him, was that all he was going to say? He said rather monotonously, ?How are you??
The Gang, who listened behind the doorway, all groaned in unison. This was not the gossip they were hoping for.
Trowa could have slapped himself in the head for such a stupid attempt for making small talk. He might as well talk about the colour of the hospital sheets the way he was headed. But then he noticed that she was looking downward, he must be blushing.
?I?m fine, actually. You know, you won that bet. And I?m really sorry about everything.?
?Don?t apologize. We knew what we were getting into. I barely won.? He groaned when his stomach churned and Middie made to move towards him, ?It?s nothing.? He took notice of how different she looked from the restaurant, when they weren?t on opposite ends of the game. She really was a calm person, come to think of it.
?They must have rushed me out quick.?
?I know, I was there when they took you from the restaurant.?
?How did I look??
?Umm?? she stuttered, at a loss for words. Was it always going to be this awkward talking to him? In truth, she thought he was very brave and daring to have taken on Hilde?s challenge. Perhaps even alluring the way he was teasing her silently throughout the duration of the game? the thought of it made her cheeks warm.
?Would you like to sit down?? and he propped himself up on his pillow.
?But there isn?t a chair around.? The boy gulped yet again and took a breath, ?Would you like to sit on the bed with me?? If it was possible, he could have turned a brighter shade of red than she, but it was hidden under his bangs.
[i[He?s really cute when he blushes,[/i] Middie thought. Well, when he wasn?t taunting her or puking his guts out. Embarrassed that she thought him attractive, she stared at her shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. Attractive?
She?s adorable, when she?s not running away from squid eyes? he thought to himself. What am I saying?
?Sure, I?d like to talk to you for awhile.? Summoning up her courage, she sat down gracefully beside him.
He reached for her hand.
- - -
?Can you hear what they?re saying?? Quatre shook his head, ?But I can see that ? oh wait, they?re holding hands.? Hilde let out a squeal of delight and Dorothy looked ecstatic. ?Shh, they?ll hear us.?
?He asked her to go on a date.? Reported Heero, who had his ear pressed to the wall instead of further crowding the door. Naturally, Relena was pressed to his side.
?She said yes?? Quatre nodded and the girls got all giddy again. ?Shh,? but this time, it was Lucrezia.
?Is something the matter, Catherine?? the acrobat shook her head and ignored the funny feeling in her stomach.
?Looks like a dinner and a movie, people.? That was too typical since they thought Trowa would have thought of something else much more interesting.
?I hear numbers, she gave him her address.?
?Wow that was quick,? and Sally started to move restlessly, cramped in the space between Wu Fei?s right arm and Lucrezia?s head, ?My leg?s going numb??
?You think they?ll get it on tonight? How about right on the hospital bed??
?Duo!? Hilde hissed at him, ?Do you always think of sex?? He snorted and pushed his braid out of his eyes, ?Why not? I don?t get any??
Everyone else froze.
Dumbstruck, that?s what their expressions all read.
?You?re meaning to say?? started Dorothy,
?That you two have never?? picked up Lucrezia,
?Done it at all?? finished Milliardo. Hilde blushed like mad.
?And you have lived together for the past four years?? whispered Relena. Duo shook his head, admitting defeat.
?Unbelievable!? cried Quatre and Wu Fei in unison.
?I?m speechless, I never thought that you of all people??
?Okay, can we leave the subject now?? pleaded Hilde who chewed on her lip.
Milliardo started to chuckle and looked over at his wife, ?Lucrezia, and I thought we were bad.? He opened his mouth as the VFM?s ears perked up like a dog?s.
?Remember our seven month anniversary and that midnight picnic in the park?? Lucrezia started to get an extremely naughty look and remembered dessert that night on the beach as he continued, ?Oh, and remember that time we completely missed the opera because you had trouble with that black dress, with the long slits to there, and I had to come up the stairs and??
Several faces paled, they didn?t need to hear this, especially from him.
?Milliardo!? Relena?s voice was shrill with alarm, ?There are still virgin ears here!? and she started to hyperventilate. Snapping out of memory lane, the white-platinum haired man noticed that the others were gawking at him? oddly. Heero glared and wrapped a protective arm around his Relena?s waist.
Only Duo looked disappointed.
?Well, it looks like they?ve stopped talking now and Trowa?s gone back to his silent self.?
?But I want to know what?s going to happen.? Insisted Catherine, she wanted to know more about this Middie Une. ?Do you think she?s related to Lady Une of the Preventers?? The others all shrugged their uncertainty.
?Long lost sisters??
?Distant cousins??
Dorothy took a deep breath?
?Middie Une. One is the daughter of the nephew whose second cousin is the grandson of the King of Spain who had an exiled sister (unbeknownst to all for the parents decided to keep it a secret) who fled to France and fell in love with an Italian architect but the FBI were after him so they fled together to Tahiti where they learned to scuba dive and set up a home base in Australia with a friend where they started an oyster farm but she fell for the brother-in-law who had a wife who worked in Europe and her cousin had identical twins from a previous marriage that (unfortunately she had gotten into a skiing accident and lost all memory of) but one of her illicit daughters had an affair with her childhood neighbour at the young age of 16 and they ran off together to travel Europe but he got killed by a jealous stalker whom nobody knew of so the girl wandered the colonies alone and joined Oz and this woman is the Lady Une that we know at Preventer?s Headquarters.?
Heero: -_-
Relena: o_O
Wu Fei: (is speechless at the mention of so many illicit affairs)
Quatre: ^_^
?Where the hell did you come up with that?? asked Milliardo when he finally digested all that useless information that probably wasn?t true unless?
?Harlequin romance novels,? Dorothy stated happily while the rest of the group slowly backed away from the blonde. Quatre stayed beside her with that kindly smile of his, no wonder they had stayed together for so long, that girl had some imagination.
?The problem at hand?? reinstated Catherine.
Oh, they forgot.
?How about a double date,? inquired Sally, ?anyone volunteer?? Multiple sets of hands shot up into the air but there were too many to choose. Relena had an idea.
?Why don?t we all go together as a big group? That way, at least one of us can keep an eye out for Trowa and Middie while keeping as inconspicuous as possible.?
?I like that idea,? Catherine nodded in approval as Duo jumped into the air,
?It?s off to the fair we go!?
- - -
A/N: No own Peptol Bismol nor any laxatives nor any Harlequin romance novels. (Heaven forbid!) However, I shall take his chance to announce that there IS SOMETHING I do own? somewhat? the eating contest? based upon actual events? no squids were hurt during the making of this story. As disgusting as it was, no actual winner was determined. Indeed.
thanks its cool! 
