Chapter Text
Increase the temperature!
Do you think she can take it?
Is she gonna wake up?
I don’t want to carry her anymore Are you ok?
I wonder if there’s anyone else out there….
She didn’t know what she was looking at. She wasn’t sure if she could call it a building. It was ratty, dilapidated, severely neglected and was practically falling apart at the seams. If this had been occupied at one point, it must’ve been several years ago. The smell was a combination of old wood, dog feces and some unidentifiable metallic scent that made her a bit dizzy to breathe in all at once. Simply put, it was a mess.
Red floating box of fries: “Well, I suppose we can crash here for now…”
Small meatball creature: “Is there goin’ be our house?”
Large cup with hands: “I hope not because this smell is, well I wouldn’t say just as bad but almost as bad as you.”
Small meatball creature: “Hey, ain’t nice!”
Red floating box of fries: “Keep it down, you two! We can’t attract unwanted attention any more than we already have. Just find someplace to sleep and tomorrow we’ll see where we can go.”
Large cup with hands: “I was just about to say that, Frylock! Why do you always have to take the words out of my mouth, I’m the leader here! I demand respect!”
Small meatball creature: “I wonder if they have pillows in here. Like the plane… I liked those seats. They were bouncy.”
Frylock: “By the way, is she awake yet?”
Large cup with hands: “I don’t know. Meatwad, is the Noodles awake?”
Meatwad: “Umm…. She’s not moving still. Should I shake her some more, Master Shake?”
Shake: “No! You must yell at her! Don’t touch her or she’ll burn your skin and make it swell with her dark magic!”
Frylock: “She’s not magic, Shake. Stop saying that. And we can touch her just fine, it’s just you.”
Shake: “She has something against me! But what could it be? I’m but a benevolent leader, I did not deserve that treatment!”
Frylock: “She wasn’t doing anything. You shook her yourself. She wasn’t even conscious.”
Meatwad (to the small cup with yellow noodles hanging out of the open top): “Hellooo? Noodles?” (He waves a nubby hand in front of her.)
Frylock: “What? Her eyes are open. But she’s not responding.”
Shake (bending down close to her and shouting in a loud voice): “Noodles! Awaken and answer to your leader!”
Noodles (eyes widening and snapping to full consciousness): “Waaaahhh! I’m awake, I’m awake! I was awake! Sorry! I- Umm…. Where are we?”
Frylock: “This is South Jersey, the city. How much do you remember? How long were you awake? You were asleep for most of the trip.”
Noodles: “Trip? We were on a trip? To where? Did I just wake up? I’m sorry hehe….” (nervous smile) “I was…. Just looking at the house. I don’t remember much else…. “
Meatwad: “We’re you dreaming? What did you dream about? You was asleep for a long time.”
Noodles: “Really? How long?”
Meatwad: “I dunno, but you were warm to sleep next to.”
Shake: “I’d like to know what it is you have against me and what did you do to give yourself the ability to burn and rash my hands when you touched me!”
Frylock: “Shake, for the last time. You touched her! She was asleep!” (sigh) “Look, we’re all tired here. We’ve been up for several days, we need some rest.”
Shake: “Then we shall rest here until we can find a better quality hotel. We deserve a good night’s sleep after such an excruciating journey!”
Noodles: “We were on a journey?”
Frylock: “You were asleep through….” (He looks conflicted for a moment before settling) “…..Most of it. And you were on your stupid GameBoy for a majority of the time, Shake.”
Shake: “I know! My fingers cannot handle any more button mashing! Let’s go before it gets too cold.” (He hops out of the little cart they were in and discarded a parachute he somehow had tied to him. He entered the house which curiously had a door that fit his frame down to the straw.)
Shake: “Hmm…..the decor is outdated. The walls are in need of repair and it smells like a raccoon family died. This is awful, we’re not staying here.”
Meatwad: “Hey look, a TV!”
Shake: “Nevermind we’re staying. Hey! Don’t hog the buttons, I have picking rights!” (He hops to where Meatwad is upon seeing an old TV)
Frylock: “That TV won’t turn on, it’s not connected.”
Shake: “Where are the lights? I can’t see where the cable is.”
Frylock: “There’s no light either, this place is unused, no one lives here so there’s no money paying for electricity.”
Shake: “Well we gotta solve that problem quick because I’m tired of having to go all the way to the TV store and then not have the ability to change channels.”
Frylock: “We need to rest Shake.”
Shake: “Fine! Everyone find a place, I call this closet! Don’t bother me if the sun’s not up! Aqua Teens, dispatch!” (He goes into a small closet and closes the door quickly behind him.)
Noodles: “Is that what we’re called? The Aqua Teens?”
Frylock: “No, but I don’t care enough to argue. Let’s just get some sleep.” (He flies off towards a door and opens it, noticing it’s a room is relatively nice condition with a old but in-tact mattress in the floor.)
Noodles: “But I just woke up, I’m not tired. Can’t we explore the neighborhood? See what’s around?”
Frylock: “Maybe tomorrow, Noodles. But we have to get some sleep.” (He closes the door)
Noodles: “Hmm…” (She hops over to Meatwad) “Wanna explore the town, Meatwad?”
Meatwad (yawning): “Naw, I’m about to collapse, I want to sleep……”
Noodles: “Oh, ok. Umm…… How about this room?” (She opens a room close to the one Frylock went into to reveal a shabby room with odd piles of sand everywhere.)
Noodles: “Actually… maybe this isn’t the best….”
Meatwad: “I love it!” (He rolls in it with glee) “It’s so roomy! (He rolls into a pile of sand) “And warm too!”
Noodles: “Well, I’m glad you like it! Umm…. Goodnight Meatwad!”
Meatwad: (already asleep)
Noodles smiled as she closed the door. She did a short tour around the house, hoping it would tire her out. But there wasn’t much to explore. The house was only one-story, had barely any rooms and the kitchen was in disrepair. She could locate any toiletries either. What kind of house was this if it didn’t have a restroom? She figured people expelled waste somehow. Did they go outside?
[Outside….]
She left the house and observed the area around the house. Most of the houses were in better condition but not by much. The street was crumbly and the plants were half-dead in most places. There was a house next to them that was blue and seemed inhabited, but the lights were off. She figured perhaps if someone did live there, it’d be better to investigate in the morning. There were faint noises everywhere, car horns, dog barking, some human-sounding yelling. The whole place smelled run down and kinda smoky. But there was an oddly cozy feeling to it all. Like she could breathe here. Open and wide and full of places to see.
She looked up at the night sky. The stars shine thanks to the lack of functioning streetlights. It was really pretty, there was little wind and no clouds. Just the dark sky with little buttons of light scattered everywhere.
Then she saw the moon. It was crescent and at a lovely angle. Like something from a story book. A classic, stereotypical moon. Its light shone back on her eyes as she gazed in awe. It looked like it was welcoming her.
This place was messy and in desperate need of attention. But she decided that if they did decide to stay here, she wouldn’t mind it at all. She returned to the house, located another empty closet and closed the door behind her as she settled in. She wondered where they would go tomorrow as she drifted off with the memory of the stars in her mind.