The Curvy Curse

Chapter 27: Dessert

               

         Netis awoke with a start, eyes wide.

"Food?" she whispered, looking as if Aruna had answered all her prayers. Aruna smiled wickedly before turning to the fridge, pulling out cartons of eggs, packs of bacon, and various other foods. We plopped ourselves on the stools around the island, looking up to her as if she was the mother hen of us drunk little chicks.

    "Food," Blake confirmed, patting Netis's head.

"But not without your ceremonial outfits," Aruna spoke up as she swirled pancake mix in a large bowl.

 "... Excuse me?" Rogue said, the first to speak up. We all stared at her, Chase the only one who didn't look weary now.

     "It is ttraditional here to wear ceremonial tribal garbs on the first night of the festival during the meal. It's how we respect our ancestors for blessing us with this island," she said brightly, turning around and flashing us a happy grin. "Not only that, but I get to make you a traditional food of my village," she added cheerfully.

"What 'garb'?" I demanded unclearly.

    "What food?" Chase asked eagerly.

"Liver Sausage Pineapple. And the outfits are in the closet by the main door." Chase all but ran to retrieve them, but everyone else stayed put.

"What's... What's Liver Sausage Pineapple..?" I asked politely, gritting my teeth.

    "Oh! Well, first you just mix together the liver sausage, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and mayonnaise. The you let it form around a jelly jar in the shape of a pineapple, ya know?" she said, accent lilting. " Then it's just a matter of frosting it with a mix of mayonnaise and gelatin, unflavored of course, and topping it off with the top part of a pineapple! Oh. And then you stick slice olives to it. Yum," she sighed, pulling out the diseased looking thing from the fridge. It had solidified around what I presume was the jar, and true to her word, Aruna began slicing olives to squish against it as breakfast fried. She looked up. "Well? Go get dressed, sillies!"

     We hesitated, and stomachs wilting in complete and utter horror, took the outfits that Chase had brung to us.

"These look ridiculous, I don't wanna wear these," Blake whined as Chase quickly shimmied into a grass skirt. Chase shot him a look that threatened disownment.

      "But... it's what I always do. Up until this year I've been celebrating alone," Aruna implored, trying and failing to look casual. This obviously meant a lot to her, and we all looked down guiltily.

"Of course we'll get dressed!" Chase jumped in, putting a protective arm around her as his tribal headdress bobbed and swayed. "RIGHT, guys?" he asked, shooting us a fierce glare. We all nodded enthusiastically, the Netis and I running off to strip and dress. We heard shuffling in the living room, and grunts of annoyance as we came back out. The guys had painted their chests and were dressed in ridiculous grass skirts, Rogue and Chase wearing a tall, feather headdress with dead palm tree leaves sticking from the top. Blake had on a tribal mask, and they were laughing drunkenly as they got a good look at us. We had on skirts, albeit shorter than theirs, and bras made from melded together seashells.

     Netis glared at Blake, who looked her up and down appreciatively, but I could tell she was pleased. Rogue came to my side, putting an arm around my waist, and my heart stuttered a bit at the contact.

"So... what now?" I asked, looking down at my skirt awkwardly and tugging at my flower headdress. Aruna looked at us all solemnly before breaking down into wails of laughter, soon too weak to stand as struggled to keep taking bacon off the fryer.

     "You-!" She gasped through shrieks of laughter, struggling to speak. "You  actually WORE it, holy shit!" she gasped out before collapsing again. Chase was enchanted as usual, and we all stared at her in shock.

"You... You tricked us?" Netis said in shock, realizing what had happened. Aruna could only nod, still howling as tears streamed down her face.

     "Welcome to the family," Blake suddenly said, looking oddly choked up as he patted her on the back.

"Christ," Rogue muttered, rolling his eyes. She finally calmed down enough to serve breakfast, and we all ate in content silence in our outfits as she cracked up every now and then, eyes crinkling. We finally finished, and pat our full bellies. I leaned against Rogue, closing my eyes.

    "So who's ready for dessert?" Aruna suddenly asked cheerfully, getting up. We gaped in horror as she brought back the Liver Sausage Pineapple, setting it carefully in the middle of the table we'd cleared off.

"Oh, please. Like I'm falling for another prank," Netis scoffed as Aruna cut us all slices.

   "What do you mean?" she asked, looking at us like we'd taken a bite out of our plates instead of our food. She turned her attention back to her plate, deftly scooping a bite from It before popping it into her mouth with a satisfied hum.

Blake's eyes bugged from his head as Netis gasped. My jaw dropped, and Rogue looked slightly green. Even Chase looked at her in shock.

     "This is an island favorite," Aruna said dismissively, licking the spoon. "My great-great-add-100-more-greats grandma invented it," she stated proudly, smiling at us widely. We sat staring at her, and she made a fluttering motion with her fingers as she urged, "Go on!!"

 Everyone looked around, and bravely, I took the first scoop from my slice. It smelled absolutely putrid, and I hated olives. And liver. And...

     "What's in that Worchester sauce stuff?"

"Worcestershire sauce. It's got... vinegar, molasses, anchovies, onions, chili pepper extract. Some other stuff," she listed absentmindedly, eagerly watching for me to take a bite. I looked around at everyone. They all shook their heads slightly, looking scared, but I ignored them as I lifted the spoon to my mouth. With a trembling hand, I took the first bite.

    Oh.

Oh, God.

      My tongue seemed to shrivel in my mouth, and I must have looked like it, too, because Rogue grabbed my arm protectively.

"Are you okay??" he asked frantically, looking panicked. Netis had covered her mouth and was shaking her head slowly as Blake held her, and Chase had averted his eyes completely. Aruna eagerly awaited my verdict.

     "Y... Yaaaas," I managed to gurgle, slightly dizzy as the overwhelming taste of liver and anchovies mixed together. Aruna squealed, clapping her hands together and looking around the table.

    "The trick is to mix together more mayo and unflavored gelatin and frost the pineapple thingy again!" she explained. Everyone nodded, faces pale and blank, and took their bites. Netis immediately coughed a tiny bit back onto her plate before forcing a swallow, and Blake was trembling. Chase had grinned during the entire thing, the pain behind his now blank eyes the only giveaway to the horrors he'd also felt. And Rogue.

 My poor baby.

       He'd taken a huge spoonfull to try getting it over with, and was paying the price.

"Like it or love it?" Aruna asked, still beaming.

   Blake wheezed.

************

Well. Yeah. xD Just a funny chapter! Next one will be pretty action packed. It's the beginning of the end of book 1! Liver Sausage Pineapple in external link! Unfortunately, the horrors are real.