This is an alternate branch of the storyline continuing from [15A]

The Tall and Short Problems of a Cute Gamer Girl

[16A]
For the Primary Branch [16]

Rachel eventually got the details of the spirit inhabiting Giselle‘s head area. She swiftly understood the analogy. For supper, Olivia was tasked with preparing the tilapia and veggies. She also fed Herschel, who had no qualms about this. Afterward, he got snuggly with her, seemingly in the hopes that she would feed him again.

Despite the fact she didn’t eat, Olivia tested placing some of the food in her mouth as she had with lunch. She soon resolved that this was much more pleasant than the “crap“ earlier (Rachel gave Giselle a look).

The evening stream indeed turned out to be the cat game that Britney was hoping for. The number of viewers was much lower and several of their moderator friends were no longer present. Giselle curled up with Herschel and a big warm blanket and teased him at points with the dedicated “meow” button. Olivia didn’t join in, but she watched with precise curiosity.

Giselle noted that the primary audience was around her age and a few years older along with some folks much much older, typically parents. Rachel was essentially in charge because she was the adult and officially owned the channel. Otherwise, the situation didn’t feel all that different from previous weeks with streaming. Giselle had to withhold some of her more ambiguous statements for a more squeaky clean version that someone her apparent age would offer up.

She resisted the urge to play dumb, but her regular Jeremy mode didn’t need too much tweaking from JeremyPlays to adapt to Mom&DaughterPlays. They did have to start and finish up at an earlier hour, but Giselle already found herself heavily fading by the stopping point anyway.

She appreciated that no one who watched the stream made any gross or weird comments that she saw. Rachel brought her back to awareness by going through the pretty outfits in the closet. At least this version of her wasn’t overzealous about the girliest things, but Rachel was still able to find enough. The chosen dress reminded Gisele way too much of Little House on the Prairie (for which her family had a variety of silly names, like “little burp on the swamp”).

It had some gossamer frills but went quite low past her knees with small sleeves and a cute neckline. She put shorts on underneath and a tank top but lamented the fact that Rachel had plans to put her blonde hair in bows. She had to put her foot down and limit it to a simple hair design which Olivia diligently watched and did her best to replicate for herself.

After washing up, Gisele took out her Switch and played some Smash locally versus Rachel. Olivia just watched as Hershel curled up in her lap.

Around bedtime, Olivia confessed that what she did to the vice principal would actually wear off by Monday morning. She also admitted, “I wanted to do something to him. He felt like that mean teacher only in other, bad ways. And I could sense the emotion and energy coming off him. It was like the cruelty of the dark ones. I know I say I want to seek love and lovely emotions and be better but sometimes… I can understand simple revenge.”

Giselle gave Olivia a quick hug and reassured her it was fine. She even invited her to use the shower although Olivia retained a clear absence of aroma which didn’t shift one way or the other. She appreciated the offer but again declined. Giselle, however, desperately needed a shower after a very full day and the stress of not figuring out all these weird clothes.

Because of the way that Olivia drained overnight, despite her assurances that she still had enough after everything, Giselle opted to share the upstairs bed with her. She also noted, “I have your sister with me so it would only be appropriate for you two to share the same bed.”

Rachel had Herschel with her, but she came up several times to check on them. Olivia leaned close to Giselle and practically bumped her head into hers. Unlike the doll stillness of the last time, she at least emulated slumber and curled up cutely.

In the morning, she just took a little sample of Giselle spinning around in her dress with the sentiment of a little kid before the full flower of emotional surprise and embarrassment. Athena and Olivia both seemed sated.

Way too early, it seemed like, the doorbell rang. It was Dennis. He was dressed up in a little suit with a gray tie and dark pants like a polite penguin. He wore a small bandage on the side of his head. His limbs dangled out of the suit as though it were too small for him. Giselle could relate, as it wasn’t too long after this age that Jeremy sprouted up with arms and legs sprawling like bamboo. Dennis looked surprisingly calm compared with his frantic energy yesterday.

“Hello, Gi. Did your mom agree?”

She found it a little bit weird that he hadn’t texted or called ahead, but she wasn’t sure what his number was. He told her he would’ve sent a message, but something happened with his cell phone, and he just came along on his own early. Olivia lingered with a curious distance. She seemed especially rigid and subdued.

Rachel scoped out the little man and came to the same conclusion that Giselle had, with a raised eyebrow. She framed it as, “Why, he looks just like your Uncle Jeremy when he was that age!” Dennis shared a calm smile and bowed his head.

Gisele felt like she had too many things to worry about so instead merely focused on surviving getting put into a little girl’s dress. Dennis was quite cordial when she came down in it, urging that she was lovely. That was not a compliment she wanted, but she endured it.

Hershel wouldn’t come out of the bedroom before they left, but Rachael made sure his feeder was set with plenty to keep him happy. In the car, Olivia claimed the front passenger seat while Giselle and Dennis were relegated to the middle. Olivia looked back quite often, as though worried Giselle might poof out of existence if she didn’t keep a close enough watch.

So far as chat, Dennis continued his stiff nervousness in discussing the weather, the scenery outside, and the kind of car they were in. It beguiled her to be the subject of such anxiety. The occasional meet-ups for YouTube things and various conventions sometimes had a person who found themselves tongue-tied but Jeremy usually manage to unwind that with humor and self-depreciation.

But telling Dennis how sweaty her head was just got him focused on it as though he might be able to do something about it. Even joking about the school ears didn’t seem to break that ice.

The theater was one of the older ones on the coastline. It appeared grand with a large marquee and bright, ornamental lights shimmering even at this time of day. Dennis remembered to escort Giselle up to the front, which earned him a few points from Rachel.

Dennis paid for everyone’s ticket despite Rachel offering up her purse. Before he could try again, she’d gotten food, at a price even higher than the tickets, for the group. Olivia remained around Rachel as she marveled at the strange butter-like substance that discolored the popcorn and the entire bag.

The theater had stadium-style seating with large armchairs. At Rachel’s encouragement, "the couple" found a spot towards the middle while Rachel and Olivia settled more off to the side. Rachel giggled when Olivia placed a Twizzler in her mouth.

“What do you know about your relative?” Dennis asked quietly. Giselle repeated the standard stock stuff they were telling everyone concerning Olivia‘s backstory.

“She seems like the sort to have secrets.”

Giselle shrugged. “That’s not really my business if she does. And I’d prefer not to talk about it.”

“Are you sure she won’t hurt you?”

“Yes. That’s just silly. Let it go, Dennis.”

He reached up to touch her hair. The warmth on her head was hit by a sudden chill, as though she were sitting right beneath the AC vent. She flinched and brushed his hand away. “I think I need to use the restroom.”

He offered to walk her over there, but she declined. Olivia instead hopped up and explained, “It is a girl thing.” Giselle raised an eyebrow but let her come with her. Rachel offered to come too but Giselle resolved that she didn’t need a complete entourage.

Outside the theater, Olivia didn’t take long to express the obvious, “Something is unusual.” Giselle smirked and tugged on her dress while reiterating, “Something…”

“Be careful.” That sent a slight shiver up Giselle’s spine, but she nodded and went over to the family/all-gender bathroom to take a quick breather. She splashed water on her face and rubbed at some obstinate sleep still clinging to her eyes at this hour.

After finishing up, she stretched and glanced over at some posters.

“Giselle? Oh my gosh, I thought I would miss you! I’m so sorry!” Giselle froze place as Dennis rushed over from the ticket booth to where she was standing. He was on the opposite side of the complex. And he was dressed in a golden, rather goofy suit that totally played up the color of his hair.

As Giselle stood there dumbstruck, Dennis explained that something weird happened last night before bed which messed up his phone and ruined his ability to even meet up with her. His family was worried for a little while that someone had broken into their house because of a gaunt, spidery tall figure that his brother saw stalking around. Giselle‘s stomach immediately dropped as she turned towards the theater she’d left.

Dennis had so many questions, but she had to ignore him and hurry back. In the theater, the Dennis she left behind was not there. Before she could fully explain anything, Dennis in the gold suit joined her and nervously waved to the others. Rachel immediately inquired why he’d changed his outfit when he went to the restroom. To the confusion of everyone, especially Rachel and Dennis, Giselle asked if that’s where Dennis said he was going when he left.

Rachel confirmed this, but also looked like she was gathering together the thunderclouds of a painful headache. Giselle excused herself without further details. The heat in her head was like a pounding, hot coal pressed against her brain. She apologized to Athena and urged her to calm down. The warmth only slightly abated.

It spiked again when she approached the nearest family/all-gender bathroom. There was a feeling as she got closer that was unmistakable. It really seemed like a stupid idea, but she opened the door and carefully walked inside.

Several of the overhead lights were off this time, and others blinked slowly as if they were well on their way to going out too. Gisele had zero desire to walk further. She had an acute awareness of horror movie tropes. She even made a short film for a collaborative project a couple years ago about a haunted video game controller. In that, at least, that version of Jeremy had like a five-pound water jug to throw. Right now, she had nothing…but a damn girly dress and a tie in her hair.

Around the corner, she saw him standing there with his back turned. He ran the faucet and his fingers looked like clay pottery snapping and spreading down the drain as clawed nails with black fingers stretched out. That wasn’t the only thing that stretched as the confines of his suit arched up and a bundle of black legs spilled out like angry static.

It almost felt like her entire head had been lit on fire as a little boy’s voice, strangely muffled, spoke, “We have much to discuss. Good that we can do it in private. Without your friend to smash me in the head again…”

[Since this is meant to be interactive, feel free to suggest ideas and prompts for future/alternate branch storylines. Some branches are already written but this will allow me to best pick new/alternate ones. I'm currently just rolling dice.]

Poll below