LIVING LIGHT TABLE @onionskintrio - Tumblr Blog

joblcss‌:

“Sydney!” she called back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Onion! Thanks a million!”

With a quite literal bounce in her step, Sydney turned and made a dash for home. Exuberance engulfed her, and nothing would stop her from making that audition tomorrow. She had a lot to do!/

Tomorrow couldn’t have come quick enough. The ecstatic skunk’s morning had consisted of dozens of lines and jokes and mishaps all while simultaneously woofing down breakfast and hastily performing her regular morning routine.

Now, she were prancing down the sidewalks of ever-busy ToonTown, spirit bright as the smiling sun above her. She always got this way before an audition; so full of her dream. Ever, ever, hopeful this would be it. That she would have it this time. That she could get through one whole act without an accident. Her hope was resilient, even in the face of her many failed attempts. After all, she only had TWO accidents this morning, and they weren’t even that bad.

‘Where is this place now?’ Sydney thought to herself, making her way past toons of every type goin on about their looney days. She hadn’t been to this block of ToonTown before, and wasn’t exactly sure what to look for. She could only hope she’d spot something that would let her know she had indeed found the studio she was looking for. Nonchalantly dodging a stray anvil, and rounding the corner she found herself on the street written on Onion’s address note.

Onion walked away with a newfound pep in his step. He wasn’t quite sure what it was, but he didn’t really care, it felt good! He was actually really looking forward to tomorrow. But it wasn’t like he wasn’t leading a pretty good life already, sure he wasn’t rich by any sense of the word, but loved what he did, and he got to do it all day, every day! Day in... and day out... Okay. He had to admit even that could get dull after some time. It was nice to have something happen to break his predictable schedule just a little. He took note to remember that name too... Sydney! What a curious skunk... The next day rolled around, and by the time Sydney turned the corner onto Alpha Studios’ block, there he was, leaning casually against the wall that housed the actual studio, right by the door. The skunk was mid-yawn as she came closer, hand up to his mouth in a fist, but peeked out of one eye to notice her approach once he heard the footsteps.

“Oh, Sydney! Hah, I didn’t even notice you coming!” He chirped, pulling a pocket watch out to glance at it. “8:01... oh... looks like you JUST missed the gatekeeper...” he said matter-of-factly, bringing attention to the tall iron bar gate that kept the studio locked up tight, and the small, empty hut where a guard would be posted to open the gates for authorized personnel. Empty, which meant no one could let them in! Which meant no audition...! Which meant..-

Without another word... Onion just stepped right between the bars, and it became apparent just how widely spaced they were, before he turned around “... well, by a few years, anyway.” He shrugged with a smile, despite the fact that the sign outside said they were founded just a year ago... “Eh, must be one heck of a lunch break...” He turned, motioning with his head, “You comin’?”

The interior was... well, it wasn’t exactly extravagant, in fact it looked run down in some parts... maybe that’s just how it looked when everyone has the day off? There was a water tower near the front, with a few paths leading to the different wings of the studio. But the cleanest looking of them all was a large blueish building in the center, with Alpha studios’ logo right in the forefront, and that’s exactly where the duo were headed...

#joblcss #Dont Forget The Key Change (THREAD)#V; Discount Toons

joblcss

onionskintrio·:

Onion tilted his head ever so slightly at the hesitation. Listening to her picking her words rather… selectively. In a way, she didn’t even need to finish her thought before he pieced it together. He worked in the music business, he was no stranger to being in the same situation, after all.

He didn’t even get a proper chance to respond before she flipped the conversation on him. “Music?” He looked confused, looking down at his bag, only just now realizing how messy it really was. “Oh.” He rubbed the back of his head, looking just slightly embarrassed at his sloppy work of packing. “Aheh.”

Composing himself, running his fingers through his hair, he replied, “I am! Was a stroke of luck too, got picked up over at Alpha Animations while they were still getting off the ground. Well, we still are, but you know what I mean.” His tail flicked about, not all too used to talking about himself. “You’ll usually find me cooped up there, either helping the actors tell their right foot from their left… oooor slumped over a desk trying to figure out a way to have the music keep up with their running and zipping this way and that without… you know, KILLING my marimba players.” he explained with a chuckle, his ‘or’ emphasized with an heavy sigh.

But, realizing he started to ramble on again, he turned the focus back on her. “But hey, I’m sure you’ll get where you want to be, it’s always rough in the beginning. But keep at it, you never know when opportunity will come knockin’.” He assured with that tired smile of his, a small wink accenting the last word of his sentence. It wasn’t until after he said that, that an idea struck. “Well… Actually. Ya’know if you haven’t already, you should audition at Alpha Studios! They’re always looking for young talent! Got anything planned for tomorrow?”

Wow. Right up there with the actors. Wouldn’t that be somethin’? This guy had a comfortable spot in the world RIGHT next to where Sydney wanted to be. And the tooniverse decided maybe now was a good time to rub it in. Sure, bring this guy on over who just happened to have a direct worklife in acting. Bring him to the only toon in ToonTown who couldn’t even score a job acting on the sidewalk for pennies, but would likely appreciate the step more than anyone else. Go ahead.

Sydney’s mind had taken a detour onto ‘why me’ lane, creating a divide in her attention that caused the other skunk’s voice to sound like muffled radio amidst her thoughts. Thankfully, however, the mention of an audition was just the cold-water word Sydney needed to snap out of her troublesome train of thought.

“Audition?” she perked. “Tomorrow? You can get me in? You would do that?”

Interest, quickly bubbled into a familiar excitement. Another chance. She beamed.

“Because I’ll be there! Just say the word. What time?”

Brimming over with enthusiasm, Sydney insisted her acceptance of the invitation, leaning forward with such anticipation as she spoke. Perhaps, after all, he were brought here for a different reason - not to be the salt in Sydney’s wound, but the band-aid to cover it. What if this was it? She had to go to that audition!

onionskintrio

Onion thought the offer might please her, but he was pleasantly surprised at just how enthusiastic she was! In truth, the studio didn’t have the greatest reputation through those who knew about it... It wasn’t BAD per se, but they were hardly popular like Warner or Disney... not by a long shot. Not to mention that their staff was comprised of toons that were... lets say... different, in one way or another. Hey, it was tough starting out when such giants existed. But a pair of fresh eyes that didn’t have the stigma that they were just a group of cheap amateurs... could only a good thing for them... right? Leaning back as she leaned forward in his face, a chuckle escaped his lips before he replied, “Heh, well... yeah! I mean, we’re all off for the weekend, but Alpha, the guy in charge, generally sticks around the studio even then. He’s a pretty easygoing guy so... I see no reason he’d mind taking a moment to see what you can do.” He assured, before reaching into his bag to pull out a crumpled piece of paper and a pencil, writing down an address to what’d appear to be in the emptier, or one could even say poor, part of the town, to someone who knew the area well.

Handing it to her, he straightened himself out. “If you’re serious, meet me outside there tomorrow at 8, and Ill help you in to meet the big guy.” He said, before a yawn that came out of nowhere interrupted, signaling to both of them that it was probably time for him to go home and rest. “Just make sure that next time I see you afterwards, that I’m asking for your autograph, eh?” the skunk finished with a friendly snicker in his voice. Pointing at her playfully with another wink as he began to turn towards his home. He only took a couple steps before he halted, looking over his shoulder at her for just a passing moment, “Oh! I’m Onion, by the way. It was a pleasure meeting you.” He concluded with a wave goodbye, and a smile as bright as the sun above them, before turning again to make his way back home.

As he walked however, it became very clear that something was amiss with him. There were... two copies of him just barely lagging behind, one Green, and one Red. Like onionskin frames that animators use!

#joblcss #Dont Forget the Key Change (THREAD)

joblcss‌:

And there it was, like an anvil, that familiar heaviness in her chest. That was what she wanted; to be a recognizable star. The dream, the single goal that drove her every effort. How ironic it were that her failure to achieve that was the very reason he’d found his way into this conversation. There’s a deep breath followed by a sigh as she pushed away that somber thought and answered, reluctantly, “No, I’m more of a.. uhm..” How would she word it? Her hands teetered like a balance scale as she pondered her words. “Freelancer?”

Wrong answer. Freelancers worked more than she did. “I am auditioning. Often. Not with one studio or the other.”

Close enough. “It’s very exciting,” Next. “Anyway, what do you do? I thought I saw music poking out of that back of yours. Are you a composer?”

Onion tilted his head ever so slightly at the hesitation. Listening to her picking her words rather... selectively. In a way, she didn’t even need to finish her thought before he pieced it together. He worked in the music business, he was no stranger to being in the same situation, after all.

Composing himself, running his fingers through his hair, he replied, “I am! Was a stroke of luck too, got picked up over at Alpha Animations while they were still getting off the ground. Well, we still are, but you know what I mean.” His tail flicked about, not all too used to talking about himself. “You’ll usually find me cooped up there, either helping the actors tell their right foot from their left... oooor slumped over a desk trying to figure out a way to have the music keep up with their running and zipping this way and that without... you know, KILLING my marimba players.” he explained with a chuckle, his ‘or’ emphasized with an heavy sigh.

But, realizing he started to ramble on again, he turned the focus back on her. “But hey, I’m sure you’ll get where you want to be, it’s always rough in the beginning. But keep at it, you never know when opportunity will come knockin’.” He assured with that tired smile of his, a small wink accenting the last word of his sentence. It wasn’t until after he said that, that an idea struck. “Well... Actually. Ya’know if you haven’t already, you should audition at Alpha Studios! They’re always looking for young talent! Got anything planned for tomorrow?”

#joblcss #Dont Forget the Key Change (THREAD)

joblcss·:

Sydney’s attention shifted from her woes toward the voice, and she turned to find that the source of it were a fellow toon skunk looking quite concerned. What’s new? Sydney, well used to dealing with the concern and anger of toons subject to her failed performance attempts, was not surprised the other toon had thought to approach with such a question.

A nonchalant smile presented her relaxation with the situation, “I’m fine, thanks. Trust me, this is not my first accident.”

“Him?” she glanced over to the mannequin, a tiny flames ablaze its many branches, and tipped it over with a push of her finger. “He’s not doin’ too hot.”

Ba-dum tss.

“What about you? Are you okay? You know, it wasn’t supposed to happen the way it did. I’m sorry if I hurt you, I’m uh..still..practicing.”

Now that she had a better look at him, Sydney could see he must have been a passerby. No one she knew of would appear so tired and bogged down with a satchel of - what was that sticking out, sheet music? - if they were deliberately out to enjoy the park. She wondered where he’d come from, and why he dressed so well-kept. Certainly he must be coming from a place much classier than the poor scene he’d just stumbled upon.

The casual look on the stranger skunk’s face rose just a hint of concern inside Onion, considering the possibility that what she did could have been on purpose... Or she simply didn’t care. Both of which were cause for alarm. But, thankfully once she responded, it cleared the air right up. Well, if there was ever a safe place to practice with explosives, it was the park. Right? Nice open space... lots of kids...

Ahem. His train of thought was derailed yet again, when attention was brought to the burning mannequin, with a pun that... he actually found really amusing. “Heh, Don’t worry, we all get burned from time to time.” He quipped in response, a chuckle in his voice as he looked past her at that test dummy turned impromptu campfire. “Talk about being built like a twig...” Onion straightened out his posture, dusting himself off on his way up, and ending with a brief straighten of his bow tie. Every sluggish movement leaving behind just a shimmer of his onionskin frames. “I’d be more concerned if that WAS what you were going for, eheh. But I’m fine, no harm done.” he replied with a sunny smile, despite the obvious exhaustion in his eyes.

Now that he got a better look at the stranger, and how she mentioned she was practicing, a thought had just occurred to him. “If I may... what were you practicing? A gag? Are you a star at one of the studios around here?" He asked curiously, “Can’t remember the last time I’ve had time to visit the big screen, so forgive me if I should know who you are...”

#joblcss #Dont Forget the Key Change (THREAD)

joblcss

@onionskintrio

It were not uncommon to find Sydney Skunk practicing, whenever she were able to, the cartoony gags most toons naturally had a knack for. Nothing too special, only your standard pie in the face, dynamite bouquet, falling anvil, classic techniques that every toon and toon lover were familiar with. The problem with Sydney, however, was that these ‘natural toon talents’ simply weren’t so natural for her. Whenever, wherever she attempted to perform a cartoony act of comedy, chaos followed in the wake. Nevertheless, Sydney persisted, daily, in her constant attempt to learn the skills that would make her a cartoon star worthy of the big screen.

Today was a day no different. There Sydney was, out in the middle of ToonTown’s bright hued and beautifully alive park, toony dynamite in hand…

‘Bigger, louder, is better,’ she remembered being told once and recalled now as she readied herself for her explosive rehearsal. The first step was to carefully hide this dynamite bouquet in the hammerspace behind her back. Check. Deep breath, now. Lights, camera, action!

“Gee, you look upset!” proclaimed she to the antagonist figure of poorly tied-together twigs before her. “Lighten up.”

And now for the subject of her punchline! This time she was going to pull it off! Sydney’s hand disappeared behind her and from her hammerspace the enthusiastic skunk whipped out a - !

A lit rocket.

A lit ROCKET?!

When she remembered to take her acting ‘bigger’ and ‘louder’, this hadn’t been what she’d intended! There was hardly time for Sydney to gasp and let go of the monstrous thing before it LAUNCHED into motion, HURLING into the sky and EXPLODING into a dozen other chaotically zooming fireworks. An umbrella wooshed into flames at the touch of one, another rocked the ground with its impact, poof went a bed of flowers, petals lifting into the air, a shriek from a passerby and a sploosh let us know they’ve been soaked by a water-rocket impact! And after everything, complete pandemonium settled into a destructed aftermath - an not a moment too soon.

Sydney peeked from between her fingers to see the far too familiar scene, and her arms dropped to her sides as she hung her head back with a defeated groan. She’d done it again.

onionskintrio

It was another day as usual for the tricolored Skunk. Or, at least it seemed as such when it began. Onion was at his usual job at Alpha Animation Studios, slaving over his desk with heaps of sheet music cluttered in every possible corner of his little studio he was given as part of the job. He was in charge of the creation of just about every major score the studio puts in it’s cartoons, so, you know. No pressure. Today, he was in crunch time finishing the music for their latest major cartoon. Something about boy-meets-girl and all the toony madness that ensues in his pursuit, until he finally wins her over. Yadda yadda yadda, the usual. He was too exhausted to remember the details.

It was just getting to the point where he began to think he’d have to go to Alpha, the owner of the studio, to ask for more time, when two others burst into the room! A lanky, springy, identical ferret duo that went by the names Squash and Stretch. Was Squash on the left, or the right, you ask?

Yes.

“Pack it up, band nerd!” “Zip ran into a camera again, everyone’s getting off early today!” Before he could even respond, the duo ducked out of his studio like a pair of slinkies, the sound of them bursting into each office down his hall and repeating the same line with different nicknames echoing quieter and quieter until the two were too far away to notice. Well, guess he was getting saved by the bell! He had the whole weekend to come up with something at home. With a yawn, the Skunk scrounged together what sheet music he deemed useful into an old messenger bag, and eventually found his way out of the studio.

It couldn’t have been later than noon, and already he was ready to drop into his bed and call it a day. But he had to finish that tune... Onion’s mind was mostly preoccupied with various musical ramblings on his way back to his apartment, while occasionally glancing at different women and couples on the street to see what sounds they inspired. A cat couple on a date here... a couple cows on a stroll over there... “D-E-F-G-E- C-D~...” He muttered to himself in a hum.

Gah, no. Thats been done a million times. Okay, lets see... A bird couple having dinner outside a cafe... too jazzy... A couple of droopy dogs sitting on the steps of a rundown building... Ehh, too blues. A Skunk pulling a rocket out of her pocket for a poorly made mannequin. Too...

...huh. Actually-

BOOM

Next thing he knew, things were crashing and burning left and right! Instinctively, he took cover behind the nearest park bench, narrowly avoiding the ensuing carnage of explosions as fireworks whizzed right by him! By the time it was over, Onion peeked out from behind the bench to see destruction, surrounding a defeated looking girl... For a moment, a tune found it’s way into his head... ... Wait, that was it! He scrambled for a piece of sheet music and put pen to paper. It... wait, how did it go again...? Alas, just like that, he lost it.

With a huff, he put the paper and pen away, and looked back over to the lone skunk, slung his bag back over his shoulder, and walked over.

Approaching from behind, Onion peeked around her with a curious look on his face. “Pardon me, ah... Are you and your...” He glanced at the mannequin. “...friend. Ahem. Are you alright?” he asked. His mild movements keeping his onionskin frames fairly unnoticeable at the time.

#joblcss #Dont Forget the Key Change (THREAD)