When Fenton first heard the tapping of something on his window at night, he figured it was just the wind. He was too close to a deep slumber to do anything about it, thinking it wouldn’t get any louder. However, when a huge rock came flying through his window and came inches away from his body, it caused the duck to jolt up with a gasp.
He glared down at the object, too scared to move a muscle in fear that it was a villain or crook who had discovered his secret identity when he wasn’t Gizmoduck. Then, he heard a voice from below.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry about that! I didn’t know it would go all the way through.”
Instantly recognizing it, Fenton felt a sensation of relief wash over him and looked out the window, making a mental note to clean up the glass around it tomorrow. Sure enough, standing outside and right underneath was his good friend and coworker Fethry, looking up at him with the friendly and inviting expression he wore so often.
“Oh, hey Fethry!” Fenton greeted him. “Wait, why didn’t you just knock?”“I wanted to make a gesture!” he called. “You know, like they do in the movies!”
“Fair enough!”They looked at each other for a moment before Fethry spoke again. “Can I come in?”
“Of course! Hold on, I’ll meet you at the door.” Fenton hopped from his bed and to the door, opening it and ushering the other duck inside. “You’re lucky my M’ma isn’t home right now. She would’ve freaked out.”
“Over the broken window?” Fethry winced. “I really do apologize for that. I’ll help you fix it tonight if you need!”
“Don’t worry,” Fenton reassured him. “I’ve already broken it two other times this year. As far as she’s concerned, it’s just another Gizmoduck accident.”
Fenton opened the door to his bedroom and offered Fethry to enter first. He did so, looking a bit timid which worried the other. It wasn’t like he’d never been to Fenton’s house before. Ever since he started working with him, the two were quick to discover all the common interests they shared and form a close bond, closer than Fenton believed he’d formed with anyone in a while. Things in the lab were always great as far as he was concerned, but Fethry being there made them even better.“So,” Fenton asked, taking a seat on his bed and motioning for the other to join him, “what’s brought you here so late?”
When the other spoke, Fethry’s expression unexpectedly changed. His gentle grin dropped, and Fenton felt a wave of concern wash over him. With a solemn sigh, the other duck sat down on his bed and broke the news to him.
“I’ve actually come here to say goodbye, Fenton.”
It felt like a rock dropped in the depths of Fenton’s stomach. “W-What? Goodbye!? L-Like goodbye goodbye, or-”
Fethry placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at Fenton with sincerity in his stare. “I’ve done some thinking, and I don’t really know if Duckburg is where I belong. I’m having fun here, but it just doesn’t feel right. I’m heading out on Mitzi tonight, and I wasn’t going to say anything to anyone, but you deserve to know where I’ve gone.”
Unable to believe what he was hearing, Fenton had to gulp before continuing. “Wait, what? Where are you going?”
The other duck shrugged. “I don’t know. I think we’re just going to see where the ocean takes us like old times.”
“Oh…”
For a moment, Fenton had no idea what else to say because he didn’t want to believe this was real. Fethry hadn’t been in Duckburg for very long, and he’d come from, by what he understood, nearly five years of isolation in an abandoned underwater lab. He didn’t like to talk about it, so Fenton never prodded him for any more information. There was already enough to show that it definitely had a less-than-positive effect on him.
“Why are you leaving?” he finally managed to squeak out.
Fethry frowned. “Well…if we’re being honest, I don’t mind it here. I’d like to stay, but I’m not really sure if anyone else really wants me to, y’know? I mean, I assume you do, but I don’t know.” He sighed. “I just don’t really feel like part of the family.”
Fenton became even more concerned at the other’s confession. “What do you mean? You live in the mansion with them all, right?”
“In Donald’s houseboat for now,” Fethry corrected him, “but I don’t think he likes me there all that much. He’s never really been one for roommates.” He began to wring his hands as he spoke, and Fenton sensed it was his way of trying to hide an intense emotion he didn’t want the other to know of. “Everyone else is just so…connected, which makes sense. They’ve all been together for years while I was off by myself underwater. Granted, I wouldn’t mind having been there with them if I was wanted, but…” The duck shook his head. “I missed my chance. It’s too late for me to find a place with them, and I don’t want to burden anyone with trying-”
“Stay with me.”The words came tumbling from Fenton’s bill before he could even think. Fethry stopped talking and flipped around to look at the other duck, who was now staring at him with wide eyes.“What?”
Fenton gently placed his own hands over Fethry’s, partially to calm him and also because he wanted him to know how much he meant this. “Could you be happy, here, with me?” he asked, leaning in. “You can stay in my room, or if you’re not comfortable with that, we have a guest room. M’ma won’t mind. She loves you!”
The duck seemed taken aback. “S-She does?”
“Of course she does, Fethry. A lot of people do!” Fenton, suddenly feeling very optimistic about his new plan, let out a chuckle, and his grin widened. “Who cares what a few of them think? I know so many people, myself included, who really don’t wanna see you go.”
“You do?”
“Yes! Huey, Manny, Gyro, heck, I even think Lil Bulb’s warmed up to you. That’s saying something!” Fenton laughed again, and his smile grew even wider when he noticed Fethry doing the same. “And I know there are more. It might not feel like it, but there really are.”A thick layer of blush was making itself present on Fethry’s face. “Aw. You really think so?”
“I know so!” Fenton locked eyes with him again, his own sparkling. “If this is really what you want to do, I’m not going to stop you, but just because you feel out of place with one group doesn’t mean you’re out of place with everyone else. You belong here, Fethry. In Duckburg. With Team Science.” His face began to flush. “With me.”
The two stared at each other for a few more seconds, hands intertwined and stares directed only at each other. Then, another gentle laugh left Fethry’s throat.“What did you say? Team Science? I’ve never heard that.”“Oh, sorry. Gyro doesn’t like it, so I try not to say it out loud. I think it reminds him that he’s gone a bit soft for us all.” Fenton rolled his eyes playfully. “But I still use it in my head to refer to everyone at work.”
Fethry looked at his lap for a second. “And…you include me in that?”
“Yes! I always have, ever since I met you!”“Wow, Fenton,” he spoke, smiling again, “this is definitely the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me. And I mean anyone. Even Mitzi.” His expression grew grim. “Don’t tell her I said that. She will seek revenge.”
“I won’t.” He gave Fethry’s hand a squeeze. “So…you’ll stay?”
Fethry screwed up his face in thought for a moment, the hesitation initially making Fenton a bit nervous. Then, his soft grin returned, and he nodded.
“I guess so. I don’t want to break up the team.”
“Good,” Fenton sighed, relieved. “Because it wouldn’t be the same without you.”That being settled, Fethry agreed to get his stuff from Donald’s boat in the morning, for it was late right now and they were both pretty exhausted. The two then spent their first night living together lying in bed and talking about various types of sea creatures and star systems and robotics and whatever else the conversation suddenly led to until they were content to drift to sleep, both glad to have someone who truly understood.
Notes: Hey, @bugsofjade... thank you for your TA OC, Ghani Khamis. Sorry again for the impromptu fic ^^;;
It's early Tuesday afternoon when TA Khamis has complete control of the General Villainy room: with Badwolf away on his extended lunch, none of the other teachers particularly care that the classroom is devoid of authority save a TA only a handful of years older than the students he instructs.
(The villain kids are used to it, not being cared about.)
He teaches them the history that's on the itinerary-- perhaps losing himself a bit as he discusses, for a moment, fairytale deviations and circumstances where the truth was exaggerated. There was no Raven Queen back when he was in high school; nobody to tell him that scripts were not the immovable, immaculate marble Headmaster Grimm would have you believe they were. No, fairytales come far more stained than stone-- they are only ink on paper, and hardcover, yes, but foldable and bendable and changeable.
TA Khamis stops and reminds his students not to deface the books in the library. You know. Just in case someone takes his metaphor a little too literally.
At the end of class, he collects the papers that were due, the homework that had been assigned the Thursday prior, each student passing in their essays. It's Badwolf's assignment, three-to-five pages on the student's fairytale legacy-- how previous villains fulfilled it, all the to-dos and not-to-dos of following your destiny, what mistakes your forbearers made that should never again be repeated.
(Khamis disagrees with the assignment-- reading sixteen essays about sticking more closely to the script has never seemed less appealing.)
"Feel free to leave after your papers are turned in," he says, for even villains deserve the afternoon sun-- "And see you next Tuesday."
The papers pile up quickly, few students willing to linger when there are better places to go. He sorts the essays carefully into his "To-Grade" folder, students dismissing themselves one by one until he reaches the end of the line.
It's West, as usual, West-comma-Celadon at the end of the line-- and just like every week, he slides two papers over Khamis' desk.
"I, uh," he mumbles. "Cupid's out today. He asked me to turn this in for him."
(It's a lie, of course it is. West tells it every week.)
"I see," Khamis' lips press together, thinning.
He knows Badwolf'll give Cupid-comma-Romeo-V extra credit for this flagrant disrespect of should-be authority, double extra credit for cheating. Perhaps a bit vindictively, Khamis marks him as having been in class today. It's all he can do to lessen Badwolf's glee.
"This one is his," replies West, sliding over a carefully printed paper. It's four and a half pages of well-sourced fairytale history, detailed descriptions of previous hitches and successes for that fairytale. Exactly what Badwolf wants.
(There's no chance the real Cupid wrote it.)
"And yours?" Khamis asks, and he cannot help the concern that ebbs into his voice.
West is silent for a moment. He hands over a much slimmer packet-- two pages only, by far less than the required minimum three.
Khamis' brow furrows in a frown. "Are you sure you wish to turn this in? I can give you another three hours, you know... office hours close at five-thirty today."
"No," West shakes his head. "I'm certain."
Khamis takes a deep breath in. "You know, you can tell me if there's something that's been getting in the way of completing your own homework. A... heavy workload from other sources, perhaps?"
"... it's fine," West mutters, "I wrote down everything I needed to write."
Khamis has his reservations about it, but in that moment, his student flees and he can question him no further. Hesitantly, more hesitantly yet, he peeks inside that page although it is his practice to grade alphabetically. He needs to know.
Besides the cover page, there is only one sentence in his essay: I will not make my forbearers' mistake of repeating our legacy at all.
lewvithur prompt: tfw ur stringing up led lights in the middle of december and then suddenly lots of tangling
Jay is is motherufcking June why do you do this to me
~
“Alright, how are we doing in here-oh for GOD’S SAKE LEWIS-!”
The dark-eyed boy glanced up from his threading of popcorn garlands, stealthily passing another handful of kernels to the dog hiding under the coffee table. “What’s wrong, Vi-ohgoodlord.”
The smirking bluenette gestured with both arms at the poor bundle of mechanical limb and Christmas light inching along the foyer floor, trying to escape the giggling swarm of giggling deadbeats continuing to loop the glowing bulbs around his hindered legs. Lewis bit his illusory lip, trying to stifle a laugh, and the beleaguered blonde on the floor shot him a glare that was equal parts accusing and pleading. The master of the manor stood, leaving the popcorn bowl unattended (and vulnerable to Wheeled Hamster Assault) and kneeling to wave off his little minions. “Alright you guys, we have the tree covered, go be useless somewhere else.”
The little purple specters all squeaked playfully, one stopping to plant a little peck on a very unamused Arthur’s forehead, and the human girl and ghost boy quickly freed him from his festive bonds. The mechanic smacked his mouth, grimacing at the ghost of a plastic aftertaste, and then side-eyed Lewis. “Why exactly did you think they were capable of a serious task in the first place?”
The taller man shrugged, looking for all the world like a proud member of the living (save for his blackened sclera and slight glow). “Vivi wants us to go top down with the light stringing, we needed someone who could reach the top.”
Arthur rolled his eyes, rising to his feet and gathering up the end of the strand. “Go get a ladder; if nobody else is gonna do this right, then-”
“No need, hold on.”
Before Arthur had time to protest, or even process what was happening, he had a strong pair of arms around his scrawny midsection, and the tile beneath him gave way to the open air. He yelped, nearly dropping the cord, and the wide chest against his back rumbled with laughter. “Will this do?”
Arthur tried not to look down directly, only barely catching Vivi stifling a giggle down below in his peripheral, and took a deep breath, trying to ignore how comfortable the warm hold was, and how red his cheeks were growing. “Yeah. I can work with this.”
Zilla hisses in defiance, standing as upright as physically possible, and Clover snorts. Of all the ways to try and assert dominance, the overgrown (now undergrown, to be quite honest) iguana wants to make this about size? He stomps one of his gangly legs in the dirt, stretching his hind legs and reaching his full height, tall and stiff, like he has been trained to do when the people in coats wanted to get a closer look.
Zilla slams their tail into the dirt, and both backstep as Fem pushes in between the two, growling in deep guttural clicks and narrowing her already thin red eyes. Hok stamps his forelimbs off to the side, wings twitching as he calls to the other MUTO in excitement.
The ground shifts slightly beneath the feet of the assembled beasts, and they all sidestep as Biollante unearths herself, freshly respawned in her lizard form, opening her massive jaws in a stretched, indulgent yawn. She glances down at the other kaiju, noticing the defiant, proud stances, and makes a noise akin to a chuckle. She’s the only one of them to come even close to the size of a handler (as short as her’s is).
An incoming shrieking giggle of glee is the only warning they have before Ghidorah alights with a thunderous thud, all three necks raised to full height. His heads puff their noses heartily, the closest casting a glance down at Biollante, only a inch or two shorter.
There’s a moment of silence. Off on the other side of the courtyard, they can just barely hear their handlers laughing uproariously as they discuss petty human matters of no importance.
Biollante shoots out one vine for each of Ghidorah’s necks, and the other monsters hit the ground as she swings the haughty bastard around and flings him into the wall.
Off to the side, Zeki chews on a leaf, caring not for the pissing contests of other Legends.
Chou meeting Optimus: Oh. My god. Look at this beautiful boy. My god, the purity of it all. Please marry my best friend and help her to stop being a jackass. Lord I am blessed to behold your face.
Chou meeting Sentinel:….my god I actually hate who you are as a person so much the feeling is almost SENSUAL why the fuck do you exist
