I Miss You So (We'll Take It Slow) Chapter 1: "A Different Meeting"
(Mostly copy and pasted from ao3)
Whew! The first chapter is finally out er- well, on Tumblr now!
The idea’s been rotting in my brain ever since I started pondering a ‘what if’ scenario if Dandy was at the Star meeting in the Interlude. Plus, though I am a die-hard Bendystraw fan, Inkypetals has SOOO much angst potential, I just HAD to write it!
The tags for each chapter on Tumblr will only pertain to that specific post. If you decide to read the full story on Ao3, the tags will update as the story progresses.
Also, I'm still trying to figure out the formatting for Tumblr, so if it looks funny, that's why.
But anyways, thank you for checking my fic out, and I hope you enjoy!
Link to the story on Ao3!
(BTW, I don't know if I need to add any triggers or anything for this, as I don't think it does, but if y'all think this needs some, let me know!)
Story starts below the cut :]
Felix nervously chuckles, “Shall we get started and over with? It seems like a full house afterall!”
“Aww, really?”
A chipper voice pipes up, stepping into the room. “Did you forget lil ol’ me?”
The figure wore a multi-colored vest over a white dress shirt and a green tie with a leaf-like design. Green slacks were held up by a brown belt along with matching brown gloves and dress shoes. Around his head were six vibrant, rainbow petals, and topped with a skimmer hat. Finishing the look, the figure held a black and white cane.
Mickey rolls his eyes, “Dandicus, glad you could actually make it this time.”
Dandy grins as he wraps an arm around the other. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world!”
“You were absent for the last five,” the mouse deadpans.
“Was I? Because I wouldn’t remember!”
Mickey facepalms.
“Oh! I also brought in a stray!”
Walking in behind the Star, or rather, he drags in a familiar blonde feline.
“Stray? Really?” Sheba huffs. “Whatever, I’m done waiting outside anyway.”
Mickey shakes her hand.
“Welcome aboard. Although this is not the meeting you should have been introduced. It seems that NOTHING will go my way recently.”
His eyes flicker to a certain Toon.
“Well, most things.”
Dandy smiles innocently towards the mouse.
“Now that we have everyone,” grumbles Oswald, “Let’s begin.”
“Yes, let’s move on to reports. Bugs, please start us off.”
“Tech is always advancing!...”
Dandy ignored the reports. Honestly, he found them quite boring, but alas, there wasn’t much improvement in the Health department either. Sure, they did discover some better ways to soothe those with the Blot, and so sales have been at all time high once again.
However...
Curing the Blot?
Nowhere near
…
Star of the Health Department
…
HA!
…
…
…
What a joke…
Dandy sighed as he glanced around the room. Everything and everyone seems to be the same as the last time he's been here, minus the new head of the Entertainment department. The reports also seem to be the same old too (and that’s saying something considering it has been a while since he’s attended these…)
“I’ll jump in here ehm-” exclaims the plumber, cutting off Sonic’s outburst. “City development is steady but…” Mario shares an uneasy glance around the room. “While the Searchers are no problem, we’ve reports of excess amounts of unfiltered Ink waste coming from–”
“If I may segue.” Dandy interrupts, jumping up from his seat. “Any unfiltered ink will be taken care of per our agreement, Mick.”
“As for my report,” the ex-performer smiles brightly. “Medical production and advancements have been on the rise, and sales are at an all-time high! Our operation is running smoothly.”
Mickey nods, “Very well. Your cargo has been loaded to your train and will be ready to depart as soon as the meeting is over.”
“We appear to have skipped over someone. Miss Pomni?”
“Well…”
Slinking back into his seat, the smile stayed but moreso for formality. He just wants to return to his lab…
“We’re losing focus,” Oswald scowls, “The real reason for this meeting.”
“Right, yes.” Mickey gestures to the Head of Research, “Felix the Cat, you have the stage.”
Felix glances around the table, “…As you may know, I’ve been tasked with finding the map for the Ink Machine.”
“I thought we agreed to DROP that myth!” Sonic exclaims
“Hold your tongue, son,” scolded Mario.
Dandy frowns. Everyone is very well familiar with the myth. He, too, had once tried to find the missing pieces and failed. Sure, it would’ve been great, especially as head of the Health Department, but…
He wasn’t doing it for himself.
Ink was smeared all over his clothes, but he didn’t care. Not when he was in pain. Tears welled in his eyes, knowing that he couldn’t do a single thing. Knowing he had failed to find the very thing to aid his beloved.
What a useless-
Dandy shook his head, shaking the memory from his mind.
No, the myth is just a myth.
All he needs to do is find a cure.
Make a cure…
…
But if Felix actually found the map, then-
SLAM
He flinches, the loud noise knocking Dandy out of his thoughts. He turns to see Oswald lifting his bat from off the table and holds it still.
“The map is real,” the mouse grimly states. “The Collectors have the map.”
Silence
Huh
Dandy’s heard about these bounty hunters. The Collectors. They don’t really interfere with his work, so he doesn’t pay much attention to them. He does know a few things here and there…
The yelling and arguing continues, much to Dandy’s dismay. It’ll just make the meeting much longer than necessary…
Then, suddenly-
“It was YOUR BROTHER who let both the hunters and the demons snag it anyway…”
Voices continued to argue back and forth, each verbalizing their thoughts and opinions on the possibility of the myth being true.
However, despite the chaos around him, Dandy couldn’t care less. Not when his mind was stuck on loop, a word repeating over and over and over in his mind.
‘Demons’
‘No…’
Familiar gloved hands tug his own. Urging him to dance along.
‘It can’t be…’
An impish grin is thrown his way as they discreetly move away from the crowd. To somewhere more private.
‘...could it?’
Within his arms lay his other. The other held such a soft smile for him. Eyes glimmered with love and trust. He reflected those feelings back as he leaned in.
‘Ben-?’
“Sorry to break up a tender moment, but I think we need to address the elephant in the room…”
Snapping out of his trance, Dandy looked towards the bunny.
“If the collectors and demons know about the map,” Bugs leaned down, head resting on clasped hands.
“That means there are higher powers here at play.”
“Which is why I called this meeting,” Mickey said, sitting back down, eyes sweeping across the table. “As your boss, Producer, and Mayor, I humbly ask of you…”
His eyes turn to a stony glare.
“Get that map.”
With a sigh, the harsh mood was lifted. Tense muscles and shoulders began to relax. Breaths came more easily.
“Meeting adjouor-”
“Hold on.”
Everyone turns towards the Star of the Health Department.
“You mentioned ‘demons.’” Dandy’s brows furrow, eyes shining with a glint, “What did they look like?”
Suddenly, the room felt tense once again. But not in the same sense as before. Serious, yes, but almost… desperate.
One could even say it was bordering on nostalgic.
Even more, it was odd to see the usually overly hyper maniacal Toon be so serious all of a sudden. Not once was he seen as anything else. It was as if the happiness and positivity were a performance he plays on routine.
The seriousness and tension had nerved the other Toons, Mickey included.
“What’s it to you, doc?” questioned Bugs, seemingly unfazed, unlike the rest of his peers.
“Mickey, answer the question.”
Bugs scoffed, muttering something under his breath.
For a moment, Mickey hesitated, not sure whether or not to explain the whole ordeal.
He sighed.
“One was a wolf,” the mouse started. “Pretty tall with a well-built figure. The other was much shorter, round head with pointed horns. He, compared to his brother, if I remember that’s what he called the other, had an obvious demon tail.”
“Do you have a photo?”
With a quick nod, Toodles printed out the photo that it took of the brothers as they were leaving the bar. Mickey slid the photo over.
Carefully, Dandy picked up the photo. He hopes it contains what he hopes it contains. Who it contains.
He flips the photo.
Dandy’s eyes widened, hands trembling as he held the flimsy thing.
“He’s alive?...” murmured the flower.
Mickey quirks a brow, “You know the guy?”
More memories flash before his eyes.
A heated argument, one that could’ve, no, should’ve been avoided.
Something small and shiny is slung, skittering across the floor. The once beloved ring now has a dent where it collided against the wall.
His office door slams shut, leaving the finality of the situation to settle.
Dandy wished he could reverse time, to undo what’s been done.
…but alas, the clock moves forward, its ticks counting precious moments now lost to time.
“Dandicus?..”
A hollow chuckle fills the air. Dandy looks up, face painted with a small pained smile and tears that threaten to spill.
The other Stars froze, shocked to see such an expression on the other.
He looks down, mind and voice worn down by distant memories.
“Yeah, long ago…”
“in another life...”
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Again, thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!
I've been outlining chapter 2, so hopefully I can get it out sometime next week! However, I want to try to get my other MOTM fic drafted, edited/polished, and posted. It's currently being drafted out (but honestly, chapter 2 is probably gonna come out first since that one's already outlined and partially drafted 'cause I got carried away lol)
Anyways, if there are any mistakes or anything that I can improve on, please let me know! Any constructive feedback is very much welcomed!