Tintin in L.A.
Chapter One: Teenager Issues?
It was almost 2 AM at the Marlinspike household, as the residents who lived there were all snoozing soundly in their beds. The sky was an inky blanket of diamonds and the round, glowing moon shone beautifully in the sky. The dim, shimmery moonlight filled the garden with a soft glow, the willow trees swaying slowly in the cool breeze and the flower petals flowing gently in the air. The atmosphere was quiet and solemn; the only sounds are the rustling of the trees and the trickling of the fountain.
A tall, slim figure with quite a regal, civilized posture stood straight and very gentleman-like on the lawn, watering the roses. His face was blank and civilized, an unimpressed look on his face nearly the whole time. He was a man in his mid forties that never smiled and was always quite pompous and snarky all the time. For everyone else, it was annoying, but for Nestor, it was perfectly fine with him. Even watering flowers at 2 AM didn't seem to bother him. Hell, worse things have happened to him anyway.
He looked up at the luxurious, Edwardian style mansion and was pleased to see that all the windows were dark, indicating that everyone had FINALLY gone to bed. But suddenly he noticed at the top right corner of the mansion, the light was on and a silhouette was sitting near the window, typing away at a typewriter. He noticed that the silhouette was a distinct shape and he suddenly realised that the shadow had a quiff on the top of its head.
"Oh no, he's at it again..." mumbled Nestor, rolling his eyes. He dropped the watering can and entered the mansion.
The main hall of the mansion was HUGE, with a wide, dome shaped ceiling decorated with paintings and a huge chandelier, dripping with crystals, hung from the ceiling. The hall was decorated with red velvet sofas and polished wooden tables, filled with all sorts of photo frames and lamps and statues. Nestor walked regally up the huge, wide golden staircase and passed the other rooms where the other guests were sleeping. The noises he was hearing was unbelievable, Captain Haddock was yelling insults, Bianca Castifore was singing and Professor Calculus was mumbling equations.
"Honestly, why can't they keep quiet in their sleep?" groaned Nestor, slapping his palm to his face. After walking up a few staircases and travelling down some hallways, he finally got up to the room where a certain someone was not sleeping. He opened the door just a little bit and peered through the crack. He saw that the room was indeed lit up with two lamps, giving the room a warm glow. He spotted a young, slender boy, probably by his height and build he didn't look a day over fifteen, wearing a blue jumper and his strawberry blonde hair was sticking up in a quiff at the front of his head. Although, it looked tousled and messy, as if he was stressed out about something, as he bent over a typewriter, not even noticing Nestor standing right next to him. Nestor cleared his throat, trying to get the young man's attention. He didn't even flinch at the noise, as his fingers typed frantically back and forth, his eyes quickly flickering across the paper.
"Monsieur Tintin?" he asked, a slight concerned tone in his voice. He was quite worried about the young reporter nowadays. Ever since the Unicorn incident, he was always type, typing away on that blasted typewriter, constantly stuck in this room all day, everyday. He sighed, as Tintin STILL didn't respond to Nestor's remark. Nestor grabbed a newspaper off the drawers and rolled it up tight into a cylinder. He aimed carefully at the back of Tintin's head, raising it high to whack him on the head. Maybe that will catch his attention.
"What is it, Nestor?" snapped Tintin, turning round to see what the butler wanted. He gasped as the rolled up newspaper whacked him on the face.
"OUCH! Nestor, what did you do that for?" snapped Tintin, rubbing his face in pain. He looked into the mirror to see a tube shaped mark on his cheek.
"Oh dear, I was only supposed to tap you on the back of the head. I'm very sorry, Monsieur Tintin..." mumbled Nestor, fiddling with the rolled up newspaper.
"Well, that's going to leave a mark tomorrow morning..." sighed Tintin, rubbing his stinging cheek.
"I was only trying to get your attention, Monsieur Tintin! You seem away with the fairies with that blasted typewriter!"
"I know, I know... I'm sorry, Nestor, it's just that... I'm just..."
"Teenager issues?"
"Well, kind of... but it's just my job and that I'm just exhausted from all the work I have to do recently... and..."
"And you're tired?"
"Very. I really have been at this thing non-stop, haven't I? I'm sorry, I just want to publish the perfect article for Le Petit Vingtième and they really are demanding the perfect article about the Unicorn! I've been writing and writing for ages, trying to get the right words, but nothings coming out right!" yelled Tintin, waving his arms frantically, his voice turning into a high-pitched fluster of stress and his cheeks turning into a scarlet shade of red. Nestor raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Monsieur Tintin to get this flustered. Only when his voice started to break, that was a sign that he was in a lot of stress.
"Monsieur... I think you're working way too hard. You need to calm down and stop stressing! A boy of your age shouldn't be getting flustered about silly things like this!"
Tintin dropped his arms, his cheeks still red with stress. Nestor was right. He was working too hard. Typewriting at 2 AM in the morning? What the hell was he thinking?
"You're right, Nestor. I'm sorry about snapping at you. I really should stop it with the article."
"There's a good lad! Now, I think you should get going to bed, you look dreadful!"
Tintin stared into the mirror. Nestor was right. Again. His blue eyes that were once sparkling and full of adventure were now dull and lifeless, like all sense of excitement has been sucked out of them. Dark bags sagged under his eyes, a sign of sleep depravity and depression. His skin that was glowing with youth was now pale and dried up and there were faint signs of... spots?
"Nestor... do you think that I'm getting... ugly?" asked Tintin, lightly touching his face, inspecting the mirror with deep thought.
"What? Oh, don't be ridiculous, Tintin! Of course you're not ugly! Why would you think such a thing?" said Nestor, setting Tintin's pyjamas on the bed.
"It's just that... I don't know... I'm just feeling weird lately... Nestor, can I talk to you for a few moments?" asked Tintin, standing in front of a mirror and taking his shirt off.
"Of course. What would you like to discuss?"
"It's just... well... I just don't feel... well... I can't explain it, it's just weird..." said Tintin, staring into the mirror, holding his shirt meekly near his chest, "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes, you can."
"I... I feel stupid by saying this but... Am I attractive?" asked Tintin shyly.
"WHAT?" gasped Nestor, dropping the pyjamas. He has never heard such a thing like that coming from Tintin's mouth before!
"Oh dear, I'm sorry! It was an inappropriate question, I'm sorry! I... I better get to bed... I'm sorry!" stammered Tintin, grabbing his pyjamas off Nestor and running behind a changing board. Suddenly, the door burst open and two men and a woman stood alarmed at the door. The woman was tall and prominent, her blonde hair permed into rollers, wearing a pink dressing gown and holding a shotgun. One of the men was the same height with a black beard and a sailor's cap and a blue dressing gown and holding a cane. The other guy was a LOT shorter with a goatee, little, round glasses and a green bowler hat, wearing a green dressing gown and holding a green umbrella.
"What happened? Did someone get hurt?" exclaimed the sailor in the blue dressing gown.
"What? No! Oh for crying out loud, Captain Haddock, no-one got hurt!" snapped Nestor. Tintin popped his head round the changing board and was surprised to see the three intruders standing at the doorway with weapons.
"But we heard someone shout! We thought there was a burglar or something!" exclaimed Bianca, holding the shotgun gingerly.
"Yes, even I could hear the noises! And that's saying something!" said Professor Calculus, waving the umbrella in the air. Suddenly, the umbrella burst open and knocked Professor Calculus right off his feet. Nestor groaned at these idiots.
"Look, no-one got hurt. I was just speaking to Monsieur Tintin about a certain something..."
"Oh for crying out loud, what have you said this time, lad?" snapped Captain Haddock.
"Nothing, Captain, I swear. It's just... well... Do you guys think I'm attractive?" asked Tintin meekly. There was a sudden silence as everyone looked at Tintin like he was crazy. Suddenly, the whole room burst out with laughter. Bianca fell onto Captain Haddock, laughing with a screech in her tone and Professor Calculus, still on the floor, was laughing so hard he was rolling about the floor. Even Nestor couldn't help but giggle at this ridiculous remark.
"What? I was only asking..." mumbled Tintin, messing around with his fingers.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Why would you say something like that!" laughed Captain Haddock.
"Looks like someone's got teenager issues!" laughed Professor Calculus. Everyone laughed harder as Tintin blushed with total embarrassment. Even he couldn't believe what he's said. What the hell was he thinking...?
"OK! OK! That's enough! You're embarrassing the poor kid!" sniffed Bianca, wiping her cheeks as she giggled a few more times, "Aww look, he's blushing!"
"Why would you ask that?" asked Professor Calculus, standing up and picking up his umbrella.
"I don't know... Look, you're the scientist you should know!"
"Well, he IS growing up. I mean, he's fifteen and yet he hasn't had one encounter with any women yet!"
"Yeah tell that to the whole household why don't you..." mumbled Tintin darkly.
"You see! Mood swings! He's growing up! Even his voice is breaking!"
"My voice is not breaking!" yelled Tintin, his voice breaking out into a high-pitched squeak.
"See? It's normal to be like this. A boy your age shouldn't be work, work, working and instead play, play, playing." said Professor Calculus, hitching up his glasses.
"What the blistering barnacles are you talking about?" snapped Captain Haddock, staring at Professor Calculus.
"Well, I'm saying that he needs to get out more."
"Get out more? Have you been in a coma lately? Didn't you hear about the whole Unicorn situation? You know, the one that's making all the headlines recently?" yelled Captain Haddock, grabbing a newspaper and shoving it in Professor Calculus's face. He hitched up his glasses to read the huge, bold headline reading, "Secret of the Unicorn Found by Reporter and Sailor" Professor Calculus sniffed and looked up at Haddock, who was still frowning at him.
"Well, no I didn't hear about this, seeing as I was away in Russia when this happened... And also I can't hear anyway..." giggled Professor Calculus.
"Why you little..." growled Haddock, clenching his fists. Nestor cleared his throat quickly.
"May I suggest you go back to bed? You seem a little flustered. And Mademoiselle Castafiore... may I suggest to drop the shotgun?"
"Oh please, Nestor, there's no need! It's not even loaded!" said Bianca, spinning the shotgun. Suddenly, she accidently clicked the trigger and a loud bang popped from the shotgun and hit the chandelier. The chandelier crashed onto the floor from the impact of the bullet and everyone screamed with fright. Bianca stared at the chandelier and then stared at the shotgun.
"Oh... or maybe it WAS loaded..." she mumbled, dropping the shotgun. It exploded again and a vase smashed from the bullet. Everyone looked at Bianca darkly.
"Alright, that's it, OUT!" yelled Nestor, pushing them out of the room and slamming the door. Tintin couldn't help but smile at these crazy people.
"Honestly, I don't know how you put up with them, Tintin, but they just drive me crazy!"
"Ahh, don't worry, they have their days. We all drive each other crazy."
"Well, I'll let you get to sleep then. All this anarchy and yet your dog is still sleeping!" he exclaimed, pointing to a white fox terrier curled up in a basket sleeping soundly.
"Oh, Snowy will sleep through anything!"
"Even at a shotgun going off..." sighed Nestor, shaking his head, "Well, I leave you be then." He exited the room, shutting the door behind him. Tintin sighed and shook his head. He changed into his pyjamas and jumped into bed. He stared up at the ceiling for quite some time, just thinking about what was going on recently. Suddenly, he felt something lick his feet. He sat up and spotted Snowy sat on the end of the bed, licking his feet enthusiastically.
"Oh, so NOW you wake up!" he sighed, smiling warmly at his companion, "Come up here then, you rascal." he said, patting his lap. Snowy ran up to his friend, slightly hopping on the bed trying to get to his master. He leaped into his lap, licking Tintin's face all over.
"Hey! Hey! Stop it, Snowy! Don't get too excited at this time of the night... or morning!" he laughing, trying to compose his dog, "Here lie down next to me." He lay down on the pillow, Snowy lying next to him under the quilt.
"There, that's better! Well, Snowy, fifteen years old and look at me! Still working hard, still mistaken for a child, still haven't even spoke to a girl..." Snowy barked, "And that's NOT including Bianca! I guess I'm just still not in my comfort zone yet. I'm just too... shy, I guess. Too baby-faced, too innocent, too... unconfident. Oh, I don't even know what's happening to me nowadays! I mean, I'm whining more, moaning more, I'm always moody, always depressed, always stressed out and I'm getting paranoid about my appearance! I was never like that! I am always out all the time and I'm constantly wound up in an adventure, but I never get around socially... Like I have no friends my age... I'm even talking to a dog, for crying out loud!" Snowy whined, hurt by his friends words. "I'm sorry, Snowy, I love talking to you, but you're a dog. Even though you can understand me, it just doesn't seem normal." Tintin sighed, leaning back on the headboard, stroking Snowy, "I don't know. I'm probably just tired. Well, goodnight, Snowy." Snowy yapped in reply and snuggled under the quilt. Tintin sighed, switched off the light and set off to sleep. Maybe tomorrow would turn out for the better...
And I am done! Took me a whole weekend, but I've finished it! So, it is my first Tintin FanFic and I have only just started reading the comics, so sorry if the characters seem OOC. I decided to have Tintin deal with teenager issues (though nobody's sure how old he actually is, so I went with fifteen, as he looked like that in the movies) and have him want to discover more about social life and his own sexuality. But if it's OOC and too stupid, then don't be afraid to tell me and I'll scrap the idea and just go with the flow! So please review and thank you for reading!
Luna's World