Darkwing Duck and Ducktales both belong to Disney. The Ravens are all mine.
Chapter 6
Saint Canard
Wednesday 1:00 PM
Drake's eyes opened as he swore underneath his breath. Only an hour ago he'd finished his working on the computer at the Tower, trying to find information on the paper thief. Only an hour and a half ago he'd lay down, hoping to get some sleep. Only ten seconds ago someone had started ringing his doorbell.
He grumbled, rubbing the ruffled feathers on his head as he sat up in bed. Where's Gos and Launchpad? One of them is probably closer than I am to the door...
It didn't matter now, because Drake Mallard was up and answering the door anyhow. He wasn't irate, hardly ever did he get angry at trivial matters such as answering the door.
"I'm coming!" He called as the doorbell sounded once more. Sleepily he grabbed onto the staircase's handle and took each step carefully to make his way to the door. Finally, once reaching the door, he slowly opened it.
He must have looked tired. It was Binky Muddlefoot on the other side of the door. Her eyes lit up as she saw him, "Oh my, you look tired."
He was too tired for sarcasm even.
"I am, Binky. How can I help you?" He stepped back from the door as if to invite the Muddlefoot inside. Binky gave him a worried look, but before she could inquire about his sleeplessness, he told her: "I was up all last night getting together my paperwork for my taxes."
"Well, it is that season. You are usually more organized than that, though, Mister Mallard!" Binky smiled, she knew him better than even he could imagine. In actuality, Drake Mallard never let a single paper stray from his neat folder labeled 'taxes'. "Anyhow-w, I was coming to ask you if you were aware of the new family that moved in recently."
"No, sorry, Binky." Drake was more used to her asking for sugar or eggs - this question struck him as odd, "Since when was I invited into the neighborhood gossip circle?"
Binky covered her mouth and laughed gingerly, "Well, I figured you might have already known since they're just across the street from us. Anyhow, we're going to give them a formal welcome this afternoon, just so you know..."
"All right..." Drake's eyebrows rose.
"So, will that be enough time for you to make your gelatin dessert?" Binky asked sweetly, "I was looking forward to it since Gos told me about it..."
Drake blinked several times, he squinted his eyes and curled his bill, "Now, Binky, I think I'm missing something here... What's this about gelatin?"
"Last year, at the block party... you signed up for the Neighborhood Welcoming Committee..." Binky clasped her hands together as if she were thrilled, "You were our first male participant! I was so happy about it, Mister Mallard!"
"What!" His bill was ajar. "Binky-y... I didn't.. You must be mistaken!"
"You don't remember? Signing up put you in a drawing for a free copy of that Wiffleboy game that was so popular then..." Binky explained, "Please, Mister Mallard, even if you didn't sign up for it, could you make the dessert just this once! Miss Billard down the street's turned up sick, I'm making the brownies and Elena is already --"
"Okay, okay! I'll go but just this once, okay?" Drake grumbled, his awareness of his surroundings becoming full as he was jolted awake by the sudden terror of having to spend the afternoon with Binky Muddlefoot and the other Neighborhood Gossips. His sharp mind began to rapidly work the facts of the situation. First Drake Mallard wanted to know exactly how this could happen to him in the first place: "Did you say it was for a Wiffleboy game?"
"Yes, the newest edition at the time." Binky nodded, "Thank you so much, Drake! I'll be over around six to accompany you, okay?"
"Of course..." Drake didn't even wait for her to leave his front stoop before he closed the door. His eyes bore into the closed door for a moment as he mumbled a curse under his breath. Turning around towards the staircase he drew in a tight breath, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Gosalyn Mallard!"
Not too seconds later he saw his little girl peek out of the kitchen. A carrot stick was in her mouth, and a hamburger was in her left hand, "Yea, dad?"
"You signed me up for the Gossip Committee so you could win a video game!" Drake vented, "How-w! How could you?"
She dropped the hamburger. "Oh, oh... that. Well, that was..."
Drake tapped his foot on the ground waiting for a proper answer.
"Well..." She tried again, looking down at the hamburger, "Listen, I didn't win it, so..."
"I've got to make a gelatin mold and spend the day with Binky Muddlefoot because of you signing me up for that! If you'd just told me - I would have bought the game! Just to get out of spending time with the Muddlefoots and the Neighborhood Gossip Squad!" Drake fumed as he began to pace in the foreyuer.
"Well, that stinks. Tell me how it goes okay...?" Gosalyn ducked back into the kitchen, trying to sound casual, "I'm going to the park to play street hockey! See ya!"
"Hold it right there, young lady!" Following her into the kitchen Drake pointed (acting almost as Darkwing Duck might having caught a villain trying to escape), "You're not going anywhere! You're going to go with me, and you're going to make that dessert with me..."
"But-ut, Dad-d-d-d!" Gosalyn cried, "Please don't make me do that!"
Drake just crossed his arms and gave his daughter a stern glare.
6:30 PM
Gosalyn's gelatin mold looked like a piece of modern art. Binky Muddlefoot, not knowing who's feelings it might upset, didn't say anything about the odd looking dessert however. The Muddlefoot just donned a cheerful smile and straightened out the plastic wrap as she placed it into the picnic basket - which was covered in cute colored ribbons and had a red ballon tied to it.
"All right, Drake, Gosalyn... let's go meet the neighbors." Binky didn't seem to notice that both father and daughter kept giving each other glares out of the corner of their eyes.
The house they were going to was exactly where Binky had indicated - across the street from the Mallard's own. It was a decent looking place, though it looked in need of a new (brighter) colored paint job and replacements on the shutters over the windows in the front. Drake Mallard had been so busy lately he hadn't noticed a moving truck in the neighborhood nor had he noticed that the formerly empty house had gained a neater lawn and several wind chimes on the porch.
Once they were standing on the front porch Drake noticed several other additions to the house that seemed new. One new thing being a set of odd looking masks on the outer wall. Gosalyn seemed to notice them as well, her wandering hand grazing along the mouth hole on one. Drake grabbed her hand, as if she were a young duckling about to touch fire. Something about the mask made Drake feel unease letting Gosalyn touch. Particularly the mask that portrayed a fox with large fangs at the corner of its mouth.
"I wonder what those are supposed to be..." Drake mumbled, watching Binky approach the door. "Binky, did you catch the name of the people that live here now?"
"Rainbird, I think."
Drake's eyes lit up. "That's --!"
Binky was knocking on the door. Drake worked to calm himself, he'd almost said something that only Darkwing Duck would know. Rainbird. Rainbird was the name of that thief. Darkwing Duck had worked all night, even with the help of S.H.U.S.H. information to find out more about this 'Brigley Rainbird' - but the only thing that he'd come across was a bird from Alaska that had wrote several books about mythology and cultural stories.
Shaking his head Drake realized Gosalyn was staring at him. "Dad, what's wrong..."
"Gosalyn, stay close to me. I think I might have met this person recently..." Whispered the father to his daughter, "Last night in fact..."
Gosalyn began to say, "But you were at work last night?"
The front door opened just slightly, a creaking of the hinges and the sound of feet shuffling filled the air. A tiny beak appeared in the door, followed by the face of a young fowl. "Yes? Can I help you?"
The door was only open enough that Drake could see it was a blue-eyed black bird. Binky smiled in her usual warm manner, "Hello, young lady... is your parents home? We'd like to welcome your family and you into your new house!"
The girl stood completely still for a moment, not replying as she looked at Binky, as if judging whether or not to close the door again or not, "Hold on, let me get my dad..."
With that she let the door go, disappearing into the house. Binky looked over her shoulder to the other two - shrugging her shoulders. "What a cute little raven..."
Raven. So I imagine her father is the one I met last night... Drake thought, hoping (and not hoping at the same time) that he might have found the paper snatcher from last night.
A moment later the door was opened by the little girl once more. "He says to invite you into the living room. He's just finishing up in his study... he'll be with us shortly."
Pushing the door open the young bird waited for the three to enter before she closed the door behind them. The inside of the house was fairly clean, despite the fact that boxes still were scattered throughout the hallway that lay before them. The half-opened boxes, with their contents spilling out the top, were all neatly labeled. Drake read the box labels as they went down the hall, instead of 'kitchen' and 'bathroom' some of them read 'Aztec' and 'Mongolian' - oddly enough they all looked to be filled with books.
"So, do you like it in Saint Canard? Miss...?" Binky asked as she followed the young fowl's lead through the house.
"Mim-z. Mim-z Rainbird. And I think everything but the weather is enjoyable." Answered the raven, "Hopefully we can stay..."
Gosalyn had not said a thing since they'd entered the house. Though her eyes were wide and searching over the entire place with her usual since of curiosity. Not one of the recently hung wall decorations had escaped her sights - most of them were masks just like those outside. A deer mask hung over the entrance to the stairwell. A wolf mask on the way to the kitchen.
Mim-z lead them into the living room, which looked almost identical in structure to the Mallard's own with the exception of the strange decor in the house. All of the window shades were pulled, the only light in the room was from several dim lamps in the corners.
"Does this place remind you of Morgana's a bit?" Gosalyn questioned her father.
"I don't think even Morg has this bad of taste..."
"I don't mean the way it looks, dad. It's just something about it reminds me of her house." Gosalyn sighed before she got ahead of her father approaching the raven girl. "Where'd you guys get all of these cool mask at, Mim-z?"
"They've been in our family for ages, really." Mim-z said, as she stopped in the center of the living room. Motioning for the couch the young fowl asked, "Is any of you thirsty? I have some raspberry sun tea in the kitchen..."
"That sounds nice, dear..." Binky smiled, slowly approaching the sofa and placing the picnic basket on her lap as she sat down. "So, Mim-z what's your father's line of work?"
"He's actually looking for a job now..."
Drake didn't say anything, but noted that the raven didn't truly answer the question. Just before Drake could join the Muddlefoot on the sofa another raven entered. It was the same raven Darkwing Duck had encountered just the night before; he tried to hide any hint of his shock on his face. It probably worked because the raven made no reaction - he simply entered.
"Good evening, guest. Mim-z tells me you are our new neighbors..." The bird's face held no expression, like that same night before to Darkwing Duck. "I thank you for making us feel so welcome. Sorry I couldn't join you sooner..."
Drake didn't know what to say - all the things he could think of would possibly sound like Darkwing speaking and not Drake Mallard, the clueless citizen of Saint Canard. Binky was the first to speak, "Well, Mister Rainbird, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope your stay in the neighborhood has been pleasant so far."
"It's getting there. This place isn't home to us yet, but it will be soon enough." Rainbird replied as he slowly stalked into the living room, taking a seat across from Binky in a stiff looking chair. Lacing his fingers together he questioned, "What are your names, if I might ask, neighbors..."
"Oh how silly of me! I'm Binky Muddlefoot and this is Drake Mallard and his daughter Gosalyn." Binky introduced, "The Mallard's are directly across from you, and we're beside them."
"How quaint. What a tightly knit neighborhood this must be to give us such a welcome. I'm Brigley, by the way..." The raven extended his hand towards Drake. Drake reluctantly took it, shaking it as he would anyones. The raven smiled towards Drake, the same vicious smile he had before. Letting Drake's hand free the raven straightened in his chair, "Is Mim-z in the kitchen?"
"Yes, sir." Mim-z cried leaning out of the kitchen. "I'm just getting ice for the tea."
Brigley nodded turning his attention to Binky Muddlefoot, "A folklorist."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm a folklorist. Or I was until I retired about a year ago... I heard you asking Mim-z about my work. I'm just looking for any kind of work that will have me around right now. That in itself is a task." said Rainbird with a sigh.
"Well you look like a very able person, Mister Rainbird, there are plenty of well-paying jobs in Saint Canard." Binky reassured, "I'm sure you'll get a job soon after you settle down. Why just the other day I saw a job for a life-guard at the Public Pool. With a few training classes anyone could be ready for that job. And another job I saw at the pizza place for a bicycle delivery person... There are plenty of things!"
"Well... thank you for the confidence, Mrs Muddlefoot, but those jobs would be someone impossible for me to get, you understand?" Rainbird noted, "Even if I could convience them I would be able to do them... as I know I surely can."
Drake folded his arms, trying to think of exactly what the bird meant. "So if you can do them what's to stop you? So what if some people say you can't do it... as long as you believe in your own abilities who cares..."
"That's encouraging to hear, actually, Mister Mallard. But can I ask you, would you let your daughter..." Rainbird sighed, leaning back in the chair, "... would you let anyone's daughter swim in a pool where the life guard was - I hate this word, truly -handicapped...?"
Drake didn't say anything nor did Binky and Gosalyn.
"I know how the world works. I know laws try to make it fair; where everyone can do the best of their abilities to obtain happiness and joy from their lives. Think about this rationally - would I make a good life guard without all of my senses to guide me? Would anyone trust me, rather, to be able to save people?" Rainbird asked, a hint of a smile touching the edge of his beak, "I know I can do that job. Others may not know I can do that job... but if they doubt me - maybe eventually I will begin to doubt myself. If I doubt myself - then I'm no longer doing my best... I am no longer able. The true handicap... self-doubt."
"I've never heard it put that way. I understand what you are trying to say..." Drake nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. For some reason he could feel exactly what the raven was speaking of... self-doubt was the killer of Darkwing Duck on some occasions too. Though Darkwing would not admit it - he wanted more than anything for others to believe in him. If others believed in him; he could do anything in the world without a thought of failure. "I understand what you're saying, but you can't expect people to help you unless you help yourself. I'm not saying you don't do that anyhow - or whatever your handicap is - you wouldn't have made it this far."
"I owe it mostly to be wife, who is no longer of this world, and my daughter. She believes I am still the great raven I used to be."
Mim-z reentered the room, carrying a serving tray with five cups of tea. "You are still a great folklorist. You'll find work doing what you love once more, dad. You just can't give up. Sight or no sight you're still the best storyteller in the world..."
Cultural/"Fun-Factoid" Notes
The following notes are basically because I refuse to have my characters become Mary-Sues or Harry-Sues for that matter. I don't insert the backgrounds of my characters into my stories, so if anyone is curious as to the background stories you can PM me or maybe if many people ask I could make it a side-story but I doubt it because my characters really aren't that interesting, ne? Profiles also on request only... (I really don't think my characters are all that interesting.)
Folklorist Brigley Rainbird's profession back before he lost his sight. He was born into the profession, taking it over for his dad was his predestined goal in life. Folklorist do just what the name implies, they know folklore. I got the idea for him to be a folklorist from Tactics where Kintaro Ichinomiya is a Japanese folklorist who often sees spirits that no one else sees. Brigley's studies have stretched into almost all forms of folklore. He enjoys mostly Native American and that of ancient Mexico.
Brigley, Mim-z and Gimbel All three names are from the first verse of the Jabberwolky poem from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Though they are spelt different. I wanted to make their names something odd and maybe even memorable.
Raven? Actually Gimbel and Brigley are ravens. Mim-z is a magpie/raven.
Mask I think I have a mask fetish. I love wooden mask. As a matter of fact I have a mask of a demon on my wall. You'd think it'd give me nightmares but I love it. Brigley's mask are mostly like totem pole heads. Very square looking.
Sun Tea Very light colored tea, unlike Southern Tea (dark tea, very sweet and thick - the kind I make) and those that come in hot varieties. You place the tea outside on a summer's day and let the tea bags seep in that way for a long time. Very delicious.
