Star vs The Forces of Evil
The Ballad of Earth-Mewni
Disclaimer: Star vs The Forces of Evil was created by Daron Nefcy and is owned by Disney. I own no part of Star vs.
Episode 16: Ludo The Lovable Lug
Episode Summary: With Dennis at his side, Ludo sets out to find his purpose in the new Cleaved world. Meanwhile, Star helps the kids at the orphanage get ready for their big picture day.
Original Release Date: May 5, 2020
On this beautiful sunny, Earthni day, we find ourselves following the story of Ludo, the lovable little lug, as he and his younger brother Dennis were on the basketball court of their castle home, playing a casual game with each other. Emphasis on "casual," as this game was rather low energy for them. When Ludo managed to get a shot off of his brother, he didn't even flinch.
"Hooray, score..." He droned in a monotone voice before slinking to the ground in absolute boredom.
"You okay, bro?" Dennis asked, approaching him and offering him a helping hand.
"That depends. Are you as bored as I am?"
To Ludo's surprise, Dennis breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. I was afraid to say anything."
"Dennis, do you realize we've been doing almost nothing but play basketball in our courtyard since..." Ludo gestured broadly to the world in front of them. "This happened?"
"Well, now that you mention it, our days have been starting to feel a little bit repetitive here and there."
"Exactly! We need to shake things up! We have to do something new and exciting and fulfilling!"
"But what? Did you have any ideas?"
Ludo dusted himself off and began pacing around the court. "No, not a one. What possible use could I have now that there's no magic to harvest or any territories I feel like conquering."
"Does everything have to be about conquering something or someone?"
He turned sharply to Dennis. "Well if I don't have that going for me, then who am I?! Who is Ludo Avarius!?"
"Hey, don't think of it like that. Think of this as a new opportunity to make something better. It's a completely fresh start, you can do anything!"
"Oh really? I'm pretty sure I can't fly or move things with my mind."
Dennis could only give off a deadpanned face. "That's not what I meant-"
"I know, I'm only teasing. But really what could a cretin like myself possibly do? What positive contributions could I make to society that won't be frowned upon?"
"How about...acting?" Dennis proposed. "You're charismatic, charming, adaptable...seems to me you'd fit the bill perfectly." Ludo was excited by the idea but perplexed at the notion. Really? That was the first idea Dennis settled on. "What?"
"No no, nothing, nothing at all. And just where would I find any openings to fulfill this role?"
So Dennis & Ludo set off in search of opportunities. One of the buildings they passed was the Echo Creek "Unemployment Agency" center. As the name implied, it was intended to help people looking for stable work. So they decided that this was the best place for them to start. The place was relatively slow on this day, allowing both Ludo & Dennis to immediately approach the front desk and the disgruntled, middle-aged woman working it. "How can I help you gentleman today?" She asked without looking up from the paper she was reading.
"I'm looking to make a positive impact on today's society by utilizing my talents in the field of work you Earth humans called "acting." Ludo responded with a straight face. That was one way to get her attention. His inquisitive answer made her look up from her paper and stare both at them in the eye. She was simultaneously unimpressed and intrigued, so much so that she rummaged through her desk and pulled out some papers clipped together.
"Well aren't you an enthusiast." She said with a very dry and sarcastic delivery.
"...No, I'm a Kappa."
"Gesundheit."
Ludo looked like he had himself a massive case of brain freeze. "Are you mocking me?"
"Look, there's auditions being held a few buildings down to be a spokesperson for some new body lotion or something, I don't know. Why don't you try there? The information's in that booklet."
Both Ludo and Dennis stared intently at the cover of the booklet. "That sounds like fun?" Dennis shrugged, unsure of how Ludo was going to take it.
"I suppose it beats dumpster diving for food."
"What do you know about dumpster diving?"
"I'm going to assume that's a rhetorical question, because you would not like the answer..."
Meanwhile, some ways away, Star was hard at work at the orphanage where she was employed part-time. It was picture day. The children were set to have their picture taken to be put side to side with a newspaper and website ad in order to showcase the children that were up for adoption. Even though he wasn't technically employed by the orphanage, Marco was also by her side, but he was there for Star's sake. After her heart scare on the cornball field, she was left significantly weakened. So much so that Marco was legitimately considering calling in sick for her. But Star insisted; she wanted to be there for the kids, and the kids all looked forward to seeing her. So Marco insisted to Greta & Reggie that he be allowed to work with her today, just to make sure that Star didn't push herself too hard & to take over if she couldn't keep going.
Of course, when it came to small children, Star always found a way to push on. "There you are you little angel," Star said gently as she helped finish dressing one of the babies - a two and a half year old baby girl - in her favorite outfit, which happened to be that of the tooth fairy. "Aren't you all nice and clean and cute." The baby laughed.
"Tank goo Sta!" She tried to eek out a proper thank you, but the effort was more than enough to satiate Star, who responded in kind with a hug.
"Shouldn't these kids be getting dressed up in, like, I don't know, more fancy outfits?" Marco asked. "This feels like something she would wear if she was going trick or treating. And last I checked it was still summer..."
The little girl stuck her tongue out at Marco before devolving into babbling & laughing. "You tell him, Lilly." She turned to her boyfriend. "No, see, I want the kids to be comfortable in front of the camera. They're taking a picture that's going to be a part of an ad campaign to get more people to adopt. What better way to do that then them wearing the outfits that make them feel happy?"
"I guess that makes sense."
"It's all about comfort, Mr. Diaz. Just look over there..." She directed his attention to the floor, where they saw little Miles, the down-syndrome child, having a merry time playing with Marco's sister Mariposa. "Miles couldn't be any happier right now if he tried."
"At least she's getting along with everyone."
"Who wouldn't want to be friends with your sister? She's only the blood of the sweetest, most humble gentleman in the world." She gently pecked his cheek.
"Stoooop..." He playfully whined.
After some more time passed, Star & Marco gathered the kids and brought them down into the main lobby, where Greta & Reggie - the two people running the orphanage full-time - had a camera set up and bleachers up against the wall for the kids to sit in. "Okay kids, go take your seats." Greta announced as Star & Marco helped lead the kids into the bleachers. It was rather easy to get them all seated. Keeping them seated, however, proved to be a bit more of a challenge. "Say cheese!" Greta took the first picture. But when it was printed, it was...not perfect. Some of the kids were squirming around, clearly uncomfortable. "Uh oh..."
Upon the first picture being taken, Star raced into the scene to comfort the kids. "What's a matter, babies? Are these seats too hard for your baby bottoms?" She felt the bleacher seats. They weren't the softest surfaces in the world, but Star didn't believe that alone would cause them to react negatively. "They're not that bad. I've felt harder."
Marco followed suit & agreed with her assessment. "Yeah they're fine. But something has to be wrong for the kids to be rowdy." They each began to comfort several of the kids at a time, slowly soothing them until they were all calm again. "You kids okay? It's okay, it's just a picture."
"Maybe they needed to be distracted? Just long enough for the picture to be taken?"
"Any ideas on how to do that?"
"Nope. But I'm open to suggestions. Come on, Marco, if we put our heads together we should be able to figure something out. We're plenty smart, aren't we?"
"No!" Came the adorable response from one Mariposa. Already she was developing into a sassy one. And yet her cuteness made it impossible for either Star or Marco to be annoyed with her.
Meanwhile, Ludo & Dennis arrived at their predetermined location, with Ludo signing up to audition for the role of spokesperson for the new "Glossy Coat Body Lotion." Ludo was hopeful about his chances, but could his acting chops measure up to all of the other hopefuls?
"Ludo, breathe..." Dennis urged him. "You're starting to sweat. Do you wanna go in there with pit stains? This isn't an audition for body spray."
"Yes, Yes, I know. You don't have to remind me." Ludo groaned before taking in a deep breath. "It's no bid deal. I'm going to ace this! I shall conquer this audition, and then...THE WORLD!"
"Um...I thought you said you were done with evil?"
"Oh I am. I just always wanted to say that."
"And...you have. Several times. In front of me-"
"Can you go one day without being a stick in the mud?"
The door leading into the audition room opened slowly. A middle-aged man popped his head out of the door. "Mr...L-uh-do?"
Ludo could only deadpan. Of course they get his name wrong. But oh, that wouldn't matter if he was able to nail the audition & get the role. He stood up, stretched briefly, and readied himself to go. "You ready to do this?"
"As ready as I will ever be, dear brothers." Ludo proclaimed proudly as he marched towards the door towards what he hoped would be his destiny. Dennis sat back in his own seat and waited patiently for Ludo to return. He had all the confidence in the world that his brother would be successful. So in the meantime, he decided to make some small talk with the person sitting next to him, who was preparing for his audience as well.
"So...this your first audition?" He asked about as awkwardly as one could. "I-It's my brother's first one too."
The guy could only look at Dennis like he had five heads, all of them melting. "Are you supposed to be like a frog or something?"
He chuckled back. "Oh no, see we're-" And as if it was exactly on cue, a loud, ear-piercing, shrieking noise came from the audition room. Little did any of them know that it was actually Ludo making the noise. But that would soon be made public knowledge to all, as several minutes later, two law enforcement officers burst into the room in an urgent manner, dashing towards the audition room. "What the heck!?"
"Sorry sir, we've gotten noise complaints from the neighbors!" One of them explained as the both of them entered the room. After another several minutes passed, the officers left the room, visibly annoyed & disgruntled, and exiting the building entirely. Ludo soon followed, exiting the audition room, also looking quite disheveled. His stack of papers was torn up & wrinkled, and his eyes appeared bloodshot, like he had just spent a good chunk of time crying. Dennis raced out of his chair over to his brother.
"Are you...did you...what happened in there!?" He could barely form a coherent question.
"I...don't think I'm going to get the role." Ludo said in such a spectacularly quiet, hoarse whisper.
"Strangely, that doesn't even answer my question!"
"I panicked, okay!? I started flailing, grasping for straws. I-I had to reach deep into the ether of my mind and pull something to show for those harsh judges."
"Is that what you're calling it!? Because it sounded more like you were giving birth to triplets!"
"Well how do you know I wasn't!? Maybe I'm actually just that good of an actor!" His dramatic protest was interrupted by a loud snicker by one of the other actor hopefuls. "Oh I'm sorry? Are you offended? Why is it so hard for you to entertain such an idea?"
The hopeful lowered his paper and looked Ludo square in the eye. "My friend, you do not have the body to pull it off." Well that was certainly an answer. Makes you wonder if he misunderstood the question or if he was intentionally trolling them. Either way, Dennis & Ludo decided to leave & go somewhere else.
"I'm sorry that didn't work out." Dennis comforted his brother as they walked down the street. "I'm sure there's something you can do." They passed by a nearby fast food burger restaurant. It had a "Help Wanted" sign in the window. "Huh...look at this..." Dennis walked up to the sign and read it out loud. "Wanted: Fry cook. No experience necessary. See front desk for application. Seems simple enough."
"A fry cook?! You expect me to lower myself to that level? Squander whatever talents I possess?"
"Okay, first of all, fry cooking is not beneath you. It's not beneath anyone. Sometimes in public crises they're the only ones we can actually rely on. Secondly...what talents?"
Ludo glared at his brother menacingly. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
"Come on, give it a chance. Not everyone gets to start a a glamorous desk job with a fancy suit or tie."
"Ha, that's rich! I'd never be caught dead in a suit & tie!"
"Oh trust me, you will be." Dennis snickered to him. Ludo raised an eyebrow; he was not going to like what Dennis had to say next. "No seriously, Earth people bury their own in suits & fancy clothes."
And true enough, he was put off by what was just relayed to him. "Once again I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
"Just give it a shot, dude. What's the worst thing that could happen?"
Oh I don't know...how about Ludo inexplicably setting the restaurant ablaze?
Yup, Ludo actually managed to get a job as a fry cook & was asked to start right away. He accepted the position...and he proceeded to get the grill to somehow explode & set the place ablaze, costing him the job that he had for a mere eleven minutes. That had to be a world record for incompetence, right?
"You alright?" Dennis asked his brother; luckily Ludo sustained no injuries. At least physical injuries. The emotional injuries were far more humiliating.
"I just turned the grill on. I put the meat on...I didn't touch anything else-HOW IN THE NAME OF CORN DID ANY OF THIS HAPPEN!? Am I just cursed to break everything that I touch!?" Probably not, but that didn't stop Dennis from superstitiously scooting away from Ludo slightly. "Really comforting, brother."
"I'm sure you're overreacting."
Nevertheless, Ludo was approached by one of the firemen who were handling the blaze. "Are you two okay?"
"Yes sir, we're fine."
"No injuries? Burn marks?"
"The only thing that's been burned is my fighting spirit..." Ludo said with a rather dejected tone. The fireman, however, looked back at the still-burning restaurant, then back at Ludo.
"I'm...pretty sure that's not true." Without another word, the fireman departed, leaving an annoyed Ludo in his wake.
"I WAS SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY, YOU CLOD!"
"Ludo, Ludo, relax. Breathe..." Dennis had to calm him down. Couldn't afford a burst blood vessel here or something. "I'm sure we can still try other things."
"Like what? What do you possibly think I could be good at and not cause any more damage?"
The next odd job they went with: sign spinning. Ludo managed to get a job at the Stop & Slurp, the Echo Creek convenience store. His task was to stand out in front of the store by the street & spin his "Stop & Slurp" sign & garner attention from bystanders to try and drum up business. "Why is this sign so large & bulky!?" Ludo complained. Good start.
"Probably for dramatic effect or something. Look it's very simple. Just spin the sign and point it at the convenience store when people come by. Pretty straight forward."
"I hope so."
So Dennis took a backseat and allowed Ludo to do his work. For a few moments at least, it was quiet & straight forward. Ludo spun his sign, and onlookers paid attention even though none actually went into the convenience store. Eventually, though, that changed. One (un)lucky bystander walked up to Ludo, who stopped spinning his sign long enough to address the person in front of him.
"So...like...what does this place actually sell?" The person asked Ludo.
"Oh, I haven't the faintest idea."
Yes. He really said that. Dennis facepalmed himself harder than he had ever facepalmed in his life. Yes, when Ludo was hired, he was informed by the manager what the convenience store normally carries. Feels like something you're supposed to know as an employee. Even the bystander had this thought.
"You...you work for this place...and you don't know what they sell?"
"Give me a break, peasant. I started like four minutes ago."
"They sell lottery tickets, liquids for your vehicle, candy, and other unhealthy assortments!" Dennis yelled from the background, which only further enraged Ludo.
"Thanks, man!" The bystander turned to Ludo with an annoyed glare in his eyes. "And he doesn't even work here."
"How do you know that? What if he's just being a lazy lout taking too long of a break?"
"I don't work here." Dennis called out, again draw Ludo's ire.
"See? But maybe he should be working here. The frog boy over there seems to have a few more cards in his deck than you d-"
"Stop. Stop right no-did you just call him a frog boy?"
"Why I sure did! But don't look at me, your son's the one that's exposing your poor work ethics-"
"Stop. Stop again-my son?!"
"I'm his brother, you invalid!" Dennis shouted out in an exasperated fury.
"Brother? But...he's taller than you?"
The intelligence was not strong with this one. Just like the patience was not strong with Ludo...
As a result of this display of stupidity, Ludo used his massive sign to try and beat over the bystander multiple times. No significant injuries were sustained due to Ludo being a total wimp and the sign being basically cardboard, but a police complaint was lodged and Ludo was taken into the police station to be processed & released. "Alright, mister Avarius, you're free to go." The officer said to Ludo as he returned him to his brother. "Stay out of trouble now, ya hear?"
And so the two of them departed the station, continuing to trudge down the street. "This day has been an unmitigated disaster." Ludo exclaimed disappointingly.
"Don't give up yet, there has to be something-"
"Oh will you just give it up? There's nothing out there for me. I'm a completely talentless fool w-" As if by happenstance, the two of them passed by the orphanage that Star & Marco were currently residing in. Ludo caught a glimpse through one of the windows of Star and Marco each carrying one of the little toddlers across the room. "What's this?"
"Hey, is that...?" Dennis was not nearly as acquainted with Star & Marco as Ludo was, but he listened to countless retellings of encounters Ludo had with the two of them.
"Why yes...yes it is. Star Butterfly & Marco Diaz...in the flesh. So, this is what they've been reduced to...working with babies."
"Please tell me you're not thinking of going in and applying for a job here, are you? You're not exactly the nurturing type."
"Okay, first of all, you take that back. Secondly...I was just going to go in there and, I don't know, make lots of noise, irritate the children or something. But I like your idea better!"
Dennis loudly sighed. "And that's what I get for talking."
As for Star & Marco themselves on the inside, they were becoming increasingly frustrated with their situation. The children, while not outright misbehaving, were proving to be a fussy annoyance, refusing to sit still long enough to actually have their picture taken. "Okay, we've fed the kids, we've changed them, we're fixed up their outfits..." Star recounted, noting that they had done pretty much everything a babysitter should do while looking after children. "That's all taken care of. But they still won't sit still for the picture."
"I still say it's the bleachers." Marco argued. "They may not be hard on our bottoms, but babies have different comfort levels from us." Marco looked down at baby Miles, who appeared to be slightly agitated but not in a manner that would constitute misbehavior. The boy's eyes shifted towards the window where he took note of Ludo & Dennis standing in the reflection. He loudly babbled and pointed at the window, directing their attention to it. "Is that..."
"Ludo?" Star asked, squinting her eyes and making out his shape. Ludo triumphantly took this as a sign to let himself into the room.
"Surprise!" He gleefully announced, once again displaying his proverbial talent in not reading the room. "It is I, Ludo the-" Oh but that hubris would once again blow up in his face. He was so caught up in his monologue that he failed to detect that there were some toys left around on the floor. He stepped on one of them and found himself flying in the air before landing hard on his back. He loudly screamed upon impact as Dennis rushed to his side. Star & Marco were about to join him in helping Ludo stand up...
Except that was when baby Miles began laughing where he sat. He had seen the whole thing unfold and once Ludo hit the ground, something inside of him triggered, and he began laughing like a madman. The other babies soon joined in the laughter, sitting almost completely still otherwise.
"Marco...you seeing this?" Star whispered to her boyfriend.
"Yup..."
Ludo, however, was not amused, evidence by his marching towards them. "How dare you children laugh at me! You show me some respect, for I was but for a brief time the king of Mew-NIIIIIIIII!" He stepped on what appeared to be a race card toy and went gliding right into the kitchen, crashing into the table and falling over. Once again, the babies erupted into loud laughter, sitting still otherwise. Greta & Reggie were especially awestruck by the development in front of them.
"This is incredible! They've never been this still for us!" Greta said to the group.
"Thank you so much, strange frog thing!" Reggie proclaimed to Ludo.
"For the last time, I'm not a-oh never mind..." Ludo droned off, trying to stay conscious. Star ran right over to him & gently helped him up.
"Ludo...you're a genius!" Star proclaimed to Ludo.
"I appreciate the sentiment but I'm pretty sure you're wrong..." He responded with an ever-so-slight slur in his words.
"How did you know that these babies liked to see people fall down and go boom?" She asked him; he responded by looking at her like she was speaking a made-up language. "Oh right right right, we haven't...we haven't seen each other in a while." She turned towards Dennis. Prior to this moment, neither she nor Marco were aware that Ludo had any siblings at all. "Oh, and you have a kid! Congratulations! When did that happen?"
"I'M HIS BROTHER!" Dennis angrily groaned. Well, that was the end of that.
"Okay...so..." And she turned back to Ludo. "Here's the thing: we've been trying to get these babies to sit still so they can have their picture taken. If they'll sit still for you, we'll be able to snap that photo and be done with this."
"Let me take a guess. You're going to ask me to fall down a lot & act like a buffoon in order to keep these meandering children entertained to take your silly photo."
"Well look at you, Ludo. You're a smart one, aren't you."
"As a matter of fact, I am. So smart, in fact, that I'm pretty sure saying "no" to this proposition is the right move to make."
"Come on, Ludo," Marco begged. "It'll be really quick. We'll make sure you don't actually get hurt, and once it's over, you can leave and you'll never have to see these kids again."
"But why wouldn't you want to see these adorable little angels?" Star baby-talked, walking over to Miles & picking him up, smothering him in kisses & getting hysterical laughter out of the child. "They are the cutest widdle babies you ever did see and you'll never want to be away from them."
Ludo rolled his eyes. "Oh, Star, you vastly underestimate my ability to forget about people & things once I wipe my mind of them. Unlike you, I don't have any nostalgic or emotional attachment to many things, with the except of Dennis."
"Isn't that a depressing way to live life?" Marco asked.
"Not the point. The point is that no, I will not help you in this endeavor. I've already been humiliated more than enough today."
"How so?"
"He's been trying to find "purpose" in life so we've spent today finding him some odd jobs around town." Dennis explained. "First he tried auditioning for an acting role..."
"Oh so you were the ear-piercing noise we heard earlier!" Star exclaimed. Ludo groaned.
"Yes, that was me."
"Then he got a job as a fry cook..."
"So you were the one that set that burger joint on fire?!" Marco questioned.
"How do you infer that from his one statement?"
"I graduate high school early while on an interdimensional trip. I've been around the block."
"It's true, he has." Star agreed.
"And then he got a job as a sign spinner at the convenience store."
"I was arrested for hitting a customer with the sign! They didn't give me a lollypop or any of that good stuff."
Dennis sighed & patted Ludo's shoulder. "Ludo...I told you, that's for doctor's visits, not police arraignments."
"What's the difference? They're both hell!"
"Anyway!" Star shouted, hoping to get the conversation back on track. "Ludo, are you sure there isn't anything we can do to convince you to help us out?"
"I'm afraid not, Miss Butterfly."
Marco reached into his hoodie pocket & pulled out a fat stack of cash. "I'll give you $650."
Ludo's eyes lit up right away as he reached for the stack out of his hands. "DEAL! I'll go get myself ready!" Marco was just as surprised as everyone else that Ludo so eagerly took the deal, but hey, this meant they were one step closer to finishing the task for the day, so they weren't about to complain.
A few minutes passed and things were finally ready. Ludo was set up behind Reggie, who was taking the photo. He was going to step into the kids' sight, step on the race car again, and send himself flying onto the ground, eliciting distracting laughter from them long enough for Reggie to take the photo. Star & Marco were finishing setting the kids up in their respective seats. There was a notable hole in the middle of the back row. "Okay kiddies, are you ready?" Star said to the kids. She got herself a nice batch of cheers from them. But then she found herself getting another surprise.
Baby Miles managed to get out of his seat and waddle all the way over to Star. "Miles, no, you have to go back to your seat." But he remained undeterred; he grabbed her hand and began stomping in place, turning around and pointing to the bleachers. He was trying to tell her something. "Okay Miles, honey, no. Listen to me, you need to go back to your seat. I'll be right here when it's all done, okay? I can't..." As she continued to speak, it slowly sank in for her what he was trying to communicate. And suddenly a rush of emotions entered her mind. She picked him up off the ground. "Miles...sweetheart...is that what you guys wanted the whole time? Do you want me to be in the picture?" He nodded about as rapidly as his tiny head would allow. All of the other kids also followed suit. In the background, Marco, Greta, & Reggie exchanged looks, kicking themselves wondering how they could've missed that. "Sweetie I can't be in the picture with you. I'm not up for adoption."
Any hope of trying to quell the boy's emotions without involving herself were quashed. Miles began throwing a fit, partially playfully, but it was undeniable. He - as well as the rest of the babies - wanted Star to be in the picture with them. Marco, Reggie, & Greta all silently aww'd at the sight. Even Ludo found himself slightly teary-eyed at the sight before him. "Oh this is just too adorable." Ludo turned to Marco. "She's a natural mother figure. I bet she's had lots of practice, hasn't she?" He winked & nudged the boy's arm, moving his gaze towards Mariposa. Marco wasn't impressed.
"Ask me that one more time. I dare you." Marco whispered in a rather loud tone.
"Is Mariposa your daughter or your sister?" And Ludo took him up on that offer. And it turned out to be a bluff, as Marco said and did nothing in retaliation. "I knew you were bluffing." Their brief little tiff was interrupted by the sound of the babies laughing with Star, Miles leading the charge. Star looked over to Reggie & Greta.
"Um...is it okay if I...if I sit in on this one?" Star asked them sweetly, tears forming in their eyes. It wasn't the original plan, but how could any of them say no to the babies? They were constantly blown away by how loved she was by the children, and this was yet another example of them wanting her to be a part of their life. So, without further delay, Star whisked herself towards the empty spot on the bleachers and took her seat, tears fully streaming down her face and the kids all clamoring & cheering for her. "HURRY LUDO! FALL DOWN AND GO BOOM!"
Ludo began walking - unconsciously - towards the race card on the ground, grumbling. "Do not talk to me like I'm a CHIIIIIIILD!" He stepped on it without noticing and went flying, falling down on the ground in pain. This commotion caused the children to turn in the direction of the noise - and face the camera - and begin laughing loudly. They had a very small window to get this photo right.
"HURRY TAKE THE PHOTO! TAKE THE PHOTO!"
The next day, Star & Marco returned to the orphanage, along with Ludo & Dennis, sitting at the kitchen table with Reggie & Greta. They were reading a newspaper, where the advertisement for the orphanage was on page 2, with the photo that they had taken of the kids (and Star) was right at the top of the page. "Wow, it came out great!" Marco exclaimed, eyeing the picture. Star was the most notable part of the picture, with watery eyes and a massive smile on her face. "You look so cute with these kids, sweetie."
"Why thank you, my little mulberry." Still trying to make that pet name work, she was. She kissed him gently on his cheek, eliciting a laugh from him.
"Would you two just get a room already?" Dennis asked, not realizing the mouse trap he just stuck his foot into.
"Don't worry, we save that kind of fun for the bedroom." Star answered, her and Marco exchanging a flirtatious wink, leaving Dennis completely confounded. The phone began ringing. Reggie went over to the front desk to answer it.
"Echo Creek Orphanage...no, ma'am, I'm sorry. A-Again, the older kid is not up for adoption, she works here."
Everyone had a good chuckle at the expense of that line. This was not the first call the orphanage had gotten about wanting to adopt Star. "Guess the babies aren't the only one here who's popular." Marco gently nudged his girlfriend's arm.
"Soooooo Ludo...what'cha gonna do now?" Star asked her former nemesis. "Did you ever figure out what you're gonna do with yourself?"
"Well, I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but I had a bit of fun yesterday." Ludo responded rather optimistically. "I didn't particularly like the bruises I sustained, but seeing the children enjoy themselves...well, I have to admit, it...filled me up with...something. I've...never experienced anything quite like it before."
"What, you mean indigestion? Nah, I'm pretty sure you've felt that before." Marco joked, earning an unimpressed scowl from Star.
"Anyway...I think I've decided that I'm going to pursue work that'll allow me to replicate yesterday's situation on a more consistent manner, where I'll be able to interact with little tykes like them all the time!"
"So...you're going to be a clown." Marco interjected. "But what does that have to do with your job hunt?" Again, an unimpressed glare from Star, this time being coupled with her (gently) pouring her glass of water on his head.
"That's a touchdown, Marco. Don't go for a field goal." Boy way to strangle the life out of that analogy, princess.
"You're not even using the right metaphor!"
"Okay but seriously, Ludo?" Star reached over and offered a high five to the creature, which he happily accepted. "Congrats. We're really happy for you, and I hope it works out for you."
"Thank you, Star Butterfly. I-" His gaze drifted off to one of the clocks on the wall; that's when he realized he had to get moving. "Oh corn, I have to go! I don't want to be late for my first stop!" He and Dennis got out of their seats and started for the front door. "Buh-bye, Star & Marco!"
"Bye!" Both Dennis & Ludo waved goodbye to the two lovebirds, who were left with Reggie & Greta at the table.
"Where do you think he's off to?" Marco asked his girlfriend, who merely shrugged.
"No clue. I just hope whoever he's going to, they appreciate him half as much as these beautiful kids appreciated him yesterday."
And where was Ludo supposed to go today for his first big gig as a child entertainer? Why, to none other than the residence of...Jeremy Birnbaum, Marco's former nine-year old rival. Yes, apparently it was his birthday today, and for his birthday, he demanded a clown. The parents, despite being insanely rich, were not interested in spending their vast wealth to hire the best talent, so they went supremely cheap & hired Ludo, who, thanks to his own incompetence & inexperience, only charged a measly dollar for his services. This was not a functional family unit.
Ludo's first trick for the birthday boy? Balloon animals. Unfortunately, Ludo was...to put it mildly, spectacularly horrible at balloon animals. His abilities in the craft amounted to...blowing into the balloon hole and making a long balloon shape. It could either be a caterpillar, a snake, a baseball bat, or lightsaber. "Ta-da!" He shouted with extreme levels of uncertainty in his voice. "It's a caterpillar!" He handed the balloon to Jeremy, but the boy wouldn't take it from him.
"That just looks like a regular balloon." The boy whined, turning to his parents. "You said he was a professional!"
"Did we?" The father droned. "Oh, well, we lied."
"Why!?"
"Because we didn't feel like spending more money than we had to this year, son. For whatever it's worth, we had zero expectations for this...charlatan."
"Charlatan?!"
"Does this mean I'm not going to get my dollar?" Ludo asked, which only served to further irk the boy.
"A DOLLAR!?" The boy was about to have a tantrum of historic proportions. "Are you kidding me!? You went uber cheap on the entertainment again!? You coulda gotten anyone and you got this fraud instead!?"
"Fraud!?" And now it was Ludo's turn to be angry. "Just because I'm starting out doesn't mean I'm a fraud!"
"You can't even make simple balloon animals! You're not a clown, you're a fraud!"
"Get out of this house!"
"I LIVE HERE!"
End of Episode 16!
So I'll apologize in advance if this installment isn't as good as previous installments. It's definitely not as long. I'm proud of all of my work, but there are chapters I'm more disappointed in than others, and this is one of them. I want to incorporate some of the secondary or minor characters & give them some spotlight here and there. Writing about Star or Marco or the Butterflies or Tom or Janna is a lot easier & more fun than writing about Alfonzo or Ferguson or Ludo or any of those characters.
Still, I feel like one of the worst things a writer can do is stick to their comfort zone, thus I challenge myself occasionally to write chapters like this with lesser characters. But I had fun writing it, don't get me wrong, and hopefully it'll at least resonate with some people.
Also, shameless self-promotion: if anyone is looking for a freelance YouTube video editor, feel free to get in touch. I'm looking for work XD
As always, please remember to read & review!