Inked in Mystery
Chapter 7: Good times forever?
The following weeks, the three children took turns to find a way to escape Eddie's surveillance by linking up a little more each day with Bendy. The imp opened to the little ones every day a little more, revealing a happy Toon who loved dance more than anything. As much as he loved to dance on swing time or Charleston, he preferred to be guided on ballet and found himself a very graceful dancer, as light as a feather and twirling like a bird.
While teaching this grace to Candice (who found this dance style very beautiful), Bendy also spent long hours teaching swing time to the little ones. And to the surprise of all, Keffan was a great dancer. Boris joked that his biological father Toon was perhaps a swing time dancer who had given him his talent in his genes ... but Keffan didn't care about this biological father. Now that he had found a Toon quality, he was planning to maintain it at all costs. In ToonTown, summer had made way for the fall and everything was getting ready for the big autumn holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. No school had accepted the little Tunman for this year ... but the kitten had reassured his parents by showing that he knew how to dance.
On the other hand, the combination of these three ''lovely'' toddlers had caused Eddie some very funny adventures. In order to escape the detective, the children built a new plan every day. It could go from the all-silly diversion with firecrackers in an accessory wardrobe to force the Human to leave by any means. While Valiant thought this cast would only last a few days, the weeks accumulated to become months. Only, after a while, all the good things have an end and no more trick can escape the reality ... and that's what the little ones will discover.
October 1959:
In TerryToons 'studio, Keffan, Candice and Aiden are gathered in the parents' box.
« Look what I did for Bendy! » the rabgirl tweets, showing a colorful drawing of the imp and the three children with beautiful paper flowers stuck around them.
« But shout louder, big beast! Let everyone hear you! » Keffan moaned as he finished his origami.
« Very pretty, Candy ... » the chick mumbles, focused on his drawing.
« It's Candice ... » the rabgirl sighs. « And what do you do with your drawing? It's been 5 minutes that you scribble and erase. »
« I want it to be perfect! It's a project to get Ben out of the studio. »
Candice and Keffan look at each other, surprised because Bendy had never shown the desire to leave the SillyVision even if changing air wouldn't hurt him after all he has lived.
Suddenly, someone knocks on the door, forcing the children to hide their ''art pieces'' and to release a pseudo board game. Looking up, they see Jeckle running his head inside.
« We'll have to go, children. But Mr Valiant is here if you need. »
« Ok mom. » Aiden smiled, pretending to focus on their game.
« And this time, don't make him crap! » the magpie grumbles gently, forcing the children to lift their heads, looking innocent.
« Us? Make Uncle Eddie crap? » Candice cries indignantly. « No way ! »
« We will be calm as images! » Keffan promises, crossing his fingers behind his back.
The talking magpie looks at the little ones, looking suspicious ... then he sighs with a smile.
« Well. See you later, little ones! »
« See you later ! » the three children answer before doing those in their game.
Jeckle finally leaves and, as soon as he hears nothing, Aiden gets up and runs to see the door. Nobody ... except Eddie at the end of the hall reading the newspaper.
« It's ok ! We can go ! » he smiled, turning to his friends.
« What have you prepared for today, Candice? » the little Tunman asks, putting their presents for the little dancing demon in his bag.
« Mom taught me how to make macarons last night! » the rabgirl smiles, taking her bag, proudly taking out a small box with a red bow. « So I've planned some sleepy chocolate for Uncle Eddie! »
« Do you think he'll agree to swallow them? » the magpie asks. « After what happened to him with your apple donuts with laxative icing! »
Keffan laughs. He wouldn't like to be in the detective's place that day. Especially since, seeing that Papa Chat (who accepted this appellation recently) had told him that night at dinner, he had been REALLY sick! Candice rolls her eyes.
« Well, in fact, I put too much in the frosting. »
« Fortunately he was here and not elsewhere. » the kitten chuckles. « They were able to give him the meds of the night watchman. »
The three little ones burst out laughing but they made a promise to apologize to the detective once Bendy got out of trouble.
Eddie finishes reading stock prices when his goddaughter Toon approaches him with a smile.
« Hi, Uncle Eddie! » she chirps with her innocent little face.
« Ah! This is the most beautiful of the three little terrors. » the Human jokes while folding his newspaper. « Is there a problem, Candice? »
« No no ! It's just that last night, Mom taught me how to make macaroons! So I did some for you! » the little girl smiles, holding out the box she's holding. « I made it chocolate because you don't like carrots in cakes. »
Valiant frowns a little at the little box, looks at the little Toon girl with a look of suspicion but the small smile of the girl makes him crack. He takes the box and smiles.
« It's not like the donuts? »
« Uncle Eddie! I already told you I'm sorry! I really don't know how I managed to mistake on that! »
Even if he doesn't say anything, Eddie has a look that says a lot. With a small smile, he puts the box down.
« I'll taste it a little later, Candice. I just eat my breakfast. »
The little rabbit smiles and nods before hopping happily to Heckle's and Jeckle's lodge where Aiden and Keffan are waiting for her. Eddie greets them quickly and they close the door. The detective benefits that the little ones don't look at him and open the box. Taking one of the macaroons, he moves away a little in the studio.
In the lodge, Aiden makes sure no one is listening to them ... then he turns to his friend.
« So ? »
« It's not for now. He has breakfast not long ago. » the girl replied, struggling.
« Only? It will be 10:30 am ! » Keffan wonders.
« Well, what do you want? Uncle Eddie is only a detective. If he isn't on a case, he doesn't get up too early. Unless Aunt Dolores will wake him up. »
« Well, well, we just have to wait. » the little magpie said, taking out a comic book from his hammerspace.
Candice pulls out a coloring book while Keffan decides to make a solitaire with one of his Papa Chat's card games. SourPuss had taught him the game when the Tunman had caught him playing, one day nobody needed him and Gandy was away.
An hour later, Aiden risks an eye out of the box. As Eddie is out of his place down the hall, the little magpie beckons to his friends. The three children leave (Keffan carrying his filled bag) and head for the end of the corridor. They slip their heads and see the detective on a couch that serves in the sets. The human seems deeply asleep. The little ones look at each other with a smile and then walk towards him. Aiden and Candice gently pat him to see if he's waking up... but Eddie continues to breathe calmly, growling a little but staying deeply asleep. Keffan then pushes a little cry to test if he pretends... but no reaction. The boys gig and start going out ... but Candice stays behind.
« What are you doing ? » Keffan growls in a low voice.
« Hold on ! » the little Rabbit said, tipping her godfather's hat over the eyes of the Human. « Here ! It's more realistic like that! »
The three little ones go away, chuckling softly so as not to alert the studio and then they go out ... without noticing Eddie opening an eye while straightening his hat.
Thanking the fact that he is used to Toons tests, Valiant rises noiselessly and follows the children ... when he stops in front of a small Dingbat* asleep beside a remnant of macaroon.
« Sorry, little guy. » the detective whispers, putting a letter next to the sleeping Toon.
On the paper, there is a message for the parents of the 'little monsters'.
Dingbat just helped me escape a trap of the little ones so do not scold him when he wakes up. I started in their spinning to see where they were going. We will soon have the end of this story.
Eddie Valiant
Now sure that little Toon Joker (who annoys a lot of people with his jokes and his thoughts) won't be punished for nothing, Eddie starts following the children.
The three friends return to ToonTown without seeing the Human behind them (especially because they don't pay attention because they think he is asleep) and head for a neighborhood that seems abandoned. Intrigued, the detective approaches ... but quickly hides behind a wall when Aiden makes sure no one sees them. After the check, the three children slip between the boards and run into the tunnel. Eddie wait a bit and then step forward, surprised to see one of ToonTown's passages blocked in this way. He takes a look and sees the children moving further and further away. Seeing no other way, he grabs one of the planks and pulls it off. He does the same again until he can have passed.
The tunnel is dark and, seeing the footprints in the dust, only the children went there. Eddie frowns but walks forward without getting out a flashlights. It might alert the little ones. So, silently, he advances, reaches the end of the tunnel... and he is surprised to see an abandoned street in Kansas City. Eddie watches the surroundings... and spots the kids coming into what looks like an old abandoned studio.
« What are they doing in there? » he wonders before approaching.
Taking out his camera from the inside pocket of his raincoat, Valiant takes some photos of the building in case the parents know what is this place and then he looks for a point of observation. The few windows are hindered by very old planks. Some even start to rot. Eddie then uses his pocket knife to make a small hole and see ... but the pieces seem abandoned, the walls covered with ink stains, papers or film reels left on the floor and dusty furniture.
Mumbling, Eddie is looking for another place to see what's going on inside... when he notices the vent pipes, very wide. Big enough to hold a man of his size on his knees. The detective hangs his device around his neck and opens the conduit. Taking a deep breath, he slips into the passage and, trying to make as little noise as possible, he walks in search of the children. He then hears laughter and, approaching a ventilation grill, he observes. The human frowns at seeing the children laugh with two Toons he has never seen: a small black and white little demon and a transparent and slightly blue wolf. The canine stares at the scene while smiling as the devil dances with the children on an old rhythm of the 30s. Now sure that it is the secret friend of the children, Eddie doesn't lose a second and seizes his camera. He takes some shots of the children playing with the Toon then, deciding that it's enough, he gets out of the pipes (not without difficulties since he had to do it 'in reverse') and returns home to develop his photos and warn his 'clients' that he had their answer.
In the studio, in the room where the musicians recorded their recordings of episodes, Bendy always teaches the swing time to the children, having fun with the mistakes they make. Aiden and Keffan tend to try to synchronize their movements while Candice remembers the dances she saw in the cabaret where her mother works: The Ink and Paint Club!
« You're not doing too badly, Candice. » Bendy smiled.
« Mom is a singer and Betty sometimes teaches me some dances. » the girl replies with a proud smile.
« So, we'll try something else! » the little demon said, signaling Boris to change his record, which the wolf does without question. « A little dance that we usually do as a couple! And it starts ... hum ... oh yes! »
Bendy starts to snap his shoes while dancing while his wolf friend puts the record with a swing time tune.
« Don't you mind if I change my partner, Boris? »
« Go ahead ! » the wolf ghost smiles.
Bendy then takes the girl's hand and pulls her into the dance inspired by the music. Candice smiles and lets herself be guided in the waltz that the imp offers to her, even making taps. Then, catching the girl by the hip, he makes her understand that she must do like him. The human rabbit smiles and imitates the dance, going off in a sort of waltz with him. When the rhythm changes, they begin to dance rhythmically but separately then they waltz again when the starting rhythm starts again. Depending on the rhythm and under the amused gaze of their friends, Bendy and Candice go on waltz and dance solo. At the end of the music, the two dancers stop... and Aiden and Keffan applaud.
« It's sure that in duet, Miss Sautillons is talented! » the kitten smiles as the girl pulls out her tongue for the nickname. « But I'm good all by myself! I'm even sure I can do the orchestra man! »
Boris, understanding what Keffan wants, changes the disc and, hearing the first notes, the little Tunman catches drumsticks and rushes to the drums and bass drums. He starts to dance in rhythm and to play the drum at the same time, juggling between dance and pieces of drums, using both his feet and the sticks provided for this purpose. Bendy cannot help but smile when he sees the kitten having fun as much as he did when he was shooting his episodes. At the end of the music (and his little show), Tunman throws the drumsticks and joins his friends, doing a check in Aiden.
« Not too bad, Kitten! » Candice laughs, annoying the kitten who sticks out his tongue.
« I would say rather very good! » Bendy says. « Are you sure you've never danced before? »
Keffan shrugs his shoulders with a small smile. It came naturally to him, hardly the music began that he already saw the choreography that he could do.
Boris slips to Bendy and whispers something in his ear.
« Oh! Yeah ! » the devil exclaims. « One minute, I'll be back ! »
With a small smile, the little Toon walks away with the soul of the wolf under the eyes of the children. The three little ones look at each other, puzzled as the two SillyVision stars approach, Bendy holding a box and Boris holding two.
« You offer us drawings and folds at every visit and we, apart from dance lessons, haven't been offered anything to you. » the devil explains. « So, we found you that! »
Boris smiles, handing the pink-tipped box to Candice, the other to Keffan, and Bendy gives to Aiden the last. The three children look at each other, look at their friends in black and white …
« Go! Open! » Bendy smiled.
Candice (too curious) is the first to open her gift. She freezes and gives a little shout of joy by taking out two ragdolls: a representative a beautiful female angel with black hair in sexy black dress with a small white bow on the chest and a halo on the head while the other represents an adorable little female devil in white dress with short cut hair and a white band around her head.
« THEY ARE SO PRETTY ! » the girl exclaims, hugging her new dolls in her arms.
« We didn't know which one to choose so we gave you both. » Bendy says, glad that she likes it so much.
« Do they have names? »
Bendy suddenly seems a little sad ... but keeping his smile, he nods and replies:
« Alice Angel and Pandora Devil. The fallen angel and the nice devil. »
Aiden is surprised at the underlying sadness in his friend's voice, but Candice is too happy to really consider it. Keffan decides to open his package... and smiles as he takes out a stuffed toy of Boris. The little magpie frowns, intrigued, ... then opens his package to see the stuffed Bendy that had attracted him the day he had entered the studio. Huge eyes of disbelief, the chick lifts the stuffed under the amused look of Bendy.
« I noticed that you kept an eye on it every time you passed. » the dancing demon explains.
Aiden remains forbidden ... then smiles and squeezes the plush, which squeaks slightly.
At TerryToons Studios, the three parents' couples are gathered in the director's office: SourPuss and Gandy, Heckle and Jeckle, and Roger and Jessica. The young woman is the last to arrive.
« Sorry! I was retained at the Club. » she explains as she sinks down, putting her bag on the floor.
« The most important thing is that you are all here. » Eddie said, taking out the developed photos from his pocket.
« Do you know where the children are going? » Jeckle asks, hoping.
« I was finally able to follow them. Fortunately Jessica had warned me that Candice had been baking the day before. »
« What was she planning for this time? » Roger asks, quite annoyed by his daughter's jokes.
« Sleeping pills. And since Dingbat is still sleeping, she had to put the dose on it. » the detective answers as he looks at the photos before posing the ones in the building. « This is where they go. Does anyone know this place? »
Roger retrieves one of the photos and looks at it closely with Jessica. The Rabbit couple shrugs their shoulders before passing the picture to other couples.
« No, I've never seen this studio. » Heckle answers as Jeckle shakes his head, totally lost.
« How can you be sure it's a studio? » Valiant wonders.
« It looks like the first studios. » Gandy explains, retrieving the photo. « In the 20s or 30s, studios were like that when they started. That one didn't take off. »
« But none of you know which studio it is? »
The Toons shake their heads.
Sighing, Eddie looks at the other pictures.
« I also discovered why they were going there. They didn't lie on one point: they made a friend in it. »
« A human ? » Jeckle asks.
« No, it's a Toon. » Valiant answers by selecting the best photo. « And given his graphics, it's an old Toon. In the 30s I would say. One of you knows him? »
Eddie puts the picture on the desk, forcing the parents to approach... but he just withdraws his hand that the Toons move away screaming in fear (Roger even falling from his chair), to the great shock of both humans. Jessica (usually so inexpressive) is very clearly scared, Roger trembles so much that he is unable to get up, Jeckle hugs his husband and the two magpies are white like aspirins (so much so that their plumage seems to be fired at gray) and Gandy jumped into SourPuss's arms, the cat's face being as white as a ghost and shaking all over his body. The detective turns to the studio director but Bill shrugs. He doesn't see why the Toons are so scared. Especially since he already saw the pictures when Valiant came back and he didn't see anything terrifying.
« Can one of you explain to me? » the Human is indignant.
« I-I-It's Bendy ! » Roger fumbles, pointing at the picture.
« Who ? »
« Bendy! Bendy the dancing demon! » Gandy says.
« Don't call him that anymore! » SourPuss growls as he puts the goose on the ground. « He only has the title of Demon now, this kind of inked psychopath! »
Eddie and Bill look at each other, not understanding... then they turn to the Toons who start muttering visibly terrified. Seeing that the others are too scared to talk and the Humans are lost, Jessica calmly explains:
« Bendy was a Toon Devil who appeared during the year 1925 and he belonged to a small studio named SillyVision. He was very famous and the SillyVision seemed destined to become as big as WarnerBros or Disney Studios. Except that one day, without anyone realizing why, he went crazy. »
« All Toons are crazy in their genre. » Eddie says.
« We like to play crazy! This isn't the same ! » Heckle says indignantly. « We don't kill humans, us! »
As Eddie and Bill frown, Gandy continues:
« Bendy was in such a state of rage that he hurt many of the studio's employees. Even the director! They had to cut the ink to weaken him enough to control it and Bendy found himself locked in his studio. No one has returned since. »
Eddie nods, finally understanding where this panic fear was coming from his friends.
Suddenly, Roger asks the question that all (or almost) ask themselves in a whisper.
« How did they know about him? They are too young to have heard of him and they have never done anything serious enough to threaten to call this Demon. »
Everyone looks at each other ... when Jeckle walks away from his husband and frowns furiously. Heckle looks down at him then looks up and whistles innocently. The others start shooting the magpie and his husband growls:
« Are you sure you have nothing to do with it, Heckle? »
The magpie looks down at his companion, observes the others ... then sighs.
« Ok, ok! I told Bendy's legend to Aiden and Keffan. For Candice, I have nothing to do with it! The boys had to talk to him later. »
« That's why Keffan had nightmares for several weeks? » Gandy is indignant.
« If you didn't broods him like a baby, he wouldn't be afraid of anything like that! » the magpie defends himself.
« And if you didn't have such a big beak, your son wouldn't have brought MY daughter into his suicide missions! » Roger enrage.
« She may not be all that clear either, your girl! » Jeckle gets angry even though he knows his boy is good at driving others into his nonsense.
« Now that's enough ! » Eddie stammers, startling the Toons who stop arguing. « I can understand that you are afraid for your children, but look at them! Do you think they look in danger? »
The Toons are turning to the photos. Indeed, their children don't seem scared. They even seem happy and play innocently as usual. But the black and white devil next to them ... he wasn't a friend! But a monster! A danger that these little innoscents hadn't seen! They had to protect them!
After several hours playing with Bendy, the kids happily leave the studios. Candice had put the dolls in her bag so that no one could see them until they joined the studios. There, the boys would put their stuffed toys in their bags before hiding them at home. They found it unfortunate that the gifts should remain hidden but as long as Bendy would be considered a monster, they couldn't show them.
« By the way, what's your plan, Aidy? » Candice asks as she enters the tunnel.
« My plan ? »
« You said you had a plan to get Bendy out of his studio. » Keffan continues.
« Ah! » the little magpie exclaims. « That's still a project! But I see too much a great opportunity to get him out without anyone calculating that he is there! »
« Now you have to explain us there! » the kitten laughed, stooping to pass between the boards.
But hardly is it on the other side that it freezes, just like Candice and Aiden when they returned in ToonTown. There, in front of them, visibly very angry, stood their parents with Mr Valiant. They all seem angry and disappointed.
« I think you owe us some explanations, young people! » Roger scolds.
The three children look at each other and swallow, lowering their head without looking at their parents.
« This time, you didn't put enough in your macaron, Candy ... » Aiden mumbles.
The rabgirl look down at him 5 seconds before reattaching her parents. This time, they were in big troubles.
Back home with Heckle and Jeckle with the children and under the eyes of Eddie (who wants the last word of this story), the parents expect explanations ... except that the children remain silent, preferring to be silent rather than betray their friend. But the Toons cannot remain unanswered.
« Children! For the last time, explain yourself! What did it take you to go there!? Do you realize how dangerous it was? » Heckle gets upset.
The little ones keep their eyes down but Roger notices that Candice convulsively squeezes her bag. Without waiting, the rabbit seizes the bag, frightening the children, opens it and empties the contents: papers, sweets, flowers ... and the four stuffed toys. The two dolls fall before being followed by the plush of the wolf ... then that of the little demon who squeaks while touching the ground. The six parents jump at the toy and Aiden rushes to get his present. He hugged it tightly, knowing that his parents might destroy it.
« Aiden? You can explain ? » Jeckle jabs.
The chick looks up at the parents, ashamed, turns to his friends ... and sighs.
« The new friend I told you about ... it's Bendy! »
« You can't be serious, son! » Heckle says indignantly. « This demon is a monster! »
« BENDY IS NOT A MONSTER ! » the children scream, making the adults jump.
« It's a Toon like all of us! » Candice said. « Just a little lost! »
« It's thanks to him that I dance now! » Keffan adds. « He's nice, sweet and he's a great friend! »
« He is very good at dancing and singing! » Aiden concludes. « He's a complete artist! A great friend! But he was betrayed! »
« He managed to make you believe that? » Roger exclaimed. « Have you been stupid enough to believe it? Children, let's see! It's a Demon! »
« No ! It's a hurt Toon! » the little magpie gets upset. « He was betrayed by those he trusted most! »
« Humans often change studios, it's very common! » SourPuss sighs. « So, sure it's sad, but he must learn to build a character! »
« It's not because of Henry that he became like this! » the chick tries.
« Aiden, little man... » Gandy sighs by kneeling before the little one. « Bendy is no longer the Toon he was. He became crazy ! He never left his studio to go to ToonTown and he almost killed several people. Others have even disappeared during his attack. He is dangerous… »
« But are you deaf or what !? » the chick yells. « Bendy isn't mean ! It's the Humans who hurt them! To him, to Boris, to all the Toons who worked there! The real monster isn't Bendy! »
« Aiden! You'll drop a tone, please! » Heckle scolds, but his son hasn't finished.
« You are like the others! Bendy is right! You are all manipulated by humans! But Humans are all liars! YOU HEAR ! LIARS ! TRAITORS ! »
Heckle gets up at once, and before his companion has time to understand, he gives Aiden a big slap.
« Heckle! » Jeckle is horrified.
The chick falls to the ground, his hand on his cheek, holding back sobs. Then he looks up furiously at the adults before getting up and running to his room crying, hugging his stuffed Bendy in his arms and screaming ''ONLY LIARS! LIARS !''. The door of his room slams violently, making his mother sigh. Keffan and Candice watch the scene without saying anything ... then they glance at their parents and run out to go home, their present in their arms.
Heckle sighs as he passes a hand through his feathers. He turns to his companion and shrugs.
« I don't know what took from me ... »
Jeckle looks at his husband and sighs, going to hug him. They felt so helpless. Their only child had become friends with a demon! A Toon that everyone feared, knowing what he was capable of! From then on, the ink had scared the new Toons. So, knowing that their child was spending the last months alongside this crazy monster ... it was too much for them.
« What can we do? ... Bendy has completely indoctrinated the children ... » Jeckle sobs.
The other parents look at each other, worried. They hadn't thought of that yet. In his corner, Valiant listens and observes the scene, intrigued. There were disturbing elements in this case. Noticing himself mentally that he will have to do some research on this SillyVision studio, he approaches his Toons friends.
« I think the best thing to do is make them forget about Bendy. » Eddie shrugged. « They are children. They have fads but it happens quickly in general. »
« Good idea, Eddie! » Roger smiled, turning to his friends. « If they are busy with something else, they will forget that demon! And everything will be like before! »
« Fantastic ! » Gandy exclaims.
« And I know exactly how busy these three! » Heckle smiled.
The parents all get together and prepare to occupy their little ones so they forget Bendy the Demon ... but they would need all ToonTown!
HERE IT IS! Chapter 7 is finally here! :D And we see that our adorable "little monsters" have many tips to get rid of Eddie ^^
For Bendy and Candice's dance, I use the video 'Swing Time - Rogers and Astaire' on YouTube and for Keffan, I use 'Fred Astaire's Best Scene - A Damsel in Distress'
Except that the friendship between Bendy and the children has just been discovered by the parents ... will it resist that? Will Bendy be alone again? Or will they be able to keep their friendship despite what others think?
Discover it in the next chapter :)
Ah! Notifications *
* Dingbat: A little TerryToons character who can remind Titi by size and color but who does not speak and makes jokes to everyone he meets. Foxiso finds him very annoying ^^
Here it is :D and Don't forget to leave a little comment :) You encourage the author (well, that's me ^ ^) and it costs nothing :)
see you next: D