I seem to be in a story-writing mood this week. Here's the first chapter
of my next one - It shouldn't be too long, hopefully I'll get around to
finishing it soon.
The Talent
By Dooly
Characters copyright Cartoon Network
Chapter 1
The city of Townsville was experiencing exceptionally warm, sunny weather on the day after Labour Day. With the girls back at school after the summer, the Professor was taking a break from his scientific investigations to relax and enjoy the sunshine. He lay in his bathing suit in a lawn chair under a large umbrella, a copy of "Biogenetic Research Quarterly, The Swimsuit Issue" in his lap.
"Ahh, this is the life!" he said, taking another sip of pink lemonade from the tall glass beside him. "I really needed a break like this to get the old mind back into top condition. Nothing but good reading, cool drinks, and lots of peace and quiet-"
"Crash! Bam! Tinkle tinkle!" Various sounds of shattering glass and falling plaster could be heard from the inside of the Utonium residence.
"Sounds like my little angels are home-" the Professor raised himself from his repose with a groan, and went to greet his three daughter-creations.
"Professor!" the Powerpuff girls flew up happily to greet him, their school bags dragging from their shoulders.
Seeing his girls so excited to tell him about their experiences, Professor Utonium brightened. "Hey girls, how was your first day of Senior Kindergarten?"
"It was great, Professor!" Blossom beamed down at him from where she was hovering above. "Boy, those new kids sure were lost today! They didn't know the sandbox from the restroom! Miss Keane put me in charge of showing them around. See?" She thrust out her chest to proudly display the "Classroom Guide" button pinned to her dress.
"And we got to play soccer outside today at gym, cause the weather was so nice!" Buttercup had obviously thrown herself whole-heartedly into the game, judging from the grass and dirt stains covering her dress and leggings.
"And, we got to pick insertments for music class!" Bubbles squealed in excitement.
"Instruments, Bubbles," corrected Blossom.
"That's what I said," said Bubbles, "Look, I got a flute!" There was a flash of silver as she produced the instrument from her backpack.
"Wow, Bubbles, that's really neat! Isn't it kind of a difficult instrument for someone your age, though?" asked the Professor.
"Ms. Keane says I'm specially talented," Bubbles said proudly.
"Yeah, you're 'special' alright," said Buttercup under her breath.
Bubbles ignored her sister's remark. "Nobody else who tried it could even make a sound come out of it. Not even Blossom."
"I could too, I just didn't feel like it," said Blossom brusquely, flipping her hair back over her shoulder.
"I didn't even try it. Flutes are for sissies." Buttercup stated with confidence.
"Well, I think I sound beaootiful on it." Bubbles maintained. "Sides, its not that hard, I only gotta play one note the whole song." Bubbles raised the instrument to her lips and blew across the mouthpiece. An incredibly piercing, high-pitched note emerged from the instrument, causing the Professors' lemonade glass to shatter and dogs for several miles around to begin barking furiously.
"That was- uh- very memorable, Bubbles," the Professor said faintly, as several shards of glass fell from his lemonade soaked fingers to the ground. "Ummm-What instruments did you other two get?"
"Triangle!" said Blossom, taking out her bent piece of metal and delicately tapping it with a rod to produce a resonating bell-like sound.
"Sandpaper blocks!" proclaimed Buttercup. She took out the two wooden blocks covered in sandpaper, and proceeded to bash them together with great energy.
"Hey, that's not how you're supposed to play them!" Blossom tried to grab the blocks from Buttercup to demonstrate, but her sister quickly hid them behind her back. Blossom sighed, and moved her bare hands to mime the correct playing of the instrument. "You have to rub them together, like this."
"Aww, that's no fun. What's wrong with a little musical creativity, anyhow?" Buttercup began flying in circles around the room, banging her sandpaper blocks together for all she was worth.
"We're gonna play a song for everybody at the school concert!" said Bubbles excitedly. "Well, I'd better start practicing!" She took a deep breath, and raised her flute up to her mouth again.
"I just remembered, I've got some important business to attend to in the lab." the Professor began edging away quickly.
Blossom, who was fortunately standing behind Bubbles, put her hands over her ears and grimaced, awaiting the next blast of sound-induced pain.
"Yoink!" Buttercup had apparently lost interest in the joys of percussion, and had grabbed Bubble's instrument from out of her raised arms.
"Hey, give it back!" Bubbles tried to grab her flute from her sister, who floated backwards out of the blonde girl's reach.
"Relax, I just decided I want to try it after all," Buttercup said. "Just to show you I can."
"Professor!" Bubbles whined. "That's my special instrument!"
"Now Bubbles, there's nothing wrong with sharing your things with your sisters, is there?"
"Yeah, so back off and let me try!" said Buttercup impudently, gaining her a stern look from the Professor.
Bubbles backed off, and the Utonium family all watched as Buttercup brought the instrument to her lips.
She blew. "Fweeeee!" a soft, richly musical sound echoed from the flute.
"Huh, that was just beginners' luck," said Blossom, trying to keep the envy out of her voice. "Bet you can't do it again."
Buttercup once again blew across the mouthpiece of the flute, using her hands to randomly cover some of the holes. "Fweee, Fwu, Fuuwwoooo!" Several crystal clear notes emerged from the instrument, gently echoing in the quiet room around her.
"Wow Buttercup, you're even better than me!" said Bubbles in admiration. "Do it again!"
Buttercup made a third attempt at playing the instrument. A beautiful, airy tune emerged from the flute. Buttercup's hands flew across the instrument as if she had been in training for years.
The Professor's jaw dropped, and he barely managed to catch his pipe before it fell to the floor. "That's amazing Buttercup! Have you been practising in secret?"
"No way, Professor! I told you, I don't want to play some sissy instrument! I've never touched one before in my life!" As surprised as the rest of them, Buttercup put the flute back up to her mouth, and once again produced an intricate, breath-taking melody from the instrument.
"Maybe it's a magic flute," suggested Bubbles. "Maybe the magic flute fairy likes you Buttercup, and wants to help you make everyone happy!"
"Make me sick!" said Buttercup, putting her hands over her stomach and pretending to throw up.
"You know what I think," the Professor interceded. "I think we've found your first special power, Buttercup!"
Buttercup looked shocked. "What! No way! No earthquakes? No transforming into a giant monster? My special power is playing some stupid flute? How's that going to help me do anything? She affected a deep voice "And the day is saved, thanks to boring music!"
"Actually, Buttercup your special abilities don't have to correspond with superheroics - it's just a coincidence that most of your powers are suited to fighting crime. Really, almost any type of ability is possible, from flower arranging to bee taming! And, I think your music sounds lovely." He smiled at his dark-haired daughter. "Maybe Bubbles is right. Maybe your special talent is to make people around you happy!"
Buttercup groaned. "Why couldn't I at least be good at a cool instrument, like drums or electric guitar?"
"Hmmm. you may be on to something, Buttercup," the Professor mused. "After all, at first we thought Bubbles could only speak Spanish, but really she can speak numerous languages, both human and otherwise!"
"Tiim!" Bubbles agreed in perfect Mongolian.
"Well, I don't think sandpaper blocks will be on your list," remarked Blossom.
Buttercup, already deeply involved in playing air guitar, ignored the comment.
"Tell you what, Buttercup. After you girls do your homework and we have dinner, we'll drive over to a music store and see what you can do!"
******
Screech! the Professor winced in pain as Buttercup drew the bow across the viola. An array of discarded instruments, from drums to didgeridoos, littered the floor of the shop.
"Well, your daughter certainly has uh-enthusiasm," said the shopkeeper tactfully. "But you know, it takes a lot of practice to play an instrument well. If she ever decides what type she'd like to learn, you could bring her back and try again. For now, why don't you start with something more basic like, say, sandpaper blocks!" He held out a pair of the paper-covered wood blocks to Buttercup. She took them resignedly and started scraping them against one another slowly.
"Some sucky power," she muttered under her breath.
"Hey Buttercup, I just thought of something!" Blossom exclaimed, a small figurative light bulb turning on above her head.
The Talent
By Dooly
Characters copyright Cartoon Network
Chapter 1
The city of Townsville was experiencing exceptionally warm, sunny weather on the day after Labour Day. With the girls back at school after the summer, the Professor was taking a break from his scientific investigations to relax and enjoy the sunshine. He lay in his bathing suit in a lawn chair under a large umbrella, a copy of "Biogenetic Research Quarterly, The Swimsuit Issue" in his lap.
"Ahh, this is the life!" he said, taking another sip of pink lemonade from the tall glass beside him. "I really needed a break like this to get the old mind back into top condition. Nothing but good reading, cool drinks, and lots of peace and quiet-"
"Crash! Bam! Tinkle tinkle!" Various sounds of shattering glass and falling plaster could be heard from the inside of the Utonium residence.
"Sounds like my little angels are home-" the Professor raised himself from his repose with a groan, and went to greet his three daughter-creations.
"Professor!" the Powerpuff girls flew up happily to greet him, their school bags dragging from their shoulders.
Seeing his girls so excited to tell him about their experiences, Professor Utonium brightened. "Hey girls, how was your first day of Senior Kindergarten?"
"It was great, Professor!" Blossom beamed down at him from where she was hovering above. "Boy, those new kids sure were lost today! They didn't know the sandbox from the restroom! Miss Keane put me in charge of showing them around. See?" She thrust out her chest to proudly display the "Classroom Guide" button pinned to her dress.
"And we got to play soccer outside today at gym, cause the weather was so nice!" Buttercup had obviously thrown herself whole-heartedly into the game, judging from the grass and dirt stains covering her dress and leggings.
"And, we got to pick insertments for music class!" Bubbles squealed in excitement.
"Instruments, Bubbles," corrected Blossom.
"That's what I said," said Bubbles, "Look, I got a flute!" There was a flash of silver as she produced the instrument from her backpack.
"Wow, Bubbles, that's really neat! Isn't it kind of a difficult instrument for someone your age, though?" asked the Professor.
"Ms. Keane says I'm specially talented," Bubbles said proudly.
"Yeah, you're 'special' alright," said Buttercup under her breath.
Bubbles ignored her sister's remark. "Nobody else who tried it could even make a sound come out of it. Not even Blossom."
"I could too, I just didn't feel like it," said Blossom brusquely, flipping her hair back over her shoulder.
"I didn't even try it. Flutes are for sissies." Buttercup stated with confidence.
"Well, I think I sound beaootiful on it." Bubbles maintained. "Sides, its not that hard, I only gotta play one note the whole song." Bubbles raised the instrument to her lips and blew across the mouthpiece. An incredibly piercing, high-pitched note emerged from the instrument, causing the Professors' lemonade glass to shatter and dogs for several miles around to begin barking furiously.
"That was- uh- very memorable, Bubbles," the Professor said faintly, as several shards of glass fell from his lemonade soaked fingers to the ground. "Ummm-What instruments did you other two get?"
"Triangle!" said Blossom, taking out her bent piece of metal and delicately tapping it with a rod to produce a resonating bell-like sound.
"Sandpaper blocks!" proclaimed Buttercup. She took out the two wooden blocks covered in sandpaper, and proceeded to bash them together with great energy.
"Hey, that's not how you're supposed to play them!" Blossom tried to grab the blocks from Buttercup to demonstrate, but her sister quickly hid them behind her back. Blossom sighed, and moved her bare hands to mime the correct playing of the instrument. "You have to rub them together, like this."
"Aww, that's no fun. What's wrong with a little musical creativity, anyhow?" Buttercup began flying in circles around the room, banging her sandpaper blocks together for all she was worth.
"We're gonna play a song for everybody at the school concert!" said Bubbles excitedly. "Well, I'd better start practicing!" She took a deep breath, and raised her flute up to her mouth again.
"I just remembered, I've got some important business to attend to in the lab." the Professor began edging away quickly.
Blossom, who was fortunately standing behind Bubbles, put her hands over her ears and grimaced, awaiting the next blast of sound-induced pain.
"Yoink!" Buttercup had apparently lost interest in the joys of percussion, and had grabbed Bubble's instrument from out of her raised arms.
"Hey, give it back!" Bubbles tried to grab her flute from her sister, who floated backwards out of the blonde girl's reach.
"Relax, I just decided I want to try it after all," Buttercup said. "Just to show you I can."
"Professor!" Bubbles whined. "That's my special instrument!"
"Now Bubbles, there's nothing wrong with sharing your things with your sisters, is there?"
"Yeah, so back off and let me try!" said Buttercup impudently, gaining her a stern look from the Professor.
Bubbles backed off, and the Utonium family all watched as Buttercup brought the instrument to her lips.
She blew. "Fweeeee!" a soft, richly musical sound echoed from the flute.
"Huh, that was just beginners' luck," said Blossom, trying to keep the envy out of her voice. "Bet you can't do it again."
Buttercup once again blew across the mouthpiece of the flute, using her hands to randomly cover some of the holes. "Fweee, Fwu, Fuuwwoooo!" Several crystal clear notes emerged from the instrument, gently echoing in the quiet room around her.
"Wow Buttercup, you're even better than me!" said Bubbles in admiration. "Do it again!"
Buttercup made a third attempt at playing the instrument. A beautiful, airy tune emerged from the flute. Buttercup's hands flew across the instrument as if she had been in training for years.
The Professor's jaw dropped, and he barely managed to catch his pipe before it fell to the floor. "That's amazing Buttercup! Have you been practising in secret?"
"No way, Professor! I told you, I don't want to play some sissy instrument! I've never touched one before in my life!" As surprised as the rest of them, Buttercup put the flute back up to her mouth, and once again produced an intricate, breath-taking melody from the instrument.
"Maybe it's a magic flute," suggested Bubbles. "Maybe the magic flute fairy likes you Buttercup, and wants to help you make everyone happy!"
"Make me sick!" said Buttercup, putting her hands over her stomach and pretending to throw up.
"You know what I think," the Professor interceded. "I think we've found your first special power, Buttercup!"
Buttercup looked shocked. "What! No way! No earthquakes? No transforming into a giant monster? My special power is playing some stupid flute? How's that going to help me do anything? She affected a deep voice "And the day is saved, thanks to boring music!"
"Actually, Buttercup your special abilities don't have to correspond with superheroics - it's just a coincidence that most of your powers are suited to fighting crime. Really, almost any type of ability is possible, from flower arranging to bee taming! And, I think your music sounds lovely." He smiled at his dark-haired daughter. "Maybe Bubbles is right. Maybe your special talent is to make people around you happy!"
Buttercup groaned. "Why couldn't I at least be good at a cool instrument, like drums or electric guitar?"
"Hmmm. you may be on to something, Buttercup," the Professor mused. "After all, at first we thought Bubbles could only speak Spanish, but really she can speak numerous languages, both human and otherwise!"
"Tiim!" Bubbles agreed in perfect Mongolian.
"Well, I don't think sandpaper blocks will be on your list," remarked Blossom.
Buttercup, already deeply involved in playing air guitar, ignored the comment.
"Tell you what, Buttercup. After you girls do your homework and we have dinner, we'll drive over to a music store and see what you can do!"
******
Screech! the Professor winced in pain as Buttercup drew the bow across the viola. An array of discarded instruments, from drums to didgeridoos, littered the floor of the shop.
"Well, your daughter certainly has uh-enthusiasm," said the shopkeeper tactfully. "But you know, it takes a lot of practice to play an instrument well. If she ever decides what type she'd like to learn, you could bring her back and try again. For now, why don't you start with something more basic like, say, sandpaper blocks!" He held out a pair of the paper-covered wood blocks to Buttercup. She took them resignedly and started scraping them against one another slowly.
"Some sucky power," she muttered under her breath.
"Hey Buttercup, I just thought of something!" Blossom exclaimed, a small figurative light bulb turning on above her head.