A/N:
Hi guys! Thanks for all your amazing reviews, PM's and feedback for both this and the one-shots, I've loved reading it and really hope to hear more from you XD I'm sorry it's taking so long to update, but there's been a lot of assignments due in so I write what I can when I can. Also, sorry for this being a short chapter, but again it's mostly setting the stage. It'll improve! XD This is going to be mostly Flynn and Poppy focussed btw.
*Flynn's POV*
Yeah, this should work. If I angle it just right then I should make this. I lined up my shot and slid the cue back a little before jabbing it forward again. The blue chalked tip smacked against the white surface, sending it rolling across the velvet table and disrupting the still balls scattered about. First the white bounced off a red, knocking it into the corner pocket before darting between two yellows and knocking another red away for me. Just the black left. Again, I lined up, but aimed at the side of the table. The white ricocheted off of it and curved around another yellow, nudging the black 8 into a side pocket. I'd won.
"Dude! What'd they teach you up in the studio?" my opponent cried in approval.
"Just a few tricks of the trade." I mumbled to him, irritated that he was so loud.
Yeah, tricks of the trade. That's one way of putting it. I'd felt it, you know, when I was lining up the snooker shot. It was like something in my brain was directing a thin line of heat down my arm and actually into the cue. But, I hadn't really been paying attention to it. Instead I was just picturing how I wanted the shot to go, and went for it. Is that what the toons were talking about? You see it, have it, expect it? If so, why the hell didn't it work on demand?
"Studio?" asked Dani.
I swallowed, Dani had been watching for a while now. But she was watching the guy, I guessed, I'm nothing special . Well, not in the normal sense anyway. I suppose Dani was okay, for a girl. I mean, she didn't talk much, keeping to herself, but when she did talk she made a point of getting really close. But that wasn't so bad, she smelled good and her black pony-tail was kinda cool, even if she was wearing a boys hoodie but… forget it…
"Yeah his sis works at Warner's." he explained loudly. Len didn't do quiet.
Her blue eyes brightened, "Really?"
"Yeah." I half shrugged, "For a few years now."
"Huh, I'm surprised I haven't seen you around…" she muttered so quietly I almost missed it. She saw me about to ask her what she meant and cut me off, "Wow, I bet you meet all kinds of people in there!"
Ironic much? "Yeah, you could say that."
Please stop asking me questions. I don't like talking about the studio or what goes on there. It's to risky. I didn't even like talking about myself. If I could help it, I just spent my time here keeping my head down and pretending to take part in larger group conversations. The bigger the crowd, the less noticeable you are. I wanted to be forgettable, it made things easier. Not to mention I was able to try out more games and stuff around here if I was left alone. Separating myself occasionally just made it easier in the long run.
"Think you can sneak us an autograph of someone big?" he demanded, getting the attention of some other kids.
Oh great, "I'm not allowed on sets or anything, I'm allowed to visit my sister and, uh, some other people behind the scenes. Movies and actors don't actually come into it." I said as honestly as I could, "Hey, uh, fancy another game?"
Dani tilted her head, "Can you teach me?"
"I guess…" I shrugged, setting up the table again, "If you want." And if it stops the conversation from leading back to the studio. Suddenly, my eyes glanced at my watch, "Ah crap, I've got to meet my sister in fifteen minutes."
"At work?" the guy asked hopefully.
"Younger sister." I explained, thinking fast and almost cringing at what came out, "At our Aunts."
*Poppy's POV*
"You're it!"
"Oh! Fine, but you'd better run this time!" I called after them.
Jeez, when did they get so good at this? Where'd they go now? Hmm, maybe I should think twice before playing tag with Skippy and the Warner's again. Nah, it was still fun even if they did get me every time. I was getting faster and that was a good thing. I'd get them soon. Sure they'd tag me again in about five seconds but I didn't mind so much. With a few more lessons maybe I'd be faster then them. Skippy wasn't so fast, I usually ended up catching him first. Oh great where did they go now?
Lets see, Skippy would be up a tree somewhere, the Warner's could be on the moon for all know. Okay, I'll do what I always do, run and wait till I find a clue or something like that. And it was only the toon lot here, there wasn't like I was going to get lost here. You always ended up pretty much where you started anyway. Okay, get ready because I'm coming to get you guys! I darted through the trees, following after whatever sounds that could have been them. This was taking forever. Normally Wakko let himself get caught for me, but I'd told him not to. Sure he was helping but it was kind of cheating. But thinking about it, it did get annoying being 'it' most of the time. Hey, I see something! Oh that's it, I'm making a new rule. No climbing higher then a quarter way up a tree!
I jumped up and managed to grab the lowest branch, kicking against the trunk to pull myself up. I hope I don't get splinters from this. I hate those. And Slappy wouldn't be happy if she found out that we were climbing so high anyway. After climbing up a few more branches, I looked down. Oh no, everybody always said that you're not meant to look down! Wow, I was a good half way up. But where was Skippy or the others? I know I heard someone up here. Wait… how do I get down?
"Hello?" I called out, "Wakko? Anyone? Help!"
This was getting scary. The branch I'd just left looked too far all of a sudden to get back on it. And climbing higher wouldn't help. If this was a trick of the toons, it wasn't very funny. No they're not mean, they know when to stop messing around. So maybe they weren't here after all? I didn't want to be stuck up here on my own!
"Help, please! I'm up here!"
Oh no, I bet they thought I was trying to trick them. I was still 'it' so they were probably keeping away from here. But how were they going to find me now? Okay, calm down, if you got up, then you can get down. It's not that hard, right? I gritted my teeth and clenched my eyes shut so that I couldn't see the drop. My foot lowered and I felt around for the branch but I couldn't find it. Don't look down, but I need to. But I really don't want to.
"Agh!" Suddenly my hand slipped. I think I screamed, but I wasn't sure. I was falling, but I couldn't open my eyes. This was going to hurt. My eyes peeled open a little and the tree was just rushing past me, but it was a little like slow motion. Help, please! "Ouch!"
I kind of said it because I thought that's what was going to be needed. But it didn't. Well it kind of sis but not like I expected. Instead of a 'hitting the ground' kind of ouch, it was a 'something grabbing me by the back of my shirt' ouch. I blinked a few times to get rid of the dizziness and looked down, the grass only a few feet below. Then, I looked behind me, tilting my head upwards a little. I froze. Someone hadn't grabbed my shirt, but something had grabbed it in its teeth. Before I could get a better look, the creature moved us down to the ground and let me go. Turning around slowly, I was terrified, ready to run, but I had to see. I mean Wakko caught stuff in his teeth all the time, maybe it was him in a disguise or something? But I was still ready to run. Just in case. I turned and looked.
My throat made a weird squeak when I saw that it was a dog. A huge one, about the same size as Runt, but with smooth brown fur with a lighter face and stomach. It looked strange, like its colours were brighter than it was meant to be. But I wasn't looking at that. I was looking at how big it was. It was like a wolf. I wanted to run away. But I couldn't move. It stared at me, like it was confused, tilting it's head and stepping forward to circle me. It was like he expected to see someone else. I didn't like this. Why couldn't I move? Was it going to attack me? Would it leave me alone? Help…
It stopped in front of me and looked as if it was sighing; the same kind of way Talia does when she's tired out and disappointed. But it kept looking at me. I shivered a little and it tilted its head again. Did it know I was scared? That was a bad thing, right? Suddenly, he stepped forward and nuzzled my stomach, giving a quick lick on my cheek and kind of looked like it was… smiling? That was weird, but not the weirdest thing I've seen so it didn't bother me. So it was a friendly dog-wolf? Okay, that was good. That made me feel a little better.
"Hi?" I mumbled, nervously extending a hand. It nudged me playfully, "Good boy. Where'd you come from?" He looked off into a different direction. Could he understand me? Awesome! "Where's your owner?"
I jumped as a loud giggle sounded from a few trees away, "Hello-Hello! Where'd you go, silly-puppy?"
Wow, she sounded younger than me. Instantly the dog jumped up in panic and turned towards the sound. He gave me a last look before rushing off. I forgot about the game I was taking part in and followed. Maybe it was someone from my school. And that dog kind of saved me back there, I didn't really want to let him go just yet. He was such a strange dog though, the way his face moved it was the same as a persons. Kind of the same was as Rita, Runt and the other's did. Just without the talking.
*Yakko's POV*
"Little Red's loosing her game." I commented, pulling out a pocket-watch and taking a look.
"Or the game has lost her." Dot added, "You did make sure she was using her toon-speed, right?"
"Did you?" I asked.
"Not really…" she folded her arms in a huff.
"Well there's your answer."
"Should we go look for her?" Wakko asked.
"What if she's just hiding and waiting for us to come looking and then she'll nab us?" Skippy chuckled from hanging upside down from a branch, "It's a good idea of you ask me."
"That it is," I rolled my eyes, and flipped him right-side-up, "You go tell Cranky Critter that we'll be a little late on account of misplaced priorities."
"Okay but she doesn't like you calling her that." Skippy sang.
"But you know who I was talking about so you're on the same level as me." I winked.
He rolled his eyes and rushed off. Wakko took a look around, "Which way do you think she went?"
Good question. Whoops on my part. Okay now if I were playing tag with some toons and kinda got left behind, where would I go? After them. Well that helped; yeah like a Dr. Phil special it helped! Okay, let's backtrack and find her before someone who likes to think they're in control comes around and busts a gut.
"Hey, I've been looking all over for you guys."
Too late. "Heh-heh… Hey Slugger!"
"Faboo day right?" Wakko beamed.
Dot clasped her hands together and batted her eyes, "Have you ever taken the time to notice how cute I am?
Oh wow he was like Swarchenegger to a low-budget comedy. His eyes narrowed his eyes and glanced over us, "What's up?"
"The sky?" Wakko offered.
"The rate of car insurance?"
"Your levels of suspicion?" Dot finished.
You know, I don't think we were helping the situation. Slugger folded his arms and looked expectantly, "Where's Poppy?"
"Uh, winning at hide and seek?" Wakko shrugged.
"Then shouldn't you be finding her?"
I smacked my forehead and pretended to look surprised, "Is that the aim of hide-and-seek? See, Sibs, don't I always say that Slugger here is the brightest spark in the firework?"
"I thought you said he blew up like a firewo-"
"Thanks for the input sister-sibling," I grumbled, clamping a hand over her mouth, "it will be noted…"
"Look," Slugger sighed, "Do you know where she is exactly, or not."
"Not." We said together, the fun kind of losing it's charm by this point.
"Well shall we find her?" he asked, getting irritated.
"Good call, Slugger, we would never have thought of that…" Note the sarcasm when I say what would we do without him? Okay Little Red, ready or not, here we come!
A/N:
Again, sorry it's so short, but it'll get better, I promise. So, what dynamic duo did Poppy run into in the toon lot? And what could that spell out for the future? Cue dramatic music! Duhn-duhn-duuuuuhn! XD Oh by the way, I put Dani in for a reason. When is anything ever what it seems eh? Just a few little things to chew on in thought…