Chapter 14 - Culture Shock
Yakko was leaning his arm up against the window, watching as the sedan zipped across the city streets. It was truly bizarre to be seeing so much of Burbank after being captivated inside the foster center for so long. From the tall skyscrapers, to the massive concrete freeways; the metropolis was far from being a boring sight. It almost felt wrong for him to be sitting inside the cabin of this car, growing further and further away from a place that, while not the most ideal place to live, was his home for a good chunk of his life.
He kept having to remind himself that this was better; it should be better. But fate would ultimately decide if that would ring true. From what his past has shown him, some things were just out of his control.
At last, Joey swerved the car into a driveway of a house. They had arrived at Joey's house. He had arrived at his new home.
As soon as Joey had turned the key to shut off the car, Yakko proceeded to exit the vehicle, swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He stood on the front lawn and gazed at the structure before him. The house was wide in length, but short in height. The border of the house was overlaid with a banana yellow siding that meshed with a chocolate brown roof. Yakko felt the house looked similarly to his aunt's, except her house was red.
Or was it blue?
He couldn't quite remember.
His trail of thought was cut short when Wakko and Dot ran past him, darting towards the front door of the house. Yakko could do nothing but follow them. He lumbered towards the door, not in a hurry in any sense. Today has gone by awfully slowly, and Yakko was beginning to feel all the more tired because of it.
Joey pushed past the Warners as they veered closer to the door. The man pulled his keyring out of his hammerspace, jingling his keys in the clutch of his palm. His fingers fiddled with the keys a bit, before his thumb landed on a particular key coated in a gold seal: it was his house key no doubt. Joey stuck the key into the doorknob and pushed the door open. Wakko and Dot squeezed their way through the now open doorway, with Yakko coming in right behind them.
When he entered the house, Yakko was immediately met with a warming aroma. The walls were placed much closer together than the foster center, and the hallway was much narrower in size. There was a lingering scent in the air, a scent that matched the smell of mint leaves and firewood. Yakko's mind was starting to relax as he took in the cozy atmosphere.
Joey led him and his siblings through another doorway into the living room of the house. He flipped on the lightswitch, the ceiling fan above lighting up the room with a warm orange glow. The room was covered in framed pictures nailed to the wall, with an avocado green couch and television centered in the middle of the room. Yakko's eyes sparkled as he gazed around the vibrant space; Joey was quite the collector as far as he could see.
"Wow, Joey," he said after a short silence, "This is a nice place you got here."
Joey grinned. "I'm glad you like it here, Yakko. I just moved into this place less than a month ago."
"Really?" Yakko raised an eyebrow, surprised by this new information. "From the way things look, it seems like you've lived in this house forever."
"Trust me, kid. I've been working my butt off to turn this house into a home," Joey told Yakko with a chuckle. Then, his body shifted towards the doorway. "Follow me. I'll show you where to put your stuff."
Gripping his backpack over his shoulder, Yakko followed Joey through the hallway where they had first come in. The man stopped in front of a door in the middle of the hall. He reached his arm out and turned the knob. Inside was a twin sized bed with a single dresser drawer planted against a windowsill. Joey exchanged a glance with the youngest Warner.
"This will be your bedroom, Dot," he told her with a smile.
Dot pushed past her brothers to get a closer look at the room. She peered through the open doorway and analyzed the space for a moment, then she looked up at Joey with raised eyebrows.
"You're giving me my own bedroom?" She asked, tilting her head in surprise. "Are you serious?"
"Indeed I am," replied Joey, "Is there a problem with that?"
Dot shook her head. "No. Actually, I love it," she told him, almost sounding relieved. "You don't know how long I have loaned for some peace and quiet while I am trying to have my cutie sleep." She shot a glare at both her brothers, both of whom showing looks of massive guilt.
"Hey, I don't snore that loud, sis," insisted Yakko, feeling slightly offended that his sister was taking offense to his snoring.
"Yeah. I can't even hear my snoring," Wakko states profoundly
"Well of course you can't hear your snoring while you're asleep, Wakko," Dot argued, staring at her brothers with a devilish smirk. "The two of you together sound like two grizzly bears trapped inside an exhaust pipe."
His sister's remark caused Joey to break into laughter. "Ah, brothers," the man chortled, "Those rascals. I hear ya, Dot. My brother Paul is also a snorer, but he's too embarrassed to admit that he is one."
"Well, he's not the only one," She giggled as she trotted into her new bedroom.
Yakko felt his cheeks blush a deep shade of red. He knew that he probably shouldn't feel so embarrassed over a couple jabs from his sister, but, then again, Dot has never teased him nor Wakko to this extent before. Worse yet, her comments were making Joey laugh his butt off. He was finding great humor in these remarks, relishing in Yakko's humiliation.
Looks like I'm gonna have to have a little talk with my sister about how her teasing affects those around her, Yakko thought to himself. Although, his frustration with his sister was quickly forgotten about when Joey turned to him and Wakko, that silver grin of his still intact.
"Well, gentleman," Joey told them both, "I assume you want me to show you to your room now, is that right?"
"Oh, yes," Yakko drawled, cuffing his hand over his mouth while he let out a soft yawn. "The day's been fun, but I'm beat."
"Very well," said Joey, clasping his hands together, "follow me."
Joey led Yakko and Wakko further down the hallway. He stopped when he reached a door at the end of the hall and proceeded to open it. The brothers curiously poked their heads through the doorway. Much like Dot's bedroom, the room was small in size. There was a pair of bunk beds planted in the corner, with a dresser and a small bookshelf on the opposite side of the wall. This bedroom looked very familiar to their old bedroom at the foster center. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it was functional, which Yakko most appreciated.
"Well? Wattya think?" asked Joey, looming over the boy's shoulder.
Yakko grinned. "It's fantastic," he told him, "Looks just like my old one."
"I'm glad to hear that, Yakko," Joey chuckled, sensing some of Yakko's giddiness. "I put together this bedroom with you two in mind. I apologize if it's a little small, I-"
"No, it's perfectly fine," Yakko interrupted, praising Joey for his hospitality, "Size doesn't matter to us. Me and Wakko are ever grateful, aren't we?" He patted his brother on the back. Wakko flinched slightly, not expecting the gesture, but nodded in response.
"Thanks boys. I appreciate your optimism, I really do," the man smiled warmly at Yakko and Wakko. "Behind me is my bedroom. I'll be in here if you boy's need anything, okay?"
"Will do, sir," Yakko replied.
"It's Joey, remember? No need to get all fancy with me," Joey reminded Yakko, though in a light hearted way. The man opened the door to his bedroom and immediately shut it afterwards.
Once Joey had gone into his bedroom, Yakko turned towards his little brother with a smirk.
"So, baby bro? Which bunk are you taking? Top or-"
Yakko didn't even have time to finish the question before Wakko raced into their new bedroom and flew up the ladder to the top bunk. He swung his legs over the mattress, dangling his feet over the edge of the bed.
"Top, please," was all Wakko had to say.
Yakko could only laugh. He couldn't have expected any other response out of his brother. Back at the foster center, Dot had claimed the top bunk and left Wakko to sleep on the bottom. The two would fight endlessly over who would get to sleep in the top bunk, nearly escalating into a physical brawl between the two. Eager to settle the dispute, Yakko declared that Dot should have the top bunk since she was younger, much to Wakko's annoyance. Now that his sister had her own room, it was only fair for Yakko to allow his brother to claim full access to the top bunk.
Yakko threw his backpack onto the floor before he collapsed onto his bunk of the bed. He rested his head on the pillow, which immediately felt much softer than the lumpy excuse for a pillow on his old bed. The duvet he was laying on felt cushy underneath him, and the mattress was free of any lumps or exposed springs. Already, Yakko was beginning to feel comfortable and relaxed.
He placed both his hands on top of his stomach. Yakko's belly ached from the pizza that he ate almost an hour ago. He was starting to regret indulging so many slices when Joey decided to order the family size for them to share.
"Oh, I shouldn't have eaten so much," Yakko groaned, "Three slices of pizza and three breadsticks later and I'm stuffed!"
"I ate six slices of pizza," said Wakko, peeking his head at Yakko from the top bunk, "and I don't have a tummy ache."
"Well you already eat a ton," muttered Yakko, "I wasn't built to stomach a pound of food, ya know."
Wakko's eyes widened, and a slight frown emerged soon after. Yakko knew that his little brother was too young to remember how bare their pantry was back in their old home. To this day, Yakko remembers opening the cupboards and seeing nothing but cobwebs in places where food was absent. His mom and dad, or so they're called, did not give a damn about their extreme shortage of food, and how their children were being deprived of nutrition thanks to the poor choices they made. Because of this, Yakko would ration the little food they had, forcing himself to go hungry on several occasions so that Wakko and Dot could eat instead.
Since he was put into the foster care system, Yakko had started to eat more than he used to. There was no longer a need to ration food; therefore, Yakko no longer had the need to skip meals or eat puny portions of food. Still, he ate considerably less than his siblings, especially Wakko. Wakko was naturally a very hungry boy, which likely originated from a lack of proper nutrition as a toddler, a given from living in a desperate household.
"I didn't eat too much at dinner, did I?" Wakko asked suddenly, his ears drooped over his face.
"No, of course not," Yakko reassured his brother, "You were hungry, so you had the natural assentive to fill your gut with food. There's nothing wrong with being hungry, Wakko. It's a part of being human."
"But we're toons," Wakko states with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, but toons get hungry too, Wak," continued Yakko, "Toons were made by humans, after all. We have very similar anatomies to our human counterparts, and-"
"Ugh! Not another one of your toony science tangents!" Wakko groaned, expressing deep agitation in his tone.
Yakko laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll cut the act!" He said in a joking manner. "Sheesh! What's a smart guy with a large noggin gonna do without an audience to listen to his words of wisdom?"
Wakko scoffed, rolling his eyes before retracting his head back to the top bunk of the bed. Both him and Dot have never found great enjoyment from the lectures that Yakko would give them about the various toon concepts he had learned from his toonology books.
Perhaps somebody at Warner Bros will appreciate hearing some good common knowledge, Yakko wondered to himself.
He relished in the thought of being able to share the techniques and ideologies with fellow toons who might find it useful. Perhaps that was part of the reason why Joey decided to adopt him and his siblings through the foster care system. The man seemed pleasantly surprised when Yakko mentioned how he taught himself how to pull off these techniques all on his own, and without anyone else's help besides Jake to a degree.
Yakko had a distant memory of his aunt slipping his gloves onto his hand for the first time. It was the first time that he had heard of a hammerspace, and as time went on, his aunt taught him how to use it properly. She did the same for Wakko when he turned five years old. It's a shame that his aunt wasn't able to squeeze in time to teach his brother how to use his toon powers before the... incident. Once they were put into foster care, it was up to Yakko to teach his little brother the basics of toon technique, because it wasn't like anyone at the foster center would do it for him.
A few months ago, Dot had turned five years old. Mrs Rentman had provided her with her own pair of gloves the day of her birthday. The foster center was too cheap to buy Dot's gloves from a glove dispensary. The gloves she got were plucked from a bin of spares in the back of a storage closet, and weren't exactly in the best condition. They were stained and wrinkled, and were made out of a cheap, yellow plastic. Furthermore, the gloves Dot received were one size too large for her hands, and they fit loosely around her tiny fingers. Yakko frowned when he saw the disappointed look in his sister's eyes, but he reassured his sister that she would grow into them. While he was secretly ticked off by the foster care's stinginess with their money, he was thankful that Dot was able to receive her gloves at all.
As was the case for Wakko, Yakko was once again responsible for teaching his sister how to use her hammerspace properly. He was able to put his toonology books to good use, as Yakko was able to reference those books to ensure that the things he was teaching his sister were correct. They especially came in handy when he was helping to prepare his siblings for the talent show, the very same talent show that got them in the position that they're in now. While teaching his siblings how to use their hammerspace was far from easy, as Wakko and Dot tended to be fussy and stubborn, Yakko did enjoy explaining those concepts to them. He was sort of in his element, practicing his own techniques along with his younger siblings. They were having fun at the very least.
Now here he was, laying on top of his new bed in the house of his new foster parent. Yakko was still astounded that his toon abilities were recognized by one of the higher ups, and that he, alongside his faithful siblings, were scheduled to have a meeting with the executives at Warner Brothers tomorrow morning. He has been a fan of the cartoons that Warner Bros made for practically his whole life, but never had he expected to be in the running to become a Warner toon himself. Just the thought sounded so surreal to Yakko.
He suddenly had the urge to ask his brother how he felt about these changes. Wakko was awfully quiet during their meeting earlier. Yakko didn't want his brother to feel anxious or uncomfortable in this new environment.
"How are you feeling, Wak?"
"What?"
"How do you feel about what's happening?" He asked. "Is it strange being in a new house away from our room in the foster center?"
Wakko sighed. "I mean..it's different for sure. But Joey seems pretty nice, and I loved how he bought us all dinner." He shuffled around on his bed, getting comfortable. "But I will miss Mrs R and Mr Davis. Mr Davis made great sandwiches."
Yakko smiled, albeit, a crooked one.
"I'm glad to hear that," he told his brother. He yawned, stretching his arms out in his bed. "I'm pooped. I think I'm gonna try to get some shut eye."
Wakko chuckled. "Yeah. I'm tired too, now that you mention it."
"Well, let's get changed into our PJ's and then we'll hit the sack."
With a grunt, Yakko pulled his bloated body out of bed. He would quickly change out of his shirt and blue jeans, which felt abnormally snug around his waist, and into a loose tank top and boxers. While he normally wasn't too amped up for bedtime, Yakko was looking forward to getting under the covers and going to sleep after having such an eventful day.
And he had another long day ahead of him tomorrow.
The next morning, Yakko woke up with the sun glaring through the window. He had slept later than usual, but that extra hour of sleep meant that Yakko didn't feel groggy or sluggish. In fact, he was feeling much better since the previous evening. His stomach ache was long gone, and his face felt brighter than usual.
Lumbering into the kitchen, he was surprised to find Wakko and Dot were already sitting at the table eating breakfast. Joey was standing by the stove wearing a chef's hat and apron, flipping pancakes into the air with his trusty metal spatula. Yakko had barely sat down when a stack of pancakes fresh off the grill was tossed in front of him.
"Wow- um..thanks, Joey. Perfect timing," laughed Yakko, amused by Joey's antics.
"That's chef Joey to you!" Joey smirked, gesturing his spatula at Yakko. "Go on! Dig in! Bon appetit!"
Yakko shrugged as he reached for his knife and fork. Initially, he thought that he wouldn't enjoy the pancakes. The pancakes they made back at the foster were subpar at best and completely inedible at worst. But Yakko's tastebuds were in for a thrill upon taking his first bite. Joey's pancakes were golden brown, a slab of butter melting on top of the mouth watering stack. They tasted cakey and warm, a high contrast to the stale, lukewarm pancakes he had come to expect.
A quick glance at his little sibs and he could see that they were enjoying their plate of pancakes too. Wakko was completely obliterating his stack of pancakes with every bite, punching his fork into the crispy brown circles and gorging it down his throat, swallowing it whole. Dot, as expected, was eating at a much more moderate pace than her immediate older brother, but she still seemed to be pleasantly enjoying her breakfast.
Yakko couldn't help but grin at this. His mind was always in a state of ease whenever he watched his siblings eating a delicious meal. And rightfully so, as Yakko believed that these were the best pancakes he had ever eaten – and he said so out loud.
"Mmm! These pancakes are amazing!" Yakko praised, "This beats the crappy food they cooked back at the center."
"I want more, please!" begged Wakko, holding up his empty plate while his tail wagged sporadically behind him.
Joey chuckled. "Guess I'm making seconds, then," he said, turning back towards the stove.
After they finished eating breakfast, Yakko and his siblings were told to get dressed, for they had a lot in store for today. "We're burning sunlight here, so hop to it!" As Joey put it. Yakko and Wakko raced back to their bedroom, quickly throwing on whatever clothes they had packed in their bags the previous day. Dot, meanwhile, took her sweet time in getting ready, stroking her black mane with her hairbrush while admiring herself in the bathroom mirror. The youngest Warner got into a mini argument with her older brothers, who were not so pleased with Dot for taking so long in the bathroom.
Once Dot was finally satisfied with the way she looked, all three Warners were rushed out the door and into Joey's sedan. Yakko helped his little siblings buckle their seatbelts, before he sat down and buckled himself up.
Joey got in last, and he ignited the car's engine with a flick of his wrist. He adjusted his rear view mirror, peering back at the Warners from the view of the driver's seat.
"Ready to go?" Joey asked, flashing the siblings with an optimistic grin.
"I'm not," Dot pouted, crossing her arms, "I barely had enough time to brush my hair before somebody kicked me out!" She shot a glare at Wakko, who was sitting to her right.
"Other people have to use the bathroom too, you know." Wakko argued, shooting his little sister a smug look.
Joey put a hand over his mouth, suppressing his chuckles. "Looks like somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," he remarked.
"More like Yakko waking up with a cat's hairball stuck to his head," taunted Dot, pointing out the messy new-do her eldest brother was sporting today.
"Hey! I'll have you know, I clean up nice!" exclaimed Yakko, defensively, much to Dot's disapproving scowl and Joey's roar of laughter.
"Yeah, right," muttered the Warner sister.
"Ah, cheer up, Dot. You still have a long day ahead of you," Joey told Dot, as he shifted the car into gear. "There isn't enough time in the world to sulk and frown."
Dot continued to frown anyway, clearly having not gotten enough of her "cutie sleep" last night. Waking up so early was starting to take a toll on her.
But Yakko could care less about his sister's bad mood. He stared out the car window as Joey drove through the neighborhood. It was going to be an important day for Yakko, and he was determined to not let Dot's relentless sulking get to his head.
"How far are we from Warner Bros?" Yakko asked, eager to lighten the mood.
"Very close, actually. We're less than two miles away," Joey told the eldest Warner. "We'll get there in a jiffy."
"Really?" Yakko raised an eyebrow, surprised by this new information. "I mean, you were rushing us out the door so fast. I was expecting this to be a bigger trip."
"Nope. Just a few blocks away from where we are," laughed Joey, "I live so close to Warner Bros that I'm practically neighbors with the studio. I'll never be late to work this way."
Yakko nodded his head, but his eyes remained glued to the window. Houses that lined the trees started to disperse, replaced by businesses and parking lots as the vehicle entered into a more city like environment. To his left, Yakko could see an enormous brick and mortar building, what he could only presume to be an office of some sort.
A traffic light that hung over the road changed from yellow to red, prompting Joey to put on the breaks. As the car came to a stop at the intersection, Yakko saw a weirdly shaped structure out his left window. There were two pillars placed facing each other, with an arch swooping over the road. He could see cars in the oncoming lane driving under the structure, turning into what looked like an industrial complex of some kind. Once the car came to a complete stop, Yakko noticed a sign planted onto the arch, written in curved, bold letters. Below the letters was a large black dot, accompanied by two smaller dots making the shape of..ears?
Mouse ears?
Is this..?
"The Walt Disney Co?" Yakko read the sign aloud to himself, his face filled with puzzlement. "Joey? I thought you were taking us to Warner Bros, not Disney."
"Disney? Oh my gosh, it's Disney!" Yelled Dot, pushing up against Yakko's shoulder, catching a glimpse of Walt Disney's headquarters.
"Oh yeah. Forgot to mention that Disney's studio is here too." Joey explained, a slight bitterness to his tone. "Warner Bros and Disney have a long sibling rivalry with each other. Don't tell the big cheese, but our studio is much better than theirs."
"Who's the big cheese?" Wakko asked, scratching his head.
"Why it is none other than Mickey Mouse himself," replied Joey. He furrowed his eyebrows, muttering under his breath: "Dirty rat." His insult was too quiet for the Warners to hear.
The light changed back to green soon enough, and Joey continued to drive through the heart of the bustling city. Yakko went back to staring out the window absentmindedly as the car whizzed past an endless sea of skyscrapers that covered the dawn horizon.
Further down the road, Joey swerved the car onto a four lane road, which passed over a major highway. Yakko could see a cluster of cars formed under the bridge, creating a sort of conga line of through traffic. Once they have crossed this bridge, he caught his eye on a large concrete fence that ran along the main road. Yakko could see rooftops of buildings that were sheltered behind the opeque fence. Peeking over the rooftop of one of those rooftops was a water tower.
Yakko gasped. There was a Warner Brothers logo plastered on the structure of that water tower, clearly visible to the drivers that drove along this very road in the heart of Hollywood. The Warner Brothers studio lot lay right behind this very fence. Yakko was mere seconds away from stepping inside that sacred studio, where many famous actors across the country had come to get their big break on the big screen.
"Sibs! Sibs!" He exclaimed, bouncing in the car seat as he pointed out the window. "Look! Look! We're here, sibs! We're here!"
Wakko and Dot looked at their eldest brother in surprise. Then they peeked out Yakko's window. They too noticed the water tower, glimmering in the morning sun.
"Yes! We made it! I can't wait!" Dot cheered, matching the enthusiasm of her eldest brother.
"Oh, poo! I thought we were getting more breakfast," muttered Wakko in great disapointment.
"Aren't you excited, Wakko?" Yakko asked his brother, noticing his lack of excitement. "I've been looking foward to this all morning!"
"Yeah, I'm excited, I suppose," Wakko replied, leaning his arm up against his window.
Joey glanced at the Warner's through the rear view mirror. The man couldn't help but smile as he saw a young, eager spirit radiate through their eyes.
"Here we are, Warners. The Warner Brothers studio lot. The capital of Hollywood."
Joey turned on his left blinker as he turned the car onto Hollywood Way. He slowed to a stop as he approached a toll gate that separated the studio from the outside. Sitting in the toll booth was a rotund, middle aged man dressed in a police uniform. Yakko put a hand over his face, snickering at how awkward the fat officer looked sitting inside that tiny metal box.
Despite appearing to be uncomfortable in his tiny cubicle, the officer showed a cheerful grin when he noticed Joey sitting outside his window.
"Good morning, Mr Memlo!" The officer greeted Joey, in a drawled, dopey sounding voice.
"mornin' Ralph," said Joey, handing the cheery officer an ID of some kind. "It's a pleasure to see you every morning."
"A pleasure to see you too, sir," smiled Ralph. He gave the ID back to Joey, tipping his hat in a gesture that looked to be done out of respect.
The security guard pulled on a lever which raised the gate, prompting Joey to pull forward. Yakko watched eagerly as he drew closer to the water tower he saw from the street. He still couldn't believe that he was actually here, inside the studio where Warner Brothers had produced their most iconic animated pictures, the place where the Looney Tunes were born.
And now, he was potentially in the running to become one of them.
Joey parked the car in front of a vertical shaped building. Yakko didn't hesitate at all in jumping out of the car as soon as they stopped. His siblings came around the other side of the car, looking just as eager as Yakko was. Wakko's previous frown had faded, and now the boy's tongue was hanging out of a wide open grin.
"Ah, Warner Brothers bound," Joey smiled to himself as he stepped out of the car. He quickly locked the car door and started pacing towards the vertical building. "Come along, kids," he told the Warners,"The meeting is going to begin any minute now."
Yakko's eyes remained locked on the enormous water tower that stood before him. The structure was much bigger up close compared to the view he had from the street. Before today, he had only ever seen pictures of water towers in photos, in magazines, and in movies played on the TV. Actually standing next to a water tower was a whole different experience compared to seeing an image of one. He wondered how high he would have to climb in order to-
"Yakko! Earth to Yakko! We don't have much time to spare. Let's go!"
Yakko flinched, not realizing that he had started spacing out. Turning his neck, he could see Joey standing at the doorstep, motioning him to come over. Wakko and Dot were standing on either side of the man, staring at their eldest brother with puzzled expression. While he didn't mean to, Yakko had held the group back with his curious fascination for what was merely a structural marvel displaying the company's logo on its surface. He ran after the others, grabbing onto his sibling's hands as they stepped inside.
Upon entering, Yakko was immediately greeted to a clerk's desk. There was a woman sitting at the desk, propping her feet up as she covered her magazine over her face. Yakko thought this lobby to be eerily similar to the one back at the foster center – same desk, same clerk, same chair, same everything. Joey went up to the clerk's desk, Yakko and his siblings following close behind.
"Excuse me? Miss Nerz?" Joey piped up, ringing a silver bell planted on the counter.
The woman looked up from her magazine, promptly folding it closed and setting it down on the counter. Yakko felt his eyes bug out, his jaw hanging open slightly.
Holy moly! He thought, She's- she's gorgeous!
Yakko stared in awe at the glorious sight that beheld him. He gaped at her gorgeous blond mane, her cherry chapstick, her diamond colored eyes which sparkled brighter than gold. His heart nearly took a dive out of his chest when the woman glanced his way, her golden locks swayed with the motion of her body, her diamond eyes locking onto him.
"You must be Yakko," she purred, her voice strum like that of an angel's harp. "Joey has been telling me all about you."
Yakko's tail quivered. His heart pounded in his chest, sweat trickling down his face. "Uuhh..hi," he shuddered, struggling to come up with something to say. "And uh- you're..who are you?"
"Heloise. I'm the studio nurse," the woman smiled, pointing at the nurse's cap on top of her head.
His heart only continued to beat faster. Heloise had perfectly white teeth! Her smile was irresistible, sparkling in the morning sunlight that was peeking through the window beside her. There was no doubt in Yakko's mind that this girl was the prettiest girl he had seen in his entire life. He couldn't hide these romantic feelings for much longer.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're beautiful?" Yakko quipped, the words slipped out of his mouth without much thought.
The nurse blushed. She put a hand over her mouth and giggled. "You're adorable," she laughed, "But I'm afraid you're out of my league. You're gonna have to find a different girl to gush over, Romeo."
Now it was Yakko's turn to blush. He couldn't believe that he had allowed himself to say something like that. He had never dipped his toes in the realm of flirting before, and Yakko had unfortunately made a fool of himself in trying. Joey was leaning against the counter laughing his butt off, while his siblings snickered behind him.
Eventually, Joey regained his composure, and he placed a hand on top of Yakko's shoulder.
"Don't feel bad, kid. I ain't the best at getting chicks, either," he told Yakko, still chuckling to himself, but showing empathy in his tone.
"Yeah," Yakko sighed, his eyes shifted towards the floor. It was clear that he was more than done with talking about this subject.
"Welp, I reckon we better catch our meeting," Joey continued, "Everyone is probably wondering where we are." He glanced back at the nurse, still giggling to herself. "I'll see you at ten, Nerz."
"Bye, Joe," Heloise called back, as she picked up her magazine and happily resumed her reading.
Joey led the Warners down a hallway with a series of doors facing each other. He explained to Yakko that these were the offices of Warner Brothers employees. Apparently, this was one of many offices located on the studio lot, each specializing in a different type of profession. In particular, this office specialized in financing case loads for toon actors and animated projects, hence why the meeting was to be held here.
Down near the end of the hall, they entered a room with a long oval table placed smack center of the room. True to Joey's word, there were already a handful of executives sitting at the table, sorting through papers and writing important stuff down with a black pen. They noticed his presence, gazing up at Yakko and his siblings with blank, monotone expressions. They examined the Warners carefully, glancing up and down their bodies in revelation.
They must be judging me, he told himself, shuffling his feet nervously. Perhaps Dot was right about the hair after all.
"Are these your clients, Joseph?" Asked a man who looked very similar to Joey.
"Yes, Rob. They are," Joey nodded. He shot a look at Yakko. "You guys go ahead and take your seats. I'm gonna go grab my portfolio from my office."
Joey swiftly walked out the door, leaving Yakko, Wakko, and Dot alone in a room full of men in black suits. Yakko swallowed, hesitantly taking a seat at the table, his siblings sat down beside him. The executives continued to stare at him and his siblings with great curiosity. They were the only toons currently in the room, standing out in a focus group full of humans. Yakko looked so different from them, with his floppy ears, doglike snout and catlike tail.
He glimpsed at his little siblings, frowning at how anxious they looked. Wakko was picking at the hem of his green shirt, while Dot played with the pink bow on her head. Yakko resorted to biting his lip while staring blankly at the wall in front of him. He tried his best not to make eye contact with the executives, not wanting to draw any more attention to himself than he already has.
He has been taught at a young age to be weary of strangers, and to stay away from them. He had never seen any of these people before. The executives looked cold, intimidating and lifeless. With Joey currently not in the room, it caused Yakko to feel apprehensive in the presence of this unfamiliar group of people. He refused to say a word to any one of them, remaining completely silent in spite of his usual talkative nature.
The longer this silence went on, the more fidgety Yakko became.
"Uh, you kids can talk if you want."
Yakko nearly shot up out of his seat, his eyebrows rose over his face. An executive sitting directly across from him had just spoken up amidst the silence. Like the other executives, this man was a human – but not the toon version of a human.
"Oh. Uh, sorry- let's try this again. Hi, my name is Tom," said the man. He leaned over the table, extending his hand out to Yakko. "You must be Yakkavier."
Yakko looked at Tom for a moment. His previous monotone expression was replaced with a warm, inviting smile. The man didn't look intimidating anymore. Despite his obvious nervousness, Yakko stood up and gracefully shook the executive's hand.
"Uh- actually, I go by Yakko. Yakko Warner," he corrected Tom. He never likes when people address him by his full name.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Yakko," smiled Tom, "and I assume the kids sitting next to you are your siblings, right?"
Yakko nodded. "Wakko and Dot? Yeah, those are my sibs."
"They have nicknames too?" Tom made a face, surprised by this realization. Then he laughed. "Gee, I'm gonna have to write these names down. All your transcripts have your full names written on them."
"You're just like Joey," remarked the man sitting next to Tom, whom Joey had referred to as Rob. "For being such a high prestige director of animated cartoons here at Warner Bros, Joseph sure hates being addressed by his full name."
"He told me not to call him Mr Memlo," Yakko mentioned, trying to bring himself into the conversation.
"He said he doesn't want people to think he's snooty, or act like he's above everyone else," Rob added. "With a name like Memlo, you'd think he would wear the name with pride. After all, his father was-"
"Hey! Are you gossiping about me again, Robby?"
Rob was cut off by the sound of a familiar voice echoing from the doorway. Yakko glanced behind him and saw that Joey had returned, clutching a black folder and pen between his arms. He allowed himself to exhale, no longer having to restrain himself as much now that Joey was here.
"What are you talking about, dear brother? I was only talking to your clients about what a spectacular director you are," Rob told Joey in an innocent tone.
"Huh! I beg to differ," huffed Joey, not at all convinced by this answer. "What's the problem with nicknames? Nothing's wrong with having one. Besides, I find it much harder to spell out Joseph on a piece of paper."
"The heck you mean it's harder to spell out? No it isn't!" exclaimed Rob, making a face. "My name's Robert, but you don't see me writing 'Robby' on a business document that all the higher ups are gonna read."
Joey scoffed dramatically. "Well, have it your way then, Robby! We have the same last name, ya know! I have to differentiate myself from you somehow."
Yakko cocked an eyebrow, having eavesdropped on the playful argument Joey and Robert were having. As he watched this unfold, he managed to pluck out certain words that caught his eye.
Same last name? Brother?
"You guys are brothers?" Yakko piped up suddenly, wanting to contribute to this conversation.
"Unfortunately," sighed Joey. He sat down next to Yakko, laying out his folder and notebook on the table. "Robby here happens to be two years older than me. He's also been elected into the department of animation at Warner Bros, which he just loves to brag about!" Joey shot a petty glower at Robert.
"I do not, you filthy liar!" exclaimed Rob, defensively, "I'll have you know that Plotz has a great deal of respect for me and the work I do around here."
"Ha!" Joey snorted, "As if!"
"Hey- speaking of, where is Thaddeus?" Asked Tom. "He should've showed up ages ago."
"He Iz vith Mr Spielberg, I believe," said another executive, who spoke in a weird, foreign accent. "Zey should be here any minute, and then ve can start."
The timing couldn't have been better. Moments later, two men strode into the room. The first man was a stout, gray haired individual, with a pair of furrowed eyebrows scrunched up on his wrinkly temples. The second man was much taller than the former, with a brown, bushy beard, and he had long curly hair to match. This man in particular looked vaguely familiar to Yakko. He swore that he has seen this bearded man somewhere before; alas, the name of said man was on the tip of his tongue.
That is, until Yakko got a glimpse of his face. The executive sat down in between Tom and Micheal, right across from Yakko and his siblings. There was a bright, cheery smile plastered on the bearded man's face. He pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose, his eyes a glittery shade of blue…
Then, it clicked. His brain connected the dots, and the name of this bearded man came to him within seconds. When Yakko realized who was sitting in front of him, he was nothing short of stunned.
"Steven Speilberg?"
Yakko's jaw nearly hit the floor, his eyes bulged out of their sockets. He knew going into this that he would probably get the chance to meet some famous actors, toons and humans alike. But never had he expected to be sitting face to face with one of the most famous directors in all of Hollywood.
He distinctly remembers reading about Steven Speilberg in a book about the behind the scenes of making movie magic. It was where Yakko had learned about Speilberg's work in movies such as Jurassic Park and E.T. He remembered sitting on his bed for hours, engrossed in behind-the-scenes photos and trivial information about Speilberg's movies. It opened Yakko's eyes as to what a talented movie director could be.
And now, that very same director was sitting right across from him. The Steven Speilberg, sitting inches away from Yakko, in all of his glory.
"Well, someone looks surprised to see me."
Yakko blinked, shaking his head out of his trail of thoughts. He was so flabbergasted by the sight of Steven Speilberg that he hadn't realized that he had been staring at him with a gaping mouth for the past minute or so. Still, Yakko was as speechless as ever.
"Well, I uh- I-It's nice t-to meet you, Mr..S-spielberg," he stammered. "I-I love all of your movies..uh- s-sir. And..uuhh-"
Mr Speilberg laughed. "I'm mighty impressed with you, son. You know that?" He praised, "Most kids your age only know me from the films I have made, but you were able to recognize me by my face alone. You must be a real film geek, huh?"
"Well- y-yes..well, sort of," replied Yakko, albeit shyly. "I used to own a book about a bunch of movies and stuff, so I, uh, know you from that."
"That's splendid, uh-"
"Yakko. Yakko Warner." He held his hand out to Mr Speilberg, his anxiety began to simmer. "I-it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Speilberg."
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Yakko," said Steven. "I'm thrilled to have you on my team."
Yakko chuckled, rubbing the back of his shoulder. It felt surreal to receive a compliment from Steven Speilberg, when the famous director was worthy of much praise himself. It made Yakko feel special in a way, that he was somehow on the same level with Mr Speilberg, as well as everyone else in the room. He allowed his shoulders to relax, and a genuine smile emerged.
"Alright. Now that we got our fangirling out of the way, let's start the meeting," said the older man, taking his seat at the conference table. "We have a lot we need to get through, so let's waste no time moving forward."
Yakko turned his attention towards the older man. He sat front and center, right between Joey and his brother, in a spot where he could get a good view of everyone in the room. He noticed the man had a slight grimace on his face, his eyes squinted as he rummaged through the papers in his folder.
He couldn't really explain why, but Yakko felt slightly apprehensive about this executive in particular. The middle aged man seemed bitter, and grumpy, and his eyebrows seemed to be stuck in a permanently furrowed expression. It seemed irrational – perhaps he was just in a bad mood – but the man left a sour feeling in Yakko's stomach regardless.
In spite of this, Yakko tried to keep things cool, and not make these feelings known.
"Well, I seemed to make myself clear. Now then! What's our first order of business, Robert?" The middle aged executive turned his attention towards his colleague.
"Um, perhaps you should introduce yourself to your new clients first, Thaddeus," Robert suggested, "The Warners have never met you before."
The tired old man raised an eyebrow at this. His eyes then shifted to the Warners, who were staring back at him with perplexity. When he noticed the Warners sitting before him, his mood changed abruptly after. His cold frown immediately shaped into a toothy smile, a smile that was peculiarly wide.
"Uh, pardon me, children." He cleared his throat, adjusting his tie. "My name is Thaddeus Plotz. I am the Chairman of the animation department here at Warner Brothers studio. You must be our new clients; we have been expecting you here."
Yakko shrinked back into his seat, noticing that the chairman was staring directly at him with his intense smile.
"Um, nice to meet you, Mr. Plotz," he said, cringing at how awkward he sounded. "M-my name is Yakko..Y-yakko Warner."
"Who are the other two?" Thaddeus asked, cocking his bushy brow.
Yakko elbowed his brother and sister, who had remained absolutely silent from the time they walked into the room to now. Wakko and Dot gave their eldest brother identical frowns, expressing a deep level of worry and distress. Both siblings shook their heads; that was all it took for Yakko to know that his siblings didn't want to speak.
"These are my siblings: Wakko and Dot," he told Mr Plotz.
It hurt him inside to see his siblings look so distressed. He so badly wanted to hug them, reassure them that it was okay, and that he was just as, if not more anxious then they were.
"Those are some remarkable names," noted the chairman. "Um, don't mind me asking, but- ..W-what kind of animal are you supposed to be?"
Yakko tilted his head at the question. "W-what do you mean? I'm a toon."
"Well, yes, of course, but- what are you exactly? A dog?"
"Maybe..a cat of some sort?" Robert queried.
"Ze kidsies look like monkeys to me," suggested the bald man with the heavy accent.
Yakko scratched the back of his neck and shrugged. Truthfully, he had zero idea what kind of animal he and his siblings were supposed to represent. His parents had never sat down and talked to him about this subject, nor did Mrs. Rentman and Rachel.
His long, stringy tail, as well as the tufts on his cheek had surely originated from a household cat. But his floppy ears and enlarged snout resembled that of a canine more so than a feline. These traits were sort of intertwined with each other, so it was hard for Yakko, or anyone for that matter, to say whether he was more cat or more dog.
"I dunno," was his immediate response. "I guess I never thought about that sort of thing."
Joey put a hand to his chin. "The Warners seem to be a hybrid of some kind," he mused out loud. "Perhaps a mix between a dog and a cat. We're gonna have to run some diagnostics to be sure, but they are definitely in the realm of the rubber hose family."
"Wow. I'm impressed, Joseph," remarked Thaddeus, pleasantly surprised by Joey's explanation. "How were you able to decipher that so quickly?"
"Common knowledge, I suppose," replied Joey, shrugging his shoulders, "We study the cartoon family tree at the Loo. The students are most fascinated by it."
Thaddeus's face lit up suddenly, bushy eyebrows raised over his face. It was as if Joey's words had caused a switch to flip on; the gears began to turn inside the old chairman's brain. He shot a look at Robert, who was about to say something before Mr Plotz interrupted him.
"Do you wanna start?" He asked his colleague, more urgently than before.
Robert nodded firmly, seeming to know exactly what his boss was referring to. He quickly rummaged through his folder, pulling out a sheet of lined paper. He glanced at his papers for a moment, then his eyes shifted to Yakko and his siblings.
"So, Yakko," Robert started, "I've heard that you've acted in front of an audience before. Is that correct?"
"Uh, yes?" Replied Yakko, unsure what Robert was getting at.
Robert went on. "You seem to be passionate about toon technique as far as I've heard. But let me ask you: how passionate are you?"
Yakko squirmed in his chair, twiddling with his thumbs under the table. "Uuhh..I mean, I've been developing my toon skills since I was five. A-and I've always wanted to improve myself, you know? Become the best toon I can be."
"I see." Robert jotted some stuff down on the notebook paper, then returned his gaze to Yakko. "Are you self taught?"
"For the most part, yeah," answered Yakko. "A friend of mine gave me a book about toon physics a long time ago. I read that book front to back, like, six times. I had a whole stack of books next to my bed back at the foster center. I might have gotten a little carried away."
Robert continued to jot stuff down on his paper, nodding along as Yakko answered his questions. He could tell that Rob seemed thoroughly curious by his abilities, hence all the questions he was being asked. Yakko was still amazed that he managed to find himself in this position, being so young and all.
"Well, Yakko," Robert said after a moment of silence, "It looks like you and your siblings met the acting requirement here at Warner Bros."
"What does that mean?" Asked Yakko.
"It means you guys are eligible for further education in your toon abilities," Joey explained to Yakko. "The studio has a highly sophisticated program for toons who are looking to enter the acting business; we call it Toon Performance 101. There, you will learn the basics of toon acting, and how to perform in front of an audience."
"And on a television screen," added Tom.
Yakko raised an eyebrow at this. The executives did realize that he had already acquired most of his abilities from the books he read, right?
"But Joey, um, I already figured out how to use most of my abilities," Yakko told Joey, scratching his head. "I mean, I wouldn't be here if I didn't-"
"Yes, you know the basics like hammerspace and squash and stretch," interrupted Joey, continuing on with his spiel. "But all toons know how to do that. We're talking about instinct. A good toon knows how to use their hammerspace; a master knows how to manipulate that space in order to exploit his looney desires."
"And don't sweat about school," Mr Speilberg piped up. "Every toon needs to work their way through 101 before they can receive their acting permit. Even the greats, who you toons greatly aspire to be, had their share of schooling, including Bugs Bunny."
Yakko gasped. "You know Bugs Bunny!?"
Steven nodded. "I'm one of his closest friends," he told him with a smile. "Though I wish I could get to talk to him more often. The rabbit's always caught up with some project. Who knows? Maybe you'll run into the old hare at some point."
There was a slight twinkle in the director's eye as he finished his sentence. It gave Yakko the hope that he would actually get the chance to meet the wascally wabbit, even if the chances seemed slim. Bugs was a Warner toon; the studio was his home in a way. Surely, he was around here somewhere.
"The board of animation has allowed this partnership with ACME Foster Care through the Toon Protection And Authority Service," Thaddeus declared, reading off a notecard from his folder. "Warner Bros has agreed to cover the charges for the education and hospitality of Yakkavier, Wakkorotti, and Dorothy."
Yakko couldn't help but glower as Mr Plotz read their names aloud. Again, he was being referred to by his real name, not by the nickname that he preferred. Dot's cheeks blushed red when the gray haired chairman called her 'Dorothy' rather than her preferred nickname. Yakko rubbed the back of his sister's head in an attempt to calm her anger. He didn't want her to have an outrage in the midst of this important meeting.
"The Warner siblings are to be living with Joseph Memlo leading up to the day of their final exam in May of next year," Mr Plotz continued with his spiel. "If they pass this exam, they will be awarded with their acting permits, and production on a cartoon can begin. But if they fail the exam, they are to be sent back to the northern facility, and TPAS will regain full custody of the Warners."
Yakko put a hand over his mouth, his eyes grew wide with fear. If what Plotz said was true, it meant there was a slight chance that Yakko could become an orphan again. The studio could put him and his siblings back into foster care if they didn't pass this exam they were talking about. Just the idea of being in that building, with all the other children abandoned by their families, sent shivers down Yakko's spine.
All of a sudden, the idea of becoming a cartoon star didn't seem as magical as he envisioned it to be.
Mr Plotz went on. "The department has also given Mr Memlo a check for five hundred thousand dollars, to provide the Warners with food, clothes, and other needs. Additional services will be provided to help the Warners make this transition in a smooth and orderly manner." The chairman shot a look at the bald executive, who has been loyally nodding along to his speech. "Dr Scratchandsniff? Would you please introduce yourself to the Warners?"
The doctor nodded. "It vould be my pleasure, sir," he replied, adjusting his glasses.
Yakko turned his focus to the bald executive with the funny sounding voice, who hadn't talked all that much during the meeting thus far. The man peered his head at him and his siblings, a cheesy smile plastered on his face.
"Varners," he started, "My name is Dr. Otto Von Scratchandsniff. I am ze studio psychiatrist."
"A sci-whatza-tist?" a voice squeaked.
Yakko's ears perked up, his head whirled towards his younger brother. Wakko had just spoken up for the first time in over fifteen minutes. While the boy still seemed reluctant in the presence of the executives, the fact he said anything at all released a huge weight from Yakko's shoulder.
The doctor made a face. "Nono. I am a psychiatrist, vith a p."
"Oh. Okay, p-sychiatrist."
"No! Zat's not how you- ugh, vatever," the doctor grumbled, slapping a hand against his face. "Anyvay, as ze studio psychiatrist, I am here for you. If you kidsies ever had a problem, you come to me, ya?"
Yakko blinked. He could barely understand a word this guy was saying, and he was really going to ask for his confirmation?
"Uuhh…yeah, sure," Yakko told the doctor, even though he was actually extremely confused.
"You got it, p-sychiatrist," Wakko piped up, tongue poking out of his grinning mouth.
"No! No! No! I am not ze p-sychiatrist! I am ze psychiatrist!" the doctor snapped. He gnashed his teeth at Wakko, his left eye twitched with rage.
"Cool your jets, Scratchy. It's only a small misunderstanding," Joey quipped, "Besides, you've made enough blunders to last you a lifetime, so you really don't have room to talk, mister."
Dr Scratchandsniff shot a death stare at Joey. Joey, however, responded with a hearty chuckle.
"That's enough, Joseph!" Mr Plotz scolded, brows furrowed. "Need I remind you that this is a conference room, and that we are in the middle of an important meeting. So quit the funny talk!"
"Heh heh! Roger that, Plotz," Joey chortled. He covered a hand over his mouth, trying his best to suppress his laughter.
Mr Plotz went on. "It is required by TPAS that we get the consent from our new clients before the training process can be allowed to start. Moreover, The Warners, as well as their current caretaker, must sign off on this decision, confirming that they want to move forward with this process. Mr Memlo? You have the contracts in your folder, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," replied Joey, as he pulled out four sheets of paper from his ivory black folder.
"Well? Don't just sit there! Give it to 'em!" Barked Thaddeus, slamming his fist against the table impatiently.
Joey swiftly grabbed a paper for himself before passing the documents down to Yakko. The eldest Warner pulled apart the stack, and handed his siblings two separate copies of the document. Yakko squinted his eyes at the contract that was just handed to him. The paper was written with microscopic handwriting, filled with words that Yakko didn't quite understand. At the bottom of the page was a thick, black line, with a blank space hanging over it.
Mr Plotz continued. "By signing this contract, you agree to all the terms stated above. This contract will expire the day after your final exam in May, and a new one will be provided to you along with your acting permits, but only if you pass." The chairman shot a stern look at Yakko, cocking his furry brow. "Do you have any questions about what I just said?"
Yakko swallowed, picking at the hem of his shirt. He could feel Thaddeus's intense stare batting against his fur, his pupils locked on his face. There was a slight confusion inside him, but Yakko felt he got the gist of what the chairman was asking of him.
After a moment of hesitation, he nodded in response. "N-nope. I'm good," he lied, putting on his most convincing smile.
"Very well," said the old chairman, adjusting the collar on his shirt. "There's a cup of pens in the middle of the table. You each take one, and make sure to put it back when you're done. We've paid a fortune for these pens, so don't break them."
Yakko nodded again, then he grabbed three pens from the cup as Plotz had told him to. He gave the two respective pens to Wakko and Dot, before shifting his focus back to the contract that was handed to him.
This is it, he thought to himself, If I sign this, I won't be an orphan anymore. I can become the toon that I always wanted to be.
"Yakko?"
Yakko perked up when he felt a hand tug at his arm. He looked at his baby sister, who had just spoken up for the first time since the meeting had started. There was a worried look in her eye, one of uncertainty and fear.
"What's wrong, sis?" He whispered to her, matching her concern.
"We're..not gonna be orphans again- are we?"
It was such a simple question, yet it had no mercy in hitting Yakko in the heart harder than an anvil to the face. That was such a horrible, horrible thought, a thought that Yakko unfortunately shared with his sister, as well as Wakko. Being put back into foster care was a fear that loomed over all of them. To hear this fear be spoken aloud, to hear the word 'orphan' slap him in the ear once more, brought Yakko inches away from tears.
'If they fail the exam, they are to be sent back to the northern facility, and TPAS will regain full custody of the Warners.'
No! I can't go back! Yakko told himself. I've worked too hard to get here! I've come so far from yesterday! I HAVE to pass this exam, and so do Wakko and Dot. We MUST stick together.
Yakko wiped the sweat off his forehead, suddenly feeling dreadfully warm. He placed his hand on Dot's face, rubbing gently on her cheek.
"Listen to me, Dot," he said, his voice firm, "No matter what happens to us, no matter where we go; I will never allow us to be seperated." He winced, holding back tears in his eyes. "We are going to stay together through everything. I promise."
Dot's eyes twinkled as she stared up at her eldest brother in admiration. After a moment, she finally managed a smile, throwing her arms around Yakko's waist. Yakko thought he felt his heart grow when he saw his baby sister smile. It was a crooked smile, but a smile nonetheless. And that was plenty in Yakko's eyes.
"Thanks, Yak," Whispered Dot, ever grateful for her brother's comforting words. "I wanna stick together, too."
Yakko stared fondly at his baby sister, stroking his hand through her silky black hair. In reality, Yakko was still feeling uncertain whether or not they would pass this exam, but at least Dot was hanging onto hope; that was all they could do at this point.
This wholesome moment was soon interrupted by a series of weird clinks. Yakko quickly discovered the sounds were coming from his brother, who was gnawing on the pen that he had given him. He remembered the stern warnings that Plotz had given them just minutes ago.
"Wakko! Don't eat the pen!" Yakko scolded, quietly enough so as not to get the attention of the chairman.
Wakko's ears drooped over his face, clearly guilty for making his older brother mad. "I was just hungry," he told him sheepishly.
"Pens are not food, baby bro," he reminded his hungry little brother. Yakko winced as he held up the pen, covered in drool and spit. He set the slobbery utensile aside and grabbed his own pen. "Here. Use mine," he said, handing the pen over to Wakko, "and don't put it in your mouth this time."
Wakko grinned as he snatched the pen from his brother's hand, and he quickly went to scribble his name on the document. Yakko turned his attention back to his sister, noticing that she was having a harder time writing her name out.
"Need some help," Yakko asked, as he immediately jumped in to help. He showed her how to hold the pen, going step by step in spelling out her name until she eventually got it. He checked in on Wakko afterwards and helped him, too.
He was still teaching his little siblings how to write, as the foster center wouldn't do it themselves. While Wakko and Dot's handwriting was messy to put it lightly, they were learning quickly, which Yakko could only see as a good thing.
"Ahem! Well?" Thaddeus piped up, "Have you made a decision or what?"
Yakko grabbed the pen from Wakko as soon as he was done with it, proceeding to write his own name on the document. Joey noticed this, and wrote his own name down. While there was still some doubt in Yakko's mind, even after meeting all these new people, he knew it was far too late to back down.
The meeting concluded a short time later. Once the group finally dispersed, Joey decided it was a good idea to go shopping, specifically for the Warners. Yakko declined this idea at first, saying that he and his siblings had plenty of things packed from the foster center. Joey scoffed at this, saying that Yakko and his siblings were in need of nice things, and he wasn't going to cheap out for them just to save himself a few bucks. Yakko was more than surprised when he heard this. It had been years since he was allowed to get anything, so the idea of him going on a shopping spree sounded bizarre given his past.
Their first stop was the local shopping mall. They went into Sears to start, for Joey thought it was an 'absolute priority' that the Warners get new clothes. The Warners checked out a vast selection of clothing. Dot, in particular, was having the time of her life, trying on cute skirts and dresses in the changing room. Wakko decided to look at the t-shirts, while Yakko preferred to stay in the slacks department.
Once the Warners picked out what they wanted, they continued to venture through the mall. They went into a shoe store, per Dot's request. She ended up getting two pairs of flats, as well as a pair of cute bunny slippers. Next, they went into a bookstore. Wakko went straight for the comic book section, and he picked out two Spiderman comics and a Batman comic for himself. Yakko was delighted to discover this bookstore had an entire section of Toonology books on display. He found a book entirely dedicated to the history of Hanna Barbera. Joey mentioned that he used to work at Hanna Barbera, directing for several Scooby Doo projects with his good friend Tom.
Wakko grew hungry from all the walking, so they took a pit stop at the food court. They decided on Mcdonald's for lunch, where Wakko proceeded to pig out on a chicken nugget happy meal with an extra order of fries. Yakko couldn't help but find his brother's eating antics to be amusing. He found it amazing how fast Wakko could devour an entire meal without choking on his food at least once.
After lunch, the Warners decided they had enough of the mall for one day. Joey drove a couple blocks from the mall to a Toys R Us. Wakko and Dot were jumping for Joy as they walked into the store; it had been a long time since they were allowed to get new toys. Yakko showed less enthusiasm than his younger sibs, having grown out of toys a long time ago. Dot raced to the doll section, picking out new Barbie and Ken dolls to replace her old ones. Wakko walked out with a stack of Hot Wheels cars, as well as Batman and Robin action figures. Yakko, who hadn't expected to buy anything from here, ended up finding a Yo-Yo, which he thought was sort of neat.
Once they were done with the toy store, the group decided to snag themselves some ice cream from a local ice cream parlor. Yakko was hesitant by this idea, informing Joey that dairy didn't sit well with his stomach in past experiences. But Joey reassured him that this ice cream parlor offered lactose-free ice cream, meaning that Yakko could eat some and hopefully have no issue. While he was still slightly skeptical about this, Yakko didn't want to feel left out from the fun, so he decided to just roll with it and hope for the best.
Now, he was sitting in the booth at the ice cream parlor, licking his way through his dairy free ice cream cone. Wakko, Dot, and Joey were also happily enjoying their cones. It was then where Yakko started to realize just how much Joey had given them only a single day after leaving the dreaded foster center. He already felt like a completely different person from yesterday; everything was changing at lighting pace.
"Thank you, Joey," he had the urge to thank the man for what he had done to him. To say he felt grateful would be a massive understatement.
"Your welcome," Joey smiled, "Like I said, you kids deserve to be happy after everything you've been through."
"Yeah," nodded Yakko, frowning slightly. He preferred not to think about what happened back then, not wanting to inflict any more pain on himself that hasn't already been dumped onto him.
"So?" Joey started, clasping his hands, "How do you feel about everything? You nervous? Excited?"
"I'm feeling happy, I guess," said Wakko, shrugging his shoulders, "I like that funny bald guy with the small glasses."
"Dr Scratchy? Oh, he's a character alright," Joey remarked, chuckling to himself. "But he really needs to learn how to control his temper. It's like everything pisses him off, pardon my language."
Dot, meanwhile, was as lively as ever. "Oh, I can't wait to be a movie star! I want to star in my very own movie, and get lots of money to buy a huge, fancy mansion! And- and I want my own car, too! And a cat! Yes! A cat, a puppy, and a-"
"Woah! Woah! Hold your horses there, Dot!" Eased Joey, interrupting Dot's fantasy. "I know this is exciting to you – and you should be excited – but let's not get ahead of ourselves. You still have a long way to go before we can get you guys in front of a camera."
"Aww!" Dot made a pout, crossing her arms. "But I want to be a star now!"
"Don't worry. You and your brothers will have plenty of opportunities to perform during your tutoring," Joey informed Dot. The man then turned his attention to the eldest sibling. "What about you, Yakko? How do you feel about this?"
Yakko didn't answer. He stared blankly at his scoop of ice cream as he turned it in his hand. It had been another eventful day for him, jumping from place to place all around town. Only now did he get the chance to process everything, reflect over what has happened over these past two days, how much has changed…
"Earth to Yakko," Joey raised his voice, poking his finger at Yakko's arm. "You in there, kid?"
Yakko blinked, returning to reality. He was spacing out again, not intending to do so. He looked at Joey sitting next to him, the man glancing at him with slight concern.
"What's wrong?" He asked, "Why the long face?"
Yakko shook his head. "No- n-no I'm fine," he assured Joey, "I'm not sad, I promise."
"Yeah, because you frown when you're happy," Joey said sarcastically, not believing him one bit.
At last, Yakko sighed. For the little time he has known the man, Joey had little trouble in reading his mind.
"Okay, fine. I may be a little bit nervous," Yakko admitted.
"How so?"
"Just- I don't wanna fail that exam Mr Plotz was talking about," he explained to Joey, "He was making it seem like this big deal. Is it a big deal?"
Joey's eyebrows furrowed at the mention of Plotz. "I should've warned you about old man Plotz," he said, almost sounding guilty, "He's not one to be very kind towards others. He's a bit of a grouch if I'm being honest." Joey paused for a moment, taking a bite out of his ice cream. "But, as the chairman of the board, we have to treat him with the utmost respect. Trust me, you do not want to get on his bad side."
Yakko clenched his fist, his frown grew deeper. It made him feel a little better to know that he wasn't the only one to have sour feelings about the chairman, but it did little to change the way he felt about the things he said about him.
Those horrible words still echoed loud and clear in Yakko's head. He couldn't hold it in any longer; he just had to ask-
"Um..Joey? If me..or Wakko and Dot..we're to fail this exam, would we be..s-sent back there?"
Joey bit his lip, his eyes flicked down at the floor, then at his ice cream cone, and then back at Yakko. This was the first time he has seen Joey look unsure of himself, which only made Yakko feel worse. He hoped he hadn't upset him by asking that question.
A long silence passed before Joey spoke. "I don't know what it is like to be in your situation," he said slowly, "My father loved me and my brother more than anyone else in the world. I have no idea what it must feel like to be abandoned by someone you thought you could trust. It must feel horrible."
Yakko nodded, closing his eyes and winced. He didn't want to respond to that verbally; it wasn't necessary to.
"You should feel very lucky that you are no longer cooped up in that horrible building," continued Joey, "Most kids who are put into the system don't end up being adopted at all, and are just dumped into the real world with nothing. It's crushing, but it's sadly true."
"Yeah," muttered Yakko, allowing a single tear to roll down his cheek.
Suddenly, Yakko felt a slight pressure being put on his left shoulder, his eyes blinking open in surprise. Through misty eyes, he saw Joey had leaned his body forward towards him, his hand pressing firmly against his shoulder. This gesture felt rather soothing to Yakko, making him feel as if Joey was the only person in the room with him.
"But know that it was your talent that got you here," he went on, his voice more firm than before. "You have shown a lot of promise in your abilities, especially for your age. As long as you remain motivated to your craft, and you hold onto that dream of yours, you'll pass that exam with ease, and so will your siblings."
Yakko nodded, managing a crooked smile. He didn't realize it at first, but this was the exact kind of motivation he needed to soothe his fear. It reminded him of the way Jake used to reassure him whenever he felt this way. Those motivating words of his still live rent free in his brain:
'You just gotta cheer up, and never give up hope.'
"Thanks, Joey," Yakko told him, "Thanks for being on my side."
"No problem," replied Joey, "And remember, tests are no more than an arbitrary way for companies to measure success, by making you think much too hard of yourself. What you really need is experience, and that is exactly what you are gonna get."
Yakko's grin grew bigger. He decided to forget these worries for now and instead delve into his ice cream, which had started melting from the sunlight shining through the neighboring window.
The road his life had taken had been rocky, with several bumps and obstacles he had to overcome. In spite of the challenges he had faced throughout the short amount of time he had been alive, he had overcome most of those challenges thus far. But the bumps in the road had yet to smooth out into a clear, narrow pathway; there were still plenty of hurdles down the road that he had yet to come across. All he could do now was brace himself for what will come.