0. EDIT: No, the characters aren't drawn to scale (popples are small enough for Yoofi to hold). I wasn't concerned about proportions/head-heights, I just wanted this done.
1. Yes, it's Pride Month (DA won't let me forget it) so... here's a story about a straight couple (heehee!) ;)
2. I count this story as SFW ...I wasn't sure before (there is romance) but the story ends before anything starts (and describes nothing ...I mean, this is a MartenFerret story, so what'd you expect?). Worst thing is a slightly off-color pun (input may be appreciated).
3. Pencil ...the featured pencil is actually a pencil extender. It was made by Keuffel & Esser Co. in the early 1890s (this was made before the company had their Missouri office in 1894, but after their Illinois office in 1891).
PENCIL: "Heeheehee-hoho! I'm Pencil Popple: your happy, huggable homework helper!"
PERSISTENTHEART: "And my name's PersistentHeart Bear. The story in the description's a long one, but we can get through it if we try!"
YOOFI: "Yoofi, here---I'm in this story, too!"
PRIZEPOPPLE: "A popple story? How come I'm not the one telling it?"
PERSISTENTHEART: "Uh, maybe next time, Prize. This story has a young-adult flavor!"
YOOFI: "Yeah: bittersweet"
PENCIL: [had a caption before I deleted it]
TASLI: "The best part is 'I' made a cameo!"
Let's begin!
It Had to Be You
[Yoofi (a little wolf boy) is crying]
[PersistentHeart (a female care bear) alights her cloud car near by]
PERSISTENTHEART (exiting the cloud car): "Good morning, Yoofi; why are you crying?"
YOOFI: "I *sob* I accidentally kicked my soccer ball over the fence of a big kid's yard *sob*"
[Yoofi points to the back of Gene/Tasli's apartment]
YOOFI (continuing): "But I can't climb the fence, and I'm too afraid to ask for my ball back *sobsob*"
PERSISTENTHEART: "Don't worry, Yoofi. I'm sure they'll understand if they know what happened"
[the care bear extends her paw to Yoofi]
PERSISTENTHEART: "Take my hand; I'll walk you to their door and help you be brave!"
[before Yoofi can reply, he feels something rustling inside his backpack]
YOOFI (to the heavens): "Oh, no! Not now!"
[a second later, Pencil Popple springs from Yoofi's backpack and somersaults to the ground]
PENCIL: "I hope I'm not too late to the p-p-p-party!"
YOOFI (to pencil): "What party, Pencil?"
[Pencil notices PersistentHeart standing beside]
PENCIL: "The one with the p-p-pooper"
[the care bear raises an eyebrow of disdain at the popple]
YOOFI: "PersistentHeart's my friend, and she's gonna help me get my ball back from the big kid's yard!"
PERSISTENTHEART (trying to lead Yoofi away by the hand): "That's right, Yoofi; we got this
[with emphasis, to Pencil]
OURSELVES!"
PENCIL (intervening): "Hahahaha! You don't need her help, Yoofi!"
[Pencil hops into the air and, using a pencil (with a bit of popple magic), draws a sketch of an old-timey steam shovel, which then materializes into reality]
PENCIL: "We'll use this popple-powered p-p-picker-upper to retrieve your ball!"
*tsk, tsk, Pencil---the animated series already used this joke!
PERSISTENTHEART (annoyed): "And ruin the neighbor's beautiful yard!? You popples always place your fun over the feelings of others; trouble follows wherever you go!"
PENCIL (balancing the pencil on his finger): "You're pretty sharp, 'cept you forgot we popples always erase our mess without a trace!"
PERSISTENTHEART (exasperated): "Ugg! Your puns are as bad as your methods!"
PENCIL (raspberry): "As if care bears spying on cubs from the clouds isn't sketchy!"
[the care bear and the popple give each other the evil look]
YOOFI (a bit nervous): "Uh, guys?"
PERSISTENTHEART & PENCIL (in unison, to Yoofi): "Not now!"
PERSISTENTHEART: "I didn't want to do this, but I can't let you wreck the neighborhood! Star Buddies---Go!"
[a cluster of star buddies burst forth from the cloud car, intending to surround the popple]
[Pencil takes a dramatic leap backwards (like someone from an anime) to give himself space]
[using his pencil, Pencil quickly sketches a swarm of bees that attacks the star buddies]
[the star buddies are stuck fending off the bee swarm, as Pencil points and laughs heartily at the star buddies's plight]
PERSISTENTHEART (pointing dramatically at Pencil): "That's enough out of you! Care Bear's Stare!"
[a magical beam of rainbow radiation shoots from the care bear's tummy symbol, hitting Pencil dead-on, charging his spirit with happy care-bear feelings]
PENCIL (in a stupor of good feelings; to PersistentHeart): "Oh! Oh mymymy!" [blushes] "Hey, you know you're kinda cute---for a care bear; let's say we call our fight a draw and Van Gogh somewhere where we can be alone?"
PERSISTENTHEART (facepalm): "Oh, Lord what have I done?"
TASLI (calling to Yoofi from behind fence): "Hey, kid! This your ball?"
YOOFI (chipper): "Yeah! Hey, can I have it back!?"
TASLI: "Sure!" [Tasli serves the ball to Yoofi; Yoofi catches the ball and calls back to Tasli]
YOOFI: "Thank you! (that boy isn't so bad after all)"
[Yoofi hotfoots it away with the ball under his arm without looking back]
[both the care bear and the popple notice Yoofi disappearing into the sunset]
PERSISTENTHEART & PENCIL (in unison, pointing at each other): "Now look what you've done!"
PERSISTENTHEART & PENCIL (in unison): "Me!? What'd I do!?"
[the two break their stares; Pencil begins laughing as PersistentHeart shakes her head sighfully]
PERSISTENTHEART (somewhat disappointed): "You're a hopeless popple"
[Pencil draws a magic likeness of PersistentHeart]
PERSISTENTHEARTDRAWING (making a silly face): "And I'm a dopey care bear! D'oi, d'oi, d'oi!"
[Pencil laughs hysterically as the drawing vanishes]
[the care bear leans forward, glaring menacingly at Pencil]
PENCIL (recoiling slightly): "It was just a joke!"
PERSISTENTHEART (pretending to be more offended than she really is): "Jokes are supposed to be funny; you really hurt my feelings just now---calling me names, and laughing at me like that!"
[Pencil looks down at his feet, feeling kinda bad. Pencil draws a magic card with his pencil]
PENCIL (handing the card to the care bear): "This one's not a joke, it's sincere; read it before it's gone"
[PersistentHeart takes the card; the obverse of the card reads, "I'm Sorry". She opens the card; some cartoon balloons, hearts, and stars float harmlessly out; a drawing appears inside, of Pencil and PersistentHeart back-to-back, but leaning towards each other (kinda forming an arch between them). The caption reads, "Can You BEAR to be My Friend?"]
PERSISTENTHEART (smiling as the card disappears): "I suppose most things are possible"
[PersistentHeart turns towards her cloud car]
PERSISTENTHEART: "I'm needed back at Care-a-Lot. You take care of Yoofi: he's new in town and is trying to make friends; he doesn't need any popple mischief getting him in trouble!"
PENCIL (matter-of-fact): "I'll help Yoofi make friends, AND I'll have my fun doing it!"
PERSISTENTHEART (starting her cloud car): "Then I'm sure I'll see you both again"
PENCIL (waving goodbye and winking): "Until then---don't do any thing I would do!"
PERSISTENTHEART: *chortle*
PENCIL: "HAHAHA! Made you laugh!"
PERSISTENTHEART (with a 'darn-it!' tone in her voice): "Oh, you! Get out of here!"
[Pencil tucks into a ball and bounces away merrily (he's quite pleased with himself)]
NARRATOR: "And in fact, PersistentHeart Bear and Pencil Popple did meet again ...and again ...and again, to help Yoofi make friends, manage his feelings, and to have a good time (as well to clean up the many messes made in the process)! What's more, through working together to help Yoofi, the care bear and popple themselves became really good friends (though it wasn't easy). The two fuzzy friends helped each other, too: PersistentHeart learned to lighten up and understand the importance of laughter, and Pencil learned to place the feelings and concerns of others above his own, and to resist temptation (most of the time). The two could see the progress each had made on the other, and this helped to strengthen their bond. Most of the other care bears didn't approve of PersistentHeart's friendship with the popple (care bears are very conservative), but they tried to understand. Even so, the higher-ups of Care-a-Lot would often send our care bear friend on caring missions far from Pencil, Yoofi, and away from popples in general. PersistentHeart had to make time to see Pencil and Yoofi on her own which did, at times, get her in trouble. Pencil had trials, too. As Yoofi became older, he distanced himself more and more from the favorite things of his cubhood, including Pencil. Pencil had fewer and fewer happy moments with his former friend---often, Pencil would find himself being deliberately ignored or even shouted at to go away, by Yoofi. Pencil was no longer wanted, and his heart was hurting consequently (popples have a lot of inhibitors to protect them from such things---most popples accept their eventual rejection no worse for the wear, but Pencil had become different, through the true love and friendship given him by his real friend, PersistentHeart)"
[it's in the earliest hours of the morning: the birds have just begun their song. On the roof of Yoofi's apartment, Pencil is sleeping in his pouch-ball beside the HVAC unit]
[PersistentHeart floats down to the roof via nimbus cloud, and alights next to Pencil]
PERSISTENTHEART (gently shaking the fuzzy ball of fruit): "Pencil? Are you awake?"
[Pencil pops his head and his little hand-paws from his pouch; Pencil yawns]
PERSISTENTHEART: "I know it's early, but this is the only time I have to see you today"
PENCIL: "No p-p-problem; it's a good morning with you here ...and with just enough sunlight to draw you my dream"
[Using magic, Pencil draws a chrysalis from which emerges a butterfly]
PERSISTENTHEART: *giggles* "The pencil is magic, right? Let me try!"
[The care bear takes the pencil and tries to draw in the air with it, but nothing happens]
PERSISTENTHEART: "Huh? Why doesn't it work?"
PENCIL: "It's not the p-puh-pencil, it's popple magic. You'll need this"
[Pencil pops a clipboard with some paper from his pouch and gives it to the care bear]
[PersistentHeart makes a tiny sunshine buddy to provide extra light; Pencil peers over PersistentHeart's shoulder as she begins to draw]
PERSISTENTHEART (with a smile): "Hey, you! No peeking---it makes me nervous!"
[PersistentHeart draws a picture; Pencil turns away, but uses a curved periscope to peek]
PERSISTENTHEART (blushing): "Oh, wow! I dunno if I should show you this--it's awful, like a MartenFerret cartoon!"
PENCIL: "Oh, lemme see---it can't be THAT bad!"
[Pencil looks at the picture. It's a crude drawing of himself and PersistentHeart, arm-in-arm, with a caption reading, "Always" (it's a follow-up to the drawing Pencil made so long ago)]
PENCIL: "Aw! Haha! This is a great drawing, PersistentHeart! In fact: beautiful!"
PERSISTENTHEART (raising an eyebrow, but with a smile in her voice): "Flatterer! It's not beautiful; I can hardly draw"
PENCIL (rolling up the drawing and pouching it): "It's not the line art that's beautiful"
[Pencil places a paw over PersistentHeart's]
PENCIL: "...it's the you and me"
[Pencil and PersistentHeart nuzzle]
[Pencil sighs heavily]
PERSISTENTHEART: "What's wrong, Pencil?"
[Pencil points down at the curbside, whereat some boxes and garbage bags await collection]
PENCIL: "Yoofi has grown up, and discarded his once favorite things---the things that brought me to this world. When the garbage man comes, I will disappear forever. It's the fate of most every popple"
PERSISTENTHEART (standing; resolute): "Wrong! That isn't happening! Yoofi knows better than to treat his friends like this. That boy needs a good heart-to-heart right now, and we're gonna give it to him!"
PENCIL (imploring): "No! You know we shouldn't do that---it's the right thing for Yoofi to grow up and find new interests. As it says in their good book,
'*When I was a cub, I spoke as a cub, I understood as a cub, I thought as a cub: but when I became an adult, I put away cubby things; I put the ways of cubhood behind me'
A care bear lives a hundred years, but not so popples. It's the way of our world; we both worked to get Yoofi here, to a p-p-place where he wouldn't need us ...we have to trust that it's right"
*1 Cor. 13:11 (parephrased)
PERSISTENTHEART (sobbing): "I-I know; and I know it's right. But I ...I love you, Pencil"
(this is the first time PersistentHeart has outright said she loves Pencil)
[Pencil smiles and pats a spot next to him]
[the care bear gathers herself and sits beside Pencil; Pencil and PersistentHeart put their arms around each other's shoulders]
PENCIL: "The sun is really coming up now!"
[Pencil pops some shades from his pouch for he and PersistentHeart]
PENCIL (optimistic): "A new beginning comes!"
[PersistentHeart sniffles]
PENCIL (tenderly as a popple can): "Don't be sad, my friend---I love you, too, and I always will, no matter what ha-pup-pens or wherever I go"
(and this would be Pencil's first time saying it--his love was always merely implied before)
[PersistentHeart says nothing, but holds Pencil a little tighter, rubbing his shoulder with her paw]
[Pencil frees himself, removes his shades, and places a paw on his friend's cheek, gently turning her head to face him]
PENCIL (cheerfully): "Show me your smile; I want to remember it"
[PersistentHeart wipes her eyes and tries to make her face presentable; she turns and smiles as best she can for Pencil]
[Pencil opens his eyes wide, and (unflinching) looks right into those of PersistentHeart---PersistentHeart does the same, but neither can hold this very long before they begin laughing]
PERSISTENTHEART (beginning to cheer up): "One thing's for sure, I'm never gonna forget your laugh!"
[Pencil feels something and looks down at his arm---Pencil is beginning to lose his color and turn gray; PersistentHeart notices, too]
PENCIL (grimly): "...It ha-pup-pens so fast"
[Pencil looks up at his care bear friend; a tear forms in Pencil's eye, contrasting against his smile (it takes a lot to get a tear from a popple)]
[PersistentHeart looks over her shoulder and sees the sun is now fully above the horizon. The morning trash collection will soon arrive]
[PersistentHeart darts her eyes back and forth---many thoughts are running through her mind at once; she bites her lower lip, as if double-checking her feelings. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in and out]
PERSISTENTHEART: "Pencil. I want to ask you something, but you must promise not to laugh!"
PENCIL (wagging finger): "Nuh-uh! I don't make p-p-promises I can't intend to keep ...but what did you want to ask?"
NARRATOR: "And soon it was that Pencil disappeared from his earthly existence, and PersistentHeart returned to Care-a-Lot where many caring missions awaited her.
Over time, PersistentHeart did in fact birth a care popple---twins, in fact (and, for better or for worse, they both had their father's laugh)! Such a thing as care popples had never happened before, and was met with some ambivalence among the other care bears and care cousins. However, as some may already know, only real love---only honest and true love can beget a care bear, cousin, or (in this case) care popples. It was with this in mind that the care community came to embrace the new additions to their family. What adventures await our care popples and their friends? We'll just have to wait and see!"
Getting to see the characters made this whole story even better. I personally like the proportions, cause it makes them able to hug more firmly (in my opinion).
Getting to see the characters made this whole story even better. I personally like the proportions,
THAT was one HELL of a story. Maybe a certain animation company that features a RATerMOUSE as it's mascot might be interested in doing an animated special of it then two weeks later a LIVE ACTION remake with a totally different set of characters? Wouldn't that be delightful?!
No?
Oh well. :D
In other news I LIKE Pencil Poppel but then that's not a surprise ending is it! Hope they'll show up in other adventures! :D
THAT was one HELL of a story. Maybe a certain animation company that features a RATerMOUSE as it's m
My story doesn't follw a three-act structure. This one, and the 'Finding Riley' story, are dialogues intended to answer questions about Popples (ie, do the 'favorite things' bear on the personalities of the popples that emerge from the; what happens to popples when their humans die/lose interest in them?). :3
He likes you, too ^_^
lol My story doesn't follw a three-act structure. This one, and the 'Finding Riley' story, are dial
