#littlebigbat's tales from jenkinsville

[little-big-batbag]

Whenever I see the name of a character who I made up as a LittleBigPlanet costume and later transported into Jenkinsville, I am reminded that he shares a name with a DC character who I didn't know existed at the time that Tim Drake was definitely NOT into.

[little-big-batbag]

I can't believe I turned the characters who I originally created to sort of parody the Golden Ticket Winners from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into also being sort of parodies of various DC characters and of Mystery Inc. from Scooby-Doo!.

[little-big-batbag]

Cold Open

As soon as he closed the front door, Matt Everything felt like something was wrong.

“Andy?” He called out, looking around their cozy abode. Andy Nowhere, his partner, was supposed to be home today. He said he planned on simply relaxing after the stress of some big incident across town.

So where was his part-time hero, part-time actor boyfriend?

None of their knick-knacks looked out of place. The television wasn't on, nor was the shower, from what he could hear.

The fridge hummed as he passed it, putting down the grocery bags on the countertop. He scanned the front of the device. If Andy had been called to the studio, he would've left a note.

“Andy?” Matt repeated. He wasn't worried, really. Andy was a notorious napper. Reminded him of his Nana's cat Glovey, in a way. Same black-and-white dress sense, too. Same indigo eyes to add a splash of color. No detailed mask on the cat, though.

The groceries could wait.

Matt headed down the hall toward their shared bedroom, passing by the guest bed and bath. No sign of a disturbance there, either.

He didn't understand why he was being so hyper-vigilant, anyway. It's not like they've had problems with say, fans, before. They were relatively small-time children's show actors. The most they got were people at conventions asking how much they played up their rivalry.

He remembered the last time someone asked that, and Andy has simply responded by kissing Matt in front of the panel goers.

It had certainly felt electric. Then the power had gone out, supposedly because of some witch coven shenanigans at the other con at that time at that place.

When he reaches their room, he finds it - Great Earth Mother.

He expected to find it in its usual mostly tip-top shape, spare the bed.

Their various accolades (not many, mind you) laid on the floor. The bed was a mess, not an unusual sight, if it wasn't for the blood staining the mattress.

Matt raced to the other side - Andy's side of the bed - to find his boyfriend torn open, but still willing himself alive.

“Andy.” Matt's voice cracked, falling to Andy's side, grabbing the bed sheets off the bed - he recalled that Andy had picked these out when they got this place - and put pressure on the massive wound on his lower abdomen.

To think, he, as Matt Everything, actor of everything and anything, played an EMT once on his starring show, about two years ago, if he's right. Before he and Andy.

To think that now, years later, he'd be playing the part again, sort of, in real life, well… unthinkable, if it wasn't reality. The absurd one that they live in.

He yanked out his phone, dialing 000, the Jenkinsville emergency line, to be met with the cheery voice of some nice lady.

“Hi, Jenkinsville Emergency Services, what is your emergency?”

“My boyfriend's been stabbed in our house at 209 Nightsky Street. Please come quick.”

Andy's beautiful indigo eyes fluttered open. Matt's kaleidoscopic eyes met his.

Andy was alive. He would stay alive.

His eyes distracted him from the call.

“Excuse me?” She said. “What are your names?”

“I'm Matt Everything. My partner is Andy Nowhere.”

He could've sworn the lady on the end would've cooed if not for the situation. “An ambulance is on its way.”

“Thank you.” Matt exhaled, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

He kept pressure on the wound, as she asked if he was. “Of course I am.”

He paused, “Sorry if that sounded rude, I-”

“It's okay, Mr. Everything.” She assured him. “The ambulance should be arriving in two minutes.”

From the background of the call, he heard someone call out, “May Marvelinous?”

“On call, sir.” The woman who had answered his call responded. “Someone should call Farthingston.”

“What, why?” Matt asked, trying to pick through his memories for that name. Farthingston? Like Endrew Farthingston, “Drewtective”, the most famous and successful detective in Jenkinsville?

“The Mask of Indigo case.” May answered. “They're on it.”

“Why do you suspect this is involved?”

“Mr. Nowhere's eyes, Mr. Everything. His indigo eyes.”

[little-big-batbag]

Yeah, the onion that gives you a different superpower each layer but if you bite it like an apple you'll spontaneously combust that's locked in the Jenkinsville vault, we all know about it.

[little-big-batbag]

Neuville

Olivier Neuville blinked.

And again.

This… wasn't the orphanage.

There was a fresh, woodsy smell coming from the open window, the green curtains blowing in the gentle breeze. Red flannel sheets covered his body.

The room’s walls and floors were all wood panels. A lamp sat to his right, simple yet elegant. A closet with sliding doors was on the far wall, partly open.

He braced for cold air as he sat up and removed his covers. His boots were on a small blue rug next to the bed, ready to be worn.

He stepped out into the rest of the cabin. The other bedrooms were empty. The bathroom door was ajar. Not a soul in the living space. And the kitchen-

There was a floating pot.

“Hello?” Olivier said. “Hello? Please answer. I know you can hear me.”

“Hi.” A faint whisper in his ear. “You're new.”

“Where am I?”

“Jenningsville.”

“Please reveal yourself.” Oli requested.

A… translucent…? man - a ghost, spirit, whatever - appeared in the center of the kitchen, sitting on the island. A lopsided chest plate sits over his shoulders, plain black tee and black jeans underneath. Black hair, too.

“Heya.” He waved, offering a handshake Oli couldn't accept. “So, a medium?”

“Yeah.” Oli tensed. “What is your name?”

“Caleb Kuroki.” The spirit smiled. “You?”

“Olivier Neuville.” He answered in kind. “I'm from New Orleans.”

“Ah… I don't know what that is.” Caleb frowned, adjusting his armor. “An Earth place, I'm guessing? We're not on Earth anymore, pal.”

He gestured to the door as it swung open. “Welcome to the Celestial Void, Mr. Neuville.”

[little-big-batbag]

Oh I forgot I was gonna make a poll asking my followers to help me choose what to write for Jenkinsville

[little-big-batbag]

With Jenkinsville, I find that I'm going to have to learn how to balance the inherent sort of absurdity/oddity of the setting and cast with the sometimes more serious plot.

Like, I didn't anticipate such topics as infidelity to come up when I was being silly as a young teen back in like 2017 making up goofy guys like Old Man Jenkins who is a cookie wafer because of some Gmod YouTube videos I watched then.

Would you believe the sorrow of a character whose name is Matt Everything? Indigo Mouthface? Vancent? Would you feel anything as you watch people and places named shit like the Flood Isle, F. Vibe City, and Under-Jeenkinsville get trashed, destroyed, and plain fall into the abyss below?

I didn't even have planned out themes and plots then, just vibes. Now there might be the belief that there is no such thing as a utopia in there. Like, I don't even know if I believe that, but that's what the stories might say!

[little-big-batbag]

I really gotta make a map of this fucking town. There's so many places.

It's like a bunch of small towns masquerading as one big one. (Also known as a city).

AND there's the neighboring rival town that isn't actually evil or anything it's quite epic to be truthful.

[little-big-batbag]

So I've been getting back into a certain story concept of mine, and got reminded of how when I was 13/14 (honestly no idea how old I was), I had named an important group of people in it "the 1001 Warrior Cats Clan", not knowing Warrior Cats existed (or just didn't remember). Then I learned of it and went "fuck". So I renamed it "the 1001 Warrior Kitties Clan" which. Don't know why I didn't name it that before given the founder and leader was named Warrior Kitty.

Also if you're wondering... I have not named 1001 warrior cat people. I've named like six who are current members and an additional two who are former members (one I literally just added a few hours ago bc it just made sense and I didn't know why he wasn't already a member).