#shinkothetoongirl

[siblings-a-fixin]

@shinkothetoongirl

“...Where’s this?” Marie asked, eyes looking all over.

“A friend’s place,” the Repairman replied, absently looking at each house they passed. His siren light was blinking, and he occasionally stole a glance at it before advancing further down the street.

She eyed his light as they moved. How did he know where the next break was...?

Finally, the Repairman turned towards a blue house, knocking on the door. He beckoned for his sister to come next to him as they waited.

[josephstoontown]

Point of Departure, Ch. III

Chapter III of "Point of Departure," a Joseph's ToonTown story.

Thus, this final chapter of the story also marks the end of Shinko's involvement with my blog. I'd like to take a moment just to say that... even though our roleplay world kind of fell apart, it means a lot that you continued to hang in there, as I wrote my own spin on Shinko's life in ToonTown.  While only the first story was ever truly "canon" to Shinko, I hope I, at least, did your character justice, in my writings.  Thank you, Shinkomod, and godspeed to you in your life, interests, and hobbies.  You are one cool cat and I hope you find happiness in this ridiculously stupid world, of ours.

Word count: 4,766 – Character count: 27,114 Originally written: January 5th, 2017 Revised on: August 4th, 2017

Unable to directly help Shinko, Tiana does the only other thing she can think of and confronts Joseph, face-to-face.

Shinko created by and © shinkothetoongirl Tiana, Tiana's Place, The Princess and the Frog, Fawn Deer, Raw Toonage, and related characters and properties created by and © The Walt Disney Company Woody Woodpecker, Winnie Woodpecker, The Woody Woodpecker Show, and related characters and properties created by and © Walter Lantz Productions Lola Bunny, The Looney Tunes Show, and related characters and properties created by and © Warner Bros. Animation Spydor, Captain Simian & The Space Monkeys, and related characters and properties created by Monkeyshine Productions, Inc. and © Hallmark Entertainment

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    In what must have been the most dramatic reversal of roles anyone watching could have seen, Shinko completely let go of the fox and, within two frames, found herself sitting on the knees, on the floor, hiding her face with her hands.  She wasn’t mad, anymore… no, quite the contrary.

    She was sobbing!

    Security arrived on-the-scene shortly after, only to be called away by Tiana, herself.  She and Joseph quickly helped Shinko to her feet, the former escorting the two to somewhere far away from the customers.  She knew she was going to have a lot of explaining and apologizing to do, later… but, for that moment, her only concern was making sure her employee… her friend… was going to be alright.

    “So, you’re the fox Shinko told me about, huh?”

    Joseph sat on a stool, his ears folded back hard and tail curled around the stand.  Tiana had taken a few moments to calm Shinko, in another room, before bringing him to that one.  She looked rather unimpressed by what she saw, too…

    “You 3D ‘toons think you’re all-that, don’t you?”     “W–” was all he could muster, a little taken aback.  He was still shaken-up by his encounter with Shinko… but, finding himself questioned by the slim lady in the dress just added to the tenseness he was feeling.     “You just waltz around like you’re so superior just because you have a third dimension and buttery-smooth motions!”     “A–”     “And, worst of all… you take advantage of younger, more innocent ‘toons like Shinko!”  Tiana narrowed her eyes.  “How do you sleep at night…?”     Joseph gave a blink.  “Wait, what?  I–”     “Well, you messed with the wrong ‘toon, this time, pal!  She has connections!  Namely…”     The restauranteur pointed her thumb at herself.     “Me!”     “Now, hold on just a–”     “I don’t wanna see you in my restaurant ever again,” she continued, her hands moving to her hips and a stern look forming on her face.  “And, furthermore… I’d better not see you in this district, again!  I know your game… I know what you’ve done!”     “What… I…”  The fox’s face scrunched in half-angry confusion.  “What…?”     The lady pointed toward the door, then.     “There’s the door.  Now, get the hell outta my sight.”     As she turned to walk away, Joseph blurted out, “Wait– hold on!”     She stopped in her tracks, keeping her back toward him…     “Save your breath, fox.  There ain’t nothin’ I wanna hear from you.”     “You… stupid… bitch!”     Tiana spun around just in time to see Joseph put his hands over his muzzle.  Her eyes narrowed, again, as she asked in an alarmingly calm tone…     “What… did you call me?”

    The fox could not have felt any more embarrassed.  Tiana had managed to push one-too-many of his buttons and he let his tongue slip.  He really hadn’t mean to call her anything… much less that… but, something about her accusatory tone… and, the way she seemed like she “knew him…”  It just set him on-edge.  Slowly, his ears curled back and his tail rose.  He could feel himself getting angry, again, just from the way she was glaring at him…  Still, he felt that he owed her an apology, for what he’d said.

    “I… called you a ‘stupid bitch,’” he began.  “And, I’m sorry that I did.”     The regal-looking hostess gave a snort, crossing her arms over her chest.     “I find that hard to believe…”     “Alright, look…” he said, growing impatient.  “You clearly don’t know the whole story.”     “Shinko has no reason to lie,” she countered.     “I’m not saying that she did!”     “Then, what are you saying, fox?”     “I’m just…  Y…  Hnn…”     “Mm-hmm…”  Tiana closed her eyes, shaking her head.  “Get outta my sight.”     “No– you…!” he sputtered.     “Use your words, fur-ball.”     He was stunned into silence.  Her impatience was really getting under his skin…

    “Well?” she shortly asked after he’d failed to say anything more.  “I’m waiting!”     “Listen…” the fox said, pausing to try and calm himself, again.     “I am listening.  You’re just not sayin’ anything!”     He wasn’t normally one for violence… but, the thought of slapping Tiana’s impatient glare right off her face had certainly crossed his mind, by that point in their conversation…     “If you would just shut up and let me think, for a second…”     “What?  And, give you time to come up a convincing lie?”  She leaned back, wearing a smirk.  “Right.”     “No…” he said with a growl.  “I’m just having a little trouble trying to explain myself with you staying in my face, like this.”     Her smirk widened.  “I don’t see how that’s my problem…”

    “Miss Tiana?”     The dark-haired lady turned toward the door.  The waiter from earlier was standing there.     “It’s getting close to midnight…”     She gave a gasp.  “Oh!  The celebration!  I got so caught-up in this mess…”     The lady quickly turned back to the fox, glaring at him, again.     “Listen, you…  Get outta here and don’t let me see you ‘round here ever again, alright?  The door’s over there,” she said with a point.  “If I see you in here, again–”     “You know what?  Fine.”     She gave a blink as the fox interrupted her… then, she took a step back as he rose.  Once she realized he was just heading to the door, however, she relaxed…

    “I don’t need this place,” Joseph spitefully said as he headed out.  “I don’t need your food or your entertainment.  And, I certainly don’t need your sass.  I can even live without ever coming back to this district.  So, hey, blacklist me if you want… I’ll just take my business elsewhere.  The line to get in here is way too long and not worth the wait, anyway…”     Tiana narrowed her eyes, at that… but, she stayed quiet.  The fox slid by the waiter in the doorway a second later, not bothering either them in the slightest.  However, before he was completely out-of-sight, he turned around, stopping to glance back at Tiana.     “By the way,” he said, “I’m not a ‘toon.  And, you’re no princess.  See you never…”     And, with those strange words… the fox was gone.

    “What in the…?  What did he mean he wasn’t a ‘toon?” Tiana quietly asked her waiter.  They just gave an unconcerned shrug.     “Well, anyway… tell the band I’ll be out in a minute.  I need to go check on Shinko.”     “Yes, ma’am!  And, ma’am?”     She gave a blink.  “Yes?”     “You’ll always be a princess, to us all.”     “Yeah, well…”  She smiled to the waiter as a faint blush made its way onto her soft skin.  However, she was quick to hide it by rubbing her cheek. –––––

    “You’re leaving?  After all that…?”

    Joseph didn’t seem to be listening as he walked by the table where he’d previously sat.  Woody had tried to talk to him… but, he clearly wasn’t interested.

    “Hold on a second…”  Lola had spoken up, then.  “What about our double-date?”     “Date’s over,” the fox spat.  “Mine, at least…  You, enjoy yourselves.”     “It’s kinda hard t’ enjoy ourselves knowin’ our amber-colored fox friend ain’t here!”     “Don’t let that stop you, Woody…” he replied, continuing to walk to the front.  “As for me… I’ll… I’m… I’m going to Joe’s, I guess.  That seems to be where I always end up in this Trinity-forsaken town…”     Joseph walked outside, a moment later, leaving his friends to stand at the door.  It really didn’t seem like anyone had anything they could say to change his mind…

    “Should… should we go after him?” Lola asked, a concerned look on her face.     “You can do what you want…”     Woody turned toward the back of the club, an angry look showing on his face.     “I’m gonna get some answers!”     The woodpecker charged toward the rear door of the club, followed at-a-distance by Winnie and Lola.  They thought about trying to dissuade him… but, for some reason, neither one of them could find the words.  However, something else had suddenly kept the angry bird from gaining entry to the back rooms of the club…

    “Oof…!”

    Winnie gasped and Lola’s eyes went wide.  Woody had been knocked on his rump… but, he wasn’t the only one.  Sat in the doorway of that side door was none-other than…     “Shinko?!”     “Woody…?” was her reply as she looked at the bird.     His face turned from surprise… back to anger, then.     “What in the he– wah!”     “Joseph!” she suddenly shouted, getting to her feet and picking him up within three frames of animation.  “Where is he?!”     “Why should I tell you?!” the woodpecker said with spite.     “Because…”  She looked down, her face darkening.  “I need to apologize, to him…” –––––

    It was only ten minutes until New Year’s.  After the previous year’s fiasco with Spydor and his homemade liquor, the owner of Joe’s Diner had put a ban on end-of-year parties, there, so it was business-as-usual, with the midnight crew.  Or, at least, it would have been, if not for the sudden addition of one very-upset fox, sitting at the counter.

    “Eh, I wouldn’t worry ‘bout it none, Joey.  Here, have another… ech… soda.”     Spydor poured another full glass of fizzy cola for the fox before swinging over and hand-delivering it.  It was kind of fortunate the diner was empty, due to the on-going celebrations all around the city.  Apparently, word had gotten out about the previous year’s fiasco…     “I don’t know why I’m even bothering…” Joseph said as he brought the soda up and gave it a sip.  “It doesn’t help…”     “Yeah, but, ya know…”  The spider-monkey gave a shrug as he hung down in front of the fox.  “‘Da maaan’ says we can’t soive no alkie-haul, hereabouts!”     “And, whose fault is that?”     “Ah, details, details, Fawn, dear!” he replied to the talking deer girl.  “My point is, life… well, it ain’t fair… so, drink up!  It may not help but it ain’t gonna hoit!”     “I just… I can’t believe I ran into her… after all this time… and, she… and, she…”     “Ah geez…  Hey, Fawn!” he called to his co-worker.  “Do dat ‘lady’ thing ya do, huh?  I don’t wanna mop up this mook’s tears, again…”     Fawn shot Spydor a glare as he swung into the kitchen.  Luckily… Joseph didn’t seem to hear his parting words.

    “Mr. Lithius?” the deer called as she stood next to the seated fox.  “It’ll be alright… you’ll see.  I’m sure things will go back to normal, by tomorrow!  You just have to have hope!”     “‘Hope?’”     And, just like that, the fox’s head had found its way on to the counter, much to Fawn’s surprise… and, concern.

    “Hope is gone, Fawn…” he muttered, thinking of his “ex-not-girlfriend” from Ragnarok.  “And, so is Carlos, Kris, and everyone else…  At least, as far as I know.  I don’t even know what the future holds, here, in ToonTown…”     He sat up just enough to rest his head on his arms.     “Tiana seems like the kind of lady who’d make good on her threats… and, if she has the kind of connections she said she does… being blacklisted from the Disney District might be the least of my problems…”     “It’s alright, Mr. Lithius…” the deer said as she leaned in to give him a hug.  “At least you’ll always be welcome to ‘Eat at Joe’s!’”     “That’s not funny…” he chuckled.     “Then, why are you laughing?”     “It’s a pity laugh, Fawn…” he said, closing his eyes and leaning into her arms.     “That’s okay…”  She pulled him a little closer.  “This is a pity hug…”     He chuckled, again, knowing she was kidding.     “I’ll take what I can get…”

    For a while, the two stayed like that… Joseph seated and leaning into Fawn’s arms while the deer hugged him and pet his head.  It was comforting, for the former, and it made the latter happy, knowing she could be of some help to him.  When they heard the bell of the diner’s door jingle, however…     “I’ll be right back,” Fawn softly told the fox, giving him another pat before straightening up.  “We have a customer.”     “Heh.  I’ll be here…”     “Chin-up, Mr. Lithius…  It’ll be alright.”     The fox gave a light nod before placing his head back on the counter, his ears flicking as he heard the tip-tap of Fawn’s heels walking away.

    “Welcome to Joe’s Diner,” she greeted to an unknown party.  “Feel free to sit wherever you feel like, Ma’am, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask!”     There was another brief sound of heels-on-tiles… followed by the sound of someone else walking.  Joseph couldn’t quite identify the second sound… but, he didn’t care enough to look.     “Can I get you something to drink, Ma’am?” Fawn offered from the other side of the counter.  The fox’s ears caught the sound of the seat next to him being filled but, again, he didn’t bother looking…     “No?”  The deer gave a hum.  “Well, whenever you’re ready to order, just ask!”     “I will.  Thank you.”

    Joseph’s ears perked, suddenly.     That voice… he thought.  No… no…  She wouldn’t have… she couldn’t have…     But, a glance to his right quickly confirmed…     “Hi there, Joseph!” the figure cheerfully greeted.  “Come here often?”

    Seated directly next to the fox was the relatively-simple form of the very ‘toon he was crying about.  He tensed… only to relax, as he noticed something.  She didn’t look mad… she didn’t look sad… she didn’t even look a little upset…  If anything, she looked almost kind of… happy to see him, smiling and giving a wave, still wearing her waitress outfit, minus the apron.  Seeing her there, with that expression…  It filled Joseph with confusion…

    A lot of questions went through his head as she waited for a reply – most of which started with a W.  Eventually, though, he went with the only question that seemed to make sense…     “What the Void are you doing here, Shinko?”     “Oh!  Well, I was just in the neighborhood,” she said, pressing her triangular hand-tips together and looking away.  “Figured I’d see if you were here!”     His eyes narrowed.     “There is no way in the unending Nether that I believe that, you know.”     “Oh, I know!” she said, rubbing the back of her head.  “But, I’ve always wanted to say something like that!”     “Yeeaaah… okay.  Now, what’s the real reason you’re here?”     There was a long pause while the shorter girl fidgeted, her eyes darting around the room and her hands fiddling with the hem of her skirt.  After several moments, though, she finally spoke, again.

    “You know those movies where two people get into a fight, only to realize that, in the end, it was nobody’s fault, so they make up?”     Part of Joseph wanted to tell her real life wasn’t a movie, since he had an idea of where she was going, with that thought… but, he decided to just nod, instead.     “Well… I just… I wanted to… I…”     Her words slowed and came out softer-and-softer, her head tilting downward.  The fox could see her face darkening, under her bangs…  Still, he felt the need to encourage her.     “Yes?”     Again, silence filled the air while Shinko remained static.  It would have been a little eerie, had Joseph not been used to the lack-of-motion.

    “You know…”     His ears perked as she spoke again.     “You know those movies… where two people try to make up… only for… something to go wrong, Joseph?”     He narrowed his eyes…  “Yeesss…?”     “I…”     Her hands squeezed the bottom of her skirt.     “I can’t even get that far…”     “I’m… sorry?”     “No.  You’re not.”     The fox gave a blink, his ears perking as he sat up.  Shinko’s tone had darkened, not unlike her face…     “A… a– what?”     “You’re not sorry!” she suddenly shouted, alerting both Joseph and Fawn.  One look at her face told the former she was really upset…  Tears had formed in the corner of her angry eyes.

    “You’re not sorry and you’re never-ever going to be sorry, Joseph!” she yelled, slamming her hand on the counter.  “Never-ever-ever!”     Joseph blanched, stammering letters without words.  He genuinely had no idea where she was coming from!     “You did something to me…”  The girl pointed one angular hand his way.  “You did something to me!  Something I can’t fix!  And, you’re not sorry at all!”     “What did I do…?!” he immediately rebutted.     “I don’t know, I don’t know…!  But… but…”  She lowered her hand, grasping her skirt, again, with a frustrated look on her face.  “It hurts…  It just hurts, okay?!”     “What–”  The fox gave a blink.  He didn’t know what she was talking about… –––––

    As soon as she’d sensed conflict, Fawn had slipped into the back to confer with Spydor.  As much as the two enjoyed daytime drama television, the former had convinced the latter to go out the back door and leave the two alone.  It seemed like the respectful thing to do, to her…     “Ya sure ya don’t want me t’ spy?” the monkey offered.  The deer briefly considered it… but, she shook her head.     “Let’s just climb up to the roof and enjoy the New Year’s fireworks.  Okay?”     “Yeeaaa’, a’right…  Race ya!”     “Wh– hey!”  She jolted as Spydor flipped his way up the nearby ladder.  “At least give me a head-start!  Do you know how hard it is to climb in heels?”     “So, take ‘em off!”     “Ah– oh…”  She lightly thumped herself on the head, then.  “Oh, yeah…”     And, so, the two ended up climbing to the roof to wait for the show in the sky. –––––

    “Joseph, do you know what it’s like to think of someone… see someone… and, even though, all you want to remember are the good times… your heart won’t let you forget the bad?”   �� The fox’s brow furrowed at Shinko’s question.  He wanted to tell her, yes, he did… but, instead, he just gave a slight nod…     “Well, that’s what happens when I think about you…  That’s what happens when I see you…  I just… I can’t shake the bad times… that one, singular bad time… i-in my apartment…”     “Is that why you didn’t write back or come visit?”     She felt a slight pang of guilt, at the question…  For a moment, she debated lying… saying that she never received his letter.  But, she couldn’t lie to him…  Even after everything that had happened, that night.

    “I couldn’t, Joseph…” she honestly replied.  “I just couldn’t.  I hope you understand…”     In a way, he really didn’t…  He’d thought about it long and hard, in the past, and he knew he’d made a mistake in kissing her, like he did…  She just didn’t know what to do… how to react…  She wasn’t ready for the kind of affection he was willing to give…  It never seem like she hated him for it.  Still, though… he had to ask…     “Shinko, do you hate me?”     The question made the girl visibly jolt.     “Do I… hate you?” she squeaked, repeating his words with some hesitation.     “That’s the question, yes.”

    As much as she wanted to tell him “no,” right away… for some reason… she found herself incapable of such as quick answer and, instead, started really thinking about the question…     “Do I hate you…” she thought aloud.  “Do I hate you…?”     He gave a nod, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought.  There was a long pause, Shinko closing her eyes and maintaining a neutral look, her brain and her heart struggling with the question…     Do I hate him, do I hate him…? she pondered.  I really don’t have any reason to hate him…  He… didn’t do anything really that bad…  But, at the same time… why can’t I forgive him?

    After several tense moments, Shinko’s eyes opened – first, halfway… then, all the way.     “Joseph… I want you to know something.  Please, listen to what I have to say.”     The fox gave a swallow… then a nod.  He was ready to listen… even if it hurt him.     “When you left my apartment, last year, a lot of questions entered my head.  ‘Does he hate me?’  ‘Will I ever see him again?’  ‘Should I have just let him do what he wanted?’”     That last question made him frown… but, he kept his thoughts to himself.     “I didn’t know the answers to these and honestly… still don’t.  Well, aside from, ‘Will I see him again,’ I mean.  But, one more question stayed in my head, for the longest time… and, that was, ‘Will he be okay on his own?’  I guess I got my answer, when I saw that letter in my mailbox on the 29th of December, last year…”     Her eyes narrowed a little.     “A 100-dollar gift card is a nice gesture, Joseph… but, not a very responsible one.

    “Gift card aside, I was happy to hear you were doing fine.  You had a place to stay, a job with steady income, and even had friends.  But, something about your letter bothered me…”     She paused, closing her eyes.     “That kiss… your reaction…”     Her eyes opened halfway, her look turning more serious.     “It left its mark.”

    Joseph cringed in his seat, his ears lowering and his tail curling tight to the stool.  Shinko was glaring at him, again…     “I decided not to reply,” she said, her face relaxing.  “But, it wasn’t because I hated you… or, wanted nothing to do with you.  It was because…”     Her face turned a little sad, making the fox blink.     “Try as I might… I couldn’t think of anything to say.”     Shinko turned toward the counter.  Her arms crossed and came to rest on the surface, her head settling on her limbs as she stared toward the kitchen window.     “And… as funny as it sounds… I was kind of… jealous of you.”     “You were… what?”     “Yeah, I know!”     She turned to her side, resting one elbow on the counter and propping up her head.     “It doesn’t make sense, at all!  But, somehow… reading that letter… imagining your life here, in ToonTown… and, especially seeing that gift card… I got jealous and…”     She gave a sad smile, closing her eyes again.     “I got the feeling… that… you didn’t need me, anymore.”

    “What?”  The fox gave a blink at that.  “That’s ridiculous!  Why would you–”     “When I met you,” she interrupted, “all you had to your name was a fancy ring and a couple-hundred bucks!  But, I guess…”     She gave a slight sigh.     “I guess a lot can happen over the course of eight months, or so…”

    The redhead straightened up, giving a stretch and a grunt.  Her hands once again rested in the lap of her skirt and she continued to wear that soft, sad smile…  It did very little to make the fox feel reassured, though…

    “I’m proud of you, Joseph…” she said after a moment.  “I really am.  You were able to pull yourself up, straighten yourself up, and make a life for yourself here…  You should feel proud, too.  Not everyone can make it in ToonTown…  Sometimes… not even ‘toons…”     He gave a blink at that statement, tilting his head.     “Wait a minute,” he said, his ears flicking.  “Are you trying to tell me you haven’t ‘made it,’ in ToonTown?”     “I never said that,” she said with a shake of her head.     “Yeah… but, it seemed like you were implying it…”     “I’m not sure what gave you that idea…”  She gave a soft sort of giggle.  “I mean… I’ve been working the same job at Tiana’s Palace for a couple of years, now, without a raise or a promotion…  I’m still in the same run-down apartment down the way from the House of Mouse…  I’m still barely able to make ends meet and I still don’t have a friend in this town that I can truly count on, other than Miss Tiana…  I just can’t imagine why you’d think that I’d think that I haven’t made it, here…”

    As he listened to Shinko describe her life with that same, sad sort of smile she’d been wearing for the past few moments… he found himself genuinely feeling guilty.  He knew he had no reason to feel that way.  He hadn’t exactly been handed everything free-of-charge… and, he sure wasn’t friends with his boss, Minerva…  But, even so… comparing his life to Shinko’s really sort of put things into perspective, for him… and, it made him wonder, once again…     “Do you hate me, Shinko?”     She closed her eyes and shook her head again.     “I don’t hate you, Joseph…” was her reply.  “But, I’m definitely jealous, of you.  Even when things fall apart… it seems like you always find a way to make it work.”     “I don’t know about that…” he said with a reassuring smile.  “But, there’s no need to be jealous.  It’s not like there isn’t room for you in my life… and, I’m sure Woody would be thrilled to see you around.  You two seemed to get along pretty well, way-back-when…  Plus, Winnie and Lola would–”     “Remember what I told you, earlier, Joseph?”     He gave a blink as he was interrupted…  His ears fell, seconds later, and his eyes started to water, his mouth curling into an upset scowl.     “That– that’s not fair, though…” he whimpered.  “You don’t hate me… I don’t hate you…  I don’t understand why it hurts to see me…”     The fox gave a blink as Shinko leaned up and brushed the tears from his face.     “Some questions just don’t have an answer, Joseph…”     He then noticed… even with her smile… she was starting to cry, too.

    A sudden burst of sound and color caught the duo’s attention.  They could see fireworks going off in the distance, through the diner windows.  Without a word, both Joseph and Shinko got up and left the building, seating themselves on either side of the outside door, their heads tilted up at the brilliant display coming from somewhere in the Universal District.  It seemed like just the thing to distract them from their sadness…

    “I talked with Miss Tiana…”

    Shinko had spoken up amidst the colorful bursts and pops, catching the fox’s attention.  As he looked over, he noticed that she was still looking skyward.  Her back was to the diner wall and she had one knee raised, using it as an armrest while her other hand touched the cool pavement.  Even after everything that had been said… he couldn’t help but think that she still looked pretty, under the flashing lights…     “I explained everything to her, after my nervous breakdown…” she continued.  “It took some convincing… but, I got her to reconsider having you blacklisted from the Disney District.  I… still wouldn’t poke my head into Tiana’s Place, if I were you, though.  I don’t think she believed me when I said you weren’t a bad guy.”     A smirk appeared on her face.     “I think there was something about calling her the B-word?”     The fox shrunk down…  He still felt embarrassed he’d done that.     “I’d… ask you to apologize for me, again,” he said, “but, I doubt it would do any good.  Thanks for trying, though…  I appre–”     “You’re a terrible person, Joseph.”     “Wh… what?”     Shinko’s smirk had become a calm sort of smile.     “You made me worry…”     “O… oh…  I–”     “Plus,” she continued, “you kept me in suspense for months then popped in from nowhere and nearly cost me my job.  Worst of all, I don’t think you’re even sorry for any of it.”     She paused… then asked…     “But, why should you be?”     The fox’s ears fell.  Shinko had closed her eyes, despite her interest in the fireworks.     “It’s really not your fault I reacted the way I did…” she said after another pause.  “I guess I have a lot of unresolved issues… some of them, with you.  At least…”     The redhead turned her head toward him, opening her eyes.     “Until tonight.”     She silently turned her head back toward the sky after that statement…

    By the end of the fireworks show, he still had no idea what she’d meant.  Nothing felt resolved, to him…  Sure, it seemed like there was a definite end to that particular chapter of their lives… but, was it really the way things were meant to go?  The fox didn’t know.  But, as he watched Shinko wordlessly get up and leave a moment later, all he could do was sit and wonder why things had turned out that way… and, why she seemed so okay, with it.

    Tears started to break free of his eyes, again, and he slowly realized… maybe things going that way was for the best…  As unsatisfying as it was… at least… they’d both gotten closure.

[same-stages-different-players]

1ST RULE: tag 9 muses you would like to know better. 2ND RULE: BOLD the statements that are true for your muse.

Tagged by: @mamafoxygoesyoohoo

Tagging: Um gosh this is so late I forgot who was tagged... @shinkothetoongirl , @heros-bane , @thefoilverse , @the-i-d-f-l-hq , @remimuses , @curious-corvidae, @thecouncilofsupervillains , @alinkbetweenportraits , @askthegreenguys and of course anyone who wants to play.

MUSE:  Let’s pick on Messy Kid FC: (Honestly haven’t got one, but he is partially based on Louie from We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, at least in terms of scruffy mannerisms, accent, and soft heart.)

OCCUPATION: Spacefaring child who just wants to go home AGE: Around 8-12 SEXUALITY: Too young to be seriously thinking of that, but attracted to guys PRONOUNS: He/Him

appearance:

i am 5'7" or taller

i wear glasses

i have at least one tattoo

i have at least one piercing

i have blonde hair

i have brown eyes

i have short hair

my abs are at least somewhat defined

i have or have had braces

personality:

i love meeting new people

people tell me that i’m funny

helping others with their problems is a big priority for me

i enjoy physical challenges (like gardening or stretching if that what it means)

i enjoy mental challenges (like crossword puzzles if that what it means)

i’m playfully rude with people i know well

i started saying something ironically and now i can’t stop saying it

there is something i would change about my personality

ability:

i can sing well

i can play an instrument

i can do over 30 pushups without stopping

i’m a fast runner

i can draw well

i have a good memory

i’m good at doing math in my head

i can hold my breath underwater for over a minute

i have beaten at least 2 people in arm wrestling

i know how to cook at least 3 meals from scratch

i know how to throw a proper punch

hobbies:

i enjoy playing sports

i’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else

i’m in an orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else

i have learned a new song in the past week

i work out at least once a week

i’ve gone for runs at least once a week in the warmer months

i have drawn something in the past month

i enjoy writing

i do or have done martial arts

experiences:

i have had my first kiss

i have had alcohol

i have scored the winning goal in a sports game

i have watched an entire season of a tv show in one sitting

i have been at an overnight event

i have been in a taxi

i have been in the hospital or er in the past year

i have beaten a video game in one day

i have visited another country

i have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

relationships:

i’m in a relationship

i have a crush on a celebrity

i have a crush on someone i know

i have been in at least 3 relationships

i have never been in a relationship

i have asked someone out or admitted my feelings to them

i get crushes easily

i have had a crush on someone for over a year

i have been in a relationship for at least a year

i have had feelings for a friend

my life:

i have at least one person i consider a “best friend”

i live close to my school

my parents are still together

i have/had at least one sibling

i live in the united states

there is snow right now where i live

i have hung out with a friend in the past month

i have a smartphone

i have at least 15 cd’s

i share my room with someone

random shit:

i have break-danced

i know a person named jamie

i have had a teacher with a last name that’s hard to pronounce

i have dyed my hair

i’m listening to one song on repeat right now

i have punched someone in the past week

i know someone who has gone to jail

i have broken a bone

i have eaten a waffle today

i know what i want to do with my life

i speak at least 2 languages

[the-small-floof]

Tagged meme

Post 8 facts about your muse and then tag 8 people to do the same! I was tagged by @shinkothetoongirl

1) Ryx is not a natural born animal, he was created by the U.S.E as a bio weapon and was considered a ‘failed’ subject along with his sisters

2) Behind his cuddly exterior and friendly personality Ryx is a born hunter and often entertains himself by taking down large game like boar, deer and, rarely, moose

3) Khann, back when he was fighting the U.S.E, was a sharpshooter and used a modified sniper rifle loaded with special rounds to take down heavily armoured vehicles and bio weapons

4) Khann usually carries a handmade Kris passed down to him from his Grandfather for protection and sentimental value

5) “It” is a primordial creature with no true origin and was once worshiped as the guardian God of earth by ancient man

6) “It” cares little for the large building humanity has created and will destroy them if they get in his way

7) Ryx lives with Khann in a large, lakeside cabin deep in a forest

8) Ryx knows almost the entire forest by memory and has helped lost travelers find their way out

I do not have the full 8 blogs to tag but: @elderchameleos @dragonkingteo @askpecotheastalos @ashagarusinquisition

[alinkbetweenportraits]

shinkothetoongirl is one of the blogs that convinced me to get a Tumblr. A very nice and creative mun with a cute and kindhearted (and often funny) Toon muse, recently revamped! I always look forward to her interactions and adventures, and hope for more!

@shinkothetoongirl

[shinkothetoongirl]

Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better. Repost, don’t reblog. Tagged by:  @askthefwrp Tagging: @askrobotnik, @lennythereviewer, @thekingmickey , and whoever else wants to do it.

NICKNAME: I tend to go by Hikari. STAR SIGN: Gemini HEIGHT: I think 5′ 5″- 6″. CURRENT TIME:  10 AM FAVE MUSIC ARTIST: Whatever I happen to be listening to at the time. I tend to like AmaLee and NateWantsToBattle’s covers, though. LAST MOVIE WATCHED: I think it was Warcraft? Not sure. LAST SHOW WATCHED:  Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On (But before that, Polar Bear Cafe) WHEN DID YOU CREATE YOUR BLOG: December 2011 WHAT KIND OF STUFF DO YOU POST: RPs, asks, RP memes, art OTHER BLOGS: @hikariyuushiart (Official Art blog, supported by Patreon), @elderchameleos (Monster Hunter RP blog), @weareinyourbrain (Neurax Worm RP blog), and a number of others. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR URL: Originally ‘askshinko’, but due to there being a different ask blog with the near exact URL, I decided it was about time to change it to ‘shinkothetoongirl’, as that’s what she is and always will be. HOGWARTS HOUSE: Ravenclaw POKEMON TEAM: Valor FAVORITE COLOR: Red AVG HOURS SLEEP: Probably 6-8 hours. What time of day, though, is another story. LUCKY NUMBERS: 31, I guess. HOW MANY BLANKETS DO YOU SLEEP WITH?: Two DREAM JOB: Whatever will allow me to draw what I want. FOLLOWING: 22 FOLLOWERS: 227

[hikariyuushiart]

e-mananimates replied to your photo “shinkothetoongirl: ((From Runaway Brain Review))”

Oh! I remember these! They are the original sketches, right?

They are, and they’re apparently at least 4 years old according to the blog. XP

[jolienjoyswriting]

Partially Erased

A very short fan fiction gift story for askshinko based on this post.

Probably one of my oldest works and not one that really shows off what I'm capable of… but, eh. I like it.  And that's why I made it better.

Word count: 966 -- Character count: 5.670 Originally posted: January 17, 2013* Revised on: May 28th, 2017 (* According to Google anyway.)

One day, Joseph finds his little 'toon gal pal in a state he wishes he hadn't...

    Joseph was quietly doing things on his laptop when he’d heard it…     “What was that?” he pondered aloud.  The sound of a door opening… followed by a faint, familiar sort of vocal noise.     “Shinko?” he called as he rose from his seat.  “What are you doing in my apartment?  You usually knock before–”

    The little ginger-haired, partly animated ‘toon friend was indeed at the door, sitting on the floor outside his apartment.  That’s not what gave the fox pause, however.  Something was wrong… something was very wrong…     Parts of Shinko’s body were faded… chunks of her missing in some places.  It was like someone had used an eraser on her little ‘toon body… but didn’t finish the job.  While this made Joseph recoil and stare wide-eyed… she didn’t seem afraid.  Rather, the look on her face one of utter confusion.  However, tears were flowing freely from her one remaining eye.     “Sh… Shinko…?” the horrified fox called, his own eyes starting to water…     Shinko looked up at Joseph, reaching up with one partially-erased arm and whimpering.     “H-h-h-help me…”

    Her voice sounded terrified and was almost inaudible…  Not knowing what else to do, Joseph ran into the other room.  A moment later, he returned with a small set of art supplies, sat down beside his ‘toon friend, and pulled out a pencil.     “E-everything is gonna be okay, Shink…” Joseph whispered, giving a less-than-confident smile as he stroked her hair with his free hand.  “Please, don’t cry…  You’ll… you’ll be okay!  I promise!  Don’t… don’t be scared, don’t be scared…  Just… hold still…”     Shinko whimpered and sobbed, her eye meeting Joseph’s.  Rather than calm her, it almost seemed like his words and actions were causing her to worry more…     “Why did this happen, Joe…?” she whispered.  “How did this happen…?”     “I… I don’t know, Shinko…” Joseph softly spoke, finally starting to cry himself.  “But I’m not going to let it stay this way!  I-I’m gonna try and redraw you…”     Joseph brought the pencil to one of Shinko’s black-lined edges.  He started to draw on her… but nothing seemed to come out of the pencil.  A look of dread came over Joseph…  He tried again… and again.  Over and over, he kept trying… but nothing was happening!

    “Th-that won’t work…”

    Joseph blinked his wet eyes, staring at Shinko with surprise.     “W… what…?”     “Y-you’re not my a-artist, Joe…” was the explanation he got.  “That… won’t work…”     Joseph’s face clenched as he cried more.  “But… but you’re hurt…!  I-it has to…!”     “It’s okay, Joe…”  Shinko gave a brave smile, looking fondly to her fox friend.  “You tried… but I can’t be fixed by you…”     “But… but if you stay like this…”     The ‘toon girl placed her good hand over Joseph’s mouth, closing her eye and continuing to smile.  All Joseph could do was stare at that point.  Her little mitten-shaped hand…  It felt so cold on his muzzle…     “Shinko…”

    “Joe?” she suddenly called.     He paused.  “Y… yes?”     “Tell me a story…”     The fox hesitated before responding with, “W… what?”     Shinko’s crying eye opened and looked into his own.     “Tell me a story, Joe…  A happy story…  Something sweet.  Please.”     “I…”     He stifled a whimper…  Her request didn’t make any sense to him… but as he sat there, watching at her sweet, her beautiful, blue eye completely focused on his own… he felt as though there was nothing more he could do… than fulfill that request.

    After settling down beside Shinko outside his doorway, Joseph began to tell her a tale of a brave knight and a princess.  Partway through the story, Shinko had made herself comfortable in his lap, closing her eye and continuing to smile.  He softly stroked her head, doing his best to keep the fear from showing in his voice, trying to focus on his tale of bravery and romance…

    “With the evil sorcerer vanquished, the king and his subjects no longer had anything to fear...” Joseph continued, coming to the end of his tale.  “Soon after, the brave, heroic knight and the king’s beautiful daughter were wed… and as they descendants of the kingdom would tell you… they all lived happily ever after.”

    By the time Joseph had finished his tale, his heart was racing with a mix of anxiety and dread.  Shinko had stopped crying… and, in fact, she’d stopped moving…  He didn’t want to think about it… but it seemed as thought… Shinko… had…

    “Thank you, Joseph…”

    The fox jolted as he heard her speak, then blinked his wet eyes, looking down at her.  She was brightly smiling at him…     “That was a… a beautiful… s… st… story…”

    Joseph swallowed hard as her eye closed.  He could feel her half-animated, partially erased body going limp…  What little warmth she still contained had all but vanished… and even her smile was starting to fade.  And that wasn’t all that…     The darker shades of her coloring began to vanish right before his eyes, leaving her flatly colored.  Soon after, her the tan of her skin, the orange of her hair, and the cyan of her long, oversized shirt began to disappear, leaving her as white as a ghost.  The white faded to transparency shortly after and the remaining lines of her body became rougher… almost sort of sketchy, in a way… but before long, those lines faded into obscurity, as well.

    Joseph sat there for a moment.  His hand was on his chest, clutching his shirt.  His breathing had become labored and his ears were practically glued back on his head…  He fought with himself for the longest time… but eventually… he broke down, falling over forward and crying loudly into his arms.  He didn’t want to accept it… but he had to face the cruel reality.

    Shinko had vanished.  She was gone.  And she wasn’t coming back…

[siblings-a-fixin]

Combo!

With the Repairman:Implausible Ricochet - Shinko fires a bullet at a metal plate the Repairman holds up. The force of the shot causes him to spin, smacking any nearby enemies. The bullet itself bounces around until it hits something.

With Marie:Trenchcoat Special - Marie lifts Shinko onto her shoulders (for want of a better term) and shields them both in a trenchcoat, which hides a variety of tools and weapons. They are practically one stronger character for the purposes of the battle (combat prowess of Shinko with evasiveness and defense of Marie), and when this “one” is defeated, they resume combat as normal separate characters.

With Cat Slime:Cheer - These two adorable characters pose, dance, sing, and otherwise motivate their friends, while distracting and momentarily stunning enemies.

[siblings-a-fixin]

[[Yes, I know I have a doctor’s handwriting, and it’s only worsened by a tablet.

Thank you for helping indirectly introduce me to the world of RPing (as well as your help there), the game Raft, and Villainous, among other things.

Speaking of Villainous...

Poor Shinko. Y’know, I wanted a way for her to interact with Black Hat himself, but an idea with 505 turned out a lot funnier in my head. It’s probably safer for her this way...

(In case anyone's curious, this was made with ink on paper, then scanned with CamScanner and cleaned/colored in Photoshop.)

So, yeah. Happy early birthday, @hikariyuushi, and I hope ya like it!]]

[siblings-a-fixin]

@shinkothetoongirl

She rolled her eyes. “Believe me when I say, I think they appreciate the interruption. When I first got here, everyone was asking me questions about who I was, where I came from, what I was created for… makes a Toon girl feel a bit existential, ya know?”

Shinko let out a small sigh before giving the Repairman a small smile. “Trust me, they’ll be interested in you. And when you do finally swing by, I’ll try my best to catch up to you as soon as I can so I can show you around!”

“Existential, huh?” he echoed. “Heh...Something tells me I’ll be there a few times, then!”

He winked at Shinko.

“...Better not hear of you intentionally breaking the Wall for lil’ ol’ me, though!” he joked. In truth, he wouldn’t have minded so much, just the one time.

Speaking of the Wall, his siren light suddenly popped up like the last surviving mole in an arcade. Apparently the Repairman was needed somewhere.

[josephstoontown]

Point of Departure, Ch. II

Chapter II of "Point of Departure," a Joseph's ToonTown story.

Word count: 3,230 – Character count: 18,459 Originally written: January 5th, 2017 Revised on: August 4th, 2017

Tiana does her best to help her employee sort her uncontrolled feelings.

Shinko created by and © shinkothetoongirl Tiana, Tiana's Place, The Princess and the Frog,, and related characters and properties created by and © The Walt Disney Company Woody Woodpecker, Winnie Woodpecker, The Woody Woodpecker Show, and related characters and properties created by and © Walter Lantz Productions Lola Bunny, The Looney Tunes Show, and related characters and properties created by and © Warner Bros. Animation

[ ↶ Prev. Story | ← Prev. Chapter | Next Chapter → | Next Story ↷ ]

    “What’s going on, Shinko?”

    The half-animated ‘toon stood in a back room of the restaurant.  Her hands were clasped, one nervously rubbing the back of the other as she stared toward the floor.  There was an air of panic about her and a confused, uncomfortable look on her face.

    “Shinko?  Shinko, hey.  It’s me, Tiana.”     “Tiana?” the redhead replied.  In an instant, she adjusted herself, standing upright and regaining her composure before turning back around.     “H-hello, Miss Tiana!” she said, brightly smiling with her hands behind her back.  “How can I help you?”     Tiana gave a concerned frown.  “You can help me by explaining why one of my hardest-working employees ran into the break room, freaked out!”     “Oh… you… saw that?”     “Honey, half the restaurant saw that.”     Shinko gave a nervous giggle, looking down at the floor and kicking one foot.  The raven-haired owner in the lily-styled dress offered a comforting smile.     “Talk to me, Shinko.  What’s goin’ on, with you?”     There was a pause… then, she looked up.     “I’m going to take my break now, Miss Tiana.  Okay?”     “There’s my girl,” she said, giving the slightly shorter figure a gentle tap on the shoulder.

    “You know how a lot of fairy tales start with bad stuff and end with a happy ending?”     Tiana leaned up against a nearby counter, stirring her coffee as she watched Shinko.  The redhead was sitting on a stool, holding a can of soda and looking down at the floor, again.  Her boss noticed the contemplative look on her face and was happy to let her share her thoughts.     “Well, I had a fairy tale of my own, once.  It started back when I was younger… smaller… like a lot of fairy tales do!”     Shinko looked up, pausing before she continued.     “I was a little ‘toon girl with big dreams…  But, I guess you know that part, already.”     “And, I can still relate,” Tiana replied with a smile.     “So… to move ahead, there was this guy I met…  He was tall, practically towering over me… and, really nice.  Sweet, even!  He… he made me feel something special… something no one else made he feel.”     The taller woman tilted her head.     “I was, for all intents and purpose… a little girl.  But, he treated me like an adult; with respect… kindness… and, even a bit of affection.”     “Uuuhh…”     “Oh!”  Shinko perked, rubbing the back of her head.  “Nothing naughty!  I just mean that he gave me things and always seemed happy to make me happy…”     Tiana calmed as she heard that.  “I was gonna say…”

    “Anyway… one day, he just sort of… vanished.”  Shinko gave a frown.  “I was upset…”     Her boss gave a nod.     “How could he just… leave like that?  I thought… I thought he liked me…”     Tiana reached over, gently giving her a pat on the shoulder.  She could tell the redhead was getting a little upset…     “Eventually, though… I forgot about him.”     “Forgot about him?”     “Well… almost.  He was a pretty small part of my life, even if he was pretty cool…”     She looked over to her boss, giving a soft sort of smile.     “But, I remembered the good times, sometimes.  Plus, every time I looked at the neat Mickey Mouse watch he gave me, I was reminded of how sweet he was, to me…

    “The years rolled on like they do… and, I found myself going through a lot of changes.  My old web show – you know the one – ended up being canceled and I ended up moving in with my creator, here in California.  She took care of me for a while… but, the more time I spent with her, the more I realized… I was growing up.  She must have known, too, because… before I knew it… I wasn’t a little girl, anymore.  I was a teenager.     “A little more time passed and I found myself growing, again.  I started feeling bad… feeling like I was just being a burden, to the person who made me…  But, I also wanted something…  I wanted to go out on my own… be my own ‘toon, find my own way…  And, just like that… I was an adult.  And, so, I set out to the one place where ‘toons of all kinds could find their way… ToonTown!”     Though none of that was new news, to Tiana, she wanted Shinko to keep going.  The girl clearly had a lot on her mind, right then…

    “Well, after a while, that fox was the farthest thing from my mind!  I barely had time to think about the past, since I was too busy worrying about my future…  As it turns out, ToonTown wasn’t the place I thought it was…  Don’t get me wrong; it’s a wonderful and welcoming place, especially compared to the human world!  But… ‘toons have their problems, too… and, it became pretty clear to me that I was one of them!  Uh, the “‘toons with problems” thing, I mean, not a ‘toon’s problem!

    “So, anyway… with the meager funds my creator could afford, I ended up finding a place to stay and, eventually… I found my way here.  To you.”     She offered her boss a smile.  Tiana returned the gesture in-full.     “I finally thought I was going to get my life on-track…  It wouldn’t be easy!  It wouldn’t be quick!  But, by gosh, with your help, I was going to finally be someone!  But, then…”     Shinko gave a sigh…     “He showed up…”

    “I was so glad to see him… see the fox that made me so happy, when I was younger…  But… but he was different, somehow.  It was like he had amnesia!  He couldn’t remember who I was… didn’t know how he got here…  He didn’t even know how much his money was worth!”     The brown-eyed lady gave a blink as she heard Shinko’s soda can crinkle.     “It was infuriating, seeing him spend so much money when I was just scraping by…  He didn’t even have that much but he was just so willing to spend it all!  On me, of all things!  It… it was flattering… but, it made me angry, too…”     She looked up toward her boss, again.     “I-is that weird?”     “I don’t think it is.”  Tiana offered another comforting smile.  “It was sweet of him to think of you and all… but, I can see why you’d be upset.  It can be really frustrating to see someone blow through their money… even if it’s for something they think is a good cause.”     “Yeah…”     The two fell silent, after that, both sets of eyes cast downward, in the silence.

    “I… half-invited him to live with me, you know…”     Tiana, having taken a sip of her coffee, almost spat it right back out, half-choking before jerking her head toward the simple ‘toon.     “I’m sorry, what?”     “Yeah, I know…”     Shinko closed her eyes with a faint smile.     “Looking back… it was pretty dumb…  But, he seemed so lost… and, we got to talking about how he didn’t really have much of a game-plan after he turned up in town.  And…”     She paused before softly stating…     “And… I was lonely…”     Tiana gave a blink, looking at Shinko, again.  The girl wasn’t moving… but, she could tell that Shinko was upset.  She’d thought about saying something… but, seemed at a severe loss for words.  She, herself, had been through a lot of troubles… but, strangely enough… loneliness never really seemed to be one of them.

    “Maybe it was loneliness… that made things go the way they did…”     The raven-haired owner raised both eyebrows as Shinko spoke, after a moment.     “You know how, in romance novels and some movies, there’s just this… mood, this… atmosphere, where everything seems just right…?”     “Yeah?”     “Well…”  Shinko looked down farther, her bangs darkening her face.  “That… never happened with us…”     Tiana gave another blink, staring at the smaller figure.  It was hard to tell if she was sad, angry, or just generally upset, at that point…

    “I let him get too close.  I let my guard down,” she continued.  “I let him kiss me…”     The boss-lady gave yet another blink.     “It was… the single-biggest mistake I have ever made, in my entire life.”     Tiana was expecting… something… but, nothing quite as negative as that.  Shinko didn’t sound sad… she didn’t sound upset…  She sounded… angry.  Almost… scornful…

    “I knew what was coming…” she continued, “knew what he was going to do…  I didn’t do anything to stop him…  But, when it happened… when I felt that fox’s lips touch mine…”     The soda can in Shinko’s hands crinkled, again, becoming crushed between her mitten-like digits.  But, just as suddenly as she’d crushed the can… she calmed, simply stating…     “I felt numb.”

    Tiana blinked a couple of times, standing up from the counter with a concerned look.     “You felt numb?” she repeated.     “Well…”  Shinko looked up, an almost bashful look on her face.  “After I stopped screaming, I mean.”     “You were screaming…?”     “Well, yeah!  I… no one’s ever… not like… not like that…”     She set the soda can down, bringing her hands to her face.  She was turning noticeably red, under those simple shapes…     “I was so… so embarrassed…  But, right after that, it… it was like something just… broke.  On the inside…”     She put her hands in her lap before looking down, again, wearing a frown on her face.

    “After we both calmed down… I suggested we take things a bit slower… and he… he…”     Her face darkened, again.     “He acted so insulted… so entitled…”     She then noticed the worried look Tiana was giving her and straightened up.     “Oh!  No, it– it wasn’t like that!” she reassured.  “It’s just… I guess he wanted… maybe expected… s-something else…  And, that just… it kind of… I… I don’t know…

    “He left that same night, leaving money for the pizza and the trip to the… uh… a-arcade,” Shinko lied.  “I… I was sad to see him go but, at the same time, I was… kind of… I don’t know…”     Tiana had an idea… but, she wanted Shinko to finish her thoughts.     “I guess I was… kind of relieved, in a way…  I know that sounds awful, but–”     “No, I get it,” the other girl said with a patient smile.  “Things were awkward, that night, plus with him living with you, money would be even tighter… right?”     “R-right!”     “Right.”  She smiled, at that.  “So, it makes sense, that you’d feel relieved.”     “After he left, though… something weird happened.”     Tiana tilted her head.     “After that fun day of hanging out, I just sort of… forgot about him.  Again!”     “What?”     “Yeah!” she said, sitting up.  “I… I don’t know why or how but… I just kind of… forgot all about him and put that day behind me.  It was almost like it never happened…”     “Oh, honey… that sounds like repression!”     “But, why, though…?”  Shinko squirmed in her seat.  “Why would I just… bury that day?  Even if it wasn’t ideal… it still meant a lot to me, just to see him, again…”     That, however… Tiana couldn’t even begin to guess.

    “Can I ask you something kind of personal, Shinko?”     “Sure, Miss Tiana,” she replied with a smile.     “I keep telling you, just ‘Tiana’ is fine!” her boss laughed.     “Oop– sorry.  ‘Tiana…’  Hee hee!”     “Anyway… the personal question is: how do you feel about this fox fella?”     She gave a blink of her blue eyes.  “What?”     “How do you feel about him?  Like, do you get any kind of feeling, one way or the other, when you think about him?”     “It’s really hard to say,” Shinko mused.  “I haven’t thought about him in so long…”     “Well, do me a favor…”     “Okay?”     “Close your eyes and take a second to think about him… then, let your mind wander.”     She gave another blink, at that.     “Trust me.”     “O… kay…” she replied with a confused frown.  A moment later, she did as her boss had told her, closing her eyes and thinking about the fox.

    A picture of the Joseph slowly began to form, in her mind.  She could see all of his defining traits…  The white-tipped bangs that hung down over his golden eyes… his chocolate-tipped ears and brown-furred hands… his big, fluffy tail…  As she started to let her mind wander, she soon found herself smiling…  The way his golden eyes lit up whenever he talked with her was so endearing… and, the way his ears swiveled, showing how he was feeling, was so cute…  She smiled, as she envisioned his tail wagging… and, she blushed as she realized… it was wagging for her.  It seemed like she had nothing but fond memories, for the fox…

    Tiana perked, her eyes widening as she noticed Shinko’s face change.  She had been smiling… but, that smile was giving way to an uncomfortable, almost distressed look.  Shinko was starting to breathe a little oddly, too…     Uh-oh… she thought.  I know that reaction…

    The simple-drawn ‘toon’s face curled into an ugly grimace, her hands balling-up in her lap.  Her eyebrows were lowering and her teeth were starting to clench.  Shinko’s angry eyes opened a moment later.  She immediately hopped off the stool and, without so much as a word to her boss, walked out the door and back into the dining area of the restaurant, shortly followed by Tiana, herself.     The owner had no idea what Shinko was thinking, much less planning… but, if the angry look on her face… or, the way she’d stepped back out, into the dining hall, was any indication… it couldn’t have been good.

    Seemingly, whatever fond thoughts she’d had about the fox were long gone…     And, replaced by angry… vindictive ones… –––––

    Joseph gave a sigh, slumping on the table with his ears folded back.  After he and Woody told his tale to the finely-dressed rabbit, months of buried regret and sorrow had hit him… hard.     “Joe, I’m really… really sorry I found her…” Woody said, genuinely upset.  “I didn’t know it was her at-the-time!  I just thought–”     “It doesn’t matter, now, Woody…” the fox quietly interrupted.  “We found out where she works… and, now, we know where to avoid.  It’s better that way… for both of us.”     “Isn’t there… some way you could patch things up, though?” Winnie asked with a frown.     “You saw how she reacted to just hearing my name, Winnie…  I don’t even think she saw me… just heard I was here…  You said it yourself; she… she freaked out…”  He emitted a slight whimper.  “She wants absolutely nothing to do with me…  She’s… she’s afraid of me…”     “She doesn’t look very afraid, to me!” Lola suddenly said, slowly getting out of her seat.     “W– what…?”

    The fox suddenly noticed… the band had stopped playing, again.  He sat up, looking around the restaurant.  Patrons were turning their attention toward something…  Even his companions had risen, standing and facing out toward the stage.  He slowly got to his own feet… only for his fur to bristle and stand on end, at what he saw.     Shinko was heading his way.  Her hands were clenched, she was taking quick, hard steps, and the look on her face was absolutely unmistakable.  She was absolutely beside herself, with rage… and, judging by her focused glare, all of it seemed to be aimed squarely at him!     “Shinko, calm down!  Think this through!” Tiana half-cried, still following the redhead.  Unfortunately, the half-animated ‘toon girl was too lost in her emotions to listen.  She only wanted one thing, right then… and, no matter what… she was going to get it.

    “Uuh…?!” was all Joseph could manage to say before he found himself backpedaling, trying to get away from the infuriated waitress.  His ears remained folded and his tail went between his legs as he took step-after-step backward, almost backing into a number of other patrons’ tables and chairs, along the way.  Before long, however, he found himself pressed into a corner near the front of the restaurant, on-lookers gawking as he pressed himself up against the wall as hard as he could.  He didn’t know what Shinko was going to do… and, he really didn’t want to find out!

    “You…”     He sharply winced as the girl spoke, her tone short and sharp.  That, alone, would have left enough of a scar on him…  He’d never heard Shinko take that tone with anyone!  Unfortunately…     “You… animal!”     It didn’t seem like that was all she’d had in mind.

    Joseph gave an odd sort of squeaky-grunt as he felt Shinko grab him by the collar.  Even though the girl was barely moving, he could feel her vibrating with anger, her normally-calm, blue eyes practically on fire, her glare practically strong enough to melt his face off!  It was like something out of a horrible nightmare… but, he knew he wasn’t dreaming.  All of it was really happening…

    “Miss Tiana!”     Tiana looked to one side.  One of her other waiters had run up, beside her.     “Should we call security…?” the waiter asked, deeply concerned.     “I… I don’t– I don’t know…!” the owner admitted in a flustered tone.  “I know Shinko… I know she’s not like this…  But…”     “But, she’s causing quite the scene!”     “I know!  I know…”     The lady in the green dress reached up, rubbing her temples and closing her eyes.     “C… call security, I guess,” she said after some hesitation.  “I don’t want this situation to get any more out-of-hand than it already is.”     “Yes, ma’am!”     With that, the waiter ran to the nearest phone, leaving Tiana to continue watching the events unfold.     Please, don’t do anything you might regret, Shinko… she thought.  Just… let it go…     But, letting it… her personal beef with the fox… or, the fox, himself, go… didn’t seem to be in the cards, that night.

    “Do you know… what you put me through?” Shinko said in a controlled, assertive tone.  The only thing Joseph could do was wince…     “Do you?!” she shouted, giving him a shake.     “No…!” he yelped.     “How… how dare you…!”     Joseph gave a gasp as he felt his collar tightening.  Whether she realized it or not, she was starting to choke him…  Either way, she continued…

    “How dare you come back into my life only to vanish without a trace, again…  How dare you send me such a casual Christmas letter and keep flaunting your money around like it’s nothing…  And, how… dare… you… come here, to where I work… make your friend come get me… and, then, not even have the decency to show me your face!”     “Hey!”     Woody was standing on a nearby table, wearing an angry look on his own face.     “He didn’t make me do anythi–”     “I bet you’re expecting him to fight your battles for you, too, huh?”     “What?  No!”  The bird blanched.  “Wuh-deh–?!”     “Well, Mr. Joseph Lithius…  This is one battle you’re going to have to fight for yourself!”     Joseph gave another yelp as Shinko pulled him in before slamming him against the wall.     “I can’t believe that, after all this time, you’re still here… still in ToonTown… and…”     The fox gave a blink.  Something unexpected was happening to his captor…     “And…”     Her grip was loosening… and, her face was starting to change…  She was still upset… but, she didn’t look angry, anymore…  No… as Joseph looked at her, he noticed, Shinko wasn’t mad…     “And you couldn’t even let me know, face-to-face…”     She was sad!

[siblings-a-fixin]

...Missed you too, @shinkothetoongirl. Missed you too...

[josephstoontown]

Holiday Breakdown, Ch. II

Chapter II of "Holiday Breakdown," A Joseph's ToonTown story. (Formerly one-half of the story of the same name.)

So, if it wasn't obvious by how many things I've chopped in-half (or more), I write long stuff.  That being said, I decided to chop this previously-22-page thing roughly in-half, too. (Maybe this DeviantArt limit nonsense isn't such a bad thing, after all…)

Word count: 5,515 – Character count: 31,948 Originally written: October ?? - ??, 2016* Slightly revised: January 13th, 2017 Revised further: August 26th, 2017 (* I don't remember...  The original post date and the actual writing date are different.  Sorry.)

Sometimes, the things people don't want to hear are exactly what they need to hear.

Shinko the Toon Girl and related characters and properties created by and © shinkothetoongirl Winnie Woodpecker, Woody Woodpecker, The Woody Woodpecker Show, and related characters and properties created by and © Walter Lantz Productions The House of Mouse, Mickey Mouse, "Steamboat Willie," and related characters and properties created by and © The Walt Disney Company

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    “Hello, again!” she cheerfully said to the fox, waving one glove-covered hand and offering a warm smile.  Joseph’s eyes turned toward her, ears flicking at her voice.     “Oh.  Hello…” he quietly replied.  “I thought you went home?”     “Oh, I did, but Woody left his keys behind and, well, I couldn’t just leave them there, ‘cause you never know when he might need them so I drove all the way back here to give them back because it would be awful for him to be locked-out of his own apartment, especially tonight of all nights, and I really didn’t want him staying over at my place and uh… umm… am– am I babbling?” she audibly realized.  “I feel like I’m babbling…”     “Just a little.”  The fox’s disposition cracked just a little and he offered a weak smile.  “I think it’s kind of cute, though.”     Winnie gave a blink of her blue eyes.  She wasn’t sure what to expect from the sad fox… but, a compliment certainly wasn’t up there on her list.     “Umm… th-thanks?” she nervously laughed.  “I, uh…”     There was a pause as the bird cleared her throat.

    “Are you okay?” she asked, trying to turn the conversation back toward him.  “You seem a little sad…”     “Are things different in ToonTown, Winnie?”     She gave another blink.  “Pardon?”     Joseph let go of his legs and turned toward the female.     “Relationships,” he clarified.  “Are they different in ToonTown?”     “I don’t… think so?” she answered in a confused tone.  “What do you mean, ‘different?’”     “Back home, relationships seemed a lot… easier…  I mean, I’m not trying to sound brag-y… but, back on Ragnarok, it didn’t seem like the girls minded when I kissed them.  Here, though…”     “I don’t understand…” Winnie half-lied, despite Woody’s briefing.  “What do you mean?”     “Well, let’s say for example… what if you and I were getting cozy?”     The woodpecker’s eyes widened and she leaned back.  Clearly, something about that suggestion had rubbed her the wrong way.

    “I-I-I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am, but–”     “Relax, relax…” Joseph said with a quiet chuckle and a handwave.  “I’m just using you as an example.”     Winnie’s brow lowered, her face becoming angry.  “E-excuse me?!”     “Alright, I worded that poorly.  But, here’s where I was going with that: If you and I were more, ya know… close, and what not–”     The woodpecker narrowed her eyes… but, she continued to listen.     “– what… would be your reaction to me kissing you?”     “First of all,” she replied in a stern tone, “I’m very happy with my Woody, thank you!”     Joseph couldn’t help but snort at the phrasing she’d used… but, he quickly pretended like he was clearing his throat.     “Secondly… if you and I were… ‘close…’”  The female paused, a look of irritation on her face.  “I wouldn’t let you just kiss me!  You’d have to earn my respect… my trust… and, my affection, before I let you get that close to me.”     “Fair enough,” the fox said nonchalantly.     “But if you had earned my respect, trust, and affection… and, if the mood was right…”

    Winnie looked to one side.  She was calming down but still seemed more than a little annoyed by Joseph’s suggestion.     “If all of that were right… then… then…”     She brought her hands to her cheeks, her look becoming somewhat shy.     “I… I don’t know.  I might pull away and giggle… or… or… maybe kiss you back…”     “So what I’m hearing is…”  The fox paused.  “You probably wouldn’t scream and hide your face, then turn cold on me for the rest of the night.  Right?”     Winnie turned back toward the fox, her expression back to curious neutrality.     “I… um… n-no?  I guess not?”     “Then, why did Shinko do that?!”

    Winnie was once again startled, leaning back as Joseph’s calmness gave way to an almost manic sadness.  His ears fell back, his eyes watered over, and he wore a horrible frown on his muzzle.  If it hadn’t startled her so badly, it might have been a bit heartbreaking…     “I– ah– whu–” was all she could say before Joseph continued, ignoring her confusion.     “Why did Shinko freak out then just… just… lose interest, like that?!  Was it my breath…?  Does she already have a boyfriend?!  Or… or, is it because of what Woody said; that I shattered her image of me… and, depressed her with how I did things…?”     “I don’t know!” the woodpecker said in a raised voice.  “C-calm down!”     Joseph’s ears perked and he gave a blink of his crying eyes, blankly staring at her for a moment.  And then… he looked away, ears folding and tail drooping.

    “I’m sorry, Winnie,” he said with a sigh.  “I just… it’s… it’s something that’s been on my mind for months, now…  It’s just… it doesn’t make any sense!  How does someone go from ‘Oh wow, he’s just as cool as I remember’ to ‘Gods, I hope he leaves me alone’ so quickly?”     “I can’t answer that…” she said as she leaned forward, “but, Joseph?”     The fox tilted his head and ears perked as Winnie asked him something.     “Are you sure she even liked you like that?”     “I…”  The fox briefly paused before giving a shaky “Y-yeah!”     “Are you really sure, though?”     “Positive,” he said in a more confident tone.  “I mean, at least… I think so?”     Winnie tilted her head.  “You think so?”     “She was the one who made the suggestion of… ya know… trying to have a relationship… after we both kind of… confessed to each other.”     “Is that so?”     “Yeah!  She seemed so sure of it when she curled up against me… softly told me ‘Maybe she’d try it, this time…’”     The woodpecker gave a blink, watching the fox start to space-out.  He wore a soft smile and an even softer blush as he sat there thinking…

    “Try what?” she said, causing him to snap back to reality.     “Huh?  Oh, uh, sorry.”  Joseph rubbed the back of his head and chuckled.  “Got a little lost in fond memories…”     “Okay?  But, what did you mean, ‘Maybe she’d try it this time?’  Try what, exactly?”     Joseph blushed again, looking to one side.     “Sh… she seemed interested in… ya know… s-starting a… re… relationship.”     Winnie gave another blink as Joseph jerked his head back her way.     “I tried to talk her out of it!  Or… I mean, I wanted to make sure it was something she wanted and… and she said…”     Joseph had to pause again as he remembered something else Shinko had said.

    “Hey, Winnie…” he said after a second.  “I have a question.”     The bird tilted her head, blinking her blue eyes yet again as she waited for the question.     “What would you consider to be ‘affectionate friends?’”     “Uh…”  For a moment, Winnie was confused.  However, she soon narrowed her eyes at the fox, becoming suspicious of him again.  “Where are you going with this, Joseph…?”     “Like, if you and I were to become ‘affectionate friends–’”     The fox stopped as he noticed the death-glare she was giving him.     “Eh… you’re making this explanation harder than it needs to be, Winnie.”  He shook his head.  “Alright, look.  Shinko said our relationship would be, ya know, as ‘affectionate friends.’  So, going by that somewhat-vague description… would you say that giving her a kiss on the lips was a bit more than she was hoping for?”     “Yes, I’d say so.”     The fox gave a blink.  Winnie had answered him so clearly… so quickly… that it had thrown him for a loop.     “B… but there’s different levels of affection,” he started to clarify.     “And, maybe, her idea of ‘affectionate’ isn’t the same as yours?”  The woodpecker crossed her arms and looked down at the fox.  “No offense but, you do seem like a presumptuous kind of guy.  And, if I’m being honest here… I can’t help but feel like you’ve been kind of backhandedly flirting with me, since I got here… which, if that’s the case, I’d like to say…”     Winnie turned her head to one side and gave her arm a rub.     “I am a little flattered… but, I’m afraid that I’m not interested.”     Joseph scratched the back of his head, a look of confusion coming on his face.

    “I… uh…” he started.  “The… thought never crossed my mind, to be perfectly honest.”     Winnie’s eyebrows rose at the fox’s reply.  She seemed genuinely surprised!     “I mean, you’re cute and all, absolutely!  And, you do have the prettiest blue eyes I’ve seen since I looked into her’s.  Plus, I like your skirt.  It suits you well!”     Suddenly, she wasn’t sure how to react to the sudden pile of compliments…     “But, ah… you’re kinda spoken-for.  Right?”     “R-right…!  A-and don’t you forget it, Buster Brown!” she said with renewed confidence.     “Which is kind of a shame…  I bet you’d be a lot of fun to cuddle with.”     Her eyes once again narrowed.  The fox was smiling at her again…     “You look really soft, warm, and cuddly, is all.  Plus, you’re the perfect size, for it!”     “Watch it, Joseph…” she warned.  The fox gave a nervous chuckle at that.     “Just sayin’!

    “In any case…” he started again as Winnie relaxed, “I guess I really did screw up, huh?”     “Maybe…” she told him.  “But, that doesn’t mean it’s forever, Joseph.”     The fox tilted his head as he saw the woodpecker offer a reassuring smile.     “They say that ‘time heals all wounds…’”     He looked down, giving a disgruntled sort of murmur.     “They also say that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder…’ so, maybe, after all this time apart…?”     “I know what you’re getting at, Winnie… and…”     The fox gave a sigh… then softly smiled to the woodpecker.     “Maybe, you’re right.  Maybe, after this some-odd months apart…”     “There’s only one way to find out, bucko!”     “‘Bucko?’”  Joseph’s ears gave a flick.  He then gave a grin as he saw Winnie cover her mouth with both hands.     “That sounds like something your boyfriend would say…”     “Well, we have been spending a lot of time together, this season…”  Winnie gave a sheepish grin.  “I suppose it’s possible I may have picked-up one-or-two of his colloquialisms…”     “That reminds me…”  The fox gestured one of his chocolate brown hands towards Winnie.  “What sort of game is ‘Find the Mistletoe?’”     “‘F-Find the Mistletoe…?’”  The woodpecker gave a nervous laugh.  “Wh-what makes you think I’d know anything about that sort of game?”     “What sort of game?” Joseph repeated.  “What is it?”     Once again, Winnie nervously laughed and grinned as she thought to herself…     I’m going to kill that woodpecker…

    Joseph decided to let the topic drop, given her reaction to the question.  A moment later, the two walked to the door together to let Woody know what was going on.  As they spotted him in the hallway, they could see that he was talking to someone on a flat, cartoon-ish cell phone.

    “Really?  That’s great news!” the male bird said before he noticed the two arrived.  A second later, his eyes caught their glance and he gave a slight jerk.     “Whoops…  Gotta go!  Happy Holidays, Mir!  G’bye!”     The woodpecker turned toward the duo and brightly smiled.     “Sooo…?  How’s my best gal and my fave pal?”     “I’m feeling significantly better now,” Joseph replied.  “Winnie really knows how to put a smile on my face!”     “Issat so?”  Woody gave a suspicious look to his roommate.     “We talked his problems out,” Winnie reassured as she gave Joseph a dirty look, much to his confusion.  “He’s going to try again.”     “Great!” the male woodpecker said as he gave Joseph a pat.  “So, no more long faces then, ‘Horse Collar?’”     Although Winnie gave a giggle, Joseph just continued to look confused.     “No more long faces.  Winnie helped me figure out where I went wrong… I think… and, well… I’m gonna try and fix it.  At some point.  Right now, though?”  He smiled to the two.  “I think I should just focus on writing that Seasons Greetings letter I’ve been trying to write for the last however-many hours…  Oh, and Winnie?”

    The female woodpecker looked up.  When she saw Joseph extend his hand, she happily accepted it, giving it a polite shake and offering a warm smile.     “Thanks again for helping me feel better.  I’d give you a hug but, well… ya know.”     Winnie gave a smirk.  “I sure do… Joseph.  And, you’re welcome… you silly thing.”     “Anyway,” he said after the shake, “back inside I go!  Ya comin’, Woody?”     “Right behind ya, pal!”     “Not so fast there, Mr. Woodpecker!”     Joseph paused in the doorway, looking at the two woodpeckers.  Winnie had spoken up and held Woody back by the arm.  When she shooed the fox inside, though, he obeyed, closing the door behind himself.

    “‘Find the Mistletoe,’ huh?” she said, giving a playful smirk and standing cockily with her hands on her hips.  All at once, Woody knew he’d made a mistake.     “L-listen, babe!  I didn’t– i-it’s not like–”     Winnie suddenly pressed a gloved digit to his beak, silencing him.  Her eyes were half-closed and her smirk had become a grin.  Slowly, she stroked her finger down Woody’s chin and back up to the tip of his beak, nudging his head upwards as she pointed directly above them a second later.     Woody gave a blink as he noticed something hanging on the hallway ceiling… a small plant with three red pods.  He shivered as, in the next moment, he felt his girlfriend lean in and whisper in a warm tone that could melt butter…

    “Found it…” –––––

    “You two have a really strange relationship, don’t you?”     “I could say the same about you ‘n her, pal!  I mean, what kinda guy heads over to his girlfriend’s place on Christmas Eve at midnight just to hand-deliver a letter?”

    Joseph and Woody were driving through the darkened roads of ToonTown sometime later, heading toward the Disney District together.  It was a particularly-chilly night and the streets were strangely devoid of both traffic and pedestrians, everyone likely at Christmas parties and the like.

    “Still not my girlfriend,” Joseph said with a sigh.  “And, me, obviously.”     “Obviously!”     The fox gave a groan as he heard the woodpecker laugh.     “On th’ bright side,” Woody continued, “at least ya got th’ darn thing written, finally!”     “Yeah…”     Joseph looked down at the yellow envelope in his hands as Woody continued talking.

    “I’m sure she’ll be happy t’ read that you’re still alive ‘n kickin’, though!”     “I wonder…”     “Oh, now, don’t start that, again!”  The woodpecker gave his roommate a nudge.  “Just be grateful ya even have someone t’ write nice stuff to!”     “I’ll be grateful when I’m out of this car…”     “Why?”  The woodpecker tilted his head, not taking his eyes off the road.  “Whatsa matter?”     “Well… it’s a little… small.”

    Joseph looked over from the passenger side of Woody’s car.  All things considered, he kind of looked like a clown in a clown car, minus the makeup.  He was practically curled into a ball, his legs squished between himself and the dashboard, his back hunched over, and his head bent down thanks to the low ceiling.  It was fairly uncomfortable, needless to say.

    “Well, I didn’t want’cha t’ catch a cold!” was Woody’s reply.  “It’s pretty chilly out, tonight!”     “Not where I’m sitting…”  The fox gave a pant.  “It’s pretty darn toasty in here…”     “Yeeaaah, sorry…” the bird said with a sheepish grin, his eyes still on the road.  “Heat’s been stuck on high since I got into a li’l bump in May!  But, hey!  Ya could always pop a window if you’re too warm!”     “I’d love to… but, the crank is jammed somewhere between my thigh and my tail.”     “Oh yeah?  Could be worse!  At least it’s not–”     “Don’t… even go there, woodpecker.”     “Would I do that?”     Once again, Joseph groaned as Woody gave a laugh.  They couldn’t arrive at their destination soon enough, as far as he was concerned…

    “We’re here!  I think?  Can you confirm this location, Captain?”

    The fox looked out the windshield later that night.  In the distance to his right, he could see the House of Mouse, the focal attraction for the area.  It was lit up and decorated for the season and business seemed to be booming, despite it being Christmas Eve.  Directly in front of him, however…     “This is it.  I’m pretty sure…”     The two had parked at a large, ten-story apartment complex which, while festively decorated, paled in comparison to the House of Mouse down the road.  Even with the Christmas decorations though, Joseph recognized it as Shinko’s place of residence.     “Which apartment she live in?” Woody asked as he hopped out the driver’s side.  He had to stifle a laugh as Joseph collapsed out the opposite side but was quick to help him up.     “Let’s see…” the fox replied.  He then began to count the floors, followed by the windows, until he eventually came to a number that made sense.

    “That one,” he said as he pointed three windows from the left on the sixth floor.     “Well?  What are ya waitin’ for?”     The woodpecker pulled on his arm, walking toward the entrance to the complex.     “Let’s go!”     “Wait-wait-wait-wait-wait!” the fox protested, pulling back.  “What are you doing?”     “Aren’t’cha gonna deliver the letter?”  Woody gave a confused blink.  “That’s what we came here for, isn’t it?”     “Well, yes, but…”     “But, what?”     “How are we even going to get in?”  Joseph gestured to the lobby door.  “I remember Shinko’s place having a locked lobby… and, we don’t have a key.”     “Hmm… you’re right!  That is a problem!  One that requires a li’l squash-‘n-stretch!”

    It was the fox’s turn to blink as he watched Woody pull a gigantic mallet out of nowhere.  As he walked toward the door with it, Joseph was prepared to stop him, thinking he was going to smash the doors in.  A moment later, however, the bird violently smashed himself against the pavement!     “Woody!” the fox said in a startled tone.  “Are you alright…?”     “Yuuup…!” was the flattened bird’s flat response as he tossed the mallet away.  “Just gonna squirm my way under here and–”     The moment Woody touched the underside of the door, however, the Christmas lights of the apartment complex violently flickered!  At the same time, the pancake-like form of the woodpecker lit up brighter than the 4th of July, hundreds – if not thousands – of volts of electricity surging through his body, causing him to make a number of incoherent, guttural noises and, not-incidentally, re-inflating his ‘toon body back to its original shape.

    “Trinity Above, Woody!” Joseph half-shouted, rushing over to his friend.  “Are you alright?!”     “Sure!” the scorched woodpecker said as he billowed a massive plume of smoke.  “No problem…!”     A moment later, the blackened bird’s body disintegrated into a pile of dust, his eyes hovering in mid-air for a moment before falling into the pile.  The fox gave a sigh, at that…     “Oh, geez…  Woody, you idiot…”

    “What was that noise?!”     Joseph’s ears perked and his eyes caught sight of a bright light from the inside of the building.  Someone on the first floor was heading their way!  The fox looked between the lobby door and his friend’s ashes.  If breaking-and-entering was as much of a crime in ToonTown was it was back home, they were in a mess of trouble!

    “Crap, crap, crap…!” he quietly exclaimed as he tried to figure out a way to pick his friend up.  Thinking quickly, he ran over to Woody’s car, popped the trunk, and started looking around.  As if by-magic, two of the first things he found there were a dustpan and a broom.  It didn’t take him long to sweep his ‘toon friend’s ashes and eyeballs up.     “I’m glad this thing’s an automatic…!” he said as he tossed Woody’s dusty remains in the passenger seat.  He then jumped over the top of the car and climbed into the driver’s seat, starting it up a half-second later.

    “Hey!  You!”     “Crap!!”     A security guard had exited the building, by that point.  Joseph didn’t waste any time and hit the gas pedal as best he could, flying out from the street curb and into the street!  The car did an impressive series of six upright spins before he got it in the forward gear.  Another moment later, he drove away, leaving the angry security guard stand there to shake his fist at the two. –––––

    “Woody, you insane little asshole!”

    Joseph was shouting at a dustpan he was carrying with him, still housing the remains of his little ‘toon friend, as he walked back into the lobby of their own apartment complex.  He was more than a little angry, needless to say.

    “What were you thinking?!”     “I dunno…” the pile of dust with eyes replied.  “Seemed like a good idea, at the time!”     The fox narrowed his own eyes… then, he callously dropped Woody into a nearby trash can.     “You’re a lunatic…  An unhelpful, insane lunatic.  And, to make matters worse…” the fox said, withdrawing his envelope from his sweater pocket, “I didn’t get to deliver this!”     “Don’t worry about it!” the woodpecker said as he appeared from the trash can, looking completely unscathed, aside from the half-coconut he was suddenly wearing as a hat.  “I have a plan!”     Joseph gave a snort.  “Does this one involve breaking the law, too?”     “Smarty-pants.  I think you’ll like this plan.”  Woody gave a grin.  “It’s boring, just like you!”     Once again, the fox narrowed his eyes.  However, his curiosity was piqued.  “Go on?”     “Well ya see, since we know which apartment your girlfriend lives in–”     Joseph gave a warning growl, causing Woody to nervously grin.     “Eh heh heh…  I mean, which apartment your friend lives in…” he corrected himself, “we can just mail it to her usin’ snail mail!”     “I hope that’s not a literal thing…” the fox sighed.  “Besides, do we even know the address of the apartment complex?”     “Nope!  But, there’s a quick way t’ find out!”

    Joseph watched as Woody withdrew an oversized book from his leg “pocket,” putting it down on a nearby lobby table, then whipped through the pages of the tome, reading faster than the fox could keep up.  A few moments later, the woodpecker was pointing at a name in the book and shouting a triumphant cheer!  Joseph was about to ask what Woody had found… but then, without warning, the woodpecker zipped over and yanked the envelope out of his hand!     “Wh– hey!” Joseph shouted.  “What in the void–?!”     The fox narrowed his eyes, watching as Woody pulled a fountain pen, again, from seemingly nowhere and scribbled on the envelope.  Then, before he could even begin to object again, Woody shoved the envelope in his face!

    “There ya go, pal!” he happily said.  “All it needs is a stamp!”     “What the…”  Joseph pulled the envelope back, examining it.  “W-what?  Hey…”     The yellow envelope was now labeled with his and Woody’s apartment address and number, as well as Shinko’s.  Even more surprising… the lettering was done in a decorative, calligraphic style which was absolutely beautiful!  It looked so nice, in fact, that it was almost like the envelope was labeled by a machine.     “Woody… I had no idea–”     “Less chat-y,” Woody said as he pulled Joseph toward the lobby outbox, “more send-y!  Here’s a stamp.  You can pay me back, later!”     Joseph blinked as the woodpecker handed him a small square of shiny paper.  It had a picture of a familiar-looking little black mouse with a white face wearing gray shorts and a captain’s hat.  He seemed to be driving a ship of some kind.     “‘Steamboat Willie…?’” Joseph said, unsure of where he got the name from.     “Uh-huh!” the woodpecker said with a nod.  “Part of the Disney Collection!”     “Huh…  Heh.”  The fox gave the stamp a lick before placing it on the envelope.  “I’m sure she’ll like it.”

    After sliding the envelope into the outbox, the two made the short walk up three flights of stairs and back into the safety of their apartment.  Joseph flopped on the couch almost immediately, emitting a long, contented sigh.     “Thanks for all your help tonight, Woody…”  He gave a smile to the woodpecker across the room who seemed occupied with something on their budget laptop.  “And… sorry I got a little short, with you.  It’s just… ya know.”     “No problem, Joey!” Woody replied.  “Though, I gotta say… ya picked a fine time t’ send your girlfr– I… mean, gal-pal, a Christmas gift.”     “Oh, yeah?”  The fox sat up.  “Why’s that?”     “It’s Christmas right now, pal!”     “And?”     “Mail doesn’t run on Christmas!”  Woody grinned over to his roommate.  “Heck, you’ll be lucky if it even gets t’ her by New Year’s Day!”     It took a second for Joseph to register what Woody had just said.  However, when it finally hit him…     “Oh… holy… sh–”     “Niiight!  The stars are shining bright-ly!”

    As Woody began to sing, the fox brought a pillow to his face, shaking his head and loudly grumbling.  It was hard to tell if it was because of his mistake… or, because of Woody’s impromptu caroling.     But, at least… the fox thought.  At least I got it written… and, hey, who knows.     Joseph’s face turned hopeful behind the pillow.     Maybe she’ll even reply… –––––

    The 29th of December had been a fairly long day for Shinko…  She was more-than-happy to be back at her apartment complex that day, dead-on-her-feet and ready to crash on her couch.  Before she did that, however, she made a routine stop into the mail room on the ground floor.

    She put her mail key into the box marked 605 and opened it up.  To her surprise, there was something inside!  Something kind of odd…  It was a small, yellow envelope with a lot of fancy, curly text on it and a Steamboat Willie stamp.  If that wasn’t interesting enough… it would appear as though the return address was from someone the resident hadn’t heard from in a while.  The ‘toon girl’s eyes widened as she read the name.     “Joseph Lithius,”  she silently mouthed, her body tensing and her pulse heightening.  When she’d read that the letter had come from right there in ToonTown, she felt all-the-more tense.  Apparently, her old friend had taken up residence in some place called the “Rubber Arms,” down in the Universal District.

    Almost immediately, she ripped the end off the envelope and shook its contents loose.  To her surprise, not only was there a letter… but, some sort of gift card, as well!  However, she ignored the card and focused on the letter, instead.  It seemed to be handwritten in ink and smelled vaguely of spearmint.  The contents of the letter were as-followed:

Dear Shinko,

    Hello!  It’s been a while, hasn’t it?  Well, I’m sorry I took this long to reach out to you…  I’ve been a little busy here in ToonTown (yep, I’m still here), between my job and other distractions.  Plus, ya know… that whole thing last April…  But never-you-mind, this is a jolly time of the year!

    After I took off from your place, earlier this year, I went back to Joe’s Diner.  They directed me to a Motel 6, where I stayed the night.  The next day, though… I got right to work on establishing a base-of-operations… sort of.     I went back to Joe’s Diner, that morning, intent on getting a job there (since I liked the atmosphere and the people).  Oddly enough, I ran back into that little red-headed ‘toon woodpecker again… and, he decided to tag along with me.  Turns out, he was in the market for a job, himself!  And so, the two of us went into Joe’s Diner and demanded jobs!  Well… I demanded they give us jobs, anyway.  Rather than throw us out, though, the afternoon manager decided to give us a chance as part-time dishwashers.  I guess she must have liked the cut of Woody’s jib, though, since she promoted him to full-time afternoon-shift cook, after about a month.  Who’d’ve thunk?     So, anyway, Woody and I have an apartment in the Universal District (a bit of a walk east and somewhat south of the Disney district, as I’m sure you know) and I have to say, it’s not bad.  I mean, it’s not cheap… but, it came semi-furnished with a fridge and an electric stove!  We also found a smelly, old couch sat by the side of a road (don’t worry, we cleaned it) and Woody somehow managed to get us a little CRT TV/VCR and stand.  Oh!  And, we were also able to get a bed for-cheap from Mona, the morning manager at Joe’s. (She’d purchased a Japanese futon thingy so she didn’t need the bed, anymore.)

    Now, I’ve brought up Joe’s a few times already but I haven’t really said much about the people there.  Truth be told, they’re a really nice bunch!     I mentioned Mona, already.  She’s that lizard-girl.  She’s apparently studying marine biology in her off-hours and even brought me along on one of her class-related trips, one time!  She’s also the morning manager, like I said, and works alongside Wally Walrus, an old friend of Woody’s.  You might have met him, already?  He’s pretty friendly but he speaks kind of oddly…  One-too-many knocks on the noggin, maybe?     The afternoon manager, Minerva Mink, is, well, a mink.  I’m surprised more people aren’t flirting with her as she waits their tables, to be honest.  She’s pretty!  Then again, I haven’t flirted with her, either… but that might be because she’s my boss – and a really hard one, at that!  If I didn’t know better, I’d say she likes Woody more…     As for the graveyard shift, there’s a cute little deer-girl named Fawn Deer doing the tables and a wisecracking little monkey named Spydor doing the cooking.  I’ve gotten to spend a little time with Fawn and she’s really super-nice, but… if you ever eat at Joe’s (heh heh heh) during the night shift, though, watch your pockets!  Spydor’s a bit of a kleptomaniac… and, even though he always returns whatever he takes, I still don’t trust him.  At least not completely…  Plus, he’s pretty crude at-times.  But, I guess, we can all be kinda crude, sometimes… huh?  Honestly, though… he’s okay.  When he’s not shooting his mouth off, I mean.  Hee hee.

    Well… life in ToonTown has been pretty interesting, these past few months, and I hope that trend continues.  If you’re ever bored and in the Universal District, feel free to stop by our place at the Rubber Arms, Apartment 3C.  I’m sure Woody would be happy to have you over. (I know I would!)  And, remember… Eat at Joe’s™!  ;)

Happy holidays, Joseph Lithius

    Shinko felt a wave of relief wash over her and she leaned against a nearby counter.  Joseph had not only survived ToonTown… but, he seemed to be doing just fine!  A warm smile curled along her face as she calmed, still feeling the shock of getting a letter from him.  However, she remembered something…     Looking at the letter a second time, she noticed that, under where the letter had seemingly ended, it apparently kept going in a postscript a little farther down.  And so, she read on…

P.S.     I almost forgot to mention!  Did you know Woody has a girlfriend?  Her name’s Winnie (I think it’s short for “Winifred”) and she’s really nice!  In fact, she kind of helped me write this letter!  I think you’d like her.  She’s a little more down-to-earth than Woody but still has her moments of, ya know, ‘tooniness.

    But, that wasn’t all.  There was a second postscript.

P.P.S.     Where is my head this Christmas?  I completely forgot to mention the gift card I’ve enclosed in this letter!  You’ve probably already seen it by now but it’s a $100 gift card for what I’ve been told is a regional chain store?  There’s one right here in ToonTown so I figured it was a good idea.  I don’t know if you’re still hurting for cash but, hey, everyone could use a little money during the holidays!  Feel free to use it for whatever you need or even just something nice for yourself, if you want!  It’s just my way of saying “I wasn’t sure what to get you.”  Super-sorry about that… eh heh heh.

    Anyway, happy holidays!

    Upon reading that, the redheaded ‘toon recalled the card that had fallen out of the letter.  She looked at it as it sat there on the floor and, indeed, it was a $100 gift card for Walmart – one of which had opened up some time ago, right there in ToonTown.

    She looked to the card… then, the letter… then, the card, again.  For some reason… her eyes narrowed and an odd thought entered her head… one that seemed to make a lot of sense to her, the more she thought about it.

    Her key frames updated, her face showing neutrality.  A moment later, she walked right out of the mail room and headed to the elevator… leaving both the cash card… and, the letter… to lay there on the mail room floor.

[josephstoontown]

Repercussions and Reparations, Ch. II

Chapter II of Repercussions and Reparations, a Joseph's ToonTown story.

Contributions by: shinkothetoongirl Word count: 4,274 – Character count: 24,306 Originally written: April 27th - April 30th, 2016 Slightly revised: January 12th, 2017 Split and revised on: August 16th, 2017

Joseph settles in for a long sleep… only to be interrupted by uninvited guests.  Repeatedly.

Shinko the Toon Girl and related characters and properties created by and © her creator June, KaBlam!, and related characters and properties created by Robert Mittenthal, Will McRobb, and Chris Viscardi and © Viacom Media Networks Droopy McPoodle and Red created by Tex Avery and © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

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    The streets of the Universal District of ToonTown were oddly quiet at 1 AM.  Barely any vehicles seemed to be passing by and the singing from much earlier in the day had given way to little more than the occasional cricket chirp.  Even the living cartoon buildings seemed to be snoozing away, some silent and some snoring aloud.  It was kind of unnerving in a way… but, thankfully for Joseph, nothing of importance seemed to be happening and, before long, he found himself standing in front of a small complex.

    A large, blue sign with a red number 6 stood tall and proud at curbside, brightly lit and humming as it clearly indicated the area and building as the “Motel 6.”  A parking lot sprawled out from the road to a two-story building a few yards away.  As had been the case with Joe’s Diner, everything seemed perfectly ordinary, aside from seemingly being hand-drawn.  That made Joseph feel a bit more at-easy as he walked up to a door marked “Check-In”.

    “Welcome to the Motel 6!” came a chipper voice from behind a desk.  As Joseph looked, he saw an interesting-looking ‘toon girl standing behind a desk.  She looked like a human, short and blue-haired, wearing a fuzzy, orange jacket and a plain, yellow t-shirt.     “Uh… hi?” Joseph replied.  “You… work here?”     “Of course!”  The girl gave a nod.  “I wouldn’t be behind this desk, otherwise!”     As she moved, Joseph noticed the girl didn’t seem to be animated very well…  It kind of reminded him of Shinko… except that Shinko was drawn far better and moved much less.     “You… seem a little young to be working here, is all,” he commented, noting her looks.     “Puh-lease…”     The blue-haired girl gave a piff and hand-waved at Joseph, rolling her eyes.     “I’m in my twenties, dust-mop!  That’s more than old enough to work just about anywhere in ToonTown!”     “You’re in your twenties?”  Joseph blinked.  “You look about half that age.”     “That’s just my character design,” she explained.  “Now, do you want a room… or, did you just come in here to harass me?”     “S… sorry…”     Joseph cleared his throat before continuing.

    “How much is a room for one night?”     “$89.99!  But, for you, ‘friend?’” she said with a sarcastic tone.  “We’ll make it an even ninety bucks!  Minus one penny, of course.”     The fox suspiciously narrowed his eyes at the cashier.  “You… don’t have anything cheaper… do you?”     “Well, you could always sleep in the dumpster out back…” she said, smirking and pointing an oversized hand toward the rear of the building.     “I could…  But, I’d prefer not to.”     With a sigh, he retrieved his wallet and handed a 100-dollar bill to the girl.     “I hope you can make change…”     “Of course I can!  Business is booming!” she said as she rang him up.  A moment later, she handed him a 10-dollar bill and one copper coin… which, he assumed was a ‘penny.’     “Here’s your keys,” she then said, tossing him a keyring with the number B6 on it.  “Your room is on the second floor.  Thank you for choosing Motel 6 for your lodging needs.  Please, abide by the rules of Motel 6 and enjoy your stay!”

    Joseph gave a nod as the lady bowed.  Soon after, he noticed her pull out a small, hand-held device, unfolding it before pressing some buttons while staring at something that was generating light.  He assumed it was a gaming device and shrugged to himself, exiting the main office and heading back outside.  It wasn’t long after that he found his way up to the second floor and to his room.  As he unlocked the door and turned on the lights, he thought aloud…     “Huh…  This isn’t bad.”

    A glance around the room revealed it to be a moderate-sized place with a desk, a television, and one queen-sized bed.  There were also nightstands on either side of the bed, a dresser to one side, and an open door in the back which led to a small bathroom area.  Joseph didn’t really care about any of that, however…  The excitement of the day had finally caught up to him and he was ready to get some sleep…

    After closing and locking the door, he set his backpack aside, kicked off his shoes, and flopped on to the bed, not even bothering to get into it properly.  The comfortable mattress and soft pillow quickly relaxed his body and, soon enough… a knock on the door stirred him from his sleep.  He grumbled, rolling over and falling onto the floor from his bed.

    “Someone apparently wants to die…” he muttered to himself as he stumbled over and answered the door.  “Yeaoh…?”     “Hello,” said a slightly muffled voice.  Joseph looked around, blinking as he failed to see anyone.  A moment later, that same voice called again.     “Down here, bub.”     The fox blinked and looked down.  Standing a little less than half his height was a small, white dog with a tuft of red hair on top of his head.  He had baggy eyes, sagging cheeks, and looked mildly depressed… or, maybe, he was just tired – something Joseph could relate to.

    “I don’t mean to be a bother,” he said sounding like he had marbles in his mouth, “but, I saw your light was on and was wondering if you could spare a neighbor some ice.”     “Don’t these places normally have ice machines…?” Joseph said as he rubbed his face, still trying to wake up from his brief nap.     “The ice machine seems to be broken,” the dog calmly said.     “Figures…  Well… go ahead and knock yourself out, I guess.  Just, ya know… speed it up.  I’m really tired…”     “Oh, thank you, Mr. Fox,” the dog said as he slowly waddled inside.  “Red will be ever-so-happy.”     “Yeah, yeah…” Joseph replied, watching him.  “Wait…  Who’s ‘Red?’”     “Droopy, dear…”

    A voice came from outside.  Standing in the doorway was a much taller and much more curvaceous figure wearing a white, knee-high bathrobe.  Joseph couldn’t help but stare a little, looking the very attractive redhead over.     From what he could see, she had legs for days, short hair done in a lovely bouffant style, and the most crystal-like sky blue eyes he’d ever seen.  She also wore red, high-heeled slippers, eyeshadow that matched her eyes, and crimson lipstick.  Even without the heels, Joseph could see that she was a little taller than him.

    “Come back to bed, Droopy, dear…” she said in a seductive tone.  “Your little red Corvette is ready for her test drive.”     “Just a moment, my dear,” the dog said as waddled by Joseph, carrying a bucket of ice in his hands.  The fox couldn’t help but stare in amazement as the girl leaned all the way down and kissed him on the forehead.

    “You know what?” Droopy asked, staring up at Joseph.  “I think she’s sweet on me.”     “You know it, Droopy, baby…” the girl said, taking the ice off his hands and walking away.     “Thank you very much, Mr. Fox,” was the next thing the hound, extending his short arm up toward Joseph.     “Y… yeah…” was Joseph’s response as he shook the dog’s hand.  “You’re… welcome.”     “Have a good night, Mr. Fox.”

    With that, Droopy waddled out of sight, leaving Joseph to stand there in front of an open door.  For several moments after, the fox could do little more than stare.  Were that human-looking ‘toon girl and that little dog… in a relationship?     “Oh… whatever…” he suddenly said, shaking his head and closing the door.  “Sleep…”

    After making sure to turn the lights off, Joseph returned to the comfort of his bed… only to be stirred by another knock on the door.     “Ash damn it…” he said in a half-growl, standing back up.  “If it’s that little dog again…”     Of course, it was.     “I’m sorry to bother you, again, Mr. Fox,” Droopy said after Joseph answered the door, “but, my sweetie-pie wanted me to give you something.”     The dog reached into his… pocket?  He then handed Joseph a five-dollar bill.     “This is for the ice,” he explained, “and, for disturbing you.  Again, thank you very much.  We appreciate it.”     Joseph blinked… then shook his head.  “You’re… welcome?”     “I won’t disturb you again, Mr. Fox,” Droopy said as he headed back down the walkway.  “Have a good night.  I know I certainly will.”     The half-dead tone didn’t really fit the trailing comment he’d made… but, Joseph didn’t give it much thought either way as he killed the lights again and went back to bed.  And… for the third time since he’d tried to go to sleep…     “Son of a…!”     He found himself disturbed by a knock on the door.

    The fox had to resist his urge to stomp his feet as he got up and checked the door, again.  After sharply whipping it open, he glared down at the figure standing there, half-shouting.     “Who in the–!!”     However… his words came to a sudden halt.  It wasn’t Droopy standing at the door, again.  It was, however, someone he recognized all the same…

    “H… hello…”

    Joseph stared in awe at the nervous figure standing there.  Her head was down, though her blue eyes were skittishly looking at him.  She also had one hand on her opposite arm.

    “Sh… Shinko?”     The fox blinked, ears perked.     “Shinko, it’s the middle of the night…  Whyyy are you here…?”     In an instant, she looked away, trying to hide her face.     “I… I was worried…” she said, just barely speaking above a whisper.  “And, I… I wanted to say… that I was sorry…”     “How did you… find me, though?”     “Oh!”  She rubbed her pointed, bare foot against the floor, hands going behind her back.  “I… I went to where I thought you might be… but, the monkey told me you came here.  The… the young lady at the front told me what room you were in…”     “Oh…  I guess that makes sense…”  He suddenly perked.  “Wait, you want to apologize…?  No no, I–”     The fox went silent as he found a soft, mitten-like hand covering his muzzle.  Shinko was looking right into his eyes with a soft, apologetic smile on her face.     “May I come in…?”     Joseph slowly nodded…  The ‘toon girl removed her hand from his mouth and quietly walked inside, immediately taking a seat on the bed.  Shortly after, he followed, sitting opposite of her.

    “I want to apologize…” she said, setting her hands on the lap of her blue skirt.  “I shouldn’t have acted like I did.  It was wrong of me.”     The fox blinked.  “Uh– uum…  Sh-shouldn’t I be saying that to you…?”     “You have to understand…” she continued, “I’m under a lot of stress.  My life isn’t turning out like I thought it would.  Real life isn’t like the cartoons where everything turns out okay in the end…  But, when you arrived out of the blue… it was like something from a cartoon… or a dream…”     Shinko turned toward Joseph, offering a sad sort of smile.     “I’ll admit, I got a little jealous when you started spending money like it was water… but, after spending the day with you… remembering how you used to make me feel when I was smaller… I wanted to do something nice, in return.  But…”     She turned away, hiding her face again.     “Real life isn’t very nice sometimes.  I know, some day, you’re just going to go away again.  And then, I’ll be here… by myself… alone, again…  That made me upset… so, I tried to distance myself…  But…”     When she’d turned back around, Joseph could see she had tears in her eyes, despite the warm smile on her face.     “I don’t want you to go.”     She hiccuped a little, giving a soft sniffle.     “I don’t mean to sound selfish…  But… I… I need you…  It’s scary, here…  Even with my animator living not too far away, I get scared… and, lonely…  That’s why I was so quick to offer you a place to stay.  Because I didn’t want to be scared and lonely, anymore…”     She leaned over, placing her face in her hands.     “I’m sorry…”

    Joseph could feel his heart breaking as Shinko sat there quietly crying.  She’d put on such a brave face, earlier in the night… seeming so mellow about her living arrangements…  But, hearing her confess her fears and watching her break down… it was too much for him.

    The fox nudged himself over on the bed, quickly wrapping one arm around her shoulders.  She was quick to press her face to his chest, holding him in one frame of animation and continuing to let her emotions out against his shirt.  He reciprocated, wrapping his other arm and tail around her, pulling her closer and gently nuzzling her cowlick, his own eyes closing…  Neither of them said a word more until Shinko had finally calmed down, several moments later.

    “I’m sorry… about that display…” she whispered, leaning up and sniffling with a smile.  “I think the stress finally got to me.  I don’t really have anyone I can talk to about this stuff… and I don’t want to worry my animator… so…” She rubbed one eye and softly sighed.  Joseph softly wiped the tears from her other eye, shushing her and smiling back.     “It’s okay…  I think we all need a good cry, sometimes.”     “Yeah…” she giggled.  “I feel a lot better, now, too.  Except for this headache, I mean.”     “You cried for a while.”  The fox said as leaned down, kissing her forehead.  She giggled again, smiling and blushing.  “So, it’s kind of understandable.”     “I guess I needed that…” she whispered, snuggling up against him and closing her eyes.  “Sorry I made your shirt a wet mess, though.”     “It’ll dry,” he said with a laugh.  “As will your pretty blue eyes.”     “Now don’t start that again…”  Shinko’s blush brightened a little.  “You remember what happened last time.”     The fox’s ears fell at that and he frowned.

    “Shinko?”     She opened her eyes, looking up at him.  Her smile turned to a small frown as she noticed his own expression.     “Shinko, about earlier tonight…  I’m–”     Joseph blinked as he felt something press against his lips.  For a half-second, he’d seen Shinko’s face pressed against his.  A half-second later, she could be seen smiling and blushing again.     “No more frowns, silly fox…” she said with a playful giggle.     Though she was doing her best to reassure him… Joseph still wanted to say what was on his mind.

    “Shinko, I’m sorry my kiss upset you.  I just wanted to–”     Once again, he was silenced by a warm hand on his muzzle.     “I wasn’t ready for it…” she whispered, her blush staying on her rounded cheeks.  “But… now that I know what to expect… maybe…”     It was Joseph’s turn to blush as Shinko put her hands in her lap, cutely sitting in his, their eyes watching each other’s.

    “Listen…” she suddenly said.  “It’s a bit of a walk back to my place from here.  Would… would it be okay if I stayed here with you, tonight?”     Joseph’s ears flicked…  “There’s… only one bed, though.”     “Can’t we share…?”   Shinko blushed again.  She’d asked so innocently… but, it was clear that she was a little shy about it.  The question also made Joseph pause… and, blush all the harder…     “I think my head is going to either going to pop… or, burst into flames,” he idly commented, aware of how red he must have looked.     “Maybe you should splash some water on your face?” she giggled, giving him a nudge.  He hesitantly agreed, letting Shinko slide out of his lap, and walked into the bathroom.

    This is crazy…! he thought as he rinsed his face in the hotel bathroom.  Sh-Shinko’s being… flirty!  I’m sure it’s not my imagination, either…  I mean, she’s a full-grown adult ‘toon in mind and body…  B-but, I never expected her to be so forward… especially after the night we had…  I… I guess she’s not mad at me, after all.  Huh.  Huh…

    Joseph gave a blink as he pondered his own thoughts.  After taking a moment to rub his face dry with a towel, he returned to the motel room.     “I think I’m– huhnn–?!”     The fox felt his face start to heat up all over again as he stared at the figure on the hotel bed.  Shinko had apparently changed outfits while he was in the other room, wearing something Joseph recognized immediately…

    She’d let her long, orange hair down and slipped out of her white blouse and blue skirt, changing into an oversized, blue shirt and… not much else.  She was also laying in a somewhat provocative pose, her left arm under the pillow where her head rested while her right sat on her opposite side.  Her upper leg was slid forward at the knee, accentuating the curvature of her small hips under the drawn, blue fabric while the lower leg was straight down.

    “What’s the matter, Joseph?” Shinko giggled with half-closed eyes.  “You’re steaming…”     “Huaaauuaaah…” was all he could say as the ‘toon water, seeming to recognize the opportunity for comedy, was indeed evaporating off his warm head and causing steam.  After a few seconds, however…     “The look on your face…!”     Shinko had rolled on to her back, slapping the blanket and overcome with laughter!     “I wish I had a camera!”     Joseph just groaned, hiding his face behind the towel.  He was a bit embarrassed… but, he was sure the look on his face had been pretty priceless if she was laughing that hard.

    Once the two had calmed down, Joseph headed to the light switch while Shinko folded the covers of the bed back.  He made sure she’d slid in before he turned the lights off, walking back to her a moment later.

    “This bed sure is comfy!” she commented, her eyes clearly visible in the darkened room.  “There’s room for one more, too…”     Joseph half-babbled before clearing his throat.     “Aww, is the cute fox still flustered from before?”  The eyes disappeared as he could hear Shinko giggling again.     “I can’t help it…” he muttered.  “I didn’t know you could be sexy as well as cute…”     The eyes reappeared, joined by a tinge of pink underneath.  “You… you think I’m sexy?”     “Among other things…”     Shinko’s eyes turned away from the fox, then, the blush disappearing with them.  Joseph’s ears heard sheets rustle and he figured she’d turned around.  That seemed like the best time to join her in bed, to him.  At least… until…     “Eep!”     Joseph had only gotten half into the bed when Shinko made a startled noise.

    “You okay?”     More rustling noises came from the bedspread.  He thought Shinko had given a nod, since the bed shifted just a little… and so, he climbed the rest of the way in, pulling the covers up.  A second later, he felt a thump against his body.     Looking down, he could barely see a blush in the dark, half-buried against his chest.  The ‘toon girl had apparently rolled over and cuddled up against him.  He couldn’t help but smile as he curled one arm around her, gently stroking her head as he leaned down and gave her a nuzzle.     “Sleep well, Shinko…” he whispered.  “Good night…”     He felt her arms curl around him at that, her face rubbing against his shirt.     “N… nite-nite…” she nervously whispered.  Despite that, the two quickly fell asleep together, warm in each other’s embrace as friends… or, maybe more than that… –––––

    Dawn seemed to come in an instant as ToonTown started up, soft singing filling the air along with the sound of motor vehicles putting and zooming around.  Joseph’s eyes fluttered and his ears flicked as he awoke, softly yawning.  As he tried to stretch, however, he noticed something holding his arm in place.  He blinked, looking down…  Something was in bed with him.  Something… or someone.

    “Sh… Shinko?” he quietly whispered.  A blush came over his face as he suddenly remembered what happened the night before.  Had Shinko stayed with him the whole time…?     “Good morning, Shinko…” he happily whispered, giving the bulge in the blankets a little nuzzle.  It didn’t respond, however…     “Still asleep, huh?”  He quietly chuckled.  “Alright… you can sleep in.  I should probably get a start on the day, though…  But, ah… not before I do ooone thing…”

    Joseph tilted his head down, puckering his lips.  His eyes closed as he drew the covers back…  A moment later, his lips made contact with something soft and fluffy.  He drew back shortly after, opening his eyes.     “Rest well, Shink–”  His eyes widened.  “Oh…”     To his disappointment… he’d kissed his own tail.  Apparently, he’d somehow managed to cuddle up with it during the night…

    “It was a dream…”     His ears folded and heart sank as he came to that conclusion.     “Of course it was a dream, you dimwit…”  He scowled at himself.  “Cartoon world or not, this isn’t some fairy tale.  Sometimes, you just don’t get a happy ending… or, a new beginning.”     Joseph gave his moistening eyes a rub with his arm.  A moment, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.     “Stop crying…” he half-snapped.  “You don’t have time for that.  You have things to do, today.  Like… look for a job…”     With a long sigh, he rolled out of bed and prepared for his day in ToonTown.  As he showered, however, he couldn’t help but remember the wonderful dream he’d had about his ‘toon friend… only to start berating himself all over again.

You really have some problems, he thought.  Get over it.  She’s not interested, anymore.  You blew it.     That’s what he told himself as he tried to get rid of the images in his head.  There was no point in thinking about a dream when reality was staring him right in the face… and, though it wasn’t an ideal one… at least, he thought, it could have been worse.

    Joseph gathered his equipment and left the motel room, checking-out shortly after.  He then walked out to the pavement, examining ToonTown in the early morning sun.     “I… really wish I had some sunglasses,” was his thought as he headed out into the day soon after.  As he began to walk, he had one solid goal in mind:

Self-reliance. –––––

    Shinko woke up the next morning with a yawn and a stretch.  Noting the time, she slipped into some comfy PJs wandered into the bathroom to start her day.  About halfway through brushing her teeth, however, she thought to herself…     I wonder how Joseph slept?     With her breath minty and teeth clean, she walked into the living room… only to find that her friend was no longer there.     Where did he go? she wondered.  She quickly retrieved a pocket watch on a chain from her hammerspace, giving it a glance.     It’s early… she noted, so, he should be here…  He… he didn’t leave, did he…?

    Shinko wasn’t sure what to think as she came to the conclusion that Joseph was gone.  At first, panic and worry set in.  Had he run away?  Or, had he simply gone back to his homeworld?  She didn’t know.  As she pondered the possibilities, however, something caught her attention…     Sitting on her coffee table was a pizza box from the night before.  However, something about it looked different.  A closer examination revealed that $40.00 were sitting on top… as well as a writing implement.  As soon as she noticed that, she moved the paper and pencil away… only to reveal a hand-written note etched on the pizza box.

Dear Shinko,

I'm sorry for everything that happened last night.  You're a good friend and deserve to be treated with respect.  That said, I've decided not to stay with you, after all.  Don’t worry about me, though.  I’ll figure something out.

Thanks for a fun time and take care of yourself.

~ Joseph

    A feeling of relief fell over Shinko as she read the note.  She took a deep, cleansing breath and blinked her eyes, rubbing one mitten-shaped hand to her cheek to remove a tear that had worked its way out.     I wish he hadn’t left… she thought, but… at least he let me know why.     She smiled a little more… before something else catch her attention.     Hey… there’s more writing.

P.S. The money I left is for yesterday's pizza and gun show.  You can’t say ‘no’ and give it back if I’m not there, now,  can you?

    The ‘toon girl couldn’t help but smile as she read that last part.  There was a little smiley face at the end of the sentence and everything…     Such a goofball…  I hope he finds his way.

    With the mystery solved, the rest of the morning was spent getting ready for work.  By the time she was dressed and ready for her job at Tiana’s Place – the real-world version of the fictitious restaurant from the Disney movie, The Princess at the Frog, and quite the popular place for ‘toons and humans alike – she kept a small smile on her face.     Joseph was alright the last time he was here, she reasoned with herself.  He’ll probably adjust, again, and… who knows?  Maybe I’ll even see him some time down the road… when we’re both better off.  He may even remember more about here, then…  Gosh, that would be great!

    The thought of her friend doing better and possibly regaining his memories kept a small smile on her face throughout her morning routine.  When it was finally time to leave her apartment building, however, she found herself whispering a small wish for him…

    “Wherever you are, Joseph… please, be safe…”

[josephstoontown]

Eat at Joe’s, Chapter IV

Chapter IV of Eat at Joe's, a Joseph's ToonTown story.

So, I'd like to mention… this was a nightmare to convert from the… 100-some posts… of the RP?  The writing was just fine… but. restructuring things so they had a flow… then, having to fight the page breaks… and, splitting the story several different ways… ay-yai-yai…  But, hey.  I got it, eventually.  And, I was only 13 hours behind schedule the first time I posted this. Not… that anyone would really know, of course.  But, hey…

Co-written with: shinkothetoongirl @ Tumblr Word count: 4,935 – Character count: 27,638 Originally written: April 5th - April 25th, 2016 Converted/revised: January 10th - January 12th, 2017 Re-split and revised on: August 14th, 2017

At the end of the day, some ideas… are best left in one's head.

Shinko the Toon Girl and related characters and properties created by and © her creator Tiana's Place, The Princess and the Frog, and related properties created by and © The Walt Disney Company

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    “Hey, Shinko…”

    Joseph quietly spoke up, his infernal brain not letting him stay cuddled up with her for too long.  There was one question that wouldn’t leave his mind… one question that demanded to be asked.  And so, he asked his question…

    “Are you… in any position for this sort of thing?”  He paused before clarifying, “Is everything in your life stable enough for an additional distraction like this, I mean?  Relationships have a funny way of changing things in a person’s life…”     He leaned back just enough to nuzzle her again, shivering slightly.     “Because, um… if I… I mean… if we… um…”     He slowly sat up, still keeping his hands on Shinko’s arms as he looked at her.  She looked more than a little confused… but, his face could not have been much redder…     “I’m really having a hard time putting two words together right now, aren’t I?  Must be my nerves…”     The ‘toon girl gave a slight giggle and a nod…  At that point, Joseph took a slow, long breath and calmed himself before trying to speak again.

    “Every part of me wants to give this a try, Shinko.  But, as adults – and I almost hate to use that term, even though it fits so well… we need to stop and consider everything else… things that might get in the way or otherwise prevent things from working like we want.  Like I said… stuff like this can change lives.”     He gently took the ‘toon back into his arms, hugging her close.     “And… I’d kick myself if everything went to the Void because of ‘wants’ over ‘needs…’”     He paused… then he let his cheek brush against hers, another thought popping up.     “You don’t have to decide now, by the way.  I just wanted to… ya know… make sure you really thought about this instead of listening to your heart.  Or… ya know…  O-other things,” he whispered in an unsure tone, giving her a playful nose-bump to the shoulder.

    There was another pause between the two before Shinko spoke up, speaking calm and clear, but with a sad smile on her face.     “It doesn’t have to be anything super serious,” she commented.  “I was thinking more like ‘affectionate friends’ than anything else.  Besides, there is one huge problem I can see…”     She glanced up at him, her smile fading ever-so-slightly…     “At some point… I’m sure you’ll have to go back to your own world…  That’s probably something that can’t be avoided.  I mean, as cool as it would be for you to stay here… it’s probably not gonna happen.”     The fox gave a blink…  He was starting to feel bad he’d even brought the whole thing up.  However, a giggle and a boop on the nose snapped him right back out of it and caused him to stare at her once more, his eyes crossing for that brief moment she’d poked him.     “In the meantime, I don’t see why we can’t enjoy the moments we do have together!  Make ‘em stuff that maybe you’ll actually remember this time, right?” she asked with a grin.

    His ears perked at her response.  Somehow, watching her be so chipper and playful after his dramatic display actually made him feel less bad about things… and more… silly.  He suddenly found himself laughing on the inside.  He should have known Shinko better than that…  After all… she was always pretty darn sharp!

    “I don’t know how I ever forgot you, Shinko… and…”     The fox leaned in with a grin on his face and tail wagging.     “You’re right.  About everything.  So, that being said…”     His grin widened…     “I think being ‘affectionate friends’ can be arranged…”

    Suddenly, he gave her a little lick on the nose, making Shinko giggle again!  He then blinked, staring for a moment as something caught his attention.     “W-wait a minute… that wasn’t there before, was it?”     Joseph slid his arm out from behind her and reached one hand up.  One of her eyes closed as his fuzzy digit gently booped her… nose…?     “On your smaller design, I mean.  I’m… pretty sure this didn’t just appear in the last five minutes… did it?”     Though he was kidding again, he once again sounded unsure of himself.     “Well, it actually came around during the late stages of when I was smaller,” she explained as he leaned back.     “Huh…  I guess I really did miss that, then.”     The girl giggled again as she added, “I still don’t have ears though.”     Joseph perked.  “No ears…?”     He reached up to the side of her head with his left hand, gently running his fingers through the almost-static hair on her right side, causing her to squirm.     “But how do you heeaaar…?” he playfully asked, being mindful of the volume of his voice as he leaned inward and nuzzled his way through the hair on her left.  She giggled a bit, her eyes shutting as his hand and nose seemed to tickle the side of her head.  Her shoulders shrugged a little after… but, it wasn’t in response to his question.  It seemed like she was preemptively keeping him from going near her neck… though, he didn’t notice.  After calming down from the slight tickling sensations, she managed to open an eye to look back at him.

    “I listen with my heart,” she replied, smiling back at him.     The fox’s ears flicked at her reply and he slipped back enough to look at her.  The blush from before returned to his face as he happily admired her.     “That…” he quietly said with a pause before smiling.  “Was so corny… but ridiculously sweet…”     She grinned at hearing him say that.  Whatever she could do or say to make him smile always made it worth it.  It was part of her nature as a ‘toon to try and make people smile, anyhow!  However, her eyes widened and she started to blush again as Joseph’s hands slid up, gently cupping her cheeks.  He leaned in a second later, cutely pressing his nose to hers and looking into her eyes with his own half-closed and full of fondness.  His own blush had found its way back to the surface, too…

    “Why are you so darn adorable, Shinko?” he asked the ‘toon girl with a purr to his voice.  “It’s a frustratingly irresistible trait…”     “I don’t know…”  She shut her eyes and giggled a bit.  “I thought all my adorableness left when I grew up.”     Her eyes opened again, a fond smile on her face as she looked to her friend…     “It’s nice to know someone still thinks I’m cute, though.  Or, maybe that just shows how kind you are…”     “Trust me, Shinko…” he whispered as he drew a little closer.  “If I was just ‘being kind…’”     For a moment, the fox seemed to hesitate in his actions… as if unsure of himself once again.  A second later, he closed his eyes, took a breath through his nose… leaned in close, and… did something.

    There was a moment of confusion for the young ‘toon.  At first, she didn’t really seem to know what was going on.  However, it didn’t take her long to realize what Joseph was doing…  However, she wasn’t exactly sure how to react to it…

    After a moment, the fox leaned back just enough to watch her face, his own still bright red under the fur and eyes fluttering open.     “Th… then I probably w-wouldn’t be taking this so slowly…” he said with a nervous smile, his ears somewhere between folded and perked.  He really did seem to be airing on the side of caution with Shinko, despite her not once telling him “no” the entire day…  Was he that unsure of himself?  Or… did he just care about her happiness that much?

    “A… aa…”     The fox gave a blink, his ears flicking as he heard Shinko make an odd noise.  As he watched Shinko react… his own eyes opened wide.  Akin to watching a thermometer rise in temperature, her skin slowly became redder-and-redder and her expression slowly displayed more-and-more surprise and shock.     “Aaaaa-aaaaa-aaaahh!!!”     Such was her sound of growing realization that Joseph had just kissed her where her mouth was.  The sounds never got too high that she would be considered screaming.  However, she couldn’t seem to stop herself from making the sound.  As a result, she quickly pulled a pillow out from her hammerspace and turned away to muffle her face with the pillow while her sound of shock continued.         Joseph’s his ears perked and his fur bristled while the girl as she did her best imitation of a tea kettle, both in sight and in sound.  A lot of emotions hit Joseph all at once then.  Concern… confusion… surprise… even a little bit of nervous amusement tucked away in the corner of his mind.  But, for the most-part, he seemed stuck on surprise.  And… that surprise caused him to lean back, albeit just a little… and, caused his mind to race!     I broke her, I broke her–!! he thought to himself.  Holy crap…!  What did I do…?!  Is she gonna… how do I… that… I… this… a-aah…!     Of all the reactions he could have foreseen… Shinko utterly breaking was not one of them!  Clearly, she was a ‘toon that had never been kissed on the lips, before.

    Slowly but surely, the noise Shinko was making seemed to die down the longer she kept the pillow in front of her face.  As the same time, Joseph’s face relaxed little-by-little and he leaned forward, just staring.  For a while, she laid there against the arm of the couch, not moving.  No new key frames updated and no sounds were made.  And, that… made the fox perked his ears and lean in a little closer…     Suddenly, she let out a gasp as her frame updated to one of removing her face from the pillow, sitting back up straight as she took a deep breath.  Finally, she glanced back to him, blinking twice as she noticed him practically tumble off the couch in surprise.  She wore a neutral expression on her face, then… as if she was still deciding on what she thought about what had just happened… and, briefly… if she’d wanted to do that again.

    “I know you already said you were taking it slow… but…”     She managed to put on a smile and shut her eyes happily before asking…     “Do you think we could take it slower-still?”

    The fox gave a blink.  He’d just calmed down from the start he’d given her, panting and feeling anxious from her neutral look…  He had started to relax when he saw her smile… but, as she made her request…     “Ah… uh… o-oh.”     Those were the first noises out of his mouth.  After a moment, though, he returned the smile and replied with something a little more coherent… but, a fair bit more nervy, as well.

    “A little too much all at once?  Heh, I understand.  I mean, you’re probably still getting used to that body and I just kinda popped in outta nowhere… and, I’m sure this is all new to you, besides!  I mean, I’m sure you’ve seen and read about things like that and been curious and stuff but if you’re not ready then you’re not ready!  We– we can definitely– I mean I can definitely slow it down a bit!  Absolutely!  Eh heh heh… heh…”

    Though he sounded cheerful enough and even wore a convincing smile, his body language did nothing to hide his disappointment.  His tail had gone limp and ears hung low.  The quickened pace of his voice was probably a dead giveaway, as well.  She may not have said “no” to what he had done… but, as far as he’d felt then, she may as well have.         As Shinko opened her eyes moments later, her smile turned much more sad, being immediately greeted by how disappointed he looked.  Thoughts entered her head, then…  She certainly didn’t want to leave him upset.  The ‘toon in her refused to let that be the emotion that lingered.  And so, she put on a patient smile and decided to comfort him.

    “It won’t be so bad…” she offered.  “You know what I think would be okay?  Stuff like this…”     Joseph’s ears perked as he was kissed on the nose.  A moment later, she sat back and tilted her head.     “And… maybe even a little of this.”     He then blinked his golden eyes at Shinko, tilting his own head as she leaned in again, kissing his cheek before sitting back and giggling again.     “That’d be okay… right?”

    “Baffled” would be an appropriate term for the look on the fox’s face as Shinko asked her question.  It wasn’t like he was going to say “no” to her… especially not when she was the one who was being affectionate.  But, for some reason…     “Guess Kris isn’t the only one who can read me like an open book…”     He sighed, offering a smile of his own as the redhead gave him a curious look.

    “In all seriousness, Shinko?  I did mean what I said just now.  Every word of it.  I think part of my disappointment comes from the fact I’m misreading you.  I mean, I have no doubt that you might be interested in a casual-friendly, affectionate kinda relationship with me.”     He paused, a look of realization coming over him.     “W… wow.  That sounded egotistical, didn’t it?”     Shinko giggled with a faint smirk and he chuckled a little before he continued.     “But, what I mean is that I have absolutely no reason to doubt what you said and still believe it.  However… my idea of ‘affectionate’ and your idea may be, ah… a little different?  Although…”     Joseph stopped again, bringing a hand to his muzzle, a thoughtful look on his face.     “No, no… I think you’re a pretty good judge of character… so, that kiss was probably no surprise.  I mean, I didn’t just telegraph that thing.  I sky-wrote it in glow-in-the-dark smoke!  But, when it actually happened…  Hmm…”     “Hey, don’t hurt your head over it okay?” she replied, trying to get him to calm down a little.  “Not to mention, a lot has happened today…”     The fox watched as Shinko slowly stood up.     “So, I’ll tell you what: I’ll order in some pizza, we can have some dinner, and then we can both get some well-earned rest and figure out what to do tomorrow, okay?  Just… try to relax.  And, have fun.”     “Well… I mean, I thought we’d pretty much decided.”  His ears flicked as his stomach suddenly growled.  “But… pizza does sound pretty good.  Meaty pizza, a movie, and thou.”         She nodded at his suggestion and took out an old-fashioned, red-cabled phone receiver from her hammerspace, placing it to the side of her head.  As she called and ordered the pizza, Joseph stretched and leaned back against the couch, resting his head against the cushion and closing his eyes.  All things considered, she was right…  They’d reunited and reintroduced themselves to each other… hung out… then, a lot of things happened all-at-once, while they were at her place… and, all within the span of under twelve hours!  It really had been one heck of a day with no real opportunity to…     “Relax…” he murmured.  “Yeah…  That’s what I need to do.  Just kinda… chill out.  Let my mind wander a little.”     As he started to relax, his ears flicked.  One eye opened and he glanced at the ‘toon girl.  He could feel his cheeks beginning to warm and tail start to wag again as he watched her.     “To other topics, I mean” he chuckled, keeping his voice low.  He then jokingly suggested to himself, “Maybe a cold shower would help, too…”

    After a brief conversation, Shinko tossed her phone over her shoulder, effectively making it recoil back behind her and disappear into hammerspace.  She then turned toward her friend, smiling as she saw him relaxing.     “That pizza place is really good on their service,” she said with a soft, reassuring smile.  “Why… you’ll know they’re here before they even get to the door!”     The fox’s ears perked and he sat up, blinking at the odd commendation.     “Wait, what?”  He chuckled.  “How does that work?”     “Oh, you’ll know…” she replied with a slight grin.

    Just as she spoke, they could hear a bunch of commotion going on outside… the kind of commotion that Joseph hadn’t heard too frequently in his life.  Upon hearing what sounded like a car crashing into something, he leaped up and started for the nearest window.  Sure enough… a car had crashed and even flipped somewhat, causing both the pizza and its driver to be sent flying up into the air!     “What in the–?!”     But, before he could finish his thought, his ears caught another noise… one of crash-after-crash getting louder and closer.  Confused and alerted, he looked to Shinko, blinking in complete disbelieve as she took a few steps toward the door and casually waved him over.  Not sure of what else to do, he walked over… and, almost immediately, he heard the doorbell.     Shinko looked back at Joseph with a giggle and opened the door.  Shinko seemed excited, for some reason…  However, what Joseph saw on the other side of the door didn’t really tell him why.  Or… maybe, it did?     On the other side, the fox could see… a pizza guy… the same one he’d seen rocket into the air, before!  If that wasn’t enough, he was hanging by the edge of his jacket from a sharp end of an opening that led to the floor above, the pizza box safely suspended in his hands!

    “That’ll be $15, miss…” he groggily told her.     With another small giggle, Shinko handed him a $20 before taking the pizza.     “Keep the change,” she told him, closing the door with a big smile on her face.  When she turned back to Joseph, she politely asked, “So, ready to eat?”         Once again, the fox’s ears perked and his fur bristled.  The comedic sight of the pizza delivery guy hanging there was enough to give him a start… but, the way he’d half-casually conducted business made Joseph all the more baffled.  Even after Shinko had exchanged her money for the pizza, the fox had to look at her with his head tilted…  After another moment, though, he crossed his arms and gave a smirk.     “I am…” he said, answering her question, “but, you didn’t tell me the pizza came with a live stunt show!  What a…”     He paused, running through adjectives in his head.  After failing to find an appropriate one, he decided to finish his thought with the word, “surprise!”     Shinko giggled a bit at that, grabbing a paper plate and napkin from her hammerspace and placing it on the counter along with the pizza.  She then opened the box, showing him that, despite everything, the pizza was completely undamaged by the stunt.

    “That guy’s really good with slapstick!” she commented.  “His squash-and-stretch is always on-point!  I know it’s not much… but, I always figure that, when he delivers pizza, he deserves something extra simply for being one of the most classically comedic ‘toons I know!”     She took out another paper plate and napkin and handed it to Joseph.  As the fox accepted the plate and napkin, he started to wonder just what else Shinko might be hiding in the invisible space just out of his sight… but, he didn’t ask, thinking it would be rude to ask, and instead looked to the hot, delicious-looking pizza.     “By the way, did you want something to drink?  Pretty sure I got some soda in the fridge. Or, if you want, I have water, milk, apple juice, and pink lemonade.”     His ears perked again as she got to the end of the list of choices.     “Pink lemonade?” he repeated.  “I haven’t had that in a long while…  Yeah… why not?  Set me up with a nice glass of pink lemonade, please!”     “Coming right up!” she replied with a smile, walking over to her fridge. She then retrieved two glasses from the actual cabinets and poured some pink lemonade with ice for them both.

    “Ya know,” he said as he helped himself to a couple of slices of pizza, “I’m really really glad nothing I’ve eaten today has had a face – like, an actual face.”     Shinko returned with a giggle, placing one of the glasses of drink near him and the other on the counter closer to herself before she went about grabbing a slice for herself.  He took a moment to thank her before continuing his thought.     “I was a little worried at the diner that, whatever Woody had ordered, would be staring at me like those buildings or the sun…  In fact, I was going to ask that walrus fella if they served ‘normal’ food there.  But, honestly?  There’s been no need.  At least, not so far!”     “This is normal food, silly,” she said with a giggle and a smile.  “It’s your food that’s odd!  Photo-realistic hamburgers and fried eggs without faces?  How weird!”

    Joseph rolled his eyes, causing her to giggle again.  A moment later, Shinko settled-in and took a sip of her lemonade.  The fox took a bite of his pizza slice, in the meantime, his tail wagging and a big grin on his face as a trail of stringy cheese stretched from the slice to his mouth.  It took him a minute to eat it but the look on his face seemed to say it was well worth the effort.         “Man…” Joseph started after finishing the bite, “ToonTown’s been 2-for-2 on food since I got here.  This pizza is really good!”     After taking another reasonably sized bite of his first slice, he set the pizza and plate down and reached for the lemonade.     “By the way… did you know that pizza guy personally?  Or, is he just a regular you see a lot or something?  You seemed keen to mention his comedic credentials,” he said with a grin before taking a drink.  That made Shinko giggle all the more before she answered.

    “Well, when I first moved in, I didn’t exactly have a lot of cash, so I ended up eating pizza most nights.  As it turns out, he’s the one that comes to my door every time!  He doesn’t always do the same routine, of course… but, really, I’d like to think he might’ve been an extra in some cartoon, somewhere.  His potential seems too big to simply be a forgotten character.”     She gave a nostalgic sigh before shaking her head.     “Anyways, he seems like a good guy.  And, he’s basically the reason I’ve almost become a regular customer for that place.  They have my address memorized by now and everything!”     With her thought finished, she finally started to dig into her own slice of pizza.  Her smile never left her face as she tasted the delicious baked good.

    “Huh.  That’s pretty cool…”  Joseph hummed, looking at the ice in his drink for a moment.  “You know… I like it when you talk about ‘toon history, cartoon physics, and things like that.  I’m not sure why… but, you make it seem really interesting!”     Joseph took another sip of his lemonade, contently humming as he did.     “Plus… I love the way the topic makes your pretty, blue eyes light up.  They really accent the radiant smile you get on your cute li’l face.”     “Ah–”  Her eyes widened a bit as her face turned red in embarrassment.  Joseph just offered a grin to the ‘toon girl.  He really could not help himself…

    “C-come on, now… that’s too many compliments in one day,” giving a little wave.  “Anyways, it’s not like I’m knowledgeable or anything.  It’s just… well…”     She paused… then shook her head.     “Never mind.  I really don’t want to talk about the past.”     The fox’s head tilted, one ear cocked and the other lowered as she said that.  Though he’d noted a sudden shift in her mood, again, he decided to leave it be, for once, simply giving her a nod and letting his ears return to a neutral position.  He then returned to his pizza, starting on the second slice while Shinko plated another for herself.

    “Anyways…” she said, keeping his attention, “I think I’ll be going to bed, now.  Feel free to help yourself to whatever and I hope you get a good night’s sleep.”     “Wh– um… sure…”  He scratched the back of his head as she kept a friendly smile on her face.  “And, thanks for letting me hang out with you today.  I… I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Shinko.  I really do.”     He gave her a warm smile, wagging his tail again.     “Plain-and-simple, you’re a darn good friend and a darn good person.  You get a good night’s sleep as well, ya hear?”     “Sure.”  She nodded, keeping her small, friendly smile.  “Goodnight, Joseph.”     With that, she headed into her room and closing the door.  As soon as she was out of sight, however, she leaned against the door, giving a light, somewhat exhausted sigh.

    What a goofy guy… she thought.  It certainly will be interesting to have him as a temporary roommate…     For a split-second, she wondered about something…  But, as quickly as a thought entered her head, it left.

    It should be fine…  I can trust him.  Plus, it will be nice to have some semi-regular company.  I just hope…     She turned her head toward the door, her smile giving way to a concerned frown, one last thought making its way to the surface.     I just hope… he’s not upset with me…

    With that thought escaping her head, the ‘toon girl decided to go about her business, finishing her pizza and busying herself until she was tired enough to rest for the night.  She really was tired… and, it wasn’t like there was any reason to stay up.  Right? –––––

    It was midnight as Joseph sat on the nicely-drawn couch of his friend’s apartment.  He’d finally finished watching the animated movie he was supposed to watch with her and, though he’d enjoyed it, he couldn’t retain much about it.  He’d let his mind wander in the middle of the movie and, since then, a scene from earlier that evening had been playing in his mind.

    He could remember feeling the rise in her temperature… seeing the brightening coloration of her skin…  He could recall the noise she made… and, how she seemed so dismissive of him and what he’d done, afterward…  Joseph hugged his legs to his chest, resting his head on his knees and curling his tail to one side.

    Why did you do that? he asked himself.  Why did you have to go and kiss her for?  You were having a good time just being friendly and affectionate and you had to go and… and… do that!  She obviously didn’t like it, with as quickly as she changed the subject… and, worse still, you made her feel bad because of her reaction!  What sort of friend does that?  No wonder she ran off to her room so quickly…     His eyes closed and his ears remained folded back as his train of thought continued.

    What’s the matter with you, Joseph?  She spends the day with you… invites you into her home… and, you go and try to make-out with her?  You just barely reunited with her… but, you’re already hitting on her?  Why…?  I thought you weren’t looking for that sort of thing after Kris dumped you?  Why are you falling back into old habits, like that…?     He growled at himself for a moment… then, he relaxed.

    She… she seemed interested, though…  At– at least until you… you took it too far.  Yeah, you took it too far.  Too much, too fast, too soon!     Joseph shook his head and whimpered.     As mature as she’s always been, she’s still a young, naive thing, in some respects, Joseph…  You knew this would happen but you pushed it, anyway!  What’s wrong with you?!  You even said it yourself: Your idea of ‘affection’ and hers are probably leagues apart!  I mean, it was probably her first time being kissed like that and–

    The fox’s ears perked, his eyes opening wide at his own realization…

    “Oh, Trinity Above…  I… I stole her first kiss.  I stole her first kiss…”

    Under other circumstances, being able to make such a claim might have been something that would fill the fox with joy… maybe even pride.  But, given how she’d reacted…     You’re the lowest of the low, Joseph Lithius… he berated himself, head lowering again.  You don’t deserve a friend like her.

    Joseph looked to the side of the couch, eyeing his backpack.     I should leave…  But… I don’t want to worry her…  But, I also don’t want to stay and make things awkward, again…     He gave a whine, digging his dull claws into his denim jeans, his eyes tearing up in frustration.     Gods… I… what do I do…?  Where would I even go…?     He couldn’t answer those questions, himself… but, maybe, he thought… maybe someone else could.

    After finding something to write with, Joseph wrote a note for Shinko on the top of the pizza box and left it somewhere she could find it.  He then grabbed his backpack and walked to the door.

    “I’m sorry for tonight, Shinko,” he quietly said as he opened it.  “I’m not sure if I can ever repair the damage I caused… but, I can at least do this much.”

    With that, he locked the door, silently closing it behind him, and hit the road.