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fanfic-inator795 · 8 years ago

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WoY Oneshot: Admirable Interstella

Plot: “Miss Starbella, you are a delight!” If he hadn’t been a fan of hers before, he certainly was now. Although, when he really thought about it, maybe he wasn’t just a fan...

((Sooo, did anyone else sorta get the feeling while watching ‘The Loose Screw’ that the King of Sherblorg 7 was sorta crushing on Stella? ...Anyway, this was just a small, kinda random idea I had and, hey, you know how much I love writing about minor WoY characters. So, enjoy! ^v^))

"Why, hello there!” Immediately straightening a bit at the voice, he quickly turned around - and there she was.

She was wearing a poofy, white bathrobe instead of her usual outfit, but that didn’t make her any less recognizable. She still had that same pretty pink hair in an up-do, the same old cat by her side, and the same warm smile that continued to be unaffected by any fatigue she might have felt because of her age.

He couldn’t help but smile, adjusting his glasses a bit before giving a small nod. “A pleasure to see you again, Miss Starbella! ...Or, well, it’s mostly a pleasure, given the situation...” Though, he was glad that she had been able to remained uncaptured (not that it was really much of a surprise, but still).

Stella nodded, her eyes softening a bit. “It’s glad to see that you’re safe as well, dearie. I take it the rest of your people flew to a different galaxies.”

He nodded again. That was what most of the other leaders and royals had commanded their people to do, after all - or at least, that’s what he had heard from the leaders that were there and that he had briefly talked to. Some rulers, like Bingleborp, still had their planets. Though, the more pessimistic part of him told him that it was only a matter of time...

“Well, I’m glad they’re safe.” Her smile finally fell a bit, and the elder heroine gave a small scoff. “Honestly if I could, I would just go after that Dominator myself!” But, unfortunately, as strong as Stella still was, she didn’t exactly have the same speed or firepower that she used to, and she was wise enough not to go starting a fight that she couldn’t win.

“You may still get a chance,” the King told her, in an attempt to cheer her up, “From what I’ve heard from Wander and Sylvia, they’re going to try and gather up as many people as they can here, and then they’re going to think of a plan involving all of us. And, maybe together...” Maybe together, they actually stood a chance.

Stella gave a hum, turning her attention to her pilot for a moment as he laid down on the ground with a small huff. “Well, if that is what they’re planning, then they can definitely count me in,” she told him as she started to pet the cat. Mittens gave a low purr, leaning towards her hand slightly despite an unimpressed expression still on his face.

The king smiled a bit. “They’d be lucky to have you help them.” After a moment, he forced himself to add, “And, I’ll help too. Er, with the plan I mean.” As terrified as he was as Dominator, it seemed like the least he could do. Still, he was sure that Stella could see the fear on his face, but she still continued to smile at him without judgement.

The two of them became quiet as the rest of the people in the hidden cave continued their personal conversations, each of them trying to catch up with old friends, or perhaps even make new friends, while trying to keep their minds off their destroyed homes.

“...Actually,” the Sherblorg king started to say, adjusting his glasses again, “I was one of the first people here. So... So if you want, I could give you a tour of the cave and the island.” He glanced away slightly, towards the back of the cave where Sylvia and a few of the other strong people there were digging so there could be more room for all of them. “Of course, there isn’t much to show, really... But-”

He felt a hand on one of his arms, and he looked back towards her. “That would be lovely,” Stella told him, patting his wrist before looping her arm around his, “Lead the way!”

The king blinked, looking almost shocked before his expression became one of what could almost be described as glee, and with that he started to lead her towards the front of the secret hideaway.

“...Oh, and by the way. Call me, Stella.”

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The throne room - along with the rest of his planet - was quiet. One could even call it peaceful. Most of the citizens were relaxing, taking a much-needed day off from reconstruction. Even the castle guards were taking it easy, not having much of a reason to be cautious of any threats (and reasonably so, given how many villains were either defeated or now ‘retired’). But, even with his planet’s peaceful atmosphere, he still found himself stiff in his throne as he waited, each minute almost seeming slower than the last...

To be fair, he did try to relax a little as he sat there and waited. Unfortunately, every time he managed to succeed for a moment or two, his mind would just remind him of who was visiting that day, and any progress he had made would be gone, though he didn’t mind this too much. Really, it was his own fault... Even after all the time they had spent together, just the thought of seeing her again thrilled him - and with good reason too! At least, that’s what he thought.

Out of all the newly-formed planets out there, he still couldn’t really believe that Sherblorg 7 - his Sherblorg - was the one she kept visiting. That he was the one ruler that she considered good company. But while part of him was in disbelief, another part of him just soared whenever he thought about it. Whenever he thought about her...

Outside one of the castle windows, there was the sound of an old ship screeching to a halt, its engine puttering slightly for just a moment before stabilizing. As soon as he heard it, the King of Sherblorg 7 rose from his throne and hopped towards the front door, already grinning as his heart thumped like a moon-rabbit’s.

“Hello again, dear,” Stella greeted as soon as he opened the door. She was wearing a simple pink dress with a white cardigan over it, and she had a container of homemade chocolate chip cookies in her hands. Just thinking about the delicious treats made the king’s stomach growl.

“It’s nice to see you again too, Stella. But you really don’t have to bring cookies every time you come over. As delicious as they are, I really don’t want to be a bother-”

“Oh hush,” she told him as she stepped inside, waving his concerns away with her hand, “It’s no trouble at all!” After a moment, she gave a small smirk. “Although if you really want to, you could make us some tea to go with them.”

“Of course,” the king nodded, and he quickly hopped towards the kitchen to make some milk tea (Stella’s favorite) while the heroine made her way towards the royal sitting area. Even after not visiting for a couple weeks, the coffee table still held their playing cards and their unfinished game of checkers (so far, Stella was winning).

It wasn’t long after she sat down on the plush, orange and brown plaid colored couch did the king return with their drinks. “Thank you,” Stella said, taking the cup, “I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this, but you’re one of the few people I know that can mix milk tea just right! Even Mittens can’t make a cup this good!”

She had told him this a couple times before, but the king still appreciated hearing the comment. “Thank you - though, it’s still not much compared to your baking.”

“Oh, you! Speaking of which-” She picked up the container and held it out to him. “Help yourself!”

Stella certainly didn’t have to tell him twice. “Thanks!” The king eagerly took the plastic container, opened it up - and paused. ...Heart-shaped... They were... heart-shaped? His face heated up slightly as his thin hands kept a tight grip on the container.

Thankfully, Stella didn’t notice his reaction much. She just gave a small chuckle as she took a cookie for herself. “Found some old cookie cutters of mine and I thought, why not have some fun? There should be a couple star and crescent shaped ones in there too, though those were so old and bent that they looked more like an angry arachnomorph. Say, did I ever tell you the time I had to fight Mandrake the Malpheasant off with my cookie cutters?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, no, I don’t think so.”

“Well, it all started on a moon about several lightyears away from here. Some diner was sponsoring a baking contest, and the best dessert would be added to their menu! Now, I’m not much for competition, but Mittens convinced me to give it a shot, just for the fun of it! And it’s a good thing I did, because Mandrake had a secret evil plot that involved magic cinnamon and a robot blender! Grop, you should’ve seen the size of it!”

As much as the King of Sherblorg 7 loved her stories, he still only managed to half-listen as Stella retold the event. Thankfully he was still able to catch the best parts and react to them accordingly, but for the most part, his mind was too focused on the hearts... The cookie hearts and his own heart. Am I really feeling this way? Does she feel this way? Oh, why would she? ...Why would I? Why am I?

These were the questions that continued running through the king’s mind, even as he tried to listen, even as they caught up with each other and talked and played simple yet still enjoyable table games together. If Stella noticed this at all, then she was choosing to say nothing, and if that was the case then the king was thankful that they could just continue on with a mostly normal visit despite his own thoughts.

“...Well,” Stella started to say with a slight sigh as the king gathered up their cards, shuffling them once more, “It’s been a couple hours, Baldwin. I should probably get going soon.” The king glanced up at her when he heard his name. Honestly he was so used to people just calling him King or King of Sherblorg 7 (perhaps it was subtle commentary from the rest of the galaxy on just how memorable he really was), but Stella always seemed to remember his name, even if she sometimes forgot other small details.

“Oh. Well, if you need to go then, that’s fine,” He told her, unable to help but look a bit disappointed.

Stella in return gave him a small smile, chuckling slightly. “Well now, I don’t really need to go. I just didn’t want to take up all your free time today. I’m sure a king like you is busy enough as is.”

“Not exactly...” Baldwin replied, glancing away a bit as one of his arms rubbed the back of his neck, “Other than the occasional conquering attempt, things are pretty peaceful. I just have to make sure things don’t fall apart while everyone else is away. I mean, compared to what my brothers do on their planets-”

“Oh poo,” she interrupted, gently scolding him, “You’re still a king, aren’t you? It doesn’t matter what you do or what you rule, you’re a king - which means you’re important to at least some of the people here in one way or another. At the very least, you know how to get your planet help, and that’s something, isn’t it?”

Baldwin gave a small chuckle of his own. Considering that it had led to his planet being saved, and everything afterwards- “Heh, I guess so... And at least I was able to call the right person.” Stella’s smile grew, her eyes softening a bit as she once again placed her hand on his wrist. And of course, the king didn’t dare move his hand away.

Unfortunately, despite neither of them really wanting to end such a pleasant visit, they also knew it couldn’t last forever. So, eventually, they left the sitting room and Baldwin led Stella to her ship, making sure to stay and watch it leave. “See you in a couple of weeks!” she had told him just before the doors had closed. The king knew he would be counting down the days.

The engine coughed and rattled for just a couple seconds before roaring to life. A moment of hesitation, and then- WOOSH! It rocketed into the sky, becoming nothing more than a pink dot in seconds. And as he headed back into his castle, hopping down the long hall back towards his throne, Baldwin once again found himself alone with his thoughts...

He vividly remembered being a fan of Starbella’s since he was a child, reading old stories about her daring rescues and brave fights in various magazines and newspapers that he had managed to find in some of Sherblorg’s libraries. It didn’t matter if he didn’t have new stories to read about her or if people called her ‘retired’, he still thought of her as one of the greatest heroes he had ever heard of! But with that admiration came the bitter realization that he would probably never get to meet her. That he’d never get the chance to, or that she would pass away before he found the opportunity to.

...Funny how the Universe works out sometimes, huh?

Physically, she had changed a lot from the woman he had seen in posters and photos. Shorter, older... but still recognizable. Honestly, who said that looking older was such an unattractive thing anyway? She still looked pretty to him. Though, her looks were hardly anything compared to how she had been able to save the day. Easily breaking out of her prison, using common objects as weapons, and of course doing it all with such confidence and skill! Needless to say, it had been amazing!

Had his experiences with Stella Starbella ended there, he would’ve still considered it a positive one, albeit far too short. But no, instead he had received and happily accepted many chances to talk with her and listen to her. He had gotten the chance to know the woman behind the old reputation she had earned in her younger years. ...And, he supposed he couldn’t deny it any longer.

Not only had he admired and had gotten to know that woman, but along the way, he had ended up falling in love with her too.

“I guess it’s not too surprising,” Baldwin told himself, slowing down a bit, “even if it’s not exactly usual... But hey, what is that old saying? Age is just a number?” ...Even so, he knew fully well that this realization would become no more than a personal secret. He may have been good enough to be her friend, and they did enjoy their afternoons together, but- “But I doubt she’d feel the same...” And there was no way he was going to risk his friendship just to find ou-

*clang!* Baldwin blinked, stopping completely now as his remaining thoughts were cut short. “What the...?” Was that... metal? What could someone be doing with metal? It could’ve been someone outside making repairs, but it had been so loud, there’s no way it couldn’t have come from inside the castle! But that still didn’t really answer the question of what they were doing... Gulping slightly, he started to move again, quickening his pace the best he could until he finally reached his throne room and peeked inside.

...Needless to say, it was pretty easy to figure out where the metal sound had come from. From what he could see, there were at least four robots - simple in design yet fairly strong - wandering around the room, searching behind curtains and around various pieces of furniture. One of them was even breaking apart his throne, as if it were expecting its target to be hiding within it!

Giving a small squeak of fear, Baldwin started to back away - and almost instantly, a thin and calloused hand grabbed him, covering his mouth and muffling his scream while the other hand held him close.

“Ohhhh no you don’t, Sherblie-boy!” a familiar voice - quiet and rickety sounding yet still somewhat intimidating in its own right - told him, “You’re not getting away from me this time!”

()()()()()()()()()

“Come on, you’ve gotta be tired of hearing me just drone on by now!”

“Not at all! Your stories are always great to listen to!” And it was even better to hear them directly from the source.

Stella smiled, though still gave him a bit of a look. “Heh, even so, I’m getting pretty tired of talking. So how about I take a break and give you a turn, hm? Go on, then. Tell me about yourself!”

The king’s smile almost immediately fell. “Oh, well...” he started to say, glancing down at his cup of coconut tea, “Compared to all the adventures you’ve had, there isn’t much to tell.”

“There has to be at least a few things,” Stella insisted.

“Well... Um, I like to read. And uh, and I have six brothers. All of them older, and... All of them left home pretty quickly. Sherblorg’s sort of an average place so, they all wanted to try and make their own kingdom, bigger and better than whatever they could have inherited, plus it would be expanding our families land. And, in the end, the main Sherblorg planet didn’t even seem like much anymore. The last one people thought about.” Maybe that was why he was eventually given it - because there wasn’t much to really give away, hence no real loss.

“It seemed like a nice planet, though,” Stella commented, trying to remember her brief stop there the best she could, “And apparently it was important enough for Mandrake to try and take it.” Though maybe he just thought it would be an easy conquering, but the king decided to keep this counterpoint to himself.

“So what about stories? I’m sure everyone’s got at least a few.”

“Well...” He really doubted she would want to hear tales about him having to deal with six older brothers, or retellings of long diplomatic meetings with other kings. But... The way she looked at him, and the way she genuinely seemed interested and wanted to keep talking to him was enough encouragement for the king to keep trying. “...Actually, there was this one party - er, sort of party - that I went to a couple weeks after we first met?”

“Oh?” The elder heroine finished up her tea, and then directed all her attention to Baldwin. “Well then, I’m all ears.”

The king chuckled a bit, and after a moment, he started to tell her all about the prison-party that he would never forget, his enjoyment quickly overshadowing any awkwardness or nerves that might have been found in his words...

()()()()()()()()()()

“Come on, come on! Just- gak! - J-Just put ‘im over there! Ugh, good fer nothin’- Don’t for- *cough* Don’t- *cough cough wheeze* forge- *cough, gasp* t-to tie him to the chair!”

The king’s hands were already bound together, and honestly someone as small and weak as him couldn’t really do much to try and escape, but the robots still obeyed their master’s commands and tied a thin yet strong rope around his waist and the chair he was now sitting in. A couple seconds later, the bag that was over his head was removed, and honestly Baldwin wasn’t sure which he was more relieved by: The fact that he could see where he was now, or that he didn’t have to suffer in the smell of smelly, old man laundry anymore.

Glancing around at his surroundings, Baldwin found that it actually wasn’t too intimidating of a place. ...In fact, from the looks of it, it almost looked like a room in a suburban house that was nice yet generic enough to be featured in a home and garden magazine, or even on a television sitcom.

But even with his ‘prison’ not being nearly as bad as a dark ship or a giant hourglass, he still couldn’t help but feel nervous as four big robots surrounded him while Mandrake’s old glaring eyes bore into him like Dominator’s drill.

“Sooo, we meet again, Sherblorg King! Did- *cough* D-Did you really think that you could get away with ste- *wheeze* w-with stealing my-!” He gasped, a coughing fit interrupting his words.

Despite being confused, Baldwin waited patiently, trying to keep himself calm as the villain continued coughing and gagging. When the fit finally seemed to subside though, he took the chance to defend himself. “I didn’t steal anything from you! I promise!”

Mandrake growled. While the rest of his body wobbled and shook as he held on tightly to his magic staff to keep himself upright, his glare deepened, quickly reminding the king of the powerful villain Mandrake used to be. “Hmmm well, you’re technically right, Sherblie! You didn’t steal anything from me... Instead, you stole someone!”

The king blinked. “H-Huh-?”

Barring his teeth a bit, Mandrake suddenly pointed his staff at the king. Dangerous green light surrounded the ‘M’ at the end of it, and Baldwin let out a squeak of fear, clenching his eyes shut.

“Don’t you play dumb with me you no-good little-!” He started to cough again, but only for a couple seconds. However, once he stopped coughing, he instead gave a long yawn, and the light around his staff quickly fizzled out. “For Glorn’s sake, why can’t I ever... Back in my day magic staffs of evil didn’t always take up so much energy to use...”

As Mandrake continued to grumble under his breath, Baldwin opened his eyes and held back a sigh of relief. Okay, maybe he wasn’t going to get destroyed to day. But, that didn’t guarantee that he would be leaving his ‘prison’ anytime soon...

“Alright!” the old villain said suddenly, making the king flinch, “Listen up, sonny-boy! And don’t you- *cough* Don’t you be tryin’ anything funny! Cause you and I both know that you’re tryin’ to be Starbella’s new fella!”

Had he not been tied up and sitting in a chair, he might have just fainted right then and there. “W-What?! I, I don’t-! I-I’m not-!”

“Don’t try to deny it!” Mandrake retorted, pointing a long, clawed finger at him, “I may be a retired conqueror, but- *gasp, gak* B-But I’ve still got my robots to keep me up on current events! And they’ve seen Starbella’s ship on Sherblorg 7 several times these past few months! Ever since that Dominator girl left and all the planets have been growin’ back! And I haven’t seen big, lord Skullface or the eyeballs or even any of the other villains tryin’ to take over your planet, so-! *cough, wheeze* S-So why else would she be there?!”

“...” Honestly, the King of Sherblorg 7 couldn’t think of any excuse to give. No lie or persuasive reasoning that could convince the old villain otherwise... Mandrake might have been passed his prime, and maybe he wasn’t the strongest villain out there anymore, but he could still be sharp as a tack when he wanted to be.

“...We, we are spending time together and meeting up with each other every couple of weeks, yes... B-But we aren’t dating.”

“But you want to be goin’ steady with her, don’t you?” Mandrake asked, narrowing his eyes a bit.

“How do you know?”

“Because she’s Starbella! Boy, if she can make even her worst enemy fall for her, than she can make any man fall for her!”

Despite the situation, Baldwin couldn’t help but smile slightly in agreement. “That’s true... She is pretty incredible.”

“Mm, yes,” Mandrake nodded, smiling a bit as well now, “And beautiful too... Which is why I can’t let you take her away from me. And don’t be give- *wheeze, cough* b-be givin’ me that ‘not dating’ stuff! You’re still spending time with her, and I’m not gonna be givin’ you the chance to win her over.”

The king stared at him. “...So, you want me to tell Stella that she shouldn’t come over anymore? That I need to stop spending time with her, just so she can spend more of her time alone, which would maybe lead to you being able to see her and get the chance to convince her to be with you?”

“Mm-hm,” Mandrake nodded, casually leaning his staff towards the king, “And I think you know what’ll happen if you say no... So, what’s it gonna be?”

The king lowered his head a bit, and for several seconds, he sat there and thought... And, when he finally had his answered, he sat up straight, put on the bravest face he could muster, and said just one word: “No.”

Mandrake blinked. “...Huh?” Holding a breath, Baldwin scowled at him, letting him clearly know that he wasn’t going to change his mind. But in return, Mandrake just gave him a flat look as he raised a hand towards his ear. “No, really, what was that? Darn hearing-aid, just-” He fiddled with it for a second before looking back at the king. “Ah, there we go... So, what-?”

“I said, no.”

“Whaaaaat?!” Mandrake gritted his false teeth as he squeezed his staff. Instinctively, all the robots took a step forward towards the king. But, as afraid as he was, Baldwin didn’t let his words falter. After all, it was possibly his final act...

“I don’t want to stop seeing Stella, and I’m not going to! And, and not just because I’m in love with her! And honestly, it doesn’t matter if you’re in love with her either! Because based on what I’ve seen, she’s not in love with either of us, or anyone really... But what she does want are friends, and people to just have a nice time with! And so, I’m- I’m going to be that friend for her and keep spending time with her, whether you like it or not!”

There was a long silence between the two of them, their eye contact never breaking, all while the robots turned to look at each other, silently wondering what was going to happen next... Finally, Mandrake’s eyes softened, glancing away as the old villain let out a raspy sigh.

“Hmph, if that’s how you are... no wonder she likes being around you...”

He could remember back in their younger days, how it was the excitement that always brought the two of them back towards each other. Their own little passionate rivalry... Some people might have even called parts of it flirting. But, even after all the fights and adventures and excitement, one thing still remained: He was a villain and Starbella was a hero, and a very independent hero at that.

But... He supposed that even independent, action-loving, heroic women still wanted to eventually move into a more relaxed part of life, and be with people that weren’t necessarily exciting or challenging, but nice and supportive... And, deep in his old heart, Mandrake knew he wouldn’t- couldn’t be that person for her, no matter how much he wanted to be.

“...Um, so...?” He glanced up at the king, who looked like he wasn’t really sure how to finish his question. Thankfully, Mandrake had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to ask.

“Yeah yeah, you can go... for now.” Maybe there was no reason to continue this plan, and honestly he didn’t have enough energy (neither physical nor emotional) to start up another. But even so, he was still an evil villain, and he had no intent on changing now! “Maybe I can’t threaten you, but I can still try to win over the hand of Starbella in other ways! At the very least, I can come back stronger and try to take- *cough, gag* to take- *wheeze, cough cough* t-take your plane- *cough cough, wheeze, cough*”

Despite his threat going unfinished, Mandrake still managed to gesture his robots towards the king, deciding that he got the message. Within seconds, the king’s head was once again covered with a laundry bag, much to his dismay. But, if there was any consolation, he could also feel his ropes being untied.

()()()()()()()()()()

“Ah, there! Heh, looks like you have to king me again, King.” She smirked slightly, playfully. “...Hmm, if I didn’t know any better, I’d almost say that you were letting me win.”

Baldwin chuckled. “Oh don’t worry, I’m not,” he said as he shifted his body slightly, the way-too-big sweater Stella had made for him (since some of the regrown planets had been having strange weather patterns and she wanted him to be prepared) almost acting like a pillow, “I’m just not very good at this game. But, hey, at least I’m getting better at rummy!”

Stella smiled back at him, nodding. “You are, and maybe once you start beating me at it, I can teach you how to play Cuttle next. You can never know too many card games, after all.” “Sounds like a good idea to me!

Stella hadn’t heard about the king’s brief kidnapping, and Baldwin didn’t make any attempt to tell her about it. It had happened weeks ago, so there didn’t seem much point in it, plus he didn’t want the story to lead to any awkward questions or forced confessions...

He had meant what he had said to Mandrake, and he still meant it, even when his eyes admired Stella or when his heart thumped excitedly whenever she was really close to him. Whenever she gave him a gift or told a story, the excitement in her eyes and the pride in her voice as she recalled it all.

There was no denying it, the King of Sherblorg 7 was in love with her... But there were multiple ways to love someone. And, as long as he could still be around her and love her in at least one way that was expected, he knew he would be fine.

He smiled at her, hardly paying attention to the board even though it was his turn to move. But the elder heroine didn’t seem to mind much, and matched his gaze without hesitation...

“Um, Miss Star- Er, I mean, Stella?”

“Yes?”

“I, well... Now that the Galaxy is safe, you’ll probably be heading out soon. But I was just wondering...”

“Stella,” Baldwin said suddenly, his voice quiet yet strong.

“Yes?” she asked, her warm smile growing a bit.

“...Would you like to visit Sherblorg sometime? I, I’m not sure how much of it has grown back by now, and it may take some time to repair the castle but, if you ever wanted to come over just for an afternoon-”

“...Thank you for accepting the invitation,” he told her, his words simple yet genuine, before scooting just an inch or two closer to her.

“Of course! I would love to!” “I- Wait, really?!” “Well, I can’t really think of a reason not to! And-”

“Thank you for inviting me in the first place, dearie,” Stella replied, lightly touching his wrist.

“-being with company as sweet as you would just make the visit even better!”

They stayed near each other, even when their attentions eventually were turned back to one of their games or to a story that they were trying to remember the details of. Words were exchanged, another date was set up - Stella even suggested that maybe Baldwin could come visit her on her ship next time, all while hoping that Mittens wouldn’t be in one of his moods that day so that all three of them could spend some time together. The king had absolutely no objections to the idea, and even when their afternoon drew to an end far too quickly, their warm smiles that they exchanged with each other never faltered.

It really didn’t get any better than this.

THE END

#wander over yonder #stella starbella #king of sherblorg 7 #mandrake the malpheasant #oneshot #my writing #may-december romance #but also pretty one-sided

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kokorodachidanii · 2 years ago

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22 Short Films About Yonder Galaxy

1. The Bake Sale: Wander and Sylvia try to raise some money to help the Black Cube and Tracy after Schmartians trash Cube’s apartment.

2. The Crepe-er: Across the street from Wander and Sylvia’s bake sale, Dr Screwball Jones attempts to sell his new “happiness pancakes”.

3. The New Doll: After Hank, Jamie and David broke Angela’s new Watchdog doll (a gift from Westley), they have to find a replacement fast, or she’ll tell all their parents.

4. The Sittin’ Kitty: Lil’ Bits attempts to relax before a certain someone decides to crash that idea straight down.

5. The Debt: Cabin Fairy Mitzi Ditzy has flarped up big time when she accidentally damages the ship to a certain malfeasant curmudgeon.

6. The Line: The Insurgent Generals (with Sawery Notsorry) go out for hot dogs, which wouldn’t be a problem if the line weren’t so darn long!

7. The Arachnomorphobia: As we’ve seen, there could be nine apocalypses and Beeza wouldn’t even bat an eye, but even she has at least one true fear-- she’s deathly terrified of arachnomorphs. Suffice it to say Ripov knows this very well.

8. The Spook Rave: When Emperor Awesome leaves his limo unattended, the Phantomaster figures just a few minutes of haunting won’t do much harm.

9. The Munchies: Sourdough finds himself forced to stay on Houshoku-san’s good side or risk getting gobbled up!

10. The Movie Night: Something the So-and-So and his little cousin Whatzit have very different movie opinions.

11. The Pick-Me-Up: Commander Peepers makes Lord Hater something nice.

12. The Broiled Slugs: Steamed Hams but with Rear Admiral Keister and Neckbeard (NB calls the deep-fried adzuki bean buns from Houshoku-san’s “broiled slugs” despite the fact they’re very obviously fried, and there’s a “supernova explosion” [read: magical mishap] at this time of day, at this time of year, in this part of the galaxy, localized entirely within his basement)

13. The Memoir: Major Threat and Sargeant Inkers try to get people to buy the latter’s memoir.

14. The Golfers: Badlands Dan and his gang play some minigolf together, but Harvax and Stok keep getting all the holes-in-one!

15. The Phun Dip: The teens from The Black Cube (I call the bunny leader Jack, the weasley snake Zack, and the obvious one Mack) want Phunulon’s special promotional dip from Blarpee’s, but it sold out just yesterday.

16. The Loony Balloony: The balloon man from The Fugitives is unhappy with his newfound red coloration and tries to get blue again.

17. The Gamer: Brad Starlight gets addicted to his cousin Chad’s new video game.

18. The Pyramid Scheme: Ryder and an extremely reluctant Frederick try to con a bunch of Zetuons.

19. The Trial: Bingleborp Castle’s totally trashed and someone’s gonna pay.

20. The Voodoo: Dominator finds herself the victim of a hilarious accident involving a voodoo doll in the display window of Thrax’s newly-renovated bookstore.

21. The Lawmaking Lawbreakers: SFEF learns the hard way what happens when the celestial star being from The Picnic is awoken before the full millennium has passed.

22. The Bake Sale Redux: Wander and Sylvia finally have the money! Can they still conquer Cube’s conundrum? (Spoiler: Yes.)

In the paraphrased words of @signor-signor : “I’m personally hoping for an episode styled after 22 Short Films About Springfield.”

If nothing else, these could be used as mini-story concepts for a comic book!

#wander over yonder #savewoy #shut up kd #sig and kd go outta their gourds for the greater good

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signor-signor · 4 years ago

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S3 Character Appearance Probability

Taking into account the details about the long-shelved third and final season of Wander Over Yonder, including the hints brought up by @suspendersofdisbelief, I have prepared a list of characters and their likelihood of appearing in that third season. While it’s likely that characters who appeared in The End of the Galaxy will reappear in the S3 premiere, most numbers are less than 10 because the probability of certain characters appearing in S3 is unclear.

As we already know...

Wander - 10/10

Sylvia - 10/10

Lord Hater - 10/10

Commander Peepers - 10/10

Lord Dominator (as she appeared at the end of The End of the Galaxy) - 10/10

Emperor Awesome (and his Fist Fighters) - 10/10

3 new unnamed main characters - 10/10

Watchdogs:

Andy - 10/10

Barry - 10/10

Bob - 5.5/10

Chef - 4/10

Drill Sergeant - 4/10

Giuseppe - 4/10

Jerry - 7/10

Moose - 4/10

Pete - 5.5/10

Scientist - 6/10

Ted - 5.5/10

Teddy - 5.5/10

Tim - 5.5/10

Pretty much every other notable Watchdog has a mid-to-high likelihood of appearing in S3.

Oh, and Westley - 4/10

Now for the others (I’ll think up names for unnamed characters one day)...

King Bingleborp and the Binglebops - 9/10

Mother and Child from The Egg - 3/10

Doom dragon(s) - 2/10

Celestial Star Being - 2/10

Characters from The Fugitives (including Rock Lady, Balloon Man, and red and blue ants) - 5/10

Captain Tim - 9/10

Characters from The Good Deed (including rabbit, hufflerumples, Fleeblebort, Marsha, hillbillies, birds, Gracknore, hogs, fortune teller) - 5/10

Badlands Dan and his gang - 7/10

Two-headed bartender - 3/10

Oink and the Motorhogs - 6/10

Papa Doom and the gargoyles - 5/10

Prince Cashmere and the Baa-hallans - 9/10

The Troll - 3/10

Lords of Illumination - 5/10

Giant worm from The Hat - 2/10

Rongruffle - 4/10

Killbot 86 - 4/10

The Potted Plant - 4/10

Beeza and the Ballzerians - 9/10

Buster (Surely S3 might have an episode explaining what happened to him.) - 9/10

Brad Starlight - 5/10

King Dracor and his guards - 10/10

Princess/Queen Demurra - 10/10

D&D's Children (Seriously, what are their names and who was supposed to perform them?) - 10/10

Pit monster from The Birthday Boy - 4/10

Blarpee's Cashier - 8/10

Olive and mother - 4/10

Harvax and Stok - 6/10

Sourdough/Evil Sandwhich and servants - 10/10

Kragthar - 9.5/10

Black Cube - 10/10

Kremlons - 3/10

Princess Cellophania (That’s the name of that invisible lady.) - 2/10

Trudi Traveler and clones - 5/10

Ziziks waiter - 3/10

Planet Janet and Maurice - 3/10

King of Flendar and the Flendarians - 9/10

Bobbles - 6/10

Emperor Awesome’s mother - 3/10

Huckleberry Knucklehead and his parents - 6/10

Lost and Found Guy - 6/10

Princess Galactia - 3/10

Dragor the Destructible - 3/10

Princess Veronicron - 3/10

Jim the Neon Knight of Nalpraxis - 4/10

Any other characters/creatures from The Epic Quest... - 2/10

Intergalactic Guru - 5/10

Destructor - 8.5/10

Destructor's father - 4/10

Destructor's people - 6/10

Thrax and his cohorts - 6/10

Tiki-like beings - 4/10

Electric bird mother and three chicks - 4/10

Little Bits - 9.5/10

Insurgent Generals (General Outrage, Brainz, Wild Card, Clipper) - 7/10

Locksmith - 4/10

Plumber - 4/10

Okeydokian restaurant manager - 7/10

Michelle - 7/10

Okeydokian movie director 1 - 5/10

Okeydokian movie director 2 - 5/10

Other Okeydokians - 4/10

Cluckons - 8/10

Mooplexians - 5/10

Mr. and Mrs. Brittle - 4/10

Ryder - 6/10

Weasel - 5/10

Scuzzbuckets - 4/10

Frederick - 6/10

Dr. Scrivellix - 5/10

Gelatinous Bob, Joey Protozoa, and drummer - 4/10

MOGA Curator - 5/10

Dr. Screwball Jones - 9.5/10

Squills (squirrel-like critters) from The Wanders - 2/10

Alien Queen from The Axe - 6/10

Stella Starbella (We’ve got to find a replacement for June Squibb in case she becomes senile... or worse.) - 8/10

Mittens - 10/10

King of Sherblorg 7 - 8/10

Mandrake the Malfeasant (and his ‘robuts’) - 9.5/10

General McGuffin (still in chicken bucket form) and his wingmen - 9.5/10

Something the So-and-So - 9/10

Some other minor villains - 2/10

Flankarians - 5/10

Zetuons - 5/10

Major Threat/Jeff - 10/10

Schmartians - 9.5/10

Stacy and her new boyfriend - 5/10

Landlord and fast food boss - 4/10

Teen Leader, Weasly Teen, Obvious Teen - 6/10

Tracy (The Black Cube’s new girlfriend) - 8/10

Hooded Refugees from The Secret Planet - 9.5/10

Clancy and Nancy Shmancy - 6/10

Camera family tourists - 6/10

Cloaked refugees - 4/10

Hat Shop Owner - 5/10

Bunny-like beings from The Show Stopper - 4/10

Bot 13/Beep Boop (in picture strip form) - 6/10

Bill, Phil, and Gil - 6/10

Dorothy - 6/10

Gram - 6/10

Sylvia’s father (in a flashback) - 8/10

Melodie, Angela, David, Jamie and Hank - 4/10

Buttler, Gluteus/Todd, and High Gnee Council - 4/10

Major Threat’s right-hand squid-man and minions - 3/10

Admiral Admirable - 5/10

Orbble and Wilmur Wright - 6/10

Chad - 5/10

Princess Remora (alongside Brad Starlight) - 5/10

Slug Boss, Nephew, Grandsons, and Mummy Thugs - 5/10

Ripov - 10/10

Arachnomorph Queen - 2/10

Frankenstein Monster - 1/10

Phantomimes - 1/10

Ms. Myrtle the Eternal Turtle - 7/10

Neckbeard - 10/10

Bitties - 1/10

Robomechabotasquad (from the end tag) - 2/10

Giant Bee - 1/10

Space Ape (Whom I think Wander might call “Hubert.”) - 10/10

2 new unnamed regulars - 10/10

In the case of new minor characters, I’m thinking the following might appear: a karate sensei, a therapist, a madcap sidekick, a ranger, a sentient vehicle, a rapper, a pop idol... that’s all I’ve got for now.

If you have any other thoughts and predictions about who is likely to appear in S3, feel free to share them!

#Wander Over Yonder #SaveWOY #Save Wander Over Yonder #WOY Season 3 #Predictions

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signor-signor · 5 years ago

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Pre-S3 Shorts Idea

May 18, 2020 - We’re 40 days away from the 4th anniversary of Wander Over Yonder’s second season finale, and have I got something special to share with you.

You know how there was a series of shorts (directed by @owner-of-wendys) involving Lord Hater’s broadcast of his attempt to destroy Wander taking place between S1 and S2? I just thought of something innovative, and anyone who’s ever worked on the show should also check it out.

Suppose Hater is still chasing Wander and Sylvia around the new galaxy in his Skullship, as depicted at the end of The End of the Galaxy (just before the cliffhanger that still hasn’t been resolved). Meanwhile on the ex-secret planet, Andy the Watchdog has quick interviews with various groups of refugees who provide their own reasons for wanting to get off the planet as soon as Wander and Sylvia return. Some others just give an update on their status. As we might have noticed after Dominator’s ship exploded, other Watchdogs became acquainted with the refugees, so it stands to reason that Andy did the same.

Without further ado, I give you... (drumroll)

The Eye on the Galaxy

The Rulers - Bingleborp, King of Flendar (with Flendarians) King of Sherblorg 7, Beeza (with Ballzerians), an appearance from the queen from The Axe, Cashmere (with Baahallans), Demurra and Dracor (with their guards). Just as Destructor’s about to start, time runs out.

The Elderly - Stella Starbella and Mittens, the lost and found guy, Trudi and her clones, the Slug Boss (with the two mummy thugs), Papa Doom (with his gargoyle companions), a call from Ms. Myrtle, who just saw Wander and Sylvia dashing by with the Skullship in pursuit and having deployed an Eye Drone for Andy to check on anyone and anything too big to sit on the ex-secret planet.

The Teammates - Badlands Dan and his gang, Oink and the Motorhogs, red and blue ants, the Insurgent Generals, maybe a call from the Robomechabotasquad asking what happened to Robomechabotatron.

The Youth - Melodie and the kids who appeared in The Legend, Olive (with her mother), the Slug Boss’s grandsons, rock babies carried by the Rock Lady, Huckleberry Knucklehead (backed by his parents), the smartphone son (with his camera parents), the trio of teens from The Black Cube, maybe Demurra and Dracor’s daughters and son.

The Gutsy - Ripov, Thrax and his cohorts (Andy would have added Thrax to The Business Folks, but that group was fully booked), Harvax and Stok, the Slug Boss’s nephew (with the two mummy thugs from earlier), Ryder being shown via Eye Drone and “trying to free a karate sensei from his chamber,” explaining his abscence in The End of the Galaxy. I’d mention the three bounty hunters from The Bounty, but I’m not too sure about their status.

The Reformed - Destructor (picking up from The Rulers), Major Threat, the Black Cube accompanied by his new girlfriend Tracy (plus Stacy and her new boyfriend, both of whom have already realized the Cube turned over a new leaf), a postcard from Westley (found by Barry), maybe the half-torn picture strip of Wander and Bot 13/Beep Boop (found by Jerry when he was sent to check on Dominator and Emperor Awesome in The Rival), Something the So-and-So, who gets cut short like Destructor did previously.

The Business Folks - Blarpee’s cashier, Okeydokian restaurant manager and his employee Michelle, apple-and-lemon-headed bartender, landlord and fast food manager/fry cook, garbage collector, Dr. Scrivellix (the dentist), Clancy and Nancy Shmancy, the plumber, curator of MOGA, Weasel, the two Okeydokian movie directors, hat shop owner, the locksmith.

The Mysterious - Neckbeard, Lords of Illumination, fortune teller, Mooplexians, Keister von Derrière and the other Gnees (with censored heads), the Eye Drone checking on the planet where the currently closed structure of the celestial star being stands, a special one-time visit from the Intergalactic Guru via hologram.

The Creatures - The bunny rabbit from The Good Deed, the pit monster from The Birthday Boy, the fire lion, Grizzlocks, Giant Hoarder Scorpion, Trigrex of Nil, electric bird mother and three chicks, the Frankenstein monster, squills from The Wanders, the Hufflerumples, animals from The Breakfast, animals from The Night (the centipede being the only one from the episode to speak), Frederick, maybe a doom dragon or two, the mother and child from The Egg. Seen via Eye Drone are the Gracknore, Buster, and the giant worm from The Hat that promptly gobbles up the Drone.

The So-and-So - You can guess who the interviewee is in this one. Just like The Whatever, this short foreshadows what’s next for Wander, Sylvia, Hater, and Peepers.

The Rest - Of all the shorts, this one has the most interviewees, each one taking 2-3 seconds to give an answer. Cluckons, hogs, Bobbles, Zetuons, Flankarians, Tiki beings, rabbit-like folks from The Showstopper, Mr. and Mrs. Brittle, ornament beings from The Gift, the balloon man, Dragor the Distractible, Galactia, Veronicron and her husband Jim (the Neon Knight of Nalpraxis), Gelatinous Bob animatronic, Fleeblebort and Marsha and the two hillbilly families, flower-headed birds, any notable residents of Okeydokia, cloaked refugees from the end of The Secret Planet, Brad Starlight and his wife Remora having returned from their honeymoon, his cousin Chad, anyone I might have left out. Lastly, the hooded refugees, also from The Secret Planet.

DISCLAIMER: If these shorts should happen, some of the refugees mentioned here but not seen in The End of the Galaxy may or may not appear.

We can all relate to the refugees in some way. The refugees (most of them) have to wait for Wander and Sylvia to get them back home so they can go about their normal lives. At the start of S3, that’s where the Star Nomad, the ship allegedly made from the one that appeared in The Secret Planet, would come in. We have to wait for the COVID-19 pandemic to be over so we can go about our normal lives. Considering those who worked on the plans for S3 still haven’t given us more clues even in these difficult times, I think the time is right to make more people aware of WOY with this particular idea.

Of course, there is the matter of which medium to use. Animation will probably be time consuming, and much to the perpetual dismay of Wander fans, Disney still doesn’t want to pay to make more WOY. Heck, if there’s no time for animation, animatics might do. A much cheaper method might be the podcast - this way, no visual art has to be made. Hey, it worked for Futurama doing an audio episode titled “Radiorama,” not to mention The Loud House having a podcast titled “Listen Out Loud.” Then again, there’d have to be multiple voice actors reprising their roles, and I doubt they’d do it for free. In the case where visual art is needed, we could do what @suspendersofdisbelief and @benbalistreri did for Star Wanderer and make a comic version of the shorts with help from them and the other writers and illustrators, assuming they’re not too busy with their own projects. We don’t really need Disney’s permission to know exactly what’s supposed to happen after S2, do we?

Regardless of circumstances, I still think it’s a great idea, one @crackmccraigen and the crew could take into consideration whether or not Disney gives them a chance to properly close out the show after Kid Cosmic is done. After all, I am a Disney employee and the only one to come up with this particular idea as far as I know. The only question is, why didn’t anyone else in the fandom think of it before? Also, if @andydaly knew about my idea, maybe he’d be all for it, what with the country still in lockdown.

Look, many of us are still bummed WOY got canceled before S3 could get made, but moping about it and not doing anything to save it won’t get us anywhere. Formerly canceled shows like Hey Arnold!, Samurai Jack, and The Clone Wars got true closure, so I don’t see why WOY can’t do the same. If we all work together, we’ll make history.

To all you pessimists, cynics, and skeptics out there...

Hopelessness stops now.

#Wander Over Yonder #SaveWOY #WOY Season 3 #Long Reads #Eye on the Galaxy

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signor-signor · 6 years ago

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Trending 27th - January 2019

Now what should the REAL final episode of Wander Over Yonder be like?

Let’s start with the basics.

It could be a 44-minute long episode in which dozens upon dozens of characters (including the villains as well as the characters planned to be introduced in S3) appear and have better roles to play. The goal of reforming Lord Hater would finally be realized. Something even greater than shielding a small planet. Anything that made the finale of Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero (At the End of the Worlds) satisfactory. Or if they choose to make it 22 minutes (like what was done for Fish Hooks), they can still bring in the right amount of content.

Now for the specifics.

At this particular point, we would already know where the Watchdogs came from, who the three new main characters are, how Hater became an electric skeleton man, and if 99% of those who were aboard The Star Nomad have returned home. Regarding the overall plot of S3, I think Wander would come to realize that the space ape he’d befriended and kept safe for a whole season (of his life) happens to be Hater’s past self.

If the ape stuck around any longer, Hater would cease to exist. If Hater ceased to exist, Peepers wouldn’t have a way to rise to power and Dominator would probably have no inspiration. So the only way to keep the timeline consistent is to send the ape far back in time (maybe with time orbbles) and let the past do the rest. As @suspendersofdisbelief once hinted for the overall plot, Hater meets his previous best friend. It might turn out that Wander was Hater’s previous best friend. MIND BLOW!

That’s just what I think, but if you remember back in The Fremergency Fronfract, after Hater was put to sleep by an electric anesthesic squid, courtesy of Dr. Scrivellix, he acted friendly around Wander and showed fear and uncertainty upon seeing the Skullship. Why? His mind must have been temporarily zapped to the point where he considered Wander and Sylvia his friends (when he was organic before the incident in the past, that is). The new threat(s) would most likely have a major part in this. This almost makes sense, but that’s still entirely my guess.

Continuing.

One thing I look for in the true WOY finale is heartwarming music. There’d be a grand reprisal of “If You Wander Over Yonder” with some new additional lyrics and the rest of the cast joining in. Towards the end, I imagine Hater’s actual last words to be, “So long, buddy! I hope we’ll meet again!” or something like that. The Watchdogs get to lead their own lives. Peepers sees the error of his ways and he, too, reforms. Dominator might start to get a change of heart while working a 9-to-5 job (and maybe delete that picture from her phone). Sylvia will probably get to show her family everything the galaxy (separate from the one where zbornaks come from) has to offer. Wander then sets off to who-knows-where and goes by a different name.

And that’s not all.

I’d probably expect these things to have happened by the end:

The Black Cube going on a few dates with Tracy, which go super well, and coming to friendly terms with Stacy and her new boyfriend

Huckleberry Knucklehead getting a start at preschool and making friends with kids his age

Prince Cashmere’s coronation

Brad Starlight, having found his “Happily Ever After,” as the end tag of The Hot Shot suggests, introduces his wife to Dracor and Demurra

The Insurgent Generals, after learning that Hater’s no longer a bad guy, find some new line of work before retirement

The ex-secret planet becoming a spot for a museum of galactic history or something

Emperor Awesome swallowing his pride and reinventing himself

Something the So-and-So finding his purpose in life

The explanation of Trudi Traveler having clones

Ryder reborn as an honest individual

The Binglebops, who had already fled the galaxy, return to find King Bingleborp and their newly recovered planet

Buster returns, much to the Ballzerians’ relief, and might grow into maturity, making more room for expansion

Planet Janet and Maurice return from their honeymoon

Someone discovers the piece of the picture strip (of Wander and Bot 13/Beep Boop)

I could go on, but I don’t want to ramble on too long. It wouldn’t be a true finale without explaining the fates of just about everyone, à la PZ:PTH’s finale. Also, we might want to find a back-up actress to perform Stella Starbella in June Squibb’s stead, just in case.

The credits roll, music is played by gentle banjo/piano/music box, and we see Wander (probably manning The Star Nomad) moving towards the horizon. As the credits end, a message from @crackmccraigen appears - “Thanks for watching!” - akin to the very end of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. Maybe as an added bonus, he would add, “And a very special thank you to everyone in the Save WOY community for not giving up!”

Anyone who doesn’t think WOY deserves one more season of any length (or a TV movie) is probably better off friendless (dead would be too extreme). You’d have to be a nincompoop to not see the show’s full potential. If Disney doesn’t let Craig close out WOY his way by the time he finishes Kid Cosmic (it doesn’t matter how many seasons there’ll be), I wouldn’t mind Netflix buying the rights, what with the Netflix heads probably being less selfish and less stubborn. No matter what’s happening now, the executives still have to answer for what they did back in July of 2015.

@disneyanimation

#T27th #Trending 27th #Wander Over Yonder #SaveWOY

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shadowofthelamp · 6 years ago

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The Old Friend

Summary: While stopping for some food, Sylvia and Wander happen to hear a story, and Wander recognizes the storyteller- another one of his species he knew from a long time ago.

Rating: G

Wordcount: 1605

AO3 link

Feedback through tags or comments/replies is super duper appreciated, and since tumblr is mucking around with tags, reblogs really help! Here’s a picture of the character, btw.

Sylvia had seen a lot over the past few years she'd been traveling the galaxy with Wander. Creatures from the size of a pin to the size of a planet, with problems and solutions large and small.

One thing she'd never seen, though, was another one of Wander's species.

Wander hadn't said much about it, and she hadn't pressed- species were sometimes spread thin or became endangered, after all, and it was possible he didn't like talking about it. She wasn't about to drag up painful memories when she had more than enough of her own.

"The hall shimmered with golden vines, nature having overtaken parts of the temple. However, there were still intricate designs mapped over the walls, and it didn't take long for Quincen to decode the runes."

However, when stopping on a nearby planet for food, she'd spotted someone who looked shockingly like Wander. Same color, same general shape, same fur- however, while Wander's eyes were deep brown, this creature's were blue, and it had a large loopy curl above them. It also had on a sleeveless turtleneck sweater, with scruffy orange fur poking out the bottom the same way shirts always did on Wander, almost like a skirt. The one big difference, though, was that it wasn't wiry like Wander- it was more rounded, with a thicker torso and limbs.

Sylvia hadn't intended to stop, but realized she had when her feet dug into dirt. Wander turned to see where she was looking, and his eyes widened as his mouth spread into a grin.

“Well, I’ll be darned!” He slid off of her back. “I haven’t seen them in ages!”

“You know them?” Sylvia said.

“Sure do. It’s been a long, long loooong time, though.” Wander walked over and plopped down near the back of the crowd, crossing his legs. Sylvia followed- the person did seem to be telling a good story.

They wove a tale of ancient artifacts being stolen from off-planet, then returned to their rightful place within the temple. She found herself getting swept up in the excited performance as they gestured with a pen, turning it into everything from a sword to an umbrella and grappling hook. Wander was clearly hanging on to every word.

At the end, a few people tossed coins into their bag, and they smiled. “The best payment will be if you share the story with others!”

When they closed their bag and moved to leave, Wander hurried up. “Goodness, you’ve barely changed! Still telling your stories?”

“Still helping people?” They smiled. “Dusty?”

Wander shook his head. “Wander, and he. What name do you go by these days?”

“Pen, but it used to be Muse. I liked that one, but people got the wrong idea. I prefer to learn the stories, not inspire them. It’s still she.”

“Both are quite fittin’ for you, either way.” Wander waved to Sylvia, urging her closer. “This here is Sylvia, the best friend this side of the cosmos.”

“Oh! It’s lovely to meet you!” Pen held out her hand with a smile, blue bracelets clanking about on her wrist, and Sylvia shook it.

“So you two... grew up together or something? I don't think I've ever met somebody that looked like Wander.” Sylvia guessed, and the two shared a glance.

“You could say that. How much have you told Sylvia?” Pen asked.

“Not a whole lot, but my past ain’t important.” Wander said.

Sylvia had wondered more than once, of course, (especially after learning where he got the Hat) but Wander could be infuriatingly tight-lipped whenever she tried to ask.

“Well, we did know each other as children.” She smiled. “I’ll let him tell you when he’s ready. It was lovely to meet you, though. Thank you for listening, today's was one of my favorites.”

“Are there more of you?” Sylvia blurted out, and Pen tilted her head.

“We’re scattered, but it’s hard to really get rid of us.” She grinned. “We all have our ways of keeping busy. I share stories, so that people who cannot tell them themselves are remembered. I know one who devoted themselves to learning botany on every planet they come across to help keep the environments clean. What really unites us is just that we don’t particularly like to stay in one place.” She held out her arms, and Wander let out a little happy squeak before rushing into them, pulling her into a tight hug.

She hugged him back with the same ferocity. “I’ve heard about your good deeds. The universe needs you, especially at a time like this. That Dominator's such a mess, aren't they? But things will work out... eventually. They always do.”

"Do you want to have lunch with us?" Sylvia asked, and Pen blinked.

"I... would like that very much." She smiled. "Thank you."

They found their way to a diner, Wander chattering the whole way and Pen listening with rapt attention.

"You're much braver than I could ever be." She toyed at her bracelets. "I know it's difficult to get hurt, but..." She leaned in close, but Sylvia could just barely hear her. "Don't you worry about your friend?"

"Nah, Syl's great at gettin' herself outta trouble!" Wander said easily. "Heck, she rescues me more than anything!"

"I'm glad you found someone to keep you company, then." She smiled and pulled back as Wander held the door open for her and Sylvia, the bell tingling above their heads.

The shop was bustling, and Wander asked what sandwiches they wanted before heading up to the register as Sylvia and Pen sat down in a booth.

"How long ago did you two know each other?"

"A long time." Pen said simply. "I won't say much, but I will say that Wander has always been high energy and prone to trouble. I'm glad he found you- he's better when someone's there to keep his head on his shoulders."

"Don't I know it." Sylvia leaned back. "Nice to know he isn't the last of his kind. Always kinda worried about that."

"He isn't, but it's not very often someone sees more than one or two of us. We spread out pretty far, once we grow up. Often it's one to a galaxy." She used a little straw to draw patterns in the spilled salt on the table. "I didn't think I'd see him again for a long time, but go far enough and you end up near where you began. Although by then, everything's changed."

"Here ya go!" Wander had procured plates as well, and settled down next to Sylvia. They all dug in, Wander and Pen exchanging tales of galaxies Sylvia hadn't even heard of.

"And then, they tried to tear up my sweater because clothes were illegal there!" Pen laughed. "I took it off as soon as I realized of course, but that sure was a tense few hours."

"We'd do fine there!" Wander grinned. "Have you ever been to Bingleborp? Their festival-"

"Isn't it the cutest thing?" She interrupted. "Those carnival games are so fun, and they're all so happy."

"I know, right!" Wander finished off his sandwich.

"Do you have anywhere to be?" Pen asked, tilting her head.

"We kinda go wherever." Sylvia said. "We really just stopped here for the food."

"Ah." Pen said. "That makes sense. I don't usually have much of a plan either. I've been here for about two weeks and I'm about ready to move on. We're lucky that we met. It was nice catching up with you." She'd finished her food as well, and set the little plate on the pile on top of the trash can. Wander grabbed Sylvia's and set it on top of his own before doing the same.

They headed outside the diner, and she did a little curtsy. “I’m sure our paths will cross again, even if our experiences made us slightly different people by then.”

Wander tipped his hat. “Hope the stars will take you somewhere real nice.”

She smiled. “And may they keep you safe. You'll need it.” She tugged her messenger bag over her shoulder and pulled out a container of Orbble juice, and they watched her pull out a pencil and notebook as she drifted off into the sky, scribbling down something they'd couldn't see.

"So, gonna tell me how you know her?" Sylvia asked as Wander hopped up on her back.

"We were kids together. I might have kinda sorta maybe gotten into trouble sometimes, and she was always writing everything down, whatever it was."

"You might have gotten into trouble sometimes. What a shock." Sylvia said, turning back to face him and rolling her eyes even as she smiled. "I'll get the whole story out of you one day."

"It's nothing to fuss over." Wander waved a hand, using the other to grip Sylvia's reins. "I grew up on a ship in space, when I got old enough, I left, same as anyone."

"A ship?"

"A big one." Wander said. "No different from growin' up on a planet."

"Huh. Somehow I always figured you popped out when a star went supernova or something." Sylvia said with a little shrug.

"Aw, that'd be amazing!" Wander laughed. "Nice seein' her around, though. I'm never lonely with you around, Syl, but..."

"But there's something about family and old friends, I know." Sylvia finished. Look how easily she’d slid back in with Ryder, after all, and he was a much worse influence than this Pen.

Wander pulled the Orbble juice out of his hat, pulling the bubble around them in one practiced motion without Sylvia even breaking her stride. They headed off into the stars, and the weight on her back (what little there was, Wander was such a pipsqueak) made her smile at the thought of friends old and new.

#wander over yonder #woy #woy wander #woy sylvia #sylvia #star nomad #star nomad oc #wander #shadow writes stuff #pen

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