starlightcafe | All I want to know is how the world goes 'round...

Entry tags:

All I want to know is how the world goes 'round...

Worming information out of her youngest son was not easy, but nothing could stop Della Duck. It may have taken about a month to ease him into opening up about just who - and what, as it turned out - his new friend was, but it was well worth it; Louie brought up Gobo comfortably around her now. It was clear that the Fraggle'd had a strong impact on him - not that briefly being the Richest Duck in the World hadn't, but still, there was definitely more to Louie coming into his own lately than that whole adventure. In fact, Louie wasn't like Della, or most of the others in the family. Adventure didn't have the deep effect on him it did on the rest.

Della loved her boys unconditionally, even when they were causing disasters. But Louie... He didn't just seem to have grown, he seemed to be happier lately. So, if nothing else, she wanted to meet Gobo. Louie had rolled his eyes and protested a bit - "Mom, you don't have to run checks on my friends, that's such an Uncle Donald thing..." - but he'd shared the location of the nearest Fraggle Hole with her. Now she stood outside, hands on her knees so she could get a better view inside, calling down. "Hello! Is there a Gobo Fraggle down there?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

At first there wasn't really any answer, but that was only because music was in Gobo's ears instead. As he so often was he was singing a song to himself, just enjoying the roam. While the situation in the tunnels under his non-Rock home turf was changing every day, and he had a great network of other friends as well, sometimes it just felt good to get out there and explore on his own, a holdover from when he used to do that even back at Fraggle Rock. So at the moment he was amusing himself going through the tunnels singing a couple songs, and if Della listened carefully she might hear the current one filtering up to her. And of course, this included a brief dance/shadowbox break, because if you're amusing yourself alone why not have fun with it?

It was only when he'd finished singing, though he continued humming the melody, that he heard a voice calling his name and he paused to look around. That came from the other Duckburg tunnel-? But it didn't sound like anyone he knew yet. Curious, he started down that way, shouting ahead of him so it would echo up.

"Yeah! Who's calling?"

Della listened closely for a response, but instead it was singing that she heard. If she really focused, she could just make out the words...

A snort of laughter at the little guy's confidence - she liked him already. But she managed to recover entirely before calling down again, when Gobo finally did shout up to her. "I'm Della Duck! Louie's mom!"

"Oh!" A little reaction to himself, and he hurried on up. Louie's mom! He'd heard a bit about her, and definitely wanted to meet her. Looked like she'd beaten him to the punch.

Arriving at the top, he peeked out the hole, where she'd get a rather shadowed look at him, before he fully stepped out into the light. He smiled up at her, raising a hand in a friendly wave.

"Hi! It's nice to meet you."

Della backed up a bit when she heard footsteps padding against the inside of the tunnel - and there he was! She gasped, delighted, when he stepped out of the hole.

"Oh my gosh, look at you! I mean, the pictures Louie showed me were sure cute, but not this cute!"

Gobo blinked, then laughed softly. "Well er- yeah, I guess?" Fraggles were Fraggles, so far as he was concerned.

His tail flopped over from one side to the other and back as he looked up curiously. "So, did you need anything, or just wanted to see who your son talked about?"

A pause. "Yeah, I didn't really think this far ahead," she admitted, before laughing it off. "I just had to meet you - Louie seems to really like you. He doesn't get comfortable with just anyone, either."

She rubbed at the bottom of her bill thoughtfully. "But I wouldn't mind learning more about Fraggles in genera, either."

Alright, that made him laugh as well, as she did. He could certainly understand that.

The rest had him nod and he smiled again. "Sure! I can tell you anything you'd like to know."

"Ah, great, thanks!" Della took a seat, right there on the ground, legs crossed - and immediately stood back up. "Wait a sec, but I don't wanna talk out here. It's been a while since I've been in a tunnel system, think we can head down there?" she asked, gesturing down the Fraggle Hole.

He looked at the Hole, then back at her, and rubbed his head. "Well, maybe? You ducks aren't much bigger than us Fraggles I guess, and the tunnel gets bigger past the Fraggle Hole, so maybe with some wiggling-"

"Only one way to find out, huh?" Della interrupted, taking a few steps back to wind up, so to speak, before making a running dive for the Fraggle Hole. At first, she got stuck around her shoulders, and then again at her hips, but Gobo had been right. It just took some wiggling to get her through.

That first jam got a snort, then the second a choked sound, and even once she pops through she might hear a weird sort of noise behind her- surppressed giggling through a mouth he was holding closed, before nope it turned into full-on laughing instead. It wasn't jeering though, it was the warm sort shared with friends, even if he might be the only one actually doing so right now.

His hand braced on the side of the Hole as he peeked in and then stepped inside, walking over to her. "You alright? No bruises, no clothing tears?"

She was already checking herself over when he came in after her - just a quick check, because nothing hurt, and her general feeling in these situations was if she could carry on at all, she absolutely would, and worry about the rest later.

So her answer came quick, with an amused little snort. "Yeah, dad, I'm fine."

He laughed again and shook his head. "Fine, fine. C'mon, I'll lead the way."

"I'm right behind you, Gobo!" Della said cheerily - though she was barely so, more right at his side, not that she knew which direction to go. But, hey, adventurer's instincts, right? "So, Louie says these tunnels connect to a lot of places..."

"Oh yeah, lots of places, eh?" He glanced at her, smiling. "There's this one place in Fraggle Rock especially that goes to all sorts of different places in Outer Space! Plus there's one that goes to your Duckburg, and one that goes to the other Duckburg, plus another city on that side called Birchpointe."

"Man, that's all so neat! I can't imagine how much that must come in handy for exploring - Louie said you're an explorer? Do lots of Fraggles explore?" she asked. It wouldn't surprise her if they did, it sounded like their habitat was made for such a way of life.

"Not really, most Fraggles like to stay around the Rock. Oh but we've got plenty of stuff to do there! Parties, and games, and other caves to go into, it's pretty exciting.

"Me though, I'm an explorer. So's my uncle, and my dad was, and my great-uncle too."

"Well, parties and games are great, but I'd rather go the way of you and your family - my uncle's an explorer, too, and my brother... Uh, was. He still is, deep down inside of him." Della shrugged, ducking around an overhanging rock that jutted down. Something did hit her, although not until a moment later - and maybe it wasn't the sort of thing to bring up right now, anyway, but... Had he said his dad was an explorer?

"It's a great life, that's for sure." He went around a larger rock, paused at a crossways and then led Della down the left path. "It took me a while to warm up to it, since I started when I was pretty young. But I wouldn't have it any other way, now!"

That wasn't something Della could relate to - sure, she'd been young when she'd started exploring, but she'd never needed to warm up to it, really. Still, if nothing else, it was an insight into Gobo's life - and it perhaps was a factor in why Louie had taken such a shine to him.

"I'm glad you enjoy it," she said with a smile. "I heard you even got Louie coming along with you for some of your adventures. That's kind of a big deal, you know."

"Yeah, Louie's told me he doesn't go on many adventures, but he certainly enjoys coming with us!" He smiled fondly, thinking. "Especially if Mokey is coming along. She's another Fraggle, like me, and she's real protective and sweet. I think she called Louie an honorary Fraggle within somethin' like five minutes of having known him, and I know that means a lot to him."

"Oh, Louie mentioned her - he showed me some pictures of her paintings," Della explained, her pace slowing considerably, a faint a smile on her face. "I'm sure that does mean a lot to him. I think sometimes Louie can forget how he fits into our family..."

"I've got a friend like that, too." He adjusted his pace to hers, glancing up at her. "His name is Boober, and- well, Fraggles as a whole love fun and games, and don't take things too seriously. Boober's the opposite of that; he claims he only has enough time to worry about two things and that's death and laundry. And sometimes, it's made him worry that he's not much of a Fraggle period, because he doesn't enjoy the 'fun stuff' as much as we others do.

"But y'see, laundry, and reading, and cooking? Those are all what Boober has fun with. It doesn't have to be loud fun to make one a Fraggle, and from what I've seen of all you ducks, it doesn't have to be exciting to be part of the family. I think Louie has trouble remembering that, but that's what I'm here for. To remind him, because I'm his friend."

Della nodded. "Oh, Louie's mentioned him, too. A lot, actually." Relative to how much he'd told her about the other non-Gobo Fraggles, anyway. She paused, allowing herself a brief chuckle, but then her more somber - and deeply caring - tone returned. "You're right. Louie will always have a place in our family, but when you're his age, it can be easy to feel lost... My other boys deal with it too, in different ways, but Louie won't talk about it if he can help it, so... It means a lot to me that he has you."

"Believe me, I know how much having a good friend can mean." With them walking a bit slower, now his own smile got a bit distant. "When I was little, I often felt a bit lost too. My uncle was gone often, since he was exploring Fraggle Rock's tunnels and caverns, and I didn't always get to go with him because I was so small. Some nights, I think my only company was my pet thimblebug, then it disappeared..."

He was quiet a moment, then shook his head gently and glanced back up. "But that changed when I got a little older and I met Wembley, and Red and Mokey, and Boober. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't have them when Uncle Matt decided to leave for Outer Space. So, I know what it means to be lost, and how important it is to have people there who can find you."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject