sonosound:

   ♬   “Sheesh WHAT in the world ARE you?

              I’ve never SEEN such a specimen on the islands that looks
              like you. HOW BADLY DID CORTEX SCREW UP!?”  

@askthefwrp

“…Hello to you too,” the Repairman mumbled, looking down. He slowly moved back a couple inches away from the woman.

“…Cortex didn’t do anything,” he finally said. “I’m just a passing inkblot Toon…”

He didn’t expect anyone to see him. The lab seemed vacant when he came in…

Behind Sono, he could see Marie looking anxiously at him from a shadow. He quickly gave the paint spatter a look that said “no, no, just hang on.”

Rustbolt yawned and stretched his arms. He was practically on autopilot,
half-asleep. “I DONT WANT ANOTHER ONE!” He swatted away an imaginary
something. Who knew what he was seeing, half his brain was dreaming.
Until he felt himself bump into something, and somehow he managed to
fall flat on his face, right at the Repairman’s… “feet.”

The Repairman turned around just in time to be caught in the face by a guy in a metal suit.

“Augh! What the–?!”

He rubbed his face, before jumping back at a massive clatter. Marie also jumped, her bow flicking back to normal from the force of it.

They looked down to find his…assailant…collapsed on the ground. Screws and nuts and bolts were scattered this way and that.

“Uh…hey…you okay?” the Repairman asked, after a stunned moment of silence.

Marie, meanwhile, was starting to pick up all the loose parts, inspecting each of them closely as she did so.

“What are you doing?!” the Repairman urgently whispered.

“I’m just getting all his stuff together for him…”

“Well, stop! It looks like you’re stealing them!”

Marie rolled her eyes, and put the pieces she collected into neatly organized piles in front of the fallen character. The piles seemed to be sorted not only by type, but also size, color, and even age.

image

“Who,
me?” The weasel had a little chuckle herself. “You’re asking the wrong
one in a ladcoat; I’m just his assistant. Dr. Cortex is the mad
scientist here.”

She points at one of his paintings of himself, depicting him as tall,
muscular, and godlike. He’s most certinally compensating for something.

image

“It’s a little exaggerated, yes, but I think you get the idea of who he is.”

“Oh!” Marie exclaimed, turning to look at the painting.

She said nothing for a while, just scanning the image.

“…What does the N stand for? Neat? Neurosurgeon? Nightingale?”

She felt it best not to mention how big his head was. Judging by the picture, this Cortex guy was a little sensitive…

Instead, she kept on firing off rapid guesses.

“Nice? Narcotic? Nanotechnology? Ninny–no…OH! No? Nip?…”

It was clear if she wasn’t stopped, she would keep going until she was even bluer in the face.

[[Continued from here.]]

Susumu suddenly got a very nervous look on her face. “T-trust me!
It’s better if you didn’t call me… Uh, that! A-and well… You exist now,
don’t you? So that’s a reason to celebrate in itself! It’s… Called a
birthday. You’ve probably never celebrated one before, but Mr. Sir’s
birthday is soon if I recall correctly…”

Bonkakira then
stepped up, holding yet another bag, when she caught sight of the blue
blob. “Hey, Ink Bro! This your cousin or something?” She tilted her
shades down slightly. “Name’s Bonkakira. Survivor of 18 apocalypses.
She’s seen a lot of stuff, man. Like, stuff you wouldn’t believe. …Wanna
hear about it?”

Suddenly, the white haired girl from before
shoved her box into Susumu’s arms. “I came as soon as I heard!” Was the
first thing she said. “That little blobby fellow I saw before is here,
and there’s another one too? Well, hello! I’m Phantom Quartz, but
everyone here calls me Quartz or PQ. Oh, and, don’t worry about my arm.
That’s just my gem!”

The last one to approach Marie and Mr. Sir
was Barrette, and she was carrying the girls’ pet, Medical, with her.
“Hello!” was all she said, giving them both a shar-toothed smile.
“Bar-rette.” she proudly stated her name, before pointing at Medical.
“Med-dy.”

“Wait, the day you were drawn counts?” Marie asked, incredulously. She never expected to have a 0th birthday…

Suddenly, she found herself staring, starry-eyed, at Bonkakira.

“Oh, yes please! That sounds incredible! How did you survive all that…?”

No time for that; there was another new face to meet!

“Well, hi, PQ! Oooh, nice gem! Wh–”

No time for that, either. There was a smaller Bowyetta, and she was carrying a slime!

“Hell, hi there, Barrette and Meddy…”

Sweat marks appeared on her painted form. She didn’t expect this much attention on day one…

The Repairman’s toolbox opened, and Cat Slime hopped out, having smelled the food. His eyes widened and he gave an excited squeak. There was a new face, a lot like the Repairman’s! A new friend? She was getting a lot of buzz, too…

Quickly, he hopped into Marie’s arms, squeaking softly.

“Oh! And who might you be….?” she asked, stroking his head.

The Repairman, meanwhile, looked on grimly. He was getting replaced; he knew it! Even Cat Slime was going to her!

He shivered with quiet indignity, and slowly began to back away. He figured he would need some time. Alone, apparently.