[Closed] What if I'm far from home? Oh brother, I will hear you call

[goingbythebook]

Who: Huey and Louie, then Webby and Lena
Where: The Academy
When: New arrival(s)
What: Huey finds some familiar faces in a sea of strangeness


This was... completely new and strange for the duckling. One minute he'd been minding his business around McDuck Manor, and the next he was here. True, there had been something of a "warning"- a strange swirling feeling around him, lighting up every nerve and then yanking him through time and space -but that did absolutely nothing for the absolute shock of it. What's worse, that feeling didn't subside even after landing; it buzzed pleasantly under his skin, and seemed to get stronger the more he faced a certain direction. So, afraid but curious all the same, he followed the strange "compass."

What he thought wandering through the Tenscore Kingdoms was too long to put here, but suffice to say there was quite an information overload. What are those? Who is that? What kind of creatures are these (both two-legged and some other many-legged varieties he saw around, pets or otherwise). Does he hear conversation about magic-? Continuing to follow the feeling, he traced a path to Diatu Magicademy, and once he passed through its gates did the sensation finally subside. Someone was by soon after his arrival to tend to him, muttering something about "new Sundered" and giving him a crash course on where he was: a school of magic and mystery, summoned here through spells hitherto unknown (or outlawed) to learn to use the power now residing within him. Supplies, House, everything was summarized, and then he was turned loose. The school day was currently in progress but, as a new arrival he would be more expected to explore. Besides, he still had to find his bonded Familiar- one was normally given to a student, but seemed there was something strange about Huey's, so off he went.

And, that's about it. Head still reeling from everything that'd happened in the last twenty minutes- twenty minutes?? it felt like twenty years!! -he walked through the halls of the school, clutching books to his chest. This was all so strange and new... And he was feeling more lost than ever.

Comments

[goingbythebook]

Unfortunately, considering Louie led in with the issue, Huey's not just going to let it drop. Sorry, Lou.

"Yes it bothers me! Can't you see he's addicted to it? Whatever he explained about being there for me, it clearly took priority! He didn't even come to meet me because he was up there shooting dice!" Snort snort huff, sigh. "I'm going to have to talk to him about that, see if I can't at least get him to shift his priorities some..."

Wait, he'd asked other questions right? Backtracking along the tantrum train track and- ah, there we go.

"No I'm not hungry, let's just find the girls."

[talkyourwayout]

"O...kay, we'll go find them," Louie said, hesitating as he spoke. It wasn't new, of course, to see Huey worked up like that, but it never got any less alarming when that rage wasn't aimed to protect himself or Dewey. The fact that Huey was trying to look out for Huey here didn't occur to Louie. Really? The need for that rarely did.

Huey was his big brother, after all. Sure, it was only a matter of minutes, but all the same... Big brothers didn't need protection, did they?

"Um, so they're probably hanging out in Webby's dorm or common room by now," he mumbled. "Lena has trouble getting into Purifeul."

[goingbythebook]

He could be calm, really he could! Didn't want to upset Louie after all. No 'Duke of Making A Mess' to be found here, no sir.

...Maybe if he counted the steps on the way down, to get his mind off things.

"Can't get into Purifeul? Why?"

[talkyourwayout]

"Oh, because there are weird math equations on the doors instead of locks, or whatever," Louie said with an indifferent shrug. He wasn't particularly keen on the idea of talking about Lena, much less seeing her soon. Officially speaking, they were okay, but there hadn't exactly been a heartfelt case of making up.

So he decided to shift the conversation topic once more as he lead the way toward the Ka dorms. "Oh! I forgot to tell you about Orisa before. You'll like her, I bet. She's a robot."

[goingbythebook]

Math equations? On doors? He made a mental note to ask Lena about that later.

"A robot?" Yep, that was definitely a spike of interest; not even a question of whether it was possible, like he might've before. After new worlds and weird creatures and magic and gambling owls, all in about half an hour, who's to say what else is out there. "Like, what kind of robot?"

[talkyourwayout]

"She's an omnic robot," Louie answered with a decisive nod. He still didn't know exactly what omnic meant, but he definitely remembered the term coming up. "She's huge, and one of her hands is a gun... Thing. It's all pretty cool!"

[goingbythebook]

"Woow, that does sound pretty cool! I bet she sticks out of a crowd," he snickered softly. Wouldn't 'have to keep an eye out' for that one.

"Man... I don't even know what to think of this place so far, but it sounds like you've really found a niche for yourself with all that you've told me so far."

[talkyourwayout]

Louie smiled at that, looking downright proud of himself. If there was any insecurity on Huey's end, it was lost on him as he realized that it was true. He really had done okay here, so far. And he'd been pretty unsure of how he'd do at all in the beginning.

Although... Back then, he'd been glad his brothers weren't there. It had felt like a welcome chance to be his own person. Now it was clear that a few months of that had been plenty.

"Yeah, I have. The people who came here, the other Sundered... They're pretty great. We're good at sticking together and looking out for each other. There's, uh... There's a word for it. I can't think of it."

[goingbythebook]

Honestly, it was all for the best Louie didn't pick up on his insecurity. There was really no need to let his brother in on that, not when what Huey wanted was for him to become his own person. He, Huey, liked being needed it was true, but Louie standing on his own... it was nice.

Even if he did feel all squirmy inside.

"Comraderie might be the word you're thinking of. And if it's really like that here, then... I can't wait to meet the others."

[talkyourwayout]

"Sure," Louie said with a shrug. "That sounds good. And I think you'll like a lot of the people. Some of them are almost as weird and nerdy as you, Huey!"

It's said very casually; Louie had no idea he might be hurting his brother's feelings. Hopefully, he was not, but...

"Okay, this is the building for Ka... It's haunted, by the way." Another shrug, before Louie began pounding on the door with a fist.

[goingbythebook]

In times past that might've hurt his feelings, and maybe it still did a little inside. But this was a Huey who had come to better terms with his whole "weird nerdom isolation" thing. ...mooossstly by way of Cousin Fethry.

Oh but hold on-

"Haunted? Are we talking about how the mansion is technically haunted now, or are we talking 'built on an old graveyard' haunted?"

[talkyourwayout]

"Um, probably one of those, yeah," was all Louie said at first, as he was wishing he had brought Cash with him to act as a fast alert of his (and Huey's) presence. No such luck, though, and then he focused on Huey's words a bit better, following up with, "I don't know, it's not my House."

Then, after a moment of wondering whether or not it was worth the effort of actually tracking Webby down in there, he cupped his hands around his beak.

"Webs, are you in there right now?"

1/2

[woo_oo]

There was shuffling movement inside, and a familiar voice.

"Jorry, Jorry no! No eating other familiars! Bad snake! Hang on, Louie."

More shuffling, and Webby stuck her head out the window. "Hang on, I'm trying to teach Jorry something. Hi Huey! Anyway, I found this spell that -"

2/2

[woo_oo]

RECORD NEEDLE SCRATCH IN BRAIN.

Webby stared down at triplet number two - before JUMPING OUT THE WINDOW for a divebomb tackle.

"HUEY HUEY HUEY HUEY!"

1/2

[goingbythebook]

2/2

[goingbythebook]

The force was practically concussive as Webby landed, easily taking Huey off his feet and sending them rolling a good couple of times before coming to a stop.

He's just going to lie woozily here for a minute. He's happy to see her, of course he is! Just... let the world stop spinning first.

"Hii Webbyyy...."

[outofyourshadow]

Lena had jumped over to the window as soon as Webby had jumped out. And while she was surprised herself to see Huey, it was easily masked with a grin as she waved.

"Nice catch there, Red," she called down.

[talkyourwayout]

Louie had to laugh at the ridiculousness that was Webby, grinning as he just... Watched his brother get air-tackled.

"Oh, right, I brought a surprise," he chuckled. No acknowledgment of Lena, though.

[woo_oo]

"When did you get here?" Webby, now sitting on top of Huey, began bombarding him with questions, probably not giving him any time to answer them.

"What familiar did you get? What house are you in? LENA'S HERE AND SHE'S ALIVE! Is Dewey here too? Is Granny worried about me? Did you go on any adventures while we were gone?"

[goingbythebook]

Huey stared up at the sky, if only because there really wasn't anywhere else for him to look, not with Webby pinning him down to the ground. Lena- or her voice anyway -got an answering wave, and as for Webby's questions...

"I've got an owl, he's back in Eiather's tower." No mention of the problems with the owl, not right now anyway, and at least that answered the House question too. "Yeah, Louie told me about Lena; that's great! Dewey's not here, and as for the rest..."

Grunting a little, he pushed himself up to one elbow as best he could, looking up at her.

"As far as I can tell from Louie, I came here from about the same time he did, despite the months difference here between our arrivals. So depending on the last thing you remember..." Ohh, the gears are turning now. "Looks like there may be some kind of strange time dilation going on here. Louie and I came from the same spot in time, yet he arrived here well before I did. I wonder what the difference means...?"

[outofyourshadow]

Having decided to take the long way down, Lena eventually came out the front door and walked over to join them. She stayed back a bit, though, letting Webby catch up with Huey and totally not avoiding looking in Louie’s direction.

[talkyourwayout]

Louie approached Huey from behind when he saw his brother prop himself up. Without realizing he was even doing it, he moved to hoist him up, all while addressing him and Webby. Lena... Did not get any acknowledgement.

“It means magic is weird, duh!” he offered in way of explanation.

[woo_oo]

Webby easily rolled off Huey as he was being helped up, and then moved to stand up.

"But that's a real relief! It means Granny and Uncle Scrooge won't be worried about us being gone for so long! That's a huge weight off my back." Though she still misses them both, and Dewey, like the dickens.