016 - Cookie Cake

[deadly_ned]

[Young Ned did not know how to make friends. His best and only friend Chuck had moved away not a few weeks before when Young Ned had inadvertently, accidentally killed her father and his mother.

He did know how to make pies.

With a flour-covered hand, he turns the camera to face him, a naturally quiet, listening boy of ten. Behind him, covering the floor, the countertops, the tables, and all the chairs he piled together in the mess hall are pies.

All kinds of pies.

As his beloved dog Digby sat behind him eating out of a pie tray, young Ned scribbled onto a piece of paper, and eventually turned it around to show the camera]


Bon Appetite

(Free Food)

Comments

[itstopped]

Why would they take him away?

[deadly_ned]

I'm not allowed to have dogs.

[itstopped]

Other people have dogs here. I've seen them.

[deadly_ned]

Not in my school.

[itstopped]

We're not at your school. You can have dogs here. Just not in the kitchen. Ask any grownup, I bet they'd say the same.

[deadly_ned]

Digby belongs in the kitchen. No one belongs here more than Digby.

[itstopped]

But why? It's not like he makes the pies.

[deadly_ned]

I just want him to be with me.

[itstopped]

[He sighs. This is getting frustrating, and he's not sure what to do about it. Which to him, means that it's time to ask an adult.] Hang on a second.

[deadly_ned]

...What are you doing?

[itstopped]

[He signs off without answering, but a few minutes later he reappears.] I guess it's okay. Could... I come and see?

[deadly_ned]

Come and see what?

[itstopped]

The dog? The pies?

[deadly_ned]

You won't take Digby away?

[itstopped]

No. It's okay. [Because he totally narced on you and asked an adult.] I just want to see.

[deadly_ned]

....Okay.

Okay, you can come.

[itstopped]

[Now that Felix has been assured of the dog's validity in the kitchen, he's much more relaxed about the whole thing, and he comes by pretty quickly. Unfortunately, when he gets there, he realizes he's not exactly sure what to... do. How do making friends? He hovers in the doorway, looking inside.]

...Hi. I'm... Felix.

[deadly_ned]

[Young Ned looks up from where he's sitting with Digby on the floor, watching Felix]


...Hi.

I'm Ned.

[itstopped]

Hey. Can I come in? [To be fair, there doesn't seem to be a lot of space for him to actually... enter the room. He edges inside sort of awkwardly, whcih about sums up everything about him, anyway.]

What kind of pie is it?

[deadly_ned]

...Different kinds.

[Young Ned in his own way is in his element but also wary of intruders, hugging close to the cabinets and keeping an eye on Digby just in case the dog decides to wander away.

Which he does, but in Felix's direction to come sniff at him]

All kinds. Every kind you can think of.

[itstopped]

[Felix, both young and old, isn't really what he would call a dog person, but he doesn't shy away, either. He just sort of blinks at Digby as the dog sniffs him, then uncertainly sticks out a hand.] Hi, there...

[He looks back up at the pies, surveying them.] So... why?

[deadly_ned]

[Fortunately, Digby has long since grown used to neurotic, shy people (given who his master is), and merely licks Felix's hand once before going to lie down again not far from where he's standing]

Why what?

[itstopped]

Why all the pies?

[deadly_ned]

Pies make me feel less homesick.

[itstopped]

Oh. [He's not totally sure what to do with that, so he tries to find a place to settle in amongst all the bakery.] And they're just... for everyone? For anyone?