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The chuckles arise, as so does John’s mood, but only for a sliver of a sonic-second. He didn’t exclude Scrooge mentioning something like this as a rebuttal, especially since he practically uses it every time they meet. He’s become predicable, ordinary, common…foolish. While it does take a while for a Rockerduck to adjust, when they do, they do it right!

“Ah, yes… Your acquired properties from over time do have the advantage over mine, but not for long. I’ve something in store to make my businesses skyrocket, and yours plummet. I won’t tell you what it is, since you’re ‘the greatest treasure hunter that has ever lived’. You find out what’s going to happen.”

Most likely if McDuck did solve the elaborate scheme John cooked up for him this time, he would leave a special present “just in case”. John would become number one, and if he was going to have to play dirty to do it, then so be it! It’s something he always preferred was having the advantage in a competition anyway. Makes life more easier. Now his little bee swerved around his glasses to try and get his attention.

“What, Beesy? Can’t you see that I’m trying to conduct business with this…organism here?” Rockerduck mentioned, putting his finger in front of Beesy’s flight pattern to stop him from continuing. The insect smacked into the appendage and fell into his other hand after losing flight. Rubbing his head and then getting back up, the bee made a face that contained both anger and concern. He thought that John was giving up too much as is.

Scrooge watched him for a while, he didn’t say a single word. Didn’t want to say a single word. This was just... Too agitating in his mind. Really no matter what the other cooked up, the elder didn’t think it would work. In order to cook up a scheme that would push him to number two for good, the other would have to swing consumers to his side-- which would be easier said than done.

People tended to have a fondness for the old explorer, especially since he practically owns the town of Duckburg. As such the loyalty of the consumer tended to be with him, his abilities and his sense of advertising always got him a lot of attention. Tapping his fingers on his desk, his eyes followed the bee for a moment before he sighed.

“Organism? I’m surprised ye know wha’ tha’ means...” He huffed under his breath, rolling his eyes. There was no way this young duck would be able to take him down. Especially with how cocky he was being. His attitude would be his downfall, the bee was right, he was giving away far too much. If he wanted to bump Scrooge down, not telling him at all would be the best course of action... Not that he was complaining.

A hand was lightly pressed against Ludwig’s cheek as he considered Scrooge’s words. He was never the person to always reach out first. Just went about doing whatever he was doing at the time and moved on to other projects without ever stopping himself to actually spend time with family. Everything is good or becomes good when time is spent on it. It’s like skill to improve upon.

“I suppose I can do that! If it works, then you shouldn’t give up hope yet either, Scroogey.” the professor finally said as he broke his air of silence. Something logical that should work in his favor. That was what he needed, some simple approach and motivation from someone who knew them. Why hadn’t he thought of it before?!

In any case, he needed to return the favor as well as he could. Clearing his throat before speaking, Ludwig put in his two cents, “So if you’re having trouble bond to the kids now, you might want to shift or deviate your rules for yourself or them a little to give leeway. I’ve heard that those children with parents that know when to back off and when to get strict typically have a better chance at being good citizens. Plus it especially beats having juvenile delinquents running all around you.” 

That feeling of displeasing emotions went away. The thin ice had been replaced with soft grass, and his mind was back on the positive side of things. He was just about to walk up to the other drake and hug him, but the thought of going to jail for breaking Scrooge’s bones appeared in his head. No lawsuits were heading his way, at least not from that.

Studying his actions, it was a relief in a way. To see him come to the revelations he so desperately craved. Perhaps now things will be easier. As the rain began to fall outside, gentle pitter patter and sing song of water, angelic crystals, teardrops, it was a quiet melody. He wondered now if he would be seeing this conversation lead anywhere else in the future, if it would have an actual impact or not-- if it would be forgotten.

His attention snapped back to reality, leaving the darkened cage of his mind. Those eyes stared before he tilted his head slightly to the side. There was something there, something he should be listening to that it seemed his mind couldn’t process. Words of kindness. Something that was lost on him to an extent, he didn’t quite understand.

He grasped the words well enough, but he didn’t quite comprehend them like a normal duck would. His brain only went to take what was logical and to him this wasn’t logical. “I suppose ye are correct in tha’, but I nae am sure ‘ow t’ do tha’. I nae ‘ave any children t’ use as a reference an’ I do nae know many parents t’ ask... I know Donald, bu’ tha’ is as far as it goes as of now.” A sigh escaped him as he shook his head. How could he ever understand or learn how to address his family now if he didn’t know where to start.

“Hello?”

A little, white Unicorn stuck her head out from behind the tree, a faint green glow vanishing from around her horn. In the weak shine, she could make out Scrooge’s face in the dark. A look of confusion passed her face for a moment when she saw that who was talking to her was in fact a duck.  This was definatly no longer Equestria here.

Shock.

“I hope they’re excited,” Launchpad replied. “For sure they’re gonna be shocked. I would be too if someone came up to me and told me they were me dad, especially if they’d already been in my life!”

“I gotta figure out a way to break it to ‘em so it’s not too much at once.” He rubbed at his chin. 

“I’m sure they will be excited. It’ll be somethin’ new an’ usual. Th’ idea of it all...” At the musing over a way to tell them, Scrooge turned to look at him, his eyes watching for a moment before he had an idea.

“Eh?” Kildare stops abruptly “NO NO NONONO! I’m sorry! I’m not happy because you were hospitalized in the past… I’m happy because AFTER THAT YOU BECOME THE GREAT DUCK YOU ARE NOW!”

He listens to the older duck trying his best to concentrate. “NOT SH-… not shouting.” The mad duck nods. “But… Inside voices are bad… They tell you to do bad things to people, I don’t want an inside voice…” He scratches his head remembering of a schizophrenic colleague he had at the clinic.

But even using all his willpower to BE STILL AND QUIET Kildare was being noisy, he had several vocal tics and he couldn’t stop fiddling with something; his tie, his shirt, or even his feathers.

The loud duck was looking down, trying to be respectful and to obey. If he was good enough, maybe, maybe Scrooge would agree on letting him take part on one of his adventures!

He listened to his reasoning, shrugging it off. That may be the case, but that didn’t change the fact that the other was still loud and aggressive. It was something that was slightly disconcerting.

“Well then how about a quiet voice. If inside voices are bad, just have a quiet voice. Perhaps if you kept a quiet voice you could tell those inside voices to quiet down politely, they may react better that way.” Scrooge knew little about inside voices, he only knew what he read about or what others had told him, and even then he took those accounts with a grain of salt.

Watching the other, it showed just how much work would need to be put into this, but Scrooge figured that with enough practice and patience, perhaps they could see some development.

Louie Duck was N O T afraid. Not of the thunder that raged outside, or the winds that racked through the trees and hammered against the window in his room, and he certainly didn’t jump whenever a flash of lightning split across the dark sky. Rain fell in heavy droplets and splattered over the mansion. Storms were easier to deal with on the houseboat - the rocking of the waves were startling, but the boat was small and he was close with his brothers and his uncle.

But this manor was huge and dark and foreboding so late at night. If he was being honest with himself, he still wasn’t used to having his own bedroom. It’s not like he missed sleeping in the same room with his siblings — of course not! — but this big place was a /tad/ intimidating.

After clutching his blankets in trembling fists he eventually threw off the covers and left his bedroom. Maybe some warm milk or hot chocolate would make him feel better. He needed to get out of this room, move around. He inhaled deeply and made his way to the kitchen, stopping only when the flickering of a single candle caught his attention. He quirked a brow; who else would be awake? Louie didn’t know exactly what time it was, but he knew it was late. He’d been asleep until the storm shook him from his otherwise peaceful slumber.

He inched closer until he made out a form. The words fell from his beak before he could stop them. “Uncle Scrooge? What are you doing up, don’t old people sleep, I dunno, all the time?”

Ugh, that was stupid. Way to go, Captain Lost. He bit the inside of his cheek. Scrooge obviously looked busy and engrossed in whatever he was doing. From what it looked like, it seemed like he was having ‘adult time’. Louie could guess what was in his glass. He moved closer to his great uncle, stifling a gasp as thunder boomed mercilessly outside. He swallowed thickly.

“Uh - me? What am I doing? Nothing. I was just thinking up a bunch of business plans, you know. Got hungry. Figured I’d grab a snack.”

His eyes drifted uneasily to the window. But not because he was scared. Of course.

Scrooge watched him, his eyes were locked on his small form. The duckling was tiny, naive, and as such was easy to call out on his lies. The older could see that he wasn’t telling the truth, that he wasn’t being honest at all. The rings under his eyes, the tint in the whites of his eyes, how he held himself, he was awoken by the storm from a rather peaceful slumber. The key changes in his demeanor and behavior also told him that he knew what Scrooge was most likely doing, which was spending time to himself.

The bitter tasting alcohol wasn’t one he enjoyed because of what his tongue thought, it was something he enjoyed because it eased his trembling nerves. It was something that settled him down bit by bit from the thoughts that made his mind scream out in agony.

“Lyin’, lad, will do ye no good... I can tell from th’ whites o’ your eyes tha’ ye were ‘sleep nae too long ‘go... Ye don’t ‘ave t’ admit tha’ ye are frightened by th’ storm o’ course... Ye are at tha’ age where ye want t’ say tha’ fear is a weaklings’ feeling... I’ll tell ye right now tha’ it’s nae such a thing...” Fear was what stopped them from making mistakes, from doing things that would ultimately kill them, that would put them in danger. To not fear things like death or pain would put them in a position of utter chaos. A position where they will eventually succumb to their arrogance and ignorance.

Using the same notes that Scrooge used on Louie, one would be able to deduce that the old duck hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep yet. He hasn’t set his head down on the pillow-- and he wasn’t scared of the storm.

The old duck dealt with something far different than just a few nightmares or the booming thunderstorm outside. He dealt with something far more pressuring upon his brain. The old duck dealt with Insomnia. He had difficulty slowing his ever rushing brain to a halt, thus allowing him to sleep. He couldn’t seem to sit still no matter what the circumstance.

“I am ‘wake, lad, cause I cannae sleep... I deal with somethin’ known as Insomnia... It prevents me body from fallin’ ‘sleep...”

“Huh…that…that’s a mouthful…well Scrooge, we can do more formal introductions later. Now,” looking around briefly as the snowfall paced up and the breeze went started to howl, “just, hold on to the rope. My cabin isn’t that far from here, so, hang tight. And don’t let go of the rope,” making sure he was tied to it and slowly started leading the way.

Both Dani and David study the elder duck before them before glancing at each other. With raised eyebrows, they seem to communicate through small gestures and eye shifts. Finally, the silent conversation seems to end with Danielle shrugging before openly gesturing to Scrooge with her hand. With a slight sigh, David steps forward to bridge the gap between the fowl and him. Crouching down, so he is more eye to eye with his guest, he examines Scrooge.

“You know, I can offer the same kindness to you,” There has always been something about the guests that show up at his door “Should you wish, of course. I do not force anyone to do anything,” They always seem to be hurting in someway “I merely give the option.” It truly is rare for anyone without some issues showing up. Seriously, 98% of the time, they have done- or had something done to them- that was truly horrible.

“And don’t worry about shooting me down, you wouldn’t be the first to do so, and you won’t be the last.” He has had to watch some people leave, some that he truly wished would stay- if only for their own good “But, the offer will always remain should you change your mind.” No one’s done that one yet. It’s actually a bit surprising, to be honest. There were a good chunk of people he suspected would be back within a month or two, but they never did.

They could have died though, so who knows what happened.

Scrooge studied the two of them, their words were kind, they held genuine care over the facts. The duck felt that it would be nice to be somewhere liek this but... There was something holding him back. His white feathers flattened against his body as his mind accepted the fact. He wasn’t done yet! He wasn’t done with his world yet! To accept a home here would be like shutting his old life out-- and while in some cases that’s what he wanted he knew that he would regret it down the line.

“Your offer is most welcome... But I am ‘fraid I cannae accept somethin’ like tha’...” Scrooge spoke, his words feeling foreign to him. Once upon a time he would’ve accepted something like that without hesitation, a way to leave behind his old life. But now... Now it seemed so wrong to do that. Now it seemed like a crime to leave the life he had built up behind in such a way. His fortune, his adventures, his family...

Donald, Huey, Dewey, Louie, Webby, Beakley, Launchpad, and even Della. They all needed him it seemed. They were all waiting for him in some way, shape or form. “I ‘ave too much in me life t’ really stay ‘ere... I need t’ get back t’ Duckburg soon... But... All th’ same I would like t’ come back ‘ere an’ learn... Maybe nae stay, but t’ see this place is a fascinatin’ thing t’ me... If I could do tha’, than I’d be most grateful.”

Landing in the forest with Red, unsure where he was and who he would encounter Keith left her behind safe within the forest to find some form of civilization. Coming across who appeared to be a humanoid duck he backed away until realizing that one the duck person was surprised as he was and two, they could speak. “I’m um.. no one of importance but.. I am lost.” Rubs the back of his neck, the duck had a Scottish accent. “Can you help me? My name is Keith not sure where to go..” Smiles a little, unsure whether to trust this one but they seemed a colorful fellow. 

►❝I got all the will I just– ❞ ( He pauses, quickly running back to the waves. He’ll disappear under them, letting the water flow through all his pores… Ah, that felt much better! While being up there was fun and beautiful….it was painful. He isn’t exactly made for that world. –and he really didn’t like that. Not one bit! The world was stopping him from exploring! Yet not even that could take away his determination, he’ll find a way! He always does! Spongebob climbs out of the water, wrings himself out– then meets back with the duck. ) 

►❝ –That. I can’t be out of the ocean for too long! But I wanna explore this place, I wanna go beyond the beach! I just need to figure out a way to do it… ❞

He let the other talk.

It was a shock to see him run back to the ocean, to see him rush away and into the waves. The sea foam swallowing him in the frothy water. There was an instance where Scrooge forgot that he was a sea creature, that he belonged to the waves and the sand. There was a moment where he forgot that Spongebob was, in fact, a sponge. As soon as he saw his form in the water, however, the duck understood completely. It made perfect sense. It was good to know they were so close to the water now, thus he cannot dry out as easily. Scrooge almost wished he could join him.

But he couldn’t. His feathers would clump and clutter as salt water came into contact with them...

“Travel underground. Of course. I’ll be able to get to the police station much more quickly, and still hide from those dastardly Beagle Boys. If you could help me with this, I’ll owe you one.” She said with a smile. That was her personal motto in life. ‘When someone shows you a kindness, you show them one in return.’ Over the course of her detective career she had gotten help from strangers, whether it was a helpful tip or assisting her with a crime scene, she always kept those people in mind and made a note to repay them for their kind gesture.

“You’re welcome, Mr. McDee.” Launchpad smiled down at Scrooge. “If you ever need another hug, all you gotta do is walk up to me and give me one. My hugs are one hundred percent free of charge, heheheh.”

He clapped Scrooge on the shoulder.

“You should probably eat chocolate now. That always makes me feel better after I’ve been sad.”

A soft chuckle, he didn’t know what to say now. His voice was robbed of him right where he stood. “I am forever grateful. Gla’ tha’ your ‘ugs don’t cost a penny though!” A small smile spread across his face.

“Chocolate?”