Bittersweet Candy Bowl

36. Crash and Burn, original chapter posted 3/25/07

Page 4 of 4

Transcript

*Yashy and Chirpy stare at Lucy in confusion.*
Yashy: Ma.. what are you doing?
Chirpy: Girl-Kitty?

*Lucy, trying to appear casual, holds her hands behind her head, using her arms to block more of the screen from Yashy and Chirpy’s view. She smiles awkwardly.*
Lucy: Nothing unusual!

*Yashy looks suspicious. She taps her chin with her hand.*
Yashy: Are you hiding something?
*Chirpy continues to look confused.*
Chirpy: ..?

*Lucy keeps holding her odd position. She starts to sweat.*
Lucy: N-no.. just..

*Lucy, still smiling, jumps up and spins around, grabbing the computer and holding it up in the air. The cord snaps. Yashy and Chirpy watch her in confusion.*
Lucy: Taking the computer for a walk!

*Chirpy frowns, scratching her head.*
Chirpy: Hmm.. If I didn’t know better, I’d say computers don’t take walks..
*Yashy side-eyes Chirpy.*
Yashy: Eh..

*Lucy walks away, dragging the computer by its cord, the screen finally black. Lucy smiles, looking relieved.*
Lucy (thinking): Oh! The picture’s gone!!

*Lucy looks thrilled. She holds her hands in front of her, one fist still clutching the broken power cord.*
Lucy: The nightmare is finally over!!

*The panel darkens as a series of mechanical clicks and whirring noises come from off-panel. Lucy freezes, her smile shrinks.*
Lucy: ?

*Lucy glances back in horror. A printer is humming on the tabletop.*
Lucy: ?!

*Lucy, panicked, frantically reaches for the printer.*
Printer: Printing started!
Lucy: NO!!

*Lucy angrily jams her finger on the printer’s cancel button.*
Lucy: CANCEL CANCEL CANCEL!!

*Lucy grabs the printer and smashes it on the floor in front of Yashy and Chirpy, who flinch away, panicked.*

Lucy: Phew!
*Lucy relaxes, rubbing a hand over her forehead. Yashy and Chirpy sit next to the wreckage of the printer, watching the scene quizzically.*
Yashy and Chirpy: ?

*A single sheet of paper slips free of the wreckage, carried high into the air. The pets notice and Lucy looks horrified.*

*Yashy grabs the paper. She and Chirpy look at it in confusion.*
Yashy: Hey! What’s that?

*Yashy goes bright red, staring at Lucy in disbelief. Lucy is curled into a ball, defeated and trembling.*
Yashy: Where the hell is he putting that thing?!
*Chirpy flaps her wings in shock.*
Chirpy: Whoa!!
Lucy: E-erk..

[Caption: The next day]
*Lucy and Mike walk outside. Lucy is holding Yashy, who, slightly worried, leans over to Mike.*
Yashy: Have you ever tried that on her, Flea?
*Mike looks confused.*
Mike: Tried what?
*Lucy stares at the ground, deeply embarrassed.*
Lucy: Please don’t ask.
END

Author commentary

Veronica: Lucy being a very efficient covercat.

I really like the idea that Yashy talks to Mike in the final panel bringing up ZERO context, absolutely NO information. She’s so lost in thought that she asks him that question out of nowhere. That always really amused me. Poor Mike, once he knows context he’d probably grab Yashy and fling her across a stadium.