Chapter Text
Spring
One, two, three birds:
one red, one blue, one green - come
together and sing!
Summer
Ocean waves lapping
freely under the sunset
-why stay imprisoned?
Autumn
Sticks brush each other
and sparks clash fast in crisp air -
A fire has started.
Winter
A sodden twig floats,
cold and broken from inside.
Waters are too much.
Notes:
A/N: The first type of poetry presented here is the haiku, the most well-known form of Japanese poetry. Composed of three lines with five-seven-five syllable counts (although these days, the syllable count can be flexible) and a minimalist approach to beauty, traditional haiku generally use imagery involving nature/the seasons and stillness with a commentary related to life in some fashion.
The haiku written here takes place during four paths for 'Completing the Mission' as our lead moves about through the seasons. Enjoy!
In this new and inspired project, characters will be represented in an assortment of poetry forms to express a specific theme, thought process or event. Information about these types of poetry will be provided for educational and symbolistic purposes in the notes of this collection, as well as hints on the identities of these characters.
If you would like to provide suggestions for the type of poetry, subject matter or character, I am open to suggestions and if I like them, I may take them into consideration. Otherwise, I will go forth with this collection as I see fit and at my own pace.
Chapter Text
There, in the middle of the land,
stands a prison, high and tall;
Made of earth, rock and sand,
West Mesa Penitentiary - a warning to crooks one and all
Although unknown in origin and place in times,
the pantheon of residents know their roles to play;
officers protect and defend, outlaws wait and think
from dawn to dusk, from day to day,
but little did anyone know that in that world of cells and crimes,
two officers would unknowingly become part of an important link.
A teenager no more, the man named Price
joined the police force and remained for years of eight;
Strong and loyal he is also known for his heart of ice
he laughed and teased at the prisoners' fate
But he would soon receive a lashing from destiny's will;
Unknown to him or his good friend Panpa, an intruder arrived
in but a few disguises, fooling everyone with tricks, mirrors and smoke;
A seemingly innocent gift dropped off with no message or bill
on a mission to a would-be robber, its sender from another place knowing it survived
and by the time Price knew this, he realized too late; he was burdened with the joke.
Eager and new to his peacekeeping tasks
Young Panpa looked ahead to make his mark on the world
He started small, inspecting packages for useful tools or masks
One day, however, his ambition would be unfurled;
A new inmate was transferred into the stone block -
A thief; he recently tried to break into a bank and make a steal
And it was within West Mesa the thief and the new recruit would meet
For it was Panpa who gave him the keys to freedom and newfound zeal;
After he escaped, the officer's eyes looked to the clock -
It was ticking so slowly, his sinking heart rapidly skipped a beat
He was finished here - nothing could save his job now, not even a heartfelt deal.
Notes:
A/N: This is my first time writing this form of poetry - the ode. Originating in ancient Greece (and originally as songs), odes are lyrical poems dedicated to someone or something. They're often written to commemorate or praise a person, event or object. They can even weave stories into these odes to explain something that's happening from an objective standpoint. Odes can rhyme, but it isn't a necessary rule so to speak. Stanzas can range between three to five, and usually each stanza contains ten lines but this can be played with, as I have done with these odes.
The two aforementioned actors in the stanzas were perfect for this type of poem - they were both a part of something historic but not in necessarily the best thing to happen to them although they both deserve praise for what they tried to do in their jobs. Enjoy!
Chapter Text
The floods of darkness
burn and eclipse desert sky -
I burst into ash.
O dear wife and child, prays I;
I love you.... goodbye.
Notes:
A/N: May I present a distant relative of the haiku - the tanka. Similar to the haiku's own traditional requirements of line and syllable count, tanka are composed of of a line and syllable count - five lines and five-seven-five-seven-seven syllables to be precise. Tanka are usually written as love poems, mainly females to express their feelings to their current or desired ones, although exceptions can be made with the injections of nature/the natural world.
Wilson is one of these exceptions - although he works for a chaotic organization dedicated to controlling chaos, he is also a loving family man and deserves a small bit of time in the spotlight. Enjoy!
Chapter Text
I'm Charles the bold action man,
a seasoned pilot who thinks he can.
When I'm in the sky,
I spy things with my eye,
then I crash 'cuz it's the GREATEST PLAN!
Notes:
A/N: Oh Charles, you goof lol. Needless to say, the poem I wrote is a limerick. A limerick is a form of verse grounded in comedy and through five lines with a rhyme scheme of AABBA (with the first, second and fifth sharing a rhyme while the third and fourth lines share a different one).
The characters are silly overall, but Charles was a perfect fit for this limerick because of his lovably comedic personality and tendency to crash into things. Enjoy!
Chapter Text
I am made of red wrath and thorns -
Fast, sharp, violent, and deemed an icon worthy of guilt
My life's full of twists, twirls and throws;
I clung to German biker gangs, knife-crazed assassins, and bulls with horns,
Stole precious gems, started riots, and assaulted officers to the hilt,
In and out of authority's spotlights and society's shadows
But look! Beyond my petal core blooms an inner power;
never to fall, never to decay, never to wilt
a root of strength built from poor streets past that spreads and grows
All the more to admire this flower -
Ellie Rose
Notes:
A/N:The Shakespearean line was perfect for Ellie for her name and persona. Speaking of Shakespeare, he was known for a certain type of poetry - the sonnet. But the one I used here isn't the version that is aptly named Shakespearean sonnets. The one I used is called a 'curtal sonnet'. Unlike regular sonnets that run at about fourteen lines, curtal sonnets are shorter spanning at about eleven lines or so with the last line registered as a tail (or half of a line). One of two rhyme schemes can be used - abcabc dcbdc or abcabc dbcdc.
But regardless of the differences, traditional sonnets are often linked to romance. Even though I originally wanted to include in a pairing in this poem, it didn't work out so instead I looked to the volta, or sharp or thematic 'turn'. Voltas can be used to summarize, provide new interpretations or present arguments within the poem's themes.
I went with the latter and wrote it as though she is proud to make the argument that yes she did all of this criminal activity, but she is still someone to root for because of her strength in her abilities. And because sonnets are often considered formal, even proud and snobbish to a degree, a sonnet seemed to be a fit for her.
And thanks to YouTuber and Henry Stickmin fan Two Left Thumbs and his video on her, I became a supporter of this backstory for Ellie; at one point she was not only someone who had to tough it it out on the streets, she also ran with the German biker gang that is mentioned in Punkhauser's bio from Fleeing the Complex. It would explain why when she fuses with Henry and becomes Ellry, they sport a mohawk, sort of like the one Punkhauser wears...
Anyhow, enjoy!
Chapter Text
Fortune's expensive smile
Is earned ---
For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.
Turn the key and bolt the door,
Into loud dawn.
Notes:
A/N: If any of these verses look familiar, it's because they are: they're taken from different poems to make a 'cento' - or a poetical work wholly made from verses and passages from other authors, poets and writers. It's believed they originated in the 3rd or 4th century in Greece or Rome, and because of this, verses taken from the writings of Plato and Virgil can be used a lot in centos.
It's another poem dedicated to a main determinant character, and my first time writing a cento, but I think it works considering the theme and format of the form going on here haha!
The verses come from the following writers:
"Fortune's expensive smile
Is earned --- " - 'Luck is not Chance' by Emily Dickinson
"For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law." - 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' by T.S. Eliot
"Turn the key and bolt the door," - 'The Past' by Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Into loud dawn." - 'The Circle' by Hazel Hall
Enjoy!
Chapter Text
Prepare for the ultimate duel;
Your actions have led to war,
Your demise ignites my fuel
You left behind a fate most unusual;
No longer am I fully human to the core -
Prepare for the ultimate duel
I decree it cruel,
You decree it more;
Your demise ignites my fuel
But my newfound strength is an accrual,
And it adds to the clan lore;
Prepare for the ultimate duel
More precious than a jewel,
My vow will bring forth pain and an uproar
Your demise ignites my fuel
I was given a renewal
But you will be done for;
Prepare for the ultimate duel
Your demise ignites my fuel.
Notes:
A/N:
I think this poetry form, the villanelle, fits a certain Toppat second-in-command well. The villanelle is a structured rhyme form that comes from France. The form is generated with five stanzas of three lines followed by a single stanza of four lines for a total of nineteen lines. The structure itself has two repeating rhymes and two refrains; the first line from the first stanza serves as the last line of the second and fourth stanzas, and the third line from the first stanza serves as the
last line of the third and fifth stanzas.Besides the name naturally fitting for one of the main antagonists, it's said that villanelles tackle the subject matter of obsessions. After what happened to our cybernetic Toppat in 'Infiltrating the Airship' when he fought Henry, depending on the path you take, it's no surprise that he'd form a grudge and be obsessed with either catching him or outright killing Henry. I wanted to tell a little story featuring him swearing vengeance against his rival in the aftermath of the battle on the airship.
Enjoy!
Chapter Text
I'm well-read and slow to anger,
and an alert communications arranger ---
Wait, what? An intruding stranger?
Oh.... well, I'll get help; we're in danger.
Notes:
A/N: Charles' evil clone is so lax at his job, isn't he? And so is this epigram! This form of poetry, tailing it back to the time of the Ancient Greeks, is known to be usually brief, memorable, and known for presenting satirical or sarcastic, even ironic, themes. There's no satire or sarcasm in this poem, but there is some level of irony to it considering the character I've chosen. He may be a sharp eye in the sky for the Toppats, but that doesn't mean he's peppery about it. Still, I love this guy haha! Enjoy!
Chapter Text
No matter the groaning weight
I carry my predestined load
I'm on the front lines, no time to hate;
The task leads to an uncharted road.
I carry my predestined load;
Leaders old left plans behind a veil
The task leads to an uncharted road -
Out of reach and so I fall... frail.
Leaders old left plans behind a veil;
Dreams to live free in star skies
Out of reach and so I fall frail --
No one must hear my silent cries
Dreams to live free in star skies?
I'm on the front lines, no time to hate!
No one must hear my silent cries --
No matter the groaning weight.
Notes:
A/N: Poor fella - he has a lot on his mind to deal with due to the absence of the Toppat leaders. If this poetry form looks familiar, it may hold some resemblance to it due to the pattern of repeated lines throughout the poem but it's not a villanelle. May I present the pantoum. It comes from a Malay verse form, a series of quatrains (or four lines in a stanza). Composed of a series of quatrains, the second and fourth lines of each stanza are repeated as the first and third lines of the next stanza. And the pattern goes on until the final stanza, in which the first line of the whole poem is the last line of the final stanza while the third line from the first stanza is the second of the final.
I think this poem speaks for itself, so there's nothing too significant for me to point out other than this would take place after the Toppat leaders were arrested. Enjoy!
Chapter 10: A Ruler's Decree in the Walls
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Within my stone walls my word is law -
Burn my order and you will burn alive.
My reign is perfection - there exists no flaw.
Within my stone walls my word is law.
my royal guard of ice will never thaw;
they destroy with bite and cold. Sparks of fire do not survive!
Within my stone walls my word is law;
Burn my order and you will burn alive!
Notes:
A/N: I'm getting chills already just from writing this, lol. This is a triolet, a French verse form with an emphasis in repetition and rhyme. There usually are a total of eight lines in the stanza, give or take, and obey the rhyme scheme of ABaAabAB. The capital letters indicate repeated lines; the first line is repeated in the fourth and seventh lines and the second line is repeated in the final line, and everything else? Used to complete the rhyme scheme. Triolets are usually used to convey frivolity and joy, but they can also be utilized for serious subjects.
For this one, it almost felt like it was a given that a serious poem form would fit one of the more deadly characters in all of the Henry Stickmin series. I compared him to a royal ruler because I think in his mind, that's how he sees himself - a ruler with all the power in the world (at least to contain criminals) and with valuable resources at his side: a large and stony complex, ice and darkness and snow to not only keep people in but to also break their spirits, and a staff composed of many employees with various skills in weapons, combat, ruthlessness, superpowers and resilience. Enjoy!
Chapter 11: 'Twere the Nights Before
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the air
Two friends were stirring without a world of care.
They were waiting for another friend to appear,
In hopes that he would join in their cheer;
His arrival was silent; he brought a small surprise -
And when his friends saw it, he looked into their eyes
And happily exclaimed, 'Merry Christmas, Henry and Ellie!'
Their cheeks bloomed red - the mistletoe turned them to jelly.
----------
The tavern was a quiet place to be,
But for two, this filled them with glee.
Drinks were free much to their joy,
Now it was time to toast; no need to be coy.
'Dave', he raised his glass up high,
'Here's to freedom!,' he praised to the sky
Dave smiled tiredly, but raised his glass too -
'Thanks, Rupert; I wouldn't be here if not for you.'
-----------
He asked, 'is it worth the task?;
Doubts and fears try to break his mask;
A hand on his shoulder tears his demons away -
He looks up and sees the one to save his day.
'Sven,' he assured in a voice so mellow,
'You're a great leader, a fine fellow,'
'So go and relax, take a long winter's nap.'
With a small grin of thanks, Sven left to find his nightcap.
-------------
Watching them all like a father hawk,
He makes his rounds daily on his snow walk.
Proud of the team and their hard work,
He was greeted, 'Hello General!' with a smirk.
They invited him in for a cup of joe,
And for this, he wouldn't say no.
The trio of hunters wished him season's greetings;
It became one of his most memorable meetings.
-------------
The Toppat leader stepped back to admire,
The jewels on the tree as they glistened by the fire.
His right hand man stood by to observe,
'Something's missing, Reg,' breaking his usual reserve.
'Why you're right, my friend, where is the star?'
In reply, 'don't worry, it's not too far,'
Having found it, he flew to the tree's tiptop.
And gently placed it there on the spot.
-------------
The snow drifted into the ocean;
it was like poetry in motion.
That's why the guard loved it so -
The fire escape provided him a place to go.
A sanctuary free from stone lines,
unruly prisoners, and frankly, random fines.
Some might have hated the ice,
But to Sten Villo, it was nice.
-------------
Two friends named Smith and Stone,
brought their families together in one household home.
Their wives cooked and relatives visited;
Presents, food, laughter - all unlimited.
Wilson and Gordon both boomed with love and warmth,
"Attention, everyone, there is something we want to say forth.
May your days be merry and bright,
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Notes:
A/N: I've got Christmas on the brain and it shows here haha! There is no specific poetry form this time, but this was certainly inspired by the classic poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. I put my own spin on it and incorporated it into the Stickmin world by focusing on a certain number of lines and creating little stories for a selected amount of characters as they go about their holiday festivities. Since I've name-dropped everyone here, I don't think I need to elaborate too much on what's going on. But I hope this brings forth a smile to you today. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! :)
Chapter 12: The Center
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Containing the Anarchy is our mission:
His crimes well recorded - he's high profile.
All Brother eyes scrutinize the fields in ambition
Our rules break the wild through error and trial
Say what you may -- we will do our job with a smile.
...
Notes:
A/N: The truth is out there.
And so is this groovy poetry form! This is an acrostic, a poetry form in which the first letter/syllable/word of each recurring feature in the text spells out a word or message within the text. They're fairly common in medieval literature although it's said to have roots in Greece.
They've been of great interest ever since I heard about them - mysterious and unknown to the world and work to obtain a goal that may sound well-intentioned but in reality destroy lives? It makes me wonder what PuffBalls was inspired by to come up with a group like them. I have so many questions for them - what are they up to in the grand scheme of things? If they have control over time, then why send the package to the prison at that exact point? Who - or what - are the ones in charge? How come no one knows of them? ...Why do any of this at all?
This poem's subject matter is two-fold - the anarchy itself and the anarchist that brings it about with his abilities.
'Brother' - a reference to George Orwell's novel, '1984'. Big Brother is Watching Him.
Chapter 13: Zuzu's Petals
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Parallel
My mind quakes from disbelief and wrath
The clan leads to nothing but tightness and pain
Those criminals left me in a cold bloodbath
My mind quakes from disbelief and wrath -
Long ago I met them on the Red Mesa path
And then at a museum where there was much to lose and gain
My mind quakes from disbelief and wrath
Joining the clan leads to nothing but tightness and pain.
The clan was my home -
I thought I could trust you, O Fathers;
I helped you and you just... left me to roam.
The clan was my home...
But your back stabs morphed into a syndrome.
...Why did I join? Why did I help with the plot? What were the bothers?
The clan was my home.
I thought I could trust you, O Fathers!
But I won't give in or give up -
Sweet vengeance will be mine.
This will be a wild roundup,
But I won't give in or give up.
I hope you bring plenty of backup -
Your lives and my own are on the line.
But I won't give in or give up -
Sweet vengeance will be mine.
------------
Pair of Siblings?
Two people shared the last name Rose,
And outsiders thought it safe to suppose:
Brother and sister were they?
But to others' surprise or delay -
No, they never even met or got close!
------------
A Parting and a Promotion
The government's been given the ax?
All that funding and training gone to wax...
Welp, time to send a fax -
To the Toppats, to the max!
------------
Prison Meeting
There was once an officer named Dave-
Action and arresting was all he could crave.
With pride he booked his first crook,
And smirked as he did things by the book
But assured him with a friendly wave.
Notes:
A/N: Had to write these after watching Puffballs' live stream on the game. He revealed some interesting information regarding certain characters, and so all of that inspired these quick poems. I originally wanted to post them yesterday, but things happened so here they are!
The name of this chapter is a reference to the 1946 film, "It's a Wonderful Life". Within that film, Zuzu Bailey, the youngest daughter of George Bailey (the main star played by Jimmy Stewart) brought a flower home from school. She was upset that a few petals had fallen off and so George pretended to reattach them back to the flower, but secretly pocketed them away. And after George wondered and wished what the world would be like if he had never been born, granted by his guardian angel, he is given a second chance at life and notices that changes that had occurred if he didn't exist were returned - like the petals in his pocket.
The petals here all represent aspects from the tidbits of information that Puffballs dropped about what could have been, confirmations about facts or what I interpreted from the discussion. I might do another session of 'Zuzu's Petals' if I learn more information on the games, but please take of this what you will.
'Parallel' - originally Ellie was supposed to have her own spin-off story! She was supposed to be a Toppat, meet Reginald and Right Hand Man in prison, do a heist at the museum where they involve the mayor in their plan and she was left behind by them before being captured by the Wall. I believe this story had to be cut because of conflicting plot points. Reginald, I wouldn't keep on calling the kettle black if the pot itself isn't looking too good on the stove. Stop betraying others, will ya? These triolets sum up Ellie's feelings and history with the clan, and they also mirror her hunger for vengeance in the same ruthless way as Henry does in 'Revenged'.
'Pair of Siblings?' - According to this statement from Puffballs, Ellie and Jacob Rose are not siblings or related in some familial line. Please don't shoot the messenger - I'm just a delivery gal. This limerick was made to see what would happen if the two did hear this assumption about them.
'A Parting and a Promotion' - This doesn't come from anything said by the creator, but according to a YouTube video collaboration, someone came across the code for the game and found some unused content for a Toppat!Charles bio. This one (and this poem is an epigram by the way) is a little hard to decipher in fact - when this was brought to Puffballs' attention, he didn't really elaborate or confirm this fact. In fact he sounded confused. But according to the bio, this character, and I quote, 'betrayed the government and joined the Toppats due to a government shutdown'. Now this bio's name could very well be a placeholder title for Burt for all we know, but it's still fascinating to learn this point of fact. And who knows? Maybe it gives a little backstory to either/or character haha!
'Prison Meeting' - This might have been said so casually, but Dave was supposedly the one who arrested Henry in the original Flash version of 'Breaking the Bank'. Puffballs, at one point, was asked on why Dave would go with Henry in the events of Toppat Civil Warfare. His response was, to paraphrase, 'Dave is a nice guy underneath it all.' I'm inclined to agree with him on that! In any case, this limerick was written up to showcase Dave's kindness right at the start even if he had to arrest Henry.
Also fun fact about Dave's last name - apparently it came from the Henry Stickmin wikia back in the day and it was some surname someone made up. Puffballs liked it and so added it to Dave's name.
Oof, this is a lot to write. But these poems were great fun to write and I got a lot of practice out of it. Enjoy! :)
Chapter 14: Toppat Time: A Space Sunrise
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Mine eyes have seen the young king's glory:
He leads us free and into space territory;
He is the author of a new chapter in our story:
His reign rises.
I saw him achieve the great impossible:
He cheated laws and jumped many an obstacle;
His luck flips fate's sides - he is unstoppable:
His sun rises.
I watched in awe as he moves in the breeze:
He defends the clan with the greatest of ease -
He pushed the meddling G-men back into the trees;
His strength rises.
I witnessed a new rule begin -
Leader past bestowed the title with a grin;
Clan lines are no longer thin;
His star rises.
I observed his new Right Hand Lady -
She is his equal, fiery, wild and crazy;
Their fingers intertwine daily;
His love rises.
With this my pages are spun:
They will dawn into history like the sun,
Now and for years to come.
Henry Stickmin rises.
Notes:
A/N: I hope everyone had a Happy New Year! In honor of the occasion, I wanted to write something that interwove the theme throughout the stanzas. This poetry form is a free verse type of poetry called an occasional poem. This type of poetry is written to document or provide commentary on an event, perhaps even give praise to someone. Oftentimes it can be read or performed publicly like a speech.
And so, this came about. This is not written from any specific point of view - I wrote this from a perspective in the same way the Magic School Bus books were narrated through the eyes of an unnamed classmate. But I can imagine that the Toppats would need someone to act as a recorder for all the leaders and write tales for them to be archived for the clan's history, so this would be a recorder speaking to the audience in the events of "Toppat King".
About the Ellie bit, yes, I confess - I like the Henry/Ellie pairing.
References:
The title was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's film "2001: A Space Odyssey".The way this poem was written was inspired by "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." There's even a little nod to it in the beginning of the poem.
Enjoy, and may you all have a safe new year!
Chapter 15: Portraits on a Rack
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Their unique hats eternally held in portrait pose,
One by one modeled as examples in a painted clasp.
Power passed down to wear and keep close;
Preferences in style shed in skin like an asp.
Ask I must, can they don many hats for they to compose?--
To grow - lead or destroy - within a moment's grasp?
Notes:
A/N: I struggled with writing this poem so it took a little longer than necessary, but better late than never. This is an ekphrastic, a poem focusing on works of art like photographs, statues or paintings. The name and poetry form, if you guessed it, come from Greece. It's a free-for-all in terms of structure within ekphrastics, so I chose the acrostic format once more.
Within the game, there is a subtle look into the Toppats' history with their leaders in the portrait gallery. I initially wanted this poem to focus on Terrence, but I became inspired to write about the leaders as a whole, and what better way than to focus on the art featuring them? There is a slight nod to him however. Regardless, this is my interpretation - the leaders wearing many hats in more ways than one to carry out their individual methods of leadership. But who can wear those many hats and who can't?
Enjoy!
Chapter 16: Charcoal Bird
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Soft rains have come and poisoned the earth,
leaves fluttering and trees burning in rebirth.
Silence of life burns like the fires of war;
the metal causer's mighty growl is no more.
The jungle watches from afar in fascination;
the clan's self-important monument? Now its own damnation.
Yet in all of life's wisdom hope remains;
a fledgling escapes its cage, free of its chains.
Out from the ashes like a phoenix anew,
the bird in black stumbles, his heart innocent and true.
His body is weak but his soul is brave;
He is the proof of survival - a young guard named Dave.
Notes:
A/N: I never thought I would be inspired by "There Will Come Soft Rains" - that poem is so creepy, especially the context when used for Mr. Ray Bradbury's short story. Yipe. But it did make for a good foundation for this lyric poem taking place after the events of Revenged. A lyric poem expresses emotions or feelings, and it's spoken as though it was accompanied with a lyre. It's not exactly a song, but it can be seen as that. And like many other poetry forms, this also comes from Ancient Greece.
Mr. Dave Panpa, former prisoner of the Toppats. Now the sole survivor of cannibalism as they fought and ate each other alive for power - the one thing that two members fought brutally over and both lost. And Dave somehow won his freedom back. What will be the first thing he does? Run? Collapse? Thank his stars he's free? Regardless of what may occur, this is a potential that's not over yet for Dave.
...In the Twilight Zone. I've always wanted to say this line haha.
Enjoy!
Chapter 17: Patience Thinning
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Rupert once heard a rumor that had spread,
About himself and the hair upon his head.
When he found the answer about,
His patience thinned out,
And now those people are dead.
Notes:
A/N: Another limerick, this time starring our very own Rupert Price. According to certain sources, there's some sort of strange debate going on about whether Rupert has thin hair or not... even though he has sideburns, but I digress. I'm not completely sure how it evolved, but from what I do know (and if this is incorrect please don't hesitate to let me know), during one of Puffballs' live streams of the game, he made some nonchalant joke about Rupert and his hair. Everything spiraled from there. At first I didn't think much of it, but the more I saw this occurring on social media, the stronger the desire to do a poem regarding Rupert and what he would do if he caught wind of the debate grew. I think he'd get sick of it and would want to move on from it; I would too if I was the subject of debate.
That said, if you're someone who likes to engage in debate and is somehow involved with the whole affair, then I say kudos and rock on, but please don't be offended if this poem set you off in some way. This poem was written to express Rupert's feelings if he found out about the rumor and what he'd do about it. Limericks are based on humor and so this is not to be taken seriously, especially (and ironically) with a serious-minded person like Rupert.
With that, enjoy!
Chapter 18: A Doubting Beta
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Doubting the pack's frenzied mind,
The polished wolf with a single voice shines like glass.
His new pack retreats; no time to spare or unwind.
The old clan status cannot break the ties that bind.
He'll follow the alpha anywhere from sand to grass.
A civil fight has been declared and defined,
Much to his dread made amass.
The enemy's hatred has made her blind,
His old allies all too eager to harass;
One of the worst days in his eyes, alas.
Outsiders ask, 'why, when your bones were in a grind?
Why follow him, why does he get a pass?'
'Simple; he jumps and howls his courage and proves his worth'.
Who is this loyal beta? There is one more fact to unearth:
He is Thomas - a doubter of lies, a follower of truths, and a Toppat of class.
Notes:
A/N: Thomas is cool! He's one of the few Toppats during the events of Toppat Civil Warfare - and I think in general - who uses reason and individual intellect as opposed to following the crowd just because Reginald says to do this or that. And he makes wearing two monocles look very impressive too.
So what we have here is the poetry form known as the 'cinquain' form. It's also known as a quintain or quintet, which is a poem or stanza made of five lines. According to sources, the origin for this poetry form dates back to medieval French times.
The common rhyme schemes used for cinquains are the following: ababb, abaab, and abccb. I used all three rhyme schemes, and thus made three cinquains, for Thomas because I didn't feel like writing one quintet was enough for him. I felt like he needed at least three poems to help tell what happened through his point of view and explain why he would follow Henry even when he got the short end of the stick on more than one occasion because of Henry's actions. He seems like someone who would follow a leader who isn't afraid to jump into the fray and lead the clan to a successful hunt like the alpha in a wolf pack.I went with the wolf motif because I figured it was the best way to describe the mob mentality the clan adopted at the time of Henry's dethronement as well as the formation of Henry's own small band of rebels - two packs fighting over one source of power.
References:
-The reference to the phrase 'doubting Thomas'? Very intentional. Enough said.Enjoy!
Chapter 19: Cheese Head
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There was once a hat made of cheese;
unwanted by all but one with a goal to seize.
The smell of dairy put his peers into a funk,
But he didn't mind if the number of roommates shrunk -
He wanted to have the room to himself as he pleased!
Fredrick Muenster is his name,
Running wild with Toppats is his game.
How did he join the nefarious clan?
He stole flashy cars, wines, and a pan,
And the Packers, to which he felt no shame!
If asked why he chose the hat of dairy -
He would give an answer so slow and airy:
"Cheese is good for you in health and smell".
But this reply doesn't suit him well -
His allergy to cheese makes him wary!
Notes:
A/N: I recently illustrated an art piece featuring Fredrick and his infamous cheese hat, and felt the urge to write something silly with him as the star of the chapter. I didn't want to stop with just one limerick however and instead expanded the limerick count up to three, with a little backstory thrown in for fun and to give more insight into how he joined the Toppats. I like this guy in spite of his goofy attire haha.
Enjoy!
References:
-I'm not well-versed with gridiron, but very time I see Fredrick now, I can't help but picture him as a fan of Green Bay's home team, the Packers!
Chapter 20: Two to Tango: Renga One
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Pandora's Bag
Desert time passes -
Another day on the road,
Moving to and fro.
The scenery, though barren,
Is quite beautiful.
We move like nomads -
Our two-party caravan
Filled with bright riches.
But it is not ours to keep -
The vault is its home.
I am head driver -
I make the turns and the twists
In our routine path.
And I follow behind him;
I trust his wisdom and calm.
I am the sidekick -
I provide questions and laughs
In our routine path.
And I lean on him for help;
I trust his judgment and strength.
But a change would come -
A seed of chaos contained
In a magic bag.
Now released by Pandora,
The seed's anarchy has spread.
A poison is felt -
Its strong fumes are inhaled
By the affected.
It clouds justice's great mind;
Innocence is doomed for life.
The team has split up -
My partner? The seed snatched him;
He runs from the law.
My partner? The seed pushed him;
He left the desert and hides.
Our paths are no more.
I do think about him sometimes -
Winston was my friend.
I do think about him sometimes.
Ted was my friend; only hope.
Notes:
A/N: Henry may not be the most evil character out there, but he is his own Pandora and box. He has unleashed all of the chaos into the world yet has also left behind hope for some. This type of poetry will be the first of an unknown number of poems that will be focusing on the dynamics between various duos in the games. It's called a renga, a genre of Japanese collaborative poetry. Two poets will work on the same poem, but one poet will write the first three lines in the familiar haiku 5-7-5 count while the second poet will write the last two lines with a 7-7 syllable count that responses to the first three lines.
Needless to say, this first set of renga focuses on the first duo we see in 'Breaking the Bank' - Ted McAdams and Winston Davis. They were tricky to write for as they're only in their scenes for a few seconds. That leaves little time to discern who they are as people. But it was a good challenge - it led to my writing out how they viewed each other and what their feelings were on everything that happened from 'Breaking the Bank' to 'Infiltrating the Airship'.
References
-Pandora's box? Borrowed freely from the Greek myth.Enjoy!
Chapter 21: Two to Tango: Renga Two, Part One
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Pandora's Box, or Rising Action, Falling Action -- Part One
The desert prison -
My work station for eight years.
It is an honor.
My heart is pounding too fast -
I'm excited for my job!
I meet the rookie -
So kind, so eager... so young.
And my new partner
I meet him, an officer -
A seasoned fighter, my guide.
I teach him the ropes -
He made an arrest today,
And for that, I'm proud.
My first day went very well;
I apprehended a crook.
I learn about him -
His background, his inner self,
And I become fond.
I converse with him and know -
More about the man and friend.
I learn about him -
His backstory, his person,
And I am amazed.
I converse with him and know -
More about the man and friend.
But a split would come -
Pandora hid in a box,
unbeknownst to us.
The box looked normal and clean,
Untouched by mystical means.
The box held horrors.
Opened by the new inmate,
The old world forever changed.
He escaped from the small cell;
And that was because of me.
Notes:
A/N: And more heck has been unleashed into the world! Dave and Rupert have a little more substance to their relationship than Ted and Winston did in the last chapter, so this will be the start of a two-parter renga. This first half focuses on the events within 'Escaping the Prison', and the second half will focus on their individual paths starting from 'Stealing the Diamond' to 'Completing the Mission'.
References:
-Pandora's actual box is here, and Henry is her substitute.Enjoy!
Chapter 22: Two to Tango: Renga Two, Part Two
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Pandora's Box, or Rising Action, Falling Action -- Part Two
I attempt to fight -
Defend my friend and take fault,
But to no avail.
I accept it was my blame,
But try to be strong in heart.
My feelings of guilt -
Sown from mistakes made by me.
But the worst has come.
I look my friend in the eye -
And I come to say goodbye.
My resolve ignites -
I must correct my mistakes.
I will work harder.
I must keep moving forward -
Some job is waiting for me.
------------------------
I rise in ranking -
I push hard around the clock,
No more work mishaps.
At last, I have found a place!
The museum awaits me.
All is quiet now -
No disruptions have occurred.
It is too silent.
My responsibility?
I find it nice and peaceful.
But he would return -
Like a shadow in the night,
A gem was taken.
Chaos disrupted all peace,
With Pandora ruling it.
----------
I renew myself -
My armor is green not blue;
My own chrysalis.
My soft armor gleams in black;
Soon to have its own deep tears.
I scowl like a wolf -
My pack must work with that thief!
One thief against more.
My memory is a haze -
I was taken by a clan.
I watch like a hawk-
Whatever his choices say,
I will be ready.
I now sit weary and caged.
I wait for something to come.
-------------
The paths twist and wind-
I move fast every which way,
As solemn duty.
I have no box or treasure-
Life is all that I have left.
I think about him-
And wonder what happened to him.
I hope he is well.
I think about him and pause;
Does he know where I am now?
I will look for Dave.
That is my vow, no matter-
No matter the cost.
I will see Rupert again.
I have faith that he will come.
Notes:
A/N: The two-parter for this renga between Dave and Rupert will conclude on a hopeful note, for it is said that when Pandora opened the box, all of the horrors and terrors and fears and monsters of the world were unleashed, but there was one element that remained from within; hope.
References:
-That box of Pandora's likes to move around a lot, and so does Henry.Enjoy!
Chapter 23: Two to Tango: Renga Three
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Partner Swap
I am a good sport -
I try and get to know Kurt;
It does not start well.
I work with a new person,
And he talks so much - oh joy.
What were they thinking? -
Peace and quiet is tossed out.
I despise this job.
It is kind of boring here,
But at least I am employed.
------------------------
I push past limits -
Something my new partner likes,
And doesn't mind it.
Law enforcement calls for iron;
I like that about this guy.
It is quite a sight -
He is strong like a workhorse;
Fierce like a dragon.
Johnny is on the same page;
We both want to be the best.
----------
And yet I look back -
And I think about my friend.
It is not the same.
And I think about my friend.
I hope to see him again.
Notes:
A/N: Sorry I haven't been uploading poems - I hit a temporary session of poetry burnout. But here's another renga chapter to make up for it, featuring Dave and Rupert interacting with their partners, Kurt Dietrich and Johnny Panzer, at their respective jobs after EtP. We may not know what Johnny was like when he and Rupert were working together, but when a partner's down for the count, you're supposed to do something about it. The first two stanzas feature Dave and Kurt, the third and fourth stanzas feature Rupert and Johnny, and the last stanza is one that combines the feelings and reflections from both Dave and Rupert.
Enjoy!
Chapter 24: Two to Tango: Renga Four, Part One
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Winds of Green -- Part One
I am a captain -
I lead within the four winds;
The military.
I join something much bigger-
I go out and save the world.
I meet my leader-
I proudly serve by his side.
My mistakes are gone.
Diligence sits in his eyes-
He works hard to make things right.
We both are alert-
We have no time for nonsense.
We have work to do.
We have no time for nonsense.
We have to stop the Toppats.
Notes:
A/N: It's time for Hubert Galeforce to shine! And Rupert makes his appearance again. I was originally going to write at least five rengas for the relationship between Hubert and Rupert (hey that rhymes!), but then I thought 'what if less was more here?' Mainly because in 'Infiltrating the Airship', Rupert does not say one word - perhaps to emphasize just how serious and determined he's become over the events of 'EtP' and 'StD'? Granted he didn't have a major role to play in 'ItA' but if we compare his character in that to how he was in 'EtP', we can see that he did undergo a transformation in personality. Why not follow suit and write less to show Rupert's character growth? For Hubert, I feel that in his wisdom, he will observe a new recruit and get to know them first when they join. Being in the military for as long as he has, as far as we can see by his mannerisms and physical appearance, he's bound to have learned something about leadership in his time in the military.
I do have the second part to this renga planned after this, and then once it's written and posted, I'm going to take a break from writing rengas for the sake of avoiding monotony. I don't know what I'll do after the second part, but in any case, enjoy!
Chapter 25: Two to Tango: Renga Four, Part Two
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Winds of Green -- Part Two
I am a leader -
But I do not lead alone;
I have my wingman.
He flies strong like an eagle -
Over the land, sea and sky.
I may have young blood,
But I have skills like no other.
I follow my boss.
He is very close to me -
Kind, brave, loyal, endearing.
We work as one team.
Our goal - bring down enemies,
And serve and protect.
Our goal - bring down enemies.
Those Toppats won't get away.
Notes:
A/N: Back to WtT with the second part of the renga featuring Galeforce! This time this focuses on his relationship with his second-in-command. Like others, I too think Galeforce sees Charles as a son to him, or at least he's close to him. He's the only one to refer to Charles as 'Charlie'. And I just realized this - this mirrors a dynamic with Reginald and Right Hand Man. Not quite in the same context, with the roles switched around, but Right is the only one who refers to Reginald as 'Reg'. Heh.
And now, onto something completely different from rengas. Enjoy!
Chapter 26: Luck of the Sticks
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
There were two men of sticks,
Both equipped with their own tricks.
But one was a thief,
Causing the other some grief,
And completely rendering life a mix!
Henry is the thief in question -
His skills have made him a worldly sensation.
Well known for stealing a jewel -
All the while evading logical rule,
One has to wonder what was the luck's manifestation?
Maybe it started at a prison cell -
Located in the desert, part of a tall tale to tell.
And then by strange dry fate,
It chose a guard named Dave as bait,
To carry a cursed box holding a spooky spell!
Perhaps it came from a cake,
Brought to Henry in a package that was fake.
When he tried to dig in,
Upon his face formed a grin -
His adventures continued, make no mistake!
Dave is the man with no break-
Losing jobs is a cause for his headache.
He's kidnapped by goons in hats,
Faster than you can say 'rats!'
And now he's cursing a stupid not-cake!
Notes:
A/N: As a bonus, here are some limericks for Saint Patrick's Day fun featuring two different men with different types of luck. Short and straight to the point, I think these speak for themselves on the luck Dave and Henry have. Henry might receive bad luck, but compared to Dave, Henry's pretty much got it made with good luck... or dumb luck, whichever comes first.
Enjoy, and to those who celebrate the holiday, I hope it's a good one! :)
Chapter 27: The Leprechaun?
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
The Leprechaun was no magic creature -
He was a crook, one with a Toppat brand and feature.
Yet he embraces the title,
Dressing in green, obtaining riches and stealing things vital -
Maybe there is some magic to his procedure!
Notes:
A/N: In light of St. Patrick's Day, I actually forgot about this guy. Oops! But here's a piece with him now. Enjoy this silly limerick!
Chapter 28: Spring Rose
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
War Rose
Hope springs eternal -
All but one rose - Ellie Rose.
Thorns of war have grown.
Second Rose
A newly crowned rose -
Ellie protects her clan roots.
A duty is grown.
Military Rose
Recruited by fate,
She works with natural laws.
Adventure has grown.
Green Rose
Riches of the green -
She and her partner seek them.
Their new wealth has grown.
Recruit Rose
Two criminal buds.
They join the garden of thieves.
Their freedom has grown.
Pardoned Rose
Two criminal buds.
They repent for their thief ways.
Their new leaves have grown.
Cold Rose
Locked up behind cold,
The rose flares up her petals.
Her fire has grown.
Love Rose
A stick man saves her.
They learn about each other.
Love for him has grown.
Notes:
A/N: Another haiku set, starring the one and only Ellie Rose in her natural seasonal setting - spring. This is me writing out Ellie as she is in different routes - Toppat Leader!Ellie, Right Hand Lady!Ellie, Government Agent!Ellie, Capital Gains!Ellie, Toppat Recruit!Ellie, Pardoned!Ellie and Prisoner!Ellie. With a bonus haiku that may or may not be hinting at a certain pairing.
Speaking of Ellie, I have a few updates regarding my short stories that'll share here.
Roses, Lilies and Two Lips: Working on the third and final chapter of this story. I don't know when it'll be posted, but it's coming.
Through Smoke and Bitter Distance: I'm having a writer's block with one section of this story. I know what will happen, it's just the actual writing that's the problem.
Did they mention the Pink Panther?: Not working on it at the moment, but I'm fairly lax about updating this story.
In the meantime, enjoy! :)
Chapter 29: A Dish Best Served
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Right Hand Men and clans -
Eat and thrive on force and tricks.
Vinschpinstilstein knows.
Even she steers away from them.
Now she will build a hero.
Gone, he once appeared.
Easily she gave him life.
Determined to fight.
Notes:
A/N: Dr. Vinschpinsilstein is one of those characters who's glanced over a lot compared to others. I'm guilty of this myself, as I do like her and think she's a terrific character, but for some reason when I think of her, I'll think 'Oh yeah she's a great character' but I don't go deeper than that. This tanka, combined with a haiku and written as an acrostic, is my remedy for that.
Enjoy!
Chapter 30: The Art Mole
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Deemed a beloved son by the city crowd,
It appeared he was a champion of the arts.
A well dressed fellow seasoned in civics, also an art lover loud.
Mayor Gene Fredrickson adored them all - libraries, sculptures, and ancient hearts.
Oh he was a crafty fellow for he worked behind a cloud.
Now he was to hustle for his Toppats, and this is where his story starts -
Diamond of Tunisia gleamed so brightly, behind a glassy shroud.
Notes:
A/N: No, this is not a post-April Fool's joke. This is a real poem starring a fictional mayor with a Toppat background and a 'what could have been' trivia behind him. For those who don't know, Gene Fredrickson was originally conceptualized to be an inside man for Reginald, Right Hand Man and Ellie. They were going to steal the diamond, and he was their contact and the brains behind the operation. I took a bit of that history and incorporated it into this ekphrastic-acrostic hybird. Enjoy!
Chapter 31: Leprechauns and Witches Don't Commit Crimes
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
All know the Toppats - a notorious clan.
Members rooted in rich history, every woman and man.
There is one Toppat in green,
Ever so greedy and keen -
He's secretly a leprechaun on the lam!
She is no charlatan, she is the witch!
Her hands sows spices and herbs.
But she is a criminal, has that thieving itch.
She is no charlatan, she is the witch!
Though spells and remedies make her rich,
She is odd by her peers, but sides she will not switch.
She is no charlatan, she is the witch!
Her hands sows spices and herbs.
Kindred spirits, crooked beings-
They share a bond like no other.
Leprechaun and witch spend time in their greetings,
Sharing secrets and gossip and raids and teachings.
They wouldn't have this relationship with another.
Notes:
A/N: Nothing like experiencing sickness over the weekend and writing up poems to deal with them. I'm fine now but sheesh, was it annoying feeling sick. Onto the chapter! Quick question - did anyone else come up with this idea before? If not, I'm surprised given the love for the background characters. Pairing them up does create room for potentiality, I think. These series of poems (limerick, triolet and cinquain respectively) - you can see them as friends or something more, however works for you. Enjoy!
References:
-The title is a throwback to the The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids. The kids have encountered so many mystical and supernatural creatures that should they meet the Leprechaun and the Witch from the Toppats, they would probably be used to all those kooky happenings by now. XD
Chapter 32: Gadget Spirit
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
High forms
with the movement of gods,
Perilous aspect;
And one said:
Be warned upon approach.
He is difficult to contain.
He is classified as extremely lucky.
I'ma be honest with you, this one isn't that great...
It certainly does suck!
Handle with caution.
Turn yourself into a liquid and bend your molecules around or through any object! It's fantastically easy to use!
You'll walk through walls!
You'll never run out of space with this bad boy!
Transport the biggest things with relative ease!
This card is to notify you that your location has been cleared of potential chaos.
Notes:
A/N: Never try to contain a wild spirit, for he is unpredictable and can't be broken easily.
This is a new form of poetry I'm trying out - the found poem. It functions as a collage of sorts; found poetry combines texts from anything literary (newspaper articles, street signs, reports, letters, poems, reviews, you name it), edits them and fashions them into one poem.
References:
-I actually wrote this a long time ago, so I am ashamed to say that unfortunately I don't remember where I collected some of the phrases but I do know they came from video games, I think Mortal Kombat, due to the HS series containing many game references. Why not do as the Sticks do, right? Speaking of sticks, most of the text I do know comes from the collection itself - Henry's files from both Infiltrating the Airship during Galeforce's briefing and Fleeing the Complex (from the original trailer for the game which you can see on Puffballs' YouTube account) a business card from the Center for Chaos Containment,and last but not least, Gadget Gabe's reviews on the sometimes shoddy products Henry uses.I think Gadget Gabe is in league with the Acme Corporation. Yeesh.
Enjoy, all and Happy Friday!
Chapter 33: Room with an Earth View
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
It's an earth song, time to party!
And I've been waiting, let's play it!
It's an earth song, let's sing from the stars!
I've been waiting to play Earth a star song!
Our star home hovers as a bee over a flower in the sun.
Our star home looks over her grace, a gem in the night.
Our star home provides views of her cosmic kin.
Our star home paints with a green and blue brush.
It's an earth song, time to party!
And I've been waiting, let's play it!
It's an earth song, let's sing from the stars!
I've been waiting to play Earth a star song!
It's an earth song, time to party!
And I've been waiting, let's play it!
It's an earth song, let's sing from the stars!
I've been waiting to play Earth a star song!
I picked up this shell as a hermit crab on a beach -
I picked up this shell from horse thieves and tamed them -
I picked up this shell and nurtured fruits of gold and green -
I picked up this shell and hung up my crook cuffs -
It's an earth song, time to party!
And I've been waiting, let's play it!
It's an earth song, let's sing from the stars!
I've been waiting to play Earth a star song!
This has been an ode to Earth the greatest gem of them all!
My soul's clean as mountain wind, no longer scattered!
It's an earth song, time to party!
Notes:
A/N: Today is a day to honor the Earth and all it does for every living organism - Earth Day! This is my humble contribution to the event. This is a form of poetry known as jazz poetry. Needless to say, it's poetry that demonstrates jazz-like qualities, having no real rhyme or scheme and provides improvisation.
Henry is one for improvisation and it wouldn't surprise me if that's what he did to turn the Toppats' space station into his space resort. I almost thought of writing a story why he stole it and converted it into a resort when it seems to have come from out of the blue, but that would have defeated the purpose of this poetry form. Although I guess I kind of did that already.
I like Stickmin Space Resort. And now I'm getting another bite from the evil plot bunny to do something with this route. Darn it - I'll need to take it in to the vet!
References:
I looked to Mr. Langston Hughes' poem, "An Earth Song" for inspiration and it even shows with the similar written format. But I also listened to nice and smooth Latin Jazz to write to. I like to listen to many Jazz genres for music, and Latin Jazz is one of my favorite genres. The song I chose, in fact, is a favorite of mine - Mr. Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man".Enjoy!
Chapter 34: Seeds of Order, Reaper of Freedom
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Seeds of order sown into the clan.
Now that HE has left in the night,
Freedom is reaped, par for the Toppat plan.
Needless destruction is a ban;
Honor, class and perfect crime take flight -
Seeds of order sown into the clan.
Formerly his right hand man,
I rejected the rank and pitched a fight;
Freedom is reaped, par for the Toppat plan.
I think up a design with a large wingspan;
Something he could scarcely dream of, no creativity or sight.
Seeds of order sown into the clan.
The globe fears us, nothing less than -
Unsurprising, but his influence still leaves its bite.
Freedom is reaped, par for the Toppat plan.
But I can lead us out, yes I can!
I will write our name in the stars and reach a new height!
Seeds of order sown into the clan;
Freedom is reaped, par for the Toppat plan.
Notes:
A/N: What you plant is what you grow! And the leader of the Toppats knows this well in this villanelle (check out chapter seven "Vendetta" for more information on this poetry form). I admit I had considered using this poetry form with the chief before, but I kept putting it off because I couldn't quite find the right starting point for him. Man has a lot of substance to him. Eventually I focused on his thoughts regarding Terrence - what the former leader did, the chief's thoughts on Terrence's actions and leadership skills (or what little there was), and how those actions left a scar on the mustached man's psyche. Terrence has sown a lot of bad seeds in his time and unfortunately, what he reaped ate him like a Venus flytrap.
Enjoy!
Chapter 35: Iron Laputa
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
O Iron Laputa in the wide open sky,
What say you, island of clicks, clanks and metal shell?
What memories do you contain in your glossy mind's eye?
What stories would you sow and tell?
With vulture wings bleeding red,
And your deep rumbles your war yell,
Among us your flight path creates dread.
Your peers see you as sanctuary, battle station, home -
A place to house exotic treasures, fill bellies and rest a head.
They may leave you behind to roam,
To which you commit to remember,
But your reliable spirit shines like chrome.
Burning on wind and fuel and portion of ember
They shall honor you, Airship, an honorary Toppat member!
Notes:
A/N: A different kind of spotlighting, but a very important one. Like the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, the Toppat Airship is a character in its own right despite its non-sentient appearance. If only it could reveal the things it has seen since its first flight, what stories would it tell? Its first step into the world of the Toppats? The moment Terrence was overthrown by Reginald? When it was decimated in Revenged? What would it think if it knew it was left behind by the clan in favor of the space station? All questions to ponder.
The poetry form I'm using is called a terza rima, an Italian form invented by poet Dante Alighieri in the late thirteenth century as a means to structure his epic poem, The Divine Comedy. The end-word of the second line in one tercet - or a group of three lines of verse - will often supply the rhyme for the first and third lines in the following tercet. Thus a rhyme scheme of (ABABCBCDCDED) continues on until the final line or stanza. Some poems can use a couplet to end the scheme, and there are no limits as to the amount of lines a poem composed in this form can have.
References:
-Laputa is not only a reference to the Studio Ghibli film, Castle in the Sky, it's also a reference to a fictional floating and movable island in the book Gulliver's Travels, written by Mr. Jonathan Swift. I thought it fitting to name this poem after the island because of a commonality shared between the Toppats and the Laputans - the populations consist of educated elites and servants (although in the Toppats' case there are no servants to be found) and they are knowledgable in many fields such as mathematics, astronomy, music and technology. They also separate themselves from the world quite often - perhaps as their own forms of paradise? Possible.-"Among us your flight path creates dread": an intentional nod to Among Us, particularly the Airship level. I'm so proud. XD
Enjoy!
Chapter 36: The Scooter's Plea and Praise
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Called on like a noble steed,
The creature listened to its master's need.
Sometimes it wondered why -
Why his master liked to try,
To punish him for its good deed!
Still it stayed by his side,
Happy to always give him a ride.
Plus his master was so kind,
Vital to keep in mind,
To repair its parts and hide.
Through thick and thin they dare,
Pushing pests and cautious care.
More fun to be had,
For Henry the lad
And his scooter in air.
Notes:
A/N: Today is National Limerick Day so in honor of the occasion I wrote up a limerick featuring another unique mechanical perspective. May I present Henry's scooter and its thoughts on its life with Henry. Enjoy!
Chapter 37: The Ballad of the Greatest Action Man
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
I know a son of the air - Valiant is his name.
His mother's gift - duty to his flock and music to the soul.
His father's gift - a path to the wind and life of fun and game.
I protest in jest, but still we play a role-
Attackers of clans and spirits of rescues and adventures full.
But one day I lie in repair and wait for his return,
I see his friend - Henry - crinkling in pain.
Charles' story and comfort, he will learn.
Chaos escaped but gave Charles hope-
A friendship beyond heroes, orders and green.
Growth in courage beyond scope.
Isolation was he to stave off and wean-
And protect this precious gift he would make it seen-
I promise to accompany the lone wolf known.
My armor purrs, but I make not a scene
This brought him warm glow - he was not alone.
I know a son of the air - Valiant is his name.
His mother's gift - duty to his flock and music to the soul.
His father's gift - a path to the wind and life of fun and game.
I protest in jest, but still we play a role-
Attackers of clans and spirits of rescues and adventures full.
His act rewarded him a home among the skies -
Casey and John greet him, or so it is told.
He soars over all, and I feel a race on the rise.
Notes:
A/N: What the scooter is to Henry, the helicopter is to Charles. It's a wonder how many hits it has taken yet remained by his side after all the zany - and sometimes nonsensical - things the man puts it through. I think being in the military will provide you with that tough mindset the helicopter possesses. And where the helicopter is absent, the government spaceship prototype steps in acting as a surrogate ally and spiritual descendent. But like its pilot, the helicopter has the soul of a bard and voice of a free spirit. And it sings the legend of Charles in this poetry form, the ballad.
Hailing from medieval European roots, a ballad stitches crucial moments in a string of events set to music and can be written within thirteen lines with an 'ABABBCBC' format in quatrain stanzas. Themes used to create ballads range from the religious to the romantic, from domestic crimes to dark propaganda, from triumphs to tragedies, and heroes. Beyond Europe, the ballad has slid its way into other cultures, such as America and Australia.
Valiant Hero provided a large source of inspiration for this Charles-centered poem, along with his actions in other routes and endings. Some headcanons and liberties have been taken from YouTuber Two Left Thumbs and his video on Charles' potential backstory - the personal connection to his green steed, his love of music and singing, and the steps he took to become a hero like the heroes of other ballads did even at high costs. I also wanted to post this today because it's the eighth anniversary of when Infiltrating the Airship with Charles making his debut into the world of Henry Stickmin. Happy birthday, Charles. :)
References:
-John Henry and Casey Jones are two legendary heroes in their own right. Both American folk lore figures, the former wielded a mighty hammer against a machine in a race for freedom and opportunity and the latter ran a train faster than the speed of light to deliver people and the mail on time. Both gave their lives and are honored for it.Enjoy!
Chapter 38: Rot Fahrer
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Its leader - Go!
She wanted place. The predator makes and no lands ensue.
Freedom roars.
By her guess then another motorcycle -
Road den.
She, everyday, took content.
Wherever it listens,
Its heart -
There! Off rebellious, streak a best.
Partner, snowy struggle.
A lover and the blue scuffle.
Its heart.
A heart hands there, its now liking.
To rest, it would without.
Its patrols end, frozen.
The friend took it to its side.
Icy Wall, fly!
'Rot Fahrer!', she decrees.
Notes:
A/N: Gosh. I missed writing poems. I've been so swamped with promoting my new book and other real life responsibilities that I haven't had the time to sit down and write for fun. But here's another poem written through a machine's optics!
This poem, upon first glance, doesn't seem to make any sense and appears chaotic. But that comes with the territory when one writes a Dadaism poem! Dadaism is an art movement that was developed in the early 20th century over the pond (and in some places in the US) as a reaction to the first World War. The art movement spanned media of the many species, from collages to sculpture to poetry to cut-up writing. Pieces usually focused on nonsensical and irrational subject matter and could range from discontent towards violence and war to politics and other subject matter.
This poem is my attempt to write something in a cut-up style. That is, you take some text from any literary source, 'cut out' the words, mix them all up together and by subconscious thought, you can create random poems told without reason or rhyme.
I was having a hard time trying to write something and thought that by attempting this format, I could not only shake off the mind cobwebs, but I can also explore another new poetry form.This takes place during 'Convict Allies' through the eyes of a land vehicle and a certain redhead of chaos. I won't explain any more than that and will leave it open to interpretation. Enjoy! Also, happy summer season! :)
References:
-'Rot Fahrer' means 'Red Driver' in German, a nod to a headcanon I've come to accept about our gal - she was involved with a German biker gang before she met Henry and thus, knows how to speak German. If this translation in German is off by any means, please let me know!
Chapter 39: The Knowledge Is -
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Lives?
Wild and intentioned mission.
Will the high world destroy anarchy?
Through ambition and trial?
Our errors - reality!
They deny theirs.
Lives?
to break.
The knowledge is -
A bomb - they want control.
Notes:
A/N: Another Dadaism/cut-up poem - this puts a certain chaos containment group in the spotlight. It's ironic - they contain it by creating more of it without giving a thought of their consequences. Quite scary, really. Enjoy!
Chapter 40: The Green-Eyed Leprechaun
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Leprechaun, Toppat -
Is your judgement steadfast?
You glare at the recruits...
You distrust? Do broadcast!
'The two are strangers',
You have tried to remind,
'Robbed us of our riches.'
Old news - put it behind!
You are unwilling;
But the clan - thieves clever!
New ones move and plunder -
They too need home ever.
Thief one - quick trickster,
Thief two - a tough fireball.
Their skills combined - genius!
Not so bad, I recall.
'Pah!', you may respond,
Yet your eyes have implied...
Is a monster rooted?
And they are so green-eyed?
Notes:
A/N: It's been a long time since I have written a poem but as today is St. Patrick's Day - Happy St. Patrick's Day, all, by the way! - and I wanted to return to my poems, this was a good opportunity to do so. And who better came to me with an idea to write than the Toppat Clan's own green-hatted Toppat, the Leprechaun!
I initially wanted to write a limerick, but it wasn't really working for me, so I researched and found another type of poetry form that has its origins in Ireland. It's known as the breccbairdne.
An Irish verse form, it consists of rhymed quatrains, or four line stanzas, and relies heavily on rhymes. The first line consists of a total of five syllables in the wording while the remaining three consist of six syllables in the wording. Each line ends with a two-syllable word and all of the end words must consonate, or repeat consonant sounds.
I focused on the Leprechaun because I was curious as to why he looked so irritated at Ellie and Henry during the ending scene of 'Toppat Recruits'. I initially assumed he came off that way to present more of a tough front (as in saying, 'yeah we're bad to the bone') like the rest of the Toppats do, but the green-eyed monster known as jealousy hatched out as an idea and working with it succeeded in helping flesh out more of his personality: perhaps he not only embraces the leprechaun appearance and identity head-on, but he has a hard time trusting strangers who hurt the clan in some way... and may even be jealous of those two strangers who have different skills than he.
For the record, this was written through the eyes of a general Toppat member, so if you so wish, you can imagine one of his comrades talking to the Leprechaun.
Writing in this new poetry form for me was certainly tough, mainly because I could not, according to the guidelines of composing breccbairdnes, use words ending in vowels, so I was always making sure I used words ending with consonants and matched the appropriate syllable count. But it certainly was a nice exercise and it felt good to work towards the ending result.
Enjoy!
Chapter 41: Carol of the Cross Bell
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
New recruits to the clan arrive --
Saved everyone from big dangers,
Blend their talents for a test drive
Yet she thinks they are mere strangers.
Why so eagle-eyed, elite one?
You scowl so like army rangers.
'Discipline must be spun'
Yet she thinks they are mere strangers.
'All newcomers must prove their worth,
'Tis our tasks: leaders, arrangers.
Expect the best,' she said, no mirth.
Yet she thinks they are mere strangers.
A thought occurs: does she dislike?
Those two made marks as game changers
They stole, brought chaos and a strike
So she thinks they are mere strangers.
Notes:
A/N: After working on the Leprechaun's poem, Carol Cross of the Toppats contacted me and wanted her own time in the spotlight. She too looked so moody in the 'Toppat Recruits' ending, and so the poem form I chose is a French one.
It's known as the kyrielle.The kyrielle is a four-line stanza form that has a refrain in the fourth line, and the form itself can manifest in the following rhyme scheme possibilities:
-aabb
-abab (what I chose!)
-aaab
-abcbThe poem's length is up to the writer, but the most important thing to remember when writing in this poetry form: all the lines must contain eight syllables. And thankfully you don't have to worry about ending each line in words with two syllables or consonants. XD
References:
When writing for Carol, I was originally going to use the breccbairdne like I did for the Leprechaun to tie in their similar reactions to Henry and Ellie's recruitment. But then I came across the kyrielle and it felt like a much better form to work with because it has something to do with Carol's name... that is the Christmas association that goes with her name. Christmas carols, or songs, are sung around that time and when looking up the origin of the word carol, I discovered it derived from the Old French word carole, or a dance accompanied by singers (which itself comes from Latin as a brainy bonus lol.) That led me to want to write the poem in a song-ish format. The title itself semi-shares its name with a famous carol, 'Carol of the Bells'.But I added on the 'cross' bell for symbolic means: Carol - in spite of her name's cheerful connotation - is anything but cheerful and is...well, cross. And when bells are rung, they're not always rung to celebrate something good. They can be used as means of sending warnings and/or alarms, or to even mark a grave event that occurred. Here, the bell is rung for Carol to solidify her feelings on the new recruits.
Unlike the Leprechaun's added feelings of envy in the last poem, I see Carol as a person of discernment and discipline. She shares his feelings of distrust, yes, but because she's confirmed to be one of the Toppat elite members, I don't believe she has a reason to be envious of Henry and Ellie. Her expression and body posture seem to indicate that she'll be keeping a very close eye on them to make sure that they don't do anything to betray the clan's trust. One wrong move and it's out they go.
In some ways, I think her emotions are a little more powerful than the Leprechaun's: when looking at the final scene of that path, you can see she has one hand covering a fist and her facial expression looks was more sharp and tough than the former's expression. She is not a person to underestimate or anger, and once more, she is a top member of the group so of course she's going to have a say in how things work in the Toppat Clan. All rookies to the clan are probably going to want to stay on her good side and not give her a reason to kick them out... especially if they did something dramatic like stealing a ruby, sending an airship to crash and/or putting Toppats in danger of getting killed or captured by the military. Be on your best behavior, Henry, and watch out for him, Ellie.
Enjoy, all! :)
Chapter 42: A Gentle Reminder of Dues
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Cross one, you wish to speak?
Your fury makes me shake and creak.
Echo. Creak.
Cross one. Your heart has a desire?
Echo. Fire.
Cross one. Memory is old, so you provide?
Echo. Provide.
Cross one. Toys, meddling kids and dog?
Echo. Fog.
Cross one. Stealing wealth like spies?
Echo. Lies.
Cross one. Also owe you - loans and life?
Echo. My life.
Cross one. Bills green, those you want?
Echo. Want...
Cross one. Pay my dues, is that right?
Echo. Fight!
Cross one. Not on myself, please come back?
Echo. Smack!
Cross one. Time is precious, can you wait?
Echo. Hate!
Cross one. I have a plan in motion!
Echo. Motion!
Cross one. Your grip is strong, no hurt!
Echo. HURT!
Cross one....
Echo. Cross.
Notes:
A/N: And by gentle, Carol ('Echo' as she is called here) means she's giving a harsh reminder to Stu (or 'Cross one' as he is referenced here). Lesson learned: if Carol tells you to pay your dues, then do it but time after time.
Continuing on the movement of posting the latest chapters in all of my Henry Stickmin stories in honor of the third anniversary of the final game in the Henry Stickmin Collection, Completing the Mission, I present the latest poem, with a focus on the 'Special BROvert Ops' ending with a glance into the tense conversation between Carol Cross and Stu Pendles on top of the Toppats' rocket.
This form of poetry is known as an echo verse. It's when repetition of the end of a line or stanza mimics an echo and can also present a change in the meaning of the word or part being repeated. Sometimes the word 'echo' would be included in before the next line to make the poem seem more musical or dramatic, but it's not necessary. Echo poetry was especially popular in England, France and Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries, and back then, it was mostly used to describe pastoral or dramatic scenes.
Going with this poetry device was interesting because I haven't heard of it until recently, and I was trying to look for something that could fit well with the exchange between the two Toppats. Carol is all about getting her money from this guy and she will persist until she gets it from him, so you could say that here, she's repeating her goal to him over and over until he either pays her... or he gets pummeled into next week.
The ending, however, differs from other echo poems because of how I leave it ambiguous and provide no real response from Stu to Carol. All I'll say is that she's extremely cross.
References:
-According to the Henry Stickmin wiki, Stu Pendles is supposedly based off a suspect named Stu Pendous from the show, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. In that show, the man was furious at Carol Colossal, a businesswoman, because she was more successful in her line of work - a toy factory - than he was. Even though it's not quite the same in the Henry Stickmin universe with Carol as the enraged one instead of Stu (Pendous), I do like that nod to Scooby-Doo and wanted to throw in another nod to the show, as well as throw in a small story about what could have happened to make Carol so determined to get her money. So the line 'Toys, meddling kids and dog?' was born.-This poem's structure was borrowed from writers who used this format, such as Mr. Jonathan Swift, as a training ground for writing this type of poem for the first time.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 43: Mistakes - Not Mine
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
How, how?
Every dumb time -
No regret, just anger:
Really came close, gaining riches
Yet... sigh.
Some part,
Tapping, tapping,
Inside my subconscious,
Calling my slip-ups, 'all you own.'
Kill them.
My mind is made.
It matters little, my mistakes.
No, no........
Notes:
A/N: I originally wished to release a new story in honor of the fifteenth anniversary of Breaking the Bank, but that was not possible due to work and other commitments. Instead, I focused this poem on the ending credits from original version of BtB, as there is a piano composition played as the credits roll by: "These Mistakes are Mine Alone", by nubbinownz on Newgrounds. Happy anniversary, Breaking the Bank!
The poetry forms I am using here are a combination of poems - the cinquain poetry format (which uses five lines and has a different number of syllables per line: the first line uses two syllables, the second line uses four, the third six, the fourth eight and the last line goes back to using two), and the acrostic poem, in which the first letter of a word or syllable of each line spells out a word or a message. This was done to celebrate Henry's debut into the world, as well as summarize all he was thinking in the aftermath of BtB.
Writing through Henry's eyes with this piece in mind was interesting - I pictured him as an individual who sees the mistakes he made, and that one small part of him is replaying the events over and over in his mind, perhaps out of both guilt and anger at what happened. But he's kind of stubborn too, and although he knows he's made the mistakes, he's not going to want to take responsibility for them. He doesn't want to admit he was in the wrong with what he did even if his conscience is right: in this instance, he does have nothing to call his own but his mistakes, and he has to live with that for the time being, much to his irritation (and secretly his guilt, but he prefers to stuff that down.)
Also! I have an announcement about my story, "Through Smoke and Bitter Distance". I will be attempting to finish that short story and publish the final chapter by September 1st or 2nd my time, so for those waiting to see if Dave will live or die, you'll have your answer soon haha.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 44: Games and Names
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Handsome Harold is my name; organizing is my game!
Notes:
A/N: After recently writing up the latest installment of ’Special Features’ for my other fanfic for my blog, "Restoring the Soul: The Manor's Tales", which you can check out in my profile, I felt inspired to write a poem for Handsome Harold as I talked about his role in the second chapter for RTS:TMT.
This singular line may not seem like a poem, but I assure you, it’s a unique type of poetry form. This is known as a monostitch, a poem that’s made up of one line of verse. It can be as long as the poet wants it to be to tell a story, but only on the condition that the verse is restricted to a singular line.
For a background character, Handsome Harold has quite a bit of interesting lore to him. He’s in charge of organizing information for the Toppats, he can talk his way out of a bad situation and he’s a fan of Dungeons and Dragons. The last bit was made up by me, but it did prove an important component in creating this poem. He does take his job seriously, but he also has a fun-loving side to him as shown by the dice hat he wears. And in introducing himself this way, he basically tells whoever he’s telling this to (I imagine him in a sticky scenario where he’s trying to think fast and talk his way out) that he has an important role to play and, well, organization is his main job with the Toppats.
After this, I think I need to go visit a dungeon and talk to a dragon down there.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 45: The Raven and the Red
Chapter Text
A new path is chosen:
good, evil, ambivalent,
all patterns migrate from small to large
and not a single outcome remains.
Should sense of self come first,
then the raven writes a new chapter -
made of betrayals in laws of trust,
A new path is chosen.
Red-haired bird left in a cage?
Paid with fear, freedom, greed,
consequences opened themselves;
good, evil, ambivalent.
Wounded by pride, lost in translation,
the raven plots lofty ambitions as
he hungers for power and independence -
all patterns migrate from small to large.
Allies with the few, enemies with the red,
the cunning trickster handles it -
from fickle luck to games of chance,
and not a single outcome remains.
A/N: A Rosemin poem? Not in the ‘Toppat Civil Warfare’ ending!
In an effort to write a late poem to honor St. Valentine’s Day, although there is not so much romance involved as there is the lost opportunity of building a connection of any kind, I wrote up this story told in the format of a cascade poem.
A relatively new poetry form, the cascade poem was invented in 2007. The only significant rule? Take each line from the first stanza of a poem and make each line the final lines of each stanza afterwards - therefore creating a waterfall ‘cascade’ effect. A cascade effect itself, in the general sense, is when an action or event affects more people or things until a large population is impacted. Beyond that, there are no other specific rules for rhyming, number of lines or syllables, and so on. For my own cascade poem, I went with a quatrain version (four lines per stanza, used in the following pattern: ABCD abcA defB ghiC jklD).
References:
This fits into Henry’s modus operandi - all of the choices he makes, great and small, can touch a small group at first before it grows into something bigger than he anticipated, be it with individuals like Dave, Rupert or Ellie, or groups like the government or the Toppat Clan. And his choices, namely the bad ones, can return to bite him. ‘Toppat Civil Warfare’ is a prime example; he leaves Ellie behind after she helps him get out of the cell and after escaping the Wall from Fleeing the Complex herself, she calls out Henry in front of the whole clan. As a result, he’s found guilty by the Toppat court and dethroned from the clan before making his escape with only the few, the proud and the free by his side. And he’ll need to plot carefully if he is to win the battle against his equally crafty opponent.
The raven? A symbol I associate with Henry. Like the bird, Henry can be an opportunistic and crafty thief, and he will use whatever tricks he has on hand to get what he wants... even if the outcomes multiply in ways even he wouldn’t see coming, for good or ill.
Enjoy! :)
PS: Although I missed January’s deadline, I’m going to make it a goal this year to publish at least one poem - or chapter if I get one done on time - every month. So many characters, so many poetry possibilities. Hope your days are well!
Chapter 46: Why? The Desert Asks
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Why does the desert
never make a mistake but
humans make many mistakes?
There is an order
to obey, but I did not
see - I am the outsider.
Notes:
A/N: Yes, but who is the outsider? A riddle for today’s poem, and a way to celebrate the anniversary of Escaping the Prison’s release date, April 11th, when it first appeared in the gaming world in 2010.
Deriving from Zen student-teacher practices, mondo poems are presented as collaborative efforts in answering a question. The answers are often brought forward through finding meaning in nature. Mondo poems can be as short as one-liners or as long as two 5-7-7 syllable stanzas, with the first stanza posing the question and the second stanza providing the answer.
As the game takes place in the desert, I used it to make a point about how it’s a turning point for a character… and more. I’m intentionally leaving out the true identity of the character in question because this poem can be used to focus on more than just one leading role. I will, however, explain that this poem focuses on Henry, Rupert and Dave through different contexts.
Henry - he’s the chaos bringer, an outsider who didn’t obey the rules of staying put within the prison. As he runs into the desert after escaping, he’s voicing his thoughts on the prison guards screwing up their jobs.
Rupert - even if he’s been working at the prison for eight years, he made a large mistake in not checking in with Dave, who is the newcomer (and therefore outsider to an extent) and also messed up in letting Henry get away. That mistake deeply affected him.
Dave - once more, he is the outsider who made a big mistake in not checking the package, and he knows this. He’s regretful for his actions and he can’t do anything to make up for them.There is a certain order evident in the desert, in all of nature, that must be obeyed overall. Yes, sometimes there can be chaotic accidents that can change the natural course (like Henry), but nature is a strong force to reckon with and any attempts to change it can result in unpredictable consequences that is not always for the good of others. In this case, Rupert and Dave have to deal with those effects when the order - their establishment of law and order - is disrupted by an outside force neither could see coming.
I was not able to update this poetry collection last month due to - you guessed it - life, but not only will there be this poem to make it for it, there will also be a new chapter of “Restoring the Soul: The Manor’s Tales” posted this month (or so I hope) to commemorate not only Escaping the Prison’s anniversary, but also the original opening date of the Disneyland Paris attraction, Phantom Manor, which also falls in April.
Enjoy! :)
Chapter 47: Bond of Brothers
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Many a time ago,
on that moonlit grey road,
at the line’s end or so,
came forth a heavy load.
By some duty-bound code,
Johnny was killed by him.
Seeds of emotion sewed,
wounds made to life and limb.
Feeling the need to grow,
I left my police mode,
my soldier role bestowed.
Hard work and resolve explode.
I see Hershall - pain slowed
Scared of news grim
Yet the truth must be owed,
wounds made to life and limb.
I share my tale of woe -
What a grief ride he rode
Yet he’s letting me know?
Glad I’m there to unload -
'Thank you,’ he says, tears flowed
Comfort made full to his brim.
As one, we will offload -
wounds made to life and limb.
Notes:
A/N: To those who served or are serving, this one is for you. As today is Memorial Day, I present a Memorial Day-inspired poem.
The poem is a combination of two poems - a ballad and an elegy. The former poetry form I have used before for my ‘Ballad of the Greatest Action Man’ poem, and I’m using the ABABBCBCA rhyme scheme here, but I’m trying out the latter form for the first time. An elegy is a poem focusing on the subjects of death, mortality and/or grief, and usually does not use any particular meter or rhyme scheme.
With that freedom, I present this poem told through Rupert’s eyes - from his time working with Johnny Panza in the police force to his interaction with Johnny’s father Hershall in the military, I felt fired up to tell a story about what events took place between Stealing the Diamond and Infiltrating the Airship, with a small dose of Completing the Mission thrown into the mix. If Rupert were to meet Hershall in the military after interacting with his son in the police force - and having witnessed Johnny’s demise on account of Henry - I think he would feel terrible about what happened and would be reluctant to tell Johnny’s father. But ultimately, knowing Rupert’s valiant nature, he would take courage and tell him about Johnny. Hershall, though saddened, would feel glad that not only did Rupert tell him the truth of what transpired, but that Rupert was there with Johnny (even if there was little Rupert could do to help his friend out). They would probably try to help each other through the grieving process and remember the guy in their own ways.
Speaking of remembering, I hope that if there’s someone out there who served a greater purpose in some way (no matter if it’s in the military, in school, or even in fanbases), may you feel inspired to thank them for their efforts so that they know that their actions do mean something.
Enjoy!
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Summerspeck on Chapter 12 Wed 30 Dec 2020 04:31PM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 12 Wed 06 Jan 2021 02:09AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 12 Thu 07 Jan 2021 02:24AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 15 Thu 07 Jan 2021 02:53AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 15 Sat 09 Jan 2021 03:20AM UTC
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FriendlyPoltergeist on Chapter 15 Fri 08 Jan 2021 05:58AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 15 Sat 09 Jan 2021 02:53AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 16 Sun 10 Jan 2021 01:45AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 16 Tue 12 Jan 2021 01:25AM UTC
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Winterskies (Guest) on Chapter 17 Tue 12 Jan 2021 05:26PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 17 Wed 13 Jan 2021 12:54AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 18 Thu 14 Jan 2021 01:37PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 18 Sat 16 Jan 2021 08:37AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 18 Sat 16 Jan 2021 05:04PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 18 Mon 18 Jan 2021 02:34PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 18 Jan 2021 02:37PM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 18 Mon 18 Jan 2021 05:36PM UTC
Last Edited Mon 18 Jan 2021 08:56PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 18 Thu 21 Jan 2021 09:51AM UTC
Last Edited Thu 21 Jan 2021 10:27AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 18 Tue 26 Jan 2021 05:56AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 20 Thu 21 Jan 2021 06:36PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 20 Sun 24 Jan 2021 05:25AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 21 Sun 24 Jan 2021 10:40PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 21 Thu 28 Jan 2021 02:03AM UTC
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jewelbaron on Chapter 21 Tue 26 Jan 2021 05:59AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 21 Thu 28 Jan 2021 02:08AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 22 Thu 28 Jan 2021 02:42AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 22 Thu 28 Jan 2021 07:47AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 23 Fri 05 Feb 2021 04:12PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 23 Mon 08 Feb 2021 11:16PM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 25 Wed 17 Mar 2021 08:57PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 25 Wed 17 Mar 2021 10:14PM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 25 Wed 17 Mar 2021 11:54PM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 25 Thu 18 Mar 2021 12:06AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 27 Sat 20 Mar 2021 12:05AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 27 Sat 20 Mar 2021 12:13AM UTC
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VenomQuill on Chapter 27 Sat 20 Mar 2021 01:01AM UTC
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Summerspeck on Chapter 27 Sat 20 Mar 2021 01:26AM UTC
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