Video

[woo_oo]

[Webby appears... upside-down? No, adjusting your mirror-phone won't fix it, she's actually like that - she's practicing headstands, and had turned it on so she could talk.]

Hi everyone! I heard we got a bunch of newbies, so if we haven't met, I'm Webby Vanderquack! I've been here a while, so I figured it's time I really took advantage of all the different people here. See, one day, I'm going to be the best adventurer - slash - spy - slash - explorer, and to do that I need to know absolutely everything about everything!

Plus, I like learning stuff. It's fun!

[Now she begins trying to balance on one hand, then goes back to the other hand.]

Back home, just being with my friends taught me all kinds of things! Dewey taught me about sledding, Huey taught me about the Junior Woodchucks, Louie taught me how con free juice, and Lena taught me how to take no prisoners in a pillow fight.

So what I'm asking is, what do you think you can teach me? I'll take lessons on anything! Weaponry, martial arts, cooking, sewing, photography, hacking, fashion, basket-weaving, lion-taming - uh-oh - WHOA - 

[In the middle of her list, she lost her balance and fell over right onto her side. Oof.]

... how to identify a concussion...

Comments

[abys_keeper]

Very large? [he tilts his head] Very small?

[and then a grin]

Duck ling. I like that. Duck ling. Duck ling. Duuuuckling. [he approves] It's a good song.

I'm from the bloom of the Ancient Deep where the whales go to die and the lantern lady sings her song of the dark. I'm the keeper of Aby's precious memories. So you can call me Keeper. What can I call you?

[woo_oo]

... Pretty sure I said my name to start with, but, okay! I'm Webby Vanderquack! Nice to meet you, Keeper!

[abys_keeper]

Vebbywanderquack. [he laughed] I wasn't paying attention. I was hungry.

[and he still was]

I can teach you how to hunt! That's what all merlings and duuucklings should know.

[woo_oo]

Wait. If a young duck is a duckling, then what's an adult merling?

[abys_keeper]

A mer. [it was simple] Sometimes there are other names too, but it depends on what you are maybe.

[woo_oo]

[Thinking... thinking... ding!]

Liiike... mermaid?

[abys_keeper]

That's one! You're good at this.

[woo_oo]

... OH MY GOSH, AN ACTUAL MERMAID! THIS IS SO COOL!

Are you underwater right now? Do you have gills? Do you lure sailors to their death with your song?

[abys_keeper]

[he laughed] I am not a maid. Not with Aby.

I don't have gills either. I'm from the crushing deep, but so long as I have a few tendrils in water, I can breathe.

[a wide grin] I don't know what a say lore is, but my songs keep memories. I lure fish to eat with my lights. Do you want to see?

[woo_oo]

Yes yes I definitely want to see! I've never had contact with a mer... man before!

[She hopes that's the right terminology, it's guesswork.]

[abys_keeper]

[it fits. He's male and a mer]

Should we meet somewhere? Or you can come to me. I have a nice room, but it's very small.

[woo_oo]

I can head over, there's no way I can stand still now!

[abys_keeper]

Okay! I will be here.

[he doesn't know how she will find him, but bottom dwellers get everywhere, so he's not worried.

His and Scorpia's apartment is much like the others except the bedroom has been converted to a giant aquarium, complete with grasses and shiny pebbles and a few hideyhole rocks . Keeper himself is floating around, enjoying the sunlight. He looks a lot bigger than his usual twelve feet due to the nature of water, but generally peaceful]

[woo_oo]

[There is one way to find him in the apartments...

Climb the outside walls and knock on the windows. Have we mentioned she's a little loony?]

Is there a merman in here?

[abys_keeper]

[fortunately there's a window on the roomquarium too. He is alerted to the banging on the glass like a muffled heartbeat and scuds over to smile at the duckling.]

Hallo. Do you want to come in?

[woo_oo]

Hi! And yes I do!

... The water's not gunna spill out if I open the window, will it?

[abys_keeper]

I don't know.

[he opens the window. The water remains and he laughs because it's funny]

Everything is so strange here. [then he scuds back and opens his arms]

Come under Vebbywanderquack.

[woo_oo]

Great! And you can call me Webby!

[She holds her breath and climbs in! After taking a good look around, she swims to the surface, or wherever the water simply isn't, popping her head up to get some air.]

Wow, this is way different from my apartment!

[abys_keeper]

[there is a bit of thin space on the ceiling, enough for a duckling to breathe and keep her head mostly above water. He has a much bigger head and squishes it at the top of the ceiling, peering at her with his eyes just above the water]

Webby. Does your apartment have nests in it? Aby said that's what birds build but I've never seen one. Except for bubble nests.

[woo_oo]

Uh, nope! I sleep in a bed, not a nest. But you sleep in the water, right? Do you sleep all not long, or do you need air at any point?

[abys_keeper]

Night is when it's not bright, isn't it? [as nothing was ever dark, even though everyone said it was. At least not like the crushing deep]

It's dangerous to sleep all not bright. That's a long time. Anything can come up on you. But I don't have lungs like you do. [he poked her chest with a finger, giving her a little push in the water] I breathe through my skin. So long as I have a single tendril in the water I can survive. [he frowned] But not happily.

[woo_oo]

Neat! This is fascinating! If my friend Huey was here, he'd be popping questions at you all day and all night.

[abys_keeper]

Is Huey your bloom mate? Do you miss him?

[woo_oo]

I... have no idea what that means, so I'm gunna say no? He's one of my friends! He loves asking questions and proving he knows everything when he really doesn't.

[abys_keeper]

[he doesn't know how to explain it so he'll just leave it as is]

He's like Aby. Only Aby really does know everything. [and then] Want to see my lights now? I'll sow you, but you have to promise not to drown.