Venus crawls out from under her rock

[Reply #560 on:]

Very Good Venus.

[Reply #561 on:]

Venus, that was awesome. I know I'm not an active member of this site, but I love your style of writing and this fanfic is awesome. I was a little surprised about the "future mother-in-law" stuff too, but it was a really good update and I'm glad I got to read it. ^_^

[Reply #562 on:]

So you wrote about episodes that already happened big deal what would be better if you did some on episodes that never where done yet.
This way Fox could bring it back as"futurama chronicals"

[Reply #563 on:]

actually she has written about what really happened in the sting instead of what leela was dreaming. If you bothered to read it, you would see that what she has written is very very good.

and heres a question: how do you write about episodes that havent been done? they wouldnt be episodes.

 

[Reply #564 on:]

Thanks for comping out from under you're rock find anything good under there?

[Reply #565 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kagome:
Thanks for comping out from under you're rock find anything good under there?

You.   

Seriously, Kagome (and for such a fan of originality I'd expect a screen name not lifted quite so wholesale from another animated show.... ) are you so very new to media fandom that you've never heard of a "missing scene" story or an "other point of view" story?  Have you never wondered what happens offscreen during some episodes? 

Or are you just so envious of Venus's deft skill and raw talent that you have to insult her work to make yourself feel a trifle less like an uninspired, talentless schlepp?

Shiny

(Using her one clandestine workplace post for the week to defend a friend) (Bergie, sorry, I'll read your update soon, I promise, also anyone else who's posted, but gotta go before I'm caught Net-handed)

[Reply #566 on:]

Venus, are you still out there?  It's been 2 1/2 months since we had the pleasure of reading your story.  Is there more or is life just taking all your time?

[Reply #567 on:]

2 1/2 months? Really? Damn, i didn't just drop the ball, i lost it entirely! There is still plenty more. Basically what's been going on to keep me away is that in February i got an internship at a local post production company. That, plus my full time job and my part time job meant that i went three months with only 2 or 3 days off total. Then right after my internship period ended i went away to Peelathon and just got back like 5 days ago. So i will be picking my story up again. I'm just not sure when yet. But it will get done!

[Reply #568 on:]

Venus, you've broken me down to tears (which I regretfully kept behind my eyes so my parents wouldn't think I was mentally ill or something. My computer just has to be located in the living room) and made me smile all in the same sentence. You've inspired me to read more fanfics, get off my lazy ass (if not physically, metaphorically) and search for stories, which I wasn't so keen on earlier this afternoon, before I decided "what the hell, I'll read this fanfic's first paragraph and see if I'm taken away. if not, I'm not missing out" and boy did my decision turn out to be one I didn't regret! I really love it, and it was flawless! and don't worry about losing the story for a bit. I can wait, just so long as you don't take enternity  I absolutely will print this out sometime in my life and even hand-draw a cover for it (like I did for my suck-ass fanfic-wannabe) The deepness of the characters' emotions; I could totally say it felt like something real that was happening to me.

Flattering aside, I only noted small punctuational errors, and that's quite a good sign! No ranting from me!

Basic summary of something that may take a little time to read: I love you Venus!  (of course not in the way most will take it. Pervs.) You've spoken your talent to the PEEL community and shown us how to really write. I can now say I've fully experienced PEEL. Your talent knows no boundaries that I'm aware of (besides the occasional writer's block everyone has to some extent) and certainly shouldn't hesitate to post your other works here that you may have in the future, or wrote in the past and I don't know of it. I really mean it when I say : You'd better become a writer of some sort some day. Talent like that needn't be wasted away just to spoil us.(not that I'm saying it's wasting your time or anything at all like that...) Let the world see it. I'd certainly buy books you wrote. Man, I just keep rambling on and on... *slaps self and ends post*

[Reply #569 on:]

Venus!  Great to see you!   

[Reply #570 on:]

Wow, Venus inspired Professor Zoidy to read more fanfics, and I inspired her to write more... Something's not quite right here, 'cause this is far better than any of mine!
And it's not just because I no good at writing in prose, either! You sacrificed a little comedy for the shippyness, but hey, you got a bargain for it!

I wish I had the time to write a long poem, or even a short limerick. It would usually take me five minutes, but I don't have minutes right now. I've got to finish crying and go work on my own fic...   

[Reply #571 on:]

There are people who have the 'knack' for writing decent fics.

If you want tos ee some crappy fics, go to fanfiction.net.  Holy Zombie Jesus.

We have Kif White, Layla, JBerges, Shiny, Soylant Orange, PCC Fred and Venus.  All do fantastic work.  (Everybody has a favorite - mine being DaveMac's Background Noise).  Venus' fic is a very close second favorite.

I would give my stink gland to have a fraction of the talent of any of these writers.

So, Ms. Venus, I wish you the best of luck in your many endeavours.  One day, when you're rich and famous, remember us. 

[Reply #572 on:]

I read a decent story on fanfiction.net, once.  It was called something like "The Delivery Boy at the End of the World." A fairly cute and funny little vignette with just enough shippiness to sweeten it. 

But yeah, everything else I looked at that day was utter apcray.

But P.S., I think we should add Xanfor to the list of really good authors...his long story was thoroughly enjoyable.   

[Reply #573 on:]

 

Originally posted by Shiny:
I read a decent story on fanfiction.net, once.  It was called something like "The Delivery Boy at the End of the World." A fairly cute and funny little vignette with just enough shippiness to sweeten it. 

But yeah, everything else I looked at that day was utter apcray.

But P.S., I think we should add Xanfor to the list of really good authors...his long story was thoroughly enjoyable.     

Maybe in the Futurama section. But some shows/movies/books like the Nightmare Before Christmas have beautiful full-page stories.

But I digress (and spell incorrectly), Shiny, Layla, Kif White, PCC Fred, Bergy, Venus, Bumblebee Theeta, Dr. Thunder etc... are some of the best fan fiction writers I've seen. So I can only prey that they can all get off their asses and start writing more *evil smirk*.

[Reply #574 on:]

Okay, I promised myself I wasn’t going to nag anyone to write, knowing that (while it may be well meant, and the compliment is appreciated) it doesn’t help a writer to generate words any faster (in fact, the pressure to produce can dry inspiration up like the Saharan sun on a potted fern).

This, however, is too irresistible, and I’ve been meaning to do it for a while, and it’s just for fun, okay? Take the spirit of it with you and leave the nags behind on the floor.   
         

(tune: “Venus” by Frankie Avalon)

Hey Venus....
Hey VEEEEnus...

Venus if you will
Please exercise your talent and your skill
Continue with your story of “The Sting”
My heart please tug and wring
Fiercelyyyyyyyy

Venus, come along,
Please make it nearly seven pages long
And fill it full of ’shippiness and angst
and earn eternal thankst
From meeeeeeee.

Venus, Goddess of ’Ship that you are
Surely three chapters toniiiiiight
Won’t be too much to wriiiiiiiite

Venus if you do
I promise that I’ll comment on it too
A long reply that you can read for days
I’ll fill it full praise
For you

(Kazoo solo)

Venus, Goddess of ’Ship that you beeeeeeee,
Just a sentence or twoooooo
Would be thrilling from youuuuuu

Venus, if you can’t,
I promise not to whine or moan or rant;
I’ll patiently await the moment when
You’ve time to write again,
You’ll seeeeeeee

Hey Venus....
Hey VEEEEnus...
Sail that ’ship this way!

 

 

[Reply #575 on:]

Haha, nice.

And then you can write one for Layla to the tune of Layla by Eric Clapton... then one for me to the tune of... crap.

Dal:  I updated fairly recently.  It's not like I see you commenting or anything   

[Reply #576 on:]

 

Originally posted by JBERGES:
Haha, nice.

And then you can write one for Layla to the tune of Layla by Eric Clapton... then one for me to the tune of... crap.

Dal:  I updated fairly recently.  It's not like I see you commenting or anything   

Oh sure i did. It's just invisible...and it's all in my brain...just not on the forum...SHUT UP! 

[Reply #577 on:]

Shiny...compelled...must...ob ey...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Residence of Turanga Morris & Munda
10:27 pm
Recovery: Day 3


The small family sat in peaceful silence. Munda, sitting at one end of the couch knitting, Morris on the other end with his crossword, and Leela wrapped in a light blanket lying between them, eye closed, her head on a pillow in Morris’ lap and her feet resting in her mother’s.

Unknown to her parents, for Leela this was every childhood fantasy she had ever had rolled into one simple moment. Curling up on the couch with her family was an experience she had never believed the universe would ever allow her. And though she had fought desperately against it, she had always secretly believed that her life would continue on the way it had been since the beginning. Nothing but crushing isolation and abandonment. Nothing to look forward to but the end of another day. A part of her even felt it was what she deserved. The idea that she actually had a family that loved and valued her was almost overwhelming. Dreams up close could be a little hard to handle.

When Morris reached down and absently stroked her hair she almost lost it. The tears welled up and she had to clench her jaw to prevent a whimper from escaping. She fought to keep her breathing even. If her parents noticed they would misinterpret and think she was upset. It would only distress them and then she would be forced to try to put into words feelings she had never known before.

“Hey sweethearts, either of you, eleven-letter word, ‘disappearance like a vapor.’”

“Evanescence.” Leela was proud of how steady she had managed to keep her voice when she responded. There hadn’t been even a trace of a waver despite the lump in her throat. Years of having to hide her emotions from other orphans, or risk additional ridicule had left her with a strong capacity for emotional control. Granted it was starting to weaken from lack of use but she could still bring up a pretty strong wall when needed.

“Hmm…doesn’t fit.”

“e-s-c-e.”

“Oh…you’re right. Thanks kitten.” Morris once again rumpled Leela’s hair before filling in the appropriate line on his crossword.

“So, Leela,” Munda started now that she knew her daughter was still awake. “What’s going on between you and Philip? He seems like such a nice man. And so devoted.”

Mood effectively blown to pieces, Leela’s eye snapped open. “Don’t you think that’s getting a little personal?”

“I don’t mean to pry, honey,” Munda responded seeming chastened. “But it seems I made a faux pas at dinner tonight and I wouldn’t want to embarrass you like that again. You talk about him all the time, and you’ve never mentioned there being anyone else, I just assumed that…”

Leela shifted onto her back, making it easier for her to see her mother.

“Long story short. He loves me, I don’t love him. At least, not in the way he wants me to.”

Munda looked disappointed. “But he’s such a sweet boy.”

“I like him.” Morris chimed in.

“Dad! You’re not helping!” Leela tilted her head back and glared at him.

“What? Any guy willing to throw himself between you and oncoming death gets my automatic approval. I can’t help it. It’s a dad thing.”

Leela sighed. “I’m not saying he’s not a nice guy. He’s a very nice guy. But he’s also very immature, reckless, uneducated, unambitious, and often oblivious to the feelings of those around him.”

“Maybe all he needs is a little incentive and someone willing to give him a chance.” Morris offered.

Leela ignored him and continued: “And I’ve yet to see him in a relationship that wasn’t all about sex.”

“Does he throw himself in front of space-bees for those girls too?” Munda asked pointedly.

Leela sat up, annoyance clear on her face. “Okay. This conversation is officially over. I’m going to bed.” She gathered her blanket up as she stood, so as to not trip herself and huffed up the stairs in a wave of indignation.

Munda looked a little hurt, but Morris couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ten bucks says they’re together within a year.” 


Residence of Turanga Morris & Munda
3:38 am
Recovery: Day 4


She didn’t know what had caused her to awaken so suddenly, the images of her nightmare fading into nothingness leaving behind only the cold fear that someone she loved was in danger. Jolting upright in her bed Munda glanced anxiously around the darkened room. Morris was sound asleep, snoring lightly. Muffin and her snake companion Fluffy were curled up, using each other as a pillow. They were all obviously fine. Which only left…

“Leela.” Slipping quietly but hurriedly out of bed Munda jogged down the hall to her daughter’s room. She listened for a moment outside of the door. When she didn’t hear anything that might indicate Leela’s physical state she eased the door open and peeked in. The young woman appeared to be asleep, on her stomach with her long hair obscuring Munda’s view of her face. Knowing full well that her little girl was fine and she was overreacting in a manner that would have been embarrassing if anyone had been awake to catch her Munda entered the small guest room and eased up to the edge of the bed. Reaching out she gently moved the hair from Leela’s face and took a second to assure herself that Leela was in fact breathing.

It was then that Munda noticed that she was being watched. By three eyes near the foot of the bed. As quiet as she had tried to be, she hadn’t escaped the notice of Nibbler who was watching her every move intently. When she stepped back the third eye followed her, something she found quite unnerving. She may have just been seeing things that weren’t there, but it seemed to her that the expression on his face was fairly amused. And even though he was nothing more than a dumb household pet Munda couldn’t help feeling a little self-conscious that he had caught her in his owner’s room in the middle of the night. In truth she was lucky not to have gotten bitten. Unrealized to her, her entrance into the room had awoken him and set him into protection mode. Had the light from the streetlamps outside not been bright enough to allow him to recognize her he would have done anything he felt necessary to defend his human from further harm.

Content that everything was as it should be Munda retreated to the antique rocking chair that stood alone in the corner by the door. Originally this room had been Leela’s nursery. Long ago it had been converted to a guest bedroom but the chair had remained. It had gotten a lot of use during the first few months of Leela’s life. Munda had spent several nights sitting in it, watching her baby sleep knowing their time together was running out. Now, almost twenty-nine years later she was once again watching her daughter’s slumber from the nostalgic comfort of the old chair.

It was amazing to Munda the person Leela had grown up to be. The odds had most definitely been against her. A lesser person would have crumbled into nothing if forced to face what Leela had. But somehow or another Leela had made a life for herself. While other adult orphans were living under bridges in cardboard boxes having been tossed out onto the streets with nothing upon reaching their eighteenth birthday Leela had worked to insure herself more. She had had every reason to quit. Emotionally abused and isolated with little hope of a future she had had every reason to give up. But she hadn’t. While fighting often severe depression she had managed to keep her grades up. She spent her sixteenth birthday looking for a part-time job. She applied for scholarships. She went to college. All on her own. With little help or encouragement from anyone, she had essentially raised herself. And done a damn fine job of it. Munda couldn’t have been prouder.

But a life of stress had taken its toll. It was evident in the way Leela carried herself, in the way she interacted with others. She had quite a temper when she felt she was being slighted. Even now in sleep she wasn’t completely relaxed. Her hands were balled up in fists. Not tightly, but noticeably. And whereas most people slept rather spread out (a trait definitely expressed in the entire Turanga line) Leela lay slightly curled into herself, not a fetal position, but a position taking up the least amount of space available. Subconsciously trying to make herself as small a potential target as possible. After all it was hard for someone to defend themselves while asleep. And it was the fact that Leela felt she had to be on guard all the time that went straight to Munda’s heart. It wasn’t fair the life Leela had been forced to live, and Munda had no one to blame for it but herself.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl.” She whispered softly. “You never deserved any of this.”

Munda leaned back in her chair and silently watched over her child, vowing someway or another to make up for everything she had been put through. 


Planet Express
8:25 am
Recovery: Day 4


Click. The minute hand took its sweet time to move forward the sixteenth-of-an-inch. Fry moaned. Today was going to suck.

Hearing Fry’s miserable cry Amy looked up from her economics homework. “What’s wrong?”

“I wanna’ see Leela.” Was the plaintive reply.

“Aren’t you seeing her for lunch?”

“Wanna’ see her now.”

“She’s probly’ sick of looking at you.” Bender stated cheerfully. “I know I am!”

Fry glared at him. “She is not sick of looking at me! She likes having me around.”

“She say that?”

Now Fry looked less sure of himself. “Well…no. Not in so many words…But if she didn’t want me around she wouldn’t let me stay!” He finished triumphantly.

“Well there’s a declaration of affection for ya.”

“Damn right!” Fry agreed, completely missing the sarcasm in Bender’s voice.

The gradual sound of shuffling feet alerted the trio to the presence of the Professor, who after a surprised double take made a beeline for the small palm tree that stood against the far wall. “Why Leela! I wasn’t expecting you in today! Did you lose weight?”

“Uh…Professor?” Fry interrupted cautiously, “That’s not Leela.”

The Professor looked in Fry’s general direction with confusion on his face. “Who-wha?”

“That’s the palm tree.”

Unbelieving, the Professor reached out and touched the nearest frond. “My word this is a palm tree!”

Giving up on ever getting her homework done Amy dropped her pencil into the textbook’s binding. “Professor, where are your glasses?”

“Am I not wearing them?”

“No.”

“Oooh my…”

He shuffled slowly towards the door. As he stepped out he passed by Hermes who was coming in. The Professor waved cheerfully. “Hello Zoidberg!”

The Jamaican Bureaucrat stopped short, clearly confused. But he shrugged it off and continued for the kitchen. It wasn’t long before he returned, a fresh cup of coffee in his hands.

“So Hermes, how’s the paperwork coming?” Fry asked.

“Leela’s insurance forms have to be filled out in triplicate!” Hermes clutched his coffee mug to his chest like a giddy school girl. “And don’t get me started on her workman’s comp forms, that stack is thicker then my high school yearbook! I haven’t been this happy since the time Zoidberg was audited by the IRS!”           
 
Bender chuckled softly. “Yeah that was fun.”


Residence of Turanga Morris & Munda
9:46 am
Recovery: Day 4


Nibbler was hungry. Leela could tell. He always had this way of placing himself in inch in front of her face and staring at her until she awoke. The habit was a little annoying, since he almost always performed it exactly five minutes before her alarm was set to go off. But on days she got the rare opportunity to sleep in being awakened in this manner almost made her want to shove him off the bed. But then he would make his content little chirping noise at her and roll onto his back so she could rub his tummy. It was manipulative on his part and they both knew it. But it worked every time.

“Alright,” Leela murmured groggily. “I’m up.”

She pushed herself up onto her arms and slowly turned over. The room was still dark despite the un-curtained window. ‘Days’ in the sewers weren’t that much brighter than the ‘nights’. There were an increased number of lit streetlights to make going about ones daily business a little easier, but the light barely penetrated the second floor bedroom. So when Leela looked towards the door she was unable to identify the large shadowed lump that had definitely not been there when she had gone to sleep.

A startled expression and a slightly increased heart rate were the only signs Leela showed of distress. She glanced over at Nibbler who gazed at her obliviously. Some guardian he had turned out to be. Slowly she reached for the cord from her bedside lamp. Swiftly yanking on the lights she was relieved, and a little touched, to find her mother asleep in the rocking chair.

It actually explained a lot, Nibbler’s nonchalance, the weird dream she had had of being stared at by baked goods. If it had been anyone else she might have been slightly creeped-out. But she liked the idea of her mother watching over her. It made her feel safe in a way she had never felt before.

Leela sat up fully and turned so her legs toughed the floor. Leaning forward slightly she whispered loudly: “Mom? Mom wake up, it’s morning.”

Munda opened her eye blearily. After a few seconds of confusion over not finding herself in her bed the realization of where she really was woke her up fully. Her face pinkened with embarrassment.

“I uh…I-I didn’t mean to fall asleep here…I was just…”

Leela smiled warmly. “It’s alright, I don’t mind.”

“I was just checking up…But then I was going to go back to bed.”

Leela raised her eyebrow, amused by her mom’s fluster.

“Our little secret?” She offered, giving her mother an out.

Munda nodded gratefully. “No sense in letting your father know I’m an over-paranoid fool.”

Leela stood up and walked to her mother. After giving her an affectionate hug the pair, joined by Nibbler, headed for the stairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't say i never gave you guys nothing!

[Reply #578 on:]

"I'll bet you ten bucks they're together, at the end of the year",
Such a great line, I shedded a tear.
"Does he throw himself in front of space-bees, for those girls too?",
Just the sort of line to be thought up by you!

(Get it? More updates = more poetry  )

[Reply #579 on:]

 

“Hey sweethearts, either of you, eleven-letter word, ‘disappearance like a vapor.’”

“Evanescence.”

Yeah baby! Evanescence is the best. Also I liked the scene at PE. The bit with the Professor losing his glasses is great considering no one has ever seen him without them before.

[Reply #580 on:]

And if this was an episode that scene would be staged in such a way that the viewer still never sees him without the glasses. Lot's of over-the-shoulder shots and such.

[Reply #581 on:]

YES! Shiny, please, work your magic for the other writers too!

Oh, yay, the shippiness! I love Leela's parents' approval of Fry. It's so cute! And I loved Leela's flustered reaction.

I literally jolted in my seat when I realised you'd actually updated, since I'd just looked at this thread a few minutes before (what, me, obsessive? never) and it took a large effort to prevent myself from squealing out loud. Aw, it made me so happy! I'm off to read it again and relish the shippy... 

[Reply #582 on:]

Venus...your story is amazing! I don't even know how to put it. It is one of the only reasons that I ever check PEEL. You've reached depths in the character's minds that I only wish I could get into. Looking at the characters in the ways you have presented them (by the way, they've been in character the entire time) has made me even look at the show differently (in a good way, don't worry!). You've done a wonderful job looking at Leela's childhood and drawing conclusions as to why she is the way she is, jeeze, the whole story is great! I love the shippiness, and and the humor. Please, keep writing and updating!

edit to fix a spelling error

[Reply #583 on:]

This is a wonderful update Venus, most worth the wait! 

[Reply #584 on:]

Another great update, Venus.  It's impressive how you manage to write such an engrossing fic that's currently set almost entirely in the Turangas' house.  You really have a good handle on the characters, and the scene in PX is hilarious, as well as feeling really authentic.

 

It actually explained a lot, Nibbler’s nonchalance, the weird dream she had had of being stared at by baked goods.

And this is quite possibly the best line of fan fiction ever written.  Period.

Throw in the Evanescence reference and you have another winner. 

[Reply #585 on:]

I haven't commented on this story before, mostly because mere words could not convey how much I enjoyed reading it.  So far, it is easily becoming one of my top 5 favorite Futurama fan-fics out there.   

 

"Ten bucks says they're together within a year."

I couldn't help but say aloud, "Hey, Babalugats!  Got a bet here!"  (a reference to Cool Hand Luke)   

Keep up the good work, Venus!

[Reply #586 on:]

Still looking damn fine, as usual Venus.  The only grammer error I noticed was:

"And even though he was nothing more than a dumb household pet Munda couldn’t help ..."

I think you need to add a comma between pet and Munda.

I promise not to bug you for a very very long time now for more updates.  By the way, I love the shippiness!  =P

[Reply #587 on:]

Thanks Venus!

Now my crappy "at the office" day won't be so boring.

So Thanks again for this fine update!

Btw, the professor part = Priceless 

[Reply #588 on:]

Residence of Shiny J. Fangirl
7:41 pm
Saturday, June 10

  Holy crap, the serenade worked!

Does this mean I have some sort of strange Spellsinger ability?!

(Shiny runs out to the store and sings “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” to the Lotto machine as the confused clerk generating her a “quick pick” considers whether or not to call for police help.  Shiny buys ticket and runs home and waits until the Saturday night drawing....


Residence of Shiny J. Fangirl
10:05 pm
Saturday, June 10

(Shiny is not yet a millionaire.)

Rats.  Apparently not. However...I still have Venus’s chapters to read! Hooray!

(Shiny commences to read and prepare comments....)


Residence of Shiny J. Fangirl
10:46 pm
Sunday, June 11

Okay, I’m back. Sorry it took a whole day.  I still can’t believe the song worked.  (Can someone do the same to me?  ‘Cause I really need a kickstart in the brainstem or something....    )

Y’know, Venus, this kinda blows my hypothesis that nagging doesn’t get results from writers and just puts unwarranted pressure on our delicate little muses....NOW what are the rest of us gonna do?

 

So anyway...on with the promised commentary! 

 

The small family sat in peaceful silence. Munda, sitting at one end of the couch knitting, Morris on the other end with his crossword, and Leela wrapped in a light blanket lying between them, eye closed, her head on a pillow in Morris’ lap and her feet resting in her mother’s....
...When Morris reached down and absently stroked her hair she almost lost it. The tears welled up and she had to clench her jaw to prevent a whimper from escaping. She fought to keep her breathing even. If her parents noticed they would misinterpret and think she was upset. It would only distress them and then she would be forced to try to put into words feelings she had never known before.

This is so very perfect: simple, gentle, and affecting, just what it should be.  You enjoyed writing this bit, I can tell.

(See, this is how I know that you and I (and other angst writers) aren’t just sick and wrong individuals - we love the “awwwwww!” moments as much as the pain and jeopardy.   The old  term, back when dinosaurs ruled fandom, was “hurt-comfort,” and that’s actually a bit more descriptive of the genre. )

Hm.  I can’t say anything about the Evanescence reference, though one of my housemates probably would recognize the name, but it is a pretty cool word. 

Poor Leela.  She’s never gonna be very good at hiding her emotions, but she’s going to keep trying.  You’re great at writing Leela so that I want to hug her and make it all better....

 

“So, Leela,” Munda started now that she knew her daughter was still awake. “What’s going on between you and Philip?...”

  This was great.  Perfect parental interaction! I love it that Leela was all grooving with the warm fuzzies...and then gets the other side of the parental coin.  Which doesn’t make the fuzzies any less warm...it just, you know, makes it all so much more true to life.  Also true to Futurama. 

 

“What? Any guy willing to throw himself between you and oncoming death gets my automatic approval. I can’t help it. It’s a dad thing.”

Yep. (Though he was still willing to threaten Fry with bodily death, heh-heh).  Loved that line. You sure got their voices down.  Also loved:

 

“Does he throw himself in front of space-bees for those girls too?” Munda asked pointedly.

Hee! 


(post continued next - sorry to doublepost, but it wouldn't let me post it all in one go!)

[Reply #589 on:]

Commentary, part dieux....


 

[Munda] didn’t know what had caused her to awaken so suddenly...

Aw, man.  Munda’s just wonderful here.  I loved the backstory about the furniture in the room, and Munda’s reflecting on Leela’s struggles and vowing to make it up to her, and, well, all of it.

Everything was just perfect about this.  Except, perhaps, the paragraph about Nibbler...placed where it is, it jars me out of the story a little.  If you need to swap to Nibbler’s POV, you should set it apart in its own paragraph, and use Nibbler’s name right off; then at the beginning of the next paragraph, make it equally clear you’re switching back to Munda’s. 

But I actually don’t think you need to put this paragraph here.  It’s a good paragraph, don’t get me wrong, but it sort of disturbs the coziness with Munda and takes us out of her head, makes us more aware that this is a story we’re reading rather than an event we’re experiencing with her, etc.  I would save this paragraph for a later time, maybe, where Nibbler can think it in past tense or something....it’s just a little jarring when we’re so settled into Munda’s viewpoint.  But if you want to keep it here, definitely make it a separate paragraph and tag it with Nibbler’s name.

Good, good stuff. 

 

Click. The minute hand took its sweet time to move forward the sixteenth-of-an-inch. Fry moaned. Today was going to suck.

  Oops, um, I mean...aww, poor Fry.  Yes.  That’s what I meant. 

(I totally feel for him, but it’s still funny. )

 

“Well there’s a declaration of affection for ya.”

“Damn right!” Fry agreed, completely missing the sarcasm in Bender’s voice.

Hee!  That’s so...so Fry.  (In fact, you probably don’t even need the explanatory sentence, it’s so Fry.  )

Perfect Futurama scene.  The Professor and Hermes were right on target. The only way it could be better is to be longer.

 

Nibbler was hungry. Leela could tell. He always had this way of placing himself in inch in front of her face and staring at her until she awoke. The habit was a little annoying, since he almost always performed it exactly five minutes before her alarm was set to go off.

HAH!  Oh, that’s hilarious.  I haven’t had a cat able to do that to me in a while (my dog is jealous, and she has her own methods of demanding breakfast - like standing over my face and drooling, or bouncing around on the bed like a sixty-five pound puppy) but boy, do I remember the Breakfast Stare.

Yep.  Devious little bastards.  Adorable, though.

 

...[Leela] was relieved, and a little touched, to find her mother asleep in the rocking chair.

Commenting on your stuff is hard (which is why it took me a whole day); I have to keep trying to find more intelligent ways to express what essentially boils down to “awwww!”  I don’t know how you do it, but I know you do it very well.

You might actually want to reprise Leela’s warm melty feelings from the earlier scene here, it would be a good echo; if she had to fight again not to cry, it would crank up the angst, and the profound nature of the turnaround in her life, nicely.

Leela keeping her Mom's secret is great.  It perfectly expresses the fact that Leela is an adult now, and relates to her parents as an adult, and they trust her and can treat her as an equal even while remaining quitessentially parents.  You've captured the dynamic that made TMLH so funny, and given it an added layer of emotional resonance...

 

Don't say i never gave you guys nothing!”

Never!  Never shall I not say you didn’t give us nothing...not...say that you gave not the thing that is so....um...not no-thing...ish?

See, that's what's wrong with this country!  Too much negativity!

(ba-dum ching!) 

Ah, yes.  Well, anyway, you sure came through, Venus.  Thank you.  (And I hope you found the filk amusing as well as, er, compelling. )

I wish I could go on longer, but it's that "work" thing in the morning's fault I can't.  Lousy rotten exhange of services for units of monetary value...

But thank you again.  I can honestly say I've never received so gratifying a response to a filksong before.  And so promptly, too. 

Take care, and rest up after all that creativity...

 

[Reply #590 on:]

Well holy crap Shiny, how am I to compete with such love?  And furthermore, how can I succeed in receiving such love? (Gets ready to take notes for probable update tonight)

Anyway, excellent, excellent work Venus.  You’ve really hit your stride again here.  While so much has been made of your drama skills already, I’d like you to know how much I appreciate the aside to Plan-Ex for some comic relief.  Bender’s line “I know I am!” was so simple and yet so in character that it got an honest out-loud laugh from me.  Kudos for that, and keep up the great work, you lucky fan-having git.   

PS:  Favorite band references?  Note to self, add character named ‘Jake’ into story…

[Reply #591 on:]

Since I'm not able to compete with Arkan, JBerges, Xanfor and Shiny in the critiquing arena, I'll make my comments short and sweet.

Nice update.  Well worth the wait.

[Reply #592 on:]

 

Originally posted by JBERGES:

PS:  Favorite band references?  Note to self, add character named ‘Jake’ into story…

A character that someone can feel inferior towards, perhaps?

[Reply #593 on:]

Where do I begin? The Turanga sequences are great. We haven't yet seen an awful lot of them (in canon), yet they feel very Futurama-ish, bravo! Leela has been done A-1, congratulations! Any liberties taken with Fry served to make this an awesome story. In the words of THE Zapp Brannigan, in-core!

[Reply #594 on:]

Oh, so it was Hopeless that bumped the thread. I had hoped maybe by some slim chance Venus upped more of the story. Oh well, I'll just wait until the almighty Venus does so. 

[Reply #595 on:]

Pretty short, but at least it's something. And a fresh update gives me an excuse to slack off for a while.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Residence of Turanga Morris & Munda
11:12 am
Recovery: Day 4


“She was a very easy baby,” Munda stated as she turned to a new page in the photo album. “She never fussed unless she needed something, and she never kept us up at nights…mostly.”

Fry gazed happily at the photos. To him Leela was adorable no matter what age she was. And though he would never admit it to her, lest he risk a boot to the shin, he secretly hoped the baby he was convinced they would one day have together (far far in the future) would look like she had when she was an infant. He had never before considered kids, or his long term future in general until he had made the discovery that his brother Yancy had eventually had a son. Thinking about his brother’s family had led him to thinking about what a family of his own might be like. Though he had never until then given it much thought getting married and having a family was something he had always assumed would happen at some point. After all, as his father had taught him, it was just something that was done. It was up to every American to keep the population up to be used as soldiers to prevent a Commie invasion. And there was no one in the whole universe he would rather produce a Commie Blaster with then Leela.

Unnoticed by Fry, the object of his affections padded silently down the stairs in socks and an oversized t-shirt. When she noticed her guests, or more specifically, what her guests were doing she paused suspiciously.

“What’s going on?”

“We’re looking at embarrassing baby pictures!” Bender stated smugly.

To confirm Fry held up the album indicating a picture that seemed to be a universal parental staple: a picture of a naked infant Leela on a bear-skin rug.

Absolutely mortified Leela screamed as if someone had just taken a chainsaw to the back of her thigh. Launching herself across the living room she expertly kicked the album out of Fry’s hands where it hit the wall and skidded behind the arm chair.

“Leela!” Munda scolded as she went to retrieve the book and check it over for damage from its brief flight.

“Don’t show people those! Especially people who are supposed to respect me!”

“Awww come on Leela,” Fry said. “You were cute.”

“Yeah,” Bender agreed. “You were pretty cute…so what the hell happened?…Ow!” He cringed as two hands and a tentacle simultaneously slapped him on the back of the head. “What?? What’d I say??”

Before Munda really had the chance to get indignant she was distracted by a dull trill coming from the kitchen. She glowered at him fiercely. “Just be thankful the cookies are done.” She stalked off to retrieve her baking leaving Leela alone with her friends.

Taking Munda’s spot on the couch Leela tried to think of a topic of conversation. Anything to distract Fry and Bender from the sight of the baby pictures that they would surely hold against her at every available opportunity.

“So…uh…done anything interesting lately?” She asked hopefully.

“Yup.” Bender replied evenly. “Recently got enough dirt on you from Mrs. T to make you wanna stay on my good side for the rest of your natural life.”

Leela moaned and buried her face in her hands. “I knew I should have burned that picture…”

“Too late now honey, it’s saved to my hard drive. Own special file and everything.”

Fry patted Leela’s arm awkwardly trying his best to be comforting. “Don’t worry,” He told her softly. “I’ll find a way to bribe him into deleting it.”

Leela gave him a small grateful smile and he responded by grinning at her.

“Okay, these are hot.” Munda warned as she walked back into the living room with a tray almost overflowing with fresh baked cookies. “But that’s how they’re best anyway, so enjoy!” She set them on the coffee table and headed back into the kitchen to sit with Morris at the table where he was finishing his coffee.

Fry and Bender both reached for a cookie, Bender examining his briefly before tossing it whole into his mouth where it ricocheted around his chest cavity before landing with a clang.

“Mmmm these are great!” Fry said once he had taken a bite. “What’s the secret ingredient?”

“Guilt.” Leela responded sadly. She absently reached into Bender’s chest cavity, retrieved the cookie he had just eaten, broke it in half and began to nibble on the still gooey center. Bender glared peevishly at her but didn’t comment.

“She’s still having a hard time dealing with pulling my life-support.”

“Good.” Fry muttered under his breath, biting his cookie with a bit more aggression than the cookie really deserved.

Leela sighed softly. “Fry stop. That’s not fair.”

“That’s plenty fair!” Fry insisted. “She nearly killed you! And that’s not what moms are s’posed to do!”

“That’s not what happened and you know it.”

Fry grumbled something inaudible and went back to attacking what was left of his cookie. Leela knew she was never going to be able to make him see things differently so she dropped the subject. The last thing she wanted was for her mother to walk in and overhear. She would only come away feeling even worse than she already did. More than anything Leela wished she could just sweep the past two weeks under the rug and pretend it all never happened.

It was definitely time for a topic change. So Leela opted for the safest discussion she could think of.

“So Bender,” She began. “Why are you down here? I thought you didn’t like the sewers.”

“What? Can’t a robot come check up on his second-favorite mound’a organs without being questioned?”

“That bored?”

“Zoidberg wanted to play Scrabble.”

“Well,” Leela said as she reached for another cookie. “It’s nice to hear that I outrank Scrabble at least.”

“And Parcheesi, and Risk, and sometimes…even Pictionary.” The robot added sincerely.

Leela looked genuinely touched. “I’ve missed you too Bender.”

 Now it was Bender’s turn to look pleased.

Wanting to be part of the moment, Fry leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his fellow crew members.

“Group hug!”


Residence of Turanga Morris & Munda
4:32 pm
Recovery: Day 4

The small ball of rolled up tinfoil bounced erratically down the hallway followed by Nibbler and Muffin as they skittered across the hardwood. At first it appeared as if Muffin would reach the shiny prize first, but in one of the most impressive intercepting maneuvers Leela had ever seen from an animal, Nibbler swept his paw forward and across knocking Muffin’s back legs out from under her. As she stumbled Nibbler leapt over her as if spring loaded and caught the foil as it bounced back towards him after having ricocheted off the far wall.

Looking exceptionally proud of himself Nibbler trotted back to Leela, dropping the ball at her feet.

“That was cheating.” She told the animal sternly. Nibbler purred. As far as he was concerned he had won fair and square. Muffin should have seen it coming. It wasn’t his fault that she was a lowly Earth animal and he was a mighty ambassador in disguise. She should be grateful that he had decided not to eat her.

Leela picked up the ball and once again threw it down the hall. Muffin had the head start this time, having not returned to Leela’s side with Nibbler and had also learned from her experience. So this time when Nibbler went for her legs she nimbly sidestepped him and kept going unfazed. Fluffy, who was as usual, just along for the ride hissed triumphantly at Nibbler as they passed.

Leela was quickly losing interest in this game of chase but the animals had so much energy they kept whining whenever she tried to go do something else. It was Fry’s fault. He had wadded up the foil from a long ago eaten candy bar that had spent god-knows-how-long in his jacket pocket and had gotten the pets interested and now they wouldn’t wind down. And then he and Bender had had to report back to work leaving Leela the sole focus of the animal’s enthusiasm.

“Hey Leela,” Morris greeted as he came down the stairs. He looked a little confused to find her sitting cross-legged on the floor staring into the hallway. But a look of understanding crossed his face when Muffin came running and dove into Leela’s lap the foil clenched tightly in her jaws.

“Animals still holding you hostage I see.”

Leela shrugged. “I don’t have anything better to do. Mom went out grocery shopping and Fry and Bender went back to work. It was either them,” she gestured to Muffin, “Or daytime TV.”

“Well, I have to run by the Jewelry store to pick up my paycheck, why don’t you come with?”

Leela instantly perked up. “Oooh I’ve never seen your store!”

She awkwardly stood up, her knees sore from the prolonged time spent in one position. Muffin whined and reared up on her hind legs the foil ball still in her mouth.

“Alright. Last time.” Leela accepted the ball from her mother’s cat and lobbed it gently down the hall. She turned quickly to Morris. “Let’s get out of here before they have a chance to bring that damned ball back.”

“I’m with ya.”

Bon Marché Jewelry was located roughly five blocks away from the Turanga household in a fairly upscale neighborhood, at least upscale by mutant standards. Morris worked as the Head of Designs where he conceived and constructed custom pieces out of scrap metal and glass. He was quite talented and his customers included some of the most important people in local mutant society. Including Supreme Mutant Raoul who had commissioned an engagement ring for his new wife Vyolet.

Most surfacers would find it surprising to know that the mutants version of Manhattan wasn’t to terribly different from theirs. Fast food restaurants were everywhere and there was a Starbucks on every corner. Leela took it all in with interest having never really taken the time to explore. Usually her time spent in the sewers was limited to her parents’ house or hurried misadventures with Fry and Bender. Morris led her down the boulevard his hand placed lovingly on her shoulder. Leela was to busy sightseeing to notice that Morris had intentionally placed himself between her and the sewage lake. She was nowhere near it and was in no danger but aware of her compromised immune system Morris was making a conscious effort to make sure she came in no contact with contaminants.

“Morris? And…it can’t be…Leela?”

At the sound of their names father and daughter stopped walking and turned towards the voice. An older mutant, probably ten years Morris’ senior, with seven eyes and four cloven hooves in place of arms was walking towards them. When she was sure they were who she thought they were a large smile spread across her face.

“Well my word, I never thought I’d see the day.” Once she reached them she addressed Leela directly. “I never thought I’d get the chance to see you all grown up. You look wonderful.”

Not wanting to be impolite, but having no clue who this woman was, Leela glanced sideways at her proudly beaming father.

“Sweetheart, this is Dr. Fanning. She-”

“I’m only Dr. Fanning when I’m on the clock, call me Hannah.” The mutant interrupted.

Morris continued: “She’s the midwife that delivered you.”

Leela’s eye widened. “Oh…um…hi.”

“I remember it like it was yesterday. See, you got stuck and-”

Leela held up her hands to interrupt. “That’s okay, I’ve heard this story already. Horror, bloodspray and strangulation.”

With a look of bewilderment Hannah turned toward Morris. “I don’t remember any bloodspray. There was very little bloodshed period.”

Morris smirked. “She heard the story from her mother and Munda’s version gets a little gorier every time she tells it.”

“So wait…you mean the firemen didn’t have to bring in the Jaws of Life?”

“Goodness no!” Hannah exclaimed looking horrified. “Your mother pushed you out good and proper!”

Leela appeared disappointed. “I like mom’s version better.”

“So do the neighbors.” Morris stated thoughtfully.

Morris and Hannah chatted amicably for a few more minutes while Leela stood quietly. She didn’t really know what to say to the woman that had evidently assisted in her gooey entrance into the world. The conversation finally came to a close, Hannah had errands to run and Morris and Leela were once again on their way.

When they arrived at the small building Morris held the door open for Leela and ushered her in. The handful of tiny bells that hung artfully from the door trilled cheerfully alerting the merchant of their arrival. Slouching apathetically he immediately straightened in order to appear more professional but resumed his slouch upon realizing who had actually entered.

“Weh-hell look who finally decided to join the land of the living.”

The snarky tone in the mutant’s voice left Leela a tad startled. It didn’t help that he had large canine teeth that descended almost past his chin, a flat nose and large slanted yellow eyes which gave him the appearance of a fierce jungle cat. Leela wondered how this man managed to sell anything to anyone but then realized intimidation probably played a big part in his sales pitch.

“So this is the daughter I heard so much about.” He looked Leela up and down in a way that made her feel like a piece of meat at a butcher shop.

“Yup, this is her.” Morris confirmed proudly. “Looks just like her mother doesn’t she?”

The man-tiger made a non-committal noise and continued to stare unblinkingly at Leela.

“If you’re here for your paycheck it’s in the back.” He said at last before turning his attention back to the National Geographic: Herbivores of Jupiter edition that he had been perusing before the Turanga’s had interrupted.

“Come on Leela, you can see where I work.” Morris offered excitedly as he pulled her towards a door located behind the main counter. She waited until said door was safely closed before she commented on the co-worker she had just been semi-introduced to.

“Dad that guy was creepy.”

For half a moment Morris looked surprised but then responded: “Leary can be a bit intense if you don’t know him. But he’s a decent enough guy.”

“He stared me down like Zoidberg does baby Guinea Pigs.”

“He does that with everyone.” 

Morris paused at a small row of five-by-five inch cubicles and pulled an envelope from the one under his name. Shoving it roughly in his pocket he continued on to a second door. “This is the metal shop.”

The back of the jewelry shop was little more than a warehouse. There were piles of scrap metal and glass sorted by type and color. A few workbenches took up the middle of the room and a drawing center was set up against one wall so workers could sketch out designs. Another mutant sat at one of the workbenches, a heavy visor over his face as he melted some glass.

Morris led Leela to a particular workbench. “This is where I usually work.” He told her. “I made your bracelet here.”

At the mention of her bracelet Leela subconsciously reached for her wrist were the small item dangled. Usually she wore it hidden under her wrist communicator, but today she had left the wrist unit on her bedside table. She felt a little naked without it but she liked to allow her family to actually see her wear the bracelet every once in a while. She knew it meant a lot to them that she had kept it all those years. They didn’t realize how much of a comfort it had been to her as a child. Something tangible that she could touch as proof that someone, somewhere, had cared.

Leela slid into the chair her father normally occupied and examined the items on the table. There were a few tools, a sketchpad, a few small piles of glass shards in various shades of green, and a velvet lined box with a few finished and near-finished pieces.

“Oh wow.” Leela whispered as she pulled the box closer to her to get a better look. “Dad these are gorgeous.” 
     
Morris was very pleased. Like most fathers he wanted his child to be proud of him. And with his only daughter working as a starship captain, he had a lot to live up to.

The mutant at the adjacent workstation, satisfied with the result of whatever he had been melting, lifted his visor turning his eight small eyes in Morris’ direction.

“Morris! No one told me you’d be back today!”

“I’m not back.” He responded as he stepped aside unblocking Leela from view. “I’m showing my daughter around.”

Leela swiveled her chair around wondering if this co-worker would be as odd as the last. She smiled politely as he gazed thoughtfully at her.

“You know I have a son, right about your age. Nice guy. I-”

“Nice try Bill.” Morris interrupted. “But we’re trying to get her to marry a surfacer.”

Bill nodded unsurprised. “Can’t blame a dad for trying. She’s about as pretty as they come down here.”

Very flattered, Leela smiled. It wasn’t often she was told she was pretty, unless she counted Fry who told her all the time.

“Anyone you looking at in particular?” Bill asked Morris.

“Well there is this one guy…”

“Still sitting right here dad.” Leela intoned grumpily wishing that for once her love life could remain undiscussed in public.

“Right, right. Sorry.”

“So when are you coming back? If you’re going to be gone much longer you’ll need to pass the Carlin account to someone else. They’re scheduled for a viewing next Thursday.”

Morris hesitated, he really hadn’t given much thought to when he’d return to work. He’d understandably been too distracted. So Leela answered for him.

“Monday.”

“That’s tomorrow! I’m not coming back tomorrow!

“Wednesday then.”

“Leela-”

“If I won’t let Fry miss work on my account why would I let you?”

“Because I’m your father.” Morris declared pointedly.

“That doesn’t mean I’m going to allow myself to be a burden.”

Morris’ jaw metaphorically dropped. “You are not a burden!”

“And I have no plans on becoming one.” She turned back to Bill. “He’ll be in Wednesday.” She declared firmly.

[Reply #596 on:]

Thanks for the post Venus. Most excellent, as usual. Keep up the good work. The more of the Turanagas the better.

[Reply #597 on:]

Nice.  Bender had enough respect (or fear) of Leela not to steal something from her parents.

Now if Bender had turned down a date with Hookerbot 5000 to visit Leela - we'd be concerned that he's getting soft in his old age.

I loved the 'jaws of life' comment (ouch!  sounds painful!)

And of course Fry still has his 'black and white' idea of what being supportive of Leela is.  So, will Fry ever come to terms with her parents?  Will he realize that he, Bender and Leela are in a dangerous profession that doesn't encourage longevity and some things are worse than death (like being kept artifically alive).  Leela does, but can/will she ever convince Fry?  Hell, that could be a story within itself.

Rest, dear Venus, rest.  You've done well and deserve some time to yourself. 

You can start on the next part in the morning... that's a joke.  you deserve a break.

[Reply #598 on:]

 

Originally posted by Ralph Snart:
Rest, dear Venus, rest.  You've done well and deserve some time to yourself. 

You can start on the next part in the morning... that's a joke.  you deserve a break.

If Ralph is to be trusted, and he is, than you are one busy woman. My hat is off to you.

 

Originally posted by Ralph Snart:Hell, that could be a story within itself.

Nothing like dropping a hint. :wink:

[Reply #599 on:]

  "Zoidberg wanted to play Scrabble"!

I loved all the interaction between Leela and her parents, and I especially loved the shippy! "Well, there is this one guy..." 

It was fascinating to see where Morris works, too; before your story I'd never really thought about what the mutants did for a living. I just kinda imagined them...not working. It's amazing how much more detailed you've made their world, rather than it just being the smelly sewer.

I'm looking forward to more...but, of course, you've more than earned a break. We, the fans, give you permission to slack off!