YCH Commission for Arthur Liaseon !

Here's a literary piece made by the commissioner as well.

Ancient Ritual - 04/19/2769
Getting paid to lug a speaker, and film his friend singing? Parrack wished that was his job
description; it paid well and was more productive than sitting in an office balancing numbers. For
now at least he, a marsh crocodile, was travelling besides Arthur on the city streets of Sub-Level
6.
The city was significantly cleaner than Sub-Level 7 entirely. Parrack thought back on his home’s
scattered industrialized sects, and often cloudy atmosphere that blocked the holo-ceilings. Living
here was expensive, and had more monetary requirements than he could earn in a lifetime. It was
one of the privileges to see the artificial blue day skies, and live under its calm city. However, the
lack of animen spooked him. He felt out of place, since he hadn’t seen any other animen past the
train station, except for Arthur. There were significantly less cars compared to his home, as he
hadn’t seen one drive past the road. There weren’t as many walking the streets either. Residents
flew overhead instead. He tiptoed closer to the deer while adamantly looking around.
“I’ve been meaning to ask: Where did you get this idea, Arty?” Parrack asked softly, readjusting his
shoulder lugging the vintage boombox. “This thing doesn’t even play music anymore.” He stared
confused and cautiously at the onward-looking deer.
“Someone posted it on intergalactic media that hundreds of years ago delta humans used to
serenade with those boom-boxes, I think that’s what they’re called, to impress their partners.”
Arty replied while he browsed through his device for songs. “Hey Parrack, do you think I have the
voice of the lead singer from Jamming Jives?” He asked sarcastically.
That made Parrack laugh, the most ridiculous question he’s been asked so far, sarcastic or not.
Arty chuckled, knowingly lightened their moods. The crocodile smirked, relaxing himself and
answered. “You wish!” He replied. “No known system can match Gizmo’s angelic voice.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t lip sync.” He chuckled. “Hey Par, do you listen to Jamming?”
“A bit, I only know the song ‘Down Town Disappointment’. Besides I prefer the singer Eve Goats.”
“The flamboyant rapper?” Arty glanced at him, with an approving smirk. “Good taste.”
Parrack, and Arty shared their favorite artists and genres, then the discussion led to the history of
said artists. It was another 15 minute walk before they arrived at Arty’s partner’s place.
“Here we are. My partner’s place.” Arty glanced, and extended his hand towards the building,
presenting it. Parrack set down the boombox on the street then gazed on the simplistic, and its
invigorating nostalgic architecture.
The brick-walled apartment was three stories tall, with two rectangular windows on each story,
one on the left and right divided by the brick column chimney in the middle. There was a small set
of stairs, between its lawns, leading to the doorway. Parrack was unsure if the rusting on the
balusters was aesthetic, or disrepair.
Arty turned back and saw Parrack scanning the building up and down. “Tuck says living here is
really expensive, but at least his parents pay for it.” He chuckled.
“How long has he been living here?” Parrack asked.
“Three years.” Arty replied. “Though it hasn’t been all that pleasant but I’ll tell ya later.”
“Hm, okay.” Parrack started looking around. The nearby buildings were identical, only difference
were the windows that came in various shapes.
“Parrack.” Arty called sternly.
He immediately turned to the deer handing him a slim glass rectangle, which was a video
recorder.
“Woah, where’d you get this?!” Parrack exclaimed. It was made of Ethyrean glass, an uncommon
mineral that displayed recordings as a hologram. He lowered his voice. “S-sorry, I never thought
I’d get to hold one, heh.” He slowly touched the smooth, cool glass with his hands, which made
him giggle like a cub. He held it up against the light, intrigued by its light turquoise tint.
Arty chuckled and shifted his left arm. “Costed me an arm.”
Parrack immediately turned to the deer, confused whether he was serious or sarcastic. “Oh, you
mean the incident?”
“Yeah, Kerrigan compensated with a lot of credits, while Darren took care of the medical bill.” Arty
reminisced and rubbed his chest where the bullet was. “I still wear the cast at home.”
“Oh.” Parrack dismayed. “I thought it was fully healed, sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Arty smirked in relief. “The doctor told me to move my arm more to keep the veins live
and pumping.”
“Oh, alright.” Parrack inspected the glass more, flipping it close to his eyes. “So, how do you
use-?”
Arty groaned trying, with difficulty, to pull up the boombox by its handle, testing its weight. He
turned to Parrack. “Oh, sorry.”
“How do you use this thing?” Parrack presented it to the deer.
“Have one side of the glass face towards me while the other is blocked by your claws”
Parrack tried by resting one side on his palm, holding it together by his other finger. “Like this?” He
asked.
“Good, just like that. I’ll just talk to the landlord, ask him if you can step on the lawn.” Arty went up
the steps and rang the landlord’s doorbell. There was a faint chime from the inside.
Parrack continued admiring the Ethyrean device. “How do I view the recordings?” He asked
without looking away.
“Rest it on your palm, then put two fingers on the vertical ends.” Arty said, as the door creaked
open.
Parrack did so. The unblocked side started producing light, then a 3D hologram was displayed just
above. It was him and Arty walking down the street, and he could hear the soft sound of their
discussion earlier.
“This is so cool.” He told himself. The crocodile turned to Arthur who was still busy talking with a
levitating glowing orb, a Helio being.
“Is it alright for my friend to stand on the lawn for just a few minutes?” Arthur asked, glancing
towards Parrack briefly.
Parrack felt its stare, that’s how Helios look. He waved back, and its light glew a tilting hand, a
‘hello to you too’. Its stare, afterwards, was lifted from him, and he moved closer to them.
“Thanks! It won’t be long, [UNTRANSLATABLE].” He turned to Parrack. “Alright, we got five
minutes, and he’ll go get Tuck.”
“Alright then.” Parrack went up the stairs then to its side, walking on the grass. He positioned
himself not too far from the stairwell. “Is this alright?”
Arty was gussying up his fur, making it appear straight. “Yeah, that’s alright.” He continued
grooming himself, straightening his tuft. “Do I look alright?”
“Yeah, you do.” Parrack gave him a thumbs up, then started recording as Arty selected the song
on his device.
After a minute of waiting, there was the sound of metal sliding.
“Hi Tuck!” Arty waved up at him. “I brought a friend along!” He pointed towards Parrack.
The crocodile looked up, and saw a jackal waving from the third floor. “Hey there!” Parrack greeted
and waved back. They both then looked back to the deer, kneeling a knee on the steps.
Arty cleared his throat, then started to sing ‘Shout Thy Curse’. The first strums of guitar, and beat
of snare drums, escaped his phone resting on the boombox. The music’s slow rise was
accompanied by Arty slowly rising up. Followed by the lead singer of Jamming Jives singing the
first verse, which Arty synched precisely. The deer’s hand gestures changed rapidly at the
increasing pace of the song. The cusses here and there were synchronized to the deer stomping,
and when the lyrics meant the significant other, he raised his left arm to Tuck, while he rested his
right hand on his chest.
Parrack glanced at the jackal upstairs who was covering his muzzle in great awe. That made him
smile. “That’s cute.” He whispered to himself, then turned back to the performing deer. He was
towards the end of his act, the lyrics were plenty but had deeper meaning of closeness and
partnership. It was accompanied by a slow decrease of a mix between high and low notes of a
piano.
Arty knelt again, with his left knee forward and his hand resting on it. His right hand extended
upwards with a white flower.
Parrack turned to the window with the jackal gone, then at the door with the helios pulsing its
glow, which means applause. Tuck ran past it and towards Arty and hugged him around his arms,
with the deer following suit.
The crocodile stepped back into the pavement and waved at the helios again, feeling that
moment’s stare, then went towards the couple.
“Good job, Arty.” Parrack said, handing the glass.
Tuck took it, then kissed the deer on the cheek before hugging him tighter.
“Oof, thanks. I’ll transfer the pay once ‘Tick’ here latches off.” The deer chuckled.
The jackal made a snickering gesture, covered his mouth as his head subtly vibrated, then got off
the deer then turned to Parrack. He did hand signs that Parrack couldn’t understand.
“Sorry, I don’t know how to do sign language.” Parrack said lowly.
“He says thanks, and asks if you want a drink.” Arthur translated.
“Oh, thank you. Maybe a glass of water will do.” Parrack asked, then extended his hand almost
forgetting. “I’m Parrack, it’s nice to meet you Tuck.”
The jackal took and shook his paw, nodding. His free hand signed.
“Pleasure to meet you too.” Arthur translated.
[End]