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Louie scrolls through their phone as they sit alone in the bedroom that their siblings and they share. Everyone else is on a new, exciting adventure with peril, mayhem, chaos, and Louie just doesn’t feel like doing that today, even if there’s a small promise of gold. That’s where they differ from the rest of the family and Louie would be lying if they said that it didn’t feel even the slightest bit alienating.
The young duck shoves the phone in their hoodie pocket, just barely containing the theatrical sigh that tries desperately to escape.
However, before the boredom has time to set in, a crash rings out in another room close by. This barely even phases them, what with the constant threats to their home like every other day, the hijinks, the capers, the inconceivable amount of tomfoolery, and of course the, as Hubert likes to call them, ’life threatening instances'. The only mystery really is the identity of what cartoonish villain it is this time. Beagle Boys? Magica? Mark Beaks? Don Karnage back from the dead? Louie doesn’t even care, they just roll their eyes, grab a dart gun and make their way to the offending instance disrupting their day.
“Come out come out wherever you- ugh… I can't even finish the… the thing.”
Louie slinks around the door, locked and loaded, their dart gun pointing at… Goldie O’Gilt?
“Goldie? What’s uh… Ah?”
Goldie tries to act casual as she pockets some loose gold coins, and Louie rolls their eyes once again.
“Thought no one was home, huh? Happens to me all the time. Oldest trick in the book.”
“Well, I’ll be darned, Sharpie, you read me like a stack of books.”
“It takes one trickster to know another.”
Goldie’ beak perks a little, giving them a side grin as she takes a look around the room.
“No one’s here you say? You finally giving in? Counting yourself amongst the clutter?”
“Nah, rest of ‘em are on an adventure, and I didn’t feel like going.”
“Huh. Not much of a chip off the old McDuck block are ya?”
Louie watches as the wheels begin to turn in Goldie’s head. What is she up to?
Then, Goldie gets that look that can only means one thing: She wants to do something to annoy Scrooge.
“Say, Sharpie, how about you and I go somewhere really quick?”
“Huh, where?”
“Somewhere fun.”
“Fun? Okay, I’m in, it’s better then sitting here, endlessly scrolling on BeakTok.”
The duo get into Goldie’s car, a red convertible, and are off.
A troublemaker by nature, Louie could see that Goldie is doing things to look cool in front of the young duck such as speeding, running red lights, challenging other motorists to races.
Louie snorts, “Goldie, you drive like a maniac!”
“Yeah, that's what I have been told. Still never gotten pulled over. And look at that, we’re here!”
Louie looks from their seat to see a smallish gray building with cartoon dogs and cats crudely painted on it.
“An animal shelter? That’s… interesting.”
“Just give it a chance.”
They enter the building and are both overwhelmed by the smell of animal musk, but they didn’t really mind too much.
“Welcome to Kind Hearts Animal Shelter!” The chicken behind the desk calls to the pair, “Is there anything I can help you two with?”
“Oh no, just looking, thanks.”
Goldie and Louie breeze through the dog section; there weren’t as many options there and Louie prefers cats any day of the week.
They lumber past enclosures with cats in them, all meowing for affection. None of them seem to catch Louie’s eye, until they see a small gray kitten in a crate all by themselves.
“Look at this one, Goldie.”
“Aww, poor little guy, all lonely.”
The woman previously at the desk is sweeping some cat hair up when she sees the two ducks looking at the kitten.
“Oh yeah, that little one has been by himself for a while. The rest of his family got adopted already, but for some reason this one hasn’t found his forever family quite yet.”
Louie blinks. They entirely know what that’s like, being singled out, being left behind.
The young duck has an unassuming look that gives off when they want something, kinda like the goodie bags at Doofus Drake’s party but more earnest. They can feel the older woman smirking at them.
“You want that cat, don’t you, Sharpie?”
“Y-yeah, I guess.”
“Well, let’s get ‘im then.”
“Seriously? You mean it?”
“Of course I mean it!”
And that was the start of it all, Goldie handled the paperwork and adoption fee and the shelter provided a house warming kit that included food, a bed, treats, and toys. Louie just handles the fun part of playing with the kitten while he is in the box by sticking their fingers into the holes. The pair of ducks get back into the car and Goldie puts the top of the convertible up.
“Any idea of what you’re gonna name him?”
Louie thinks for a second and comes up with something, something they love and simply can’t live without.
“How about… Pep!”
“Good one!”
The newly christened Pep mews in response.
“Sounds like he likes it.”
Louie hesitates for a second and brushes off their nerves by looking hard into the rearview mirror, trying to catch the seasoned adventurer's eyes. When they have her gaze, they nod.
“Thank you, Goldie.”
And they mean it.
“Don’t mention it, kid.”
They pull into the driveway of the manor around the same time the Ducks and McDucks make their grand return from whatever adventure to wherever-the-heck
“Hey, it’s Louie and… Goldie?” Della observes.
“Goldie O’Gilt?!”
“What in blazes is she doing here?!”
“See you later, Sharpie!”, she calls out, cackling and already burning rubber into the otherwise pristine driveway as she speeds off into the distance.
Uncle Scrooge grumbles to himself a bit, though Louie thinks they can see a twinge of pink around the older ducks' whiskery cheek feathers. He quickly points towards Louie’s sweatshirt.
“An’ now jus’ what do ye have there?”
“Oh, just some groceries.”
Louie’s “groceries” meow and stick his head out.
“What the-?!”
“Kitty!”
Scrooge turns back towards the gate, face now beet red and bellowing.
“GOLDIE!!!”