It's been many moons since I've been on this site, but this quarantine thing is killing me and I needed to do something creative lol. I just binge watched all 99 Animaniacs episodes (well, all of the Warner shorts, anyway). Haven't watched Wakko's Wish yet, but I will soon. I'm super excited about the reboot coming this year! Here's a little fluff. Might turn it into a series of one-shots if people are interested. Enjoy!
The Date
Yakko Warner was sitting on the couch in the water tower, his feet propped up on the coffee table covered with magazines, the TV remote in his hand. There wasn't much going on in the studio lot today, leaving the Warners to try to find entertainment for themselves. He clicked through the channels absentmindedly, looking for something at least slightly entertaining to watch. "Boring…boring…boring…"
His younger brother hopped onto the couch next to him, but proceeded to sit on it upside down, his head resting on the couch cushions as his feet dangled in the air. Somehow, the red hat on his head defied gravity and never threatened to fall from his head. "Didja find anything good to watch, Yakko?" he asked, his Scouse accent strong.
"Not yet," the older toon replied, continuing to flip through channels. "Just lots of cruddy reality TV and Fox and CNN complaining about each other." He smirked. "In other words, I've only found cruddy reality TV."
Wakko put a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment. "Aha!" Suddenly he sprang to an upright position, landing closer to Yakko on the couch. "Can we watch my Don Knotts video collection? Pleeaseee?" he begged. His puppy-dog eyes shined brightly, a bright red tongue sticking out of his mouth.
"Ehhh…I don't know, Wak," Yakko replied, finally taking his eyes off the screen and looking at his brother. "We've already watched it twice this week."
"But that was with Dot, and she always COMPLAINS the entire time," the younger sibling whined. "She talks through entire episodes and I can't even hear myself think—"
"That's because there aren't any thoughts in your head to be heard, Wakko."
The two boys looked back at the TV to see their younger sister standing in front of it, glaring at them. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.
Wakko gulped while Yakko smiled, the smallest hint of nervousness on his face. "Hey sis," he said with a little wave. "What are you up to?"
Dot's glare was suddenly replaced with a smile as she pulled two pink frilly dresses on hangers out of nowhere. "Which dress makes my eyes look cuter, this one or this one?" she asked, holding up each respective dress.
Wakko knit his eyebrows in confusion, studying the two dresses intently. "They're the exact same dress," he said thoughtfully, looking at the identical patterns.
"They are not!" Dot exclaimed, bonking him on the head with one of the hangers. The middle child rubbed his cap as she continued, "This one is a slightly lighter shade of pink than the other one."
Wakko was about to argue, but Yakko motioned his hand in front of him, signaling him to stop. "You should go with the lighter one," he said quickly. "Now what's the big occasion?"
Dot tossed the unchosen dress at her brothers, the fabric hitting Wakko in the face as he tried to sneak the remote away from Yakko. "I have a date," she replied as she pulled out a pocket-sized mirror and began to apply lipstick.
Wakko took an enormous bite out of the dress that was now bunched up in his lap. "Poor guy," he mumbled.
Dot ignored the comment as she excitedly told Yakko about her plans for the night. "He's gonna take me out to a movie, dinner, and then we're gonna watch the fireworks at the lake!" She was practically bouncing up and down from excitement, and the flower in her hair followed suit. "It's gonna be so much fun!"
Yakko crossed his arms as a mischievous smile spread across his face. "And who has the honor of taking my darling little sister out on a date tonight?"
"Justin Bieber!"
Wakko made a hacking noise.
Yakko's smile disappeared as his arms fell to his sides. The Warners didn't leave the tower as often as they used to when their show was on the air, but he still made an effort to stay up-to-date on what was happening in Hollywood. And from what he had seen, Justin wasn't always the greatest guy. He recovered quickly, however, swallowing his big brother instincts. Dot was perfectly capable of defending herself and it wouldn't be fair to try to keep her from going. "Dot, when exactly did Justin ask you out on a date?"
The youngest Warner was still looking into her pocket mirror, straightening out the flower in her hair. "Well, when we were in the waiting room at Scratchy's office last week and you and Wakko were staring at Hello Nurse, he came in and we started talking. I'm gonna meet him at the movies."
"Good thing it'll be dark in the theater," Wakko said, casually leaning back in to the couch. "You won't be able to go blind because of his Bieber mop hair."
"He hasn't looked like that in years, Wakko," Dot fired back with a roll of her eyes.
"Right. He's got that weird mustache now."
"WAKKO!"
"Alright, alright, that's enough," Yakko said, getting between his two siblings. "No need to get the mallets out." The two relaxed, Dot sitting down on the coffee table as Wakko leaned back into the sofa again. "Now Dot," he said carefully, looking at his little sister. "Make sure you're home by midnight. And don't do anything that I wouldn't do."
"That's not giving me many limitations," she quipped. She hopped to her feet and stood on the coffee table, then suddenly spun around. Within a split second she was in the pink frilly dress that Yakko had chosen earlier. "How do I look?" she asked, knowing full well the answer.
"Almost as cute as Wakko," Yakko said with a snicker. He ruffled her hair despite her protests about him 'messing it up.', as well as her objections to the Wakko comment. "Now remember what I said about being home by midnight," he said as she began making her way toward the water tower door.
"And bring home your leftovers from dinner if you have any!" Wakko called over his shoulder, still smiling at his sister's objections.
"I know, I know," she said, rolling her eyes. Yakko had made his way to the door as well, pushing the heavy steel open for her. "I'll see you guys later!" She then jumped down from the tower's balcony and landed gracefully on the studio lot, making her way towards the main entrance and the street below.
Yakko leaned against the tower's railings as he watched his little sister disappear into a taxi cab. "Be careful, sis," he whispered.
XXX
"See, wasn't that better without Dot complaining over everything?" Wakko asked, tossing his Don Knotts tapes and DVDs into his gag bag. After Dot had left, Wakko had somehow convinced his older sibling to watch the entire collection with him.
Yakko yawned, leaning further back into the couch. "I don't know, Wakko. I think it was harder to hear what was going on over the sound of you chewing."
Wakko pulled a footlong sub out of his bag and swallowed it whole. "Well I've got to tide myself over until Dot gets home with her leftovers." He looked down at the coffee table, spotting a magazine with a cute blonde on the cover. "Hellooooooooooooo nurse!" he exclaimed, grabbing the magazine and hopping onto the couch next to Yakko.
"Hey, share with your big brother," Yakko said quickly, snatching it out of Wakko's hands. After the two boys ogled at the beautiful young woman for a few minutes, Yakko finally read the headline on the front page. "Hailey Baldwin engaged to…"
Oh no.
XXX
"Justin? Justin?"
Dot stood outside one of Burbank's many movie theaters as her eyes scanned the busy streets for her date. The movie had started over twenty minutes ago and he was nowhere to be seen. She lifted up her dress ever so slightly so the fabric wouldn't drag along the dirty sidewalk and made her way around the corner of the street.
"Maybe I'm at the wrong theater," she said to herself. She had to be, after all. No one ever stood Dot Warner up for a date.
As she walked down the boulevard, she passed a five-star restaurant, one of the countless she and her brothers had been banned from due to their usual antics and Wakko's insatiable appetite. She peered into the window and gently pressed her cute red nose against the glass. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling over the formal dinner party that was happening below. Men and women stood in formalwear as they sipped glasses of champagne. At the front of the room there was a small stage where a young man and woman stood in front of a microphone making an announcement.
Dot squinted her eyes, peering at the man. Justin?
It was Justin Bieber, alright. His arm was around his bride-to-be as he spoke into the microphone. An engagement announcement. That's what the party was for.
The youngest Warner was seething at this point, wishing her eyes could burn a hole through the glass and into the singer. He was engaged? Why would he even ask her out on a date? To screw with her? To waste her time?
Dot let out an angry growl before whipping her mallet out of her dress, aiming it at the glass window. When the weapon was only a centimeter away from smashing the glass, she suddenly stopped. She could crash the party and drop an anvil on Justin's head, but what good would it do? The Warners had already gotten in trouble with this restaurant once. Destroying the place would only earn her and her brothers a stronger lock on the water tower.
She sighed, put the mallet away, and walked off, no longer caring that her dress was dragging along the dirty sidewalk.
XXX
Dot sat in the grass and stared up at the night sky. Fireworks burst and fizzled in the air above the lake, the bright colors reflected in the water. She had gone to the lake where she and Justin were supposed to watch the fireworks together. She didn't want Yakko and Wakko to know that someone had stood her up until she was sure she wouldn't be sad in front of them. They loved her deeply, and she loved them back even more so, but she wasn't quite ready for their playful jabs about her failed date tonight.
"Is this seat taken?"
Dot looked up to see her oldest brother with a friendly smile on his face, his arm gesturing to the grass next to her. "It's empty," she said, averting his gaze.
Yakko sat down next to his sister before pulling out a small cardboard carton from behind him. It was white and filled with onion rings and fries, the word 'Jack' written on a cube drawn on the side. "Have a Fring?" he offered, extending the box out to her.
Dot gave a weak smile before taking the carton of fast food, but didn't eat any of it, directing her eyes back to the grass patch in front of her. Any moment Yakko would ask what had happened, why she was here alone. She took a deep breath and decided to rip off the band-aid. "Yakko, Justin—"
"Say no more, sister sibling," Yakko said, gently cutting her off. He put an arm around her, allowing her to nestle her head against his shoulder. "I know."
Dot let out a sigh of relief, wrapping her arms around him. He wasn't gonna pick on her about the date, at least not tonight. Maybe down the road when her pride had healed and she was ready to take it. But right now, he was showing his more tender side that only she and Wakko ever got to see, where his smartass remarks paused for a quick moment so he could be there emotionally for his younger siblings. She looked up at him. "How did you know I was here?"
"Call it a sixth sense," Yakko replied, ruffling her hair. She didn't complain this time. He jabbed a thumb over his other shoulder. "We would've been here earlier, but once Wakko realized that you probably wouldn't be bringing home leftovers tonight, he forced the taxi driver to stop at five Jack-in-the-Boxes. Hence the Frings."
Dot turned her head to see Wakko about ten feet behind them with a red wagon full of to-go bags, half of them devoured already, the other half in the process of being eaten. She rolled her eyes, but on the inside, she was happy to see that he had come as well. "Go fig." She looked back up at Yakko. "I guess we should be getting home soon?"
"No way, sis," Yakko replied, suddenly springing to his feet. "Justin Bieber might've ruined your night, but Wakko and I are here to un-ruin it. Find some music, Wak, and none of that Bieber trash!"
Wakko jumped up from his pile of Jack-in-the-Box and pulled out his gag bag. As he rummaged through it, he tossed a lawn mower, Danny DeVito, and a cinder block over his shoulder. "Here he is!" he exclaimed. He pulled out a grumpy old man with orange hair in a blue suit, holding a trumpet. "It's Trump on the trumpet!"
"You don't have Bill Clinton on the sax?" Yakko asked, raising an eyebrow.
Wakko peered back into the gag bag. "He's in here, but he's talking to that Monica lady." His eyes suddenly widened. "Oh. They're not talking anymore."
Yakko blew a kiss at the fourth wall. "Goodnight, everybody!"
"Ringo, that's where you went!"
Yakko and Dot looked back at Wakko, who had just produced a full drum set as well as a man with glasses and a beard. "I've missed you," the middle sibling said to the Beatle. He then pointed to Danny DeVito, who was trying to sneak away into the woods next to the lake. "Hit it, Danny!"
Startled, Danny ran back to the other two men as they began to play their instruments and jumped right into singing "Variety Speak."
"Ehhhh…it's not quite the same as having the entire orchestra, but they're busy recording for the reboot," Yakko said with a smirk. He extended his hand to his little sister, who was still sitting in the grass next to his feet. "Care for a dance, cute little sister?"
Dot smiled and took his hand, gasping as he quickly pulled her to her feet, catching her before she could fall. "I've got you," he reassured her. "Now let's dance!" Dot giggled as he spun her around gracefully, the two just as good of dancers as they were when their show had been on the air. They danced across the grass to the upbeat tune, the fireworks illuminating the scene (and helping them avoid any obstacles, such as rocks and Wakko's Jack-in-the-Box pile).
Dot looked up at her older brother, who was slouching just a bit to make dancing with their height difference a little easier for her. "Thanks for coming out here tonight, Yakko," she said. "I really appreciate it."
Yakko gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Anytime, sis. I'm always here for ya." He grinned. "But don't just thank me." He continued to dance with her, but turned his attention to their brother, who was singing at the top of his lungs with Danny DeVito. "Hey Wakko, jump in!" He spun Dot in his direction and Wakko caught her moments before she bumped into the other singer. The middle Warner was a good dancer, but yet not quite as graceful as his siblings. His tongue stuck out of his mouth as he looked down in concentration, making an effort not to step on his sister's feet or dress.
"And thank you too, Wakko," Dot said with a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't have any leftovers."
"Don't worry about it," he replied, waving his hand. "I still got dinner tonight."
"I know," Dot said, pinching her nose, but she continued to dance with her brother. "You smell like Frings."
He gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry."
The three siblings danced well into the night, laughing and joking with each other the whole way through. By the time they had finished, their feet were sore and their eyelids heavy. Danny, Ringo, and Trump disappeared into the night, going off to who-knows-where. The Warners had elected to walk home rather than taking a cab and were soon atop the water tower, standing in front of the heavy door.
Dot was receiving a piggyback ride from Wakko. "Careful, Wakko," she said with a laugh. "If you trip over my dress it's a long way down to the pavement."
He grunted under his sister, their similar sizes making the piggyback ride quite difficult to maintain. "I think I'm a little short for this, Dot," he panted. "I think ya should've asked Yakko."
Yakko pushed the water tower's door open. "Alright sibs, time to turn in."
"Into what?" the two younger Warners asked eagerly.
The oldest sibling chuckled. "I walked right into that one. C'mon." He motioned them inside and followed shortly after, shutting the door behind him. Wakko climbed up the ladder of their bunked beds and into the bed on top, immediately falling asleep and snoring.
Yakko and Dot smiled and shrugged at each other, heading for the bathroom to get ready for bed. Soon they were back at the bunk again, Yakko in his pajamas and Dot with curlers in her hair. Dot made her way up the ladder to the middle bunk with her brother right behind her to tuck her in.
"You gonna be alright tonight, Dot?" he asked softly.
"I'll be okay," she replied through a yawn. She looked up at him, and with little warning, pulled him into a hug. "I love you, Yakko."
Yakko paused for a moment in surprise, then smiled and returned the gesture, holding her in a warm embrace. "I love you too." He released her after a few moments, allowing her to crawl under the covers as he tucked the top corners of the comforter under her pillow. "Goodnight, sis."
She smiled and closed her eyes. "Night, Yakko."
Yakko quietly made his way up the ladder to his little brother, who had been so tired he didn't even bother pulling the comforter up over himself. He shook his head and smiled, gently pulling the blanket up and tucking him in the same way he had for Dot. A little bit of drool had escaped Wakko's mouth, prompting the other Warner to softly brush it away from his lip with his thumb. "Night, Wak," he whispered. But Wakko was already fast asleep.
Yakko slowly and carefully climbed down the ladder and shut off the lights before slipping into his own bed on the bottom bunk. His heart was warm from the night he spent with his siblings, and it relieved him to know that Dot was going to be okay. He looked up at the bunk bed above him, wondering what they would do tomorrow. He then remembered the magazine he and Wakko found, and how it had mentioned that there would be a Bieber concert that day. A smirk spread across his face, a mischievous glint in his eye.
They were gonna have some fun tomorrow.