Video

[sos_pilot]

 Hey, my train trekkers, my main men, my wonderful women, my koo-koo kids, and everyone and everything else in-between! This is Della Duck, reporting to you live from her cabin with a chance to feel super good about yourself! First, a bit of background info. In my world, there's an organization called - drumroll, please - theeeee...

[ She holds up a slightly tattered and worn-out book with several post-it notes on almost every page. ] 

Junior Woodchucks! The BEST group ever for kids to learn all the skills under the sun and prepare them for all of life's challenges and beyond! When you accomplished something major, you earned a badge! And, no big surprise, I earned a lot of them when I was that age. And I feel like you all have accomplished SO MUCH! Whether here on the train, back home, or in other worlds we've been to, you've all got a lot to be proud of!

With that in mind, I decided to make you guys the Junior Woodchuck Badges you all deserved!  I'll be going all around the train and handing them out!  Even if you're a total stranger, I want to hear the things you're proud of! Because there are things we should all feel great about ourselves!

For example!

[ She fishes out some of the badges she's already made, and shows them one by one. ] 

The first time you made a campfire! Or, making a new dish that's actually edible! Or putting out someone else's campfire that went wildly out of control! Master of treating injuries, making twenty friends, craftsman extraordinaire... And if what you're proud of doesn't exist in the guidebook, then phooey, I'll make it up myself! BECAUSE YOU ALL NEED TO LOVE YOURSELVES A LOT MORE!

... A-hem. See you around, guys!

[ if you'd like, feel free to go right to Action to meet her all over the train! ]

Comments

[10billionpercent]

[ He's a strange boy with a strange life, what can he say? ]

Yeah, sure, just remind me when we're face to face sometime. I don't know if I understood her better, but we're still friends all this time later. Which is good, she has a lot of skills I don't have.

[sos_pilot]

I'm surprised to hear you say that. Sometimes it feels like it you can do anything.

[10billionpercent]

[ He chuckles his amusement. ] A cool illusion.

[ Seriously though, he smiles. ]

Nah, there's a lot of people who have knowledge I don't. Old man Kaseki is a master craftsman. I can do what he does, sure, but not with expertise and with a lot more waste and trial and error. Ryusui, our Captain, navigates way better than I do. I can read the weather like he can, but I don't know that much about flying air balloons or navigating the ship. I could probably keep it steady. I cook alright, but Francois, they're a masterclass. They improved some of my skills, but they'll outrank me every time.

Everyone in the Kingdom of Science has a job to do.

[sos_pilot]

[ Her smile just gets bigger. He might have difficulty recognizing affection and care in others, but she can hear it in his voice. ]

Like a functioning machine, every cog is important.

[10billionpercent]

[ That was the true secret really. He wasn't really cognizant of how other people thought, he may not really be cognizant of his own feelings, but that didn't mean he didn't have them. He's very very fond of his village. They're his family. ]

That's right, and everyone has something to offer so, that's just how the kingdom works. I can't actually do anything anyway, there's not enough hours in the day. [ He chuckles. ]

Like cooking. I do that here a lot, but at home I don't usually have much time anymore. It gets delegated to other people, like Francois.

[sos_pilot]

Oh come on, I find that hard to believe - that you can't do anything. Surely you must do something in that great kingdom of yours!

[10billionpercent]

I do, but not mundane stuff like that. I'm usually working on the various science projects we have going, planning, that kind of thing.

[ So he delegates a lot of basic stuff. ]

Also finding Gen lots of work. [ Isn't Gen a lucky boy? ]

[sos_pilot]

Not to his complaint, I imagine?

[ he seems like the type to enjoy a challenge ]

[10billionpercent]

[ His snicker turns into a decent laugh. ]

Incessantly. He never stops complaining.

[ His expression is amused, but sharp now, a grin. ]

But he's reliable when it counts without complaining.

[sos_pilot]

[ And hearing him laugh makes her laugh as well. ]

I guess between the two of us, you would know him better!

[10billionpercent]

Oh please feel free to get to know him better. I might not, except I live with him which is... [ He waves his hand. ] You learn a lot about a person.