//------------------------------// // Giving Thanks // Story: Wily's Wittle Wub // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// As Thanksgiving had approached, Albert had put his culinary skills to the test preparing the feast. Much like Halloween the month before, this was going to be the first time they'd been in one place long enough for Vinyl to participate in such a holiday celebration. While Albert could have talked about them and celebrated them with her in a minor way, he hadn't wanted to raise her hopes of a festive celebration and then disappoint her. As such, this year would be her first Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and he was going all out as her father to give her the best ones imaginable. The turkey was a culinary masterpiece, perfectly golden brown on the outside, rich and moist inside, and perfectly seasoned to bring out the fullness of its flavor and aroma. Admittedly, it was unlikely Vinyl would eat more than a few mouthfuls of turkey, but it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without the bird on the table, and he drew the line at having a live one running about gobbling. Gobbling was the job of the diners, not the dinner. Besides, making a large turkey provided a great deal of the makings for gravy. The homemade stuffing and mashed potatoes rose high in their serving bowls as Albert set the table, along with the hand made cranberry sauce and the three bean casserole. He'd analyzed Vinyl's diet and nutritional needs, and had finished off with a carrot and spinach souffle, a massive pumpkin pie, and a huge apple strudel. As he finished setting the large table, Forte stepped in, staring. "Pops?" he asked, confused. "Not that I'm one to complain about a huge spread...but why so much?" "Well, there are going to be a lot of seats filled at the table," Albert replied. "It wouldn't look right for parts of the table to be empty." "Okay, but there's centerpieces for that," Forte indicated. "Too many centerpieces ruin the look of a meal." "But there's only one here other than you that even needs to eat!" Forte finally snapped. Albert bit his lip worriedly. "I know...I just hope there's enough here that she likes." Groaning, Forte proceeded to smack his head against the wall in frustration. As dinner time rolled around, everyone gathered around the table to take their seats. Albert sat at the head of the table, Vinyl to his left, Protoman to his right. Forte sat beside Protoman, and a robot that seemed familiar but that Albert didn't quite recognize sat to Vinyl's other side. Wood Man filled out Protoman's side of the table, while Shadow Man and Crash Man filled the rest of Vinyl's side. Air Man sat at the opposite end of the table. Wily stood up as everyone took their seats. "As per the traditions of Thanksgiving, let us each say what we are thankful for. Air Man, will you start us off?" Air Man nodded. "Just now, I am thankful I do not have a nose or sense of smell. If I did just now, the lack of mouth or sense of taste would be sheer torture." As laughter echoed around the table, Albert nodded. "I'll get to work on fixing both of those for you, Air Man," he managed to get out through his laughter. "Crash Man?" "I'm thankful Vinyl gave me hands," Crash Man replied dryly, sliding the bomb gloves into his wrists to reveal actual hands for the holding of utensils. "I don't have to risk an accidental explosion of flavor." Albert groaned as Vinyl giggled. "Wood Man, please tell me you aren't going to make a joke out of this?" "I'm thankful for a peaceful time where we can all enjoy this together without any worries," Wood Man replied softly. Albert smiled warmly. "What a nice sentime-" "And that I was designed with such a bulky physique," Wood Man added. "It's not munchies if I stuff myself, I just have a huge stomach!" Albert was moments away from burying himself face first in the pumpkin pie. "...Shadow Man?" he asked worriedly. "I am thankful for Forte," Shadow Man replied softly. "It's no longer my job to keep Vinyl out of trouble." "I'll second that!" Protoman chimed in, both bots getting blown a raspberry from the filly in question. "Wait your turn!" Forte snapped. "Well, Forte?" Albert asked morosely. "I'm thankful Vinyl's such a troublemaker, cause if she wasn't I probably wouldn't have been built!" Vinyl blew a laughing raspberry at Forte as Albert put his face in his hands. "And...you?" he asked, turning to the robot he didn't recognize. The robot stood up, revealing a body that was mostly just the skeleton of a robot, plainly a work in progress. "The robot formerly known as Doc is grateful my rebuild is finished enough to let me walk around and eat!" Albert blinked. "The robot formerly known as Doc?" "My former designation was Doc Robot," the bot explained. "But I don't have a new designation or function yet." "Ah," Albert replied, suppressing his curiosity for the moment. "Protoman, what about you?" "I'm grateful I haven't had to keep my promise to you yet," he replied cryptically. While most of the robots glanced at him in confusion, Wily could only nod in understanding before turning to Vinyl. The little unicorn smiled up at him happily. "I'm thankful for Daddy!" she called out happily. "If not for Daddy, I wouldn't have any of this!" She threw her hooves wide to indicate the castle, the table, the robots, everything. Albert smiled widely, reaching over to give her a scratch behind one ear. "Oh, these too!" Vinyl purred, leaning into the caress, getting several laughs. Chuckling, Albert smiled widely. "And I'm thankful for my family." He gestured to the table. "All of you here. I may have built most of you with my own two hands...but I know you're here because you choose to be here...and having you all here has made me happier than I could have imagined." Turning, he smiled down at Vinyl. "And especially you." "Can we eat now?" Forte complained. "Son of a- yes!" Wily snapped angrily, much to the amusement of all present.