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A mail bird circling above was always a welcome sight to Grant. It wasn’t often he received letters, but there was only a select- and very welcome- few that they ever came from: his sons or Splint the Krabby. That said, the old Camerupt was a little more than mildly surprised when he saw that the letter deposited at his hooves was addressed in a broad scrawl, sizes of the all-capital letters mismatched and the spelling bad. That this letter had even made it to him, at the remote, thatched-roof hut he now called home, was a little surprising.

Grant had to call Joel over to read the letter itself. Joel, who had never left the Camerupt, who had built their house and kept them supplied in the years since Grant had retired from traveling. Sometimes Grant worried about the day he would die purely because he didn’t know where that would leave his adopted son. Joel had seemed lost to him for many years, and Grant’s present at least gave him something to do, some solid ground. If only for a lack of not knowing what else to do (not that the old Camerupt wasn’t confident his son cared about him), he was always there and willing to help Grant out.

This letter, however, Joel looked over and grimaced at. “I can’t read this.”

“The writing isn’t that bad, is it?”

“No, no…” Joel frowned and scratched his chest with a hoof, hesitating. “It’s from Eppie.”

Well, that at least solved the matter of how the letter had reached them. If the sender was Eppie, then, when questioned, she could easily have said “send this to wherever Splint sends his letters” and the matter would have been solved relatively simply. It was a pleasant surprise to see that she could write (somewhat). Grant knew Splint had made attempts at teaching her but had never received any news about his succeeding. She was a smart girl, but had never had much patience for the written word.

“She wouldn’t want me to read it, is what I mean,” Joel went on.

“She wouldn’t want me to not know what it says,” Grant chided. “Just read it, I won’t tell her.” So Joel struggled through it.

The letter had its ups and downs. “Grant. Splint is missing. I’m trying to find him but I might not be able to. Alec is upset with me. I think it would be good if you could visit and help him out. Until I get Splint back. Vivian is here too. She’s watching Alec but I’d feel better with your help. I’ll tell Alec to call you grandpa. : ) Eppie”.

Joel put up a fight initially. He was fine with Grant going, but didn’t feel he should go himself. Understandable, considering the last time they’d seen Eppie she had threatened to kill Joel if she ever saw him again. That was the whole of Joel’s argument though. Grant had a stronger one- it had been years, and she’d been in a fit when she’d made that threat. He was confident she would not keep it, and could see his Pignite friend had at least some doubts that she would as well. Eppie was not that sort of killer. And, Eppie aside, it was unsafe for Grant to travel alone, at his age. That was what had finally convinced the pig.

“You know with Splint not around she’s going t’be all weird again though,” Joel muttered as he packed their things. “She lives for that crab.”

“By the time we’re there, he could very well be back. Not that I’m going to pass up an excuse to visit over that. It’s been far too long.”

“For a reason,” Joel snarled.

“I have no doubt Eppie’s forgiven you by now,” Grant said. Joel tied up the last bag and threw it over the camel’s back without reply. “What makes you so nervous isn’t what she could do to you.”

Joel only sneered.

“It’s high time you made amends,” Grant continued, starting forward. “All of you. No one ever got an opportunity.” His head bobbed as he walked, the thick fur around his neck swishing up and down gently. His legs ached. This would be a longer journey than he’d made in years. He’d always hoped Eppie and Splint would come visit him and not the other way around. Hopefully he’d make it alright. If his body gave up on him, he knew Joel wouldn’t finish the trip. That would be his ultimate excuse to never follow up on the letter.

“You hope they’re doing okay, don’t you? That she’ll find Splint again?” As he spoke, Grant tilted his head to glance back sideways at Joel who, rather than following, was fumbling with a smoke.

The pig snorted smoke for a few moments before finally conjuring a spark. “Yeah, sure. If only for the sake of keeping her from terrorizing Tao or wherever she is looking for ‘im.”

Grant chuckled. That was more like it. It was a bit of a bitter joke, but a joking Joel was a normal Joel. Hopefully he’d be able to maintain some of that when they reached their old friends.

Wooow Joel and Grant are finally on the scene

Anyway, finishing up all that M7 epilogue stuff, this is the last of it.

I feel like I had a lot more to say about this this morning but I finished the pic just barely in time to skedaddle off to class and didn't get to upload it until 12 hours later and now I've forgotten all my commentary. But this a pretty fun pic to draw, I need to mess around with this style more for sure.

Team KC

Description

Previous
A mail bird circling above was always a welcome sight to Grant. It wasn’t often he received letters, but there was only a select- and very welcome- few that they ever came from: his sons or Splint the Krabby. That said, the old Camerupt was a little more than mildly surprised when he saw that the letter deposited at his hooves was addressed in a broad scrawl, sizes of the all-capital letters mismatched and the spelling bad. That this letter had even made it to him, at the remote, thatched-roof hut he now called home, was a little surprising.

Grant had to call Joel over to read the letter itself. Joel, who had never left the Camerupt, who had built their house and kept them supplied in the years since Grant had retired from traveling. Sometimes Grant worried about the day he would die purely because he didn’t know where that would leave his adopted son. Joel had seemed lost to him for many years, and Grant’s present at least gave him something to do, some solid ground. If only for a lack of not knowing what else to do (not that the old Camerupt wasn’t confident his son cared about him), he was always there and willing to help Grant out.

This letter, however, Joel looked over and grimaced at. “I can’t read this.”

“The writing isn’t that bad, is it?”

“No, no…” Joel frowned and scratched his chest with a hoof, hesitating. “It’s from Eppie.”

Well, that at least solved the matter of how the letter had reached them. If the sender was Eppie, then, when questioned, she could easily have said “send this to wherever Splint sends his letters” and the matter would have been solved relatively simply. It was a pleasant surprise to see that she could write (somewhat). Grant knew Splint had made attempts at teaching her but had never received any news about his succeeding. She was a smart girl, but had never had much patience for the written word.

“She wouldn’t want me to read it, is what I mean,” Joel went on.

“She wouldn’t want me to not know what it says,” Grant chided. “Just read it, I won’t tell her.” So Joel struggled through it.

The letter had its ups and downs. “Grant. Splint is missing. I’m trying to find him but I might not be able to. Alec is upset with me. I think it would be good if you could visit and help him out. Until I get Splint back. Vivian is here too. She’s watching Alec but I’d feel better with your help. I’ll tell Alec to call you grandpa. : ) Eppie”.

Joel put up a fight initially. He was fine with Grant going, but didn’t feel he should go himself. Understandable, considering the last time they’d seen Eppie she had threatened to kill Joel if she ever saw him again. That was the whole of Joel’s argument though. Grant had a stronger one- it had been years, and she’d been in a fit when she’d made that threat. He was confident she would not keep it, and could see his Pignite friend had at least some doubts that she would as well. Eppie was not that sort of killer. And, Eppie aside, it was unsafe for Grant to travel alone, at his age. That was what had finally convinced the pig.

“You know with Splint not around she’s going t’be all weird again though,” Joel muttered as he packed their things. “She lives for that crab.”

“By the time we’re there, he could very well be back. Not that I’m going to pass up an excuse to visit over that. It’s been far too long.”

“For a reason,” Joel snarled.

“I have no doubt Eppie’s forgiven you by now,” Grant said. Joel tied up the last bag and threw it over the camel’s back without reply. “What makes you so nervous isn’t what she could do to you.”

Joel only sneered.

“It’s high time you made amends,” Grant continued, starting forward. “All of you. No one ever got an opportunity.” His head bobbed as he walked, the thick fur around his neck swishing up and down gently. His legs ached. This would be a longer journey than he’d made in years. He’d always hoped Eppie and Splint would come visit him and not the other way around. Hopefully he’d make it alright. If his body gave up on him, he knew Joel wouldn’t finish the trip. That would be his ultimate excuse to never follow up on the letter.

“You hope they’re doing okay, don’t you? That she’ll find Splint again?” As he spoke, Grant tilted his head to glance back sideways at Joel who, rather than following, was fumbling with a smoke.

The pig snorted smoke for a few moments before finally conjuring a spark. “Yeah, sure. If only for the sake of keeping her from terrorizing Tao or wherever she is looking for ‘im.”

Grant chuckled. That was more like it. It was a bit of a bitter joke, but a joking Joel was a normal Joel. Hopefully he’d be able to maintain some of that when they reached their old friends.

Wooow Joel and Grant are finally on the scene

Anyway, finishing up all that M7 epilogue stuff, this is the last of it.

I feel like I had a lot more to say about this this morning but I finished the pic just barely in time to skedaddle off to class and didn't get to upload it until 12 hours later and now I've forgotten all my commentary. But this a pretty fun pic to draw, I need to mess around with this style more for sure.

Team KC