Animation vs. Rainimator (ft. AVA, AVM, Rainimator)

The Mango... and The Plum

Cover art by: Mosquito (me)

====== Flashback: 6 years ago... ======

//Purple's POV//

It was morning. The sunlight warmed the curtains, with a cool breeze engaging them in a curtain dance.

I throw my blanket off me, which I regretted right away because of the chilly autumn weather. I slipped on my purple wool slippers, then dashed down the staircase, taking three per pace.

My dad was grilling some cheese on the big griller, the cheese sliding across the pan with his homemade creamy butter. 

The oven dinged, with the nutty aroma of his freshly- baked bread filling the whole kitchen when he opened it. All the four years I've spent with him, he's the best cook in the world.

 "Morning, grapefruit!" My father put down his cooking utensils and greeted me with my wacky nickname.

 "Good morning to you, too!" I say, hugging him.

 "No nightmares? Slept well last night?" He asks.

 "Yup. The bedbugs didn't even think to bother me." I reply, sitting at the table, pouring milk in the cup from the jug.

 "Good boy." 

My dad said ok and went over to the kitchen shelf. Then he pulled out two plates decorated with blue stained glass, and flipped his grilled cheese sandwiches with the flipper.

 "Here you go. Your favorite menu, at your service." 

 "Yay!!"

As I ate at the dining table, I've finally decided to request something which was harder in the past. No, it wasn't related to work, work, and work. Something away from homework. Something far from my temper-tantrum teacher in high school. Something with my dad. Spending some time with him.

I look up from my plate, then swallow the cheese before opening my mouth.

 "Hmm, dad?"

He wipes his lips with a napkin. "Yes, what, my son?"

 "Can we have a date?"

He chuckles, "I've been waiting my whole life for that."

 "Can we go right now? To Stickmen Avenue?"

 "I don't see why not."

***

We bought extra-crisp hotdogs and pretended they were lightsabers, just like the ones in Star wars. 

 "Let's see how well you hold." My dad waved his lightsaber around, making me want to join in.

 "You're on!!"

For the next five minutes, we play with our food like snotty kindergarteners. He takes his turn, swinging the lightsaber and making battle noises. Then so do I, sometimes sliding his face with the sauce, leaving him all mustard-fied.

After the little brawl, we laid our heads on the grass and watched the stars above glowing brightly, like tiny diamonds twinkling in the dark. That's right. It was night already.

I turned my head to see dad just calmly staring at the sky, not saying anything. I wonder what he's thinking about.

 "That constellation looks like him." he starts.

 "Huh?"

 "Him." 

 "Who, dad?"

 "My... first son." he takes out an old photo from his coat pocket and offers it to me.