The Metafictional Meddler (short story): Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:''The Metafictional Meddler'' (short story)}}{{Short Story |title1= ''The Metafictional Meddler'' |image1= The Metafictional Meddler - Cover.jpg |caption1= |other_titles= |hero(es)= Larrikin-1029<br>Pessimist-242 |villain(s)= Hector Fenwick |featuring= Juliet-178<br>Diggy-292<br>Digger-291<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>Aphrodite<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“Simba...")
 
 
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|hero(es)= [[Larrikin-1029]]<br>[[Pessimist-242]]
|hero(es)= [[Larrikin-1029]]<br>[[Pessimist-242]]
|villain(s)= [[Hector Fenwick (in-universe)|Hector Fenwick]]
|villain(s)= [[Hector Fenwick (in-universe)|Hector Fenwick]]
|featuring= [[Juliet-178]]<br>[[Diggy-292]]<br>[[Digger-291]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>[[Aphrodite (Prime Universe)|Aphrodite]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“Simba|The Lion King]]”<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“[[Mufasa|The Lion King's father]]”<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“[[Scar|The Lion King's father's brother]]”<br>[[Aladdin]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>[[Gargamel|“That sorcerer in that cartoon”]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>[[Patient-039]]
|featuring= [[Juliet-178]]<br>[[Diggy-292]]<br>[[Digger-291]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>[[Aphrodite (Prime Universe)|Aphrodite]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“[[Simba|The Lion King]]”<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“[[Mufasa|The Lion King's father]]”<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>“[[Scar|The Lion King's father's brother]]”<br>[[Aladdin]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>[[Gargamel|“That sorcerer in that cartoon”]]<br><small>(mentioned)</small><br>[[Patient-039]]
|setting= Unidentified cloud, [[Cupid Homeworld]]<br>[[Temporary Parliamentary Hall]], [[Cupid Homeworld]]<br>[[Hector Fenwick (in-universe)|Hector Fenwick]]'s attic, [[Universe (The Metafictional Meddler)|unnamed universe]]
|setting= Unidentified cloud, [[Cupid Homeworld]]<br>[[Temporary Parliamentary Hall]], [[Cupid Homeworld]]<br>[[Hector Fenwick (in-universe)|Hector Fenwick]]'s attic, [[Universe (The Metafictional Meddler)|unnamed universe]]
|length= 2,020 words
|length= 2,020 words
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After Fenwick explains that he wants the [[Copper-Colored Cupid]]s to give him a supply of [[Cupid Arrow]]s and [[Cupid Love Potion]] with which to turn himself into a beloved, successful writer back on his home [[Earth]], he is taken before the [[Cupid Parliament]]. There, he makes himself even more of an irritation, nagging the Parliamentary Cupids with a series of ''non sequitur'' questions on various topics — with even the famously sanguine [[Patient-039]] raising his voice. Before he knows it, the writer finds himself the subject of the [[burlap sack]] running gag he himself knows so well.
After Fenwick explains that he wants the [[Copper-Colored Cupid]]s to give him a supply of [[Cupid Arrow]]s and [[Cupid Love Potion]] with which to turn himself into a beloved, successful writer back on his home [[Earth]], he is taken before the [[Cupid Parliament]]. There, he makes himself even more of an irritation, nagging the Parliamentary Cupids with a series of ''non sequitur'' questions on various topics — with even the famously sanguine [[Patient-039]] raising his voice. Before he knows it, the writer finds himself the subject of the [[burlap sack]] running gag he himself knows so well.


By the [[Lord Thymon]] arrives in the [[temporary Parliamentary Hall]] with a stack of reports mailed by the [[Department of Applied Contrafibulation]], Fenwick has been stuffed back into his capsule and sent back to his home universe, where the capsule has been rigged to self-destruct as soon as its occupant has walked out of it. Just to be safe, Larrikin gives Thymon a photo of Fenwick and asks Thymon to disintegrate him on sight if he comes back; although the Cupid dignitaries chastise the reckless violence of the sentiment, few of them disagree with the spirit in which it is made.
By the time [[Lord Thymon]] arrives in the [[temporary Parliamentary Hall]] with a stack of reports mailed by the [[Department of Applied Contrafibulation]], Fenwick has been stuffed back into his capsule and sent back to his home universe, where the capsule has been rigged to self-destruct as soon as its occupant has walked out of it. Just to be safe, Larrikin gives Thymon a photo of Fenwick and asks Thymon to disintegrate him on sight if he comes back; although the Cupid dignitaries chastise the reckless violence of the sentiment, few of them disagree with the spirit in which it is made.


Back in Fenwick's universe, the writer decides to get the last laugh over the Cupids the only way he can: by writing up the day's events as [[The Metafictional Meddler (in-universe)|a new entry]] in ''Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids'' series and ending on a scene of himself laughing at his own trick, right here in the attic where he plies his writerly trade.
Back in Fenwick's universe, the writer decides to get the last laugh over the Cupids the only way he can: by writing up the day's events as [[The Metafictional Meddler (in-universe)|a new entry]] in ''Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids'' series and ending on a scene of himself laughing at his own trick, right here in the attic where he plies his writerly trade.
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** asking why “[[Simba|the Lion King]]'s [[Mufasa|father]] was killed when [[Scar|his brother]] shoved him off a cliff” if cats always land on their feet;
** asking why “[[Simba|the Lion King]]'s [[Mufasa|father]] was killed when [[Scar|his brother]] shoved him off a cliff” if cats always land on their feet;
** asking why, in the story of [[Aladdin]], Aladdin didn't get around the three-wishes limit by asking for more lamps containing more [[genie]]s;
** asking why, in the story of [[Aladdin]], Aladdin didn't get around the three-wishes limit by asking for more lamps containing more [[genie]]s;
** how [[Gargamel|the sorcerer]] in [[The Smurfs (cartoon)|that cartoon]] with the [[Smurf|blue people]] knew that he'd like the taste of the latter, given he had never successfully caught one before;
** whether the offspring of a blue [[dragon]] and a red one would be purple, striped, or polka-dotted.
** whether the offspring of a blue [[dragon]] and a red one would be purple, striped, or polka-dotted.


===Continuity ===
===Continuity ===
* [[Pessimist-242]] and [[Larrikin-1029]] previously served as co-protagonist of [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Toymaker's Labyrinth (short story)|The Toymaker's Labyrinth]]''.
* [[Digger-291]] was introduced in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Resurrection of the Wellsians (short story)|The Resurrection of the Wellsians]]'', which also established the idea that [[Clockwork Cherub]]s with consecutive serial numbers consider themselves to be siblings, as illustrated here with Digger and [[Diggy-292]].  
* [[Digger-291]] was introduced in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Resurrection of the Wellsians (short story)|The Resurrection of the Wellsians]]'', which also established the idea that [[Clockwork Cherub]]s with consecutive serial numbers consider themselves to be siblings, as illustrated here with Digger and [[Diggy-292]].  
* The running joke about the [[Department of Construction]] constantly building absurd numbers of useless warehouses was introduced in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Acquaintanceship-982 and the Missing Mail Mystery (short story)|Acquaintanceship-982 and the Missing Mail Mystery]]''.
* The running joke about the [[Department of Construction]] constantly building absurd numbers of useless warehouses was introduced in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Acquaintanceship-982 and the Missing Mail Mystery (short story)|Acquaintanceship-982 and the Missing Mail Mystery]]''.
* Though she is not acting as such, [[Juliet-178]]'s status as a member of the [[Department of Problem-Solving]] is referenced, as per her introduction in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving (short story)|Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving]]''.
* Though she is not acting as such, [[Juliet-178]]'s status as a member of the [[Department of Problem-Solving]] is referenced, as per her introduction in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving (short story)|Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving]]''.
* The [[Cupid Parliament]] meets in a “[[temporary Parliamentary Hall]]”. The [[destruction of the Cupid Parliament]] occurred in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Professional Endorsement (comic story)|Professional Endorsement]]'' and was then discussed at length in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Cupid Parliament Destroyed? (short story)|The Cupid Parliament Destroyed?]]'', where [[Foreman-964]] was commissioned to build a new [[Cupid Parliament building]], making “no promises” as to whether it would resemble one of his beloved warehouses. Whether the temporary Hall is the result of this attempt, or a different building the Cupids are using while Foreman works on the former, is unclear.  
* The [[Cupid Parliament]] meets in a “[[temporary Parliamentary Hall]]”. The [[destruction of the Cupid Parliament]] occurred in [[COMIC]]: ''[[Professional Endorsement (comic story)|Professional Endorsement]]'' and was then discussed at length in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Cupid Parliament Destroyed? (short story)|The Cupid Parliament Destroyed?]]'', where [[Foreman-964]] was commissioned to build a new [[Cupid Parliament building]], making “no promises” as to whether it would resemble one of his beloved warehouses. Whether the temporary Hall is the result of this attempt, or a different building the Cupids are using while Foreman works on the former, is unclear.  
* It is noted that the Cupids are reluctant to use a [[Cupid Arrow]] on [[Hector Fenwick (in-universe|Fenwick]] because it might result in him sticking around the [[Cupid Homeworld]] indefinitely out of newfound loyalty to the [[Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids|Crew]] as occurred when they tried that on another intruder, [[Lord Thymon]]; this occurred in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving (short story)|Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving]]''.
* It is noted that the Cupids are reluctant to use a [[Cupid Arrow]] on [[Hector Fenwick (in-universe)|Fenwick]] because it might result in him sticking around the [[Cupid Homeworld]] indefinitely out of newfound loyalty to the [[Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids|Crew]] as occurred when they tried that on another intruder, [[Lord Thymon]]; this occurred in [[PROSE]]: ''[[Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving (short story)|Lord Thymon and the Department of Problem-Solving]]''.
* The [[burlap sack]] running gag was last seen in an unconventional form in [[PROSE]]: ''[[A Copper-Colored Christmas Carol (short story)|A Copper-Colored Christmas Carol]]''. Here, Fenwick, who becomes its object, also becomes the first character to lampshade its status as a running gag.
* The [[Department of Applied Contrafibulation]] was off-handedly mentioned in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids (short story)|The Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids]]''.
* The [[Department of Applied Contrafibulation]] was off-handedly mentioned in [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids (short story)|The Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids]]''.


Latest revision as of 15:40, 21 July 2024

The Metafictional Meddler was a Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids short story written by Hector Fenwick with a cover illustration by Aristide Twain. It was a brief, comedic vignette featuring an appearance by an in-universe version of Fenwick, and was the second of three contributions in total made to the series by Fenwick as a guest writer.

Contents

Plot

On a “rather boring” day in the Cupid Homeworld, Juliet-178 is killing time by digging holes with Diggy-292, and Larrikin-1029 and Pessimist-242 are killing time by watching them do so, when an unknown Void Ship suddenly appears. The capsule turns out to contain a grandiloquent but unremarkable-looking human man called Hector Fenwick, who soon reveals that in his home universe, he is an unsuccessful writer who has occasionally contributed to a prose series whose events, due to multiversal happenstance, happen to perfectly mirror the history of the Crew.

After Fenwick explains that he wants the Copper-Colored Cupids to give him a supply of Cupid Arrows and Cupid Love Potion with which to turn himself into a beloved, successful writer back on his home Earth, he is taken before the Cupid Parliament. There, he makes himself even more of an irritation, nagging the Parliamentary Cupids with a series of non sequitur questions on various topics — with even the famously sanguine Patient-039 raising his voice. Before he knows it, the writer finds himself the subject of the burlap sack running gag he himself knows so well.

By the time Lord Thymon arrives in the temporary Parliamentary Hall with a stack of reports mailed by the Department of Applied Contrafibulation, Fenwick has been stuffed back into his capsule and sent back to his home universe, where the capsule has been rigged to self-destruct as soon as its occupant has walked out of it. Just to be safe, Larrikin gives Thymon a photo of Fenwick and asks Thymon to disintegrate him on sight if he comes back; although the Cupid dignitaries chastise the reckless violence of the sentiment, few of them disagree with the spirit in which it is made.

Back in Fenwick's universe, the writer decides to get the last laugh over the Cupids the only way he can: by writing up the day's events as a new entry in Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids series and ending on a scene of himself laughing at his own trick, right here in the attic where he plies his writerly trade.

Worldbuilding

Universes

Other

  • Diggy-292 is noted to share his brother Digger-291's passion for digging holes, but, in his case, to have turned these talents to the work of helping the Department of Construction with digging the foundations for new warehouses.
  • Aphrodite is mentioned offhand in narration as part of the phrase “Aphrodite knows where”.
  • Hector Fenwick's nagging questions on various topics include:
    • asking why “the Lion King's father was killed when his brother shoved him off a cliff” if cats always land on their feet;
    • asking why, in the story of Aladdin, Aladdin didn't get around the three-wishes limit by asking for more lamps containing more genies;
    • how the sorcerer in that cartoon with the blue people knew that he'd like the taste of the latter, given he had never successfully caught one before;
    • whether the offspring of a blue dragon and a red one would be purple, striped, or polka-dotted.

Continuity

Behind the scenes

Read online

The story can be read for free on the Crew of the Copper-Colored Cupids website.

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