Chapter Text
A large window stretched in front of Dynamo Doug, illuminating the room he sat in and offering him a clear view of the sports field below. The players outside stretched as part of their warmups before their game. Around them, the crowd of spectators buzzed in the stadium seats, each person sporting colorful apparel to show their team spirit.
Dynamo turned back to his control room, pressing a few buttons and switches on a panel near him. The “On Air” sign blinked on. He quietly withdrew a small breath before bringing the microphone on his headset closer to his mouth.
“WELCOME to an intense game of Ultimate Frisbee! I’m extreme sports intense spokesperson, Dynamo Doug!”
The crowd outside cheered loudly. The two teams went to their sides of the field and stood in a line as they waited for the game to begin. Dynamo leaned back in his chair and took a sip of his energy drink. He needed to be full of energy to be able to do his job properly.
A whistle commenced the game, and the players sprung into action. Dynamo watched intently as the game unfolded, and he diligently commentated for his viewers watching through the TV. It was turning into a close game, the best kind to commentate.
Excitement coursed through him as the game progressed. This was why he loved his job; it made him feel truly alive. He got to experience this feeling most every day, given that he was always in high demand with the sports channels. Sometimes, he’d be booked to announce multiple competitions in a row. For any normal person, that would be too much for their vocal cords to handle, but it was no problem for Dynamo. He really was a perfect fit for the role.
The game progressed with a few minutes left and a nearly tied score. The frisbee went flying across the field, and a player leaped up and caught it in the end zone. Cheers went up as the scores officially tied, but the noise quieted down as the players stepped into formation for the next play. No one dared to make a sound as they anticipated the next tiebreaking play. Dynamo perched on the edge of his seat. Nothing could make this game more intense.
Dynamo jumped as a loud feedback rang through his microphone. He cringed and held his hands over his headset.
“Oh! Allow me to fix that!” said a voice behind him.
Dynamo’s eyes snapped open in surprise. The painful screeching stopped, and he sighed with relief.
He turned back to thank his rescuer and froze.
Standing behind him was his biggest celebrity crush, the one and only famous wilderness explorer Westbrook W. Sleet. He was a huge fan of Westbrook. It didn’t matter where Westbrook ventured in his show; whether it was the jungle or someone’s backyard, Dynamo was always captivated by the explorer’s enthusiasm. And now he was standing right in front of him. Blood rushed to Dynamo’s face, and he tightly gripped the arms of his chair as he tried to control his emotions.
“Dude, how’d you get in here?” he finally managed to say.
Westbrook’s expression lit up with a big smile. “I followed the sound of humans and saw this little lookout room! It’s a perfect way to study humans without disturbing their natural habitat! Are you here to study the humans’ behavior too?”
He could barely comprehend what Westbrook had asked him. “I-I guess you could say that. I announce the sports plays so people on TV can enjoy the game.”
“Fascinating!” Westbrook looked out the window. “So does part of this game include throwing a disc across a field? Because that’s what’s happening right now.”
Dynamo nearly forgot the whole point of his job. He whipped his head around to see a player catching the frisbee and winning the game.
“PLAYER #5 SCORED THE WINNING POINT!” Dynamo yelled into the microphone. “What an intense way to end the game!”
With that, the game was over. Dynamo got out of his chair and turned off his equipment. It would have been a boring part of the day, if not for Westbrook watching his every move with eyes open wide in amazement. It was so surreal. Dynamo had spent his entire life marveling at Westbrook through a screen, but now, it was Westbrook who was giving him undivided attention.
“So,” Dynamo broke the silence. “Are you a fan of sports?”
“Most certainly!” Westbrook replied. “It’s such an interesting part of human nature. Watching everyone get so passionate about throwing an object is fascinating.”
Dynamo laughed. “That’s one way to put it.”
Westbrook tilted his head. “What about you? Are there any human behaviors you like to watch?”
“Well, I’m a competition spokesperson, so I basically watch people compete for a living. If there’s a competition, you can bet I’ll be there, hyping up the crowd!”
Westbrook watched him talk with sparkling eyes. Was he actually interested in him?
“You know, it sounds like you have an exhilarating life! How would you like to be on the next episode of Wild Wilderness?”
Dynamo nearly choked on the air. “Dude, you want me on your show?”
“Of course! But only if you want to be on it.”
He thought about it for a moment. Being on television was nothing new to him, but this time, he’d be on television with his idol. That would put a lot of pressure on him. Was he really up to it?
He shook away his doubts. What was he thinking? This was an opportunity of a lifetime. There was no way he could miss out on it. “Y-yeah! That'd be awesome!”
“Excellent!” Westbrook whipped out a contract and pen, seemingly from thin air, and handed them over to Dynamo. “Just sign this contract allowing Wild Wilderness 24 hour access to your life!”
Dynamo signed his name in all caps, all while fighting the shakiness in his hands. He’d get to spend a whole 24 hours with Westbrook. Was it too wishful of him to think of this like...a date? His heart pounding, he finished his signature with designs of an explosion around his name.
As he handed the items back to Westbrook, the pen slipped out of his unsteady hand and landed on the floor, rolling past the door and falling in between the stair steps of the stadium before either of them could move. Dynamo cringed. Anything that fell down that gap was bound to be lost forever. It was even worse than the Brickmuda Heptagon.
“I’m so sorry!” Dynamo said. “I’d get it back for you, but once things fall down there, they’re gone for good.”
Westbrook shook his head. “No worries! It’s just a pen!”
Westbrook seemed to think nothing of it, but Dynamo still felt guilt. He didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with Westbrook.
“It was nice meeting you...” Westbrook looked down at the contract, “...Dynamo Doug. I will see you tomorrow to shoot an exciting episode!”
“Wait, aren’t you going to need my address?”
“No need! I know the location of everyone's territories in this city!”
And with that Westbrook quickly left the room. As soon as Dynamo was sure he was gone, he let go of his lip he’d been biting and collapsed in his chair with a huge sigh. He was really going to spend an entire day with Westbrook W. Sleet. The thought repeated over and over, but no matter how many times it did, it still felt unreal to him.
Dynamo winced as light shone behind his closed eyelids. He sat up and stretched in his bed. He squinted, looking around his bright room at the light beams shining through the window. Something seemed off...Didn’t he close his blackout curtains the night before? He rubbed his eyes and with a jolt, he noticed the window was cracked open.
“You’re awake!”
Dynamo yelped and fell out of bed. He looked up at the upside-down Westbrook...No, Dynamo was the one who was upside down. He scrambled back onto his bed.
“How’d you get in here?” Dynamo asked Westbrook, shocked.
“Oh! Me and my crew came in through the window!” Westbrook responded. Behind him stood Nate with the microphone and a guy Dynamo didn’t recognize, holding a camera. They gave him a wave.
Dynamo blinked. “I live on the 5th story of an apartment complex.”
“Yes, and the climb was thrilling!” Westbrook said in a lively tone. Behind him, the cameraman looked like he was having war flashbacks.
Dynamo was seriously impressed. “Sounds intense!”
Westbrook was even more daring and adventurous in real life than he’d been on TV, and that was saying something. Dynamo had always admired Westbrook’s courage, but today he got to be a part of the action. And the fact that Westbrook did all that climbing just to see him sent his pulse racing. It was great to see Westbrook in person, but Dynamo realized he was here… in his room, recording him in his pajamas. Maybe it was time to start getting ready.
He slipped on his pair of roller skate slippers and rolled into the bathroom while the camera crew followed close behind. Dynamo was afraid they’d try to follow, so he signaled with his hand for them to stop outside the room before he closed the door behind him. Once he was alone he took care of what he needed to and got dressed. He walked out of the bathroom where the crew stood, waiting for him.
“OOOOH! It seems Dynamo has chosen an outfit with flames and a lightning bolt!” Westbrook said to the audience on the other side of the camera. “Humans wear bright, eye-catching clothes to attract mates!”
Dynamo turned his head away to hide his reddening face, and walked back to the sink. He took a brush from the bathroom drawer and slicked his hair flat against his head. He waited for a moment, then aggressively shook his head so his hair spiked out everywhere.
Dynamo turned to Westbrook. “So, when I’m done getting ready, what do you want to do?”
Westbrook chuckled. “Oh, seems you’re mistaken! We aren’t going to do anything. I’m just going to follow you as you go about your daily activities.”
“Oh.”
So this wasn’t going to be remotely like a date after all. Dynamo tried to ignore the disappointment he felt at the thought. At least Westbrook was here and Dynamo was enjoying his company. He might as well savor the time they’d have together, even if it wasn’t quite the quality time he wished it to be.
He went to his kitchen to prepare his breakfast. While he ate his meal, the camera crew carefully recorded his every move. Sometimes, the people on Westbrook’s show looked uncomfortable with all the cameras focused on them, but Dynamo was very used to it. Once he put his dirty dishes in the sink, he went back to the bathroom and brushed his teeth using his “Intensely Minty Toothpaste”. His mouth burned with excruciating pain, and after a while he spat it out, feeling refreshed.
“I don’t have work today, so the first thing on my agenda is to go grocery shopping.” Dynamo said.
Westbrook smiled and turned to the camera. “Although humans do not hibernate, they still need to stock up on resources! The grocery store is the ideal location for this behavior.”
Dynamo went over to the front door and put on his roller skates. He hesitated after he put one on, realizing that he did not have an extra pair of skates for the crew. It would be awkward to have to skate extra slow to allow Westbrook to catch up.
Dynamo turned to the crew. “So, I usually get around by roller skates but I only have one pair…”
Westbrook looked at the two skates and put his finger to his chin. “Well, there are two skates...Why don't I take one and you take the other?”
That...was actually not a bad idea at all. Dynamo nodded. “That seems perfectly logical!”
Both Westbrook and Dynamo took a skate and tightened the velcro. With their skates secure, they took off down the hallway, rolling across the carpet on one foot. The camera crew ran to catch up with them.
They all packed tightly into the elevator and waited for their destination
on the main floor. Westbrook and Dynamo wobbled as they kept their balance on their single skates.
Once they were outside the apartment complex, they had more room to ride. After some trial and error, Dynamo and Westbrook found it easiest to use the skate almost as if it were a skateboard, pushing themselves off the ground with the other foot. The camera crew was quickly left in their dust, but after a few minutes, they reappeared by their side in a vehicle full of recording equipment.
With the cameras back, Dynamo decided to show off a bit. He performed tight twirls and multiple flips on his single roller skate, before making a perfect landing.
Westbrook’s jaw dropped at the spectacle.
Even though Dynamo knew there was no way this could be considered a date, he had a hard time believing Westbrook’s expression signaled anything short of attraction.
“Wow! Dynamo appears to have lots of bodily kinesthetic intelligence, which means-”
Westbrook tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. He fell forward but Dynamo reacted quickly and caught him.
Dynamo looked at Westbrook with wide eyes. “Are you ok?”
Westbrook giggled. “Yes, thank you.”
That laugh had to be the most adorable thing Dynamo ever heard.
“Oh! Get a close up on that!” Westbrook exclaimed.
Dynamo was confused, until the cameras zoomed in on him.
“Redness in the face is a natural human response to embarrassment! How interesting!”
Dynamo covered his cheeks with his hands and tried to laugh it off. “Let’s keep going. We’re almost at the store.”
Dynamo, Westbrook and the camera crew walked past the parking stalls on their way to the store’s front doors. Since their roller skates were technically a wheeled vehicle, they’d placed them in a parking stall, but specifically made sure it wasn’t a handicap spot. They didn’t want to be inconsiderate.
Once inside the store, Dynamo grabbed a cart from the front, but before he could push it, Westbrook hopped into the main compartment of the cart. Dynamo shrugged his shoulders and pushed the cart, trying to ignore how absolutely adorable Westbrook looked.
“So, what’s first on your shopping list?” Westbrook asked.
“Chips and soda. That’s my fuel.”
They strolled past aisles of food—Westbrook gawked at everything around them—and eventually arrived at the snack aisle. A large assortment of chips and soda stacked the shelves on both sides.
“Do you see something you like?” Westbrook asked, looking at the different types of chips.
Dynamo gulped. “U-uhh we’re talking about the chips, right?”
Westbrook nodded.
“Well, I’m a cool ranch kind of guy. What about you?”
Westbrook narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe I’ve tried a whole lot of human food, so I’m not too sure.”
“Then what do you eat?” Dynamo asked, suddenly realizing there was something about Westbrook he didn’t know.
“Whatever I find in the wilderness. As long as it’s vegetarian, of course.”
Dynamo looked at the chip options. “Well, maybe corn chips will be good for you.”
Westbrook grabbed the chips eagerly and placed them in the cart at his feet. After grabbing packs of soda, they went deeper into the store, trailed by Nate and the cameraman.
“Alright, so next is a new microphone,” Dynamo said. “They keep breaking on me. I need to find one that can handle my intensity.”
On the opposite side of the store, they found the microphone section. He browsed the selection of microphones. Many of them were boring plain grey ones. Where were the ones with the lightning bolt on them? Dynamo could’ve sworn he’d seen them at this store before...
Crash!
Their cart hit something. Dynamo and Westbrook looked up, and locked eyes with Craig, propped up in a cart, and behind him, Gabby Tocamera pushing the cart. She fluttered her gaze to Dynamo, then to Westbrook, but said nothing. Dynamo couldn’t think of a single thing to say to break the excruciatingly awkward silence. Gabby finally gave a sheepish smile before backing out of the aisle.
“That was...weird.” Dynamo remarked to Westbrook. “What was that all about?”
“Unfortunately, even I don’t have an explanation for that human behavior.” Westbrook said.
A few more minutes passed in the store and Dynamo got everything he needed. He proceeded to the checkout counter, and their cashier, a woman with blond hair tied in a high ponytail, gave him and his companions an annoyed look. When their items were all bagged and purchased, Dynamo wheeled Westbrook out to the parking lot. He approached the cart drop-off stall.
“Is that where you are trying to go?” Westbrook asked, pointing to the sign with a shopping cart.
“Yeah, I’ve gotta drop off the cart. I’ve been fined before for accidentally taking it home with me.”
“Wouldn’t it be faster if you launched me over there with one push?”
“Are you sure?” Dynamo asked cautiously.
“Of course! It’ll be intense, which as we both know, is perfect for television!” Westbrook said.
There was no arguing with that. Dynamo stuck out his tongue as he aimed the cart as precisely as he could. Finally, he locked in his aim, and in one large exertion of force, he pushed the cart, sending Westbrook roaring through the parking lot. The clanking of the metallic cart echoed off the surrounding parked cars. Westbrook approached the stall quickly...too quickly! Dynamo flinched.
Crash!
The cart hit into the sign and flipped over, dumping out the groceries and leaving Westbrook sprawled on the asphalt. Dynamo’s heart dropped as he ran over. He heard the camera crew running right beside him.
“Westbrook, are you ok?” Dynamo exclaimed.
The explorer was quiet and still. That wasn’t good. After all his adventures, had Westbrook actually been done in by a grocery cart?
Suddenly, Westbrook shot up with a smile on his face.
“That was exciting! And efficient!”
Dynamo let out a sigh of relief. He should never have doubted Westbrook; the man was basically indestructible. He helped Westbrook up, then picked up the groceries scattered around them.
They went back to Dynamo’s apartment, and Dynamo put the groceries away, lost in thought the entire time. The day was almost halfway over, and while he still had plenty of time to spend with Westbrook, he could feel the time running out by the second. He wished he could talk to Westbrook without the camera crew recording his every move. There was so much on his mind he wanted to let out, and above that, there was a question he was dying to ask Westbrook. The only problem was, he didn’t want the whole world watching him when he asked it...
He couldn’t think of a satisfying solution, so instead he prepared for his next idea: a picnic. Maybe he’d get his message across to Westbrook that way. It’d at least give him the opportunity to give Westbrook that gift he’d been holding on to. He’d bought it discreetly at the store when Westbrook had been occupied with his camera crew, and it could be the perfect way to make the picnic more meaningful. He grabbed the chips and soda he just bought, and the special item hidden in the blanket, and put them in a basket.
Westbrook watched him carefully. “I wonder what the human is doing now!”
He smiled. “You’ll see.”
Once he grabbed everything he needed, he headed out the door, and once again, he and Westbrook traveled on their single skate, flying past a few blocks and reaching the park.
Dynamo set out the blanket on the freshly mown lawn, then pulled out the food. His heart beating fast, he motioned for Westbrook to sit by the basket.
Westbrook sat down and smiled. “Are you having a picnic?”
Dynamo cringed slightly at that. Once again, Westbrook left himself out of the picture.
“I was thinking...you could have a picnic as well. That way, you could try out this human food.”
“Oh!” Westbrook beamed in excitement. Was it just Dynamo’s imagination, or was that glint of interest in Westbrook’s eyes directed at him?
Dynamo opened the chip bag and passed it to him. Westbrook grabbed a handful of chips and ate them.
His eyes lit up. “Delicious! Much tastier than dandelions!”
He passed him a soda. “And this will taste better than pond water.”
Westbrook took it and drank it. “Wow! What an interesting taste.”
He offered Nate and the cameraman some food, but they shook their heads.
Dynamo and Westbrook snacked for a while, enjoying the nice day. Westbrook pointed out and identified every bird that flew by, and occasionally picked up nearby bugs with excitement. These little interruptions made the picnic last longer than it probably needed to. But Dynamo didn’t mind at all. In fact, he wished the moment would never end. He could hear Westbrook talk all day.
“Is there more soda for me to try?” Westbrook said.
“Really? You want more?” he said while eyeing the two empty cans next to Westbrook.
He nodded quickly in response. Dynamo shrugged his shoulders and peered into the basket. It was empty… except for one thing. Time to give Westbrook that gift.
“Sorry dude. There’s no more soda,” he explained. “But I have something else.”
That seemed to catch Westbrook’s attention. Dynamo pulled out a colorful pen and gave it to Westbrook.
“When you lost your pen yesterday, I felt bad that I dropped it, so I got you a new one.”
Westbrook's jaw dropped. “It seems Dynamo has made me an offering!”
The new pen was covered in brightly colored animals, and Westbrook examined all the sides of the object, pointing out the various exotic animals with extra fervor.
Westbrook’s excitement was infectious, and Dynamo cracked a smile. This gift seemed to mean a lot to Westbrook, but...then again, Westbrook tended to get excited about everything. Dynamo had hoped a picnic would make it clear what Westbrook thought of him, but it was as difficult as ever to read his thoughts.
This whole day had been full of mixed signals, and Dynamo was sick of the uncertainty. The day’s events, especially the picnic, had certainly felt romantic to him, but Westbrook had made it clear many times that he saw this interaction as nothing more than part of his job. But was he just saying that to maintain professionalism? How did he truly feel about Dynamo?
Dynamo couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t handle interacting with Westbrook with all this uncertainty eating away at him. His feelings had become too intense to ignore. He had to know...
“Westbrook, what do you think of me?” he finally blurted out.
Westbrook smiled. “You are most certainly the most interesting human we’ve had on the show!”
That still didn’t answer if he had feelings for him.
Cameras or not, he had to settle this question for good. He no longer cared about discreteness.
“But what about us? ”
Westbrook tilted his head to one side. “Us? This show is about you! The whole point of us recording is so the viewers can understand more about the complex nature of human beings. I can’t interfere with that.”
Dynamo looked down at the ground. So that was it, then. Westbrook didn’t see him any differently than any of the other specimens he studied on his show.
Why was this news so difficult for Dynamo to accept? Why had he expected any different? It wasn’t like Westbrook had said anything remotely hinting that he saw Dynamo as anything more. There was nothing in the contract about this being a date, and now he’d just made a fool of himself asking Westbrook about his feelings on live television.
The thought of doing anything else with Westbrook was painful, now that he knew his feelings were unrequited. And how fair would it be for Westbrook to study him, when Dynamo could no longer find anything to be excited about? He already felt bad about using this opportunity just to spend quality time with his crush. Westbrook didn't deserve to have his time wasted like this. Maybe it was best to just cut this episode short and act like this had never happened.
Dynamo stood up. “I’m going home.”
“Excellent!” Westbrook shot up.
“No… I don’t think you should come with me.” Dynamo turned away. “Listen, this show was fun to be on. But I don’t think I can do this any longer.”
He grabbed both the roller skates and rolled out of the park.
Westbrook watched Dynamo skate out of sight. He turned to his camera crew.
“I don’t think he understands the point of a contract.”
The two men in the crew exchanged a glance.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Westbrook said. “We’d better run after him!” He wouldn’t let his most interesting guest on his show get away from him that easily.
Nate stopped Westbrook from running off by placing a hand on his shoulder. “You know, this whole day I’ve noticed the way Dynamo has acted around you. I think he likes you.”
Westbrook furrowed his brow. “Why would that make him leave?”
Nate shook his head. “I don’t think you’ve fully caught on. Dynamo likes you, as in, he’s attracted to you.”
That caught Westbrook so off guard that his jaw dropped. “R-really?”
Nate started to laugh. “Have you seriously not noticed? I thought you were the expert on human beings.”
He slightly chuckled. “I noticed that he was attracted to something , just based on his behavior, but I never suspected it was me… I thought humans would only be attracted to other humans, not to me.”
Nate squinted at him. “Uhhh, if you’re not “human”, what are you?”
“I’m Westbrook of course!”
The camera guy threw up an arm in defeat.
Nate continued. “Well, it really looked like you friend-zoned him. Did you mean to do that?”
“Well no, I certainly didn’t do it on purpose…” Westbrook responded. “I didn’t know he felt that way about me...” Only now did it click why Dynamo had blushed so often, why he’d been extra kind and considerate to Westbrook, and why he’d given him gifts and been so intent on sharing the moments with Westbrook. It had all been to show his affection, and Westbrook had been completely oblivious the whole time.
“What should I do?” Westbrook asked.
“Well, that depends,” Nate said. “How do you feel about Dynamo?”
Westbrook stopped. How did he feel?
He had never fallen in love before. He’d assumed it was only something that happened to humans, not to him. But he’d felt himself drawn to Dynamo in ways no one in his show had before. He didn’t just want to know about Dynamo’s life and behaviors as a human. He wanted to learn more about Dynamo himself, what inspired him, what his hopes and dreams and deeper feelings were. And maybe he also wanted to share some of his own feelings with Dynamo, and make a more personal connection. Was that what love was? He’d seen it so often in other humans, but he had trouble recognizing it in himself.
He could say one thing for sure, though. This human was not like other humans. He was Dynamo Doug. And he was someone Westbrook wanted to spend more time with, more time than he’d spend with anyone before. Just the thought of him made his heart flutter and his stomach knot. And from everything he knew about human affection, he realized he’d been attracted to Dynamo all along.
Westbrook’s face went hot. “I..I think I have grown attracted to him...but this is a new feeling for me. I guess I didn’t recognize I felt this way until now.”
Nate lightly nudged his shoulder. “Well then, Dynamo likes you, and you like him back. We’ve got to find him so you can tell him!”
Westbrook smiled as he hooked the pen on his shirt pocket. “This is going to be the wildest episode of Wild Wilderness!”
Links to the comics! Chapter one had be be split into two parts, so that's why there's two links.