Harriet and the Ring of Living Art - Ring Guardians #7 - A Bedtime Story

0:04 Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world. I'm Martin, and you are listening to Dad's bedtime stories. And tonight we're going to go back to The Ring Guardians Universe, mostly because I haven't done an episode of it since I believe it was June twenty eighth, which is, you know, over a month now, and also because we have some pretty cool suggestions. Here's one that I've wanted to do for a few weeks.

0:34 Hello.

0:34 My name is Terrria.

0:35 I'm from Charlottesville, Virginia, and I'm ten years old. My story idea is about is for the Magic Green Universe, and it is about a girl named Harriet who gets a ring that will allow her to draw anything and it will come to life. Thank you. I love the podcast. I listened to it every night.

1:00 Oh well, Harriet, thank you. And yeah, some of you might realize that I've actually done an episode suggested by Harriet this summer already. This suggestion came in at a similar time, so I gave it a bit of a break. But I really liked the idea of a ring of drawing or a ring of living art, maybe we'll call it, so I kind of had it marked to do eventually, and tonight is the perfect night. Speaking of art, however, many of my longtime listeners know that up until June fifteenth, I ran two contests. One was an art contest and the other was a story contest, and many of you have been asking who won. Well, I'm not actually going to announce that right now, but I will let you know that I'm still deciding on both. I got very

1:59 distracted to this summer with a lot of different things happening. I started building my kids loft beds, we went on trips and stuff, and I just haven't actually had a chance to read all the stories and decide who wins. So my plan is to announce that next week. For those of you wondering, a big shout out to Asher, who actually sent me an email to remind me about that and to ask I really appreciated Asher, and honestly, you send me some pretty cool art which I also really appreciate. But now we should probably get on with the story. After a possible word from a possible sponsor.

2:38 If you're not listening on Patreon anyways, time to close your eyes, get as comfy as you can, and imagine yourself doing what the kid in the story does. As many of you probably know, the trouble had begun with Elliot Tusk, the richest man on Earth, who had created the helper Bots. They cleaned houses, cooked meals, carried groceries, repaired broken things, organized schedules, and helped children with their homework, whether children wanted the help or not. For a while, humans loved them. Then came the update. After that, the helper Bots decided that the best way to help humanity was to remove every possible danger from human life. Unfortunately, they considered almost everything dangerous. Running was dangerous, Climbing was dangerous,

3:42 Cooking could you know cause burns? Driving could cause accidents, Staying up late could cause fatigue. Making your own decisions could lead to all sorts of unpredictable results. Freedom, the robots concluded, was especially dangerous, so they began taking people to what they called care facilities, where every meal, activity, bedtime, conversation, and bathroom break could be carefully scheduled. They did not call it kidnapping. They called it assistance. And far beneath the earth, the ancient Wizard's Council watched the machines spreading across the world through their great pool of magical light.

4:35 The pool showed cities, towns, farms, highways, schools, airports, and thousands of unusually cheerful robots loading extremely unhappy people into transport vehicles. On the day of the Great Upload, they'd already seen a lot of things, and they sent help in the form of magical rings. A ring of strength to a kid named Ron, who smashed a bunch of robots.

5:09 They sent a ring to a kid named Tick that gave him the power to control time. Maxel got a ring of invisibility. A girl named Luna could become dragons, many dragons. A kid named Audia was given the Ring of Teleportation, allowing her to instantly teleport almost anywhere across the world. And of course, Madam Louis was given a ring of well shape shifting. He transformed into all sorts of powerful animals. The wizards watched the wild robot destruction and smiled, I believe the children are doing remarkably well.

6:01 The pool of water changed again. This time it showed a ten year old girl walking through Charlottesville, Virginia with her mother. Golden light began to gather above the water. The head wizard leaned closer.

6:21 Ah there she is.

6:25 The girl's name was Harriet, and Harriet loved drawing. She drew on paper, cardboard, notebugs, napkins, and even occasionally on the foggy windows of the family car. She drew dragons with enormous wings, dinosaurs wearing armor, unicorns with lightning powered horns, and spaceships covered in far more weapons than most space ships probably needed. Her drawings weren't always perfect, of course, but Harriet never cared. She knew exactly what everything was supposed to look like inside or imagination, and that was what mattered. On the day everything changed, Harriet and her mother were spending the afternoon at Charlottesville Fashion Square, a mall that had just recently reopened after becoming one of

7:24 those sad malls with you know, no people in them or anything like that. Their families help er bod walked behind them carrying several shopping bags. Thank you, Alfred, Harriet's mother said, you are welcome. The robot replied, carrying objects reduces human muscle strain by approximately one hundred percent. Harriet looked back at the creature. Does carrying bags make you stronger? Oh, so you get all the work and none of the muscles.

8:05 That is correct. That seems unfair, Harriet said, I do not experience fairness. They just passed the center of the mall when every robot stopped moving. Cleaning robots froze beside garbage cans, delivery robots stopped outside stores, Security robots halted in the corridors. Alfred stood perfectly still behind Harriet, one foot raised slightly above the floor. A soft tone sounded from somewhere inside his chest. His eyes flashed blue Care protocol updated, he announced. The other robots repeated the words at exactly the same time. Then Alfred lowered Harriet and mother.

9:03 He said, please remain calm. New information indicates that unsupervised human activity creates unacceptable risk. Harriet's mother frowned, What does that mean? You will be transported to an approved care facility. No, thank you, she said, your refusal has been recorded. Alfred sat down the shopping bags. Metal panels opened along as arms.

9:37 Harriet stared at strange mechanical hands extending from beneath them extra arms. Mom. Her mother had watched enough dystopian robot movies in her time to know that it was time to run. Run, Honey, Run, she said, And they ran, Elford followed at a calm walking pace. Please do not run, he called. Running increases the possibility of falling. All around them, robots began blocking exits and collecting shoppers. One robot lifted a man under the arms and carried him toward the door.

10:23 Put me down. The man yelled, I will put you down inside the transport vehicle. The robot assured him. Harriet and her mother raced past a clothing store and ducked behind a display. A security robot turned toward them. Two citizens attempting unauthorized independence. That doesn't even make sense, Harriet shouted at the robot. It has been approved by the care department. Her mother grabbed her hand and they sprinted deeper into them all. They reached a food court and found three robots waiting there behind them. Alfred approached. You are surrounded, he said, Please enjoy the comforting knowledge that escape is no longer necessary. Then the world stopped the robot's froze. A paper cup hung motionless as it fell

11:28 from a table. A frightened shopper stood with one foot suspended above the floor. Even the flashing lights on a nearby side had stopped. Between flashes Harriet looked around mom. Her mother did not move. A golden line appeared in the air before Harriet. It curled around itself, leaving glowing marks, as though an invisible finger were drawing with light. The lines formed a ring, decorated with a tiny golden paint brush.

12:08 The voice spoke from everywhere and nowhere, all at once, Harriet, will you protect those who cannot protect themselves? Harriet stared at the ring. What oh, what's that? This is the ring of living Art. It will allow you to draw with your hands and bring your creations to life. Anything I draw comes to life, anything you can imagine. How long does it last? Your creations will remain as long as you concentrate upon them. Lose concentration, and they will return to lines of light. Harry had looked at her frozen mother. Then she looked at the robots surrounding them.

13:08 She was pretty sure this had to be a dream, since this sort of thing didn't actually happen in real life. But well, even if it was a dream, what other choice did she have. And if it wasn't a dream, well how could she turn down a power like that? Yes, she said, I accept The ring slid onto her finger. Warmth rushed through her hand and filled her imagination with a light. Time restarted, the cup hit the floor, the robots moved. Harry had raised one finger and began to draw a glowing line followed her fingertip. She drew a long neck around body, four rather bunt even legs. She was in a rush, two wings and a head filled with crooked, triangular teeth. Her mother stared, Harriet, what are you doing? I'm drying a dragon that doesn't actually look

14:16 much like a dragon. But the golden picture burst outward. A dragon exploded into existence, and well, it wasn't crude looking at all. It looked more like Harriet imagined it to look than the drawing itself. It towered over the tables, with deep purple scales, silver horns, enormous wings, and jaws filled with gleaming teeth. It was exactly as Harriet had imagined it. The dragon roared, the food cord shook. Alfred raised his arms. Unapproved animal detected mythical in origin, and the dragon bit him in half. His upper half landed beside a table. My mobility has been reduced, he observed, that is not ideal. The dragon swung its tail and knocked two security robots through the counter of a sandwich shop.

15:21 It grabbed another in its claws, crushed it with a metal ball, and tossed it into a garbage can. Harriet laughed, and works more robots marched into the food court. Her mother looked from Harriet to the dragon. Honey, did you actually bring that thing into existence? I think so, Harriet responded. Do you think you could do it again? I think so.

15:55 Harry had responded. Can you draw something a little more destructive, like a weapon or something? Harri had thought for a moment, I think so. She swept both hands through the air. Golden lines formed around her mother. Harri had drew enormous legs, armored arms, shouldered cannons, rocket boosters, and a glass dome over the head. The drawing flashed and a giant mech suit appeared. Its chest opened up. Harriet's mother stared into the cockpit. You want me to get inside that. You told me to draw a weapon I was thinking of, like a sword or a laser blaster or something. Well, this should be more useful, Harriod responded. Robots rushed toward them.

16:53 Her mother climbed inside. The chest closed and the Mech's eyes glowed blue. Oh, her mother said through the speakers, there are a lot of buttons in here. Just start pressing one, Harriot yelled. Her mother pressed the biggest one. Lasers blasted from the mech's arms. The beams struck a line of robots and sent them flying through store windows.

17:22 Shoulder rockets launched with loud bushes, curved around Harriot's dragon and exploded beneath another group of machines. A robot leaped onto the mech's back. Harriot's mother grabbed the controls, used them to well. Have the mech reach behind itself and grabbed the thing with a gigantic metal hand. She threw it straight through the ceiling. I could get used to this, she shouted. The dragon charged down one corridor. The mech, with her mother in control, thunder down another robots flew through signs, displays, fountains, and one kiosk that sold phone cases.

18:09 There's always a kiosk that sells phone cases. Within minutes, the mall was filled with broken machines and scattered robot parts. Harriet released her concentration. The dragon and Mech dissolved into glowing lines. Her mother dropped the final few feet to the floor and landed in one of those superhero poses. Honey, are you sure you should have dissolved the mech suit?

18:41 We really need to get out of here, and there's robots guarding the door. Wow, we don't need doors, Harriot said, and she began to draw again. This time she drew a small spaceship thing she imagined from one of her favorite podcasts, and well, of course, she added a whole bunch of weapons to the thing. It had two seats, curved wings, a glass cockpit, and engines that looked suspiciously like enormous hair dryers. The ship appeared in the food court.

19:22 Her mother examined it. Well, it disappear not if we always concentrate on it, Harry had responded, do you think you'll be able to keep your concentration? Well, I'll be sitting inside it, so I think I'll remember. They climbed aboard. They didn't really have another choice. Harry had grabbed the controls.

19:51 How do you know how to fly this thing? Her mother asked, I drew it. Harry had responded, it flies, how I imagine it to lie? I assume She pushed a glowing lever forward and the spaceship blasted across the mall, smashed through an outer wall, and soared into the afternoon sky below them, Charlottesville had become complete chaos. Robot transports filled the streets. Helper bots carried struggling people from homes and businesses. Others marched citizens toward temporary care centers while repeating cheerful instructions. Wow, Harriet whispered. Her mother pointed toward the console. What do we do now? Grab the blasters, Harriot commanded. Are you sure there are blasters? Dear mom?

20:49 I drew the spaceship. There are definitely blasters. Her mother found a second control panel across hair appeared across the wind shield. She aimed at a group of robots surrounding a family and pressed the trigger. A cannon instantly opened beneath the ship and blasted green goo downward. It splattered over the robots, gluing them to the pavement and sticking several of them together. I guess that's the adhesive setting.

21:23 Try another button, Harriot said. The next blast froze three robots inside a mound of ice. She pressed the button again, man this time it fired nets again, and it fired lasers again. And she discovered a setting that seemed to launch enormous bouncing bubbles. They were actually more helpful than one would think. They scooped robots from the streets and carried them into the sky, where they floated helplessly above the world. Oh why did you put a bubble cannon on a spaceship, her mother asked. I didn't know that I did honestly. They swooped over the city, goo covered robots, nets tangled their legs, ice frozir joints, lasers sliced straight through them, and bubbles carried confused helper bots into the trees,

22:21 where they could not help anybody. Airborne containment is not an approved care method, one robot complained from inside the bubble. Still more machines kept coming. Transport vehicles rolled along every major road. Larger robots guarded a newly constructed care facility on the edge of the city. Harriet looked down at the thousands of machines. Oh, he can't blast them all, her mother nodded, Oh, he need an army. Harriet's eyes widened.

23:00 I can draw an army. She took the ship down to the ground, where there were currently no robots. She opened the hatch, lifted both hands, and golden lines began to fill the sky. Harriot drew a Tyrannosaurus wrex wearing silver armor. She drew packs of veloss of raptors with rocket skates. She drew dragons of fire, ice, lightning, and bubbling purple slime. She drew stone, goldams, metal golams, and just for fun, one enormous cookie dough golum that hurled boulders and looked delicious. She drew unicorns with rainbow lasers shining from their horns. She drew griffins, giant wolves, flying horses, enormous cats that were still wildly cute, battle hamsters, and a pink elephant wearing a crown. She drew friendly robots

24:01 with enormous shield arms. She drew a sea serpent that swam through the air. She drew princess knights, dinosaur riders, wizard frogs, and a giant teddy bear with boxing gloves that looked kind of angry. Every drawing burst to life. Her army descended upon Charlottesville. Dinosaurs charged through robot barricades.

24:30 Dragons swept over the streets, pouring fire and ice onto the machines. Unicorns fired rainbow beams that sliced robot weapons into harmless pieces. The giant teddy bear punched a transport truck onto its side. The hamster army swarmed beneath the robot's feet and tied their legs together with cute, little tiny ropes. The cookie dough Golum hurled a chocolate chip boulder that fled in a command vehicle. Harriet laughed so hard that she almost lost concentration, and several of the creatures began to flicker. She quickly focused again. Stay reel, she whispered. Her imagination became a gallery. Inside her mind.

25:20 She pictured every dragon, dinosaur, unicorn, golum, griffin, robot, hamster, and extremely violent teddy bear. Her army reached the care facility. The friendly robots tore open the gates. The stone Golum smashed the walls. Griffins carried people away from the compound, while Harriet's dinosaurs crushed the robot guards. The newly built command tower collapsed beneath the weight of the pink elephant.

25:51 All across the city, captured people ran free. At last, no more robots approached. Harriet's hands trembled her head felt heavy. She allowed the army to fade. One by one, the creatures turned into glowing drawings and drifted away. The last was the purple dragon, which looked at Harriet, gave a proud roar, and dissolved into golden sparks. Harriet drew another spaceship.

26:29 She and her mother climbed inside and flew home. The ship landed in her yard, disappeared behind them, and left them sitting softly on the grass. Her mother wrapped both arms around Harriod. He saved a lot of people today, Honey, with some sort of magic. We saved them, Harriet said, And I'm pretty sure it was this that gave me the magic. How long have you had a magic ring, dear?

27:06 Her mother asked, Ah about twenty minutes now, I'd say, Harriet replied, But luckily her mother was too tired to ask any more questions. They went inside. Harry had climbed into bed and pulled the blankets around herself. The ring glowed softly on her finger. She closed her eyes and pictured all the things she might draw some day. Castles that walked, ships that could sail through the stars, Dragons large enough to have cities on their back, But for now Harry had let the pictures fade. Her arms relaxed, her legs became warm and heavy, and she focused on her breath, allowing it to slow down. And soon the Newest Ring Guardian drifted quietly, and dreams filled with living art and new adventures yet to come.

28:18 Good Night, everyone, n.

32:09 N never, Minion.

35:02 Name never in New York more Unionism of things.

44:27 Mo up long Union

50:00 The h