Shorty

[DarkWolf91]

Yeesh! It's about time! I've been meaning to start this topic for months.

I guess I'll just jump straight into it, then!

First order of business: Shorty's relationship with Bron.
I've read some very engaging discussions on this in other topics already, they've been quite fascinating.

I personally wouldn't go so far as to say that Bron explicitly dislikes shorty(though it's possible he finds him a bit tiresome at times), but it's apparent that he cares for him very little, if at all. Throughout the 10th film and the Big Longneck Test, from here on referred to as the 'BLT'(yum), Bron seems to largely ignore Shorty(intentionally or otherwise), only interacting with or mentioning him at Littlefoot's instigation. In fact, the only time he addresses Shorty in the BLT is to assert that he is, in fact, not ready to take the BLT.
(Bron and neglect seem to go hand in hand, incidentally. Try to count the times he almost seriously injures Littlefoot during the 'Dad' song in the 10th film. Nothing against the guy. Perhaps he just has poor judgement?)

Anyways, that leads up to my next point; Shorty's apparent lack of leadership skills in the BLT. This could simply be blamed on lazy/overworked/indifferent writers jumping on the easiest road to a completed episode, but let's give it a run for its money anyways.
First off, we know for a fact that Shorty successfully lead a group of much younger longnecks prior to meeting up with Bron. Assuming that Shorty is an abysmal leader, the fact that they survived could possibly be attributed to one of two things:
1) They were orphaned for a very short period of time.
2) An extremely convenient case of dumb luck.
Judging by their level of organization(rather than scattering at Bron's approach, they grouped behind their leader and trusted him to defend them), I find the first option rather unlikely. And the second option was kind of a weak excuse to begin with.
So, the conclusion that I prefer to draw from this is that Shorty is, in actuality, an inherently capable leader.
But how can we accept that without completely ignoring the events in the BLT? Well, when I say 'inherently capable,' I mean just that. Shorty's leadership in that situation was a quality awakened by necessity. I don't think he was consciously aware of it, or that he specifically considered himself a 'leader' at the time. I think that, in his mind, there is no connection between his journey with the younger longnecks and the simple, controlled, clear-cut concept of leadership promoted by the BLT.
As a product of this, he has a clear idea in his head of what Bron wants to see in him, which happens to be a slightly skewed concept of 'leadership.' So, of course, Shorty would aggressively assert himself as the kind of leader that he thinks bron wants to see as a means of earning his favor and praise. Rather than spurred by a need to control, a lust for bullying, or submission to a superiority complex, I feel that the events in the BLT were a product of frustration, determination, and quite possibly desperation. After all, Shorty had been told repeatedly that he was not ready to take the test, only to see Littlefoot(who in Shorty's mind practically drove a stake into he and Bron's relationship) permitted to take the test before him.

While examining Shorty, it is essential to remember that he lost both of his parents, and possibly many more unspecified friends and family members(the way he reacted to Littlefoot's 'brothers' suggestion makes me think that he may have, at one point, had siblings). While the younger longnecks who arrived with him may not remember the events that orphaned them, I think it's safe to say that Shorty does. In the end(likely a product of this) he chose to look up to Bron as a father figure, and it seems only natural that he would continue to attempt to earn the older dinosaur's love and respect, despite being pervasively neglected.


Whew! I feel like there was a lot more I wanted to say... I should have started writing this down a long time ago! Oh well, I'll post more if I think of it.

I feel bad every time I post a one or two-line response, but dang, it just takes me so long to organize my thoughts

[Almaron]

This could simply be blamed on lazy/overworked/indifferent writers jumping on the easiest road to a completed episode, but let's give it a run for its money anyways.

Yep, that's the answer! But, yeah, lets give it a shot.

So, the conclusion that I prefer to draw from this is that Shorty is, in actuality, an inherently capable leader.
But how can we accept that without completely ignoring the events in the BLT? Well, when I say 'inherently capable,' I mean just that. Shorty's leadership in that situation was a quality awakened by necessity. I don't think he was consciously aware of it, or that he specifically considered himself a 'leader' at the time. I think that, in his mind, there is no connection between his journey with the younger longnecks and the simple, controlled, clear-cut concept of leadership promoted by the BLT.

I agree. I think Bron might also have started off something like this.

Also, it seems to me that Shorty might have survived alone long enough to develop his "tough guy" outside. He and the kids remind me of...like in a disaster movie, if an entire town was destroyed, they'd be the survivors of the school, and Shorty would be the leader of their group out of age, or outspokenness. I don't think he lorded over them, I think he cared for them.

When found by Bron, his tough kid attitude prevented most from adopting him. If you think about it, after a while he may have decided that he didn't want to live with any who snobbed him. So he would have hung around with Bron.

Now, I wonder how much Bron actually knows about Shorty. Shorty might have started hanging around him after his herd started growing. When abandoning the rest of the potential parents, he may have decided to hang out with Bron throughout the day. As for where he slept, this is confusing. If not adopted, he may sleep on his own. On the other hand, as long as he is still in a area full of sleeping longnecks, he'd be safe.

Bron evidently didn't consider Shorty a son, more like a kid he was caring for. However, Shorty treated Bron like a dad without Bron realising. Maybe Bron viewed Shorty as a problem kid who they would eventually sort out.

Actually, I think that a good explanation for things may be that Bron tried to get him to settle down and behave, but always with another family. Shorty, wanting to stay with Bron, resisted all of Bron's attempts, resulting in Bron having no idea how to care for him. At the end, Littlefoot points him in the right direction.

[DarkWolf91]

I don't think he lorded over them, I think he cared for them.

Yeah, exactly! Inherent leadership. He also didn't leave them on their own, or panic and run around in circles, either.

Now, I wonder how much Bron actually knows about Shorty. Shorty might have started hanging around him after his herd started growing. When abandoning the rest of the potential parents, he may have decided to hang out with Bron throughout the day. As for where he slept, this is confusing. If not adopted, he may sleep on his own. On the other hand, as long as he is still in a area full of sleeping longnecks, he'd be safe.

Yes, Bron has never given any indication that he knows more about Shorty than what he could glean from the situation in which he found him. You're probably right about his sleeping arrangements, too, as not sleeping near Bron never seemed to be an issue in the 10th film.

Bron evidently didn't consider Shorty a son, more like a kid he was caring for. However, Shorty treated Bron like a dad without Bron realising. Maybe Bron viewed Shorty as a problem kid who they would eventually sort out.

Actually, I think that a good explanation for things may be that Bron tried to get him to settle down and behave, but always with another family. Shorty, wanting to stay with Bron, resisted all of Bron's attempts, resulting in Bron having no idea how to care for him. At the end, Littlefoot points him in the right direction.

Yes, I think that's quite probable! And though Bron did pay Shorty a little attention towards the end of the 10th, it feels to me(probably because of the BLT) that Bron simply doesn't have much interest in treating Shorty like a son. This is particularly true for me if we can take Bron at his word, and assume that he had some previous awareness of Shorty's view of him.

[Kor]

As for Shorty's behavior in the tv episode it could be he is a good leader, but was a bit upset at Littlefoot taking the test and not him or them taking the test together and his temper may have been shorter then normal due to this and maybe trying to hard also being among Littlefoot's friends.  

Also Bron may have been trying to get Short to go with one of the other longneck families, so he'd have both parents and a sibling or 2.  He may also be a fun dad, or an ok dad but not a good overall long term dad, or it may be his not having raised a kid before or a mix of reasons.


Personally if I were to rp as Shorty, I'd only look at how he is towards the end of the 10th movie once he and Littlefoot are getting along, & the very beginning of his appearance in the tv episode before the BLT is ever mentioned, for a bases of his normal personality.

[pokeplayer984]

I'll just say this about Shorty...

He has one powerful tail.  He keeps training that thing and it'll be a powerful weapon against sharpteeth (or any other dinosaur for that matter) when he's all grown up.

[Malte279]

At least he won't have to stand the weight of tripping sharpteeth on his unbreakable backbone anymore when he does grow up

[Adder]

Shorty, Big surprise, guys!

What suprise? When I first read it I thought it would be sometime about him being in XIV or sometime. But I know as of know there is know XIV, so what is it?

[Mumbling]

The surprise was that Darkwolf wrote about him (because she is a Shorty fan)... In other words it was slightly sarcastic.

[DarkWolf91]

^ Yep, that's it! Sorry for the confusion

At least he won't have to stand the weight of tripping sharpteeth on his unbreakable backbone anymore when he does grow up

Yeah... but then I guess any Sharptooth with little enough substance to be able to be tripped up by a couple of rolling pebbles can't be very heavy

[Ducky123]

Shorty's backstory is a huge mystery. LBT 10 gave us a lot of plotholes but also material for fanfiction writers and artists to come up with a possible answer. Here's my take on this:

LBT 10 suggests that Bron clearly doesn't think of Shorty as an adopted son, however I still think he does have some fatherly feelings towards him. Before he met Littlefoot, Bron had noone he could consider family unless you count his herd as a family of sorts... Shorty may have been like a son to him. When Littlefoot shows up, Bron neglects Shorty because he has found his real son and therefore doesn't "need" Shorty anymore. From there on Shorty has always been second-rated but I still think Bron's fatherly feelings towards Shorty haven't changed much (if anything, Littlefoot might have improved the relation between them since he and Shorty have officially become brothers and Shorty would be Bron's son therefore...)
I also think Shorty views Bron as a father figure. He might not be the kind of dinosaur to show affection towards Bron (Bron doesn't seem to show much affection towards Shorty either though...) but he still sees Bron as a good friend... someone you can rely on when in trouble and someone to talk to if there's any need. Their relationsship lacks the love a parent would constantly show their children but yet they have a special connection that goes beyond the connection between simple friends. That's my view anyway and the view I've used in my fanfiction too.

We really know nothing about Shorty's family. Who are his parents? Are they alive or dead? If they're alive, how did they get separated? If they're dead, how did they die? And how did Shorty escape? Does he have siblings? Was he part of a herd? Did he have friends? There are so many questions about him which is what makes it so appealing to me to write a fic about his backstory.
The most likely option concerning his parents is that they're dead of course. There are so many dangers out there in the barren lands and even more orphans who are often soon befallen by the same fate as their parents. I consider it less likely that they just got separated like Littlefoot and his grandparents did. It's just much more likely they died somehow. Another possibility (the one I went with in my story btw) is him running away from home on purpose. Not all parents are loving and friendly, what about abusive parents? There are sadly more than enough of those on our planet If he really did run away, did he leave on his own or did he take siblings/friends with him who didn't make it unlike him? I think he probably did have siblings. Many dinosaurs laid ore than just one egg. Funny though that particularly Longnecks in our LBT world never have siblings (not counting the tinysaurusses...)... Littlefoot doesn't (other eggs didn't make it), Ali's a single child, Rhett probably is too and Shorty could be too. Well, gave him siblings in my story anyway. He could have possibly had some friends too, who knows...

His personality is also very interesting and mysterious... He's acting quite like a jerk and he doesn't seem to feel a lot of empathy. In LBT 10, one could get the impression that he's a loner with no friends only causing trouble. He has the pride of a threehorn and I could imagine very well (and my memories from that one tv-episode he was in back this up) that he likes to have attention.
It is certainly interesting to think about if and how his backstory has shaped his character. He's certainly a tough guy - you have to be tough when you want to fight the odds of surviving on your own as a youngster, but that still doesn't explain why he bullies everyone around. I mean, some people are just born with a lot of bad inside but Shorty has shown that there's also good inside of him. Something in his life made him the bully he is. Look at Hyp in LBT 3 or at Cera. Their dads are responsible for the behavior of their children. Hence I was wondering if somebody in Shorty's life has had such a negative influence on him. Maybe his dad was an abusive jerk with extreme and radical views and methods?

Concerning his leadership skills, it's apparent that he lacks these. Of course, yes, it could be poor writing of that episode, but Shorty is someone who likes to show off. He wanted to show his qualities as a leader to show Bron that he was the better leader of his sons but he achieved the oppposite
I don't know how he kept these younglings alive. I didn't really dwell on that too much on my story either, just assuming he got lucky. It's the best explanation I have. Shorty was young and stupid. Any decision he made was likely to be made spontaneously and somehow often turned out to be the right one...

Can't think of anything else to say right now.

[DarkWolf91]

It is so great to see another post on this thread!

Ducky123, I really love your thoughts on Shorty, and I have to say that reading your fanfic has made me want to start writing again Especially your thoughts on his relationship with Bron, which has caused me to re-think my position a bit. They both are important to one another, even if though they both have trouble expressing affection, and Bron seems to take Shorty for granted.

I disagree with you on Shorty's leadership skills, though. I believe, to have survived in the wasteland with a pack of youngsters for so long, he is likely an intuitive leader. In trying to prove to Bron that he is a capable leader, though, his inherent skill is destroyed by his pride and insecurities.
However he came to be entrusted with the care of the hatchlings, he likely wasn't distracted by the thought of 'leadership' at all, but only worried about making sure they all survived the trip. Under these conditions he was best able to demonstrate his true ability. Later, when trying to prove himself for 'the big longneck test,' he was simply trying to showboat, thinking only about himself and how it would affect Bron's opinion of him.

I think it may have been somewhat tinged with desperation and insecurity as well, as he strikes me as having some abandonment issues. After all, his mother and father may not have died at all. It is possible that during the catastrophe that separated Littlefoot and his grandparents and caused so many to die of hunger, Shorty's parents, being not so strong of will, found the hatchling to be an encumbrance and left him behind. This, as well as all of the trauma of the wasteland journey that came after, may have led to his self-worth issues, and his subsequent need to appear worthwhile to Bron, and to always feel stronger than those around him so he feels like he is in control.

Just my thoughts

[MC CJ'S REVENGE]

When it comes to survival in a kill or be killed environment, everything gets thrown out the door, pride, dignity, and even leadership skills. Instinct takes over and you're going to do what you have to do to protect yourself and anyone with you in that position.

That's pretty much where Shorty was before Bron found him and the hatchings. As for the episode, one thing I can say, shows and even series as a whole tend to dumb down characters. Even long time characters get the same treatment.

[Ducky123]

It is so great to see another post on this thread!

Ducky123, I really love your thoughts on Shorty, and I have to say that reading your fanfic has made me want to start writing again Dino_grins.gif Especially your thoughts on his relationship with Bron, which has caused me to re-think my position a bit. They both are important to one another, even if though they both have trouble expressing affection, and Bron seems to take Shorty for granted.

You're welcome If you want to start writing again, just go ahead. It certainly can't hurt to try writing again. Maybe you're not as bad a writer as you claim to be I also made mistakes in Shorty's Dark Past but hey you still like it I'd read that story if you decide to write it, yep, yep, yep

I disagree with you on Shorty's leadership skills, though. I believe, to have survived in the wasteland with a pack of youngsters for so long, he is likely an intuitive leader. In trying to prove to Bron that he is a capable leader, though, his inherent skill is destroyed by his pride and insecurities.
However he came to be entrusted with the care of the hatchlings, he likely wasn't distracted by the thought of 'leadership' at all, but only worried about making sure they all survived the trip. Under these conditions he was best able to demonstrate his true ability. Later, when trying to prove himself for 'the big longneck test,' he was simply trying to showboat, thinking only about himself and how it would affect Bron's opinion of him.

That's just as likely as my interpretation of his leadership skills. Shorty sure is someone who likes to show-off but a leader mustn't do that.

I think it may have been somewhat tinged with desperation and insecurity as well, as he strikes me as having some abandonment issues. After all, his mother and father may not have died at all. It is possible that during the catastrophe that separated Littlefoot and his grandparents and caused so many to die of hunger, Shorty's parents, being not so strong of will, found the hatchling to be an encumbrance and left him behind. This, as well as all of the trauma of the wasteland journey that came after, may have led to his self-worth issues, and his subsequent need to appear worthwhile to Bron, and to always feel stronger than those around him so he feels like he is in control.

Yeah, that's also a possible explanation Would explain his behavior in LBT 10 and his reaction to being "replaced" by Littlefoot.

[DaveTheAnalyzer]

I can’t resist spilling out a lot of words about this character. He appears in a few fics I’m planning and this is what happens when I try to wrap my mind around a fictional person (Aside headcanon: Shorty’s parents got crushed to death in a rockslide. I know that seems random, but I like to have some variety in my Land Before Time parent deaths)

Shorty’s feelings about Bron are probably complex. Bron was likely the one who looked after him the most since their meeting and especially when it seemed like Shorty wasn’t going to fit in with any of the herd family. It probably didn’t occur to Bron for a while that his relationship with Shorty was anything more than “Good Samaritan looking after the neighborhood kid.” Shorty didn’t get the nerve to ask for something more in fear of rejection and to least keep the one positive adult relationship he seems to have. When Bron broached the subject of adopting him after their meeting with Littlefoot, Shorty was probably lost for words. After he accepted, he likely felt like he was walking on air and stuck especially close to Bron for weeks afterwards.

Though I can’t help but suspect Shorty get embarrassed when Bron attempts to act Dad-like. Bron probably plays goofily like he played with Littlefoot in the “Isn’t it great to have a Dad” sequence. When Bron does that with Shorty and/or the other kids, Shorty’s probably like “Stahp. You’re embarrassing, I want to crawl into a hole and never come out.” He might say that a lot under his breath or out loud but when someone teases or badmouths Bron, Shorty is the type who’ll quickly jump in to defend him. Though Shorty might at times wish Bron stop doing silly things, he also sometimes enjoys and values it.

Shorty’s feelings about Littlefoot are also complex. He probably feels he owes Littlefoot a huge debt for bringing him and Bron closer together and bares some genuine affection for the mushy but loyal youth he can now call a brother. However, Shorty still bears some envy for Littlefoot. He likely hears about the extraordinary things Littlefoot has done from either Bron or Littlefoot’s grandparents and friends. Compared to saving people and changing minds, Shorty probably feels a bit dull and ordinary by comparison. I mean, if any of my brothers saved lives and changed minds and my family praised them, I would feel some envy too. Despite assurances from Bron and others he doesn’t have to be like Littlefoot and will find his own worth someday, that insecurity still gets to him and he tries to do things to show he’s amazing too.

To gel Shorty being able to watch after those younger longnecks before meeting Bron with his mucking things up in his TV appearance, I can chalk that up to the problem of trying to consciously do things that are instinctual. I mean, for example, I don’t think about whether my story dialogue is breaking the “show, don’t tell” route. I just think about whether it sounds natural and in-character. When I did think about it more for a script writing class, my dialogue only became more clunky. So that might be the issue with Shorty here.

Though when he has better self-esteem, I think Shorty would be a good brother to Littlefoot. He’d be the type to tease Littlefoot and give him a headlock and noogie. He’s kind of a mischief maker. If he decides to team up with Cera and Hyp to tease or prank Littlefoot, I’d feel a bit sorry for Littlefoot (Then again, Littlefoot might enjoy what they have in mind). Shorty might feel out of place in a family with even keel temperaments, but I’m sure he’ll be reassured his passion and mischief bring some good energy into their lives.  

I would like to see Shorty and Spike interact more. Their being adopted brothers (and green) does give them the beginning blocks of a friendship. Shorty could be reassured by Spike whenever the former has insecurities over his place in Littlefoot’s family. He could laugh and be encouraged by Spike and his cheery defiance of social convention. Spike could be amused by Shorty’s jokes or mischief. I think their friendship would be pretty cute.

 As for where he was during Journey of the Brave…I have a headcanon where he ate a funny mushroom on a dare and has been carried by a herd member sort of off screen. He’s high and loopy during the entire volcano incident, and doesn’t completely grasp the situation around him. He gets deposited into the care of Tria, who knows how to cure his ailment. He only gets his senses back and learns of what happened when Littlefoot and the entire rescue party return to the valley. Needless to say, Shorty’s confused and annoyed about what happened (If he hears Wild Arms is the cause of Bron being in peril, I can practically picture the glare he’ll give him).

[Ducky123]

(I'm glad you bring some old discussions back to life, this is the kind of activity that I'm missing a bit lately, since most activity is in the off-topic forums these days... and I don't really have enough time to go back at some older topics to revive them...)

Let's see... I have thought a lot about Shorty due to the fact that he's the main character in one of my fanfictions (Shorty's Dark Past)

(Aside headcanon: Shorty’s parents got crushed to death in a rockslide. I know that seems random, but I like to have some variety in my Land Before Time parent deaths)

It's pretty mysterious. We don't know anything about Shorty's past and how he ended up with Bron in the first place (other than that he ran into Bron eventually all alone with a bunch of hatchlings). I have many possible explanations as for why and how he might have lost his parents. In my story, I've assumed one of the most unusual ones. Shorty has a really bad father who is violent and thinks of his children as something that belongs to him. (Also, he views females as inferior and only useful to produce off-spring). Shorty eventually realised how bad he is after seeing him kill a young mother who he forced to have offspring with after said female refused to give him the babies (now guess where the hatchlings come from ^^)
But, anyway, I could imagine just as well that his parents died some way or another or even left him behind because he was the runt of the litter or... whatever. There are so many possibilities

Shorty’s feelings about Bron are probably complex. Bron was likely the one who looked after him the most since their meeting and especially when it seemed like Shorty wasn’t going to fit in with any of the herd family. It probably didn’t occur to Bron for a while that his relationship with Shorty was anything more than “Good Samaritan looking after the neighborhood kid.” Shorty didn’t get the nerve to ask for something more in fear of rejection and to least keep the one positive adult relationship he seems to have. When Bron broached the subject of adopting him after their meeting with Littlefoot, Shorty was probably lost for words. After he accepted, he likely felt like he was walking on air and stuck especially close to Bron for weeks afterwards.

I agree, their relationship is complex and difficult to grasp from what little interaction we see in LBT 10. To me, it seemed like Shorty was a member of his herd who didn't have any parents to look after him formally. However, Bron kinda took on this job whenever it was necessary, however not formally adopting him (which he only did after the events of LBT 10 as seen towards the end of the movie.
It's difficult to say how Shorty or Bron felt about it to be honest. I just don't know how Shorty would think about these matters based upon LBT 10. All we know is that Shorty assumed to be something special to Bron before Littlefoot entered the stage light. Their relationship seems to me like a (as you put it nicely) “Good Samaritan looking after the neighborhood kid.” - relationship too, a close relationship but without the love that a (foster) parent would display. More like a relationship you'd build up to the friendly neighbor next door who'll look after you when your parents are busy.
As for why Shorty didn't get adopted by any other Longneck of the herd... I just don't know. I don't know how much of a jerk he already was back then but it might have played a role. If he already acted like a bully back then, maybe nobody wanted to take him in therefore?

I can definitely see their relationship growing and strengthening after he gets formally adopted by Bron. I don't think Shorty would be the kind of guy who'd be too happy about being constantly fussed over but he'd probably enjoy the occasional display of affection by Bron - and if it's just a quick nuzzle

 

Though I can’t help but suspect Shorty get embarrassed when Bron attempts to act Dad-like. Bron probably plays goofily like he played with Littlefoot in the “Isn’t it great to have a Dad” sequence. When Bron does that with Shorty and/or the other kids, Shorty’s probably like “Stahp. You’re embarrassing, I want to crawl into a hole and never come out.” He might say that a lot under his breath or out loud but when someone teases or badmouths Bron, Shorty is the type who’ll quickly jump in to defend him. Though Shorty might at times wish Bron stop doing silly things, he also sometimes enjoys and values it.

Yeah, I completely have to agree with you there. I don't see Shorty as somebody who likes being silly. Unlike Littlefoot, he appears to be more serious and mature in that regard. He seems to be the brave type though and he clearly loves to fight so he'd jump into a fight anytime I'd assume He'd be that protective type of boyfriend if he finds a gf one day

Shorty’s feelings about Littlefoot are also complex. He probably feels he owes Littlefoot a huge debt for bringing him and Bron closer together and bares some genuine affection for the mushy but loyal youth he can now call a brother. However, Shorty still bears some envy for Littlefoot. He likely hears about the extraordinary things Littlefoot has done from either Bron or Littlefoot’s grandparents and friends. Compared to saving people and changing minds, Shorty probably feels a bit dull and ordinary by comparison. I mean, if any of my brothers saved lives and changed minds and my family praised them, I would feel some envy too. Despite assurances from Bron and others he doesn’t have to be like Littlefoot and will find his own worth someday, that insecurity still gets to him and he tries to do things to show he’s amazing too.

In terms of pride, Shorty is quite like Cera, trying to do great things that people admire you for and being respected for who you are. Littlefoot has done some amazing things (killing a Sharptooth like... wtf ) and what has Shorty done? Trying to be a bad guy, bullying all the herd's little kids around (at least that's how I'm interpreting his behavior in LBT 10) and being an annoying little brat with no friends but nothing nearly that great. Yeah, he would show some envy.

At first he despised Littlefoot of course (honestly, I would have loved to see a proper fight ) but that eventually changed when Littlefoot explained to him that he still matters to Bron and offered him to be brothers. I think it's safe to say that Shorty is, overall, happy about having him as a brother and I could imagine a fun time when they eventually go on an adventure together (who would be leader? ^^)

To gel Shorty being able to watch after those younger longnecks before meeting Bron with his mucking things up in his TV appearance, I can chalk that up to the problem of trying to consciously do things that are instinctual. I mean, for example, I don’t think about whether my story dialogue is breaking the “show, don’t tell” route. I just think about whether it sounds natural and in-character. When I did think about it more for a script writing class, my dialogue only became more clunky. So that might be the issue with Shorty here.

I can relate to your writing analogy there. I, too, just write what sounds right to me. I don't plan ahead dialogues, I just let them write themselves in many cases.

I think Shorty is a good leader when he has to, when there's pressure and stress. He was probably too young to know much about leadership at the time so it can really only ruled down to his leadership being mostly instinctual or he just did the right things at the right time by accident, getting lucky to survive so long. Or maybe he's only been wandering around for a few days before Bron found him? We just don't know. In my story, I'm presuming he's been wandering around for a few weeks.

Though when he has better self-esteem, I think Shorty would be a good brother to Littlefoot. He’d be the type to tease Littlefoot and give him a headlock and noogie. He’s kind of a mischief maker. If he decides to team up with Cera and Hyp to tease or prank Littlefoot, I’d feel a bit sorry for Littlefoot (Then again, Littlefoot might enjoy what they have in mind). Shorty might feel out of place in a family with even keel temperaments, but I’m sure he’ll be reassured his passion and mischief bring some good energy into their lives.

If I think about Bron and Shorty migrating to the Great Valley permanently, living with Littlefoot and his Grandparents, I can totally see things like these happen Shorty may not be the silly type to goof around but he sure is mischievous and, I assume, quite a prankster indeed. I think Littlefoot's Grandparents would also grow fond of him soon

I would like to see Shorty and Spike interact more. Their being adopted brothers (and green) does give them the beginning blocks of a friendship. Shorty could be reassured by Spike whenever the former has insecurities over his place in Littlefoot’s family. He could laugh and be encouraged by Spike and his cheery defiance of social convention. Spike could be amused by Shorty’s jokes or mischief. I think their friendship would be pretty cute.

Interesting, I've never thought about it this way. Shorty would probably get along with Cera best out of the Gang (not counting Littlefoot of course) since they're quite similar in many aspects (which may cause tension as well though) but Spike could be another good friend of his for the reasons that you mentioned.  

As for where he was during Journey of the Brave…I have a headcanon where he ate a funny mushroom on a dare and has been carried by a herd member sort of off screen. He’s high and loopy during the entire volcano incident, and doesn’t completely grasp the situation around him. He gets deposited into the care of Tria, who knows how to cure his ailment. He only gets his senses back and learns of what happened when Littlefoot and the entire rescue party return to the valley. Needless to say, Shorty’s confused and annoyed about what happened (If he hears Wild Arms is the cause of Bron being in peril, I can practically picture the glare he’ll give him).

Sounds a bit too unlikely to me but, hey, it's totally fine if this it what you think

Personally, I'd say he was either forgotten or didn't have a big impact on the plot so they left him out. Though, if you ask me, they'd better have replaced this terrible Wild Arms guy with Shorty who'd deliver the message of Bron's situation  

Ugh, that took a while to write, I'm not used to it anymore haha

[ADFan185]

Yeah Shorty is the outcast character that I sorta felt sorry for. Everyone got adopted but him so I know how it feels to be left out. But he did it a wrong way tho by bullying LittleFoot. It wasn't his fault that shorty got the short end of the stick. So to adopt shorty as his brother was a great move on his part.

[DaveTheAnalyzer]

I’ve thought a bit about the backstory of Shorty’s parents but I only assumed they were dead. Since those offscreen parents are pretty much blank slates, it can be fun to speculate what kind of people they were though.

For what Bron and Shorty felt about each other, I merely inferred and extrapolated from what we do see of their personalities. The method is quite useful when trying to write interactions for characters who never spoke to each other before. As for Shorty’s adoption issue, I can assume it’s a combination of him being older than other children and his prickly nature. I do hear older kids don’t get adopted as often. Being rejected by others likely didn’t help with Shorty’s aggressive nature though – he probably thought the Circle of Life cursed him or something (Oh, how I could torment him with this…erm, anyway!).

Bron sees Shorty still has good in him and he probably doesn’t feel right condemning a kid, so he’s far more willing to put up with Shorty’s less-than-positive attributes. Shorty likely values that. Though Bron might be careful not to embarrass Shorty too much, I can see their play dynamic being the type where, for example, Shorty throws a snowball at Bron and Bron responds by dropping snow on Shorty from a tree. Lighthearted tit-for-tat kind of fun.

Shorty does seem the type who tries to act grownup, though he mightn’t always succeed at that. “I’m a mature and thoughtful longneck…think fast!” If he likes fights, he might enjoy games like snowball fights. He might deign to be above such kinds of games, but if he gets hit by a snowball, he would be like “alright, you asked for it!” and he’d jump in having a good time. With his past taken into account, it’s understandable why Shorty wants to be valued and given attention. He probably has some mixed guilt about his past bullying but he doesn’t want to be ordinary either, especially with Littlefoot around. He might have some anxieties about maybe not being good at anything and if he isn’t good at something, then he wouldn’t be as valued (Probably his issue with the longneck test).

Shorty didn’t like Littlefoot at first and likely thought Littlefoot’s talks with him were attempts to needle him while pretending to be concerned. Either that, or he found Littlefoot’s kindness condescending. Shorty’s views on that changed after Littlefoot went after him. Kindness can be Littlefoot's greatest weapon. If the brothers went on an adventure together, I’m kind of unsure if they would fight for leadership or not. There might be tension but Shorty might defer to Littlefoot. It’s a matter I’ve admittedly not given much thought.

I kind of picture Shorty being that teasing sort during those days he and Bron visit Littlefoot and his grandparents. He’d be the type to reward/punish Littlefoot with a prank or some roughhousing if the latter got too mushy. Shorty isn’t the kind who likes mushiness but since Littlefoot’s mushiness saved him, he also values it. With the grandparents, I assume they heard about Shorty’s backstory and will be the type to attempt to make him comfortable as possible.

I like trying out unlikely friendship combos, whether there is a basis of commonality or not. Kind of like how the TV series had Chomper and Mutt bond for an episodes. You wouldn’t think those two characters would associate with each other but once you see their chemistry, you think “of course!” I can see Shorty and Cera being prickly to each other because of their common pride but they can also teamup for some mischief. Like I can see the pair agreeing “We both value Littlefoot but he’s being especially a sanctimonious nerd today, let’s show him into a locker.”  

I know the Doylist or real life reason we didn’t see Shorty is because the staff either forgot about him or didn’t find him important enough to put him into the story. For the Watsonian or in-universe reason though, I’m amused by the thought of Shorty being drugged out and oblivious on all of the important Bron drama.

(Writing long in a hassle, take your time if you want to respond. I usually do this in a word document before pasting and posting this on the forum.)