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#i do have one in mind for frank & julie...
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weee another fantasy au snippet <3 a little shorter than usual cause that's what the scene is <3 shorter <3
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Something is wrong with Wally. 
It’s not serious, or at least Barnaby doesn’t think it is. If he didn’t pay such close attention to his buddy, he’d never know that anything was amiss at all - Wally has an excellent straight face. But not so excellent that Barnaby can’t read him.
There’s a different curve to his smile these days. It’s sort of pinched, sort of sad. It matches a look in his eyes that puts Barnaby on edge, if only because that deep, dark pensiveness is so wildly out of place on Wally’s soft face. 
It scares him. Something is off.
What is it?
Barnaby taps his claws on his middle as he stares at the tent roof, thin enough that firelight from outside bleeds through. Despite the late hour, his eyelids feel magicked open. The other side of the tent yawns empty, and that is precisely the source of Barnaby’s insomnia. 
Everyone is asleep except for two - and Barnaby is only awake because of one.
With a deep sigh through the nose, Barnaby sits up and clambers out of the tent. He shivers as he stands up and crosses his arms, rubbing at his fur. The night sky is clear, but the breeze cuts him through to the bone. It isn’t even winter yet, sheesh…
The campfire casts a fuzzy outline of red-orange around Wally. He doesn’t turn away from the embers as Barnaby shuffles behind him, and Barnaby doesn’t have to look to know that he’s staring directly into the low flames. He tweaks Wally’s raised hood as he passes, just to make sure Wally knows he isn’t alone anymore. He spaces out, sometimes. 
“Can’t sleep?” Barnaby asks as he takes the log next to Wally’s rock of choice. Wally just hums, and Barnaby frowns.
There’s that look again.
With how Wally is perched, his legs drawn up and arms folded on his knees, his smile is hidden. It’s unsettling. Barnaby scans Wally from the corner of his eye, taking in the tension in his shoulders and the nearly invisible pinch of his nonexistent brows. 
“Yeah, me neither,” Barnaby says. Another breeze, another shudder, and a quick glare at the stars. 
Should he press? The obvious answer is absolutely not, but… Barnaby isn’t sure how much of this - thisness he can take. He has no idea what to call it. A mood? It’s too serious to be considered a mood. All Barnaby knows is that when Wally is like this, something itches under his skin. 
Tonight would be a perfect opportunity to ask. Everyone else is fast asleep. Wally isn’t putting up the fronts he usually does. The knowledge that this Wally, the Wally all covered up and curled in on himself, is as vulnerable as anyone will never see - it makes Barnaby want to reach.
“Hey,” he murmurs, nudging his knee against Wally’s boot, “I’m starting to worry for the fire with how you’re glarin’ at the thing. What, did it emberass ya? Give ya the coal shoulder?”
Wally doesn't laugh, but his gaze softens. Barnaby curses himself.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with glarin' - I’m sure the fire deserves it,” Barnaby is quick to add. “But really… is everything alright, kid?”
“Yes,” Wally says, but it rings like an untruth. It's just something he’s saying because it’s what he always says. Everything is always fine with Wally. 
“You know you don’t gotta pretend with me. There’s somethin’ bothering you, I can tell.” Too far, too much, Barnaby is sure. He shouldn’t be so pushy.
But instead of clamming up, Wally’s eyes flicker down and away, guilty. The bloodhound in Barnaby perks up its ears. It’s all he can do not to point and shout AHA!, because that would assure that Wally would put up the same masks around him that he does with everything else. Vindication wars with his concern, as if he thought he might have been imagining the funks Wally has been slipping into.
Those too-long periods of silence that no one notices because Wally isn’t much of a talker. Moments of utter stillness that no one notices because Wally is always so stationary. The way he doesn’t drink in every new thing with a hunger like he usually does, as if Wally has been starving his whole life.
Those passing glances where his pupils seem too big, the blackness of them infinitely deep as if someone could fall into them. Maybe Wally is. Barnaby doesn’t want him to.
“You don’t gotta say a word,” Barnaby says, wishing the campfire log was just a smidge closer to the rock. “I just want ya to know that I see you, and I’m here. Whatever’s goin’ on in that pretty head ‘a yours, I’ll be right there for whatever you need. I got your back, Walls.”
Wally’s smile peeks over his arms for a moment - he always has liked being called pretty, or handsome, you name it. Barnaby preens over being able to coax him even the slightest bit out of the pit he’s slowly spiraling into. He’s winning big at the whole ‘best friend’ thing, Barnaby thinks - a complete natural.
For a long while, Barnaby doesn’t care to keep track, they sit in companionable silence. The fire cracks and pops when Barnaby adds a chunk of wood to it, coaxing it into a flame that actually takes the bite out of the breeze. Crickets chirp in the forest around them - something howls far away. 
The tension doesn’t leave Wally. In fact the longer they sit, the worse it gets. Barnaby keeps his mouth shut and eyes on the fire, the woods, the stars - anywhere except Wally. It’s the kind of tension that makes him suspect that Wally is gearing up to speak. Sometimes it feels like there’s a sinkhole of silence that opens up whenever Wally has something of his own to say. 
Reviving the fire was either a smart move, or a dumb one. It depends on how quickly Wally thinks of how to share. Without the brisk chill of night keeping Barnaby fresh-faced, sleep is finally starting to sink into him with the fire’s warmth. He briefly considers sneaking into Howdy and Sally’s tent to sneak an energy potion from Howdy’s pack. Pros, he’ll certainly be awake for Wally. Cons, he’ll be awake long past Wally’s spiel, Howdy will have a fit over missing an item, and Sally will have a bigger fit over Barnaby sneaking into her tent when he inevitably comes clean. Also, the potions don’t taste great. Or maybe he should fetch his pipe-
“I think. I don’t…”
For a second, Barnaby misses that Wally spoke at all. He double-takes when the half sentence registers, casting a quick look to Wally. Okay, no, don’t do that. Focus on the fire. Be casual - give him space. Barnaby nonchalantly pokes the coals with the fire stick.
Wally sighs - such a small sound that the crickets almost drown it out. But Barnaby has big ears, and they perk up. When does Wally ever sound frustrated? Curse him, but Barnaby finds it novel. Wally shifts on the rock, curling up impossibly tighter and turning his head away. Barnaby watches the back of his hood. 
“I don’t think I’m a good person,” Wally admits in the smallest, deadest voice Barnaby has ever heard. 
“What?” Barnaby says, or he means to. The air in his throat doesn’t quite form sound. He turns to Wally and clenches his paws on his knees to keep from reaching, floundering for words. 
How could he - why would he - who told him that he - 
“What do you mean?” Barnaby says, a disbelieving chuckle slipping out. “Wally, kid - you’re the best guy I know. You’re my best guy. Out of all the ways I could describe you, a bad person isn’t one of ‘em.”
Wally whips his head around, his eyes flashing - Barnaby tenses his entire body to keep from recoiling, though he can’t keep his eyes from widening.
For a second there he thought… he thought he saw… it must have been the firelight reflecting in Wally’s dark eyes.
Wally’s intense gaze pierces straight into Barnaby’s soul. He feels flayed raw and seen in a way that makes him want to run. But there’s something else. Something scared. Wally is searching for something, and Barnaby doesn’t know what or how to give it to him. His claws splinter bark.
As soon as it appeared, the look fades. Barnaby can take deep breaths again, and he lets go of the log. Wally blinks slowly and lets his sleepy gaze slide back to the fire. “I don’t know… maybe.”
Barnaby carefully lays a paw on Wally’s back. “You’re a good person, Wally. I don’t know who told you otherwise, but don’t listen to ‘em. You’re a fantastic friend, an even better best friend, and I gotta say - you make a pretty bang-up wizard. You’re the most.”
“I’m the most?” Wally murmurs, sounding surprised. He makes a sound that might be a laugh, might be a scoff. “No… you’re the most.”
“Tell ya what- we’re both the most.”
Wally casts him a sideways look, but doesn’t protest further. He hums.
“C’mon, lil’ wizard,” Barnaby says with a pat to his back, “let’s give the fire a break and turn in for the night.”
Just as he was starting to relax, Wally shies away from his touch, curling up like one of those shelled bugs Frank likes so much. “I think I’ll stay up a little longer.”
Barnaby swallows down the hurt and pulls away. “Alrighty. Don’t stay up too late - we got a day tomorrow.” 
“Ha. I know.”
With that, Barnaby stands. He gently squeezes Wally’s nape through the hood as he passes, and breathes a silent sigh of relief at how Wally leans into the touch.
All’s forgiven. Though he isn’t sure what for… whatever Barnaby said or did wrong, he’s just glad Wally doesn't mind.
Barnaby clambers into the tent and another shiver ripples through his fur. All the darn heat leeched out of it... He wraps himself in his thin, too-small blanket and shivers as hard as he can manage to generate some kind of warmth. It’ll heat up soon, he just has to wait. Wally usually casts a little sun spell on cold nights, but Barnaby can do without. Even if the tent gets comfortably warm, Barnaby isn’t sure if he’ll sleep.
Wally didn’t believe him. 
And Barnaby doesn’t know how to make him believe.
How could he think that he isn’t a good person? Barnaby meant what he said - Wally is the best person he knows. Wally is kind, patient, and just - just - him. There isn’t a single bad thing about him. Barnaby is so proud to call him his best friend. 
There has to be something that started this. A moment that made Wally doubt himself. Did someone say something? Not anyone in the Neighborhood, they all love Wally to pieces. He’s their wizard! He’s saved their lives and countless others, and their group simply wouldn’t be complete without him. He rounds them off with an artsy flourish.
So. There’s no reason that Wally should be feeling like this. But that look in his eyes… the guilt… there’s something else going on. Something deeper than just ‘I’m scared I’m a bad person.’ 
Something is wrong. 
Firelight flickers outside the tent, and Barnaby watches it until it goes dark.
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mobileleprechaun · 2 months
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The Pea
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I'm very hung up on the symbolism of this dish, particularly with how it pertains to Eddie and his episode of severe emotional distress.
Eddie was all alone in his post office when we found him. Although he refused to state this outright, it was clear he was feeling excluded and forgotten by his neighbors. We have often seen him pushed to the margins of the community, only sought out for his utility to the others.
Barnaby openly delights in scaring and tormenting him, Howdy overworks him without sparing a second thought to his needs, Julie only calls upon him when she someone who's easy to drag into a game, Sally refuses to address him by name and treats his attempts at social connection with disdain, Wally and Poppy only have fleeting interactions with him, and Frank hides his burgeoning fondness behind a facade of cordial indifference.
The pea is alone, too, isolated on the stark white backdrop of the plate.
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"Take care not to place them too close together." Even if there are more "peas" at this party, Eddie sits alone in Home's chair, denied the basic creature comforts of intimacy as he watches the others mingle.
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The pea is also a pittance to Eddie. It is presented to him right after Sally's single, small attempt to show him goodwill, which she only bothers to do because it's a holiday.
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She still does not address him by his name. The gesture, the pea, and the seat are all mere crumbs – too little, too late for a neglected outsider who struggles to make sense of the lonely, awful torment of his life in this Neighborhood, one which he cannot properly articulate for fear of sounding ungrateful.
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Home stares him down from his lonely seat. Its presence is monolithic and ominous, a towering figure that only makes him feel more small and alone.
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Is it intruding on his mind on purpose, trying to hurt him? Personally, I don't think so, though it still remains to be seen. His words to Frank at the end are telling, though. "I want to go home."
Whether it means to or not, Home torments him with its very being. It's both the elephant and the room. Eddie is an outsider. Eddie can't remember where he's from. Eddie sleeps in a post office after thanklessly running himself ragged every day. Home is the very reason for this holiday, and Eddie is homeless. It's staring him down because it's a symbol of everything he aches for, but cannot have.
Eddie is the single pea on Home's plate. Take care not to place him too close to anyone else.
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chez-cinnamon · 10 months
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(I have chronic fear of talking to super cool people, excuse the anonymous-ness pretty please :)
If you don't mind me asking, what did Home do to Wally? I know you drew like 3 panels hinting at it but I have 2 braincells and they were unable to compute what those 3 panels of hinting meant :'D
Let’s say it’s not just Wally, but everyone:
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Home was very desperate for the puppets to remain on script, so they don’t become too aware, eventually resorting to using their biggest fears against them:
Barnaby is horrified of humiliation - he can handle it from friends if it’s strictly banter, but not if it’s a whole crowd of people throwing the biggest, smelliest tomatoes at him for getting one joke wrong…
Julie suffers from some self doubt, her only friends up until going to the neighbourhood being Frank and her siblings, and has received bad comments from schoolmates on her loud jolly nature, so as a consequence she hates having too many eyes on her…
Frank takes pride in his butterflies and his smarts, but he’s terrified of messing up in any way, and of his dear butterflies to turn on him, like so many people did because of him…
Eddie has always felt so self conscious of his blanking memory, he doesn’t want to forget who he is, what he loves to do, his favourite stamp collection, his dearest post office, his closest friends… and especially his darling husband Frank…
Howdy adores his job, he absolutely loves working in his beautiful bodega; but even the most jolly salesman can feel his passion grinding on him, almost consuming and drowning him if one piece of stock is wrong…
Sally too is scared of humiliation, but unlike Barnaby who has experienced it first hand and has things thrown at him, she has yet to experience it and the mere thought of it freezes her within the spotlight…
Poppy has always been terrified of appliances, but they’re a necessity for life, so she gets her friends to help her. She’s scared that they might catch fire, leak all over her floorboards or they will come to life….
And as for Wally….
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According to Home, he was to blame…
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aerkame · 1 year
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Just a silly thought...and more
Just a silly little thought I had on Wally headcanons while I was trying to take a nap. EDIT: This turned into a short fanfiction, I will now have to make this a full one, there's too much potential.
So like Wally comes off as super out of it when it comes to our world almost. Like he's never been outside of the show, he's so used to being in Welcome Home with all his friends. Wally also seems like he's the only one truly sentient of himself within the show and the outside world.
He also seems pretty smug, or some other version of him does, No doubt Wally's ego has to be through the roof with being the center of attention all the time. Not only that, but he gets to spend all day with each and every one of his friends!
I'd imagine that if one day some poor unfortunate reader just accidentally brings home all of the puppets thinking they're ordinary puppets and wakes up early in the morning to these very odd and colorful strangers in their house. Like the puppets just came to life looking like their cartoon versions of themselves and also became life-sized, even some of the shorter characters just tower over you easily, and Barnaby can hardly fit through any of the doors!
Wally is sitting at the edge of your bed staring at you with Barnaby sleeping against his legs, Frank is looking at your shelves reading through books, sketchbooks, etc, Sally being more interested in the sketchbooks, Julie found some workout equipment and is playing with a jump rope, both Poppy and Howdy are rummaging through the kitchen, already antsy about needing to make stuff, Eddie is pretty interested in your printer, and you're sitting up in bed getting ready to scream bloody murder.
You don't scream though, but you're ready to. You can't tell if you're dreaming or not. Dreams are usually a pretty trippy falling feeling right? This feels real though. Where's that weird falling feeling you get when dreaming? Why are you able to think so clearly? Your brows furrow in deep thought.
Wally just sits there smugly smiling at you, leaning forward to give you a hello, he's so tall you feel like a small child compared to him. "Hello, I'm sorry that we had to meet like this, I hope you don't mind." His voice sounds soothing, monotone, and deep, and he isn't blinking. Instinctively, you slap your hand on his face and keep it there, feeling his expression scrunch up in confusion.
Nope, not a dream.
He gently takes your hand in his and removes you from his face, a small red area showing up where you slapped him.
It took about an hour of talking you down from being freaked out for Wally and the others to introduce themselves. They had sooo many questions of course. Like "What is this thing that makes colored paper come out?", "Why do you have these heavy thingies?" Sally holds up a 50lbs dumbbell with one hand like it's nothing, or "Why aren't you more colorful like us? Ooo can we cover you in paint?"
Needless to say you also had a lot of questions too, none of them were really answered though as all of the colorful characters were busy inspecting your house or were preoccupied with asking you about all sorts of items, they were like little kids. Wally was the only one that seemed to be the more mature one here though, it felt off, like he already knew you or like he was used to this.
At dinner, you went ahead and made food for everyone while also showing Poppy how you cook in this world. You noticed Wally didn't touch anything but the food simply disappeared right before your eyes, leaving you slack-jawed and speechless. "Oh don't worry, that's just how he eats!" Sally waved off your concern. This was starting to freak you out a bit.
After dinner you did your best to find places in the house for everyone to sleep until Wally suggested they all just sleep in your room like one big sleepover...something told you that he just wanted an excuse to be closer to you or to be able to keep a close watch though. Que you being squished in between these giant softies like a kid hiding in a giant pillow fort. Barnaby did make for a comfortable pillow though, and Poppy's feathers were so soft...and..and..you dozed off, not taking notice of Wally's staring eyes.
Sure, Wally has his friends to keep him company, and Welcome Home is such a cheery and colorful world! But it's missing just one thing. You.
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things that seemed reoccurring this update:
- Meat
- peas
- jelly
- Hibernation
- Eddie's absence
- Acting out a script (Sally mumbling asking if it's her cue and Howdy changing the script of the narrator in Homewarming storybook, characters general interactions with the narrator, different moments in the video, like the Sally and Frank ad break or the song a barely silent night, where the two literally fight over who get to sing, Sally mentions she wrote the lyrics, and Frank says she already has a song. yeah all of these are easy to see as meta goofs in the original material, but it's the fact there's so much of it this update) (of course all this wrap up with the end of the video where Eddie and Frank are obviously acting off script)
- Being alone (Eddie not having any news of anyone and not even seeing anyone outside (which is interesting as the story says that Sally was up in a tree near his home and saw him fret over having nothing to do), Wally saying it's so quiet during Homewarming and it's just he and Home for a while (potentially the show putting out a christmas special and then being on break? can a show do that?), and in the normal website material, the end of "An ode to hibernation", Frank saying "Where all that's left is me", the "me" being a "...me?")
- Welcome Home being used to sell stuff (cigarettes, medicine, eggnog, cereals, and the cookbook lists ingredients that are a specific brand)
(I'm putting under read more my rambling thoughts so you can just reblog the list without having to see them)
so I can't really make sense yet of all the food stuff. Maybe there are cultural elements/expressions I don't know that explains it? But I still find it very interesting how fucking unhinged that cookbook is yet the commercial and the website treat it normally. The cookbook is overall extremely interesting, because some of the recipes seem to actually be written by the characters; Barnaby who only presents you weird hot dog dressings with pictures but no recipe (and all jokes), Frank who lists not just the ingredients but also the material, and overexplain each steps (at least overexplain compared to the other recipes. it's actually interesting to know why you do x or y), and Julie who turns her recipe into a game at the end, and felt a bit harder to follow? anyway.
The cookbook, the Homewarming tradition of hanging a ham in the tree, Santy Claus being said sometimes instead of Santa, the ham for Santa? Once again, the christmas commercials being so casual about some of the weird stuff it says and presents? This almost feels like an alien who only has a blurry grasp of Christmas and what humans enjoy made the cookbook and the live commercial.
Sometimes, Welcome Home feels like it never actually aired and produced things, but we're making it retroactively exist. Something is making it exist. Like a retcon of the universe, "What do you mean you never heard of Welcome Home? No, of course it always existed and was very popular, look at all this old material we find!"
So maybe whatever is making it exist doesn't fully get humans and accidentally creates things that are weird to prove its existence. Like a cookbook that tells you a single pea in a buttered plate is a classic meal, or that of course you give Santa ham on Homewarming! (tbh almost getting an AI weirdness feel)
But in total contrary, in its story, Welcome Home also feels like it always existed, but got somehow completely wiped from people's mind, as something caused its sudden stop, and its characters gained consciousness of what they are and their world. As an existential dread fell on them one after the other, slowly realizing something isn't right. As Eddie felt anxiety and nervousness over no one being there or contacting him, to then having the story acts lightheartedly about it, the narrator saying things have been solved but he doesn't feel it, and suddenly Home is staring at him.
Both "It never existed but the universe is being retcon into it existing" and "it existed but something terrible happened that erased it from peoples mind" seem plausible. If two theories contradict each other, that means there's a third one that needs to be found.
Maybe it existed. Maybe it truly was popular, but something corrupted it, leading to its disappearance. A disappearance so big it stopped to exist. And now the thing that corrupted it is trying to crawl back, make it exist again, but it's making it come back completely off.
Anyway.
Also, I think the show may have been on hold during the Holiday season, "hibernating", and the character who got some self awareness realized that something was off. They're alone because there's nothing new, so no one is there bringing life to the neighborhood.
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jellysxtarr · 1 month
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hello!
could you write the neighborhood with a sweetheart! neighbor?
they find trinkets whenever they’re walking outside to relax in whatever spot they find comfy/involved in the regular shenanigans and gift it to their neighbors once they’re distracted doing something else (they remind me of a crow now that i think about it 😭)
whether that’d be a butterfly charm, a pie hair -tie or a pop soda metal cap, they’ll try to make it look like its brand new again if its rusted and the paint is worn off.
share slices of fruit and lend an ear when they find them feeling down or in a pickle
the neighbor can’t tell jokes for the life of them so they pay for their supplies with bets (long time card game rivals with howdy)
people can’t tell if they’re in a romantic or platonic relationship with any of the cast.
for them, its somewhat in between but they love and care for their neighbors regardless
sorry for making this so long, feel free to shorten or decline this req! hope you have a nice day (⊃。•́‿•̀。)⊃💗
Woah woah woah anon!! Don't worry about it being too long! I love the effort you put into your request!
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Welcome Home cast with a gn! Sweetheart neighbor
Warnings: /
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𖤐 — Everyone in the neighborhood knew what type of person you were (in a positive way of course!). You looked out for them, frequently gave them gifts, lend an ear for them and hanged out with them as much as you could.
𖤐 — It wasn't surprising that you came back with something new to give them as a gift, handing it to one of your neighbors while saying its something that reminded you of them.
𖤐 — You were right there whenever one of your neighbors was feeling down, listening to what they have to say, lending them advice (if you're good at it!) And giving as much comfort as you could to turn their mood better.
𖤐 — One thing you don't necessarily understand, would be jokes. Whenever Barnaby cracks a joke or two, muttering on how you don't get it while receiving a pat on the back with a chuckle from Barnaby (who tries to explain the joke in the way you'd understand), was something that would happen from time to time.
𖤐 — Not that anybody was really bothered from it of course! You'll understand it some day, for the time being, you'll be hearing Barnabys simple knock knock jokes!
𖤐 — Often it would happen that you'd pay for your supplies with a simple card game, setting bets with Howdy while either winning or losing the bet. It is, of course some small friendly rivalry between the both of you, ending it with a laugh and waving you goodbye after the card games for your supplies.
𖤐 — Something that's entirely different with each of your neighbors, is when you hang out with them. It was a difference experience with each of them which never got boring or too repetitive.
𖤐 — May it be some fun games with Julie (maybe even sports! Of course, if you want to take the risk with an accident), talking about bugs with Frank, listening to Barnabys jokes and attempting to crack one on your own (even though you end up telling your joke completely wrong), riddles or even another round of card games with Howdy, helping Eddie deliver mails around the neighborhood (if he allows it), baking with Poppy, acting out a random play Sally had in mind or even painting with Wally (if you can paint, of course!).
𖤐 — Another thing that has occasionally happened, was that one of the neighbors (or anybody outside of the neighborhood) falsely assuming you're dating someone from the neighborhood, and pop the question the moment they could. Which you nicely declined, shaking your head and saying you guys are only friends.
𖤐 — Everyone in the neighborhood was your friend. You loved them dearly and appreciated them a lot (hence the constant gifts and trinkets you give them). You cared for them deeply, considered them a new found family even.
𖤐 — it's something you never want to change, and hopefully never will change on it's own.
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s/o who stays with him hcs ; lovesick!wally
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requested by ; anonymous (06/05/23)
fandom(s) ; welcome home
fandom masterlist(s) ; here
character(s) ; wally darling
outline ; “Sweeet! Could I get Lovesick! Wally x reader where reader realizes that Wally is aggressive when he's ignored and most of his love is focused on them so they decide to stay inside Home, getting sick too but Wally is calm and stops trying to escape, just wanting to be around reader now”
warning(s) ; lovesick au, reader succumbs to the same sickness as wally, self sacrifice, references to reader losing their mind, author is new to writing for welcome home so characterisation might need some tweaks in the future
you were doing this to protect the others — everything you had done was for them and if you kept on reminding yourself of that then, maybe, this whole situation could be that bit more bearable for you
but, then again, there was only so much one could do to ease their mind when you were spending every second of every day trapped inside of the same four walls with someone who was sick
so very sick
and you knew you were too
you could feel it in your mind, warping your perceptions and thoughts — making your mind feel less and less like you
you wondered if this was what wally felt before he became too far gone — before the aggression and obsession kicked in and he started to jeopardise the lives of everyone in the neighbourhood to get to you
spreading this disease through words and a phone line that nobody could bring themselves to cut off no matter how many times you begged them to
so, with no other options in sight, you gave in
gave him exactly what he wanted
gave up the potential for a cure or salvation
gave up your freedom
gave it all up because they deserved better — they didn’t deserve what wally was putting you all through
julie deserved to keep wandering through the neighbourhood and styling her hair and her clothes in ways only she could pull off
frank deserved to keep chasing butterflies
sally deserved to keep on pursuing her passion for performance
barnaby deserved to keep on entertaining everyone and being himself
poppy deserved to be able to keep on baking the foods she loves
howdy deserved to keep on tending to his business and multitasking with an expertise only he could have
eddie deserved to be able to keep on doing his job and pursuing what he loves
they deserved better than this
they deserved freedom, and that was your last gift to your friends — the last act of true kindness that you were allowed before you too became trapped in home
trapped with the man who had been incessantly calling you, preaching his adoration and affection and obsession through the speakers every day — moving on to others when you stopped picking up
calling once then twice then dozens and hundreds of times a day when he realised you weren’t answering intentionally and he started to become frantic
desperate for your attention, your affection, your adoration
to hear your voice, to see your smile
he wanted you — needed you
and now he had you
and now you realised just how far gone your old friend was — how wally hadn’t been wally in a very long time
it was his eyes, they’d changed and you couldn’t help but notice how drastically they had when you had nothing else to do but look at him
they were filled with hearts
no
they were branded with them, like he was filled to the brim and bursting with this overwhelming feeling and it was starting to warp even his appearance
but that wasn’t the end of it
his usually perfectly styled hair had been left to flop over his face — an ocean of messy, tangled blue only partially obscuring his painfully dilated warped eyes as he stared at you all day long
a small part of you wondered how much your own appearance had changed — a larger part of you was terrified to find out
the small consolation that you had was that wally had become completely docile once he’s realised that you were now staying with him
the escape attempts stopped and as did the constant calls, as he had no reason to keep on doing either
you were right here, after all, so why would he ever need to leave?
most of the time he just sits and stares at you, love ringing clear in his dreamy expression as he looks at you like you yourself hung the stars in the sky
like you were an art piece to be admired
like he could see you for exactly who you were
you felt exposed, naked, vulnerable
but you couldn’t leave so you just grinned and beared it
making sure to cut all of the phone lines the moment you settled in to your new, comfortable prison
other times he’d actually talk to you, his words well considered and his tone oddly airy and light — carrying like a dandelion seed in the breeze, more whisper or hum than words really — and hanging so dearly off of every word you said
he treated your statements like gospel, your syllables like sermons, your words like the greatest philosophical constructs — considering each thing you said heavily before responding
sometimes he’d just touch you, grasping your hand, running his fingertips along your face when he thought you were sleeping
like he couldn’t believe that you were really there
like it was all a dream and he was going to wake up and it would all go back to the nightmare he was living before
and through it all you were coping with the reality of just how sick your friend was — how horrifically obsessed he’d become with you and how it would ruin him if you left
and you could feel yourself slipping
bit by bit; slowly at first
your eyes would linger on him for a few seconds longer than you meant to
you’d catch yourself smiling whenever you stumbled upon his restful form
but over time these changes became so significant that you could no longer dismiss them
you were sick, really sick, and you could feel yourself slipping away
and in a sick and twisted way you couldn’t find yourself caring — the small part of you that did being massively drowned out by the larger not-you part that was already too far gone
you were sick and you were changed but you were in love and you had your wally
and in much the same way that wally lost all of his aggression the moment you relented, you lost your will to fight before it had even formed
because you had him and thus, really, you had no reason to leave
your neighbours would get over your loss eventually, you were sure, but for now what you really needed was to give your love a hug
it had been far too long since the last…
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Text
☆There's No Place Like Home☆
《You are new to this... Neighborhood? Where the hell are you?》
Episode 2: Get To Know Know Your Neighbors
[Pilot] [1]
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《Warnings: the subject matter this ARG has are potentially disturbing. DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT. Welcome Home was created by Clown @ partycoffin 》
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Sick.
You felt sick after eating that cake. It tasted like pure sugar cane mixed with coffee creamer. The taste was sweeter than any treat you had eaten before.
Yet you don't utter a word about it to your plucky, so-called, "neighbors".
"Well, would you look at the time? It looks like it's late... Er. I think, but I gotta keep.. Unpacking? And I'm sure you all have plans of your own tomorrow."
You pick up the plates quickly, but some of the slices were barely picked at. Other plates are not even a spec of crumbs.
"Yes, of course!" Poppy said, hurriedly fluffing up her feathers in case of any stray pieces of dessert on her.
"Mhm, the post office isn't gonna' run itself." "Nor the bodega!" Howdy and Eddie laugh, Frank, chuckling off to the side.
"Yes, I gotta get some beauty sleep if I wanna dream big!" Sally agreed, pushing out her chair.
"Then I guess it's settled, we'll see you tomorrow, right neighbor?" Wally asks you. Dropping the plates in the sink, a few break on impact. Your hands try to pick up the broken pieces. But recoiled at the sight of your blood staining the fine china.
"Ye-yeah... Absolutely."
"Wonderful!" Julie cheers, coming up to your side by the sink.
"You must join me tomorrow! Your clothes are so odd! I've never seen a style quite like it. I would love it if we could dress up together!" The puppet chattered.
You nodded uncaringly, more focused on the cut on your palm.
"Groovy-..!"
A sharp gasp escapes Julie as Frank comes to her side.
"What... What is that?" Julie questioned you.
"Oh-... it's a cut. I hurt myself..."
"H-HURT! Who said hurt!?" Poppy stumbles near your side, her gaze softening as she asks if you were okay.
The other puppets now standing behind her, awkwardly trying to see your cut.
You hesitantly show the bird-puppet your palm, albeit shaken up by her. You thought she would bite your arm off with her beak.
Instead, she holds out her feathers, tenderly holding your arm.
Her expression turns into one of confusion. "That's odd..?"
"Wh-what??"
"There's only paint, I don't see any stuffing. Are you sure you are hurt?"
You, in turn, give her a puzzled look.
Had... Had these puppets never seen a human before? Much less a human being bleeding?
You take this as a good sign. Glad that these "puppets" didn't eat or have an appetite for humans or blood.
"Paint you say?" Frank bumps in, carefully analyzing your cut. He hums in thought, "Would you mind if I poked your cut?"
"No...Can I have a band-aid or something to close it up please?"
Frank nodded and backs off as Eddie hands you needle and a thread spool. "Here, found it by some of the boxes."
"Thanks..." You said, disregarding the puppets staring at you attentively as you place the items down. Saying you'll clean it up first.
You reassure them you'll be fine as you usher your "neighbors" to the door. Gladly holding the door open for them as they say their good byes and farewells.
Wally was the last one to leave, he smiles sleepily at you. You smile back at the tiniest puppet, feeling your mouth muscles twitch when keeping up the charade.
"I'll tell Home you said 'hello', good night. Neighbor."
-
[Taglist closed]
@tearjerker666 @trzppyghxuls @cookieswithay @luna-charlie @isometimeswritestuff @kazi-pop @lightspectre-universe @jjowithastar @smilingfox22-blog @jayysnotjoyful @cadaverous-coop @heather-hutchcroft @camilo-uwu @sweetheartturtle2007 @welcomehome102 @pretty-please-just-let-me-sleep @wally-darling-hyperfixation @q1bli @rainingdandelion @anima-chara @tearjerker666 @aceduchessdragoness @sleepy-planet @pauldanosbandonedirection222 @thelittlexd11 @luna-charlie
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[Dun-dun-dun!!! Sorry I took so long to update! I've been writing a lot of Welcome Home Oneshots. Comments, art, always help! Thanks for reading!]
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cup1dt3a · 1 year
Note
hi, if you dont mind me requesting, how about a wally darling x gn reader where they are the villain of the show, but like,, unintentionally. they are vv clumsy and knock into shelves at howdys, trip eddie on his mail route, ruin julies chalk games, etc. and every time they feel horrible, but run away because they are scared of confrontation. so one day they knock over all of wallys paints while hes stepped away, and when he goes to their house to give them a piece of his mind, he finds them crying and ranting to their cat about how bad they feel but how scared they are to apologize (sorry if its too long!! ive had this idea in my head all day lol)
A poor soul who is mistaken for the villain being a victim to their own clumsiness. I love it! Hope you’re having a good day or that it gets better! Also you’re fine I love it when I get descriptive requests! ⚠️⚠️warning: Angst
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“ Oh no! No no no!” You gasped panicking over the now kicked over bucket of paints.
All you wanted to do was take a closer look at Wally’s newest artwork on the large canvas. But no you just had to accidentally step into one of the paint cans. As you tried to get your leg out of it you had only made things worse. Sloshing paint everywhere, knocking down more cans, tubes, and almost the canvas. But you had managed to save in it your colossal pile of mistakes. As you finally got your foot out after jerking it out the heavy can you had noticed a small smudge of red paint. Your heart beat quickened. You ruined it! You ruined all of Wally’s hard work, hours, seconds, and passion. You just ruined it!
Why are you like this? Well that’s obvious. You’re the town screw up. The pushover who always ruins everything. You sometimes avoid going anywhere for months because you’re too scared to ruin something else. For instance one time when you were just looking the ingredients you needed to bake a cake as an apology to Julie for accidentally giving her poisonous flowers. They had all of her favorite colors , but turns out hot pink can literally burn your eyes. You had knocked down two shelves after hitting your head on them. You didn’t know what to do or how to handle all the eyes on you so you ran. Just like with Julie after giving her the flowers you ran. Just like with Frank when you accidentally tore half a page in one of his books. Just like with everyone else you always ran away.
Just like right now as you ran away from an enraged Wally who had just came out of home. Frozen in shock taken back by his usual cheeky smile now gone and replaced with an annoyed look. So you rushed to your only sanctuary as always your house.
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You apologized as you ran back to your own house. You panted slamming the door as you knees curled into the floor of your home. You just wanted to look at someone’s painting and yet instead of being able to admire their work you ruined it just like every thing else. All except for one soul in this name uttered your name with a scowl. Well if they could and it was your pet cat Mr.Wiggles. He was an adorable spynx cat who you one day found out all alone in the rain in a battered up box. His red eyes may have made him look scary but you find them enduring from how much love he always showed once you were in the room. On days when you let him wander around with you to most he would look like your evil sidekick ,but to you he looked like a little angle just wanting to make friends. It’s almost like you were both on the same boat of being the outcasts of the group.
You sat on the cold floors as Mr. Wiggles came to your aid at the hurried slam of your front door. Meowing attentively as if he was trying to ask what was the matter. Seeing as you were once again crying once home. Curling beside you as he tried to comfort you.
“ Thanks buddy, but I don’t think we’ll be welcome here anymore.” You sniffled trying to hold back the rest of your tears.
“ I’m fine I just…screwed up…again!” Your voice cracked as the tears poured down once again while you trembled from each sob.
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This was outrageous! How and why do you always keep on doing this!? Tube after tube of his new paints were ruined. Even his brand new canvases he laid out behind his latest work. Everything ruined and covered in the new paints. Were you just trying to make everyone feel bad? Every time you came out of your lair you always ruined something. For instance with Julie you made her sick for a week with flower pox! You had tripped Eddie while he was out on his daily run to Franks house. Burnt Poppy’s cookies when she asked you to watch over them. Ripped a book of Franks favorite book sure it was Frank, but even he wouldn’t do that to that to him. You had made a huge hole in Sally’s now broken stage. You knocked down two displays in Howdy’s store and didn’t even try to help. The worst one was with your evil little cat. He had pounced onto Barnaby’s head.
And now you decided to ruin his work. That was the last straw. Chance after chance was given to you, but now it seems like you’re just testing your luck.
“ How does someone even manage to achieve all this in under 5 minutes!?” He frustrates at the ruined paints.
His cavas had a small smudge of red paint on it thankfully. Everything except his painting was mainly ruined. But just why do you do this? The first few times when you first came here everyone brushed it off as small accidents, but it was just a constant cycle of ruining things. So he had no choice, but to try and confront you. To see just why you kept doing this. And to give you a piece of his mind once and for all.
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As he greeted a few of his neighbors while he stomped over to your own home he eventually came to the dark and gloomy home of yours. Already giving him chills down his spine as he was about to knock on the door. But he soon had heard sobbing and continuous meows. Concerned he looked around to see where they were coming from and noticed one of your darkly colored windows opened still. He sneaked around the corner peeking through the cracked window.
“ I know I know! It’s just that whenever I make a mistake and try to help I just can’t stand trying to talk to anyone.” You cried.
“ I just want to be friends and make up for my mistakes, but every time I try I make a new one! I even ruined Wally’s beautiful painting and got Julie sick! I’m just a horrible person aren’t I?” You ranted to Mr. Wiggles.
“ It’s just like every other neighborhood I’ve gone to! Soon enough they’ll all start hating me and want me gone again.” You cried now uncontrollably sobbing.
He then felt pity for you as you cried out to your cat now holding him close. Just as he was about to try and comfort you he soon tripped over a stray thick vine in your almost dead garden.
“ Wha..What was that!?” You gasped startled as you slowly got up hurriedly seeing who had just yelped outside your open window.
“ Hello Neighbor!” Wally popped up from the outside of your window startling you.
“ H-Hi…I swear I didn’t mean to knock over your paints! I just…I swear it was an accident!” You sniffled.
“ I know. I didn’t mean to ease drop, but I heard everything you said. But I just wanted to say sorry to you. ” He chuckled trying to lighten up the mood even as your glazed eyes still threatened to draw tears again while you used to window as a fence between the two of you.
You shyed away from his gaze as you croaked out “ Why… I’ve done nothing, but ruin everything since I got here?”
“ Well we haven’t been the best of neighbors to you. I don’t even think I’ve even tried to get to know you.” He said as you rubbed your eyes trying not to cry again.
“So how about we give this another shot?” He asked extending his hand out for you with a comforting smile.
“ I’d like that a lot… Neighbor.” You smiled getting up from the barrier you of your window taking his hand.
Maybe things will be different this time.
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Thank you all so much for reading this all the way here! Hope you’re all doing well or that it gets better!
Sincerely-Cup1dT3A 💌
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bimboothefool · 5 months
Note
Reader was taken kidnapped by Wally and taken to his world. But what Wally didn't expect is that all the other characters would start to remember memories with the reader as a child and discover the truth of their colorful world.
( Now it's up to you to decide what will happen! Will they help the reader get back to the real world or will they become so attached to the reader that it would help Wally keep them there with them FOREVER. )
ℌ𝔬𝔫𝔢𝔶 ℑ’𝔪 ℌ𝔬𝔪𝔢
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𝔗𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢 𝔬𝔣 ℭ𝔬𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔰: Kidnapping, Yandere Behavior (You know the drill keep this shit in fiction.), Stockholm Syndrome, Amnesia, Possessive Behavior, Wally manipulating the others, and Gaslighting
𝔄𝔲𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔯’𝔰 𝔏𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔯: Thank you so much for this request and I apologize for taking so long so much came up, but regardless thanks for the request let’s jump right in!! Keep in mind it could either be read as platonic or romantic regardless spoiler alert they don’t see you grow up.
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- Wally was surprised to see you after all these years. Same thing with the rest of the crew, your eyes are definitely different instead of that whimsy you’ve once held. You’re rather cautious, it still wows them how different you are now.
- Wally did believe for the time being that he’s the only one who truly remembers you and for a while that’s true. But once you’re in their world things started to change.
- Eddie and Frank are the first few to notice that you looked oddly familiar. When he asked specific questions about your childhood it started to click for him.
- Sally and Julie are shocked that you remembered the lines of a play or the rules of a game. They start to ask themselves the same questions why do you look so familiar yet different.
- Howdy, Poppy and Barnaby are a bit unnerved when you remember stuff like the residents orders or certain joke punchlines. Even certain recipe ingredients. How come you know those things.
- They all meet together to discuss the possibility of how they felt so familiar with you, but this is seemingly their first time meeting you. They all come to the conclusion that they’ve met you before. [Excluding Wally since he fully remembers you.]
- For a while they’re all happy to have you back, but you’re getting homesick. You constantly ask questions on how to get back to your world. But they’re not even sure if it’s possible.
- But only Wally knows a way in and out of their world and keeps it out of your grasp. He even starts manipulating the others.
- “We have them back, why let them go now? Don’t you all miss having our best friend?” He asked the others as they’re all conflicted. Sure they miss you and love you, but was keeping you here really right?
- This could go one of two ways. The first being they do buy into Wally’s twisted line of thinking, why go back to such a troubled and dangerous world? You can stay here and everyday is nothing, but joy and laughter.
- They’ll start gaslighting you into buying into this logic as well, which really freaks you out and you start lashing out. They see this as you throwing a tantrum.
- Another way this can go down, they aren’t sure and start asking you why you want to go home. And you explain that yeah your world isn’t perfect, but it’s still your home.
- Soon they all start talking about how to get you back home, out of Wally’s watchful eyes. You all start to unraveling and untying the mysteries of their world and Wally’s existence.
- Either way it’s ultimately up to you to really choose your own path on how things will play out.
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Thanks for reading! If you enjoy my stuff please feel free to check out my other stories from other fandoms, along with reblogging and commenting on it! If you like my art and wanna commission me for some art, head over to my kofi!
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clanwarrior-tumbly · 1 year
Note
May I please have a Wally with a reader that is somehow sentient and aware with knowing they've somehow got stuck in this tv show and are heavely aware Wally has something to do with it?
So they're extra closed up about themselves, stay home a lot to avoid the puppets in overly social gathering (like they can handle two or three of them but not all at once as it's too overwhelming with happy shizzles and stuff), yet that doesn't mean they don't talk at all to them. They don't keep their mouth shut either when something's bothering them, like when they get annoyed when Wally stares too long at them and makes a comment about it or genuinely admit they dislike Home with how disturbing it seems to them.
Wally somehow doesn't mind as he's genuinely interested in them and wants to become their friend as best as possible, not for any reason with manipulation, just pure friendly business. But as the reader knows he's the main star of the show they're forced to play in, they know the camera follows him almost always, thus they avoid him like the plague which causes a cat and mouse play between you two. Wally trying to get closer to you with perhaps making paintings and gifts for you while you just casually dip out of there while somehow looking like you don't hate him.
(It would be even funnier if you somehow became the second favorite character of the show as you stand out a lot with your attitude and being the only human being there, perhaps even attracting teens to watch the show with your remarks at the puppets for a certain someone not even having a nose or eyebrows and your monotone voice singing and having no energy with dancing once you somehow get stuck in a song sequence with the others (kind of like red guy from dhmis)
Funny thing is, sadly for Wally, is that you get along well with Frank and Eddie as they're the more calm ones, Eddie still joyfull a lot, but more calmer than Julie and Howdy perhaps are.
So there's Wally, staring with the most confused and slight jealous eyes as he watches you joke around and actually smile with the duo/couple(?) while you always give him a frown that's somehow even deeper than Franks.
Sorry for the slight ramble and long explanation (I'm a fanfic writer myself), just wanted to give a summary of how I see it and wondering how you'd think this would work out.
Btw, reader doesn't hate Wally, they're just warry and uncomfortable with his stares and Home in general, and with the knowledge that's he's one of the reasons they're stuck here. They soften up to him a little eventually, like letting him hug them shortly or talking more casual with him, but no way he ever sees them entering his house.
This was so long I'm so sorry.
Anyway, have a great day/night!
Oh don't worry I think this is a great idea! I like how fleshed-out it is!
...........
You have only spent a week in the neighborhood...before realizing something was terribly, terribly wrong with the world surrounding you.
At first, this place seemed like nothing but sunshine and rainbows--full of fun, joy, color, and friendship. A place that one could only dream of living in all their life, free of worry or strife.
It felt comforting and safe, so when you started having these weird feelings that not everything was as it seemed..you figured you were just nervous about settling into a new place.
But when the folks here asked where you were from, you'd end up drawing a blank...starting to question where you really did come from. So you'd simply tell them you're just "out of town" and leave it at that, although you always sounded uncertain about it.
And there's something else that was especially peculiar: every activity the neighbors did almost always stopped at the end of the day. It seemed strange to you since there's plenty of things you could do. Like campfires or stargazing!
So one evening, you asked all of your neighbors why they rarely hung out during the night, and they had relatively normal responses: Eddie says it's tricky to deliver mail at nighttime; Howdy was too tired from working at the bugdega all day; Barnaby and Sally had to plan their next stunts, tricks, and plays; Julie and Frank wanted to get their "beauty sleep"; and Poppy needed to take care of things back at the barn.
All seemed to be perfectly reasonable answers...
Until you got to Wally.
He looked as though he was ready to respond...only to fall quiet and stare off into space, as though he was in another world. But the fact that his pupils seemed to dilate gave you the chills for some reason, and you calmly tried snapping him out of his trance.
Then he did, and quietly said something about Home "disliking" it whenever he stays out too late. And he bid you goodnight before leaving.
That exchange was the moment you realized something was very off about him beyond his staring habits. It's like he didn't know exactly what to say.
As if...it's such an unusual question for him, but normal to you.
And out of nowhere, the truth hit you like a truck:
This whole place was just one big TV show, with all of you trapped inside as the unwitting stars who were meant to follow certain "scripts" during your daily interactions.
You don't know how or why you knew that, but it became clearer when you constantly got the feeling that your movements were being watched.
You could sense eyes on you even when you were alone.
And sometimes you'd hear indistinguishable voices of adults and children alike while you slept, unable to discern whether they were merely in your dream or existed in reality. It must have been the former, considering none of the other neighbors said they heard anything.
To you, these people...these "viewers", sounded like they were in a faraway land--an unreachable place where you couldn't call out to them for answers no matter how hard you tried.
You knew nothing about them, but they knew everything about you.
Your character had become so fascinating to them from the moment you arrived in the humble neighborhood. You've actually become the second favorite almost instantly, given the uniqueness you've brought to the colorful cast as a human merely wearing an average-sized costume.
They've observed that your personality makes you relatable to young teens, attracting them to the show. Many of them got some chuckles out of your dry and semi-self aware humor (in that you'd joke about how Wally's missing his eyebrows and nose when everybody else has them). It was an immediate hit.
Even when you got pulled into some silly musical number with the rest of the gang, you just spoke in monotone and put lackluster energy into dancing when the camera panned over to you--much to the dismay of your "neighbors".
The viewers just couldn't get enough of you. They adored you.
And they can't stop watching.
You, on the other hand, weren't aware that you were so popular...and quite frankly, you didn't want to be. It terrified you.
So for a while, to protect your own sanity, you began attending less and less social events, not wanting to overwhelm yourself. You've declined invitations to Sally's and Barnaby's shows, which made you feel kinda bad..but you were just so fearful of everything at the time.
Were any of them aware of their circumstances, too?
You had no idea, and it would probably make you sound like a crazy person if you told them how you really felt.
The only other person to show any sort of "deviance" was...Wally himself.
You didn't know why, but you felt like he had something to do with the situation you're in. Especially given his odd response to you that evening and the fact that...he just apparently loved to stare so much, watching you just like the audience did.
It didn't help that whenever you talked to him or he tried approaching you, you got the chilling feeling that you were being perceived by the audience--as if somebody was holding a camera over your shoulder, wanting to capture every moment the "main character" spent with you.
You'd prefer to spend as little time in the spotlight as possible.
However, being anxious about this world didn't mean you weren't a bit mouthy towards other things you disliked. You were known for being blunt and sometimes a "realist", shrugging of whatever crocodile tears the others may give you just for the crime of being honest and true to yourself.
So yes...you'd always call out Wally if he was staring at you for a prolonged period of time, or if he tried persuading you to say hello to Home if you happened to pass by the sentient house.
Your response? Straight up "no thank you, it creeps me out and I don't like how its window-eye things are looking at me."
The audience may laugh, but it's the truth.
That building scares you.
Despite all of this, though...Wally didn't seem to bothered by it. He likened your sarcastic quips to Frank's, so that was never an issue with him. If anything, he was genuinely trying to help you feel right at home in the neighborhood, hoping to become a friend you could trust and rely on if you needed anything.
It'll just take you a bit more time to adjust, and that's alright!
Sure, maybe his stares were strange to you and Home was well...Home. He understood why those things might seem scary to a new neighbor.
But then again, that's how everybody else acted when he first met them, and now they were all good friends!
He's sure you'll fit right in and find true happiness here. So he made it his mission to befriend you without coming on too strongly, inviting you to quiet picnics and painting lessons, calling you on the phone, and even showing up at your doorstep with gifts.
He even made sure to tell his neighbors to give you space, though he was really hoping you'd stop being afraid of him the longer you spent around him alone.
But while you accepted his presents and showed up to his invites...you just couldn't let your guard down around him. You never looked happy or relaxed, and didn't stay long, usually cutting your time together short under the guise that you forgot to do something important and had to leave now.
Your latest excuse was that you forgot to "walk your fish" even though you owned no such pet. You were a terrible liar, but Wally believed you anyways.
He was a patient man, so he'll wait how ever long it took to befriend you.
...........
"Alright, Home..today I'm gonna gift [y/n] my finest work thus far! Do you think they'll like it?"
Pausing, Wally listened for the creaks of approval and squeaks of reassurances, smiling when he heard them, although Home noted something else.
"Haha..you're right. Silly me. It needs more time to dry..or else the paint will just smudge and make it a not-so-nice gift. Sorry, I'm just excited, is all.." He chuckled awkwardly.
After setting the canvas back on the easel, he wandered over to the window and peered outside, humming a small tune to himself as he rested his arms on the sill.
It took him all day and all night to paint the perfect picture of your favorite animal---which he learned about from an off-handed comment you made a few days ago. His memory was sharp, remembering all the details about the creature, and he believed you'll love what he created as a result!
Surely now you'll see that he's not all that bad. Otherwise he'd be lost on how to convince you.
However, he noticed a rather...surprising sight from across the street, one that even Home had to confirm was happening so he didn't think he was going crazy.
You were actually out and about, having a casual chat with Frank, asking how he got together with Eddie before bumping into said mailman on the sidewalk.
Wally couldn't make out what any of you three were discussing, but Eddie must have said something humorous, as it made Frank groan and hide his blushing face. And you just chuckled and shook your head, patting the latter's back sympathetically.
He felt his heart sink.
You were talking to the couple--joking around, smiling, and genuinely enjoying their company. As if you've known them all your life.
Yet anytime he's even near you in any capacity, he's met with frowns deeper than Frank's and constant excuses to get away from him. Like he was some kind of pest or scary monster.
He didn't understand what he was doing wrong.
Of course, he's happy you're getting along with some of the neighbors, no longer being so shut-in...but it hurt to know he's still stuck struggling, literally begging you to be his friend.
*creaaaak?*
"..no, Home. I'm not jealous. What gives you that idea?"
*...creeak.."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Wally looked back at the easel, sighing. Part of him wanted to just throw the whole canvas out the window, but....he shook off the feeling, forcing a smile.
He wanted you to have it, even if you didn't like him that much.
So when he saw you finally parting ways with Eddie and Frank, he decided to head over to your house about an hour later, assuming you were gonna be there and needed to recharge from socializing.
He put on his best cardigan and made sure his hair was neat before heading out the door with the small canvas tucked under his arm, covered by a protective sheet. He wouldn't wanna spoil the surprise for you, after all..even if you anticipated it being yet another painting.
For some reason, the sky was grayer than usual today..meaning it's probably gonna rain on his parade.
But he didn't let that deter him.
After arriving to your house, he knocked three times, in a certain rhythm that you've distinctively recognized as him being at the door.
But he was surprised when you opened it right away. "Oh heya, Wally. What's up?"
"Ohh nothing much, neighbor." He chuckled. "May I..come in? I promise I won't stay long-"
"It's cool. It looks like it's gonna rain anyways. Wouldn't wanna ruin your "beautiful" hair now, huh?" With a coy smirk, you let him come inside the house, shutting the door behind you as you turned around to see what be brought you this time.
He looked shocked, almost, standing there like a fish out of water. You invited him in without hesitation...though he tried not getting his hopes up too high.
You're just trying to be polite. In a few minutes you're gonna kick him out for some silly reason.
Shifting your gaze away from his uncomfortable stare, you looked at the painting in his hands, tilting your head. "I guess that's for me.."
Nodding, Wally handed you the canvas, watching you remove the small sheet to see it was a painting of your favorite animal. Your eyes lit up, impressed by the amount of details that went into this one, before looking back up at him. "Wow, man..this is....awesome. How long did it take you?"
"Not very long!" He suddenly chirped, hands clasped together with excitement. "I just hope it fits nicely in your collection! A-Assuming....you...have one...that is..."
Bit by bit, his words began to fall flat with uncertainty, before he completely dropped the act, shoulders slumped.
Why did he bother trying anymore? What was the point?
You noticed his odd mood shift. "Wally? What's wrong?"
"..nothing, neighbor.." Sighing, he hung his head low, a cloud of doom and gloom manifesting over him as he shuffled towards the door. He felt like going back to Home and curling up in a corner somewhere. "I'll...see you later-"
"Wait."
"...hm?"
He stopped and looked over his shoulder, still feeling quite depressed but willing to listen to whatever you wanted to say.
You set the painting on a nearby table, approaching him with your heart constrained with guilt. "Look, Wally..I know you think I hate you or something, but...that's not true."
"It...isn't?" He blinked.
"I'm sorry if I gave you that impression. There's just been...a lot of my mind lately. Things I can't really talk about just yet..I-I don't know. It's hard to explain. But the point is...I really do wanna be your friend. I guess I'm just...a very "guarded" person if that makes sense."
Although Wally was staring at you yet again, you didn't break eye contact, wanting him to know you're being genuine here. "I don't open up easy, but I know you've...helped me a lot, and I appreciate that. I do keep your paintings and I do feel bad for being a jerk to you sometimes. So...think you can forgive me? I'll even allow this if you want."
When he saw you open your arms up to him, he was frozen for a few long moments, astonishment written all over his face.
He just...didn't know what to say. Not only did you actually like his company, but....
He was allowed to hug you??
"..c'mon, pal. My arms are kinda getting tired." You awkwardly smiled, although you blinked as he suddenly latched onto you, letting out a few sniffles.
He wanted to sob so badly, but knew that wouldn't be very "neighborly" of him.
Yet you heard how he sounded, and felt guilty for treating him as some bad guy...when really he didn't seem malicious at all. You wanted to believe he had good intentions.
Whether or not he also knew the truth behind this place...that didn't matter right now.
He just wanted to be your friend.
You'll never be happy if you kept being so afraid of him all the time. That wasn't any life to live, even if you're unsure of whether this was your only life or not.
But you let him hug you anyways, patting his back.
"Th-This is very nice of you, neighbor. I forgive you." He mumbled, cheek squished against your shoulder as he clung to you tightly, never wanting to let go-
"Thanks......okay, you can let go now."
"..o-oh! Right, sorry." Reluctantly, Wally let you go, rubbing his eyes before dusting off his cardigan, breathing a sigh of relief. "Whew! I'm glad we're on better terms now. But...if I may ask..what changed?"
"Ah, well..I was talking with Frank and Eddie earlier..and I asked them about you."
"Huh....?" He pointed to himself, raising an invisible eyebrow. "Me..?"
"Yeah. Since they're more chill than most of the people here, I feel like I can be myself around them." You explained. "Howdy and Julie are kinda too loud for me, so...yeah. Those guys pushed me to reach out to you and try to make this friendship work...instead of the other way around."
'So...that's what they were talking about..' He realized, though he beamed anyways, happy you took their advice.
"Well that's great! I think we'll become great friends, [y/n]!" Smiling, he offered his hand to you, and you shook it as a way of saying you're both willing to start over.
"I..think so, too, Wally." You smiled back, feeling this huge weight being lifted off your shoulders.
"So...do you wanna come visit Home when the weather clears?"
"...I'll pass. But I'll wave to 'em from afar if that's okay."
"It's fine by me, neighbor."
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kenphobia · 1 year
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AKSHEJ I LOVE YOUR WRITING!! Could be possibly get more yan Wally?? I have like a horrible staring problem and usually make eye contact like a pro when talking to people due to my parents just driving those mannerisms into me lmao how would Wally react to someone with somewhat similar manners to him? Hope you have a good day/night <3333
EYE CANDY!
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"And I have a sweet tooth."
summary. wally couldn't help but be interested when the new neighbor also has a habit of staring. i wonder how that turned out? (headcanons / rewritten / see end notes)
contents. too much fluff. one-sided julie x reader because mmmm, funny little fuzzy man is happy.
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✦ Staring was something Wally enjoyed doing. He didn't do it out of malicious intent— sometimes, he does but that's a story for another time —but rather people fascinate him a lot. From the way they dress and move to how they interact with others and the environment around them, it sounds a bit silly and weird but it's something he just can't control.
✦ He supposed it was because of him being an artist. After all, he did spent a lot of his time training his eye to focus on every tidbit of detail in his muses. The roundness of an apple's form, the colorful patterns on Frank's vest that doesn't seem to shift along with his movements, the cute little pads on Barnaby's feet— he had it all jotted down in his mind and every one of his paintings seemed reference his friends or the neighborhood.
✦ Or maybe he's just bored, dissociating on random ocassions that he couldn't help but fix his eyes on something. Maybe it was just that, but god was he so happy you're also doing the same thing as him.
✦ It happened during a simple hangout within your friend circle and Wally caught you staring at him. He stared, of course, unblinking as always but you also stopped blinking.
✦ The unprompted staring contest ended after you finally blinked, your eyes tearing up slightly. Wally laughed and offered you his handkerchief to which you gratefully accepted and wiped your tears away.
"Hey, Frank." Julie whispered to her best friend, "What are they doing?" She pointed towards the bench where you and Wally just kept on staring at each other, unblinking and unmoving like mannequins.
Frank looked from the book he was reading, squinting his eyes at you two. "I have... no idea, Julie. Can I please go back to reading now?" He sighed in exasperation, tired from not having a single peaceful moment with any of his cheery neighbors buzzing on and about.
Another puppet plopped herself down next to Julie and Frank. "Ooh, what are you two doing? Spying on the new neighbor again?" It was Sally, giggling herself silly as she nudged the unfortunate Frank's arm.
"I am not spying on them." Frank glared at Sally, his frown deepening. "I never have been and it was mostly Julie doing that since she's too nervous to even approach them."
"I'm not nervous!" Julie argued, her face flushing red. "They're just so pretty and I don't wanna make a bad impression! I know you'd also do the same if you saw a pretty person, Frank." She puffed her cheeks, crossing her eyes as she squinted her eyes at the puppet.
"Ooo, does Frankie have a crush?" Sally's eyes lit up at Julie's words.
Frank quirked a curious brow. "What's that supposed to mean—"
"Hey, guys! What are you doing here?" Eddie's voice suddenly rang through the air as he jogged up to the trio. His arms rested on the back of the bench, pushing his body weight forward as he leaned. "Is that Wally and (Name)?"
Frank immediately stood up, his face flushed for a moment before it went back to its normal grey color.
"Oh, hey Eddie!" Sally greeted, raising her hand up to the mailman who gladly gave her a high five. "Frank and Julie are spying on them!"
Frank's face bursted suddenly in warmth. "Stop lumping me with Julie's—"
"Oh hush, Frank. I know you just as interested as we are. I mean, look at them!" Sally jabbed her hands to your and Wally's direction as if she was presenting a business proposal to the three.
"I think we should let them be, okay?" Eddie smiled, patting Sally's head. Sweat dripped down from his forehead, sliding off his cheeks in a nervous, almost jittery manner. "They're just doing a staring contest, nothing to worry about."
"I mean, that is true..." Julie hummed, pushing her lips in a form of a pout. "Wally really likes staring, and (Name) too!"
Frank shrugged, crossed his arms and leaned on the back of the bench. "Match made in heaven, I supposed."
Your staring competition with Wally came to an abrupt stop when you hear Julie scream and see her tackling Frank to the ground. Sally was cheering for Julie in the sidelines while Eddie is desperate trying to stop them from fighting.
"What in the world—?"
✦ ... Moving on! Wally would never admit it but he does get flustered by your stare at times, especially in moments where he's extremely chatty and he catches you looking at him. Bonus points if you did that little smile that his heart always go kaboom though.
✦ He'd find himself tongue tied and his face burning redder than the color red itself! If you could just excuse him for a moment, he's just gonna scream into a pillow, thank you.
✦ Wally's glad that someone is like him and it reassures him that staring is a common habit people have. Not that he's insecure about it, no! He's proud of his eyes and his staring, he just loves having someone to bond over it. It's the little things that makes it special for him <33
"You know, Neighbor... Your eyes are really beautiful, have I ever told you that?" Wally asked during a little sleepover you two had one day.
"You told me that a long time ago, Wally." You chuckled, patting his head. You gently combed your fingers through his hair, it was weird seeing it down but you wouldn't deny he was beautiful.
"Oh, Ha. Ha." Wally merely said before laughing. "Ha, I see. But they are really beautiful, you know?" He mumbled, snuggling closer to you as he wrapped his arms around you. He closed his eyes and buried his face in your chest for warmth.
"I love you, (Name)."
"I love you too, Darling."
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author's note. this was rewritten to be non-yandere since it was barely even yandere in the first place sjshshd but yeah!! this one gets to stay up lol
also this is my entire masterlist, wooe
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helloooo have a messy scribble page of oc concepts. unfortunately, im in love and will now proceed to ramble At Length
but before that! rudimentary height chart!
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all i know rn is Mairy - the cow - is about the same height as Howdy/Barnaby/Poppy (around 8ft), Hettie & Daisy are in the Wally/Julie/Sally category (around 3ft), and Jesterly is more Frank/Eddie (around 4ft). Derry Drake is fuckoff huge, and Casey is... idk really. tall but not That tall
so. rambles. i... have those, yeah
Mairy Love - she/her - lesbian a gorgeous white/blue cow! originally she was gonna be pink/white, but blue/white is my favorite color combo and honestly? it's dairy colors to me. she's big! she's strong! she's very gentle and sweet but also takes shit from no one, even though she doesn't like confrontation much (unless its playful roughhousing! jokes fly completely over her head! i'm thinking she tends to a lovely orchard of various fruit trees, and probably cultivates some crops for fun as well. maybe seasonal ones? pumpkins for the spooky season, fir trees for those snowy days, etc.
Casey J. Mittens - he/him - aro this orange fella is scaredy cat central! unfortunately for him, he's also curious to a fault! curiosity killed the cat, and he fears the day that rings true for him! he'd rather curl up at home or in a cozy tree, crocheting something cute from one of his many balls of yarn than do anything else. he tries to be a voice of reason, but is too easily convinced otherwise. he's that friend who says "we shouldn't be doing this" as he wholeheartedly assists in the shenanigan in question.
Hettie (currently undecided) - she/her - bi true to her honeybee heritage, Hettie is a florist! she boasts an impressive array of flowers that she tends to like her life depends on it. she's always running around to make sure they're all getting the best care - and she's always checking in on her pals to make sure they're taken care of, too. she's a busy bee who wouldn't know a day's rest if it stung her on the ass! It takes a lot to make her mad, but everybody better watch out when her wings start buzzing
Daisy Hop - she/him - pan i actually created Daisy as a supplementary character for a certain au, but realized i could find a place for her in this little group. i'm thinking he runs a little shop - a roadside stall, more like - where she can both sell her own homemade candy & his friends' stuff! she's the only one in the group that can keep up with Hettie's energy, and even surpass it at times. though unlike Hettie, Daisy knows how to take (and appreciate) a break!
Jesterly - whatever/is/funniest - Derry a menace. they love pranks above all else, oftentimes at the expense of others. he's always up to something and is never not scheming something! there's always Someone to bother! in all honesty she's more like an annoying stray cat that no one can get rid of... and they better not try, or they'll face the wrath of this fool's Very large partner! The jester's cap never comes off, and neither does the mask!
Derry Drake - they/them - Jesterly there's no sugarcoating it - Derry is a big lazy grump! it's almost impossible to get them out of their cave, or off of any place they decide to nap. the only thing that can reliably get them moving is the promise - or prospect - of food. it's a wonder how they've accumulated such a hoard of random things in the back of their cave, seeing as they rarely get up at all. they're incredibly nearsighted and bite first, ask questions later - after all, who knows if the colorful blob in front of them is food or not! better to be safe than hungry!
currently in my mind they have their own little community deep in the woods. Daisy lives in a modified burrow, Maisy has a cute farmhouse, Casey lives in a cozy treehouse, Hettie has a small cottage, and Derry & Jesterly live in a cave. within their community, they share practically everything. want a snack? pluck something from the orchard. need a new pair of mittens? ask Casey! i suppose you could say they're communists <3 (except for Daisy. she won't charge his friends, but anyone else is free game)
Mairy and Hettie have romantic tension, Daisy and Derry are the only ones who can tolerate Jes, Mairy wants Jes dead, Casey is terrified of Derry, Daisy's rapid-fire speech confuses everyone but Hettie, etc. i should make a chart for funsies...
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Thick!Fem!Survivor in a Bikini
Requested: Yes! [love your works. never stop doing those please.. also just see your request are open so.. i want to request for ghostface, the legion (frank and julie), wesker, the trapper and the doctor react to their fav fem!survivor in like a bikini outfits (also if you could make her have a big boobs or maybe like some sort of chubby body then i would love it even more :))]
Warnings: ✨Spice✨, FEM!Reader
A/N:
Ghostface
Pictures. So so many pictures, each one more perfect than the last in his eyes. And there was never enough, no matter the fact that he had so many that his card read as full. Good thing he had a spare on him! This one empty of any photos, though soon to be full as well. He’ll waste away the whole trial following you around, his hands running along the thick curves of your body whenever he can get close enough without you noticing him. But even if you did notice him, it’s not much of a deterrent. Did you really think you could show up in front of him while wearing that and just get away?
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Frank
Drooling. Drooling SO much. He’s staring the second he sees you, immediately reaching out to grasp your thick waist in his bandaged hands as he presses his chest into your back, his mask on the ground as he bites and sucks on the back of your neck, grinding into your plush ass through his jeans. Frank is such a sucker for big girls, it makes him look stupid and by the end of this trial you will be sitting on his face, your thick thighs smothering him to death. Legit doesn’t even care if you actually kill him while doing it, since he’ll just be resurrected by the entity anyways. He hopes.
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Julie
Much like Frank, Julie is drooling, wanting to bury her face between your thighs and just suffocate. But Julie is just a tad bit more subtle than Frank. She’s not just outright groping, she’s fingers trailing softly down your spine, plucking at the strings of your bikini. She’s not deep bites and bleeding scratches, she’s a whisper in your ear, carrying the most sinful promises. She and Frank are two people that compliment and contrast each other perfectly in almost every way. Brawn and Brain, Force and Manipulation, Fast and Slow. She’s likely to invite you to share both her and Frank’s bed, once she’s done making you ride her fingers in this trial.
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Wesker
Wesker is definitely surprised to see you in such an outfit at first, staring you down from a distance, slowly getting closer to you, taking in the shape of your body from every angle he can see, and once he gets close enough? He can’t help but let ouroboros wander over your skin, slipping under your scant clothing, between your thighs. Even when you’re crying and shaking from everything he’s doing to you. How could you ever expect him to resist when you just looked so good like that? Like a present just for him.
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Trapper
N I C E. You can’t look at Trapper and tell me he doesn’t like thick girls. He fucking LOVES thick girls, remembers how he used to trail after daughters of the miners with chests so thick they almost popped out of their modest gowns, hips so thick that they showed through all the layers they wore. Part of him enjoyed indulging in thoughts of how it was money that his family gave their fathers that kept their bellies so full, kept them as thick as they were, their healthy pallor. He’s reminded of those thoughts as he looks at you. Granted, you’re not so modestly dressed as them but he actually likes it, likes the way they scant fabric clings to your skin. But what’s even better is when he rips it off you, clutching you to him even as you squirm, feeling along your curves, between your folds, cupping your full breasts. Yes, he really enjoyed this.
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Doctor
Very bold of you to assume that the Doctor didn’t carefully plan this all out, to the very last detail. Down to convincing the Entity that yes, the bikini was necessary, and that no, he definitely didn’t have anything particularly heinous on his mind. Not that she believed that at all, but he had been doing particularly well in trials and she thought he deserves to be rewarded. Which is how you ended up Adrianna Imai’s bed (she was going to KILL you in all your future trials with her), The Doctor’s hands emitting little pain-pleasure sparks as they roamed your skin, snapping at the strings of your bikini while emitting his usual maniacal giggles.
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wallydrling · 1 year
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a billion trillion kisses (for you)
pairing: wally darling/reader
rating: g
author's note: gender neutral reader to the best of my ability, probably some discrepancies having to do with the lore, i made wally taller lol
ao3 (it's formatted so much better on there. i hate u tumblr!)
You’d moved to Home last Spring, on one of the rainiest days the little town had ever seen.
Looking back now, it’s a fond memory. But at the time, rain pouring down from the sky, soaking your hair and your clothes and all your cardboard boxes, it’d been miserable. You remember just wanting to crawl beneath a canopy tree and cry. Your boxes of books had all fallen apart, landing on the wet pavement outside of your house. Your favorite shoes were ruined, covered up to the laces in mud. It felt like a sign. Something sent from the universe, urging you to turn around and leave. To go back to where you came from.
Only, you couldn’t remember where that was. You still can’t.
And right as you’d given up, settling on your front porch with your face buried in your hands, the clouds parted. Metaphorically, of course. The sky continued to cry. But, a set of footsteps headed towards you, sloshing in the puddles that had formed, and you’d peeked between your fingers to see–him. All lean legs, and a deep, blue cardigan with hair to match, covered up in a red raincoat. He’d been wearing loafers, then. Something you’d come to familiarize yourself with, something you’d later recognize as his signature. He walked towards you with all the confidence in the world, and a bright smile on his face.
“Hi there, new neighbor!” He called out, loud enough to be heard over the rain. “I’m Wally. I live just over that way,” he pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “I couldn’t help but notice all of these books lying on the ground, and then I saw you and thought, ‘Oh, looks like they need help!’ So, here I am.”
His very presence had seemed so outlandish back then; so unreal. His will to lend a helping hand had felt a little bit degrading. Someone as bright as him, bursting with color and cheer, coming to stand in front of you on such a horrendous day. You’d wanted to be mad, to snap at him to go away. You remember that you hadn’t really felt like socializing, then.
But before you could get a single word out, Wally knelt to the ground, and began gathering your books in his arms. They were covered in mud, and dripping rainwater. They dirtied his cardigan as he held them to his chest, but he didn’t seem to mind. Once he had his arms full of them, he stepped around you, and walked straight into your house. Like he lived there, too. Like it would’ve been silly of him to wait for an invitation.
Shocked at his boldness, you sprung to your feet, hot on his heels. You watched with big, wide eyes as he set your books down on the floor. The carpet was covered in muck and water, and Wally even more so; the mud on his cardigan would likely stain, and his rainbow pants were patchy with water. His hair, still half-styled in a pompadour despite the heavy rain, dripped rain down his yellow cheeks. He wiped his hands off on his pants, and flashed a bright smile at you.
“Do you need some help getting the other boxes in here?” He’d asked.
You blinked at him, once. Twice. Had no idea what to make of him. And then, subtly, you nodded. “Yeah. That’d…that’d be appreciated.”
So, that’s how you met your best friend.
Only, now, that terminology is beginning to feel incorrect. Because Wally is a friend, yes, and he is best in the sense that he is your favorite in all of Home (Julie would positively lose it if you said that aloud), but it's been a year of living in this town; of seeing his bright smile, and hearing his awkward, warm laughter nearly every day. It's been easy to hold Frank, Eddie, and even Howdy at a distance–two of the three are already a pair, and you don't see them nearly as often as you do Wally. Even Julie only shows up knocking at your door a couple of times a week.
You and Wally have become near-inseparable. If you aren't taking walks, stopping to cloud gaze every so often, then you're painting together. If you aren't painting together, you're ransacking the bodega, or arranging weekend picnics in the park for all of the residents. And if you aren't doing any of those things, then the both of you are curled up on your sofa, flipping through magazines, or reading poetry together. It isn't even a conscious thought anymore; not on your end, at least. It's become so normal to wake up, go about your morning routine, and then meet up with Wally come noon.
The other residents are getting suspicious, to say the least. Julie hounds you about it each time you have a sleepover (at least twice a week), Eddie has started wiggling his eyebrows in your general direction each time he sees you together, and even Howdy in all of his obliviousness gives you a picnic basket of food randomly one weekend for, "your date with Wally. On the house!"
You're not sure if the others are teasing Wally as much as they're teasing you, or if he'd even notice, but you know it's only a matter of time before someone makes an implication that you can't come back from. You're essentially bracing yourself for the question, the one everyone has yet to ask–what are you guys?
Julie is hosting a 'color-by-numbers' event at her house this evening, and nearly everyone will be in attendance. And if they asked you the question, you wouldn't have an answer. Not a clear one, anyway. You and Wally are friends; you can say that with confidence. You're each other's confidants. Wally has told you things he's never told anyone else. How Barnaby has spent a lot of time teaching him how to recognize his emotions, and how he gets lonely, sometimes. Was almost always lonely before you moved to Home. How he is so scared to lose you and the others, the anxiety of the thought alone renders him paralyzed if he thinks about it for too long. He trusts you, and you trust him, and you love him, even more so. You don't really know what to make of that.
So, there isn't one answer to the question of what are you guys? There are a dozen, jumbled and criss-crossed and tangled, and you can't pull them apart alone. You'd need Wally's help, and that would mean confessing, and you're not willing to do that. It could ruin everything.
When late afternoon rolls around, you're ready to go. You're wearing your favorite outfit, and your hair is styled to perfection. You've even put perfume on; the kind Howdy made for you from fresh berries, and you don't know why that matters or if Wally can even smell, but–
You're getting ahead of yourself. Getting nervous. Now isn't the time for a freak-out. You take one last look in the mirror, steel your shoulders, and set off for Julie's house.
"Yay, you're here!" Julie throws open the door, tugging you inside before you even get the chance to knock. "You're the last guest to arrive. Now we can really get the party started!"
You wave at the others as you step into the living room. Sally is here, serenading Barnaby with a ballad you've never heard before while he closes his eyes, nodding along with her voice. Eddie and Frank are bickering about something, but Eddie is borderline giggling, so you know it isn't serious. Howdy is getting his paints all lined up in a row, face pinched in concentration. And Wally is sitting in front of the couch, back propped up against it. Your eyes meet his, and he smiles at you softly, stealing the breath from your throat. You stare at him for longer than is appropriate, and you know this because Julie clears her throat quietly, and pulls you to sit down on the floor next to her.
"Everyone got their color-by-number sheets, paints, and brushes?" Julie asks just as she places a sheet of paper in front of you. "Let's begin, then!"
It's fun. It always is, with this group. Barnaby is teasing Julie for painting outside of the lines, and Sally and Howdy have turned it into a competition to see who can finish their painting the fastest. You're happy, laughing along and trying not to spill paint water as you bump elbows with those around you. No one is as good an artist as Wally, but they certainly try, and he's all too happy to help Barnaby get the tiny bits with a detail brush, or help Eddie select the best shade of red. He makes polite conversation, and tells these silly little jokes that aren't really that funny but everyone laughs anyway, and even offers to clean the brushes once the paintings are finished, but–something isn't right. You can tell by looking at him that he's got something on his mind. His eyes are foggy, and his smile doesn't quite stretch his face the way it usually does.
He heads into the kitchen with a cup of dirty paintbrushes, and you quietly murmur to Julie, "I'm going to go help him. Be right back."
You don't give her time to react before you're on your feet, hurrying after him. You sidle up to him, silently watching as he runs each brush under the water, using his fingers to clear the paint away. He doesn't turn to look at you, and so you duck your head forward to try and catch his gaze. He positively avoids eye contact.
Okay. So, something is upsetting him, then.
"Wally?" You try, keeping your voice even. "Are you alright?
He's silent for a moment, hands stilling beneath the faucet. And then, "No. Not really."
He is never usually this upfront about his emotions. New to acknowledging them, he typically spends a lot of time deciphering what he's even feeling before discussing it with you. You'd just seen him yesterday. He was fine and happy and sweet as he dropped you off at your home, and waved goodbye. This–the coolness to his voice, and the stilted look on his face– is a recent development.
"You're mad at me," you say, slowly. The words don't feel right on your tongue. The two of you never fight. You've never even seen him angry. "Aren't you?"
He drops the paint brushes into the sink and sighs. Actually sighs. "No. Not mad at you."
"Mad at something I did, then?" You ask.
He turns to look at you, finally. He is nearly the same height as you, just a tiny bit shorter, but he's able to look directly into your eyes. His mouth is stiff and straight, and you hadn't noticed from far away, but his eyes look dull up close. Lifeless.
"Barnaby said something to me, earlier today," he tells you. "I've been thinking about it."
"Okay," you nod, unsure of where this is going.
"He said, 'if they haven't returned your feelings by now, it's probably because they don't feel the same way, pal,'" Wally does his best Barnaby impression, but it's too slow and a little flat. "And then you came inside, and you sat next to Julie and Howdy! So, I think it must be true. And I am very, very not happy about that. Very…sad. Yes, that's it. I'm sad."
Your heart does this weird thing in your chest, and your stomach tightens. His feelings? What exactly are they specifically? You've upset him, somehow, without even meaning to. You've made him sad without getting a say-so. If he'd just talk to you, you could explain. You could clear things up.
You reach out to take his hand. Physical affection is still new to him, and you know that. You try to be careful; try not to push him. He is learning more and more every single day, and you know that he's grown to love hand-holding. You tangle your fingers with his, and his cheeks go a little pink. You can't stop staring at them.
"Wally," you begin, trying to keep your voice level despite the butterflies in your belly fluttering around because of his touch. "Remember a few months ago, when we talked about how you have to tell me when you're feeling lonely, because I can't just know all on my own?"
He nods. "I remember."
You flash him a small, gentle smile. "Good. Okay, so–all emotions are like that. You have to tell someone what you're feeling. They can't see into your mind."
"But," he starts in a huff, foot tapping against the tiled floor, "Barnaby said-"
"I know what he said," you carefully cut in, giving his hand a little squeeze. "But, this is just like when you're lonely. I can't understand how to help, or make you feel better until you tell me about it. Okay?" He nods. "Alright, so…why don't you try and explain what feelings I supposedly haven't returned."
"It's hard," he says. He lets go of your hand, and leans back against the countertop. "It's different from sadness, or loneliness. I know what they feel like. And I know happiness, too, and even anger. But this is–I don't know what to call it."
You hum, mulling over his words. "Well, can you tell me what it feels like? Physically, I mean. Like when you're sad and your eyes burn, or when you're lonely and your chest hurts."
"It's like," he closes his eyes for a moment. "Hot. My cheeks feel warm, like when I help Poppy take her cookies out of the oven, and the air hits my face."
"Okay," you say. "Good. Keep going."
"And sometimes my stomach, just–I don't know. It feels like there are tiny worms inside, wriggling around," he says.
You think you understand what he's trying to explain. What feeling he's attempting to map. You know it all too well; have been beating it back with a stick to keep it at bay in his presence for weeks and weeks. Still, you don't want to project anything onto him. So, you wave a hand and urge him to continue.
"Sometimes, when you hug Julie, I just get so mad," he murmurs. He is looking at you now, all wide eyes and clenched fists down by his sides. "And when you and Sally go on walks, and she holds your hand, I can't-" He cuts himself off, and takes a deep breath. "Barnaby says it isn't fair to feel like that. He says it's selfish, but I just–I can't help it."
Your lungs seem to stop working within your body, air stuck in your throat. You can't open your mouth; can't unhinge your jaw. You have no way to expel it.
"When you hold my hand, it tingles," he takes a step towards you. "I made Barnaby teach me how to hug because I wanted to do it with you."
You remember that whole debacle. When you first moved to Home, about a month into your friendship, you'd tried to give Wally a hug. He had totally gone limp in your arms, unaware of how to even hug back. And then, suddenly, a couple of weeks later, he'd gotten better. Was able to slide one arm around your waist. It progressed further with more experience, and now, he is perhaps the best hug-giver in all of Home.
You blink at him. Manage to wheeze out, "You learned how to hug…for me?"
"Yes," he nods. He takes another step towards you, the toes of your shoes touching, and the look in his eyes cannot be described as anything but hopeful. He raises both hands up, up, and cups your cheeks. "I've been watching Frank and Eddie a lot. Barnaby says they have a special kind of love. That they–they're partners, and they've promised themselves to each other."
Your ears are practically on fire, your entire face so hot you know Wally must be able to feel its warmth.
His thumb swipes along the apple of your cheek. "I know that their touches are special. Different from how Barnaby and I touch, or Julie and Sally do. I want–I've been watching them, and I want to have what they have, with you."
"Sometimes, they say 'I love you' to each other, and I know they mean that in a special way, too," He smiles now, soft. Rose-petal delicate around the edges. "I want-"
"Wally," you squeeze your eyes shut so tight you see pops of color behind the lids. Your heart feels as though it is clambering for an escape, trying to make its way up your throat. "Stop, please. I can't–you don't even understand what you're saying right now. You don't know what love is. You don't know what it means."
"That's not fair," he whispers. He brings your face closer to his. "You asked me to explain, so I did. And it isn't–it's not fair for you to decide what I do or don't understand. I'm trying my best."
"I know," you say on an exhale.
"I told you how I feel," he goes on.
"I know," you echo.
"And I know what it means to want to hold someone," he murmurs. "I know, now. I didn't before."
"Before what?" You ask, despite your better judgement.
His eyes sparkle, just a little. Just enough. "Before you."
"Love is a heavy thing, Wally," you tell him. Your knees feel weak, and this is so hard to take in, so hard to conceptualize because you've never let yourself entertain the thought before. But you're trying to get the words out, for him. He deserves your honesty. "When you promise yourself to someone, it's difficult to take it back."
"I wouldn't want to take it back," he rushes out. One of his hands moves around to press against the base of your neck. "Why would I want to take it back?"
"Well," you begin, slow, "you could become unsure-"
"I won't," he interrupts, impatient and jittery.
"You could decide that you didn't mean it."
"Never," he says, almost startled. "If this feeling in my belly and my head and my chest is love, I don't–I'll do everything I can to make sure that it never goes away."
"There are lots of ways to love somebody," you argue, but it sounds weak, even to your own ears. Futile. You are fighting a losing battle, and you know it.
"Stop," he pleads, resting his forehead against yours. He closes his eyes. "Just tell me. Was Barnaby right? Do you really not feel the…the same way about me?"
You laugh at this, wet and sticky in the back of your throat. "Has Barnaby ever been right about anything?" You tease.
"Rarely," Wally says with a grin.
"I love you," you tell him. "Like, the same way that Frank and Eddie love each other. I love you like a promise."
"Like a promise," he repeats. He moves back, far enough that you can see how big his smile stretches his face, but he's still got one palm on your cheek, and the other on your neck. "Like-"
He leans forward and presses a closed-mouth kiss to your lips, pulling away with a little smack, and a triumphant, "Muah!"
Your eyes go so wide you fear they might roll out of your head, and your face is so hot it might as well be spewing flames. Wally is standing there, looking pleased with himself and the tiniest bit smug, and a laugh startles its way up your throat like bubbles. You playfully shove at his shoulder, and fall into him as you laugh harder.
"I saw Frank and Eddie do that, too," he tells you, one arm wrapping around your waist.
"Of course you did," you mumble into his neck, grin splitting your face. "That's not–it wasn't quite right, but the effort was there."
"I'll get better with practice," he says.
Scandalized, you pull away to look at him, mouth agape. "Wally Darling! Are you flirting with me right now?"
"Yes," he says, blunt. He smiles bright and pretty, and boops your nose with his finger. "I've read two of Julie's romance books. I'm a very fast learner."
You return his smile, and press a hand to your chest, right over your heart. You feel positively full to bursting, and you know that, whatever comes next, things won't be smooth sailing always. Wally has a lot of growing to do, and you're going to have to learn to support him along the way. Love is not clear-cut; isn't written in permanent ink on notebook paper. It ebbs and flows like watercolor paint, and can wash away as quickly as it came.
But–Wally looks at you, skin yellow-orange beneath the dull, overhead lights, and he grins wide and infectious and so, so pretty. He leans forward to press another kiss to your cheek, smacking a second, "muah!" into your ear, and it isn't everything. It isn't an answer, or the end-all be-all. But it is good, and right. And it is enough.
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anon-amiss · 1 year
Note
hello, I have a request of Wally Darling x singer y/n
at first, Wally and the others did not know the reader could sing. One day they all decided to have a group picnic and Wally was the one who would get you. Wally knocked at y/n home and Y/n didn't answer he noticed the window open and he heard Y/n singing. (Love like you by steven universe)
then and there Wally fell in love he could not bring himself to stop the reader from singing.
you can pick what happens next :)
Beginning notes: I love this! I'll do my best! Thank you for the request! Another quick mention is that the reader might be referred to as "neighbour". I don't mind using Y/n at all, but people give it so much bad rep :[
Some warnings: Nothing triggering, just reader being mildly embarrased haha
Wally Darling x Singer!Reader
(Platonic or Romantic)
(a bit more on the romantic side haha)
"...Turns out, I was holding the letter all along!! Now isn't that just hilarious??" Eddie boasted out, laughing while waving his arm around rapidly. Barnaby fell to the floor, rolling around and snickering in response. It was as if he'd just heard the funniest thing in Home, which, honestly, could have been probable.
Wally giggled after hearing the passing conversation, placing the picnic blanket down on the grass with ease.
The sky was perfect, and the weather calm. This meant only one thing: it was finally time for the monthly picnic party! Everyone was invited, which meant you were too! It was going to be your first time at this event, and everybody was very excited to have you join them as their special guest! Everyone came extra prepared, bringing gifts and items they thought would help with getting you acquainted with their tradition.
Sally weighted the blanket down with what looked to be a large sewing machine and a bag full of various fabrics and sewing materials. Wally turned his attention to her and tilted his head.
"What are all these for?" Wally asked, a little surprised she was able to carry all these items on her own.
"Why, I wanted to show our new friend how to make hand puppets! They've been asking me all week, and I thought this would be the best opportunity to teach them!" She beamed, organizing some of her tools on the blanket.
"Yeah, and I brought my makeup so we could do a little fashion show with them!" Julie interjected, placing a few of her bags, presumably filled with makeup, on the blanket next to Sally's items. "I made sure to bring everything I had just in case they wanted a certain look!"
"Oh! I brought along some arts and crafts if that helps at all!" Eddie chimed in, holding out a delivery bag filled to the brim with tons of crafting materials. He placed himself on the blanket next to the growing pile of goods. It was starting to form a little mountain by now.
"Whoa now, buddy! Make sure to leave some extra for the butterfly nets!" Frank blurted out. He held nothing, but Wally assumed they would use some of Eddie's resources to make the nets.
"Do we have to participate in this event before or after lunch?" Barnaby joined, with Poppy following suit. He placed down a picnic basket full of the most delicious smelling food. Oh! He seemed to have placed it on Eddie's head! It's perfectly balanced!
Frank shot him a glare and sighed. "We'll do it after lunch just so you won't complain the whole time."
"What can I say? Small dogs like me need lotsa energy to run!" He jested, laughing to himself with a wide grin.
"You better not eat it all this time, Barb! Poppy and I spent a lot of time gathering the most perfect ingredients for this specific batch of food!" Howdy blurted out, tapping his foot at the fluffy 'little' pup.
"Don't worry, Howdy! I wouldn't dream of ruining our new neighbour's first picnic! Besides, a tiny guy like me can't finish all this by myself," he replied, giving him a pat on the head for reassurance.
"Speaking of our new neighbour, where are they?" Poppy asked, turning to Wally with a motherly smile.
"Yeah! We can't possibly start without them!" Julie added on, turning to face Wally with an excited grin.
"I told them I'd come and pick them up as soon as we were done setting up!" Wally replied, clasping his felty hands together with the happiest expression he could give. "Would you all be so kind as to help me finish up while I go get our neighbour? I'm just too excited to wait."
"Of course! We'll have everything prepared in a jiffy!" Sally exclaimed, jumpstarting the task and immediately organizing the items on the blanket. Julie joined in, working at the same pace as her.
"Thank you so much! I'll see you all soon. I love you!" Wally waved to them, setting off to your home with an overjoyed feeling in his body. He felt so lucky to have friends like them.
Your home wasn't too far from the picnic site, only a few minutes away, so Wally got there pretty early. He told you earlier that he would probably finish up by noon. By now, according to the town clock, it was about 11:30pm. Though a few minutes definitely passed after Wally's struggle to remember how to read the clock in the first place.
Wally stood in front of the door to your home, ready to knock before hearing a quiet melody. Curiously, he turned his head to the source of the noise, which appeared to be coming from a nearby open window.
He hummed and looked away. Wouldn't it be rude to take a look inside? This place was your privacy, so maybe it was best to ignore it.
Another melodic tune began to ring out quietly, followed by the deafening tone of piano keys being smashed rather aggressively. "Oh dear..." Wally refused to look through your window. That would be unneighbourly!
Then he heard groaning and began to grow worried. Maybe just a peek. For your safety. Definitely.
He followed intuition and looked through the window, his eyes searching rapidly for the source of all the noise. His gaze happened upon you. You were sitting at the piano, holding what looked to be a journal and a pencil.
You were grumbling to yourself and writing angrily in the book, but other than that, you seemed to be doing relatively well. Perhaps you were just experimenting with new sounds. Wally's suspicions began to die down, and he would have left it at that, but before he could turn away, you did something completely unexpected.
Once you cleared your throat and placed your journal down, you began to press numerous keys, getting acquainted with the feeling before you began to play what sounded like an actual song.
Your fingers gingerly glided across the piano, leaving Wally entranced and more breathless than he already was. If he had a pulse, he was sure it would be beating critically by now.
He blinked, dumbfounded. Not about the fact that you were talented, but of the fact that you had kept this a secret for so long. He couldn't fathom why someone would hide such a gift.
Then another surprise emerged. Not from your movements, but from your voice. You began to sing! He nearly tripped himself inside your home, not realizing how far he was leaning into your window. He held onto the frame, his mouth agape from the sheer astonishment you managed to succumb him to.
He could only make out a few words from so far away. "If I could begin to be...... I could do about anything...... Could even learn how to love like you...." You continued on with the song, putting all the focus you could on playing the right keys. It was hard to concentrate when you sang and played at the same time, which was why you were practicing in the first place.
You didn't want to necessarily practice for anybody but yourself. You never planned on anyone hearing your singing, mainly because of how embarrassing and distracting it felt. It would most definitely make you mess up, which would only be more humiliating for you in the end.
You weren't a professional, and honestly, you were okay with that. As long as you could finish the song at all, you would be just fine. The accomplishing feeling was worth much more than the sound of cheers. You steadied your breathing and began to focus on your singing a little.
Meanwhile, Wally was lost in thought, watching you with a dreamy gaze. He absolutely adored you. He was so proud knowing he had a friend who could do so many beautiful things. He so badly wanted to learn this song so he could sing with you. He wanted to praise you right there and then, but he knew it was probably not the best idea.
He leaned on the window frame, crossing his arms and watching you intently. He was baffled, feeling himself just melt into the mixture of sounds you were creating right before his eyes. He sighed and closed his eyes, falling into the deepest state of peace he's ever had in Home.
He loved the concocting mix of your voice and the piano. The sounds succesfully meshed to create a hum that reverberated off the walls and vibrated the glasses around you, which, in turn, created what sounded like an extra voice. Angelic!
Then you did something else totally unexpected!
There was the tiniest note out of place, which was proceeded by the loudest smash of keys Wally's ever heard. Mortified, he opened his eyes and looked up at your figure.
You were frustrated with yourself. You were doing great, but you just had to take your attention away from the piano, didn't you? You groaned and rubbed your forehead. You'd been practicing for a while now, so maybe now would be the best time for a break.
You turned your body and got up from your seat. Water sounded good right about now.
Wally didn't have enough time to react before you laid your eyes upon the window. Panicked, he flopped down on the ground, feeling himself heat up. He wasn't sure if he had the capability to blush, but if he did, he was definitely doing it now.
At first you were shocked by the sight of Wally, but even moreso when he launched himself back from the window???? You hurridly rushed towards the opening and looked down at the ground. There he was.
"Wally?? What are you doing here??" You asked, observing as his felty face began to grow a few shades darker. He chuckled nervously and sat up quickly.
"Well.. Erm..."
"Wait there! Let me help you," you interrupted, making your way outside as hastily as you could. You grabbed his hand and led him in your home, helping him dust off some of the grass that seemed to have stuck to him when he threw himself back.
You invited him to sit at your dining room table, grabbing two glasses of water and placing one in front of him as an offering. He seemed to just stare at it quizically. Oh wait, did he drink water? Now that you thought about it, you don't think you've ever seen him consume anything.
But as you snapped yourself away from your thoughts, you found the water to be gone. Oh. The cup was too. Did he eat it? Maybe it was a puppet thing???
"I'm so sorry for my actions, neighbour," Wally started, staring up at you with dejected eyes. "I was going to knock on your door so I could escort you to the picnic, but I guess I got a little curious. I shouldn't have looked through your window. That was very uncouth of me." He hung his head low, expecting you reprimand him for his actions or get angry, but much to his surprise, you just laughed.
"Oh, Wally. You don't have to apologize. I would have gotten a little interested, too, if I heard all that noise I was making," you stated, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Besides, I wouldn't have minded having you listen to me. I can always depend on you to be kind and unjudgemental." You took a sip of your water, reassuring him with a smile. "I should be the one apologizing to you, in all honesty. All that key smashing was probably very... erm... unsurprising, to say the least." You gave out another laugh, Wally doing the same.
"Well, I must say, I just love your singing. It was gracious," he admitted, making you feel gaucherie-like. It wasn't unlike him to compliment you, even for the smallest of things, but you always knew he was genuine. It was refreshing to hear that he liked something so personal about you. "I could listen to you all day, really." His eyes had a glaze to them that you couldn't understand the meaning of, but it made your heart pump.
"Thank you, Wally. That means a lot to me," you replied, grinning proudly. He nodded and got up from his seat.
"Well, we should probably be heading to the picnic now. I wouldn't want everyone else to worry haha!" He pushed his chair in and offered his hand out to you, which you did take, but you had to admit you were a little bashful while doing so.
You both headed out, only stopping once for Wally to ask if he could hear you play sometime.
"Of course!" You responded cheerfully, feeling bubbly from his excited expression afterwards.
"Then it's a date!"
End
End notes: Haha, in the end I guess it was more on the romatic side. I might write a oneshot for the 'date' and the picnic as well if anyone wants that. I had fun writing the transitions between the characters, and in my personal opinion, this oneshot was a little funky, but hey, that's fine! I liked writing it! Thanks for your request! I appreciate your amazing idea!Sorry if it's not what you completely had in mind!
Another note: this is what I imagine he looked like when listening to you sing. I'm not the best artist, but I do try >:]
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