Chapter 1: Prologue (And Introduction to Claire, My SMG4 OC)
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Oh goodness, where did things go wrong? One moment the SMG4 crew and I were messing with Mr. Puzzles television head, and the next he had been split into 8 different personalities...
Horror, Romance, Western, Sci-fi, Musical, Comedy, Mystery and Drama.
Hopefully this doesn't take impossibly long. I don't like the guy enough to want to do this, but considering I wish for hijinks to not ensue, we might as well get to work finding... what I'll call the Puzzle Pieces, even though they are splits of Mr. Puzzles personality...
"We should just shove him into a hydraulic press like the garbage he is!" Meggy suggested with a firm kick to the side of the TV that laid on the ground before us. If I can recall correctly, no one was very happy after his failed attempt at trying to steal Mario's mustache with the creation of Pedro. At least Mario was happy though.
"I can't understand why the guy keeps coming back for more! Does he WANT us to beat him up?? We've already defeated him once before." SMG3 spoke up, his arms crossed over his chest as he too kicked the TV. The crackling static on the television seemed to get louder with his kick.
"Maybe if we mess with his TV head enough, we can get him to malfunction again!" Tari chimed in with an idea, a determined expression on her face. Everyone looked at her and nodded in agreement. A few seconds later, everyone was bashing the TV like it was the worst thing in the world, and to them... it probably was.
"I don't think this is a good idea~" I sung to myself as I watched the SMG4 crew with a critical eye. My tail swung behind me patiently, my ears twitching from the shouts and bangs coming from before me. Boopkins was flung back over to me from all the chaos and landed on his stomach beside me. He groaned in pain, rubbing his head as he sat up. I watched as Meggy covered the TV in her orange paintballs and while so, Tari turned a knob on Mr. Puzzles TV... just a little too far. The TV began to wobble in the grass and the SMG4 crew stopped and stood their ground, waiting for Mr. Puzzles to come out and fight them. But instead, something else happened...
Something unusual.
Eight faces flickered across the screen. Some familiar, some not. They all seemed to represent something. And then, without warning, the TV exploded, causing everyone around it to be thrown backwards. I stepped to the side so I wouldn't get pummeled by Bob. The ringing in my ears from the explosion hurt though, so once the blinding light cleared, there no longer was a TV seated on the ground, but instead was a series of different colored, TV antennas with different movie genres scrawled onto them...
"Well guys," I said, turning around to face them as they all tried to recover from the earlier explosion, "It looks like we've created more work for ourselves." I sighed, looking down at the antennas in my hands before speaking up in a voice of perseverance, "We've got some personality splits on the loose and we gotta catch them and put the Puzzles himself back together."
Hey look! The... image thingy decided not to work. Great. Well, I guess there isn't much wrong with a good ol' description! Hi readers and it's me, le author! I'm here on Claire's behalf to tell you all about her! Since, she'll be the main character of this story, you might need to know some things about her! Claire was created by two girls named Kayla and Klara from a WHOLE different multi-verse called the Multi-Plain. But, we aren't going to talk much about that because we are here for the SMG4 crew, not the silly characters in Fandomonia! So, who and what is Claire? Well, allow me to enlighten you!
Appearance: Claire has orange skin and darker orange freckles on her cheeks. She has big, poofy, red hair and two pieces that go over her shoulders that sometimes look like poodle ears. Her hair is of medium length. She has fangs and pointed, orange, elf-like ears. Her eyes are green and yellow and she almost always looks like she is crying. She has an odd type of heterochromia that makes her pupils look like they are split or there is one and a half and makes them the same two colors in both pupils. She wears a purple necktie and knee high, buckle-up, small heel, brown boots. She wears a sleeve-less dress-like shirt with green and yellow patterns. Yellow in the middle and green surrounding the outside. She also wears a small, pink, bow-like tie, white wrist cuffs, and long stockings of different colors (Mostly red, purple, green, and pink). She has a long, orange tail with the tip of it being a fluffy, purple heart. There are fur tuffs along her tail that are also purple. [See my profile picture to get a better idea of what Claire looks like! She is now digital art!]
Personality: Claire is mostly a forgiving and well-meaning person. While she does believe in second chances, she mostly doesn't like to give them out herself. Claire is mostly hyperactive and silly, but there are times when she can become calm and serious, depending on the situation. Frustrated easily, especially by people she dislikes. She is more on the modest side of things. While she will be outgoing, she is never one to boast about herself. Sometimes existential and deep, but mostly tries to keep that to herself. She is creative and imaginative. Her broad fashion sense and ability to connect with others easily gives her an opportunity to make wonderous things and conceive of good ideas rather quickly with her excellent intuition.
Secret(s)?: Claire has the ability to manipulate fire and water. While she hasn't had the opportunity to yet use this power, she will find that using it takes a lot of energy out of her, much why she enjoys sleeping and eating. Claire's tail has a mind of its own. It will sometimes betray her feelings and project something completely different. Not only can she make fire and water appear in her hands, but she is also able to get them out through the tip of her tail. The purple tip will change either red or blue when she is about to use a fire or water ability.
Lore: Claire was sent to the SMG4 multiverse by her creators after the events of the Puzzlevision movie. She had discovered the SMG4 crew while they were on a wacky adventure and soon became apart of them. For being rather new, they had SMG4 himself recall almost everything she missed before becoming an official member. Of course, it was a lot of information for Claire to retain, but she was fine with it. She had learned about their most recently defeated villain, they all went on to say they hoped the silly TV man did not come back... and then he did because of Mario- Claire took everything she heard about Mr. Puzzles with a grain of salt, for she had not met him yet. When she did, she more or less indifferent towards him because she wasn't sucked into one of Mr. Puzzles "Wacky Puzzlevision Adventures". Mr. Puzzles didn't exactly have much to do with her anyways, seeing her as just a side character more of. (Which his perspective changes somewhere in "Mr. Puzzles Lowest Point" because of a certain someone...) Then, I think I'm gonna say after the events of "Mario Loses His Mustache", the SMG4 crew find him just as his head and decide to mess with until well,... what just happened.
Now that you're all caught up on who and what Claire is and what happened with her and the SMG4 crew, let's get into present-day SMG4 crew shenanigans! :D
Notes:
(A/N: Welp, that's just the prologue, folks! I promise, there is so much more to come! The first one out will be the romantic split, so get you trousers ready! Can't wait to see how Mr. Romantic and Claire's interaction will play out! Until next time, Honeybunches!)
(~Weirdy ❤️~)
Chapter Text
Before we started our little excursion to go find the personality splits, the SMG4 crew and I agreed to split up into teams of two. That just left SMG4, Mario, and I. We agreed that having one extra member on our team didn't hurt and then, we started out into the Mushroom Kingdom. We knew what we were searching for, but we weren't sure where we would find it. We searched everywhere. We searched parks and buildings, homes and... garbage cans. We turned over every rock and peeked into every little nook and cranny, but nothing ever turned up. We kept in contact with the rest of the crew just in case they ever found anything through walkie-talkies, but they never came up with anything either.
"Claire, we aren't finding anything." SMG4 called out to me with a bit of tension to his voice as he practically dragged Mario back to our spot on a bench that we had claimed. Mario pouted as he was sat down next to me. He didn't want to do this anymore, and to be frank, none of us did, but at least we were pulling through. All Mario wanted to do was go back to the SMG4's residence and be with his spaghetti.
"Calm down, Mario." I said softly, trying to soothe his nerves before turning back to SMG4 with a critical gaze, "There might just be something we're missing..." I trailed off, my hand finding my chin as I looked down at the ground, the blades of grass rubbing beneath my boots. What were we missing? It seemed like we had scavenged the entirety of the Mushroom Kingdom without any luck of finding a personality split of Mr. Puzzles. My green and yellow eyes focused on a pebble and I picked it up and threw it in any ol' direction. It went flying over SMG4's head, just barely missing his hat and landing somewhere to the left. My gaze followed and something shiny caught my attention. I stood up and SMG4 grew curious with my interest now suddenly renewed and peaked.
"Claire?..." He trailed off in a quizzical tone. As I drew closer to the shiny object, I came to see it was a door. The door was in the center of a building that looked old and damaged. Mario and SMG4 came over, Mario "Ooo"ing in awe. I stopped in front of the door, examining its exterior. The door was red and pink, with multiple heart decorations and flowers on and surrounding it. My face scrunched up and contorted in mostly disgust and reluctance as I backpedaled slightly. I had no doubt in my mind that this was the home of the Romance Split... The unfortunate first puzzle piece.
"Ew, why did you-a have to lead us to the romance split first?" Mario asked with a shake of his head as he too backed away. He seemed to be thinking what I was.
I snorted at his remark when I fully processed his meaning. "It's not my fault this ended up being the split we found first!" I said in annoyance. Both of the boys gave each other a look before nodding. I wondered what they were planning.
SMG4 came up to me and placed what seemed like a friendly hand on my shoulder. He seemed just as reluctant as Mario and I to go through the door, "Uhhh.. Claire, you're friends with Mr. Puzzles! You'll do fine in there--" SMG4 quickly commented. My expression changed as my eyes got wide. He was trying to bail out on me?! I opened my mouth to protest, but Mario was already opening the door and SMG4 pushed me in. I fell onto my chest once I was forcefully shoved inside, grunting with the landing and squeezing my eyes shut as my hands fell out in front of me. Then, I heard the door slam shut behind me, which made my ears twitch from the loud sound. So they were BOTH planning to bailing out on me and having me go through this one alone, huh? Wow, what gentlemen. I rolled my eyes as I sat up, rubbing my head. Even though I was upset at those boys, something about the atmosphere in here felt... almost calming.
I stood up, my tail picking itself up and hanging behind me lazily as I looked around the room I was in. The room was decorated top to bottom in a soft loft vibe, though more- suggestive, and looked like a romantic scene from a movie. Roses covering the ground, love seats/couches, heart decor, dim-red lights... And, oh look, a huge heart-shaped bed surrounded by two chiffon curtains. Behind the curtains, there was a shadow of a familiar looking figure... I squinted my eyes and took a step closer to get a better look, but I stopped when a hand reached out from the curtains and slowly pulled them aside. Who was behind them? Oh, well who could've guessed! It was Mr. Puzzles romance personality split. At this point, it couldn't have been a revelation... it was just plain disappointing.
"My, oh my~... Isn't it my dear friend, Claire... Glad you could make it, I was wondering when I would see you around~" The split purred, opening the curtain more to reveal his appearance. He was laying down on his stomach with his feet gently swinging back and forth behind him in the air, his other hand that was not grabbing at the curtain, was holding his head up while his elbow was propped up on the silky looking bed sheets.
"Goodness, this was going to go just SWIMINGLY..." I thought to myself as I gritted my teeth.
"Friend". I never liked it when people associated us as "friends" and I disliked it even more when it came from him. We weren't friends, I was just... indifferent towards him. I didn't know him that well either. I hadn't been with the SMG4 crew for that long, but I knew Mr. Puzzles wasn't the best of individuals... and now I'm assuming I'm gonna have to be buddy-buddy with every one of his personality splits. "God really did hate me." Oh well, I guess I had no other choice but to get associated with him. I decided I'd call him by a different name for now. "Hi there... uh... Mr. Romantic." I started, my tail slowly swishing back and forth behind me from the discomfort that came to me with this entire atmosphere. "Have... you really been wondering that?" I asked, trying to keep the concern out of my voice and preventing myself from stepping backwards.
Mr. Romantic let out a soft little chuckle, one that I supposed what supposed to convey some kind of seduction as it echoed through the abnormally quiet seeming room. He took his time sitting up on the bed, swinging his long legs over the side to stand. This gave me a moment to register what he was wearing. His pupils had changed into little hearts of the darker colored red and his normally differently colored bars that were supposed to resemble teeth had now all changed to be dark red hues, excusing the shining golden one that purposely popped out. He wore a dark red bowler hat on his head, with his two TV antennas sticking out from the top, though one was bent and hearts were pinned to the hat. He wore a tinted red striped button-up shirt that a few too many buttons at the top were open to expose a sliver of his black chest. He also wore dark red gloves and dark red and yellow sneakers, and a gold necklace that has five stars as charms. His pants were dark red, with red heart patterns, his belt have golden heart pins to them that held his suspenders that dangled on his hips, except for being worn normally... I tried not to wonder about the implications of what that could entail. He also had dark red and yellow tiny wings on his lower back that fluttered at the sight of me.
I was already uncomfortable, and Mr. Romantic seemed to find no problem and letting that continue to happen. With a few graceful steps, he closed the distance between us and decided he was going to check me out too. Then, his gloved hand reached out and gently cupped my cheek, tilting my face upwards to look at him. He smelled like vanilla and rose. "Oh, darling, you have no idea how much I've been longing for your company~ It gets boring in here all by my lonesome, but with you here, maybe it won't have to be so boring in here anymore. Now that I have you all to myself, sweetness, I'm sure I can show you a much better time than your... friends ever could." Mr. Romantic's free hand found its way to the small of my back and he pulled me against him. He gazed deeply into my eyes, his own heart-shaped pupils seeming to swirl with something I couldn't quite place my finger on.
Pulled up against his body and my nostrils overwhelmed by his sweet scent, I wiggled out of his grasp and came out with a cartoonish 'pop!'. "Look, dude. I'm not here to play the roll of "The girl that gets laid by Mr. Puzzles personality split." I'm here for one reason and one reason only: Get you and all the other personality splits back together so we can (reluctantly) put the stupid TV head man back together." I explained sternly, pointed ears twitching and tail swishing behind me with a noticeable aggravation. Mr. Romantic let out a dramatic sigh, looking wounded by, what I guessed he was thinking, my "cold rejection". He stepped back, placing a hand over his heart as if I had stabbed him. His mouth on his screen though curled into a mischievous smirk, eyes glinting with amusement.
"Oh, my dear, always so straight to the point. It's refreshing, truly. But you can't blame a man for trying, now can you?~" He asked, his voice a low whisper of amusement. He reached for my wrist, holding it gently in his hand and rubbing his thumb in small circles over my pulse point. "But I must admit, your determination intrigues me even more. Tell me, sweetness, what makes you so eager to reunite this... stupid TV head man, as you so eloquently put it? I'm quite content being just as I am~" He glanced around the room, gesturing to the romantic scene surrounding them. The dim lights flickered, casting a soft glow on his angular features. "Why not stay a while, have a cup of tea with me? Share a life story? Share a few bodily fluids~?" He chuckled at his final words.
My face scrunched up at his final comment, my eyes darting down to where he held my wrist. Goodness, I wasn't aware Mr. Puzzles had a side that was so... vulgar... And I wish I still wasn't. Wasn't his name "Mr. Romantic" anyway? Surely that implied he was nothing but that. I shook off the chill that ran down my spine and said, "Let's arrange something. If I join you in a little... romantic scene, and I mean strictly romantic, will you come back with me to the SMG4 crew to put you back together again with the rest of Mr. Puzzles' splits?" I asked curiously. I hoped that if I engaged in his little show, he would be satisfied enough with it to be appeased and finally listen to me.
Mr. Romantic's eyes widened a fraction before a slow, smug grin spread across his screen. He let go of my wrist, instead gently taking my hand in his gloved one, bringing it up to his screen. He pressed a lingering, sensual kiss to my knuckles, his glass cold against the warmth of my skin. It didn't really feel like anything, so I wondered how he made it work. He then looked at me with a heated gaze, eyes smoldering with unsaid... somethings. A soft, seductive chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. "My, my, my~... You drive a hard bargain, my dear. But I suppose... I could be persuaded~." He looked down, a mischievous glint to his heart-shaped pupils before saying, "Let's set the scene then, shall we?" With a snap of his fingers, the room transformed. The heart-shaped bed disappeared, replaced by a cozy loveseat in front of a crackling fireplace. Soft, romantic music began to play and the entire room looked different then it had before. I blinked in disbelief. How could and DID he do that?? He led me over to the loveseat and sat down, patting the space beside him. I hesitated, but if I really wanted to get through this, I'd have to play along. I sat down beside him, but gave us enough room so it wasn't too weird. On the coffee table in front of us were two porcelain cups with tea bags placed inside the water. I had never had tea before, so I wondered if I would like it. To the left of us was a nice open-curtain window. The blinds were still drawn, but there was still a soft light that spilled in through the cracks. I heard the soft click of porcelain as Mr. Romantic picked up the cups and handed one to me. It was warm, probably because of the warm inside. I brought the cup to my lips and took a sip. It was surprisingly good! It tasted like mint and it was a nice spice to my tongue. I kept hold on the handle of my cup as Mr. Romantic noticed me looking around the room. He gestured to the window, the soft light casting a warm glow across my features. "Do you like the ambiance, my dear? I wanted to set the mood just right for us~" He purred.
"Well, it really is a break from the mood that was set earlier." I said calmly, trying to adjust to the mood as much as possible. I was still a little one edge, considering this guys seemed a little unpredictable with his moves, but I kept that from showing in my expression. I felt him adjust beside me, watching as one leg crossed over the other like he was getting comfortable. He threw an arm over the edge of the loveseat and let it drape there, at least he wasn't touching me, so he must've known that pushed it with me. He then placed his elbow on his knee, supporting his TV head as he seemed to bore his heart-shaped pupils into the side of my head. His gaze felt heated... and intense.
"Now, tell me Claire, what's your favorite memory with a loved one? I'm curious to know what makes your heart flutter~" He asked suddenly, breaking the almost comforting silence that we had established together. For this little while, my tail had been slowly swishing behind me, like it was at peace. At Mr. Romantic's words though, I tensed up and my tail stopped its steady movements.
"Loved one?" I repeated back to him, like it was something foreign, and it felt that way too as it rolled off my tongue. "I... don't have a loved one." I answered bluntly albeit hesitantly, trying to ignore the other part of his statement. "The only people I love are my friends, they're the only people I know and that I think care for me..." My eyes fell away from his, trying to collect my thoughts. I shouldn't be telling him this. This was personal. He was just some... task that I needed done. Why would he care? If he even did at all. Mr. Romantic's eyes seemed to soften at my admission, a flicker of something almost tender passing his expression. His softness did not linger long, for just a few moments later, his mischievous smirk was right back on his face. He reached out and took my free hand in his, his touch gentle, but his face betraying any kind of sympathy or understanding. What a show.
"Oh, my sweet, sweet Claire~," He started, once again bringing my hand up to his screen in a mock display of a kiss. At least he tried, but it felt like nothing at all. I wondered if it was just "Nothing at all" for him too. "That's a tragedy, truly. A woman as stunning and captivating as yourself deserves to be cherished, worshipped even." He set my hand down on his thigh, his own hand covering it, and rubbing soothing circles on the back of my hand. "But fear not, my dear. I have a feeling that's all about to change~" He took another sip of his tea, setting it down before turning to face me again, his other hand coming up to gently cup my cheek. His gloved fingers brushed over my cheekbone, then made their way down to my chin which he tilted up to make me look at him.
"You don't care. You're just pretending to care. Or trying to find a way to seduce me." I shook my head out of his grip, but allowed my hand to remain on his thigh. It was hard to play along, when "playing along" meant getting used... "What do you think you can change? You're just a personality split. A missing puzzle piece that he probably doesn't even need help finding because he's not looking for you. You're just a fraction of what Mr. Puzzles really is... and you're not even worth it." My gaze remained stern on him. I felt my lips tremble as my harsh words slipped loose. I couldn't tell if I meant it or not, but I knew I wasn't in a good mood anymore. The touch on a topic that now felt sensitive seemed to hurt and now I think I might've hurt him too.
Mr. Romantic gave way for pause. His eyes searched mine before his expression seemed to tighten for a moment, as well as his hold on my hand. My words struck a cord in him and he wasn't quite happy, but he also saw to it that violence wasn't the way to go about it. For a long moment, he was silent, the only sound the crackling of the fireplace and the soft, romantic music playing in the background. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, almost a growl. "You're right, Claire. I am just a fraction of what Mr. Puzzles is. A missing puzzle piece, as you so eloquently put it." He paused again, like he was trying to convince himself that was the truth, even though he didn't like it, "But let me ask you this - do you really think a man like him, a genius, a visionary, would create a personality split like me without a reason? Without a purpose?" I stayed silent, wondering if this was rhetorical or not. He leaned forward and in his eyes I could see beneath the front he put forward. The fire in those cute, heart-shaped pupils. "I am not just a fraction, my dear. I am a part of him, a part of his very essence. And I will not be dismissed so easily."
"Your pride gets the best of you." I said, trying to hide the growl in my voice. I thought he might come to reason with himself, but from what I heard, Mr. Puzzles didn't do "reason". "You are only this way because you are weak. Because you are just a smaller part of him, doesn't mean you've fully separated from him. You still flaunt your ego where ever you go. I don't care. I don't care if I don't have ego, if I don't have love, if I even don't have friends. Mr. Romantic, you aren't going to make this any harder for me." My tail started to swish behind me and picked up in speed with my every word. Why had this become so infuriating? What was making me upset? The romantic music felt like it was getting louder. Maybe... he could just calm down with me. He could try, at least try to see the reason behind my words and then... we could finish this properly.
Mr. Romantic's eyes narrowed, once again ticked off my my words. His eyes darted away from mine for a second, his hand over mine twitching to just squeeze me again, but... I watched him harness control of his emotions and put them down. "Claire, my dear, I think you misunderstand. It's not about ego or pride. It's about identity. I am a part of Mr. Puzzles, yes, but I am also my own entity. I have my own thoughts, my own desires, my own... passions. Jut like Mr. Puzzles has his own passions. I am the embodiment of his desires, his deepest, most secret longings. I am the part of him that he dared not show the world, the part that he kept locked away, hidden. I am not weak, my dear. I am just the mere suppressant he had kept in the shadows until now." He lifted up the hand that rested on his thigh, gently holding it like it was a treasure to him. His thumb brushed over my knuckles as he continued, "I can see that you're upset, and I apologize if I've made this harder for you. That was never my intention. I simply wanted to... connect with you. To understand you better." He squeezed my hand, his voice lowering to a softer, more sincere tone. "I know you don't believe me, but I do care. I care about you, Claire. More than you know. And I want to help you see that you have so much more to offer than you give yourself credit for. Your friends may be important to you, but you don't need them to be complete. You have a strength and a resilience inside you that you've never tapped into."
I was taken aback by this sudden turn. It seemed he had realized that pushing... wasn't always the best way to go. My tail slowed to a casual swish, my lips curving into a smile as I replied softly, "That's all I wanted to hear." For a moment, I considered my next action. Was I really going to...? I shook my head. I might as well do it once. Besides, he probably won't remember it anyways when he's all back together and this is the romance split after all. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his screen. Just a short on before pulling back. I placed my cup of tea back on the coffee table before standing up with a resounding, cartoon "swish". "I've done your little romantic scene, Mr. Romantic, so it's time for you to come with me!" I beamed with my words, a determined expression on my face.
I noticed Mr. Romantic not standing up and turned to face him. Across his analog screen is what could pass as a blush for a TV head. A line that seemed to take sharp up and downs ran across the middle of his face, and to be honest... it was a little cute. I bet he was stunned by my little gesture. He shook his head, standing up and taking both of my hands in his. His eyes softened with a genuine warmth and affection. With a low purr, he said, "My, my, my~ You certainly know how to make a man feel special, don't you, my dear?~" He brought one of my hands up to his chest, pressing it over his heart, which beat steadily beneath my touch. "I must say, I'm impressed. I didn't think you had it in you, but I'm glad you're finally starting to see things my way~ I look forward to our next romantic interlude, sweetness. Until then, I suppose I can be persuaded to accompany you back to your little... friends. But I won't forget this moment. And I have a feeling you won't either~."
I rolled my eyes and chuckled, a small smile still playing at my lips. He was a tease, that was for sure. He let go of one of my hands and we headed around the coffee table and out of the door. Mr. Romantic kindly opened it up for the both of us to reveal... SMG4 and Mario. Why did it feel like ages since I had seen them? They were up to their usual goofy shenanigans, making a video for SMG4's channel. I cleared my throat to get their attention and Mario stopped what he was doing and looked over at me. He waved, his usual goofy, triangular smile growing on his face. I heard SMG4 hold back a laugh and I raised an eyebrow at him. "What? I got the romance split because you two knuckleheads were too pussy to do it." Mario then started to laugh. I held up my free hand in confusion, my tail swinging behind me in anger. "What is it?"
"You two dating now or something?" SMG4 said, pulling up his phone to take a picture. My eyes widened as I realized Mr. Romantic and I were still holding hands. I felt a faint blush color my cheeks as I let go and pushed him towards SMG4 and Mario, who's eyes cartoonishly popped out of their heads as Mr. Romantic came forth.
"You two watch him while I go find Bob and Boopkins." I said, turning around.
"But, where are we all gonna meet up?" SMG4 asked in confusion.
"At your place." I called behind me, "I'm gonna go find the next split."
Notes:
(A/N: Wow, that was really hard to write! 😅 Anyways, one puzzle piece down, seven more to go! Next up, the western split! That one is gonna be the most fun to write, so I'll catch y'all with Claire and Mr. Wrangler next time, Honeybunches!)
(~Weirdy ❤️~)
Chapter Text
Bob and Boopkins somehow weren't that hard to find. The boys were having boba tea that I assumed Boopkins had gotten for them and Boopkins was on his usual rant about anime. They didn't seem like they were looking for any door as they stood outside of a cozy looking cafe. "Guys!" I shouted to get their attention. Boopkins stopped and looked up and Bob casually sipped on his boba. As I approached them, I continued, "Guys, we found a split! Mario and SMG4 are bringing him to the castle. What are you guys doing?"
"We're taking a break." Bob said in an annoyed tone of voice. "We don't know what we're looking for, so we got some boba tea and decided to chill." My tail fell on the floor with the revelation that SMG4 and Mario hadn't yet told everyone about our discovery... And I didn't have a walkie-talkie.
With a sigh, I turned to Boopkins and said, "Can I borrow your walkie-talkie for a moment?" Boopkins nodded and then reached for it from across the table he was sitting at. He handed it to me and I pressed the button on the side. "SMG4 crew, update on mission "Puzzle Pieces". I have retrieved the first split and Mario and SMG4 are currently on their way back to the Showgrounds. With each new split we find, we will meet up there. Splits are discoverable through odd doors that can be found anywhere to represent a personality. Keep an eye out for the pocket dimensions. Over." As soon as I took my thumb off the speak button, a multitude of voices rang out from over the speaker in some sort of way of acknowledging my words. I handed the walkie-talkie back to Boopkins and he took it while jumping off from his chair.
"Well, I'm ready whenever you are, Claire! I'm refreshed enough to keep looking!" Boopkins gave me a smile and I couldn't help smiling back at him. He had that vibe that always gave off cute and cuddly. Besides, I wasn't as upset as I was earlier when I was faced with the romance split. I was hoping I'd have a better time with the next split, whoever it may end up being. Bob shrugged, still holding a half-full cup of orange boba in his hand... er, more so sword. It was weird how physics worked that way for him.
"Whatever, let's go. Not like we have anything better to do anyway." So, Bob leaned off the wall and the three of us started our search for the next puzzle piece. Occasionally, Boopkins would get distracted by something he saw in the shop windows we passed. Bob was mostly calm, not minding our infrequent stops. At some point, we came across an open dirt range with a single building in site. Once again, it looked old and abandoned, but what was in the center had quickly grabbed my attention. I took the lead, the boys following behind me until I stopped and got a decent look. The door was decorated with rope and hide and stars and grim. A few signs that read, "Yee-Haw!" and "Horses Keep me Stable". I thought the last one was cute. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out this was the western splits' door. Bob and Boopkins shortly came up after me and they seemed to register what they were looking at rather quickly.
Boopkins nervously chuckled as he looked between Bob and I, "Uhm-... Who's going in first?"
"Well I'm not gonna deal with a boot going up my ass, Claire you go." Bob said casually, shrugging as he took another long sip from his boba. It became quickly apparent that this was about to be another "Romance Split" situation.
I gave them both looks of disapproving disappointment and held may hands out in front of me. "Guys, this is supposed to be a team effort! You aren't actually going to-" Before I could finish, Bob promptly pushed me through the door, sharp sword hand laying flat against my chest and pushing. My eyes widened as the door fell open rather easily and I was suddenly falling into the dirt onto my back. With a nervous and reluctant smile, Boopkins waved at me before closing the door. Just great.
My eye twitched as I picked myself up, tailing slashing through the air like a whip as I processed this frustrating revelation. I would've at least expected Boopkins to come with me. I wiped as much dirt as I could get off me and rubbed my nose, for it smelled immensely of farm animals, before looking up. In front of me there were rows upon rows of bleachers surrounding the stadium I was in. A fence separated the dirt arena from the seemingly present audience. Why had the door put me inside the ring? Before I was given anymore time to process this not-so-lovely scene, the sound of hoofs clomping against ground was heard from behind. I was not given enough time to turn around, because right at that very second, a loop of rope was thrown into the air and lassoed around my arms, securing them in place. The rope had snapped so tight around my body that it caused me to lose my balance and face first into the lovely dirt I went with a resounding 'thud' and a squeakish-grunt. It knocked the breath right out of me, I might as well have past out right then, but I stayed conscious and the hoofs came to a stop. A gray spotted horse stopped in front of me as I could see in my peripheral vison and a pair of legs hoped off from the horse and in between the pairs of legs I was already seeing. The person's boots jingled as they stepped over to me, flipping me over with a rough kick that didn't do too well for my side. Upon this, my eyes locked with, who would've guessed! The western split.
"Well now... Lookie what we got here..." The split drawled out, his boot being placed on top of my wrapped up chest as the split stared down at me. The position did not sit well with me and my tail immediately reflected that through the sharp, quick swishes of my tail. "What's a thing like you doin' in my ring, partner?" He snickered, resting his arm on his bent knee that had his boot pressed against my chest, tilting his hat enough to get a good look at me. That hurt, but he didn't seem to care. Not having any respect seemed to be a running trend for these splits... Or maybe I haven't met the right one yet.
Well, I couldn't lie to him. Heaven knows if I could, they would be as see-through as a window. But, there wasn't exactly a reason to lie, so I answered him through gritted teeth. "My friends pushed me through your door because they didn't want to deal with you. So, lucky me has to do this shit again." My voice came out in a growl at the vile thought. I was already sick of this... And sick of being in the dirt. "Is this any way to treat a woman, wanna-be cowboy?"
"Now, now, we don't use that foul language here, missy. This is a family-friendly place, none of that swearin' non-sense." The split said with a shake of his finger, looking as he was avoiding saying anything to my last comment. With that, he removed his boot from my chest, which made me feel one hundred times better and he lifted me up with one hand to sit me up. He crouched down next to me and said, "Tell ya what, sweet thing. Now that your in my ring, you'll be playing by my rules. I ain't one to pick favorites, woman or not. We're gonna get dirty. So, how 'bout you and me have a lil' wager, hmm? You win a challenge in my ring, and I'll let you mosey on outta here, no hassle at all. But if ya can't keep up..." I thought Mr. Wanna-Be Cowboy would just let that empty threat hang in the air, but he came up with something rather palpable, "Well, let's just say it won't be a cow's hide I'm skinnin' tonight." The split gave me a dark little chuckle before tapping my shoulder and laughing a little lighter. "C'mon now! I'm just pullin' your leg! Er, in this case, maybe tail..." He gave me a smirk before standing up. He flourished to the crowd and said in a louder voice, "Whaddya say, sweetheart? Ready to prove yer mettle in the wrangler's ring? Or are ya just gonna stay down there in the dirt?" I opened my mouth to tell him there was a very clear reason why I was still on the ground, but he seemed to have registered that before hand and hoisted me up with a rough tug. No fun. He then pushed me towards the fence that separated the ring from the bleachers, the crowd of patrons let out a chorus of cheers and jeers at the display. "You can ride a horse, rope a steer, or maybe you'd rather take a spin with me in the mechanical bull ride over yonder?" He jerked his head towards a large, rotating platform in the center of the ring, a large metal bull strapped to the top. "If you're feelin' brave enough, that is. Ain't that right, boys?" The crowd hollered and stomped their feet with his words.
As the split admired the cheer from his audience, I gave myself a moment to look at him. He had the same head as Mr. Puzzles as well as his regular TV-bar colors, but his outfit was different. Rightfully so, because he was supposed to represent the split he corresponded with: the western genre. He wore a dark brown hat on his head, with two TV antennas sticking out, though one was bent. He wore a dark, navy-blue, button up shirt that has rolled up sleeves and the bottom tucked into his dark blue jeans. A belt with a gold star buckle attachment to it. Over his button-up shirt he wore a unbuttoned, brown vest and over his jeans he wore brown chaps that has star symbols on the knees and dark brown buttons down the sides of them. On his vest, a gold star is buttoned on the right side, like how cowboy's would wear, and he wore a dark red bandana around his neck. He also wore western-style gloves and used to carry around a rope attached to his belt. We know what happened to that. He seemed and very much so looked the part for rough and rugged, but I was gonna get him to play nice.
"I say ya could be a little more polite." I growled under my breath once I finally wormed my way into a speaking point, baring my teeth to no one but the split holding me up before letting out a sigh and saying, "Fine, I'll play your little game. Whatever it maybe, but don't go playing dirty on me. I can fight dirty too, ya know. You just haven't given me a reason to show you what I mean... yet." I rolled my eyes as I recalled all the things he called me and said to me before finishing with a shout, "Now get me out of these ropes, damn it!" I shook in his hold and whipped my tail sharply. This split was mighty annoying.
"Feisty lil' filly, ain't ya? I like that in a gal!" He chuckled darkly, giving me another rough shake that made me almost lash out at the bastard. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wickedly sharp knife, flicking it open with a deft flick of his thumb. "Alright darlin', I'll play nice. For now." He purred, trailing the knife along the ropes binding my body. The blade sliced through the ropes with ease, unwrapping me like a present (If you wished to put it in those terms) until I was freed. Mr. Wrangler tossed the knife aside carelessly, letting it land in the dirt with a clatter. "There ya go, sweetheart. All loose and ready to play." Mr. Wrangler put his hands on his hips and gave me a wry smile. "And to add somethin' else, if you can complete one of my challenges, the rest of your time here will be smooth sailin'."
No wonder why Mr. Puzzles had no respect. Not just for woman but for everyone entirely. He had this split. Worried that the carelessly thrown away knife might come back to haunt us both later, I tried to focus on what I was going to call this split of Mr. Puzzles... Mr. Wrangler. It seemed to fit well considering this was the western split. Now I needed to sort out what he wanted me to do. He had given me a few options... and that offer for smooth sailing was just now registering. Swiping the dirt off that clung to my body, I started, "I wanna ride a horse... with you." I said promptly, mumbling that I'd rather not do something with him at all under my breath before picking up again, "And then, maybe I'll try something on my own." My eyes searched the arena and they quickly fell on a grey and white-spotted horse. I assumed that was the only horse here.
Mr. Wrangler let out a boisterous laugh of disbelief, one that was quickly harnessed by the rest of the crowd and retained. He then turned to his horse and laid his hands out in front of him before turning to look back at me. "Ya mean this horse? Missy, this horse is my most prized possession! Jenny got me through some of the best things in my life!..." Mr. Wrangler trailed off as he stepped closer to the horse and cooed soft words about how she was his "strong and fast mare". The horse nickered quietly, nuzzling into Mr. Wrangler's touch as he gently placed his hands on her muzzle. I thought it was cute and it made me feel... slightly sweeter towards the split. But, that didn't stop me from veering off the track of my mission. Mr. Wrangler turned back to me after he cut off his tender moment with his horse and said hesitantly, "Are you... sure you wanna ride this horse? I'm sure we have more in the back-"
"This one." I said promptly. "Why make it a hassle to get another one while there's one right here?" I asked, crossing my arms and waiting for him to argue my statement... he didn't.
Instead, he stepped closer and said in a low whisper, "Ya have a lot of nerve takin' my offer for smooth sailin' down this way, lil' filly. Ya better be able to tolerate 'er."
I huffed out a whisper back, "Whatever I gotta do to get you back with the other splits, I'll be willing to get a little dirty." Mr. Wrangler smile widened at that, but it felt more forced and stiff.
"Get me... back with the other splits? Missy, I'd say that won't be happenin'. Tryin' to wrangle this wild mustang might as well be a dream within the farthest of your reaches. This mustang would like to stay wild and free." Mr. Wrangler adjusted his hat atop his head with a quick movement and gave me a glare. It appears he wasn't going to be easy to work with, but I'd have to bide my time. Right now, I had a horse to ride. Mr. Wrangler's attention from me moved to the people in the bleachers and in a more cheery voice, he announced, "It looks like our lil' filly here will be riding with me on my horse!" I scoffed at him and his showy movements. He felt more like regular Mr. Puzzles then a personality split.
"Hey, can you stop boosting your ego and do this thing with me already?" I asked with a forced smile of my own. The sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could get out of this pocket dimension of delusion... Mr. Wrangler turned to me and he seemed ready to get this over with as well. I guessed the revelation of my true intentions for being here wasn't settling well with him.
"Let's see how well we can test your mettle on my horse." Mr. Wrangler said in a low tone of voice as he passed me.
"Oh, I'm totally ready to show you what I got." I said with a confident growl. Now, Mr. Wrangler was giving me a challenging look and I knew the tension to prove each other wrong was thick in the air.
Mr. Wrangler adjusted the saddle on the back of Jenny and patted it. "Atta girl, I knew you had it in ya!" He shouted with an excited vigor, mostly to get the audience excited, but I knew it was fake. "Now, let's get ya saddled up and ready to ride." Suddenly, Mr. Wrangler picked me up and practically threw me onto Jenny's saddle instead of letting me climb on. I squeaked once I was set down and Mr. Wrangler laughed. I turned to give him a piercing look of fire. He seemed to like that even more because he got the reaction he was looking for. I sighed, no point in fighting him much, why hadn't that processed already? At least the romantic split was more gentle with me, but I can handle a little rough and tumble. I told myself mentally. I then reached for the reins on the horse and looked at Mr. Wrangler, awaiting him to get on too. "Getting on with me?" I still ended up asking curiously. Jenny's tail swung a little and her hoofs padded the dirt ground beneath her in what felt like a show of anticipation.
"Why wouldn't I? You said you wanted to ride with me anyways. Besides, I wouldn't let you ride on my prized mare alone." Mr. Wrangler said with a smug and roguish grin before hoping on behind me. I put my tail down at that instant to dangle off the side of the horse. His hands came to rest just above my hips and he leaned back so he wasn't leaning on me. That was one of the upsides to this split, at least he wasn't interested in getting freaky. I thought as a small smile came to brighten my face with the relaxing realization. Mr. Wrangler then extended his hand outwards and he pointed to the obstacles around the near edges of the ring. "Those right there are called verticals. I want ya to get Jenny to jump over all 5 of them. By the way, they get taller with each one, so I hope ya know how to jump a horse!" He gave me a snicker, but it felt sinister in a way. I hoped I wouldn't hurt Jenny doing this considering I was inexperienced. I had never ridden a horse for the few years I had been alive, so I wasn't quite confident in my ability to do it all right, but because this horse seemed rather smart and I assumed she wouldn't be Mr. Wrangler prized mare is she wasn't, I thought this might not be that hard.
So, with the little bit of reassurance I could harness from my ability to do this for me and for Jenny, I whipped a little on the reins to get Jenny to move. Based on prior knowledge I had gathered from watching a few western movies during my free time with the SMG4 crew, I assumed if I wanted Jenny to go somewhere, I'd have to use the reins to guide her. So, I made her veer left and when the first vertical came into view, I straightened up my posture and tried to get her lined up with the vertical. Her walking pace soon became a trot and I leaned forward a little bit. Then, I pulled up on the reins a little and she shot upwards. My feet secured against her sides in slight fear, but that seemed to get her to make it the rest of the way over the vertical. She landed with a hefty "Thump" into the dirt, and the crowd loved my attempt. Mr. Wrangler clapped a few times behind me and said, "Not bad for an amateur! Perhaps just good luck. Now, get over the other 4 verticals." He practically commanded. With a determined expression set on my face, I whipped the reins to get Jenny to keep going.
For the second vertical, I did exactly what I had done the first time. Sat up straight, lined her up, leaned forward to get her to go faster, pulled upwards on the reins, and secured my legs to her sides while in the air. I remembered the technique and repeated it for the next 3 verticals until I was done. The crowd cheered and shouted and roared with excitement and the energy made me smile wider than I had in a long time. Maybe this wasn't as bad as I originally perceived it to be! "Nice job, lil' filly!" Mr. Wrangler's voice rang out through the noise of exhilarating happiness. It seemed I had forgotten he was still here with me although his hands were on me. My smile did not fade though even with the bitter feeling I had towards Mr. Wrangler. He had shown me what it was like to feel alive... And I guessed that was the feeling he loved so. Too bad he wouldn't have it for very much longer.
"Wow, that was awesome!" I shouted over the noise as I hopped off of Jenny, my tail swishing excitedly behind me.
"It seems like good luck was on your side today for this." Mr. Wrangler praised as he too hopped off from his horse. He patted her side before turning back to me and the roaring crowd behind me. "Attention, boys! We have another challenge right around the corner!" He shouted and the now peaceful silence had once again burst into a flurry of noise. Mr. Wrangler's eyes fell to me and he said, "Now I'm gonna get to pick what ya do next." He whipped around to face the center of the ring and right there still beheld the mechanical bull. "I want ya to ride it!" Mr. Wrangler said with a confident smirk. "Just 8 seconds! I'm sure a lil' filly like ya can handle it!" He said, swinging one arm over his chest as the audience started to register what I was about to partake in and cheer louder. I had already taken care of Jenny and I was in such a good and confident mood, that I felt ready for anything. I made my way over to the mechanical bull, and because there was no Mr. Wrangler to help push me up, I climbed up with a little struggle, but ended up on the bull just fine. Mr. Wrangler had found his way to the lever to start the bull and he shouted, "Are ya ready, missy?" I nodded, giving him a thumbs up before reaching for the reins and holding tightly. Then, he yanked down on the lever.
The bull had started off slowly, but as it gained speed at a rather quick pace, I found myself slightly worried. It jerked left and right and tried to throw me upwards with movements that felt like it was rearing up. I had caught glimpses of Mr. Wrangler leading Jenny away, probably back to her stable as the world seemed to spin faster and faster. 8 seconds felt like a very long time in my situation. At some point down the road, perhaps a second or maybe two later, the jerky movements caused my grip to finally loosen and slip. I was thrown off the bull at that very moment and soaring through the air. I flew right over Jenny and Mr. Wrangler and braced myself as I came face to face with a wall. My head crashed right into it and my body slipped behind a pile of hay bales. I struggled to stay conscious as my ears rung with the sharp impact of my skull and the wooden wall. I was surprised I didn't crash right through it. The audience had gasped when I hit the wall and now the arena was silent. Clutching my head and standing up, I knew a terrible headache was bound to plague me. My legs felt wobbly and my vision was blurry. I hoped I wouldn't get a concussion. Even as I stood up to show everyone I was fine, everyone was still frozen in shock. I wondered what the matter was. I looked around and my eyes came to see a now suddenly open gate. I stepped over the hay bales, dragging my tail behind me for I had lost the energy to hold it up any longer. I peered over the corner and saw the blazing eyes of an actual bull. But, he wasn't staring at me. No, he was staring right at Mr. Wrangler. More so his red bandanna and at that instant I knew he saw red. Literally and figuratively. The bull suddenly charged forward and my instincts kicked into overdrive. I had to get Mr. Wrangler out of the way and fast.
I slipped in through the gate that the bull once was in and grabbed a rope that was miraculously hanging on the wall close to the entrance. I heard the sound of Jenny squealing in distress and fear from behind me and I swung my body around to see what the matter was. Jenny had reared up on her hide legs as the bull approached and started off running in a different direction, her hoofs making deep impressions in the dirt. Mr. Wrangler tried to step out of the bull's way, but he just kept skidding to a halt and coming right back for him. I ran out of the bull's gate and started swinging the rope in the air. I had to pray on my best ability to get Mr. Wrangler out of that situation before the SMG4 crew and I could never complete the puzzle and Mr. Puzzles would forever be a scattered mess of personality splits. I tried to get as close to Mr. Wrangler as I could before I threw the rope over and around him. He looked surprised and that was during the time that the bull was charging at him once again. With all my strength, I pulled him out of the way and watched as the bull was served the same fate as me. He crashed through the ring and then into the wall horns first. Mr. Wrangler came rolling towards me and stopped at my feet and to be honest, it was kinda ironic how in the end, our roles ended up being reversed. I was thankful I didn't have to end up using my powers for this situation. Can't wrangle this wild mustang, my ass. I thought with a happy giggle. I now placed my foot atop his wrapped up chest and said, "Looks like I've wrangled the Wrangler!" I gave out a hearty laugh before shouting, "Looks like this is my ring now, partner!" I loved throwing his words right back at him. The crowd, of course, came up in upheaval. The lights seemed to glow brighter and the excitement got louder and louder...
I felt like I was on top of the whole world.
"Yeah, go ahead and live it up now, missy. Ya won't get to have any of it anymore once you're gone." Mr. Wrangler growled from underneath me. Jenny trotted over with a happy nicker as she kicked something towards me in the dirt. It was that knife from earlier that Mr. Wrangler had used to cut me loose. A wicked grin graced my face as I picked it up and held it up to Mr. Wrangler's face.
"Care to say that again?" I asked sweetly. Mr. Wrangler shook his head 'no' without saying another word. I flicked the knife closed and wiped off my hands with a few quick swipes. Then, I started on my way with dragging Mr. Wrangler out of the arena and waving the audience in the bleachers 'good-bye'. Mr. Wrangler struggled and kicked his feet as I dragged him towards the door, but he wasn't a complete hassle. Jenny followed me as I opened the gate out of the ring and avoided the bull that laid unconscious in the wall. As I came to the door to exit this pocket dimension, Jenny gave out a whinny behind me. I turned around to see her ears flat against her head and I could tell she knew what was happening. I came up to her and placed my face to her muzzle. "I know Jenny, but Mr. Wrangler has to go away now." I told her softly. She nickered in disappointment, her tail swishing in slight agitation and anguish as she stomped her hoofs on the floor.
"It's gonna be okay girl, I'm just goin' away for a while." Mr. Wrangler's voice suddenly broke in. I stepped aside so he could see his horse. "Ya served me well, Jenny. I'm gonna miss ya." His voice seemed to crack from the emotions he was feeling. "I love ya, Jenny." His hand then fell over his eyes and Jenny whined again. With a wave, I turned back to the door and opened it. Then, I dragged Mr. Wrangler out with me. Outside, I was met with Bob and Boopkins sitting in the dirt playing poker. I wondered where they had gotten the poker cards.
"The house always wins, Boopkins. How do you keep forgetting?" Bob said with a bit of a laugh to his voice.
I cleared my throat and the boys turned to look at me. "Hi there, hope you two have been having fun." I said with a smile that was super forced. I then pushed Mr. Wrangler towards them.
"Wow, what happened to him?" Boopkins asked worriedly, "He looks like his spirits have been broken."
"Good, he was too confident for his own good anyways." I said with a sharp slash of my tail through the air before calming down, "He's upset because he doesn't get to see his horse Jenny anymore." I finished with a more apprehensive tone. "I'm sure he'll be fine." I waved my hand dismissively at the thought, but Mr. Wrangler didn't seem so lively anymore... which really took the fun out of mocking him. Boopkins also looked upset for him. Bob looked indifferent to the whole situation. "Well," I started up again, "I'm leaving you guys with him, so you know where to go to drop him off." I waved the pocket knife in my hand around a little before handing it over to Boopkins. "Here, free knife. I don't need it anyways." Boopkins took it reluctantly and I started backing away. "Okay you two, see you later!" Bob and Boopkins waved at me as I started off, Boopkins a little slower and less happy then usual compared to Bob's casual wave. I then turned around right as Bob was reporting to everyone that they had the next split in their possession.
My headache started to come into play around this time and I winced in pain. It was no fun that I had to suffer like this, but at least I had something to take my mind off of it that put an extra hop in my step and a quick swish in my tail...
I was on my way to crush another split's dreams.
Notes:
(A/N: Wow, this one was so much fun to write!... Besides the fact that in the original chat he was freaky as hell- So, as a kind courtesy to all reading and to Claire, I toned it down as much as I could. Anyways, now that Claire had to forcefully take care of Mr. Wrangler, let's see how she handles the next split: Sci-Fi! I can't wait to write that one, it will be just as fun as this chapter. So, we'll see Claire and Mr. Phantom next time, Honeybunches!)
(~Weirdy ❤️~)
Chapter Text
Trying to find SMG3 and Luigi was harder then trying to find a needle in a haystack. That would've been a more fitting metaphor for the western split, but the frustration that came with this was just making my headache worse. Unbelievable.
I mentally cursed to myself. Gosh, if only I was smart enough to have thought of grabbing myself a walkie-talkie before going on this expedition which, in term, is turning out to be a headache. Figuratively and literally. I gripped my head and stopped at the gates of the Showgrounds. I really needed something to calm down the pounding in my head. I assumed maybe there would be something to help me at "Three's Coffee and Bombs." I trudged over there, pushing open the door as my tail dragged in behind me. It snapped in the door, which made me wince and wake up. It was not a fun way of reminding me of my current situation. I pulled my tail from out of the door, stumbling backwards into someone. Now they were stumbling. I swung around to see SMG3 trying to steady a tray of drinks and small pastries.
"Hey! Watch it, knucklehead!" SMG3 yelled without thinking before he noticed me. He toned down his volume a tad. "Oh, Claire, it's you. What are you doing here?" I struggled to look at SMG3 and instead looked around at the small number of patrons here today. My sight came back to SMG3 as I chuckled nervously.
"Uh, just... a bad headache from the latest adventure." I replied back, "I came here for a nice, warm drink. I'm hoping that will take care of my problem." I smiled at SMG3, although it was more forced then I would've liked considering I was in a lot of pain.
SMG3 pondered my request for a moment before nodding. "Sure, but even though you're a member of the crew, you still gotta pay." He abruptly handed me the tray in his hand and added, "Also, you gotta deliver this to the specific customers listed." He pointed to a list of names equaling the food or drink they had purchased. Before I could object, SMG3 was already gone. How comical. It seemed I was frequently left to deal with things others did not wish to partake in. I swung around the cafe, asking the patrons their names and matching them with their order. They all seemed pleased and were rather polite, a very noticeable difference to the usual rudeness I received while working with the personality splits. Once I was finished, I set my tray down on the counter where people ordered, (out of the way, of course) and found a seat next to a familiar. Luigi.
"Hi-a there, Claire." Luigi said as he took a sip of his coffee. I looked over at him as I laid my head down on the table. "What are you-a doing here?" He asked calmly.
"I should be asking you the same thing." I said, trying my best to suppress a growl of disappointment, "Shouldn't you and SMG3 be searching for a split since you're both a team?"
Luigi nodded, "Of course, but we decided that we'd-a take a break. SMG3 wanted to-a come back and open his cafe back up-a for a little while anyways since there was a line outside the-a door that was a little rowdy about being closed on a day it was-a usually open." Luigi proceeded to take another sip of his coffee after he was finished. I sighed and sat up, stretching my arms out over the table.
"Well, I'm here because I have a seriously bad headache." I placed my elbow on the table and leaned my head into my palm, "The last split did a number on me, but I managed to take care of him." I groaned out those words like they left a bitter taste on my tongue from the reminiscing that came afterwards. "Now I'm waiting for SMG3 to bring me a drink so I can calm down." With those words, I realized I had never specified what drink I had actually wanted from SMG3. I assumed he was just going to have to surprise me then.
"Well, speak of the devil! I'm here right now!" SMG3 said from beside me, leaning his forearm on the table and holding my drink in his other hand. He gave me a smug smile before speaking up again, "I wasn't exactly sure what you wanted, considering you were very vague with your answer of "a nice, warm drink." So, I got you something that I think might help you with that headache of yours." SMG3 handed me the cup and I gently took it. I looked down to see what was in the contents of the cup and saw that it was... tea?
I looked at SMG3 with a confuzzled expression. "When did you start making tea?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
He shrugged, "I don't. I just thought tea would help." I looked at him for a second longer before taking a sip. The tea tasted familiar, the minty taste lingering on my tongue.
I turned to SMG3 again. "Mint?"
He let out a chuckle, "Let's say I read something on the internet that says peppermint can help with headaches." He rubbed the back of his neck before clearing his throat and putting his hands down. "Now where's my payment? And my "Thank You"?"
I let out a soft giggle as he returned to his normal self. I offered a nod and said in a tender tone of voice, "Thank you, SMG3." Then, I reached my free hand into my pocket and started pulling out the money I had earned while working. Luigi stopped me and gave me a smile. My eyebrows furrowed as I let out a noise to indicate my confusion.
"I'll take-a care of it." Luigi said smoothly, setting the money down for both my drink and I presumed was also his. SMG3 snatched the money from off the table with a grimace. He glared at us for a second before his expression softened again.
"Thanks..." He mumbled, trailing off as he turned away.
For a moment, I enjoyed the moment of silence we shared. Though, I couldn't help wondering why SMG3 had given me the same tea Mr. Romantic had when I was with him. I shook my head. I assumed it was just a silly coincidence.
Luigi scooted outwards from his spot up against the table and adjusted his cap atop his head to break the ambience we had established. Eggdog came to collect his empty cup and then scuttled off. "Well-a, I think it's about time we-a get on outta here." Luigi suggested, now adjusting his overalls as I followed in his actions of scooting out of my chair as well. I had almost completely forgotten about my headache now, for SMG3's tea had really taken care of it for me. SMG3 sighed and he knew I was in agreement with Luigi without me having to say a word. Luigi pushed in our chairs before SMG3 threw his head back and groaned.
"Ugh! Do we seriously have too? I just opened up shop anyway!" SMG3 whined and pouted like a toddler, but Luigi and I were not fazed. Luigi was more used to it then I was, but it didn't take me long to get used to the pouting either.
I took another sip from my tea to stop my headache from coming back at SMG3's complaining. The splits already did enough of that for me, why him too? "SMG3, it's okay!" I said reassuringly, "Once we're done with our mission, you can come right back here and everything will be fine!"
"Why do we even care about putting this stupid box head back together anyway? He's just gonna come back later and mess with us again." SMG3 crossed his arms and huffed. I couldn't fully understand his hatred for Mr. Puzzles like the rest of the crew could, but I felt like I was starting to because of the personality splits. I sighed, continuing to reason with the stubborn SMG3.
"SMG3, we need to put him back together again, because if we don't, we will have more than one of him to deal with and we don't want that because one stupid TV head is better than multiple." My tail swung back and forth in a bit of an aggravated fashion as I persisted in my attempts to get SMG3 to listen. "I'm pretty sure I don't want that..."
SMG3 thought for a moment, his eyes looking up from the ground as his frown deepened. "You make a good point there, Claire."
I felt victorious in my win over SMG3 and gave him a nudge, a playful smile grew on my lips that didn't show any sign of leaving. I finished my tea, setting it down on the table and announced, "Well, it's settled. Let's go take care of another split!" I started towards the door, but SMG3 stopped me, much to my discontent.
"Wait, I gotta get everyone out first! You can't possibly think I'm dumb enough to leave everyone in here, while I'm out for who knows how long!..." SMG3 then walked pass me, mumbling something under his breath. He stood in the center of the cafe and suddenly shouted, "Everyone out, NOW! We're closing!" Upset chatter could be heard among the patrons, but the murmur of the crowd was hushed as SMG3 ushered everyone out. The loud clatter of shoes against the tile, the scraping of chair legs, and the yelling voice of SMG3 drowned out my thoughts. Soon, the cafe was empty. Eggdog scuttled about the cafe, helping pick up and clean wherever he could. SMG3 praised Eggdog as he helped, watching as he stopped for a moment to be pet by SMG3. Luigi and I found it adorable. SMG3 quickly stood up from off his knee and said, "Well, now that's taken care of, let's be off. Eggdog has got the place covered." Eggdog barked happily in agreement with SMG3's words and they both seemed satisfied. Now, we could leave the cafe. SMG3 locked up after we left and I looked around me. It was sunset, the sun disappearing behind the trees that surrounded us everywhere. It was only just this morning that we started this little expedition, I couldn't believe the day was almost over. SMG3 started walking ahead of us and out from under the arch that lead into the showgrounds. "You slowpokes following or not?" SMG3 asked with a teasing smile. Luigi and I exchanged looks before hurrying to catch up with SMG3.
The next splits' door was much harder to find then Mr. Romantic's or Wrangler's ever was. I wondered what made finding this next split so darn difficult. Just as SMG3 was about to give up, even though he was far too eager with being a leader a few hours prior, Luigi discovered a door. Excuse me, make that double doors. Once again, we found the doors on an abandoned building, which felt like a never ending trend for these splits. This one even more so considering it didn't want to be found. The doors were seemingly coated with spider webs and they had a unique, carved design into the wood that screamed a manor of some kind.... haunted one, perhaps? Luigi, although being the first to discover the personality splits' doors, immediately backed up, for he had no desire to have another repeat of "Luigi's Haunted Mansion." I had no clue what that was, but SMG3 seemed to because he smiled mischievously. Luigi then began profusely exclaiming his worries and fears out loud in Italian.
"Well I'm not going in there! The place looks old and all those spider webs on the door is telling me that the split in there does not enjoy company!" SMG3 huffed as he crossed his arms, looking between Luigi and I; before giving a huge grin. "Maybe we should just leave then, tell the others that we failed our missi... HAH!" SMG3 had went to push Luigi and I inside through the doors, only for Luigi to avoid the sudden attack from SMG3 by every single miracle God could provide to make absolutely SURE I made it in here without a single friend. So, lucky bloody Claire not being fortunate enough ended up on the other side of the double doors with her face in the BLOODY floorboards. The doors suddenly shut with a loud "SLAM" that echoed throughout the manor's halls and spacy rooms. I laid on my face for a long moment, my tail swinging in the air above my body. I really wanted to scream. Like, I was just holding it in and it was really unhealthy. I slowly sat up and wondered how many more times I would have my face planted into the floor like it belonged there. At this point, somebody really wanted to make sure it always happened, no matter what.
I stood up, brushing off any dirt that might've made its way onto my clothes again. Dealing with the Western split already did enough of that for me. "Thanks a lot, SMG3!" I shouted back at the door, my voice ringing through the quiet halls of the manor and tail whipping in the air behind me. I stood still for a moment, placing a hand on my forehead to once again soothe the growing tension in my body. Everyone was finding ways to get out of this nonsense and making me do all the work. I was sure I had figured that out earlier today as well. At this point, I'll be the only one who's managed to do anything. They don't care about Mr. Puzzles and it's not like I do either. I crossed my arms over my chest, my tails' swishing coming to a slow. I turned around, looking over what I could see without any light. So, I was looking for another split. I wondered what this one was going to be. I brought my tail up next to me and lit the tip of it on fire with my magic. I tired not to make it too bright for that would drain the little bit of magic I had currently stored and so I wouldn't immediately alert this split already... if he wasn't already watching me. I looked around the little space that I could see. The manor was... calm, but eerily creepy. Surprisingly though- there wasn't much of a mess inside the house that I would have expected to see from a spooky home like this. All seemingly nice and tidy, even if it was hard to see since the lights were turned off and I was seeing by dim fire magic...
Sci-Fi Splits' P.O.V.
Phantom was roaming along his manor, the quiet halls brought peace to him, gently gliding through the air. Humming to himself softly as he flew, lost in his thoughts of sombers...
...Before it was rudely interrupted by a huge "SLAM" that came from the entrance to his manor. A pang of annoyance shooting through his ghostly body as he hoped that the double doors appearance were enough to keep people out... Guess not.
With a long sigh, he phased himself through the walls to sneak his way to the main entrance. Going to the chandelier to hide behind the decorative jewels and crystals on the ceiling. His eyes followed the intruder as he could read her confusion... and angry, which made him slightly worried. He stayed hidden for now, hopefully finding the right time maybe to scare her away so he could mourn in peace.
Phantom remained still, hidden behind the ornate chandelier as he observed the intruder. He watched as she lit her tail on fire, the dim light casting shadows that danced along the walls. He could see the flickering light of her tail illuminate her features, casting an eerie glow on her determined expression. It was a clever trick, allowing her to navigate the dark manor without drawing too much attention to herself. He couldn't help but roll his ghostly eye at her outburst from earlier, still off put by it. Her shouting did little to faze him. The manor was soundproof after all, a necessary precaution for his solitude.
He sighed, "Typical lower class invading his privacy." He thought.
P.O.V. Switch, back to Claire's P.O.V.
Typical haunted mansion. I wondered if I was going to find a split that tried to scare me because there was totally nothing cliche about that. For a while, I just looked around, trying to see if there was any sign of someone in the area. I started to climb the stairs. I might as well cover some ground while I search. I looked down to the foyer from the top of the stairs, feeling quite high even from the top of the steps. I then found my way back down to the foyer, noticing a very pretty and glimmering chandelier. My eyes squinted though as I noticed something. A trail of shimmering dust sparkled around the chandelier and I wondered if that had always been there. When I turned around, I was startled when I was met with the personality split. His pastel blue television head flickered to life, casting a cold, blue glow over the foyer as he stared at me. His single glowing eye fixed upon me, piercing through my very being.
"You there... I heard your shouting. It's rather rude to barge into someone's home uninvited." The split mostly complained, his voice a soft, somber murmur. I was... modestly surprised when a floating ghost made his presence to me. His soft voice ringing out to me. This split looked like the Horror split. He had the same analog TV head as Mr. Puzzles, but it was glowing with a pastel blue color, containing in its bottom edge the name "Puzzlevision". His real "face" was an off-white, light-grey/bluish background with differently shaped eyes, one dark blue pupil in one eye, the other eye being blank, and a large grin taking up most of his lower face; the mouth's colors are intended to resemble the TV color bars but in blue hues. He wore a light blue bowler hat on his head, with one TV antenna sticking out and having feathers poking out of the other side of the hat's band. He was wearing a cyan-ish white undershirt with ruffle cuffs on the sleeves with shoulder pads, a tinted cyan vest with pockets and buttons, and a small gem around his neck that connects to a ruffled collar that flows over the upper half of his chest. He did not have legs and possessed a ghostly bottom half like you would see in cartoon movies, almost serpent-like ghost tail. He also wore a small molecule on his left eye that was clear.
"I was pushed inside, actually, but I guess this could still be considered barging." I replied back in a sort of grumble. This split seemed different. His soft-spokeness and relatively gentle appearance was something... I actually found calming. Still, I wasn't going to let that fool me. I still had a mission to complete. "You. You aren't a very fun person to deal with, and when I say that, I refer to the multitude of troubles I've had to go through with the last two splits. I had to drag the Western one out forcefully and I promise you, it was no easy task." I sighed, "So, I think you already know what I'm getting at. I need you to cooperate with me so I can put Mr. Puzzles back together." I had said this sentence twice before already and I new this wouldn't be the last. I knew he wasn't going to listen and there was some 'BiG aDvEnTuRe' I'd have to go on to get him to work with me... I'd have to say though, I was more than ready considering the other splits had prepared me well enough. The split listened to my grumbling words of discontentment, hearing as they echoed through the grand foyer. He seemed to not be able to help but let out a soft, melancholic chuckle at my complaints about his lack of fun nature.
"That's very true." He said softly, "I'm not one for frivolous pursuits or idle chatter. My life is solely one of somber reflection and quiet contemplation." Then, he went on to mention something else as I added on why I was here. He frowned as I discussed the trouble I had with the western split. "Ah, I've heard about them. The chaos my other halves cause. Their reckless schemes and disregard for my wishes is why I left a constant source of annoyance and distress now discarded, but I assumed that's why we all split." He chuckled at his little joke before continuing, getting serious again. The splits' single glowing eye narrowed when I got to the point of my visit. "So, now that you say you're here on their behalf, which I should've immediately guessed, I'd like to inform you that I'm afraid I can not help you." I assumed he had a sinking feeling about where this conversation was headed and now I had a bubbling feeling of annoyance. With a long, drawn-out sigh, he drifted closer to me, his translucent form leaving a chill in the air around us. He murmured something under his breath, his voice tinged with a hint of resignation before he really spoke up. "I prefer my solitude, my quiet life here in the manor. So, I think you ought to be going now."
This deserved a resolute huff from me. "I think not." My tail lashed behind me as I leaned forward. "You aren't going to get rid of me that easily." I lunged forward, attempting to wrap my arms around him and failing as my arms phased through him. I fell onto my face with a 'Thud' and cursed loudly. I was so sick and tired of these games the splits made me play. I shot back up onto my feet and caught a glimpse of the split, who I will refer to as Mr. Phantom for now, phasing through a nearby wall. I grumbled a harsh name under my breath before shouting, "You can't run forever, you coward!" Then, I thought about that for a moment before re-phrasing, "Er, I mean- You can't phase through walls forever, you coward!" I then scoffed, realizing I was wasting my time and ran into the next room, my tail swinging behind me as it tried to keep itself in front of me as I ran. Inside the next room, I was greeted with a dining room, spotting the split phasing through the next wall. I growled as I kept running, trying catch up with the split. "Running is futile!" I shouted, trying to get him to see reason... This reminded me of the Romance split. "Mr. Puzzles didn't do "reason". I reminisced to myself from what seemed like so long ago. The thought was never pleasant. I continued my chase, sliding into the large, dim kitchen. I wondered why one split would need so many counters and stoves. The split never stopped, and he phased through yet another wall. It was like I was always there right before he disappeared again. I was getting increasingly agitated as it continued...
Through the entire manor it seemed, I chased this split with determined vigor. Out of the kitchen and upstairs into the many bedrooms where he would pop out to tease me before disappearing again. My arms would reach out towards him, but I would come to realize too soon that would never work. He'd lead me on to the same room multiple times and make me seem like I was chasing my own tail, sometimes that metaphor was used in the literal sense. At some point, the fire magic I had stored up dwindled and faded, leaving me on the very top of one of the flight of steps and in complete darkness. I glanced around me, but I couldn't even see my hand when it was right in front of my face when I tried. I plopped down on the top step of the manor and sulked. I wished one of my friends were here to help me, but so far, not a single one had bothered. I had been pushed in by SMG3, Mario, and Bob from the last splits including this one and... I just didn't understand. Why did they leave me all alone to do this myself? They didn't know I was powerful and my power relied on the amount of energy I had anyway. So, even with that absence of knowledge on their behalf, why did they still see me fit to do this on my own? I grimaced, feeling hesitant with calling them my "friends". Perhaps they didn't care about me as much as I had previously suspected.
Before I could really start to spiral down into a mental abyss while being shrouded in the darkness of the manor, a pastel blue light illuminated my peripherals and I turned to see the split floating at a distance. He floated with his arms crossed against his chest and I spat out roughly, "What do you want?"
"I want you out." Mr. Phantom said plainly and I laughed harshly.
"Fat chance, Mr. Snob!" I sneered at him before frowning again, "You've just come to mock me when I'm at my lowest point. Don't you know what that feels like, or are you too stuck-up to ever acknowledge it?" I hissed out.
Now Mr. Phantom was frowning, "Of course I know what that feels like, I'm the only split that acknowledges it the most out of the rest." He turned away for a moment and we shared a period of silence. I let his words sink in for a moment before realizing what he meant.
"Is... that why your pocket dimension is just a quiet, dark manor?" I asked in a gentler tone, watching as Mr. Phantom's TV head turned to look behind him.
He sighed before saying softly, "Of course it is, and I tried my very hardest to make it so people would stay out. I wish to stay here forever and mourn in peace, is that really that much to ask for?..." Mr. Phantom threw up his arms and scoffed before calming down, "The quiet helps me concentrate. The solitude helps me focus... It's all I want to know." Mr. Phantom trailed off and my face fell. Not in annoyance, but rather... sympathy. This split was far from outgoing and loud and bold. He was quieter and... more pleasant. Maybe I could attempt to give him a break despite how infuriating this whole task was.
"Do... you maybe want to talk about why you wish to stay? There must be some reason you want to stay here all alone. In solitude and darkness... that sounds bleak." My voice took on a quieter tone as I spoke to Mr. Phantom. I wondered how well I could get to him by just showing some kindness and listening to him. I was rough with everyone else, maybe I just had to take a different approach. With my words, Mr. Phantom turned to look at me again. He looked curious and floated over to me slowly and wearily. He seemed reluctant to approach and I assumed because I had chased him around earlier. I managed a small smile and patted the space next to me on the top step. He paused for a moment, looking between me and the floor before floating over to me. I now assumed he realized I couldn't touch him anyway.
With a heavy sigh, Mr. Phantom spoke, "You're right, of course. Solitude and darkness are not the most appealing of fates. But for me... it's a necessity. You see, my other halves... they don't understand. They can't comprehend the pain and anguish that I carry with me, the memories that haunt my every waking moment. The way Mr. Puzzles used his childhood and the traumatic experiences he went through, to turn it into a reason for revenge or proof that he could become what he wanted to be was something I never liked. It caused me to relive those memories over and over again, which caused me the most pain and heartbreak. Now I just wish to stay in my manor, away from the splits, so I can mourn our trauma in peace without having it be used as purpose in another grand scheme." When he spoke, his voice was softer, almost vulnerable. I leaned in closer, listening to see what else he'd say. "From a young age, Mr. Puzzles wasn't exactly liked. You see, he was seen as odd for having different ideas than others, he had no friends, they wouldn't be able to tolerate him." That last part seemed to sting, but he continued anyway, "So, he consumed himself in television. He dreamed of being like the ones he saw on the screen. Making his own shows and sharing his creative vision with the world, like having his own amusement park!..." Mr. Phantom seemed to dazzle for a moment at that prospect before dropping again, "Alas, it was not meant to be. His father informed him that he lacked a creative vision and he was a hopeful child with no future... And so, he went back to what he always did, burying himself away in the screen and letting it do the feeling for him... Until he finally decided to replace his head and become the screen itself." Mr. Phantom finished with a long, drawn out sigh, his ghostly visage twisting with old grief. The pain of his long-ago wounds now seeming fresh and raw.
At first, I was at a loss for words, Mr. Phantom had just told the lore of Mr. Puzzles that I hadn't even known about. Well, it did sound a little familiar, like the crew had told me he sung it to them during Mr. Puzzles evil villain song. Still, I had only just been told by the SMG4 crew all the terrible and disgusting things he did. Of course, his past didn't exactly make up for why he acted the way he did, but I still felt bad nonetheless. I kept my yellow and green eyes on Mr. Phantom and spoke softly, "I'm... so sorry. That sounds like a terrible past. The fact that you have to be the one to harbor its burden must be even worse..." I trailed off, unsure of how to comfort him. I wasn't one for comforting people, considering usually there was no need for it, but here it felt rather necessary. I shook my head, before my eyes came back to his single, glowing blue one. "Would you maybe... like a hug?" I offered sweetly, extending my arms outwards. I didn't know how that would work, considering he was a ghost and I had tried to grab onto him multiple times tonight, but I couldn't think of anything else and ... I kinda needed one too after the day I had.
Mr. Phantom looked at me like I was stupid, which was understandable considering this was a reprieve from the earlier chase we were engaged in. Er, more so, I was, and I lowered my arms. Mr. Phantom blinked in surprise. I wondered what had suddenly caught him off guard, or... what he had just realized. "I'm... not a big 'physical contact' person..." He said hesitantly, his single pupil jumping to his other eye and out from behind his monocle. When he looked at me again, he seemed to be regarding me with something that wasn't disgust of distaste. It was... lighter, perhaps more reverent. "Although, considering you listened to my story so attentively, I'm surprised, truly. I'm not used to such soft words of sympathy or such kindness and understanding. For all this time I've spent in solitude, no one has ever listened to my story with such genuine compassion. I must admit, it has caught me off guard..." He trailed off with a nervous chuckle. Once again, Mr. Phantom was back to looking at me like he was warring with himself about whether or not to accept my offer. But, after about a minutes time, Mr. Phantom smiled at me and suddenly, his translucent form began to solidify. I opened my arms up again and hugged him gently. Oh my goodness, he was so cold, but I tried to not flinch or make a move that signaled I wanted to pull back. Even more unexpectantly, Mr. Phantom returned the hug, his arms wrapping loosely around me... and then squeezing. I assumed he really needed one of these. I held him for a long time, considering he didn't feel like he wanted to pull away. So, I rested my chin on his shoulder and closed my eyes. "Thank you..." He finally said after a long period of exchanged silence, pulling away just enough to look me in the eyes. I saw that tears had formed at the corners of his eyes and the emotions sat with me in a way that made me care...
I... cared. That was new. I never expected all of my adventures to at some point come down to this. But, I guess I learned a very important lesson today. Sometimes, being aggressive wasn't always the best way to get around with things.
My tail, like it had a mind of its own, wrapped around the tail of Mr. Phantom's figure. Maybe it thought holding him was... sweet. Despite how cold he was, his heart didn't seem that way. He just needed someone to nourish him and show him love. "This is quite unusual for me. I'm unfamiliar with such a show of kindness from the warmth of your heart. It's been a while since anyone's cared to listen to me. Maybe forever since anyone's cared about me." Mr. Phantom now pulled away from our hug and my tail slipped loose from his. "I... truly do not know what to say. No one has ever shown me such kindness."
I shook my head and chuckled, "You don't have to say anything, Mr. Phantom. My kindness is free of charge." Then, I thought of something else. Maybe now that I had gotten to Mr. Phantom in such a touching way, he'd be open to something that we could both work with. "Hey, Mr. Phantom?" I started slowly, to get his attention and to play my cards right, "What if I made you a deal? You don't have to go back to being a part of Mr. Puzzles again... yet. But, you do still have to come with me. You'll accompany me on the rest of my adventures, so you don't have to be alone anymore! You can be as silent as you want, but when you need to talk to me, I will be happy to listen." I smiled warmly at him. "Is that okay?" I tilted my head and in the soft light he emitted, I hoped he saw no malicious intent. Now, he was back to being hesitant. I knew the idea of leaving this place probably felt daunting to him. I knew he hadn't been here long, but maybe for him, it was different. It was... tempting. The idea of not being alone, of having someone to talk to, someone who understood... it had to be more than tempting. Like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man.
Suddenly, it was like something had clicked for Mr. Phantom, like this was an opportunity he couldn't let slip by and deep down inside me... I was jumping for joy. This was still a mission to collect all the splits, but this victory felt a lot more rewarding then the last two. I was quite aware of why now also. It was just... sweeter. "You... you would do that for me? You would let me accompany you, without forcing me to be a part of Mr. Puzzles again?" He sounded almost disbelieving, as if he couldn't quite grasp the concept of such generosity.
I nodded and said, "Well, of course, it would have to happen at some point, but not for a while, yeah? And, I'd say it's much better than staying in a dark manor all the time." I smirked at him, hoping a playful demeanor would be more enticing for him. Mr. Phantom seemed unable to find the words to express the depth of gratitude and tentative hope that most likely swelled within him. Instead, he simply nodded, his glowing eye shining with unshed tears of relief and gratitude as his pupil hoped back to the eye that hid behind his monocle. With that, I stood up, throwing my hands up in victory and saying, "Splendid! Now, let's be on our way! Time's a-wasting!" Then, I started down the steps of the manor, Mr. Phantom following close behind me. His light was just enough so I could see the step right in front of me and nothing more. "Hey, I have a question." I said as I descended the steps, "What split of Mr. Puzzles are you? I assumed Horror."
I heard Mr. Phantom give a laugh of incredulousness from behind me. "Really now? You pegged me for being the Horror spilt? Darling, I'm far from it. Didn't you ever pick up on how I floated away from you when you were chasing me?" He asked, coming up to be right beside me and lifting up an eyebrow behind his screen. I hummed in consideration.
"I guess you're right. And, I bet the horror split would be more scary anyway. The only reason I say is because you're a ghost." I hoped off the last step and into the foyer, the sound echoing off the walls in the quiet and large manor. Mr. Phantom floated in front of me.
"Ah, a common misconception. No, I am not the Horror split, but the Sci-Fi split. I'm a ghost, apart of the supernatural. I guess I could somehow end up being scary to someone, but typically, I'm the one who becomes frightened." I nodded as Mr. Phantom explained why he was the Sci-Fi split. The puzzle pieces clicked and it made more sense now. It was a interesting analogy to use considering my situations and I liked how much it fit. To avoid myself from making anymore mental puns, I walked over to the manor doors with a determined expression and looked to Mr. Phantom as I grabbed onto the handles of the doors. Mr. Phantom nodded towards the door, indicating he wanted me to open them. I did and upon doing so, I... didn't see SMG3 or Luigi waiting for me like usual. I stood in the doorway, looking confuzzled as I looked around. No one? Really? It felt odd because usually when I came back out with a split, my team would be outside waiting for me with something to pass the time.
Mr. Phantom floated up beside me and he seemed to be wondering what the matter was. "Um, what's got you so-" Mr. Phantom was suddenly cut off when SMG3 suddenly dropped in front of our faces from upside down. He screamed at us and I flinched backwards, eyes widening. Mr. Phantom gave a loud squeak, suddenly disappearing. Now, I was really panicked.
SMG3 laughed in my face as he jabbed a finger into my nose. Then, just like karma had come to the rescue, he dropped on his head and the rope that was holding up one of his legs fell with him. I smiled in contentment. I then walked out of the manor fully, allowing the doors to close behind me as I looked up upon hearing Luigi exclaim in a gasp. "Huh, so you two had planned this little stunt? Very amusing." I shook my head as my mind wandered back to Mr. Phantom. I really hoped he hadn't phased back into the manor and chickened out on me just because of that.
Then, speak of the devil, he came back. "Oh my goodness. I did not need that today." Mr. Phantom said, clutching his chest. I turned to look at him.
"Where did you go?" I asked in a bit of a worried tone. Mr. Phantom cocked his head.
"I turned invisible. I doubt you knew I could do that." He replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm a ghost, if you can't recall." My eyelids fell in annoyance at his smart remark as Luigi descended to help SMG3.
"It was a good prank, right?" he asked in a weak voice as he rubbed his head, mumbling under his breath "Gosh, I might need some mint tea now."
I chuckled, smiling again, "Of course it was good, I thought you guys had left, so it really caught me off guard."
"It scared the life out of me!" Mr. Phantom blurted out in an exaggerated tone of voice. I rolled my eyes, feeling like there was also a pun in there coming from him that he didn't quite notice. SMG3 finally stood up, walking over to us and stopping to look at Mr. Phantom.
"So this is the split we gotta take back to the Showgrounds? Easy enough, though he looks like he came from the 1890's." SMG3 said as he squinted his eyes at Mr. Phantom. He didn't seem offended by SMG3's remark.
"You aren't taking this one back this time." I piped up, giving the boys a look. "He's going to be accompanying me for the rest of the splits because all my other team members have refused to come and help me. It will be nice to not have to complete these on my own anymore." I looked over at Mr. Phantom who gave me a soft smile that still stretched across his screen. SMG3 and Luigi exchanged looks with each other, but then SMG3 shrugged.
"Just as long as I don't have to associate myself with anything that is Mr. Puzzles, I'm quite fine with it!" Then, he started walking away. Luigi, with a tip of his hat to me, followed after SMG3. He probably didn't want to be out too late tonight. I gave a sigh as they disappeared from sight and Mr. Phantom floated closer.
"Now what?" He asked tentatively, feeling a little cautious about my answer. I looked at him again and tried to manage a determined expression. I straightened up and said with renewed energy:
"Now, we go find another split... together."
Notes:
(A/N: Well, it looks like Claire has a little buddy now! And, Mr. Phantom doesn't have to be alone anymore! So, yippee! Win-win for them both! I can't wait to write for the next split: Horror! Writing Mr. Terror and Claire together along with Mr. Phantom? Now that's gonna be one hell of a ride! Along with writing this to Minecraft music made the more calm parts stand out to me more. But, we'll just have to wait and see! Until next time, Honeybunches and Happy Valentine's Day!)
(~Weirdy ❤️~)
Chapter Text
I had managed to get in three splits today and I hoped it wouldn't come back to haunt me if I squeezed in one more. It was getting late, the moon slowing coming to meet the middle of the sky as the night wore on. I dragged my feet and rubbed my eyes, trying to just stay awake as Mr. Phantom floated beside me. Without a walkie-talkie, I was mostly on my own with coming across a group. Assuming there was still anyone out this late, I continued to walk the empty streets of the Mushroom kingdom. "If I forget somehow..." I started, looking over at Mr. Phantom, "I want you to remind me to get a walkie-talkie for tomorrow's missions."
Mr. Phantom, who had silently been floating beside me, faced me and nodded. "I'll keep it in the back of my head and bring it up again, need be." he replied in his usual calm and almost echoey tone of voice. The street we were walking on, or more so, I was walking on, seemed to stretch on into infinity. The streetlamps partially illuminated the path of which we walked, but not by the greatest of extents. There was barely anyone out and most of the stores were closed. I assumed the SMG4 crew had retired for the night, and I was considering that too.
Just then, the doors of a off-brand Spencer's store Mr. Phantom and I were just now passing burst open forwards, letting out the loud noises of two familiar laughs. Mr. Phantom went invisible beside me for a moment and I jumped up at the suddenness of the event. Tari and Meggy had walked out carrying bags of... whatever it was they had gone shopping for. Knowing them, it might've been accessories for their weapons. When they noticed me, they abruptly stopped their conversation. "Oh, Claire! We would've thought you'd be back at home asleep by now!" Tari said with a smile.
"But look at you! Still trucking on even in the late hours of the night." Meggy added, "We sort of... quit the mission.... For many reasons." Meggy somehow managed to scratch the back of her head, even with seemingly dozens of shopping bags adorning her arms. "One of the biggest was because the door we found wasn't exactly for Tari."
Suddenly, Mr. Phantom came back into view. "Was the door you found perhaps mine?" He asked calmly and curiously. Tari's pupils went small as she dropped all of her bags and squeaked in terror, jumping into Meggy's arms. Meggy stumbled, unable to hold Tari's weight and fell onto the floor and sending a ton of bags flying into the air. Mr. Phantom and I winced as we watched the scene unfold. It wasn't the most pleasant of sights. "I'm not exactly sure what kind of answer that is." Mr. Phantom said, looking at me with a perplexed expression.
"G-G-Ghost!" Tari shouted fearfully.
"And one that looks like that wretched Mr. Puzzles too." Meggy growled out. I could see Mr. Phantom trying to stop himself from rolling his eyes.
"Oh, he's just a split accompanying me for now." I said, trying MY best to hide the growl in my voice, "His name's Mr. Phantom." I introduced with a slightly more sincere smile. Meggy and Tari stood up, examining the split like he was some kind of foreign creature.
"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought we had kicked his soul out of his already lifeless body and this was him now, but his outfit looks too old school for this to be the actual Mr. Puzzles." Meggy said with narrowed eyes. Mr. Phantom tried to remain impassive in her scrutiny. "Although, I wouldn't put it pass him to change outfit just to try and trick us..." Meggy went on, starting to pull out her splatgun. Tari's voice interrupted further conflict.
"Isn't this the Horror split?" She asked, cowering behind Meggy. This somehow ticked Mr. Phantom off the most.
"No, dear..." He started, voice strained just enough to where you couldn't hear it, but you could feel it, "I'm just your friendly neighborhood Sci-Fi split. Ghosts classify as a part of the supernatural, if you didn't know. Making me, in fact, not the Horror split." He crossed his arms over his chest and gave a small smile, feeling content to have set the record straight. Meggy and Tari shared a glance before looking back at him.
"You're rather insecure about the whole Sci-Fi/Horror split thing..." Meggy said in a slightly more monotone but still judging tone of voice as she circled a finger in his direction.
"I can't help myself..." Mr. Phantom said nervously, holding his hands together and dropping him voice lower.
"Speaking of the Horror split, that's the door we were trying to tell you about earlier." Meggy started back up again, turning to face me. "We can take you to it, if you'd like." She offered.
I nodded. "Yes please and thank you." Meggy smiled before turning around, grabbing some of the bags on the floor.
"Mind helping me with some of these?" She asked with a slight pleading look in her eyes. I smiled and helped her swoop up some of the bags.
"Here, let me help you with those." I overheard Mr. Phantom say politely as he picked up a bag and held it up in front of Tari. He gave her a smile, his single pupil jumping from one eye to the other unconsciously. A wide, unsettled grin settled upon Tari's face. She swiped the bag out of Mr. Phantom's hand along with picking up a lot on the floor and smiling almost impeccably wider.
"N-Nope! Got it all c-covered here! Don't need any help!" She said quickly, before running off into the distance like some kind of cartoon character. Mr. Phantom and I exchanged glances. Even I didn't get Tari sometimes. We all followed after her, supposing she was going the right way.
It didn't take us long to reach her destination. We must've not been very far from the location... Or we moved very fast. We approached Tari, who had placed her shopping bags down and cowered before the door. The door, like most others, reserved it's spot in a least favorable environment: an awful smelling alleyway on an abandoned building. Maybe that was because this split didn't want anyone finding him. The wooden door had a neat design and carvings into the bark strangely despite that, though there were suspicious marks as well, which soothed me slightly. The appearance of the marks almost looked as if some sort of wild animal had clawed at the wood. There was also a rather interesting splattering of blood coating the bottom of the door. That did well to confirm that this was, indeed, the Horror split's door.
Meggy and I sat down our bags next to Tari's and Meggy said, "I think we'll join you, Claire. Tari here needs a little toughen up to do~" Meggy teased as she pushed her towards the door, Tari jumped backwards and Meggy got a little agitated. "Come on Tari, we've gotta at least help with one split! We've avoided it all day!" Meggy continued to scoot Tari towards the door as she tried to use her feet to stop her from moving forward.
"But why does it have to be this split!?" Tari asked in a sort of desperate shout as she stopped herself by jumping away from Meggy's pushing. "It can be any other split but this one!" She whined as she ran away.
Meggy groaned. "No, Tari!" She yelled as she ran after her.
I watched as the two ran off, watching them not only disappear into the distance, but my hope as well. Oh well, there goes my SMG4 crew companionship. This was my point for bringing Mr. Phantom with me now.
"That was a rather abrupt goodbye..." Mr. Phantom said, annoyance tinging his tone. I shrugged.
"I'm so used to this by now, I've already said I'm gonna be the only one collecting all of these splits." I let out a long sigh, "The only upside about this is that I'm not being forcefully pushed inside and falling flat on my face." I reached for the knob and opened the door. Mr. Phantom and I stepped inside and let the door shut behind us.
Surrounding us was a thick forest, a trail head starting from the door we entered from and leading down into the forest. Well great, what a nice, pretty forest where we definitely wouldn't be murdered…
Sarcasm by the way.
Mr. Phantom floated behind me and I slouched over. He was such a wuss. "Well, through the totally not-cliche-at-all forest we go!" I shouted with a fake sugary sweetness that hurt as it came off my tongue, but my feet were already carrying me forward.
The forest was lit up by the moon that hung above us in the star scattered sky. A cool, gentle breeze passed through the tall pines, rustling the leaves on every plant around us as an owl hooted off in the distance. Mr. Phantom placed a cold hand on my shoulder, colder then the wind whipping the tops of the trees around above us. Ominous looking eyes stared outwards through the darkness of the inner pines. They were a dull red, lacking any evil glint or malevolent growl behind them. I remained calm, following the trail head as Mr. phantom jumped at every little noise. Whether it be the sound of a twig breaking underneath my feet or a critter scampering by in front of us. "I knew I should've just stayed put in my manor..." I overheard Mr. Phantom murmur to himself with a trembling voice. I knew this was different from his usual quiet and safe pocket dimension that he had left behind, but I was really gonna need him to suck it up if we were gonna keep on going... And have me not blow my top.
This place was less scary then Mr. Romantic anyway...
The woods seemed to grow thinner as we approached a clearing. In the center was a cozy looking cabin. I regarded it as strange, seeing as it was a complete contrast from the supposed 'scary' forest that surrounded it. I assumed our next split had to be here. Before I could continue though, Mr. Phantom stopped me. "I... don't think we should keep going..." He told me wearily. I 'Pfft'ed at him, shrugging him off.
"Toughen up, Phantom." I said with a determined smile, "You aren't just going to bail on me now because of some 'ScArY' split, are you?" I asked, hoping he would say no... There was never a response. I tried to not let that get to me. "Come on, let's go." I said, less spry then before. Mr. Phantom at least suggested we search the perimeter of the cabin before deciding to enter. I didn't argue with the idea. It sounded smart. So, we searched the outside of the house, me occasionally looking in through windows to deem whether someone was here or not. That someone being our Horror split. We had concluded that the split was probably off somewhere else just from the looks of how vacant the cabin looked. That was discarding the still lit fireplace haphazardly still raging inside.
Mr. Phantom and I traveled around to the front of the cabin and went to open the door, but found that the door was slightly cracked open. Not even locked. "This looks like a trap, Claire..." Mr. Phantom whispered from beside me. I could tell just from the door alone, but even with all the reg flags visibly shoved into my face, we needed to find this split if we ever hoped to make Mr. Puzzles his full self again. With a deep breath from the both of us, we stepped inside, the door closing on it's own with a slow creak behind us. Traversing down a hallway, we discovered what I could only assume was the living room. Adorned with decoration, the entire room gave off the vibe of a cozy coffee shop. A long, white couch sat atop a fluffy rug, pillows and blankets of a similar color sat scattered about the couch and the floor around it. At the side of the couch closest to where we where at the mouth of the hallway, was a coffee table. An open book was left on the coffee table, along with a pen beside it. Along the other side was a steaming mug of hot coffee. Well, that must've given it away.
Our earlier conclusion was utterly wrong.
The fireplace suddenly went out before Mr. Phantom and I could do anymore exploring. My only light source was just him now as the warm lights of the cabin also went out. The comfy space now transformed eerie as I would've been left in complete darkness if it wasn't for Mr. Phantom. I decided to go searching for a light switch anyway, hoping that maybe one would work if I found it. Mr. Phantom followed me through the dark in complete silence. The air was tense with unspoken words.
I placed my hands on the wall in front of me because a rectangular shape caught my attention, but it wasn't a light switch. A swoosh of air was suddenly heard, along with a wicked "CRACK" as wood splintered right before my eyes. I quickly took my hand off the wall in panic. Holy shit, an axe almost took my hand off!
I watched as the axe was pulled out of the wall and back to the owner. My eyes traveled up to his face, the moonlight casting part of his screen in shadow, but it was simple to tell who this was.
The split.
The single eye I could see looked crazed, smile stretched across his screen in an almost forced way. I backed up, Mr. Phantom in so much fear, he turned invisible on me. Just great, now I could barely see the split. The split closed in on me, dragging his axe across the floor in my direction. "...What do you think you’re doing?… In MY HOME?” He growled from the other side of the hallway, staring me down like a crazed man... and like I had just committed a crime against him…. Well, I guess I did basically trespass on his property, but that was beside the point. We needed in here for a reason and that reason was him.
"I was just... Looking for you...?" I said hesitantly, backing up more as I heard him start to laugh. Then, he saw red.
"Oh kid, you're gonna DIE." He shouted with a manic laugh, raising his axe and swinging it towards me. I quickly scuttled out of the way, shooting myself back down the hallway and to the front door. I flung it open, wasting not a single moment trying to get a very angry Horror split off of my tail. Literally.
Through the forest I ran once again, the world seeming to move far too fast with my speed. The sound of heavy breathing from behind was not lost on me. It just spurred me on to keep going. My feet crunched under dead leaves and twigs, low hanging branches clawing at my hair
Great, a raging split didn't do me too well. Now I'd have to find some way of getting him to calm down without losing one of my limbs. My tail swished with a pace that matched the fast beating of my heart as I navigated through the forest blindly. I had never felt quite a rush of adrenaline like this until now.
Unfortunately, I had ended up tripping on a unrooted tree root from one of the pines and fell flat on my face.
How expected.
I couldn't begin to count how many times that had already happened today. It was like I had jinxed it before I entered the split's door. This obviously meant all my luck was lost on me. I scurried to my feet and that was right when the split had finally caught up to me and sent his axe down upon me. I braced and then tried to move, but he ended up getting me really good in the arm. I cried out in pain as the next sound was the axe getting successfully buried in the trunk of a tree. The split tried and failed without luck to lodge it free while I winced in pain.
Shit, I was bleeding a lot. Mr. Phantom tried to warn me this was a dangerous mission and I refused to listen despite that. Oh, was I gonna die? I fell to my knees, grabbing at my arm and crying out. I heard the split start to laugh again. I reluctantly turned to him. "Maybe if you hadn't barged into my home uninvited, I wouldn't have to teach you a lesson about respect!" He took a menacing step closer, ready to strike again even if it wasn't with his axe. The moonlight cast eerie shadows across his screen, the cracked screen flickering ominously. The split's hot breath hit my face as he loomed over me, a chill running down my spine. "I don't take kindly to uninvited guests, especially not nosy little girls like you!" He growled.
I was scared, not exactly in the best of state to fight him, and I went down.
The last thing I saw was a pastel blue light illuminate in front of me before everything went black.
The next time I woke up, I felt something warm covering my body and the pain had disappeared almost entirely. It was very dull now. I opened my eyes and noticed it was a blanket over me, along with a very worried looking Mr. Phantom. He lit up though when he noticed I was awake.
"Claire!" He said in surprise. If he was trying to shout, that was probably as high as his voice would go. I looked up at him and then around. We were back in the cabin again. That must've meant-
Sitting in front of the fireplace, I spotted the horror split. His back was turned to me, and the fire was raging once again. Suddenly, he turned around, looking at me with a more calm expression. Then, he stood up. This gave me a better view of what he looked like, with the lights finally back on and everything. His screen was that typical off-white dark grey, but there was a purple shade background with his broken screen, which showed only one of his eyes, the other side of his screen where his other eye would be completely gone. A usual large grin took up most of his lower face; the mouth's colors intended to resemble the TV color bars but were instead in a neon green, and purple pattern. He was wearing a dark gray bowler hat with the usual two crooked tv-antennas poking out from the top of the hat. Coming from the back side of his head, some purple and one neon green wires were sticking out of his TV head. He wore a slightly torn, gray vest over a white-undershirt with small shoulder pads. The black gloves he wore were torn at the fingers to reveal his purple and neon green patterned claws, and along with that, a belt with two rectangular pins on it, one was neon green, and the other was purple. He had one suspender worn correctly on his shoulder, though the other was slightly ripped and hanging loosely on his left hip. He had two breast pockets on his vest, which on the left holds a small black pen. He wore a torn, dark gray tie that had a faint star symbol on the base of the fabric, which was faded. His pants were dark grey with that iconic faint puzzle piece pattern that stopped at the bottom cuffs of his legs. He wore sneakers that were colored in dark gray, purple and neon green colors. One was untied while the other shoe was tied.
"I... do apologize for what I've done." He suddenly started before adding, "About your arm that is." My curiosity peaked and I lifted up the blanket with my free hand. Huh, he had patched it up pretty well. I put the blanket back down and stared at the split.
"Did Mr. Phantom ask you to say this?" I said with a neutral expression. This felt like something Mr. Phantom would try to stage.
The split looked from Mr. Phantom and then back to me. Telling just by that, my assumption was probably correct. "Well, yes..." He hesitantly confirmed my theory before his expression turned frustrated, "But- That's beside my point! You barged into my home!" He stomped his foot on the ground
Mr. Phantom gave the split a disapproving look before the split sighed and his expression softened. "Still, my actions were inappropriate and uncalled for." He grumbled something under his breath and Mr. Phantom gave a silent sigh. He moved to be by my side and placed a gentle hand atop my stomach.
"I'm truly sorry I wasn't there to help you Claire, but..." He trailed off and I knew what he was about to say.
"You told me this was a bad idea. Yes, I remember clearly..." Now I sighed, "But I guess it is technically my fault for not listening." I stopped for a moment, considering my next words before continuing, "Although, we did need our split."
"It's uh... Mr. Terror, by the way." The split, now known as Mr. Terror, piped up from his seat in front of the fireplace. My attention turned back to Mr. Phantom.
"After you blacked out, I came to your aid to stop Mr. Terror before he could actually kill you. I wouldn't allow that, since you were the first friend I've had since... " Mr. Phantom suddenly stopped, his gaze going to Mr. Terror. "That's a story for another time. Point is, we took you back here and got you all patched up while you were knocked out. You lost quite a lot of blood, but I'm hoping you will be alright."
"Mr. Phantom and I had a very insightful conversation that allowed us to connect again. If your confused, this is me tying us back around to Mr. Phantom's first friend, me." Mr. Terror picked up before Mr. Phantom started again.
"As the most commonly used and most negatively used, we were Mr. Puzzles's grief and anger. We were used so often, in fact, we came to loathe the roles we were given as Mr. Puzzles personality splits."
"And so, with our shared pain, we bound together to help each other while the other splits fell into disarray and fended for themselves. Even though Mr. Puzzles couldn't make himself any friends, his splits sure could." Mr. Terror finished, looking to Mr. Phantom with a new sort of genuine smile.
"Wow..." My voice cut through the silence that settled between us, "I really didn't know there was so much... tension and story between you guys."
Mr. Phantom gave a humble chuckle, "Well, it wouldn't have been impossible to tell when you have all of us together. We are the reason why Mr. Puzzles doesn't always make the smartest of decisions." Both of the splits then laughed, like their typical arrangements were just another joke. I felt bad.
"How come you guys can't just get along?" I asked curiously. Mr. Terror answered for me.
"Not every personality goes well together with another. Since there's eight of us, some of us don't mix better than others." I listened to the split's explanation and thought about what he was like now.
"But, you aren't angry all of the time." I pointed out, "Currently, you are very calm." Mr. Terror nodded.
"Of course. Splits can sometimes stray from what they are supposed to represent, but that works better outside of being apart of Mr. Puzzles. I turned my pocket dimension into a safe and cozy cabin in the woods. I built it myself even." Mr. Terror seemed prideful about his cabin and Mr. Phantom picked up.
"Same with I. I built myself a quiet manor to mourn Mr. Puzzles past without fear of knowing it would be used in a negative light. Mr. Terror's situation was for his anger and his quickly developing insanity." Mr. Terror didn't like the mention of the latter and Mr. Phantom quickly stopped.
"To help me with my... anger problems," Mr. Terror said softly, "I would cook, I would write, I would go for a walk in the woods. I found every quiet opportunity to do things that made me feel at peace and I found solace in that. So, when you entered, that shattered for me..." He trailed off. "You know what happened next."
I attempted to sit up as I remembered the open book I had noticed on the coffee table when I first entered the cabin. I looked over at it and read what was on the page. It was indeed a script, written from the point of view of an injured character and another coming to help them. It sounded similar to my situation. I flipped through the pages, and there weren't just scripts, there were actual journal entries, drawings, graphs, choreographed dances... "Oh my goodness..." I whispered, "This... is incredible." I raised my head up to Mr. Terror, who shrugged modestly.
"Ah, all of the personality splits have that level of creativity. I'm no different." I held the book in my lap as I listened to the split and wondered how it was that I hadn't seen anything else like this yet. It truly was a masterpiece.
Suddenly, the air in the room changed. "You do realize that you have to leave this all behind, yes?" Mr. Phantom said solemnly. "I was very appalled at the idea of having to leave something so perfect for that life again with all the splits, but Claire put it in a way that made it feel... normal again." Mr. Phantom looked to Mr. Terror with a soft smile. "It will be okay to leave this. Your peace of mind can still be obtained through me."
Mr. Terror seemed to shiver at the thought of leaving this comfortable cabin. I assumed his feelings had to be similar to Mr. Phantom's when I first proposed this. Somehow though, he didn't fight it. "I know you know what's good for me." He started, "So I will listen to you and hope you word is good."
Mr. Phantom had heard enough. "If that is what you wish." He said. They each exchanged knowing looks, like they had talked about this separately and didn't bother to bring it up. At this point, I had bigger things to worry about then that. Just as long as the split was willing to come and didn't have to have us use force.
Mr. Terror stood up and looked down at me. "Can you walk?" He had asked. Before I could give him an answer though, he picked me up and held me in his arms. My tail hung downwards, swishing slightly as he swayed. "Regardless whether you can or not, your current state might not be able to handle it." Despite how weird this was, I clutched the journal against my chest as I watched Mr. Phantom go grab for Mr. Terror's axe.
"Your hands are full." He had reasoned, "Just allow me." Then, we started out of the cabin. Mr. Terror did not like leaving it, stopping for a moment outside to gaze at it from afar before we started down the trailhead to the split door. The walk felt much more peaceful now. Like a quiet serenity had settled over us all with the connections we made through our conversations. Arriving finally at the door, Mr. Phantom was the one to open this time instead of me and we were met with a chilly night air. Not as warm as what we had come from.
Meggy and Tari were no where to be seen.
I sighed. I guess I couldn't blame them. It was beyond late anyway.
Something I did notice though was that all the shopping bags from earlier were gone. They must've taken them home with them.
Suddenly, I heard the soft sound of chatter approaching and both splits froze. The voices were familiar, so as they turned the corner, I was luckily met with Meggy and Tari. At least all hope was not lost. When they noticed us all, they also froze, taking in the sight before them before they both rushed forward. "Claire!" Meggy exclaimed in panic, "What happened to your arm??"
Once again, I was not given the chance to answer. Tari and Meggy promptly pulled out their walkie-talkies and shouted at the crew to meet up in the park, regardless of what hour it was. This was an emergency. Then, they put the walkie-talkies away and quickly led us all to the park.
Everyone was there in a matter of minutes.
Notes:
(A/n: Wow, definitely came back to haunt her. The uh... first time not falling flat on her face thing, and trying to squeeze in one more split, I mean. This chapter unfortunately took me really long to make for some reason for I was having a brain fart, so apologies for not receiving this last month. You will be receiving two chapters because of that this month, I am sure of it. Anyways, now that Claire is injured, and it's so late at night, how could she possibly work to find another split? Well, that's just it. She won't. Next chapter is our much needed intermission to sum things up and organize ideas and other characters from other split chapters to make their whereabouts or what not more clear. Promise you, it will still be a fun chapter, so stay on the lookout! Until next time, Honeybunches!)
(~Weirdy ❤️~)
Funny_Fish_Sticks on Chapter 1 Sat 04 Jan 2025 06:32PM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 1 Sat 04 Jan 2025 06:45PM UTC
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🤖 (Guest) on Chapter 1 Sun 19 Jan 2025 10:05PM UTC
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QwenStarling (Guest) on Chapter 2 Thu 16 Jan 2025 12:50AM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 2 Thu 16 Jan 2025 02:09AM UTC
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Qwenstarling (Guest) on Chapter 2 Thu 16 Jan 2025 02:54AM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 2 Fri 17 Jan 2025 02:54AM UTC
Last Edited Fri 17 Jan 2025 02:56AM UTC
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Qwenstarling (Guest) on Chapter 2 Mon 20 Jan 2025 05:49AM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 2 Tue 21 Jan 2025 06:08PM UTC
Last Edited Tue 21 Jan 2025 06:18PM UTC
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E (Guest) on Chapter 4 Sat 15 Feb 2025 05:17AM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 4 Sat 15 Feb 2025 08:35PM UTC
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Qwenstar (Guest) on Chapter 4 Mon 03 Mar 2025 07:51PM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 4 Fri 07 Mar 2025 04:48AM UTC
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Shadow_Cat_in_Night on Chapter 5 Thu 17 Apr 2025 02:04PM UTC
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WeirdLifeLiver_13 on Chapter 5 Fri 04 Jul 2025 09:26AM UTC
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