afternoondreaming

[afternoondreaming]

No Business Like Show Business (8/?)

Hello, dear viewers! Finally time for you to actually get to this screenwriter business. Bet you forgot that was your job title after all this time, huh?

Monday. The worst day of the week for every working class citizen. One that upon its utterance plants the seed of exhaustion into the very marrow of humanity’s bones. Well, you were being dramatic. It just sucked. Especially since it is your first actual day of working at Puzzlevision as it’s sole employee. Your hand slammed down onto your phone in attempts to stop the alarm that blared in your ears, knocking it off of your bedside table in the process as you groaned in annoyance. No, no, you must remain positive. It’s your first day at a new studio! Your boss was kind enough and at least you wouldn’t have to deal with asinine small talk with other employees and interns…! You’d have the office all to yourself- besides Mr. Puzzles- so you can play music of any genre and as loudly as you’d like! Positives. You must think of positives. Sluggishly retrieving your phone, you’d go about your morning ablutions while your mind wandered. What would you wear? Business casual would be your go-to, but it seemed rather unassuming in comparison to your superior. Strictly casual was definitely out of the question, then…

You would eventually find your way to your closet, freshly unpacked clothes from your move hanging in a neat order that would likely be failed to upkeep in due time. Your tired eyes would scan across, coming up at a loss as-… Something was there that most certainly was not when you packed. A double breasted suit jacket of monotone grey, accents of white along the shoulders and down the length of the sleeves. The starched collar of the jacket raised so that it may wrap around your neck, a black bow tie hung neatly around the hanger so that it may be paired with it. It looked much like a black and white version of an old cinema uniform, the main point standing out being the recognizable white TV logo on the left breast pocket. Had Mr. Puzzles left you a uniform…? Given it’s just a jacket and a bow tie, you likely could pair it with any pair of black slacks to complete it. While it was somewhat startling to find an unwelcome new addition to your wardrobe, it at least allowed you a simplicity of choice.

Puzzlevision Studios was but a short ten minute walk away, the soles of your shoes clicking against the sidewalk as you adjusted your bowtie with one hand and held your portfolio bag in the other. A rather nice day, hopefully a herald of a good work day as you came across the faded asphalt of the abandoned parking lot. Still eerie, you thought, pushing open the front door and preparing yourself for that puff of dust you were met with last time. Though, as you squinted your eyes and paused, you’d find that no grime of derelict years would greet you. Rather, that distinct lemony scent of floor cleaner. Mr. Puzzles had actually kept true to his word, having cleaned at least a section of the building for your use. Now that you could actually see the furniture beneath the caked grime, you’d have to guess that they were from the 50’s. Slim, streamlined wooden desks and conical hanging light fixtures adorning the sparsely populated office waiting space. At least, that was your guess, you weren’t in charge of props after all.

You walked past the waiting area and to the beginning of the hall, though stopped as something caught your eye. On one of the first doors down the hall was a rather out of place looking sign, very obviously handmade as it seemed the ink had slightly smudged atop the cheap printer paper. ‘Screenwriter’s Room’. Well, at least that made it easy, you thought, opening the door and jolting in surprise. Mr. Puzzles had been in there, apparently still cleaning with a dust cloth in his hand. He had yelped in surprise in turn at your sudden intrusion, though covered it up with a cough and a sideways glance.

“Ahem—- Starlet! Aha! Welcome, to the new and improved~…!” The man did a dramatic pose, gesturing to the finally clean living conditions. “Puzzlevision Studios!” He seemed to wait with baited breath as you looked around your would-be office, examining it out of politeness for all the work he had apparently put in. It wasn’t the most glamorous thing you’d ever seen; in fact, most would consider this a downgrade in conditions. Where you had recently come from a rather modern, ‘hip’ office with open planned drafting areas stocked with beanbag chairs and snack cabinets, this was absolutely archaic. A small room with a window to view the run down parking lot, one large table filling the space covered in permanent ink stains and notches from use, and two frankly uncomfortable looking wooden chairs. But, hey, at least it wasn’t mostly dust…!

“Thanks, Mr. Puzzles…!” You spoke carefully, not wanting to hurt your new boss’ feelings as you went about putting down your things. After all, he signs your paychecks.

“No need for thanks, my loyal sidekick!” Despite the words, it was very obvious the man wanted thanks. “I am a man of my word, after all! And I see you’ve found the uniform I created! One must match with their minions, after all~! I dare say that greyscale suits you!” Mr. Puzzles gestured to you, then back at his outfit, radiating pride for his apparently genius idea.

“Yeah, about that.” You began, your stern tone causing his happy expression to fall. “I get wanting a uniform for your employees- even though it’s a bit weird given I’m just a screenwriter-“ Emphasizing your proper job title, you continued. “Can you not leave it in my closet without any warning? It’s kinda creepy. How did you even know my size?”

“Excuse you! I had offered to help you move! Why not leave it there since I was already assisting?!” He scoffed, insulted at your creepy comment. “Besides, I simply guessed at sizing. Best to leave it for you to get tailored at your leisure.” He had in fact guessed at the sizing, given he had spent plenty of time just staring at you while you watched movies on his screen. A lucky guess, and certainly not creepy…! That’s what he’d tell himself, at least. He had gotten it done at the same place where he got his signature designer clothes, so at least you’d be similar once he got up to his villainy. Easier for everyone to know whose side you were on!

“Sure, sure.” You’d leave it at that, given he didn’t seem to mess with your room further. “Just don’t go leaving any more surprises around my house, ‘kay?”

Mr. Puzzles rolled his eyes— well, as best as a mostly static picture possibly could—- and sat down in the chair opposite yours. “Now! To business!” His hand went to one of his knobs, switching the picture to Puzzlevision’s current ratings. “We are… at zero stars.” He brushed past that part rather quickly, turning the knob again back to his face. “So! We need a breakout hit to being to correct course! Craft something genius, Starlet!” He waved his hand dismissively, ignoring the look of absolute confusion on your face.

“There’s so much to process here.” You pinched the bridge of your nose in frustration, thinking it all over. “First: how the hell did we get to zero stars?!” While Mr. Puzzles’ knee jerk reaction was to begin to admonish you for even questioning such a thing, one word gave him pause. We. Despite it being your first day, you seemed to already count yourself at a proper Puzzlevision employee… He was lucky you were still so frustrated so you wouldn’t see the genuinely pleasant expression on his face. “Second: you can’t just tell me to craft something!” You exclaimed, hands dropping to your sides as you looked at him in mocking annoyance. “There’s a process to this! I need to know what you’ve done already, what films got what ratings, what test audiences thought was good and bad…!”

Test audiences. He… Hadn’t thought of that. Perhaps it would’ve been a good idea, but he’d be damned if he let you know that he never even considered it. “I have tried everything!” He exclaimed back, voice raising. “Foreign films, game shows, horror, westerns, kids programming, even a damn fairy tale for goodness sakes!” For each listed genre his screen would change to the poster, growing frustration at having to list each of his prior failures. “Everything!”

You racked your brain, watching the man ramble before an idea would finally strike. “You didn’t try romance.” You countered, Mr. Puzzles stopping mid ramble with a confused look on his face. He even had a little loading circle… You’d unpack how you felt about that later.

“Excuse you?”

“Romance! Sure you did a fairytale, but that’s not really a proper romance. If you do a romance right, you gain a practically rabid fanbase who’ll consume anything you put out related to it.” It was an easy genre to mess up, and one that could get you a lot of flak. But the rewards far outweighed the losses, given there was practically nothing to lose. “I worked on a few serialized romance series, so I’ve got the experience under my belt. What’s our pool of actors looking like? Can you call back the ones who performed in the other shows?”

“Absolutely not!” His sudden objection left you rather confused, but he continued anyway. “I refuse to… Call back, those oafs!” Mr. Puzzles didn’t exactly want you knowing that they were held against their will and brainwashed into performing. “They are wholly unprofessional and have produced the single worst show I have ever seen!”

“Okay, okay, jeez… You’re the one with zero stars, though.” You decided not to push that further, moving on before he could comment on your little jab. “So you’re telling me we have no actors, no staff, and no existing fanbase.”

“Exactly why I hired you.” Mr. Puzzles’ manic face returned, a slightly imposing look when he seemed to tower over you even when sitting. “We’ll develop a show with a skeleton crew of actors, a shoestring budget and you must get our ratings sky high. Do I make myself clear?” God, the man looked scary with that threatening tone, a shiver going up your spine.

“Crystal…” You replied, clearing your throat to distract from the slight terror. “So, we’re probably looking at two actors at least… I can work with this. Filming in your head will make for great sets, at least… How’ll we run through the screenplay with just us, though?”

“Simple, Starlet!” His demeanor changed back to something less threatening, though you still couldn’t shake that inkling of fear. “We’ll act it out ourselves until we can find suitable replacements!”

…Oh boy.

[afternoondreaming]

Imagine: Valentine’s Day with Wheatley

Bet you didn’t expect two uploads in a day! Going back to my roots with our favorite sphere. I really did miss him!

Let’s be so for real… I don’t think Wheatley would remember at first. He’d be wholly oblivious to it until you happen to hint at it or just mention what day it was outright.

Once you do, however, he’s just going to pretend like he knew the whole time. Of course he remembered! He’s a genius after all- he’d never forget a day like that! He was just playing coy. (Liar.)

He’d try to do some classic “roses are red, violets are blue” poems, but he gets kind of distracted talking about how contradictory the poem is. Violets aren’t blue, they’re violet! Really shows how those dumb humans know their flora. Not that you’re dumb! Just Wheatley floundering back and forth between trying to clean up after his fuckups and failing to understand wordplay.

He does do something adorable for you though, directing you to an old break room somewhere deep in the facility that had a vending machine. It had chocolates in it and after some hacking from him (mainly you finding a breaker switch to get the thing running) you get to enjoy some stale yet edible chocolates.

All in all, he really does care deeply for you. All he wants is to impress you and feel like enough for you, and every day he gets to spend with you- even if it’s on the run from GLaDOS- is one he really enjoys.

[afternoondreaming]

Imagine: Mr. Puzzles on Valentine’s Day

Hi, dear viewers! Today is the day of love over here in the states, so it seemed rather fitting to take a break from the usual programming for some fun!

Mr. Puzzles never exactly had any friends. Therefore, his only real experience with romance was through the silver screen. So, when he found you, the object of his affections, he only knew one way to do it.

He would prepare a large, showy way of asking you to be his Valentine. Sure, he may drag you into his head to get the perfect set dressing- but it’s all for love, he swears!

You wouldn’t be brainwashed, of course, but you would be dressed lavishly along with him; some sort of upgraded version of his already designer clothes. It would change depending on the setting.

First he’d ask you in a classic period piece, a Romeo and Juliet type situation as you look down at him from a wrought iron balcony as he shouts declarations.

Then a more modern setting; something akin to an eighties movie as he holds up a boombox and makes corny love professions.

But, in the end, all the set dressings fall. Just you and Mr. Puzzles as he tries, for once, to say something original. A true confession from the heart.

And when you accept the true one? That’s when he truly swoons. It solidifies to him that, yeah, this is the one.

You spend the rest of the day together in the real world, watching movies and getting food delivered to just chill out.

[afternoondreaming]

No Business Like Show Business (7/?)

Howdy, dear viewers! This chapter is really where the “canon divergent” tag comes into play. Since I’m not really an SMG4 watcher, I’m not an expert in its lore. So, I’m referencing the wiki and making my own! Creativity is what the puzzle man would want anyways, right? …right?

With a groan your arms stretched high up to the ceiling, a blanket you don’t remember putting over yourself falling to the floor. You had slept surprisingly well, given the fact that you had apparently fallen asleep on your second-hand, worn down Ikea loveseat. Most of last night seemed to blur together in your mind. You had watched movies with Mr. Puzzles, sure, but… Had you even taken him home? It wasn’t that big of a deal, Puzzlevision Studios was around a five minute walk away, but that surely couldn’t have been where he lived… Could it? No, certainly not. That would be crazy. Then again, everything around here seemed crazy. You went about your morning routine with little to note, eventually coming to rest at your small table to eat your breakfast with your laptop close by. You’d been meaning to do some research, and you might as well get it done before you start your new job. New job… Right. Retrieving your phone from your pocket, you shot off a quick message to your new boss.

“Hey. Did u walk home?”

Stowing it away, you got to work as you ate your cereal. Things were weird, and you needed to get to the bottom of it. Saturated environmental colors, people’s movements not being quite right… You searched up where you lived, and specifically went to the YouTube section. If it wasn’t just you, there would have to be video evidence. In doing so, you’d stumble across your first clue. Some man- rather short and clad in white overalls- reenacting some meme. And, clear as day, his movements were just… Not lifelike. Another man, looking incredibly similar to the first yet sporting rather evil looking facial hair, moving similarly. A video of a woman shooting a… Paint gun? Paint would be far too viscous to shoot like she was doing, especially from a gun so small. Not to mention the background of the video was just as saturated as everything else.

This led you to a different rabbit hole entirely. Memes. That’s right, ones of the “I can haz cheezeburger” variety or Moo Deng and Wombo Combo. Were you getting out of touch? Apparently, at least here, memes had a certain power to them. Meme Energy, as you’ve decided to call it, seemed to be… Contagious, for lack of a better term. Exposure to areas with high amounts of it, ie the Mushroom Kingdom which you now reside on the outskirts of, seemed to make things more cartoony. Toon logic like serious injuries not being as serious- though with the amount of grave injuries you’ve seen on the Mushroom Kingdom’s denizens’ YouTube pages, you hope that to be the case- saturated color schemes, exaggerated proportions and movements…

You looked up from your computer, gazing out the window to the sunny day outside. Exposure… Would that mean you would become just as weird as your boss? Looking down at yourself, you didn’t seem very different. Then again, you only just got here… Perhaps it would be best to have something for comparison. You set your phone up against your laptop and got up from your chair, setting a picture timer before standing up and taking a few steps back.

Yup. Still you. You thought, coming back to see the photo. As you pondered on it, a message came across the top of your screen.

“Ah! Yes, Starlet! You got rather tired so I showed myself out. My apologies if I worried you.”

Your fingers awaited above the phone’s keyboard, tapping the sides in contemplation as you thought your message through.

“Hey, Mr. Puzzles, r u a meme?”

“…Pardon you?” His message dinged, coaxing a giggle out of you.

“I’ll take that as a no?”

“I am nothing of the sort! Such low brow comedy is far too benign for someone of my caliber. Why are you suddenly interested in memes?”

You stared at the screen, a certain sense of apprehension overtaking you for reasons you didn’t know.

“…No reason. C u tomorrow”

With a sigh you put the phone aside, dragging your laptop over again and pulling up a tab to create a blog. Might as well publish your findings so far. Maybe somebody would find them useful.

[afternoondreaming]

Hello, dear viewers! What better way to plan gags for future chapters than to draw out ideas!

[afternoondreaming]

Hi, dear viewers! Sad to say, I’m kind of burnt out at the moment with writing. So! I figured I’d give you a quick funny doodle to tide you over until the next chapter! Drew my own insert again- still trying to think of a name. I think Noon? I hazard to call myself Dream.

[afternoondreaming]

Hi, Sorry to bother you, but the Ao3 the latest chapter got merged together :(

Not a bother, dear viewer! Thank you for letting me know! It should be fixed now.

[afternoondreaming]

New chaaaaapppp!!!!! X3<

Also, nice drawing! I love it! :D XD

Aw, thanks, dear viewer! I hope it was a good holiday treat! I’m hoping to get another chapter done and published shortly after New Years!

[afternoondreaming]

I know this isn’t a chapter, dear viewers, but Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! I thought I’d draw Mr. Puzzles and my insert for NBLSB! I’m unsure what to call myself—- Afternoon? Noony, maybe? Who knows, but enjoy the Soul Eater pose anyways!

[afternoondreaming]

Imagine: Mr. Puzzles Meets his Narrative Foil

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this special showing! I got an incredibly sweet ask from a viewer, @autisticfoxgirl333, about an OC of theirs and Mr. Puzzles. While I forgot to put in my rules that I won’t write for other people’s OCs, I will gladly write an imagine about a generic “you” insert. So! I’m writing a generic version! Hope you don’t mind, dear viewer, and enjoy the program! (By the way, lovely drawing you submitted!)

Mr. Puzzles is a man who craves popularity and positive attention. He’s charismatic, though a little awkward. Therefore, when he’s met with someone kind yet avoidant of the public eye, he’s almost a little baffled.

Someone like you? With your radiating generosity and sincerity that shies away from the silver screen, he almost considers it a waste. You would do amazingly! Why couldn’t you see that? He would make attempts to involve you in programs and while you’re too shy to disagree, your sheepish performance didn’t exactly bring in the ratings.

And yet, he found himself enjoying it. On occasions he would bring you into his Puzzlevision Adventures with no intention to broadcast them. Simply enjoying your company and seeing how you react to different situations. Where he struggles to catch the eyes of others with a manufactured bravado, you seem to naturally attract attention that you don’t even want with your inherent demeanor.

You bring out the good in him, and he brings out the good in you. You allow him to be genuinely himself, and he allows you to come out of your shell and be a bit more in the public eye. Complements of one another that enhance characteristics that are already there. You give him the confidence to start crafting more original stories too, and he’ll give you roles that aren’t center stage due to your sheepishness, yet ones that still get a tiny bit of screen time to show that you’re thought of.

Given you’re actually a true companion to him, you both become rather inseparable. Though it never feels suffocating. He will gladly take on interactions you’re either too tired or too hesitant to engage in, and given he’s a man prone to stress, you help him regulate that.

Either way, you both have a pleasant time. After all, you’re the peanut butter to his jelly! The silver to his screen. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

[afternoondreaming]

No Business Like Show Business (6/?)

Eheh, soooo I lied! Happy holidays, you’re getting a chapter! And one from Mr. Puzzles’ POV of all things. I figured it had been a minute since we were inside his head. I hope you’ll all enjoy!

The room was dark. Quiet now after God knows how many movies. Mr. Puzzles had long since turned off his staticy screen, you having fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of Lord of the Rings. He… Wasn’t quite sure what to do. In fact, he wasn’t really sure of anything at the moment. Why had he even stayed after you dozed off in your chair next to him, popcorn bowl still in your lap as your head lulled? His plan was to leave after all, no reason to stay. And yet… Here he was. Still sitting on the opposite end of the loveseat facing you, even keeping his screen blank so as not to wake you with the light. Perhaps it was to prevent waking you- certainly that had to be it. Though, why would he care? Were he in his right mind he would’ve had no qualms with abruptly rising to his feet and making a grand exit. But, he wasn’t in his right mind.

The evening had been good. The two of you had found a rhythm to conversation, the shared love of cinematography and writing shared between you making it so easy to just talk. To the point where you had to pause the movies multiple times to swap opinions and fun facts— purely because he enjoyed it… You never pandered to the man, never blindly following along with his opinion nor being overly contrarian. He found that you were headstrong, yet not overbearingly. Passionate about your work, eager to share and innovate. Not as passionate as him, of course, who could ever match that; but to find someone with such a spark for the arts. It… Pleased him more than he would like to admit. He had needed this- whatever this really was…

What in the hell was this feeling? His gloved hands came to his face, leaning his screen heavily into his palms. Mr. Puzzles was a charismatic man, in a way he was almost made for the screen. Grand, larger than life, and had grown used to trying to please audiences with finesse and honeyed words. He never really succeeded though. Popular. That is what he wanted to be, what he strove for every second of every day. What he molded himself to try to achieve- and it seemed he finally, finally achieved even a small bit of it. His sidekick- no, Starlet- seemed to at the very least tolerate his company. Perhaps even consider him a friendly acquaintance- though he’d hazard to make that assumption. The way they talked to him, smiled at the movie on his screen, laughed at the jokes, had a glimmer in the eye when discussing the skills of the trade. He… Wanted to see it more. God, he wanted to see it more.

It had to purely be the admiration he was addicted to; Surely. He has made the first step in making his first… Friend. The man let out a heavy sigh, flinching when he realized how loud it was as he froze and waited for your reaction. When it didn’t come, he relaxed again. He hated this feeling; the sensation of not knowing for sure. Life wasn’t a movie or script, it was nuanced. Uncontrollable. His hands fell from his face, gaze resting on your features again. He needed a smoke. With great care the gangly man slowly rose from his seated position, pausing every few moments when he thought you were about to stir from your slumber. As he was about to step away from the loveseat, he turned back, sighing in annoyance as he grabbed a blanket to put over you. Why did he care?! It was annoying, it was-… He couldn’t have his minion catching a cold before their first day.

Over exaggerated sneaking steps carried him to the door, his screen flickering to life again now that the light wouldn’t wake you. “…Good night, Starlet.” He whispered, hand turning his volume knob down to the lowest it could go before he stepped out, closing the door with a soft click. The producer leaned against the railing of the outdoor balcony path that connected all the apartments, lighter clicking as he attempted to bring the flame to life, face exhausted as he brought it to his screen for a drag. The sky was full of stars as he gazed up, moon high in the sky while he watched the smoke twist up into the heavens. He loathed having someone to care about now. If SMG4 or any of his cronies came- he finally had something to lose other than his plan. A friend. A true friend- or one in the making, at least. He hated it. He… Was excited to ask your opinion on the movie come Monday.

[afternoondreaming]

Howdy, everyone! Due to prep for the holidays, I’m unsure if a chapter is gonna come out in December— I’ll be working on it but I doubt it’ll get finished, my apologies! Either way, have a good holiday season everyone!

[afternoondreaming]

Love the latest chap!<3 Also, I think you need to fix it in Ao3 cuz they all got merged together, kind of Junyhybynuujumu

Aw nuts! I’ll get to fixing that, thanks!

[afternoondreaming]

No Business Like Show Business (5/?)

Finally! Back to another showing, folks! Things are slowly getting more interesting. What exactly is going on with the strange scenery? Will you figure it out? Will you ever grow used to your boss' antics? Stay tuned to find out! Also, a special thank you to @just-j3ster for the recommendations on tags!

Waving back to your apparently ‘benevolent’ boss, you straightened yourself out before going to greet him. “Hey, Mr. Puzzles!” Your tone was rather chipper despite the long drive, turning to look at the moving truck before returning your gaze to the TV head in front of you. “You sure you wanna help? I could’ve just asked my work friend.” While it was rather kind of him to offer, you wouldn’t want to impose on your newfound superior. 

“Of course!” His voice was sing-songey, screen turning to a joyful yet uncanny face. “I said I would help, and a good mastermind always helps their sidekick.”

“Really? Still on about that ‘sidekick’ thing?” Sighing was all that statement could be met with, turning to walk to the back of the truck as you dangled the keys. “Let’s get to work then, Boss.” Despite the sarcasm dripping from your voice, Mr. Puzzles didn’t seem to notice. Simply following after you, every single step for him being three for you. The bastard really was tall. With a turn of the latch you shoved the door upwards, gazing at all your earthly possessions. “Ready?”

“Surely! Ah- however…” The look on his screen went awkward, turning slightly away from you in what seemed like embarrassment. “While I have moved before, I just…Haven’t helped someone else.” He coughed to cover the last statement up, switching his picture back to normal. “I’m sure it is similar enough, right? Moving couches and getting stuck in tight stairwell corridors having to pivot and all that?”

“Are-… Are you referencing Friends?” Your arms went slack, looking up to him in disbelief. “Are you being serious and referencing Friends?”

“It… Is my main frame of reference.” With how he slouched in disappointment… He must’ve actually been serious. 

“Well, we have one singular loveseat to move, first of all. Not a whole couch.” You pat the man on the back in an awkward attempt at reassurance. “Second of all, you don’t really need a frame of reference for it. You and I are just gonna move furniture and then in the end, I’ll get some takeout to pay you back. Simple.” Without giving him enough time to protest you picked up a box from the moving van, surprising him by suddenly putting it into his arms. “Let’s get to work! We’re losing daylight.”

“Right! Yes-aha! Onwards!” He recovered from the surprise quickly, holding the box strangely in his long arms and making his way towards the stairwell entrance. 

All in all, it would take around three hours to move most of everything from the moving van into your new apartment. And, despite you once asking for the keys and him throwing your whole printer at you, it went well enough! You were on the last of the boxes as your phone began to ring, excusing yourself to answer it as you watched Mr. Puzzles work. 

“Yo yo!” Tori’s voice rang through the other side, bringing a weary smile to your face. “What’s goin’ on? You regret not taking up my offer to help you move now~?”

“Hey, Tori.” You leaned against the side of the truck, grateful for the moment to relax. “It’s been going well enough, so no, I don’t regret it.” Despite the statement your tone was obviously joking. “Besides, I did end up getting help.”

“Really? What, now that you’re a big shot you decided to hire some moving company?”

“No, I didn’t hire anybody…” You were trepidatious about your answer, but didn’t want to lie to your friend. “My boss decided to help…?”

“…Nah you’re lying.” Tori was understandably shocked. “The head of Puzzlevision just… Decided to lend you a hand?”

“Yeah- I mean, I guess?” You watched Mr. Puzzles, currently struggling to find the best way to hold an awkwardly shaped box. “He’s weird but nice enough.”

“But-like-” Your friend stumbled over her words. “He’s the head of the studio! Why does he give a fuck?!”

“Listen, listen” You replied calmly, getting her to quiet down so you could speak. “Things at Puzzlevision are… Weird. Even just here is weird…!” Turning your gaze from your boss to your surroundings, you once again acknowledged the strangeness of the scenery. “Everything is… Color corrected. Saturated. Even how he moves is over exaggerated!” Case in point, the man was over dramatically trying to keep his balance while making sure the box didn’t tumble down the stairs. “It's just really Twilight Zone around here, man. I can’t go into it right now, but…”

“You’re going to have to dish the gossip later, okay?” Tori said assertively, managing to get a chuckle out of you. 

“Okay okay, sure. We’ve still got more to move, so I can’t talk for long.” After all, you didn’t want your new boss moving your things by himself. That would be taking advantage of his kind offer! “I’ll talk to you later, you snoop.” 

With some short goodbyes you hung up, returning to the TV man’s side. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“No need!” He replied, fixing his rolled up sleeves and dusting off his gloves. “This was all quite fun! A true bonding montage between mastermind and minion!” Another one of his dramatic poses were struck, prideful look on his screen.

“Well, it's not over yet! And- yet again- Screenwriter.” You corrected him habitually as you grabbed the last box, pulling down the back door of the moving van and locking the car with a click. “Now’s the time where I pay you back with takeout. Now, ‘you more of a pizza or Chinese food person?’ He’d follow behind as you walked over to the stairwell entrance, trudging back up the stairs for the umpteenth time that day.

“I…” Mr. Puzzles began, that awkward look washing over his screen once more. “Don’t really eat, Starlet.” Oh… Right. He had a TV for a head. Of course he wouldn’t eat. You felt so stupid, finally reaching your apartment door and bumping it open with your hip.

“Fuck, I’m sorry, I hadn’t even thought of that… Why didn’t you tell me earlier when I mentioned it!” You dropped the box in the inside hall, groaning as you walked to the loveseat the two of you had moved today and allowing yourself to fall into it.

“Well, I simply didn’t want to rain on a trope!” The man fretted in attempts to console his new sidekick, trying to dismiss it with the wave of his hand. “If it was a veritable tradition, then who am I to deny the audience?!” Who was he to deny the tried and true trope when it worked so well? And, partly, it was selfish. He never had the opportunity to help someone like this before, so the thought of being able to bond with the one who would hopefully turn his ratings around was an enticing thought. After all, loyalty was earned and he had to assure that you wouldn’t be swept away by SMG4 and his group of simpletons when he inevitably came to ruin it all.

“Well I can’t just eat without you, that’s plain rude!” You tossed your arm up in emphasis, letting it fall limply in your own frustrations.

“Not at all! We could do something else if you want to repay me! We could-ah…” Mr. Puzzles looked around before snapping his fingers, coming up with an idea. “We could watch a movie! Aha! Yes, that would be the perfect activity for my newly acquired Starlet Sidekick to partake in with me.”

“...I guess it's thematic.” You replied, sitting up as you looked over to your television set. “I haven’t set up my DVD player or internet, though… I could do it now, I guess.” Shrugging, you got up from your seat, starting to make your way over to the various unpacked boxes.

“Ah, no need for all that! I can play whatever you’d like!” He chirped, happy face flickering onto his monitor.

“...You can play it? Like… On your face?” You weren’t exactly sure what you expected. Logically, it would make sense that a TV could play movies, but… That was his face. “So, what, do I just stare at your face the whole time…? Can you even talk when you’re doing that or am I just basically alone?” Were these questions insensitive? Possibly, though, you couldn’t tell. Luckily, Mr. Puzzles just met your questioning with laughter.

“I suppose you’d be staring at my face, technically. And, no, you wouldn’t be alone~! I can talk through it just fine while I’m playing a feature.” He could sense you were impressed and subsequently got more smug, causing you to roll your eyes. “My precious TV head is much more useful than just displaying my magnetic features~”

“...Uh, yeah, sure, casanova.” You couldn’t possibly roll your eyes any harder at his self aggrandizing antics, but he didn’t seem to care. “Come over here, then.” You waved him over, patting the empty space on the chair and seemingly confusing him.

“Uh, pardon you?” Mr. Puzzles asked, pointing at himself.

“Well, I’m not gonna have you sitting on my coffee table.” Shrugging, you got up and walked over to the kitchen. “Sit down and face where I’ll sit. I’m gonna make some popcorn. You got any movie recommendations?”

You wouldn’t see it, but for a slight moment, a line of bright pink would flicker across the producer’s face for a moment. His plan was to just retract his body into his head and rest on the coffee table, but… You actually just wanted him to sit with you. He’d… happily oblige if it meant earning the loyalty of his new sidekick. He’d take a seat you had assigned him on the small loveseat, fixing his face lest you returned. “Of course I’d have movie recommendations!” He began, glad to focus on it. “I’ve seen everything! We could go strictly classics if you’d prefer: Casablanca, Psycho, The Godfather, Gone with the Wind…” He listed off titles as the sound of popping popcorn lightly rang out from the kitchen, only stopping when you came back with the bowl.

“Let's go with Casablanca, yeah? Been a while since I’ve seen that.” You replied, sitting down cross legged while you situated yourself to lean against the armrest and watch the TV man.

“Ah, you’ve seen it~!” Mr. Puzzles said happily, his head tuning off his face and onto the opening as his hand fiddled with the volume knob. “I knew I made the good choice of hiring someone with taste~! I hope you don’t mind Puzzlevision commentary throughout, then.” He adjusted himself a final time on the couch, resting his head in his hands as he directed it at you.

“As long as you’re correct, it's fine. Hell, I’ll pitch in too when I remember something.” Popping some popcorn in your mouth, you smiled as the familiar intro played. Mr. Puzzles was eccentric, there was no denying that. But, thanks to today, you didn’t find his eccentricities as annoying. “Thanks, again, Mr. Puzzles. For the help.” You kept your voice low so as to not disturb the movie too much, becoming rather transfixed on the screen in front of you. “You’re… Quite welcome.” He replied, similarly quiet. “Oh! Now, you see, they used this shot because…” Mr. Puzzles would ramble on for a while about fun facts, the awkwardness of staring at what was eventually his face fading away when you got engrossed with swapping facts and opinions.

[afternoondreaming]

when you get this, list 5 songs you like to listen to, publish. then, send this ask to the last 10 people in your notifs (positivity is cool!!) :)

Oh wowie! I've never had an ask like this before! I have a lot of songs I like, so this is tricky. I'll just do what I've liked lately!

Break a Neck {ODETARI and Ayesha Erotica}

Daisies {Black Gryph0n and Baasik}

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing {Set It Off}

My Way of Life {Frank Sinatra}

2econd 2ight 2eer (That was fun, goodbye.) {Will Wood}

[afternoondreaming]

Take your time, looking forward to it! X3

Thanks, dear viewer! I’m struggling a little with structuring, but I wanna make sure ya’ll get the best chapter possible!

[afternoondreaming]

What is goody my gang! I’m working on what’ll hopefully be a longer chapter than normal! and a funny one, at that. So stay tuned!