#howard is roughly twenty eight in the current canon of the universe

[five-nights-at-whoopees]

Meet the Characters: Part 2

So, I decided to focus this on a background character! (mostly since they will show up again, but of course- I'm not sharing everything-)

I'm honestly doing this for @skippudippu who sent the first ask, and with that being said- let's get right to it!

Howard Weinerman had been Randy's best friend first; before Ellis had come into the picture, Randy and Howard were to the hip- they had met through a playdate set up by their parents when they were still pretty young. Life had almost felt like a dream back then when Cunningham foolishly believed the folktales of a hero in the ancient days of Norrisville.

"I'm going to be a ninja," Randy had declared with the same level of enthusiasm a young child could have. He was beaming, grinning at Howard who just slightly rolled his eyes at the other's antics.

Life had been so much simpler back then.

Of course, Whoopee's Pizzeria opened- it was still being established as a new restaurant and everyone was in awe over its technology; animatronics weren't exactly common yet, and Howard found himself being dragged over there by Randy who was ridiculously fast for someone his age. In the end, it had become almost tradition to go there with the Weinerman's as Randy's parents were almost always busy- too focused on their work to notice their own children.

Howard only really cared about the food, but he also found himself in awe with the band; maybe one day he and Randy could form their own band- it would have a cool name, and they would get to perform and have their own songs and everything! That was how things should've gone, in some other life.

When Ellis came into the picture, Howard was admittedly a little miffed but Randy still made time for them both- and going to the pizzeria was part of their routine, he liked it. They would play the games, win some prizes, and wait until they could go again but then that day happened.

It had been Randy's birthday.

Howard and Ellis knew just how excited he had been- to bring them to their favorite restaurant and watch the animatronics perform, but then things got weird. Really weird.

He remembered faintly Randy telling him about a cool new mascot that had something special planned, and he didn't recall if he went with him- he does remember the color yellow, that it had looked shiny.

Only the next second, Randy and some of their classmates - Bucky, Julian, Rachel, just to name a few - were gone. They went missing. Despite the attempts to find them, they just vanished without a trace, and Howard felt like his entire world was spinning.

This couldn't be happening.

Randy would return. He had to come back.

Only Howard didn't quite understand, that Randy just couldn't come back; the friendship he had with Ellis completely fell apart- they still saw each other every once in a while, but it wasn't enough. He didn't want to see Ellis.

He wanted Randy, and as he got older- the reality of the situation hit. He became angry at the world, deciding to shut people out; he wouldn't let himself get fully close with anyone ever again. Nothing could fill the empty feeling in his chest, nothing could change the fact that his biffer was just gone and the rumors that he and the other kids simply ran away was nothing short of a mockery.

He managed to pass his classes; he began frequenting the Game Hole, knowing it was something Randy would've enjoyed- he picked up playing Grave Punchers and the other video games- fighting games, imagining he still had Randy beside him. (it was all a lie- Randy just wasn't coming back)

Leaving high school, he almost contemplated getting out of Norrisville but he just couldn't- and soon enough, he became a game developer; he still was angry, but at least he knew how to do business, and people were of course, fascinated- the younger crowd especially.

Howard continued life- it's not like he had any other choice, but then Debbie came around, asking questions: if he remembered anything from the day Randy went missing. He denied everything - he has weird flashes sometimes, faintly recalls a weird smell but before he can figure out what it is- it vanishes. He wanted answers.

Debbie is a news reporter- she's a professional journalist now, and she gives him an offer.

After that, things are never the same...

(If only he had known the web of lies and dark secrets, it would come to unfold)