The last few days... weeks... months... years... the last few... just, just EVERYTHING has been horrible. Nothing has been going according to Vendetta's operation. 

But, I mean, come on now, this is Vendetta we're talking about...

...the greatest inventor the world has ever seen, the ruler of Clamburg...

...do you really think this constant failure is going to get into her head?

Vendetta: "And now I present to you..."

Vendetta: "...THE NEW AND IMPROVED STUPID BLUE GIRL DESTROYER!!!"

She takes out something that resembles a bazooka... with knives taped to it.

She aims it at a dartboard, which has a paper with a crude drawing of Charlotte attached to it with darts, syringes, and knives of various sizes. 

After firing it, the impact causes her to lose control of her aim.

She creates a giant hole in the wall instead, causing a fire along the way. 

She's lying on the floor, covered in ash, with a tired expression on her face.

Grudge comes over to her and glances at her worryingly.

He growls.

Vendetta: "..."

He growls again, his concern growing.

Vendetta: "...I'm fine... just great..."

Vendetta: "...never been better..."

The hole in the wall is now causing a wind draft. A large gust of wind makes a lot of things fly around the room, including the Charlotte drawing, which falls directly on top of Vendetta's face. It's almost as if it were smiling at her mockingly.

Vendetta: "......................................................"

Vendetta begins furiously screaming, stomping around the room, breaking things, tearing the drawing apart, pulling at her hair, and tearing out strands... before Grudge takes hold of her in an attempt to snap her out of her anger attack. 

Vendetta: "LET ME GO, YOU STUPID HAMSTER!!! I'LL KILL YOU!!! I'LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE!!!!!!!!! I DON'T CARE!!!!!!!"

Vendetta: "I NEED HER DEAD DEAD DEAAAADDD!!!! I NEED HER SIX FEET UNDER WITH HER FAMILY WEEPING UNTIL THE REST OF THEIR PATHETIC LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Vendetta: "I'LL STOMP ON HER GRAVE UNTIL NOTHING IS LEFT BUT DUST OF WHAT WAS ONCE THE MOST ANNOYING, INSUFFERABLE, STUPID, IDIOTIC, IRRITATING PEST I'VE EVER SEEN!!!!!!! I'D RATHER EAT A SANDPAPER AND RAZOR SANDWICH FOR LUNCH THAN SPEND ANOTHER MINUTE WITH-"

Grudge takes a bucket of ice-cold water and pours it on her. The shock actually makes her stop and freeze into space, allowing Grudge to gently dry her with a towel, as she's just standing there, exhausted. She watches as he tries his best to cover up the hole in the wall and put everything back as it was.

Vendetta: "...hamster..."

Grudge: "?"

Vendetta: "..."

Vendetta: "...bring me my pajamas. I'm going to bed early."

Grudge: "..."

As she slowly walks through her house, dreadfully contemplating things, the doorbell rings. She was quick to ignore it, but the ringing kept persisting with intervals of exactly 5 seconds between each ring, which started to give her a headache. 

Vendetta: "URGHHH..." 

Vendetta: "HAMSTER?! Where are you?!" 

RING

Vendetta: "Open the door!!" 

Suddenly, the ringing got faster and louder, without any breaks in-between. 

RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING RING

Vendetta: "AGGGGHHHHH!!!!!" 

She holds her pigtails over her ears as she rushes to the door. 

Vendetta: "JUST WHO DARES TO DISTURB ME IN SUCH A MANNER?!" 

She opens the door.

Vendetta: "STOP IT!! AT ONCE!!" 

Vendetta: "Go away!! Scram!! Take a hike!!" 

After yelling, she finally opens her eyes to actually see who is in front of her. 

???: "Ah, my apologies in regard to the persistent ringing. I turned my back for one second only for her to suddenly start playing with the doorbell..." 

???: "...anyhow, evening, Vendetta." 

Vendetta: "..." 

A purple girl stands in front of her, her ponytail making her look so tall as to where she's practically towering over Vendetta. 

She loathes this, for that's her job... she doesn't wear those big platform boots for nothing- I mean Vendetta's naturally taller than everyone else, of course she is. 

Numbers tend to lie. Sometimes. I mean all of the time. Right. 

???: "But it makes such a fun souuund, I couldn't resist!!" 

???: "What is inside of this spooky house anyways?! Can I seeeee?" 

The teal, little pigtailed gal tries to look inside, only for the purple one to stop her. 

???: "Miss Marcy, this place is no playground." 

???: "How about you go back in the limousine?" 

Marcy: "Ugh, fineee... but hurry up! I don't wanna fall asleep in there, Marilyn..." 

Marilyn: "Will do." 

Marcy runs off to do as she's told, and Marilyn turns to Vendetta, who's just been standing there, frozen. 

Vendetta: "...what are you here for?" 

Marilyn: "Business purposes." 

Vendetta: "What KIND of business?!" 

Marilyn: "Lady Martha instructed me to come pick up a machine of yours." 

Vendetta: "Another one?!" 

Vendetta: "Who do you people take me for?!" 

Vendetta: "Santa Claus?!" 

Vendetta: "These things aren't gifts to be distributed!!" 

Marilyn: "...I'm aware." 

Marilyn: "You should consider yourself lucky that we don't have any interest in any other of your..." 

Marilyn: "...creations..." 

Marilyn: "...otherwise we would wipe this place clean." 

Vendetta: "What does she need it for anyways?!" 

Marilyn: "She has fired over half of her workers in the last year..." 

Marilyn: "...and instead of wasting valuable time hiring new ones, she'll clone the ones that do their job correctly."

Vendetta: "...that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!!" 

Marilyn: "Oh, you never listen to yourself talk?" 

Marilyn: "That explains a lot of things." 

Vendetta angrily groans as she motions for her to come inside. The place, and Vendetta, are still a mess from earlier. She just wants to get this over with so she can go to bed. Vendetta kicks in the door to her lab, scaring Grudge in the process, who jumps a little in the air. 

Vendetta: "Just tell me what you want!!" 

Marilyn: "The cloning machine." 

Vendetta: "What?! NO!!"

Vendetta: "It took me far too long to build it for you to just walk away with it!!"

Marilyn: "..."

Marilyn: "...very well then..."

Marilyn: "...give us some fiend mix instead."

Marilyn: "I'm sure it can't be that hard to make these creatures..."

Marilyn: "...we could just make some workers from scratch."

Vendetta: "..."

Vendetta: "Over my dead. Rotting. Body."

If there's one thing Vendetta is never going to let go of, it's fiend mix. She developed it herself, and she's the only one who knows how to make it and what it's made of, how to use it, how it functions, you name it. It's not even written down anywhere. She's spent years working with it, she just KNOWS these things from the top of her head. It's simultaneously her biggest and worst achievement.

Vendetta: "Stay here, and DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING. I'll be right back." 

Vendetta: "Hamster, you'll carry the thing outside..." 

Marilyn: "..." 

As Grudge and Vendetta go downstairs to her basement, which one can only reach through the lab, Marilyn observes said lab, writing things down. They come back shortly after, and Grudge drags the cloning machine to the front door. 

Vendetta: "...I don't think it'll fit into that long car thing of yours-" 

Marilyn: "I'm aware." 

She speaks into a walkie-talkie, and a pickup truck pulls up to the house, on which Grudge puts the machine. 

Marilyn: "Pleasure doing business with you." 

Vendetta rolls her eyes as Marilyn begins walking away.

Vendetta, mumbling: "Right, as if I get anything in return..." 

Marilyn stops. 

Marilyn: "..."

Marilyn: "Silence." 

Vendetta: "Huh?-" 

Marilyn: "You get our silence in return." 

Marilyn: "...my silence especially."

Vendetta: "Riiight, and I'm oh so afraid of you..." 

Vendetta: "...I'm practically shaking and crying!!" 

She puts on an extra high-pitched voice. 

Vendetta: "Look at me!! I'm afraid!!" 

Vendetta: "Waah waah!! Boo hooo!!" 

...if you're thinking that she's losing her mind even more, she is. 

Didn't think there was anything left to lose, but here we are.

Vendetta: "Shut up, Lynn. You're the lucky one." 

Marilyn: "..." 

She turns towards the limousine.

Marilyn: "That's Marilyn to you." 

Marilyn: "Also, before I forget..." 

Marilyn: "...say hi to Mary for me..."

She turns her head ever so slightly to look Vendetta directly in the eyes...

Marilyn: "...Viktoria." 

...before quickly leaving the scene. 

Vendetta's just left standing there. Her soul haunted with a sense of dread that returns whenever she's reminded of the past. Grudge had to carry her to bed because she just... wasn't moving. It's as if she turned into a statue. In bed she couldn't close a single eye, let alone fall asleep. So she just laid there, staring at the ceiling, contemplating how she can somehow get out of this contractual hell... 

Would the darkness consume her if she kept looking at it until her eyes hurt? 

Could it undo things and let her start over? 

The time loop is over, but why does it feel like it's still in motion? 

Will she ever truly be capable of being Vendetta?

And why is the answer to all of it always no? 

Viktoria: "..." 

Viktoria: "...it's not fun being me." 

She closes her eyes, trying to stop them from shaking, allowing her mind to wander off elsewhere, preventing any other thoughts from breaking through to her... 

...entering a state of pure tranquility.

And with that, the screen goes black.

[The End]

...

{Mort}

Mort is a guy like any other, 

after getting woken up by his mother, 

he brushes his teeth and combs his hair,

just as always, fair and square.

Ready to support, to always tag along, 

today will be great, it cannot go wrong.

Putting on his shoes, he steps outside,

wanting to be out there, trying not to hide.

Wondering what surprises today will bring, 

he skips along and can't help but sing.

...

Mort can be found skipping along the streets of Clamburg, humming the Maula and Metra theme song. Frankly, he'd rather be at home right now, but lately his moms have been pushing him to take daily walks since they're supposedly good for one's mental health. Everything has been just like usual, compliant with his daily routine. 

Mort: (I really hope there are no fiends around the corner...)

Mort: (...you never know with this place, one second everything seems safe, the other-)

BUMP!

The other, someone suddenly shows up and you awkwardly bump into them.

Mort: "My apologies!!"

Mort: (...)

Mort: (...wait.)

"Oh, heya, Mort!!"

Mort knows that voice. He lifts his head only to be met with a cheery CJ. 

Mort: (...this...)

CJ: "Fancy meeting you here!"

Mort: "...hi there."

Mort: (...this happened in a dream I had last night...)

CJ: "Wanna hang out?"

Mort: "...s-sure!"

Mort: (...okay, let's not get any crazy ideas now...)

They begin walking aimlessly. 

CJ is recapping his day so far, and Mort is listening intently.

Mort: (...it's the same stuff he told me in my dream...)

Mort: (...word for word.)

Mort: (Eh, I'm sure it's all just a biiiig coincidence-)

The day continues. Everything happens the same way as it did in his dream.

And once they got to Vendetta's house and activated the machine...

CJ: "Oh, heya, Mort!!" 

CJ: "Fancy meeting you here!"

...it all started happening again. 

The toystore, the rollercoaster, the toolbox...

...everything happening the same way over and over again.

Mort: (...)

Up until this point, he's just been playing along. 

Because... eh, he doesn't know either. He was secretly hoping that it's all just a really long dream or that it'll stop after a while... 

...he's on day 3 now... or was it 4? It's all starting to blend together...

...he has to face it, he's stuck in a time loop.

This is real. He's not dreaming. 

He needs to do something, he's seemingly the only one aware of this happening...

...but what? What on earth could he do?

At this point he knows exactly what happens every day beat for beat.

... 

...wait. Waaaaaait. 

This... this is perfect, actually...

...isn't this exactly what he always wanted?

To have an opportunity... to try again?

To know what he should not do in advance?

Now he can avoid being an awkward, annoying, little nuisance...

...and give CJ and Marvin the hangout they deserve!!!

Maybe if he does that... things will go back to normal!!

As another loop begins, this time he waits at the corner for CJ to show up so he doesn't bump into him. 

Mort: "Hey there, CJ!" 

CJ: "..."

He looks at Mort in surprise. 

He wasn't expecting him to jump out of nowhere like that. 

CJ: "Hii! Fancy meeting you here!"

Mort: "Wanna hang out?"

CJ: "You took the words right out of my mouth, lil guy!"

CJ: "Let's go!"

Mort: (I initiated it first, now he'll know I'm mature!!)

Once they ran into Marvin, he joined them. Mort made sure they promptly walked past the toystore despite CJ's intense curiosity regarding it, after which they settled down under a tree in the park.

Mort: (...the cool kids always hang out in parks...)

Mort: (...right? I could've sworn I saw it in a movie once...)

Marvin: "This is nice... a calm, relaxing day."

He says, leaning against a tree. 

A while later they began playing a bunch of board games CJ had in his fanny pack.

Marvin: "...hm... do you have any threes?" 

CJ: "I plead the fifth. Uno."

Mort: "...I have a credit card."

CJ: "..."

Marvin: "...where'd you get that from?!" 

CJ: "I forgot what the rules for that card are-"

Marvin: "Huh-"

Marvin: "...what are we even playing??"

Mort: "No clue."

CJ: "We're not playing Clue? I could've sworn the green guy did it..."

Marvin: "What did I do?!"

CJ: "Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

Mort: "I mean, yes, it's your turn."

CJ takes the pieces and puts together a word in Scrabble.

Marvin: "...I don't think wabbit is a legitimate English word."

CJ: "Weally?"

Marvin: "..."

Marvin: "Guys, what are we playing?"

Mort: "...words?"

Moving on from that display of wordplay, they just began chatting.

CJ: "If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?"

Marvin: "Mind reading."

CJ: "That was quick!"

Marvin: "Well... yeah, there are certain people out there..."

Marvin: "...whose heads I just wanna get into to understand what they're on about."

CJ: "..."certain people"..."

Marvin: "...what is that supposed to mean?"

CJ: "N-Nothing!"

CJ: "Anyways, Mort, what's your answer?"

Mort: (...I want to say invisibility, but that'll just be a cause for concern...)

Mort: "Super strength!"

Mort: (Just like Marcy... I can't help but wonder where she gets her strength from.)

Mort: (When I tried to find out, I just got kicked out of the filming set...)

Mort: (...I think about that day a lot.)

Marvin: "Aw, that's nice. I'm sure you'll get big and strong one day, buddy."

Mort smiles as Marvin pats his shoulder.

Marvin: "And what about you?"

CJ: "...me? Well, uh..."

CJ: "...shapeshifting?"

Marvin: "Oh, that's interesting."

Marvin: "I was expecting something like... flying or... instant plant growing."

CJ: "Ah, well, I-I don't know..."

CJ: "...I just think it would be interesting to see how it feels to be someone else."

CJ: "..." 

CJ: "...y'know, like a big scary dragon, or something, hahahah!"

Marvin: "Yeah, I get that, that's fair."

CJ: "..."

They were talking about the most random of things. CJ or Mort would always start a topic, much to Marvin's dismay and joy. He found spending time with these two to be a lot of fun, which is not what he initially expected. 

Even if these two like messing with him in various ways.

Mort: "Are you and Vendetta dating?" 

Marvin: "HUH? What? No!!" 

Marvin: "Of course not!!" 

Marvin: "Vendetta hates me. LOATHES me. DESPISES me. If she wanted me dead, she'd force me to dig my own grave before murdering me." 

Marvin: "Mort, what gave you the idea to ask anyway?" 

Mort: "I just wanted to see your reaction."

Marvin: "Ah. Alright then." 

CJ: "..."

Marvin: "..."

Mort: "..." 

Mort: "Are you and Milo dat-" 

Marvin: "MORT... how about we stop talking for a little while?"

Mort: :o

At some point, they ran out of topics and decided to start trying to do a bottle flip on the pavement. Each of them took a turn, to no avail. 

Marvin: "This shouldn't be this difficult..." 

He throws the bottle, but it doesn't flip. 

Mort: "Yes, I feel like the probability of one of us flipping it successfully is higher than each of us failing..." 

He throws the bottle, but it doesn't flip.

CJ: "Then why is this happening?" 

CJ: "Let me try putting my wrist into it..."

He throws the bottle really high, only for it to spin in the air and bounce off his head. 

CJ: "OW-"

Marvin: "Are you okay?!" 

Mort: "Does it hurt??" 

He strokes his head. 

CJ: "I'm fine-" 

Marvin: "Where'd the bottle go-?"

They turn around only to see that the bottle flipped. 

CJ, Marvin, Mort: "..." 

CJ, Marvin, Mort: "YOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

They celebrate as if they won the lottery. 

Mort: "May CJ be renowned as the bottle flipping master!!!" 

Marvin: "The bottle flipped CJ more than he flipped the bottle." 

Mort: "May the bottle be renowned as the CJ flipping master!!!" 

CJ: "PFFFFT-" 

He starts laughing silently before they all erupt into laughter. It wasn't even that funny, but something about the situation just called for it. 

It was so ridiculous that it was just great.

Today has been... probably the happiest day of Mort's life.

They spent all day chatting and relaxing in the park, getting to know each other better, cracking stupid jokes, and getting vending machine drinks later. 

Mort didn't even drink his soda, he just stared at the can. 

Oh, how he loves the can but hates the soda. What a painful dichotomy.

CJ bet that he could drink his faster than Marvin. Marvin agreed to the bet only to not even go in to drink it and just watch CJ down the whole thing. 

CJ: "...why are you smiling like tha-"

CJ: "..."

CJ: "...YOU JERK!!!"

Marvin: "PFFFT-"

He and Mort begin laughing, CJ joining slowly after.

Later they did a race, which they all lost due to running out of energy halfway through, after which they went to cool off in the sea. CJ and Mort formed an alliance to try and push Marvin in, which both worked and backfired since they all ended up falling in. 

Once it got dark, they parted ways.

It's oh so simple, but it's all Mort could have ever asked for. 

Wishing that this day could go on forever is really ironic...

...given that it very well could.

The next day was all the same. Mort was more than happy to experience it all over again, so he did the same things as before.

Isn't it just awesome? To be capable of never having a bad day again?

As they were chilling in the park, CJ started asking questions again.

CJ: "If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?"

Marvin: "Mind reading."

CJ: "That was quick!"

Marvin: "Well... yeah, there are certain people out there..."

Marvin: "...whose heads I just wanna get into to understand what they're on about."

CJ: "..."

CJ: "...right, that's fair!"

Mort: (...?)

CJ: "Anyways, Mort, what's your answer?"

Mort: "Super strength."

Marvin: "Aw, that's nice. I'm sure you'll get big and strong one day, buddy."

Mort smiles as Marvin pats his shoulder.

Marvin: "And what about you?"

CJ: "...me? Well, uh..."

CJ: "Flying?"

CJ: "Oh! Or instant plant growing!"

Mort: (...........................................................................)

Mort: (...now either I'm misremembering it, or...)

Mort: (...he said shapeshifting last time.)

Marvin: "Oh, that's about what I expected."

CJ: "Ah, well, I guess I'm just predictable, haha!"

CJ: "..."

Mort: (...)

Mort: (...is... he aware of the loop too...?)

Mort: (But... he's been acting the exact same every time...)

Mort: (...it's been 5 days now...)

Mort: (...is he just that good of an actor...?)

Mort: (...should I address it- no. Not yet, at least.)

Mort: (...I want to see how the rest of the day plays out.)

The rest of the day went pretty much the same way, with Mort paying close attention to CJ. It was... uncanny watching him, because he said things in the same tone and way and made the same movements and expressions. If he hadn't given a different answer, Mort wouldn't be able to tell that something is off. 

Now, Mort knows why he won't tell anyone what's going on...

...but why won't CJ? 

As the day loops again, the question is posed once more.

CJ: "If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?"

Marvin: "Mind reading."

CJ: "That was quick!"

Marvin: "Well... yeah, there are certain people out there..."

Marvin: "...whose heads I just wanna get into to understand what they're on about."

CJ: "..."

CJ: "...right, that's fair!"

Mort: (...same thing so far...) 

CJ: "Anyways, Mort, what's your answer?"

Mort: "Super strength."

Marvin: "Aw, that's nice. I'm sure you'll get big and strong one day, buddy."

Mort smiles as Marvin pats his shoulder.

Marvin: "And what about you?"

CJ: "...me? Well, uh..."

CJ: "Super strength too, maybe?"

CJ: "I wouldn't mind being stronger and all..."

CJ: "...so I think Mort is onto something!"

Mort: "..."

Mort: "...and what about shapeshifting?"

...he didn't exactly know where that came from. 

He blurted it out, his body seemingly acting on its own.

CJ: "..."

CJ: "Wha... what do you mean?"

Mort: "First you said shapeshifting, then flying or instant plant growth."

Mort: "Now, you're saying super strength."

Mort: "Why do you feel the need to do that?"

CJ: "..."

CJ looks at him with an uncertain expression on his face before awkwardly smiling.

CJ: "Mort, what are you talking about?"

CJ: "I feel like I'm missing something..."

Mort: "...why didn't you tell me that you knew about the loop?"

Marvin: "...loop?"

Mort: "..."

Mort: (I guess the cat is out of the bag...)

Mort: "CJ and I have been stuck in a time loop for days."

CJ: "...what?"

CJ: "I don't get it... what are yo-"

Marvin sighs. 

Marvin: "I really hate to be that guy, but..."

Mort: (...w-wait... don't tell me he will...)

Marvin: "...I think it's best if you know..."

Mort: (...NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Mort: "W-Wait, Marv-"

Marvin: "...Mort is a pathological liar."

Marvin: "Occasionally he just... says things like this."

Marvin: "It often doesn't have a rhyme or reason..."

Marvin: "...so don't pay much attention to it."

CJ: "O-Oh..."

CJ: "...okay."

Mort: "..."

He looks at the floor with a broken look in his eyes.

...he's never been this ashamed in his entire life.

He can't argue about it or defend himself, because it's just true... 

...he can't really blame Marvin for letting CJ know... 

...people not knowing this about him HAS caused some problems in the past, but... 

...couldn't it have been a secret for just a little longer?

As Mort stares into space, time sort of just... freezes. 

...

{Mort}

Mort is just a guy like any other, 

so stale and boring, why would anyone bother?

Nothing true to say, no one left to care,

just as always, it's only fair.

Afraid to support, to ever tag along, 

today just won't end, what is he doing wrong?

Putting on his shoes, he stepped outside,

trying to find a new place, where he can hide.

Dreading what scenarios today will bring, 

he walked along, without knowing a thing.

...

Mort's pathological lying manifested itself by a desire to be more interesting. Because anything his mind can come up with always seemed far more engaging than what he actually had to offer. Once people started catching on, it was more about getting attention by catching them off guard or causing trouble in some way. 

But, eventually, people get tired of it...

...and tell you to keep things to yourself, shut up, and be quiet.

Because of this, over the course of his short life, Mort has developed selective mutism as well. He's too afraid to talk, given every other statement might just be a new lie. He can't help himself. It's a bad habit, a compulsive need to spread misinformation and dishonesty.

One time he told Marion that he saw a UFO, and they spent the whole day trying to figure out what it could've been about... he didn't see anything, he just wanted to spend time with her. 

When Charlotte started going on and on about the pretty rock that Vendetta threw at her, Mort gave her advice on how to cook it, convincing her that pop rocks are made of actual rocks... Charlene wasn't happy to see rock scratches in her pots, but at least Mort had someone to talk to for a bit. 

Occasionally during recess, he'd try doing elaborate tricks, and knowing he can't land them properly, he'd get injured time and time again. A scraped knee, a scratch, a splinter... yes, sure, they hurt... but feeling Milo's and Ms. Minty's love and care made it worth it. He didn't mind being covered in dinosaur band-aids because someone cared enough to put them on to begin with.

And these are just scratching the tip of the iceberg...

...the deeper you go, the more stuff you'll find. 

All he wants is to be seen and to be heard. 

And if lies and mischief make him less small and forgettable, then fine. 

He'll lie, he'll do whatever it takes. 

Even if it doesn't mean anything. 

Maybe if he keeps going, one day it'll mean something.

All he can do is hope.

Negative attention is better than irrelevance. 

To him it is, at least.

Since he seemingly has no other option left.

Just like him, his heart is small, but he has so much love to give.

He'd always wonder why no one wants to take it.

...when Mort was little, occasionally some kids from the neighborhood would come over to play in his backyard. He thought it was a token of friendship that they picked his place specifically before he realized he had the biggest backyard out of everyone. 

One time someone took some toys from him, which he tried to turn into a detective investigation, only to find out that the person who was his assistant was the one who took them to begin with.

They invited him to a few birthdays, he'd be so ecstatic, counting down the days, daydreaming about all of the fun things they'll do. He once overheard someone say they invited him just because he gives great gifts.

...and, one time... oh, one time... there were guests coming over, along with them, a kid. Mort was excited all day, for they never had guests over. He waited and waited and kept looking out the window to see if they arrived, watching cars drive by, wondering which one was theirs- the kid didn't come. Didn't feel like coming.

Mort was given two gingerbread chocolate pretzels, which is rare given he can't eat sweets often, his mom suggesting he watches cartoons instead. 

Sure, it was fun. Sitting in that dark room. 

The TV illuminating on your face...

...as you pretend that you like this more than the other unavailable option.

That day he realized why they never have guests. 

It doesn't matter anyways... it never mattered to begin with. 

He didn't matter. 

No matter how much he tried to.

He would always just blend into the background... 

...to a point where people would forget he's even there. 

But... that's okay. He's just happy to be there.

It's okay... he doesn't need to be included... it's okay, they can play in his backyard, it's only fair... it's okay, it was just a little toy, he didn't like it that much anyhow... it's okay, he's glad they like his birthday gifts, he's spent so long putting them together with his mom... it's okay, the kid didn't need to come anyways, not everyone always feels like hanging out, it's understandable, it's fine it's peachy it's sensical it's... it's...

...

Mort has always felt a sense of deep, soul-crushing loneliness at his core. 

He'd spend nights wondering what's wrong with him. 

Staring at the ceiling, hoping an answer would manifest on it out of pity.

Due to all of it, the teachers decided to let him skip two grades. 

He was intelligent enough for it anyhow. 

Nothing really changed much... on paper, he was part of the gang, but in practice he's just a nuisance, a babysitting job the others have to keep an eye on.

He never wanted to achieve that, or for it to be this way.

As the days went by, he felt more rejected by everything...

...until...

A flashback plays. 

Mr. Milk: "Take a seat." 

He does as he is told, taking the seat next to Mort. 

Mort: (...) 

Mort: (...did he just...)

Mort: (...did he just willingly decide to sit next to me?)

CJ: "Morning!" 

Mort: "Good morning!"

Mort: (CJ? The town hero? The cool new guy?)

Mort: (There are other free spaces... and he picked me?)

CJ: "So, did anything happen before we showed up?" 

Mort: (He's... actually talking to me...)

Mort: (...no one's ever started a conversation first...)

Mort: "Huh... not really!" 

Mort: "Everything has been pretty normal so far."

CJ: "That's strange... after seeing the cat outside, I kinda expected for something to be going on already, y'know?" 

Mort: (...hm... he's onto something.)

...this meant a lot more to Mort than one can imagine. After years of being ignored, sidelined, and overlooked, someone willingly chose him out of everyone else.

Someone chose him. Him. Mort. 

And that someone was CJ. 

One of the nicest people he knows. 

He was ecstatic, he was going crazy on the inside. He was frolicking through the fields, picking flowers so he could make CJ a thank-you bouquet.

The day they met, he mustered up all of the courage he had left to invite CJ to play video games at his place as a thank you for what he did. He accepted, and they had a lot of fun, trying to reach high scores, laughing over stupid jokes, and eating sandwiches Mort's mom made with a hot sandwich maker... 

...ketchup, salami, cheese... the holy trinity. 

All you need to taste heaven between two slices of bread.

...but he didn't think it actually meant anything. Of course it meant everything to him, he'll be replaying that day on loop in his head forever. But CJ was bound to walk away eventually. It's only fair, it makes perfect sense. I mean, this is Mort we're talking about, Mort, the guy who never talks, and when he does, he has nothing of worth to say. I mean, isn't it just- 

CJ: "Do you want to come over to my place Saturday? We're having a sleepover."

Mort: "...huh?"

In another flashback, he called Mort over their landline phone. Since Maggie and Marion wanted to join their sleepover, he wanted to invite Mort too. 

...Mort's never been this scared in his life. He's never been invited to a sleepover. While he was honored, he couldn't help but assume that CJ was just doing it to be nice to him. To pay him back for inviting him over. 

But he didn't have to. He didn't have to bother.

He didn't have to keep Mort around out of obligation. 

Mort: "...I'm sorry, but I'm sick."

CJ: "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you feel better soon!"

CJ: "Can I visit you on Sunday?"

CJ: "I can bring over pizza, it tastes even better when reheated the next day!"

Mort: (...oh CJ, your kindness never fails to surprise me.)

Mort: "No, no, thank you, it's alright. I wouldn't want you to get infected."

CJ: "Are you sure?"

Mort: "Yes, don't worry about it."

CJ: "...alrighty then, make sure to take good care of yourself."

CJ: "Bye-bye!"

Mort: "Bye..."

Mort ended up receiving a box of leftover pizza, snacks, and candy on his doorstep on Sunday anyhow. It made him feel... guilty. Happy. Incredibly happy. But also guilty. He called CJ immediately to thank him for it. 

He lied. He lied to CJ. 

CJ. The first person who ever bothered.

And at this point, he's taking the match and lighting his pants on fire by himself.

CJ asks him if he wants to be his assistant during his magic show, he lies about how he's working backstage and tells Marion the same lie too to make it seem real. CJ shows up, he runs away, he hides, he wants to disappear, to be invisible.

For once, blending in with the background actually helped him go unnoticed.

He's ashamed. He's afraid. 

He doesn't want for CJ to be friends with a liar.

He deserves better than that. 

Far better.

...has he been imagining the time loop this entire time?

Has he reached a point where his mind is lying to him?

Is this payback for all of the lies he told?

As we switch back to the scene, only a few seconds have passed. 

CJ, Marvin, and Mort are all awkwardly standing around. 

Marvin looks at both of them, evaluating the situation.

Something is... wrong. Terribly wrong.

He feels really bad for declaring Mort's deal so bluntly, but...

...maybe it was just the thing they needed to arrive at a solution.

Marvin: "..."

Marvin: "...we need to talk about this."

Marvin: "Communication is key. Whatever may be going on won't get solved if you just avoid the problem. It'll always come circling back to you."

Marvin: "So please, whatever it may be, you can say it."

CJ: "..."

Mort: "..."

Marvin: "...CJ, you're the most honest person I know..."

Marvin: "...is Mort telling the truth?"

CJ: "...................."

He looks away and talks very quietly.

CJ: "...you might wanna... change your opinion..."

Marvin: "..."

Marvin: "So... you're really stuck in a time loop?"

Marvin: "Why... why didn't you both just tell me-"

CJ: "Well... I-I don't know. I-I just..."

He begins shaking, his eyes tearing up, trying to cover it up with a smile.

CJ: "...y-y'know, well u-uh..."

As CJ nervously looks away, he suddenly feels a warm, gentle embrace. 

Marvin hugged him. 

It caught CJ incredibly off guard, but...

...he'd be lying if he said he didn't need it. 

He lets his tears run loose as he hugs him back as tightly as he can. He sobs. 

CJ: "I'm so sorry, I'm sorry-"

Marvin: "Sh sh sh sh... it's okay... take it easy... breathe..."

Marvin: "Let it all out..."

About 15 seconds of this later, CJ lets go of Marvin and sighs. 

Marvin: "...give me the fanny pack." 

Since CJ is too much of a mess to do it himself, Marvin takes a tissue out of it, and CJ blows his nose. He reaches in, in an attempt to get him a bottle of water, only to take out a glass of water instead. He puts his confusion regarding the logistics of the bag aside and gives it to CJ.

He drinks the whole thing before calming down.

CJ: "..."

CJ: "Mort didn't lie... we're stuck in a time loop..."

Mort: "But... why didn't you say anything?"

CJ: "I could ask you the same thing!!"

Marvin: "CJ, you go first."

CJ: "H-Huh?"

Marvin: "Please, explain yourself."

Marvin: "I promise that we won't judge you."

CJ: "..."

He looks to the side as the events of the talent show play out in his head. 

It gives him an indescribable feeling of dread. 

CJ: "..."

CJ: "...Maggie and I haven't been... on the best terms lately..."

CJ: "...it all went down during the talent show."

He recaps everything that happened, more or less.

Mort: "...oh..."

Mort: (Did Maggie really say all that? It's hard to imagine her losing her composure like that... the thought of it is scary, let alone actually being in that situation...)

Mort: (Poor CJ...)

Marvin: "Oh God..."

CJ: "So, yeah... Maggie hates my guts for what I did..."

CJ: "...and Marion probably hates that I got involved to begin with..."

CJ: "...and... and I'd rather let this day play on loop forever than face them again."

Marvin: "CJ... I'm so sorry that all of that happened..."

Marvin: "...really, I'm... I'm shocked, I mean..."

Marvin: "..."

He tries his best to quickly collect his thoughts.

Marvin: "You have to talk to them about it."

CJ: "I know..." 

Marvin: "I'm sure they don't hate you."

Marvin: "Hate is a strong word."

CJ: "..."

He sighs. 

CJ: "...right."

Mort: (Wait, but that doesn't explain why he kept changing his answers-)

Marvin: "Alright, we'll get back to that later..."

Marvin: "...we'll go to Marion and Maggie and talk about it next week, okay?" 

CJ nods with an uncertain look on his face.

Marvin: "...anyhow, Mort, now's your turn."

Mort: "...m-me?"

Marvin: "Yes."

Mort: "..."

He awkwardly fiddles with his hands, unsure what to say. Marvin kneels down and puts his hand on Mort's shoulder.

Marvin: "Even if you may lie, we can figure it out together..."

Mort: "!!!!"

CJ: "...yes, he's right."

CJ: "Please, just... just talk to us."

Mort: "..."

Mort: "I just... I wanted for our fun to last forever..."

Mort: "...I finally got a chance to hang out with you guys..."

Mort: "...and I didn't want it to stop so soon..."

Mort: "...I knew that if the loop stops, the fun will stop too, so-"

CJ: "Wh... why would it stop?"

Mort: "Well... who knows if you'd agree to hang out next time..."

Mort: "...I-I mean you don't have to anyhow, I'm just-"

CJ: "Of course I would!!"

CJ: "I... I don't get it."

Marvin: "...me neither, I mean, aren't the two of you..."

Marvin: "...best friends?"

And then, in the same exact tempo, tone, and way, they both go...

CJ, Mort: "Why would he be best friends with someone like me?"

They look at each other in disbelief. 

CJ: "...what?"

Mort: "...what do you mean?"

Marvin: "...okay!! We've identified another problem."

Marvin: "Now, you need to talk about it further."

They both stand around in silence, not knowing where to start.

Marvin: "...allow me to break the ice."

Marvin: "Mort, why do you feel like you're not worthy of being CJ's best friend?"

Mort: "..."

He starts fiddling with his hands. 

He's trying his hardest not to lie. 

He looks down at the floor, contemplating his answer.

Mort: "...because... because... I'm Mort. That one guy in the background, that NPC who says random dialogue to try and be interesting..."

Mort: "...I'm boring. I'm stale... I have nothing to offer... my special interest is lights, for crying out loud. Lights. Anything is more interesting than me..."

Mort: "You're CJ... you're cool, funny, outgoing, friendly, approachable..."

Mort: "...so why would you bother?"

CJ begins speaking in a shaky voice.

CJ: "B-Because... because you're you." 

Mort: "...!!!" 

CJ: "There's only one Mort out there..."

CJ: "...it would be a shame not to appreciate him for who he is..." 

CJ: "...you're clever, kind, funny..."

CJ: "...you're passionate about your interests no matter what others may think..."

Marvin: "..."

CJ: "...and I admire that. You're like the little brother I never had."

CJ: "Someone I can truly feel comfortable being myself with besides Charlotte."

Mort is now holding back tears, his glasses are fogging up.

You're telling him that... 

...CJ wants him around BECAUSE of him and not in spite of him? 

Just because of that? Is that really enough? It really is?

Mort: (...was it always that simple...?)

Yes, it was. With the right people around you, it always is.

And thankfully, CJ and Marvin ARE those people.

Mort: "...I always saw you as an idol!! A big brother figure!!"

Mort: "I wanted to hang out more with you, but I thought you were doing it out of pity!!"

CJ: "I thought you kept avoiding me because you didn't like me!!"

Mort: "Not at all!! I was just so scared!! I couldn't help it!!"

CJ: "..."

Mort: "..."

Mort: "...does..."

Mort: "...does that mean that I can be your best friend?"

CJ crouches and opens up his arms.

CJ: "Only if I can have the honor of being yours."

They both tear up as he runs into his arms, hugging him tightly.

CJ: "...I'm sorry-"

Mort: "Don't be."

As they hug in silence, they suddenly hear a noise. 

The noise was Marvin blowing his nose, all teary-eyed.

Marvin: "P-Please proceed. Moments like this make me emotional-"

CJ: "C'mere you!!!"

He raises his arms, inviting Marvin to join the hug too.

Marvin: "Huh? Oh, no, this isn't about me. You two have your moment-"

Since he didn't want to come to them himself, they ran over to him to hug him.

He sighs and just accepts it. 

Marvin: "...call me crazy, but I think we make a pretty good team."

CJ: "Aaand Marvin just got promoted to best friend status too..."

CJ: "...congrats!!"

Mort: (...wow... I didn't know that's an option...!)

Marvin: "Awww... you guys, come on..."

CJ: "No come-ons!"

Marvin: "..."

Marvin, playfully: "...I'm never getting rid of you guys, am I now?"

CJ and Mort look at each other before mischievously looking at Marvin, who is basically seeing two blue rascals with questionable intentions.

It's weird... even though Marvin isn't aware of what happened in the last loop...

...he has a good feeling about this new alliance. 

Marvin: "Alright... but how do we stop the time loop?"

CJ looks at Mort with a smug expression on his face.

CJ: "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Mort smiles at him confidently.

We skip forward about 20 minutes.

Marvin: "A rollercoaster?? Really??"

CJ: "Just play along!!"

Everything plays out pretty much the same as in the first few loops. 

Toystore, rollercoaster, Charlene, Milo, Ms. Minty, toolbox.

By the time they're commanded to go after Charlotte, their plan is in motion.

They show up in Vendetta's lab. 

Marvin: "My God!!"

Marvin: "Are you okay??"

Charlotte: "Of course! Why wouldn't I-" 

Vendetta: "Well, not for long!!" 

Grudge brings in a giant machine, causing Charlotte to look at it in glee. 

Vendetta: "This hunk of metal doesn't work for its first intended purpose, but the other one should work juuuuust fine." 

Vendetta: "I hope you'll have an AWFUL day today, MUHAHAHAHAHAHALGKGFJKVKB!!!" 

Before she gets a chance to turn on the machine...

...CJ throws a bunch of marbles all over the floor...

Vendetta: "ARGHHHH-" 

...causing her to fall over and hit her face on the wooden floor.

She lifts her head... it left black marks on her face, and it messed up her hair.

Vendetta: "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!!! 

Charlotte: "Wow Vendetta, your hairstyle is sooo trendy right now!!"

Vendetta: "NO IT'S NOT-"

She slips and falls over again. 

Mort: "...okay, but what now? How will we stop the time loop?"

Vendetta: "..."

Vendetta: "HOW DO YOU KNOW OF THAT??!??!!?"

Vendetta: "HAS THE TIME LOOP ALREADY HAPPENED?!?!"

CJ: "For a few days now, yes."

Vendetta: "WHY YOU LITTLE... you little..."

Vendetta: "........................."

The realization hits her. Her plan failed so badly that she couldn't even put it in motion to begin with. She was going to create a time loop to allow herself a million chances to get rid of Charlotte, chances in which she wouldn't be growing old.

But even if she had a million... 

...would she ever succeed?

Vendetta: "................................................................"

She furiously gets up as the anger inside of her starts boiling. 

Vendetta: "I WON'T GIVE UP ON THIS IDEA JUST BECAUSE YOU DECIDED TO INTERVENE!!"

Vendetta: "HAMSTER!!! START THE TIME MACHINE'S TIME LOOP FUNCTION ALREADY!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!"

"...time machine?"

Everyone turns their head to see who suddenly showed up.

It was Milo, standing in the doorway, confused.

Milo: "You really have a time machine?"

Milo: "Isn't that too good to be true...?"

Vendetta: "RAGGHHHGHGDGSJFGKUB!!!!!!!!!!!"

She runs to the machine and starts pressing buttons, pulling levers...

...but it doesn't seem to be doing anything.

Vendetta: "WORK!!! YOU HAVE ONE JOB, YOU DUMB PIECE OF METAL!! ONE JOB!!"

Vendetta: "RGHHHKJGWGGKH!!!"

She starts kicking and biting the machine out of frustration.

Milo: "..."

Milo: "...I don't even wanna know."

Marvin: "Good, because it's a really long story..."

Marvin: "...what brings you here anyhow?"

Milo: "Minty started to feel worried that you were taking so long..."

Milo: "...so I got here to check on you."

Milo: "Do you have the toolbox, or...?"

After all of that, they've completely forgotten about it, but luckily it's been safe and sound with Charlotte this whole time. They all went their separate ways as tomorrow arrives once more like a long-lost friend. 

"..." 

"Pssst, hey."

"Wake up!!"

As Mort slowly opens his eyes, he's met with a blurry sight. 

Once he puts on his glasses, he realizes that it's CJ and Marvin.

Mort: "It's over?!"

CJ: "IT'S OVER!!!"

They start jumping on Mort's bed out of joy, and Marvin smiles at the sight of it. They frankly have no idea why or how the time loop stopped, but they're just glad that it did.

CJ: "Say, I was thinking..."

CJ: "...since Marv didn't get to actually experience the stuff we did in the hangout day loop given his memories got reset..."

CJ: "...how about we do that today?" 

Mort: "We better!!" 

CJ: "See? I told you he'd agree!" 

Marvin: "You guys really don't have to do all that again just for me..." 

Mort: "That's just making me want to do it more." 

CJ: "I concur!"

Marvin smiles as he watches the two of them run out of the door enthusiastically. 

It dawns on him that, for once, someone likes him for him and not his popularity, which pushes him to run after them and match their energy.

CJ, Marvin, and Mort... what a lovely little trio!

...

{Mort}

Mort is his own, special little guy, 

after this morning greeting made him cry,

he brushed his teeth and combed his hair,

just as he likes it, fair and square.

Ready to support, to truly be a team,  

today will be great, and not just a dream.

Putting on his shoes, he steps outside,

actually out there, without a need to hide.

He wonders what surprises today has in store, 

now that he's not afraid anymore.

...

And with that, the screen goes black.

[The End]

Mort can be found skipping along the streets of Clamburg, humming the Maula and Metra theme song. Frankly, he'd rather be at home right now, but lately his moms have been pushing him to take daily walks since they're supposedly good for one's mental health. Everything has been just like usual, compliant with his daily routine.

Mort: (I really hope there are no fiends around the corner…)

Mort: (…you never know with this place, one second everything seems safe, the other-)

BUMP!

The other, someone suddenly shows up and you awkwardly bump into them.

Mort: "My apologies!!"

Mort: (I really need to start paying more attention, this is embarrassing…)

"Oh, heya, Mort!!"

Mort knows that voice.

He lifts his head only to be met with a cheery CJ.

CJ: "Fancy meeting you here!"

Mort: "Hi there!"

CJ: "Wanna hang out?"

Mort: "Huh? Oh, sure!!"

They begin walking aimlessly.

CJ is recapping his day so far, and Mort is listening intently.

Mort: (I didn't think he'd be interested in spending time with me…)

Mort: (…this is nice.)

Mort: (Now anyone walking by can't make assumptions about my social life…)

Mort: (…because, look! There's a person!)

Mort: (Next to me! Willingly!)

Mort has selective mutism.

He rarely talks outloud anymore, so he talks in his mind to make up for it.

CJ: "Say… what do you think numbers would taste like?"

Mort: "…we should ask seven."

CJ: "…why-"

He pauses for a moment before laughing.

Mort: (YES! I got a good grade in conversing!!)

CJ: "Man, that's a good one."

He wipes away a single tear.

When he's with CJ, things are different. He doesn't feel anxious when he's next to him. He only really feels that relaxed when he's at home, so this is really new to him.

Mort: (……………………………..)

If only he didn't overthink it.

Mort: (…I need to find a way out of this…)

Mort: (…and I need to do it NOW.)

Did he want to leave? No.

But occasionally his mind enters panic mode.

Mort: (I need an excuse… let's see… how about…)

Mort: (…I need to take my turtle to the vet…!)

Mort: "…uh, CJ…"

Mort: (WAIT… I don't have a turtle…)

CJ: "Yeah?"

Mort: (…well, he doesn't know that…)

Mort: (…it'll work, me owning a turtle just seems believable.)

Mort: "I just remembered, I have to go-"

Suddenly, Marvin appears from around the corner.

CJ: "Just hanging out! Wanna join us?"

Marvin: "Oh, hey guys."

Marvin: "…what are you two doing here?"

Mort: (…oh no…)

Marvin: "…just the two of you, hanging out?"

CJ: "Well, yes, unless you join."

Mort: (No… no no no no no-)

Marvin: "…"

He is very well aware that combining these two into a duo can lead to nothing but a bunch of shenanigangs, so to make sure they're both alive by the end of the day, he agrees to join.

Mort: (…oh no….)

Mort: (…right… it's not so bad… it's okay…)

Bad news: he's stuck in a social situation he can't really get out of naturally.

Good news: these two can entertain each other while he just tags along.

After a while of discussing what numbers would taste like and agreeing that they should spend their time thinking about something else, they end up walking by an abandoned toy store that went out of business sometime after the ambush, like many other stores.

CJ: "Huh, I haven't seen this before."

Marvin: "There's nothing much to see, it's a blocked-off old building…"

Marvin: "…let's keep walking before-"

CJ: "…Mort already went in."

Marvin: "Eh, it was worth a shot…"

Marvin: "…could you get out a flashlight?"

Mort is tiny, so he easily crawled into the store through a small opening made by removing one of the planks. After removing more planks so they could fit, they got in too. Surprisingly, the place was still full of toys. Some broken, some in good condition, all covered in dust, spiderwebs, and lost hopes and dreams.

Mort's flashlight, which he always keeps in his pocket, wasn't giving him a satisfying look at the place.

CJ: "One to twist the bulb and two to lift him up!"

CJ: "…how many guys does it take to change a light bulb?"

Marvin, Mort: "…?"

He points above.

The light socket is missing a light bulb.

Marvin: "…you really think there's still electricity in this place?"

CJ: "There's only one way to find out!"

As CJ got on Marvin's shoulders and Mort on CJ's after three minutes of trial and error, they awkwardly switched out the light bulb that CJ had in his fanny pack, falling over in the process. After expressing pain for about a minute, they found an electrical box. Marvin kept turning switches until the lights came back on.

Once the place was visible, it felt magical… well, before the dust got into their noses. Mort begins exploring everything in detail.

CJ: "Oh no!! I just remembered!!"

Marvin: "What?!"

CJ: "We need to get Mort out of here!"

Marvin: "Why?!?!?!"

CJ: "He's a kleptomaniac!!"

Marvin: "What?!?!?!?!"

Mort: "I'm not a kleptomaniac."

Marvin: "Phew…"

Mort: "…I'm a pyromaniac, you keep mixing the two!"

CJ: "Oooh, right, right. My mistake."

Marvin: "…"

Marvin: "…you do realize that that's worse, right?"

CJ: "…"

Marvin: "Right!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?"

CJ: "Come on now, cut him some slack."

CJ: "Everyone's got something going on in their heads…"

CJ: "…you're autistic, for example."

Marvin: "First of all, that's incomparable to being a pyromaniac…"

Marvin: "…very bad comparison."

CJ: "Same way I clocked that you're gay without you telling me."

Marvin: "Second of all, all three of us are autistic, but I never told you."

Marvin: "How on earth did you find that out?"

Marvin: "…"

Marvin: "I'm… CJ, I'm not gay."

CJ stares blankly into space before looking at Marvin from head to toe, seemingly re-thinking his evaluation.

CJ: "…………"

CJ: "…are… are you sure?"

Marvin: "…"

Marvin: "…well, not ANYMORE…"

Mort: "Guys! Look!"

Suddenly, something in the middle of the toy store lights up in an array of gorgeous rainbow colors. That something is a big toy rollercoaster.

Mort: "I had to take a bunch of batteries from CJ to get it to work!"

CJ: "Wooow… that's pretty!!"

Marvin: "I'm surprised these toys still work…"

CJ: "…"

Marvin: "…are you suuure he's not a kleptomaniac too?"

CJ: "Well… not anymore-"

As Mort gets the remote working too, the rollercoaster begins moving and playing sound effects. All three of them are mesmerized by its beauty, especially given it creates a sense of childlike wonder.

It's the kind of toy you'd want to get on Christmas Day, the kind that you see in a toy store as the big, show-stopping centerpiece that draws people into the store…

…only for your hopes and dreams to be crushed because it's worth 200 dollars, which your parents' wallets can't support.

Mort: "…I've never been on a rollercoaster."

Marvin: "…me neither. I've never been to a theme park."

CJ: "What?! We have to change that!!"

Mort, Marvin: "…?"

The scene transitions to these three in CJ's backyard. 

Marvin: "CJ, while I do appreciate your enthusiasm..." 

Marvin: "...HOW exactly are we going to build a rollercoaster?" 

CJ: "While I was in Space Camp, I asked myself the same question!" 

CJ: "I missed going to the theme park with my family during that time, so I made this handy-dandy little sketch!" 

Marvin: "...that's not exactly little..."

CJ takes out duct tape and tapes the paper to the wall of the shed, revealing an amateur rollercoaster design, drawn with blue crayon.

Mort: (Wow... this is really cool!! I didn't know CJ could draw like this!!)

Marvin: "...did you have a lot of time on your hands in the camp?" 

CJ: "Plenty!" 

Marvin: "I figured as much... this is really detailed!" 

Marvin: "...still, are you sure we have enough knowledge on..."

Marvin: "...well, everything, to actually commit to making this?" 

Marvin: "Say, why don't we call over Marion to help us?" 

Marvin: "She knows her way around this kind of stuff." 

CJ: "Marion? No, no... she hasn't been... feeling well lately..."

CJ: "...I wouldn't wanna bother her." 

Marvin: "Oh?" 

Mort: (...now that he mentions it, I haven't seen her in a while...)

Marvin: "I didn't know that... is that why Maggie hasn't been around either?" 

Mort: (Huh. And Maggie too...)

Marvin: "To take care of her and all?" 

CJ: "Oh, well, uh... I don't know." 

CJ: "W-Whatever the case, I wouldn't wanna bother either of them with a stupid rollercoaster idea, haha!" 

Marvin: "...?" 

Mort: (...but... it's not stupid...) 

CJ: "And I got a better idea of who we can ask anyhow!" 

We skip forward 5 minutes. 

Charlene: "Rollercoaster, eh?" 

Charlene: "I haven't been on one of those since they banned me from the theme park!" 

Marvin: "..." 

Marvin: "I'm starting to understand where you and Charlotte get it from." 

CJ: "Hehehe!" 

Mort: (Their family is quite an interesting bunch.) 

Charlene: "To start off, we'll need a blowtorch and some peanut butter." 

As they start working on the rollercoaster, we transition to Milo, who is sitting on the single-seat sofa in their living room while talking to Mal over the telephone.

Malachi: "And then I was like, what on this forsaken planet of an earth do you mean she's coming back!?" 

Malachi: "I was hoping she'd stay in Paris forever and choke on a croissant or something of that nature."

Milo: "Alright, but when exactly IS she coming back?" 

Malachi: "I do not recall if I was given that information..."

Malachi: "...sometime next week I suppo-" 

Suddenly, Milo hears a loud sound coming from the telephone. 

Malachi: "ARGHH!! Christ almighty!!" 

Milo: "Malachi?! Are you okay?!" 

Malachi: "Ughh, I'm fine..." 

Malachi: "...but my eyeliner isn't!!"

Malachi: "Some vexing construction noise has caused me to mess it up!"

Milo: "Since when do you even wear eyeliner?" 

Malachi: "Since I took yours." 

Milo: "I-" 

Malachi: "And before you dare to complain, I'm very well aware that you have a box full of them, you emo specimen!" 

Milo: "I would've given some to you, you could've just asked..." 

Milo: "...I wanted to ask about the construction noise."

Milo: "What was that about?"

Malachi: "Oh, ermmm..." 

She looks out of the window. 

Malachi: "...CJ and co. are seemingly building something in his backyard." 

Milo: "HUH?" 

He jumps from his seat and grabs his binoculars to see what Mal's talking about. 

Milo: "...you gotta be kidding me..." 

Milo: "...a rollercoaster?!" 

Malachi: "Ugh, I hate those pesky machines, they just make me sick." 

Milo: "...why is Marvin with them?" 

Milo: "Since when are they friends??" 

Malachi: "Since the election, mayhaps?" 

Malachi: "Marvin DID make CJ into the vice president, if I recall correctly."

Milo: "..."

Milo: "I need to hang up, I have an idea." 

Malachi: "...I'll excuse such an abrupt goodbye just because we've been conversing for 3 hours now, otherwise, watch yourself, you hooligan!" 

Milo: "I'll call you again later, hun." 

Malachi: "Alright, farewell!" 

Milo: "Byee."

He quickly rushed over to Ms. Minty's place, his idea being that he'll snitch on them doing something dangerous to her, ruining CJ's fun- I mean, making sure they don't get seriously hurt, right. 

She lives in a small house next to Marion’s, which looks like a fairytale cottage. It's decorated from head to toe with painted-on or engraved details and well taken care of beautiful flowers.

He used the spare key Minty gave him years ago to enter her house. He tried ringing the doorbell or calling her, but some sort of music coming from the inside drowned it out. He really didn't want to just barge in, but he had to. 

Going through the house was like walking down memory lane. 

Nothing really changed, it looked just as magical as it did years ago. 

Everything was still in its place... 

...well, except for him. 

He used to be here every day...

...but that's alright, times change, people change too...

...Minty probably never cared much about him leaving anyhow...

...he was just doing her a favor...

...right.

Following the aforementioned music, it leads him to the sewing room. He tries knocking and calling her name again, but it doesn't work, so he hesitantly opens the door, taking a peek inside. 

The sight was truly something out of a storybook. Minty was working on some elaborate new tailoring project, classical music playing from the record player. 

Surprisingly, Milo actually recognized it. The Second Waltz.

Malachi mentioned really liking the piece before, so he kept a mental note of it. 

Minty was going from table to table, sketching, cutting, measuring... all she was missing were some magical little forest animals to help her around. The way she was swaying from side to side made it almost look as if she were dancing, until she actually was. 

She took one of her tailoring mannequins and began spinning it around, but trying to dance a waltz with an inanimate object is difficult.

Milo has been standing in the middle of the room, waiting for her to notice him, but after about 10 seconds went by, he knew that he'd just scare her unintentionally by appearing like a wraith, so he went over to the record player and stopped the music.

She abruptly stops her dancing just as she is dipping the mannequin, looking over, she quickly collects herself and puts it away. 

Ms. Minty: "Ooh, what a surprise!!"

Ms. Minty: "Why hello there, Shy Eyes, what brings you here?"

Milo: "I'm so sorry for barging in, I tried knocking, but you didn't hear me..."

Ms. Minty: "Don't worry about it..."

Ms. Minty: "...in all honesty, the mannequin can't dance to save its nonexistent life, so I'm glad you saved me from a one-sided waltz!"

Ms. Minty: "...I tend to get really carried away sometimes, ehehe!"

Milo has been staring at the other mannequin for a while now, since that one actually has fabric on it. 

Milo: "...may I ask what you're working on?"

Ms. Minty: "Ooh, yes, yes, my latest project..."

Ms. Minty: "...I'm making a Halloween costume for my Little Pearl!"

Milo: "...an elaborate dress...?"

Milo: "...Marion doesn't strike me as someone who'd wanna be dressed as a princess."

Ms. Minty: "Well, you're not wrong, but it's not that."

Ms. Minty: "I'm keeping it a secret until Halloween rolls around!" 

Ms. Minty: "Anyhow, I really like it because-"

Milo: "It gives you an excuse to decorate something excessively?"

She smiles, holding up a basket with bows, frills, rhinestones, and other knick-knacks.

Milo: "That's fair."

Ms. Minty: "Make yourself comfortable!"

Ms. Minty: "Would you like something to drink or eat?"

Milo: "No, no, it's ok, don't worry about it."

He's a little taken aback by being in this room again after so long. 

He begins remembering all of the fun times they've had together.

Ms. Minty: "Can I help you with something?"

Ms. Minty: "Need me to patch up a dress or two?"

Milo: "Ah, no, I do that myself now."

Milo: "...thank you for teaching me, by the way."

Ms. Minty: "Of course!"

Milo: "...you've taught me a lot of things..."

Milo: "...from the first moment we met you've been nothing but kind to me..."

Ms. Minty: "It's only natural!"

Milo: "..."

Milo: "I think about what you did for me on the first day of school a lot."

Ms. Minty: "..."

Ms. Minty: "...that was rather long ago, could you jog my memory?"

Milo: "...well..."

Milo: "...it's all very blurry..."

Milo: "...but you helped me enter the school when I was too afraid to go by myself."

Ms. Minty: "..."

...she would be lying if she said she remembered ever doing that...

...man, she's really getting old, isn't she?

She feels really bad about it, but...

Ms. Minty: "Don't mention it, it's the least I could've done."

He could tell that she was lying. The look in her eyes told a whole different story than her words... he didn't really mind, I mean, why would something like that be worth remembering anyhow? He shouldn't have mentioned it to begin with...

Milo: "...yeah, so, uh..."

Milo: "..."

Milo: "...I'm sorry... I-I should just leave... here, please take this."

He holds up the spare key towards her.

Ms. Minty: "...hold on, I just remembered something!"

She takes the key and starts digging through her drawers before taking out another one of her knick-knack bins.

Ms. Minty: "I never had the chance to give you this..."

Ms. Minty: "...but since you're here now, I have to use the opportunity!"

She gives him back the key, except now it has a keychain on it. 

A green heart with "Milo" written in the middle.

Milo: "...w-what?"

He stares at it in shock. 

Ms. Minty: "Even though you quit stopping by, I knew you'd come back one day..."

Ms. Minty: "...or at least I hoped so..."

Ms. Minty: "...for whenever that day was going to arrive, I made this keychain."

Milo: "...I..."

He starts speaking really quickly.

Milo: "...I just... I just didn't want to bother you, you, always have a lot of work, a-and having me around on top of the rest of your family was probably really stressful for you, especially after Vendetta took over, and I-I didn't wanna be a nuisance, and you taught me how to sew so I could do it myself without wasting your time and-"

She kneels down, puts her hands on his shoulders, and looks gently into his eyes.

Ms. Minty: "Milo. You're welcome here at any time."

Ms. Minty: "Always and forever."

...he looked at her and then at the keychain. 

His hands started shaking first before his whole body followed suit. 

He doesn't know how to react to that, so he just goes for a simple...

Milo: "...thank you... so much."

She smiles at him.

Ms. Minty: "I know that life can be quite the emotional rollercoaster..."

Ms. Minty: "...so really don't worry-"

Milo: "WAIT!!! RIGHT!!"

He got completely carried away and forgot what he came here for to begin with.

Milo: "CJ, Marvin, and Mort are trying to build a rollercoaster!!"

Ms. Minty: "...well... that's a silly idea, but do you really think they could-"

Milo: "Mrs. Charlene is helping them."

Her eyes suddenly open really widely.

Ms. Minty: "...you go outside, I'll fetch my car keys."

About five broken traffic rules later, they find themselves in the backyard. Charlene has been explaining something for a while now. CJ has heard the lesson before, Marvin is horrified, and Mort is intensely taking notes.

Charlene: "...and remember, kids, a little blood loss isn't that bad, it just means you'll get new, fresh blood produced by your body..."

Charlene: "...which is fine for the most part, even though you really need to watch out for vampires afterwards."

Mia: "...Charlene."

Charlene very obviously throws away the drill she was holding.

Charlene: "Hi there!! What brings you here oh so suddenly??"

Mia: "...a little kitty told me that you're trying to build a rollercoaster."

Milo pops up behind her and crosses his arms. 

Charlene looks at him suspiciously.

Charlene: "...has anyone ever told you that you'd make a great lawyer, kid?"

Milo: "No, but they should've."

Minty giggles at that answer and gives Milo a high five for ruining Charlene's punchline... she's a little miffed about it. 

Mia: "...did you forget the rules I implemented?"

Charlene: "...yeah, yeah, Rule Number 456: No building of dangerous machinery..."

Charlene: "...but I'm not the one building it!"

Charlen: "I'm showing them how to do it themselves!"

Mia: "Semantics? Really?"

Charlene: "Fine, you'll get a free ride."

Mia: "No one will get any rides!!"

Charlene: "...fineee..."

Charlene: "...sorry lads and lasses, our cover is blown."

Mort: "...again, my voice may be high-pitched, but I'm not a girl, ma'am."

Charlene: "Oh, no, I was talking about Charlot-"

She looks around, only to see anyone BUT Charlotte. 

She joined them about 20 minutes ago, but she's gone now. 

Charlene: "...where did she go?"

Charlene: "...and where's my toolbox?!"

CJ: "...didn't she say..."

Marvin: "...that she'd like for Vendetta to see the tools..."

Mort: "...because they're so pretty and shiny?"

As they slowly turn towards Charlene, they see that she's become one with the shadows, speaking from them in a calm, collected fury. 

Charlene: "I paid good money for that toolbox..."

Charlene: "...bring it back by dinnertime, capiche?"

CJ, Marvin, and Mort, simultaneously: "YES MA'AM!!"

They furiously start running to Vendetta's house, almost falling over each other in the process. Well, all except for Milo, who can't help but smile smugly at the display.

Charlene: "And you."

Milo: "Me?"

Charlene: "You will clean up this backyard for being a little snitch!"

Charlene: "...or would you rather have some stitches?"

Milo: "...and you're the boss of me, since...?"

Ms. Minty: "She's right, we could really use a helping hand."

Milo: "Right away, Miss."

He immediately grabs a broom and starts sweeping away the mess.

Charlene: "..."

Mia: "...y'know, I don't think threatening children with bodily violence is... good?"

Charlene: "He started it."

She says, like a stubborn little kid, before Mia sighs and just starts cleaning up too.

She knows she didn't really mean it anyhow, it's just a way to establish authority.

20 minutes before this, Vendetta was having another one of her evil meltdowns. 

Vendetta: "NO!!! I won't let any more quizzes damage my pride!!"

Vendetta: "They're all a bunch of nonsense...!!"

Vendetta: "Besides, who cares if I'm adherent or autonomous or whatever..."

Vendetta: "I'M ME! I'M EVIL! I'M THE RULER OF THIS TOWN!!"

Grudge sighs before feeding the papers he had to a fiend.

"...whatcha doin'?"

Vendetta: "AHHH!!"

Vendetta: "STOP BARGING INTO MY LAB!!!"

Vendetta: "THE ALLIGATORS WON'T STOP ASKING FOR CANDY BECAUSE OF YOU!!"

Vendetta: "...your stupid grandma really needs to lower her prices..."

Vendetta: "...and pull her punches."

Charlotte: "Look!! I have her pretty toolbox right here!"

Vendetta: "Why would I care?!" 

Charlotte: "Because when you grow old, you'll need one of these just like her!" 

Vendetta: "I won't do that!!" 

Charlotte: "Don't be silly Vendetta, everyone grows old eventually!" 

Vendetta: "As if! I'm NOT everyone!!"

Vendetta: "I'm ABOVE everyone!!" 

Vendetta: "I'm me!! And you're not!!" 

Charlotte: "I once was, for Halloween!" 

Charlotte: "That was fun!" 

Vendetta: "AS IF!! I'm not conforming with any of your people's stupid ideas." 

Charlotte: "...but Vendetta, growing old is a natural part of life."

Charelotte: "We're doing it as we speak!" 

Charlotte: "One day, when we'll both be grandmas..."

Charlotte: "...I'll bake you a BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG tray of cookies!!" 

Charlotte: "After that I can change your car oil or whatever else grandmas do..." 

Charlotte: "...oh! Maybe I could-"

As her ramble fades into the background, Vendetta stares at her in horror. 

You're telling her that... there's a chance that Charlotte will be around for that long? To pester and bother and annoy her for years and years and years on end? She'll have to keep listening to that high-pitched voice well until she needs a walking stick?? This could go on for that long?! 

She could spend the rest of her life trying to get rid of Charlotte...

...wasting it all away?

Vendetta: "................................................." 

Charlotte: "And then I was like, wow, I can't wait to meet such a pretty girl! I always wanted to go to Paris, Vendetta's pretty name is French!!"

Vendetta: "...hamster... bring in the TM."

Grudge: "!!!!!" 

He growls worryingly.

Vendetta: "...what are you looking at?!" 

Vendetta: "Bring it here, NOW!" 

He rushes down into the basement.

Charlotte: "TM? What's that?" 

Vendetta: "...you'll see..." 

Vendetta: "...or NOT!! HAHAHAH!!" 

Suddenly, the door swings open. 

"CHARLOTTE!! WE'RE HERE TO SAVE YOUU-" 

Says CJ, with Marvin and Mort cautiously following behind. 

Mort: (...does Vendetta always leave her doors open like that...?)

Mort: (...and why were those alligators so friendly??)

Marvin: "My God!!"

Marvin: "Are you okay??"

Charlotte: "Of course! Why wouldn't I-" 

Vendetta: "Well, not for long!!" 

Grudge brings in a giant machine, causing Charlotte to look at it in glee and the other three in horror. 

Vendetta: "This hunk of metal doesn't work for its first intended purpose, but the other one should work juuuuust fine." 

Vendetta: "I hope you'll have an AWFUL day today, MUHAHAHAHAHAHALGKGFJKVKB!!!" 

She laughs and laughs as she steps onto the platform in the machine, turning it on. 

CJ: "NOO!!! NO NO NO NO NO NO-" 

CJ starts running towards her. Marvin tries to stop him, but Grudge grabs both him and Charlotte before he could. Mort was small enough to escape Grudge's grasp, so he made a run for it too. All three of them ended up on the platform, trying to knock each other over. Eventually these two did manage to knock Vendetta over, making her fall onto the floor, but the two of them couldn't jump off in time.

It all happened in the span of a few seconds. 

But a few seconds is enough. 

And so, the cycle begins.

And with that, the screen goes black. 

[To be continued...]

Honestly, at first I had no idea what to draw you, which is why it took me a while to actually get to it. It's a good thing that I save outfit and general drawing inspos on my sideblog, because once I saw these three images, I knew what I had to do.

[Image 1] ---- [Images 2 and 3]

I wanted to redeem the drawing from last year because I frankly don't really like it anymore, especially how I drew Trucy and how I overcomplicated it. I'm really happy with the end result this time, this is one of my favorite drawings I've ever done! 🖤🩶🤍

I loved adding all of the little details and drawing all of them together for the first time! Dan's outfit didn't really have an inspo I just came up with it on the spot. :'D

...to be frank, the Noir Murder Mystery part was more of an afterthought, because I HATED how it looked in color, so instead of losing braincells I made it black and white, the outfits fit the theme anyways. This is like, my third drawing with this aesthetic and I just really like it. ｡⁠*ﾟ⁠+

Given we've been playing through Sam and Max it just felt really on brand, I couldn't resist fully leaning into it. I don't really have a story for this one, so I'll leave it up for interpretation! :D

Sharp Dog

Straws

LALALA

T-Shirts

Puppy

Slumber

To-Do List

Diary

I'm

Muppets

Tofu

Friend Group

Insane

Portend

Frown

Overthinking Factory

On About

Princess