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When Gariwald was a younger scientist, he got to know a young man named Skip. Skip worked at one of the prestigious hotels in club penguin as the hotel's bell boy. He was generally a nice and hardworking fellow, although a bit mischievous. He and his fellow employees, who were also his friends, would always pull fun but harmless pranks on the residents as well as the older staff as a way entertain and give the hotel a unique touch. (As no one would get hurt, they would get scolded but never severely punished.) Gariwald would visit the hotel frequently as his good friend owned it, and met Skip in the process.

At first, Skip felt intimidated that Gariwald would always outsmart him in his pranks. But regardless, he tried harder and started to see Gariwald as a challenger. During one fateful prank, an invention Gariwald was carrying fell and seemed to have broke, but in reality it got disassembled. Skip, not aware of this and being the kind hearted person he was, immediately felt bad and tried to help him fix it. Gariwald reassured him and effortlessly put the invention back together. It was then that Gariwald got to see Skip's true colors, and started to converse with him. From there, they developed a father/son bond, and Skip would always happily greet him and tell him about the new pranks he and his friends have planned for that day.

After about a year, Gariwald breaks the news that he must travel for his research. Skip is extremely saddened by this news, and tries to convince him to stay. Gariwald tells him that he will try to be back soon, and that they will keep in touch. as Skip never had a proper father figure growing up, he was having a lot of trouble accepting that. On the day Gariwald came to bid the hotel staff goodbye, he hugs Skip and gives him a small momento of when they first met: a bolt from the invention that in fact got loose when it fell. Skip promises to hold on to it and treasure it, even after he comes back. little did they both know, however, that their reunion would be one they would not have for another 40 years.

A week after Gariwald's departure and letters being exchanged back and forth, a tragedy occurs in the island that would forever change the island's history. For reasons unknown, the hotel suddenly catches fire and breaks down, trapping everyone inside. Skip was the last one to die, witnessing all his friends get crushed or burned alive, and died with no peace in his heart. The hotel then crumbles to the ground, and all the remains of everyone and everything burn to ashes. In an attempt to keep this as silent as possible, the island made sure that no mention of this tragedy reached outside the island, and eventually, outside that time period. Miles away, as the news did not reach beyond, Gariwald wondered why Skip's letters mysteriously stopped, but because of his work, he became preoccupied and forgot after some time. It wasn't until decades later when he returned that he began to question the "shutdown" of the hotel after noticing the island had changed.

Upon researching all that was available to him, he was also experimenting with ghost communication at the same time, and decided to combine the two. During a successful run, Gariwald got in touch with the last person he expected: Skip the bellhop. Out of shock and well past due grief, he immediately began to question Skip on all that happened, but notices something is off. Skip's demeanor is different, and a lot darker than before. Although his appearance hasn’t changed, his mind and heart definitely were no longer as pure as they used to be. They break out into an argument, Skip being furious at Gariwald for not returning sooner, and Gariwald at Skip for not letting him speak. needless to say, Gariwald saw Skip's vengeful nature growing inside him, and decided he must do something about it. But before he could attempt to capture him, skip uses his newly awakened powers to silence Gariwald permanently, and proceeds to go into hiding. It was at that moment that the truth of the hotel's fate would forever be lost (...or would it?)

Now, when penguins ask Gariwald as a ghost what happened in his mansion on the night he mysteriously disappeared, he simply states that he was experimenting and accidentally turned himself into ghost. Despite being killed by who he considered a son, he swore to never tell others of Skip's existence as a way to show he still cares.

And he holds onto this promise, until a certain halloween night in the year 2014 where skip makes his return, and he is forced to break is silence once and for all...

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------------------------------------------- HEY YALL So in the past year or so I’ve written some ideas/hc’s/au’s that i shared with discord mutuals. I’ve realized tho that I’ve never shared them here and so i found it was about time I do that lol The one i was most proud of and actually wrote as a semi cohesive story for is well ofc this one :, )