Hmm how do you get along with the TV world crew?
[reeeally long post ahead. the talking style i use for reuben combined with my oc brainrot caused this to be unnecessarily long, so read at your own risk! to make it shorter for anyone who doesnt want to read it, reuben likes everyone he works with except for the other pippins (with a few exceptions like battat and pippins 13 and chip) and these are his in-depth thoughts on most everyone. proper response under the cut, read at risk of a long post!]
(*Reuben blinks, pausing as he pulls a mop out of a closet.)
*The whole crew? Uh... well...
*Well, it's not a simple answer, so I hope you don't mind if I work while I talk.
(*Right on cue, he pulls a mop bucket out of the closet and closes the door, putting the mop in and beginning to roll it ahead of him.)
*I guess I'll start with the masses, to make this a little easier on me.
*The Shadowguys are pretty... chill isn't really the right answer, I guess. They're nice, I'll say that.
*Not nearly as hyper as some other employees around here...
*But just the right kind of hyper that you can't really help but smile when one of them starts talking.
*Even if they can be a little hard to understand when they talk too fast sometimes...
(*He pauses by a faucet in the wall in a backstage area, positioning the bucket underneath and turning the handle. Water whooshes into the bucket as he continues.)
*Although, I would reccomend that you stay away from a room full of them.
(*He chuckles dryly.)
*It's like walking into a band room right before a concert. Every person practicing different songs or scales or whatever at the same time. It's enough to make my head spin on its own.
(*He pauses, twisting the water off and pushing the bucket back out into the hallway.)
*I... guess I do have a few favorite Shadowguys, though. They... don't even know my name or who I am, but I can still like them, can't I?
*...oh, you probably want to know who those are, huh?
*Uh, well, first there's Pluey. Great guy. Really quiet, sure, but that's part of what I like about him. You can never really get overwhelmed around Pluey.
*He cares a lot, too. That's always nice.
*Even if he doesn't know about me enough to care...
(*He clears his throat, staring at the ground as he walks to hide his expression.)
*Uh, there's also a few other Shadowguys that I've seen around that are really sweet, but the only one I can think of off the top of my head is Friday.
*Pretty hard to understand, even when he does actually talk, but I've seen the way he treats others and it's really sweet. I love his little personal compositions.
*Being the invisible guy has its perks, since it means I sometimes stumble across Friday and Chip when they're hanging out. The two of them are pretty close, I've noticed...
*Oh! Chip! Yeah, I like that guy, too. So bubbly and kind and caring, unlike most other Pippins.
(*He pauses again, his hand tightening around the handle of the mop as he walks. His voice drops to a barely audible mutter.)
*Why is it only the broken Pippins who are nice?
(*He coughs into his hand, pausing to glance into a side room, looking to see if it needed cleaned. He pushes his way into the room with a sigh when he realizes its a costume storage room and sees the disorganization.)
*While we're on the topic of Pippins I actually like, I also think that green Pippins, Battat, is pretty great.
*Sure, he's a little strange sometimes, and he really doesn't sleep well, and he snaps at people a lot...
(*He hums softly to stop himself from continuing, folding a cowboy vest neatly and placing it in a nearby box.)
*Point is, he's nicer than he lets on. Cares more than he wants to. I can see it, even when he tries to hide it behind his "crazy conspiracy theorist/tough guy" act.
*And, uh, Thirteen is another favorite. A bit of an outcast, sure, but that's not his fault. He's just unlucky.
*Now, if the other Pippins weren't so obsessed with gambling all the time, that might be different, but I guess that's just their stupid personality now...
(*He folds a pair of pants a little more aggressively than he means to and sighs a little, immediately smoothing out the wrinkles he left behind before putting them away.)
*As for the rest of the Pippins, they can go fall into a bottomless pit for all I care. They're rude, messy, loud, and hardly anyone likes them but themselves.
*Sure, this place might fall apart if they all disappeared, but it's also falling apart with them here, so...
(*He falls silent for a moment, glancing around the small room at the mess. He moves on to a different section to keep folding and putting costumes away.)
*Zappers are okay. They do their job. Great security, that's for sure. They're just a little... quiet sometimes.
*I do have some favorite Zappers, though. Button, for starters. They kinda... fade into the background, kinda like me, except even they have friends.
*Not even the guy in the background notices the invisible one...
(*He trails off into silence, folding and sorting without even looking or thinking, having done it so often that it's muscle memory at this point. When he speaks again, his voice is quiet and a little hoarse.)
*Sorry... I don't mean to make this a pity party for me. Being unseen does kinda help with knowing so many people. They don't even know I'm there, but I know so much about them.
*...
*Uh, Jongler. Is the other Zapper I like. They're sweet. Quiet. A busybody. Maybe a little shy.
*Also another one that sorta blends into the background, but still does a lot to help.
*Still doesn't... know I exist...
*A-anyways, moving on, I really like Ramb. He's the only person in this studio, other than Jevil, I guess, who has ever asked me for my name.
*Said he was grateful for my work when I was cleaning the green room by myself. Even offered to ask Tenna to give me a raise.
*Clearly he forgot about me, because it never happened, but it was nice to chat for a while.
*Elnina and Lanino are... something. They're so sweet when they're in a good week, and just so... touchy when they're in a bad week.
*Although... ever since that... weird hot guy came through the studio when the Lightners were here, the two have been nearly inseperable. And they've got Starwalker!
*Which is... kinda weird, but also really cool. They're happy. Their lovey-dovey attitude gets on my nerves sometimes, but at least they have each other.
(*He puts a hand on top of a closed box, his eyes locked on that hand as his other rises subconsciously to his tie.)
*And, uh, as for Mr. Tenna...
(*He takes a deep breath.)
*It's... it's complicated. I can't really give a, uh, straight answer.
*Don't get me wrong. He's a great boss. Tries to be very fair. He can be funny when he isn't trying too hard, and he's got a great stage presence.
*But...
(*He hesitates, drawing circles on the top of the box as he dances around a direct answer.)
*Well, he has his... moments. And those moments have gotten much more frequent. And it makes it hard to be around him.
*Feels like tiptoeing on glass. No, on those little poppers that Lightners have for celebrations with fireworks sometimes.
*Like one wrong step will cause an explosion. Not one that will really hurt anyone, but it's startling and loud and makes you think you have been hurt.
*It's exhausting being around that so often.
(*He laughs dryly, his fist tightening around his tie.)
*Why do you think I only went to check on him while he was unconscious? When I thought no one would see me?
(*He pauses, his hand relaxing.)
*...I don't hate him, though. He's trying just like the rest of us. Can't control his outbursts, and that's not his fault.
(*He looks up abruptly, a strange anger in his eyes.)
*DON'T. Go telling him that. I know you guys like to snitch. I'm the invisible Pippins, you think I haven't seen you snitch to others about different things?
*He doesn't need to know that one of his employees, a forgotten one at that, doesn't like being around him when he's in one of his moods.
(*He falls silent, finally going back to organizing the costumes. After a few minutes of silence broken by the rustling of clothes and the scraping of boxes being moved, he speaks up again.)
*I think that's everyone. All in all, I like it here. Even if no one sees me or knows who I am, I like the people here.
*Hah, I know your question was how I get along with everyone, by the way. The truth is, I don't really "get along" with anyone. Because they don't know I'm here. Can't get along with someone you don't know.
(*He finally falls completely silent, going back to work. His hands tremble slightly and his face is unreadable, but he seems to be more focused on work now. Guess that's all for now.)
