Chapter 8

"Got something on your mind, Boxy?"

The two of them were the only Toons on the floor, at least as far as Boxten knew. Walking side by side, Boxten kept his gaze to the ground, not looking at the Toon beside him. The two were in the theater hall, just shy of the elevator they'd just exited from. Neither had elevator shifts that day, and it was her idea to lie back and watch reruns. The reruns Boxten could say he'd seen hundreds of times now. Seemed she never got bored of it. Boxten couldn't say the same.

Said Toon kept her large eyes trained on the music box. "Boxten?"

It took a moment before the music box lifted his head, and turned to her. "What?"

"I asked if you were okay." Poppy held an expression of clear worry, with a small smile as if to comfort him.

"Oh. Yeah, I'm okay." Boxten returned his head to its former state of looking at the floor.

"Good to hear!" He could see out of the corner of his eye as Poppy's smile widened. "Which season do you wanna watch today? Should we start from the beginning, or where the show gets really good?"

Boxten shrugged as they continued to walk. He took note of the slight tingle in his lungs. The place hadn't been dusted in a good while. He could bring it up—Poppy would likely tell Tisha, he knew the two were especially close—but he didn't know how. He didn't want to be a bother. Even thinking about it, he felt like he was.

He shook his head. "Whatever works best for you."

"Then season 3 it is!" Her arms swung at her sides as she began to skip ahead of the Toon. Boxten didn't match her speed as the bubble gained distance from him, and continued to stare down.

They were nearing their location, as the bubble ahead of him ascended the short flight of stairs. Boxten not long after was too, and both stopped, standing at the brink of the large blue carpet. Said carpet held multiple beanbags and small Toon-sized couches. Hung on the wall before them was a large rectangular white sheet. Currently nothing was being projected onto it, which was to change shortly as Poppy turned and approached the projector resting upon a small table.

"Go and sit, I'll turn something on!" She turned her head and called to Boxten. The music box simply nodded, and did as told.

He chose the first couch to the left, taking a seat on top the left cushion of it. He turned his head behind him, and watched as Poppy held a box full of VHS's, scrounging through it before pulling out a specific tape. The tape had a white piece of paper on it with writing he couldn't decipher from a distance, but whatever it was, it was what Poppy was looking for according to a smile on her face. "Found it!" She proclaimed.

Then, the bubble stood, and proceeded to put the box back, and put her focus onto the projector. Boxten turned his head back towards the screen as a few seconds later, a white light shone upon it. A few moments after that, he felt a weight form next to himself—being Poppy—and both their gazes fixed onto the screen as familiar colors and shapes formed onto it.

It was one of the later episodes of the show. If Boxten had to assume, it was around season 3, maybe early season 4. An episode he had seen before, but not one he could remember the plot of. It opened with Astro—no surprise the episode opened with a main character—with other minor characters playing supporting roles.

Poppy was quiet—which was surprising. Usually she would talk about plot inconsistencies while the episode was playing—which gave Boxten the chance to let his mind wander. He let out a long exhale.

He'd seen these episodes so many times. Seen himself in an acting role. In the background, or as support for a character more important than he was. Even now, seeing himself and Cosmo side by side, discussing something with little meaning to one of the main stars of the show, it was still the same. He rested his head heavily onto his arm.

He wasn't the only Toon like this. Many Toons never got spotlight episodes. Never got as much attention as others. He was sure they were upset to not get much of the spotlight. He... didn't feel that way. It really made him think if anyone else felt the same way.

He knew this for a while, and a while he had come to terms with. He didn't like being on the show. It was strange really; a Toon made for a show not liking that they were a part of it. It seemed so backwards! But it was how he truly felt.

It wasn't the Toons he disliked, or the handlers,—at least not all of them—or the staff. He liked a lot of the Toons; his friend Poppy, to state the obvious. Teagan and Cosmo were nice, and Vee and her game shows were his go-to binge watch!

He... really wasn't sure why he never liked performing on the show.

Now thinking about it, had he ever sat down and thought about why he'd rather do anything else than be an actor in Dandy's World? He didn't think so. And even then, it didn't matter. The show was over, so there was no reason to stress about it anymore!

He had more important things to stress about.

"Um!!" The voice, one not coming from the episode in front of them, broke him from his train of thought. He turned his head to look at Poppy, who was glaring at something behind him. "Why are you here?"

Boxten blinked, and turned his head to his left. He flinched out of surprise.

There stood Shrimpo, a Toon Boxten would least expect to be here. The crustacean held his signature scowl, his forehead wrinkled as he gave a nasty look to the bubble beside him. "I CAN BE WHEREVER I WANT TO BE!"

"But we don't want you here!" Poppy snapped back, and Boxten immediately shrunk back into the couch he sat upon.

He didn't know why, but it seemed that everywhere Boxten was, Shrimpo was there too. He wasn't sure if it was some weird coincidence, or a curse, but it surprised him all the same. His feelings for the shrimp were... he didn't know how to describe it. He knew that, at least when the show was running, the crustacean scared the daylights out of him. Of course he would, he was the bully of the show. Everyone knew it, and everyone treated him as such.

But he never recalled ever treating him as the others had. Like how Poppy was currently acting now.

"I DON'T CARE!" He flinched as Shrimpo retorted. "SHRIMPO CAN GO WHERE HE WANTS!" At that, he took the small, yellow, single Toon chair beside the double blue couch. He crossed his arms, knees together, and glared at Poppy as her expression grew in irritation.

"Ugh..." She shook her head, her hand pinching the bridge of her nose—if she were to have one. "Fine! Just don't talk over the episode about how much you hate it.""YOU'RE ALREADY TALKING OVER IT."

"Shush!"

"YOU SHUSH!"

Boxten almost wanted to bang his head against the nearest hard object.

The episode continued in awkward silence among the group. Boxten wasn't even paying attention to the contents anymore, becoming background noise in the back of his mind. He kept his head propped against his hand. Now that he was here to stay, Boxten's mind focused on him. He wasn't sure if he was just stupid, or reading into things too much, but it was like Shrimpo seemed to almost... tolerate him. At least, that's what Boxten half-assumed, half-hoped. The silence could've been comfortable, if the tension couldn't be cut with a knife.

He straightened his posture after a moment, hands moving to his lap, held together. He looked down at his thighs, thumbs twiddling, his breathing light.

He remembered an encounter, not even a few elevator shifts ago. He mainly associated Shrimpo with his loud, projecting voice, but hearing him talk so quietly for once was unexpected. He knew it was just because he was likely as shaken as Boxten was—they were almost jumped by a Twisted, of course one would be shaken—but it was still surprising. He was expecting Shrimpo to curse him out for even daring to lie a finger on him.

He exhaled. It was dumb to think of such a thing. He leaned back on the couch, his key digging uncomfortably into the cushion. He didn't even acknowledge that the credits were beginning to roll on the projector screen.

"THAT EPISODE WAS TERRIBLE!"

"You weren't even here to see the entirety of it!"

And the two were arguing again.

Boxten lifted his head to stare ahead at the blank wall below the screen. He sharply exhaled.

"If you just came here to complain about what we're watching, then you can leave!"

"YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

"And we shouldn't be subjected to your whiny negativity!"

"Guys..." Boxten raised one of his hands, his voice more shaky than intended. He didn't want to hear this, he really didn't. It was pointless childish bickering.Shrimpo then sharply turned his head to glare at him, and Boxten felt a sudden wave of reinforced fear. "YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!"

"Don't talk to him like that!" Poppy was now standing. Boxten returned to pressing himself against the cushions.

"AND WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?" And now Shrimpo was too.

Boxten could feel himself beginning to shake. He didn't know what to do, his hands coming to hold at his arms in a semi-self hug. He didn't want to be in the vicinity anymore.

Poppy was visibly shaking, her brow furrowed and fist clenched. "Why are you like this?" The answer was obvious.

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?"

"Shut up! Just shut up!"

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD TAKE YOUR OWN ADVICE!"

Boxten could barely hear the argument unfolding. He hadn't realized he had covered the sides of his head with his hands, muffling the noise. He was shaking. His legs held tightly together, his eyes squeezed shut.

It puzzled him. Can they just watch the show? Was it so hard? Was that so much to ask?

He wanted to be back in his bed. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere that he didn't have to hear this.

He flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his now blurry eyes to see Poppy looking at him. She wore a look of concern. If it was genuine or not, he didn't know.

"Hey, you okay?" Her voice was gentle, like that of a woman he once knew.

"I-" He swallowed, he looked away from her. He was met with an expression he couldn't read from the other Toon. Shrimpo was staring at the both of them. Boxten blinked. He swallowed. "Yeah..."

"Good... good..." Her voice lowered as she looked back at Shrimpo. "Now look what you did."

Immediately, Shrimpo glared back. "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

"Clearly, your yelling stressed him out!"

And the feeling worsened.

Before he could move, or do anything, Shrimpo's glare trained directly onto Poppy. It was a nasty glare. "THAT WAS YOU!" He snapped.

"Says the one yelling right now!" Poppy spat.

Shrimpo sharply inhaled. His whiskers were twitching. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off.

"Just go away! We don't want you here!"

Boxten turned to look at her. He wanted to pull away from her touch.

He quickly looked back as Shrimpo's expression landed onto him. It was either Boxten's imagination, or the look seemed to lessen when it landed on him. Just as he noticed, it hardened once again. "FINE."

The shrimp wasted no time in turning on his heel and storming away from the circle. Boxten could hear his heavy steps against the old wood as he made his exit.

Boxten had never seen Shrimpo give into something.

He felt sick inside.

"I'm sorry about him." Boxten looked back at Poppy in front of him, her thumb gently stroking his bare shoulder. "I should've made him leave sooner."

Boxten's tongue felt dry, he didn't know what to say. He swallowed, looking down at himself as Poppy removed her hand. She returned to sitting beside him. In the Toon's bickering, he hadn't realized the next episode had started. It's not like he cared anymore.

He brought his knees to his chest, hugging his legs. He felt bitterly sick.

It felt wrong. Maybe he was just overthinking it. Maybe he wasn't thinking about it enough.

The tingle in his lungs continued. He felt the urge to cough. Instead, he looked down. His voice was quiet. "I don't want to watch any more episodes."

He blinked as Poppy turned her head to look at him. "Why? We only just started."

"I just... don't want to." He looked down further. "Can we go back to the rooms?"

Poppy was quiet for a minute. She looked down at herself for a moment, before lifting her head. "Is it because of Shrimpo?"

"What?" Boxten lifted his head to stare at her.

"Did he ruin your mood for it? I'm sorry." She frowned. "He always spoils the mood for anything fun!"

"It's... um..." He couldn't say it wasn't just Shrimpo. "I just don't want to watch anymore."

Poppy let out an exaggerated sigh, which made the bitter feeling in his gut worsen. "Okay..." She slowly stood up, stretched, and approached the projector. Boxten stayed where he sat.

He sighed. He felt worse. Now he wasn't just ruining one's day. Now he was ruining two.

"I'm sorry..." He shifted his body to where he could look at Poppy without hurting his neck.

Poppy was putting the tape back into the box, not looking back at him. "It's cool, Boxten. I don't mind."

"Do you really?"

"I said it's fine."

It didn't make him feel better. He sighed, and proceeded to stand up. Once Poppy placed the box back under the desk, she turned to look at Boxten—an expression he couldn't read—before beginning to descend the stairs. Slowly, with legs that felt twice their weight, he followed.