This Time Around - Wally Darling x Reader

1 - Dawn

From the moment he laid eyes on you, he was obsessed.

Perhaps obsessed is a fickle word, something that hardly scratched the surface of the depth of his infatuation. It was merely an unfaithful description, blaspheming the reality of his diety. There is no word that truly fits the indescribable turmoil that would enter into his soul upon the sight of you, and it was certainly no word he had ever begun to understand before. No, he was not obsessed with you, but worse: he loved you.

It is not to say that Wally Darling had never loved anyone before. He was a joyous neighbor, a beacon of positivity that reached all the friendly faces around him. His love was easily found in his enthusiastic participation in Sally's plays, or the indulgence of helping his best friend Barnaby with a new set of jokes. This type of love was simple and plain, something that was seemingly natural for all residents of the neighborhood. They loved each other, and they were loved, simple as that. Then you moved in.

All things considered, you were rather unremarkable. Your hair was muted and your eyes stung with the contempt of a world that the neighbors had never known. You walked with a certain air about you, one that told of a resolute decision to hide away in this flamboyant town. One could've imagined that at one point in your life, you had dreamed of becoming something or someone important, but that ideation had been squashed by an unrelenting force that you had no power to end. And so, you had ended up here, consigned to a life of what could've been; a muted myriad of turmoil that greatly contrasted the brightly colored houses around you.

This bothered Wally to no end.

He had known you for less than a day, with no more words exchanged between you two than the standard new-neighbor greetings. Wally had been a bit too enthusiastic in his greetings, Julie thought, and she had scolded him about his eager inquisitions. You had been polite enough, your tired face stretched into a sullen smile that didn't quite reach your eyes as you tried your best to socialize with the brightly colored figures around you. Eventually, however, even Wally, oblivious as he is, could tell that you desperately needed some rest. But for the rest of that day, as well as the days to follow, he had mulled over the image of your face in his mind, attempting to commit every detail of his foreign muse to memory.

You, on the other hand, were far too tired to notice Wally's little staring problem. You thought all the neighbors to be fairly nice, and you had made an easy connection with the bubbly blonde puppet, Julie, and the impish sun puppet, Sally. The two were more than helpful in assisting you with the move, insisting that they carry the cardboard boxes that were filled to the brim with the relics of your old life. They had stood alongside you and kept you company as you slowly but surely unpacked your belongings, attempting to create some sort of decor that felt true to you, or rather, what you thought you had been.
"Why did you move here anyways (Y/N)? I mean, don't get me wrong, I am so happy you are here! We haven't had a neighbor in..." Sally stopped to count on her fingers before quickly realizing she could not count higher than three, "a lot of years! And it's always nice to see a fresh face. But, it was very sudden-" Just as quickly as her rambling had started, it was ended by a swift kick to the shin from Julie.
"Sally! Don't say that!" The blonde scolded, although her words held no actual malice, but rather a true concern for your feelings. Julie continued,
"What I think she meant was, what brought you here?" Julie gave you one of her dazzling smiles that never failed to amaze you. (Really, she was a puppet! How is her smile so pretty?) You stopped and thought for a moment, carefully calculating your answer to the innocent pair of puppets.
"I was just bored of everything else I guess." Your answer was simple enough, not to mention a straight-up lie, but it seemed to satisfy them as they returned to placing knick-knacks on the shelves.
"Well, we're so glad you're here neighbor! Welcome Home!"