Overdue Check-Up (Poppy Playtime)

(Chapter 3) Part 2: Get To Playcare

Tears leave Nearic's eyes before he runs up and loops an arm around Hoppy's waist, startling her into raising hers away from him as his smile widens, weeping with joy, "You're alive, thank god!"

She looks down as the young man before her, before her forced smile seems to loosen into a genuine one as she pats his back, "Yeah, not dying anytime soon junior." Nearic chuckles at the name.

Dan slowly crawls out as he watches the interaction, still on edge about a toy being so close to his brother, especially since it's one he'll let his guard down around. However, though he tried to be unnoticeable, Hoppy spots him and immediately herself around, putting Nearic behind her as she glares at the older brother, making Dan ready his GrabPack for action as he takes a stance.

She growls lowly, "Who are you?!"

He narrows his eyes, "Dan Havoc, and that's my little brother." He answers, nodding his head to Nearic.

She balls a fist, "Nice try, it might've been 10 years since I last saw him, but I never forget the rockin' hopper, he's an orphan!"

Nearic tries to speak, "Guys-"

Dan ignores him, "He was, my parents found him and adopted him."

She narrows her eyes, "Really?" she asks disbelievingly.

Nearic tries again, "Will you-"

Dan scowls, "That's right, now let him go."

She growls a little louder, keeping a now tighter grip on Nearic's left shoulder, wincing a little at the pressure, that gets Dan scowling more as he yells, "Let him go!"

Her eyes sharpen as she leans forward, intending to lung at him, until Nearic roars, "ENOUGH!!!" which gets them both freezing and looking at each other, "Will you two actually listen to each other instead of your insecurities?!"

The harsh scowl and glare in his eyes has both backing down immediately, Hoppy even lets him go and steps aside, Nearic takes a deep breath, "Good, now Dan, want to tell me what that was about?"

Dan glances at Hoppy before looking back at his brother, "Was what?"

Nearic's eye twitches and Dan flinches, the younger brother answers, "Immediately getting ready for a fight, you saw that I knew her, and she didn't seem to me immediately threatening me, what was that?!"

Dan averts his gaze a little, "You let your guard down, like with Mommy Long Legs."

Nearic flinches at the name, but quickly composes himself, "Yeah well, we only knew each other for at most of 20 hours, I've known Hoppy for 2 years, I know when she'll be a threat or not, and she's not a threat!"

She crosses her arms, her forced smile sharpening at one end to a smirk, "Yeah kid, know your-"

Nearic's glare turns to Hoppy, immediately shutting her up, "And you." She audibly swallows, "Want to tell me why you weren't hearing him out?"

Hoppy look away as she tries to speak, stuttering horribly, before giving up and hanging her head, "I got nothing."

Nearic groans as he rubs his forehead with his left hand, "You're both unbearable." Making Hoppy chuckle awkwardly, scratching the back of her head, while Dan shifts form side to side.

Dan cough into a fist before holding a hand out to Hoppy, "Sorry about that, we've been through a lot in the past 2 hours."

Hoppy looks at the hand, before smiling and shaking it lightly, "No problem, I guess we both jumped to conclusions!"

Nearic sighs with a shake to his head, "That sounds about right."

Hoppy gasps in fake offense as she turns around, "Why you little-" she lets go of the handshake before leaning down and Nearic into a head noogie, "You dare?!"