Playtime with Percy; Before Playtime

Monday Night

June 2-3, 9:41, 2002

" Yeah, I can't do this," Percy complained, taking a small leap off the show stage.

" John told us to stay here and practice sleep, come on. I know you don't like it, but-"

" But what good is standing here waiting for Pal to control us?" Percy fought Marylin's words. He looked around the show stage, examining the hallway to the RatCade to see if the nightguard was gonna show up any minute. There was none.

Charlie looked down and turned to the stairs leading downwards to the ground. He continued the path in his head and walked down the stairs silently.

" Charlie, don't join him too-"

" I don't feel so good," Charlie said, his voice barely a whisper. Felix lifted his head from where he stood, right next to the stage. Percy raised an eyebrow and asked, " How does it feel?"

" It feels like... my head is spinning and my endoskeleton just doesn't want to do anything. It feels sore." Charlie replied, edging closer to Percy. Felix trotted over to Charlie while Marylin made a nervous face. Her eyes didn't blink and she padded to the staircase.

" Do you need some fresh air?" Felix asked, getting close to Charlie. Charlie looked at Felix and whimpered, " I don't think that's the case. But that's not all."

" Anything else?" Marylin approached the three, and her face became overpowered by fear. Percy knew what she was thinking.

" Just... Whenever I stand still and think of one thing, it hurts. Like, similar to the pain from the 'thing', but less chaotic and painful." Charlie bashed himself to Felix and hugged him, shutting his eyes. Percy backed away out of surprise while Marylin smiled softly, looking at Charlie and Felix's hug.

" Whoa, easy there, tiger." Felix comforted Charlie. Percy leaned to the left a bit to see Charlie's face, where he was clenching his teeth to hold back tears.

Felix hasn't called Charlie that in a while...Percy thought sorrowfully. Nostalgicness gripped his heart like an icy hand. Percy saw Marylin's face, which had a similar face to his.

Percy listed the memories of Felix calling Charlie 'tiger'. It was something he did about a month back, out of a sudden nick naming Charlie 'tiger'. Charlie didn't mind and thought it was a cool nickname to have, being called one of the big cats. There was never an explanation for why Felix did it, but Percy guessed it had to do something with Charlie's outgoing and wild personality. There wasn't an explanation for why Felix stopped calling him that either, but there was an obvious explanation for that with the demotion and all.

" Ugh. Is it really hurting you that much?" Rowan complained from a distance. Percy and his friends could see Rowan leaning on the corner of the hallway leading to the show stage and the RatCade.

Marylin looked at Rowan straight in his eyes in disapproval, Charlie peering his head out of Felix's fur to look at Rowan. "It's not just that... I'm just scared... Of Pal..." Charlie's sentence fades away as he let go of Felix and looked to the floor with embarrassment.

"It's okay to be scared. I'm scared, too." Marylin patted Charlie's back. Charlie

lifted his head slowly like a mechanical crane. Felix stared at Rowan with narrowed eyes, Percy taking a few steps closer to Charlie.

"But why are you all so scared of a stupid toy? Like, what bad will it do to you? And what if Pal is right anyway?" Rowan protested. He arched his neck to look taller but from a distance and his regular height, he just looked the same. Percy turned his head to Rowan as fast as lightning.