The next day, Y/n was standing in front of their new home.
"Well, it's... nice." They muttered, staring at the house.
It was cute in a quirky, old-timey kind of way, with red walls, a blue roof, a bright yellow door and shutters that didn't quite match. There was a strange vibe about it, like the house had been plucked straight from a children's storybook and dropped into the real world. But it had a roof. And walls. And floors. That's all they cared about.
The key had been left under the mat, as promised. Y/n turned it in the lock, expecting maybe a dusty smell or creaky floorboards. What they didn't expect was... silence.
Creepy silence.
"Hello?"
Y/n's voice echoed through the foyer. The house was still, and for a second, they wondered if they were alone.
Maybe the roommates were out, they thought. Or maybe they're imaginary. Or maybe they're ghosts, a voice in their head suggested unhelpfully.
Taking a deep breath, Y/n stepped further inside. Oddly it looked a lot more spacious on the inside than the outside gave away. Like walls were magically stretching out to accommodate more people. Must be a trick of the eye.
The furniture looked as though it had been arranged with care. Strangely no pictures on the walls but plenty of paintings and a lot of apple themed furniture.
The newcomer plopped down onto one of the couches with a apple themed sofa cover.
Well it could be a lot worse. A whole lot worse.
Suddenly, a shadow flickered in their peripheral vision. Y/n jumped back up, their heart pounding.
"Hello neighbor." Came from a calm, low voice from behind them.
They spun around to find themselves face-to-face with... him. The man standing before them was tall, with sharp features that almost seemed carved from stone. He was dressed in all black, his eyes yellow and intense were locked on Y/n with unnerving precision.
But why did he have yellow skin? Was it made out of felt?
"Uh, hi?" They stammered, taking another involuntary step back. "I, uh... I'm here for the room?"
The man's thin lips curved into a smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Yes, I know." He took a slow step forward, as if measuring them. "I've been expecting you."
"Right..." Y/n swallowed hard, their throat dry. "So, uh, who are you?"
He tilted his head, amused by the question. "Hunter Wally. But it's easier to just call me Hunter." He said, his voice smooth, almost too smooth. "And I'm the one who gathered you here."
"Gathered?" Y/n frowned, the word unsettling. "I thought I was just renting a room."
His smile twitched slightly, his eyes narrowing in the faintest hint of condescension. "Oh, you are. But you're also more than that now. You've agreed to be 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚛."
They blinked. "Caretaker? Of what? Plants?"
There was a pause, the kind that felt like a warning. "Of them." He said, gesturing to the empty space around them.
As if on cue, movement came from behind the doorways, flickers of color and shape. Y/n's breath hitched as a figure stepped into the room, a figure that looked eerily like Hunter,
Only... different. Shorter. Friendlier, with wide, innocent eyes and a brighter, almost playful demeanor. He was very short, probably 3ft and he gave them a welcoming smile. Adorable.
Another followed, this one wearing a robe, a lot more disheveled, with his hair messy and wild, his eyes clouded with intensity. Also... black goop was falling out of his eyes. Totally not concerning or anything—
A redhead pushed past them both, eying them up with distain and displeasure. As if they were something gross he scraped of his shoe. Rude.
Then another. And another.
Soon, the room was filled with versions of him, Wally's. Each one slightly different, but all undeniably the same. And clearly a pompadour hairstyle was the trend amongst them.
"What... what is this?"
Hunter regarded them coolly. "They are me. Or rather, variations of me. Different dimensions, different lives. The multiverse has a tendency to let certain versions slip through the cracks, and I've been gathering them. You..." His eyes gleamed with a dark amusement. "...are here to make sure they stay in line."
Y/n stared, panic welling up inside them. "But I—I didn't sign up for this! I thought it was just—"
"You signed the contract." His voice cut through their protest like a knife. "And you didn't read it, did you?"
Their heart sank. "I... skimmed it."
Hunters smile widened knowingly. "Of course you did. And now, you're bound by it."
Y/n took a step back, every instinct screaming to bolt for the door, but Hunters presence was overwhelming. "You can't just—"
"I can." He said simply, his tone growing firm. "And I have. You'll take care of them, keep them in line when I'm not here. And trust me... you don't want to fail at this." His eyes bore into Y/n, unblinking. "You wouldn't want to deal with the consequences. You carry responsibility for them now."
"I am not qualified for this position. You are puppets... I'm a human. How will this work out?"
"I can't handle another one of them being in charge. So you will do. I'll fill you in of your chores and my expectations in more detail later... you can focus on settling in for now."
In the corner from their eyes they could see multiple yellow grabby hands rummaging through their belongings. Without permission.
Just as they were about to say something about it they eyes from all corners looking at them. The human turned around to see there were a few of the many many puppets closing in on them.
Looking a bit too eager to talk to Y/n.
How had it come to this?
