So while Executing Eclipse.exe was in progress I got a comment from Glitchstrikr saying, "Imagine if Arnold dies and possesses M2." And at first I didn't think much of it aside from "man that'd be crazy but I want him to live for once lol."
Then after I finished the story that idea started living in my head rent free. I have so many thoughts about it, and I like to imagine that Arnold, feeling fully disconnected and discontent in "his" new body, would constantly take advantage of the "adapts to any costume" aspect and constantly jumps from costume to costume while trying to figure out which one he could actually feel comfortable about himself in.
And imagine the poetic irony if he somehow found a spare white mask with familiar paint- a spare part that was left behind after a certain someone's passing. And that's the kind of body he finds himself most comfortable in.
Teehee. :)
To go into a bit more depth on the AU, because I'm too tired to draw anything more for it rn, it was Eclipse who bound Arnold's spirit to M2. In a haze of pain and panic and desperation to keep from failing yet another friend, they would have used their magic (which they still have in this AU) to do it.
But even after the two get back to the 'plex and settle into the aftermath Eclipse would feel immense guilt and wonder if they damned him to a fate worse than death, and would do their best to try and help him find a new body that's comfortable for him. They'd have heavily mixed feelings about him choosing a Puppet body but make the new body, as well as the cap and jacket to help it feel more Arnold.
On Arnold's side of things, I imagine aside from the discomfort of not feeling right in his body before getting the Puppet body, he's just not doing well. Like. He died, y'know? Violently. And now he has to get used to living as an animatronic stuck working for Fazbears.
I imagine he'd have a lot of conflicted feelings towards Eclipse. He wouldn't hate them but he'd be angry but he doesn't know why he's angry, they were just trying to save him from dying so why does he sometimes want to hurt them? They're his friend he shouldn't want to hurt them they're his friend they're his friend you're my friend why do I want to hurt you?!
Maybe those "homicidal glitches" M2 was suffering from are still affecting the body, even now...
Executing Eclipse.exe - Bonus Chapter: Welcome to the Circus
In which we see Arnold's arrival to the MCM within the Executing Eclipse.exe AU. Written 8/30/25.
"I just pulled up… It doesn't look like anyone is here," Arnold mumbles as he peers through the side window at the large, seemingly abandoned building. His van slows to a stop while Dispatch replies,
"I'm sure you're right! Those motion sensors never tell the truth!"
He rolls his eyes at the man's sarcasm, asking, "Okay, how am I supposed to get in?"
"To access the building, you've been provided with a Data Diver tool. Look around you."
Arnold's brows furrow and he looks over his shoulder, spotting the tool in question just behind his seat, tucked inside his tool box on the van's build-in counter. "How long has that been there?" He didn't remember carrying it into the van. Surely the sleep deprivation hadn't done that big a number on him…
"Richie slipped it in your tool box during your last job. Just in case."
"Of course he did," Arnold mutters, getting up with a grunt and grabbing the Data Diver. As he clips it to his belt, Dispatch says,
"That Data Diver is your master key to the MCM facility. Do not lose it." The stern, authoritative tone disappears in a heartbeat as he adds cheerfully, "Now get in there and retrieve our property! Over and out."
Arnold sighs and exits his van, walking to the door into the building and frowning as he sees the closed sign. Hesitantly, he presses the bright red button nearby and looks up in confusion as an automated message plays.
"The MCM facility is temporarily closed," Informs the voice of a man, who Arnold presumes to be Mr. Murray himself. "For all delivers and work inquiries the "Client and Deliveries Entrance" is located around the side of the building."
Hearing that, he glances side to side before spotting a gate illuminated by yellow lights. That must be it, then, He decides, trudging that way.
As he approaches the gate, he notices some wall-art of a mascot character with a hardhat and a hammer, the text nearby saying, "Pardon our mess!" Arnold stares at it as he unlocks the gate, then he walks into the fenced-off area where old carnival/playground equipment has been left behind. Looking at it all, he can see why.
What here could Fazbear want so badly, anyway? No offense to Edwin, but his stuff is really ugly…
He keeps going, navigating the construction equipment also left behind, dragging his feet as he searches for the entrance to the building. He crouches under a support structure, then he climbs up onto the top and walks along until he finds a couple palettes to support him as he climbs down. Ugh, why is this place a maze?…
He looks around the next section of this place, pausing as he sees some old, rusting structure on the other side of the fence, a ball laying in the sand nearby. He peers a bit closer at it, humming to himself. Why doesn't this slide look like the others? Maybe it's a prototype.
He shrugs and turns to where he can see an illuminated entrance to the building through the fence, where there's thankfully a hole on the bottom so he doesn't have to try to climb up.
Through the doors, he finds a little waiting room with a couple mascot posters and some chairs. The lights flicker and dim as another automated message plays, and the voice from before rings out, "Welcome, potential buyers, to Edwin Murray's Costume Manor- the leading powerhouse in costume entertainment and carnival game technologies. Woo!"
"… Woo?"
"Come in and see what Murray's can do for your carnival, amusement part, midway or funfair. This client tour will show you just what I'm capable of. Get ready to be amazed!" As Edwin drones on, Arnold yawns heavily and scrubs at his face with his gloved hands. "Don't forget, every one of my creations are available for purchase or lease!"
The doors in front of him finally open, and he trudges forward towards an illuminated circle on the floor. When he looks down, there's an ugly sun design on the floor.
And then the lights shut off, switching to spotlights on a curtained pathway while a dramatic fanfare swells up. Out of a little circus podium rises a white little… Otter? A Bear? Whatever it is, it's wearing a red ringmaster's coat and a black tophat.
And as he stares at it, it flops around and cheers, "Welcome, welcome! The show's just begun! There's so much to be done! You'll want to be here to stay… It's a one of a kind, fantasy workshop, where you'll quite simply be amazed!"
Then a chorus of voices joins in around the technician, startling him as they sing, "A NEW WORLD A-WAITS RIGHT BEYOND THIS DOOR! FULL OF GAMES, ADVENTURES, AND SO MUCH MORE!"
Arnold looks around, blinking slowly as he watches all the old-fashioned animatronics move in slow, stiff motions. There are some cardboard standees placed around as well.
"… Well, that sure woke me up," He mutters.
"SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE, YOU'RE A LUCKY ONE, JOIN THE NEW ADVENTURE WHERE FANTASY MEETS FUN!"
The lights dim again, a spotlight focusing on a seal animatronic as a voice elsewhere cheers, "A death defying diiiive!" The seal fakes a jump as the spotlight switches to a bucket with a tail sticking out.
"Hit it, Mr. Rocktapus!" He turns to the side as the light shifts to an octopus animatronic with hippie-like features, fake-playing the drums.
Then it's just some music playing and he zones out until the otter pops up again, singing, "A new world a-waits, now it's time to explore! Step right up, don't be SCAAARED! It's tiiiiime to oooopen the DO-"
Arnold jumps as sparks spray from multiple spots on the set, the stairs jamming after they slide out and the lights flickering off. He's submerged in darkness until the red emergency lighting comes on, and suddenly… All the derpy-looking animatronics feel a bit more menacing…
Guess I should've seen that coming, this place is pretty old by now. Arnold sighs, climbing up the stairs and turning to where he can see a door. But Rocktapus is in the way, so he has to find a crank for it and reel it back to reset the animatronic's position.
After that, he's able to make his way over to the door- pausing to regard the strange-looking dog with a grimace- and he heads into the hallway.
The wall ahead has a window into some strange room with a big machine, but he can't parse what that is yet. He turns to the side and walks down the hall, reaching another, far more cluttered hallway. There's a door on the left but after he notices that the door requires a Diver level he doesn't have, he sighs and goes right.
Navigating the costumes and shelves, watching his steps carefully. Then the hall opens into a dark warehouse, his eyes drawn to the bright glow of a… Generator?
That's something this place has over Fazbear. Backup power, He realizes with a scoff and treads over. It only takes a few careful pulls on the cord to power the room past the nearby door that slides open.
"If you're there, pick up!" Calls a familiar voice, and Arnold has to stifle an audible groan at the sound of Dispatch on the PTT.
Of course… He walks into the room and stares at the device in annoyance, then he spitefully turns to the computer nearby, plugging the Data Diver into it and lifting a brow as a program called "H.E.L.P.E.R." loads up. It has a map, logs and a few ".exe" programs. One of which seems to requite the top-level permissions, so he doesn't bother messing with that, and instead he checks the map. Okay, two floors, and… Do the rooms I visit light up? Huh, interesting. He clicks the logs next, but there's not anything there. He checks the Moon.exe program next, raising his eyebrows as it opens up to a pixel-art screen of a… Bedroom?
Intrigued, he spends a couple minutes clicking around, checking the few options available while ignoring Dispatch's frequent, more and more annoying nagging. But he finds that there's no options that don't end in a game over at the hands of the titular Moon. Guess that's as far as it was programmed to go, He reasons, then he sighs and unplugs the Data Diver, turning to the PTT and begrudgingly tapping the button to signal Dispatch.
After a moment, that saccharine voice greets, "You made it! I knew you would. No one doubted you for a second, and those who did are now out 20 dollars!" Then Dispatch breathes in a little sharply, and an awkward silence follows as Arnold gives the device the most deadpan, annoyed stare he can. Wishing he could make the dispatcher see how fed-up he is already.
"Uh, not that anyone here at Fazbear Entertainment was wagering if you would survive or not… I mean, how immoral would that be? Hah!" Arnold grunts quietly, rolling his eyes as the other adds, "But seriously, great job… Now that you're there- and it would be very difficult for you to turn back- Iii should probably level with you a little… We're still detecting movement in the building that you're in."
"I figured, considering what you said about the sensors earlier," The technician mutters.
"Our idea of what it might be is a… Little different compared to yours." He clears his throat a bit. "Ol' Murray made some neat stuff over the years, and unfortunately it seems that one of his most creative inventions may have encountered some… Homicidal glitches in its programming."
Arnold blinks. "How does that happen?"
"Well, these things happen, and I'm sure it's nothing to worry about! Buut you should probably worry about it… He was working on an endoskeleton that can adapt to any costume or character- large or small- with the ability to take on the persona of the character it occupies."
Hearing that, the technician lifts his head withe some interest. That would be pretty handy in this business. No need to get a brand new endo and reprogram it every time an animatronic is destroyed. He looks ahead blankly. … They want me to try and get this thing for them, don't they?
"With the addition of the aforementioned homicidal tendencies, of course."
"That wasn't planned, though, right?"
"… Obviously not, who in their right mind would program an animatronic like that?" Dispatch belatedly replies with a chuckle. "Ah, anyway, we'll be working on some ideas on how to neutralize this rogue endoskeleton, but in the meantime, just try to be quiet, careful, and focused on the task at hand. Always being mindful of the fact that this… "Entity" could potentially be inside any costume or character that you see."
Now that? That gets the hairs on the back of his neck standing. Realizing that this potentially murderous endoskeleton could be anywhere, and he might not know until it's hunting him down…
"Alright! Take a deep breath and get back in there. Finish the job and that 25 dollar certificate is as good as yours!"
"W- wait-"
"Right now you should focus on finding a way to turn the power back on! Iiit looks like you don't have a security level high enough to leave this office, or enter the power room for that matter."
"What?" He looks back at the door, realizing it's branded with a diamond icon, rather than the square he has. "Oh."
"Use that Data Diver upgrade machine. It should give you clearance to open the door." Dispatch's voice lowers to that familiar, serious tone as he adds, "It's very important that you Update the Data Diver whenever you find an Access Station. This is not optional. Now go find that power room. Over and out."
Arnold sighs heavily and rubs his eyelids. Okay, okay, deep breaths… Maybe it's not as bad as he made it seem. I haven't seen any sign of life so far, and- this place is old, its heyday was ages ago. Even animatronics nowadays aren't that advanced, there's no way Edwin could have programmed something that became a killing machine. Right?
He looks towards the window peering out into the warehouse behind him, then to the upgrade machine. Any which way, my best course of action is to finish the job and finish it fast. The longer I stay here, the more I'm at risk.
With that in mind, he goes to the upgrade station, slotting in the Diver body and powering on the machine with the wrench. It takes him a moment to figure out the instructions, then he has to start over to actually fulfill the convoluted requirement to get the upgrade, wondering why exactly he wasn't sent in with a fully upgraded Data Diver to streamline things.
After that, he's finally able to unlock the door and leave the room, hesitating at the doorway and staring into the warehouse. All the costumes around, lit up in red, with their bulbous eyes and uncanny looks…
A shudder runs down his spine and he hugs himself, his gaze whipping around cautiously as he tiptoes back to the hallway he came from, giving every costume as much space as he can until he finally reaches the door to the power room. The moment it opens he ducks inside and lets it shut behind him, breathing a sigh of relief only to gag at the odor filling the small room. He coughs and chokes, covering his mouth as his gaze whips around for the source.
He can hear flies buzzing in the corner. When he looks, he sees a costume version of the dog and almost assumes the thing is just gross and moldy… Then he sees the arm sticking out of it and his stomach drops.
Yellow glove. Green sleeve. He can see a white armband but he doesn't dare step close enough to read it, struggling to breathe as the smell of rot fills his senses. As he's hit by the harrowing confirmation that he's in danger. That there really is a murderous killing machine in the building. And it's taken a life before him. But has it only been the one life?
He hears the thud of his boot before he realizes he's stepped back. He startles and staggers until his back hits the door, frantically yanking the Data Diver off his belt and plugging it into the door. He barely remembers to twist, getting the door open and stumbling out, gasping for breath.
His heart is hammering in his chest, so hard his vision blurs. He leans against the wall, gripping onto it as he struggles to ground himself. Before he knows it he's sinking to the floor, clutching at his chest desperately. His sharp gasps of terror echo ominously through the corridor…
"There you are, Arnie! Took you a hot minute, there. I assume there were some complications in getting the power back on," Dispatch speaks, his voice muffled in the technician's ears.
"… Something like that," Arnold barely gets himself to mumble, his voice hoarse. His throat is so dry that it crackles when he swallows.
"Well, I'm sure that's a one time thing. You'll get used to the systems here in no time, and then you'll be able to fix things up quick as a whip! But in the meantime, let's talk about what you're there to find, shall we?" He sighs and hugs himself as he waits for Dispatch to give the dreaded order. "Obviously this possibly murderous endoskeleton has encountered some, ah, unfortunate glitches. But that doesn't mean the idea isn't sound, or valuable! We think that endoskeleton has a lot of potential, and that's why we want you to retrieve Murray's original schematic for it!"
"Wait, the schematic?"
"Yes, the schematic."
"Oh. Thank God, I thought you were going to ask me to get the endoskeleton itself," He sighs.
"Well." Dispatch pauses, and Arnold immediately looks at the PTT. "We'd like you to certainly try to get the endoskeleton itself. Deactivated, of course, which I'm sure you can do once you get that schematic and figure out its inner workings. If anyone could read those blueprints, it'd be you, right?"
"W- well, yes, I know how to read blueprints, but I- I don't think trying to get ahold of the endoskeleton is a good idea, deactivated or no! It's dangerous!"
"Aw, c'mon, Arnold, what's life without a little risk? It just makes the reward that much sweeter in the end! The reward being, ah, your life. And that 25 dollar gift certificate! I can just smell it, can't you?"
"No."
"You will soon, trust me. Now, to get the schematic, you need to reach Murray's Executive Suite. That's most likely where it will be. Your Data Diver doesn't have executive permission yet, so you can't get anywhere near it."
"Why didn't you send me in with one that does have executive permission?"
"… Not a problem! We just need to find stations to upgrade your Data Diver until you can gain access. They're all over the facility- in fact, there's a station up in the warehouse manager's office. You should head there next," Dispatch goes on like he didn't hear Arnold's question. The technician sighs sharply. "But before you go, take a hand crank for the security fence. Looks like you can get one from the Inventory Tube System. That's the big machine in the security office. Should be active… Now!"
The machine nearby abruptly whirrs as the front panel slides open, exposing the inner machine. "Now, what are you waiting for? Keep on truckin'! Over and out."
Arnold sighs as the office goes quiet, taking a moment to resign himself to this and work up the nerve to go back out there and face the challenges that will surely meet him halfway. After all, what else can he do? If he tries to hide out, Dispatch will call eventually and motivate him with the threat of getting fired. Or even worse, getting left to die here. Why would they come back for an uncooperative employee?…
He takes the hand and heads to the security fence, plugging it in and winding it until the fence comes open. He treks towards the door ahead and hears the wood of a nearby storage crate creak… Then it blows open, a large elephant costume staggering out before its gaze fixes on Arnold with clear intent. An almost tangible, terrible weight settling on the technician's shoulders from its stare.
"Shit," He croaks out, shaking, trembling in place. Frozen, silently screaming at himself to run.
It starts to charge, and instinctively Arnold starts to move, stumbling backward until he can turn around and bolt for safety. The elephant's footsteps come pounding after him, shaking the floor under his feet.
He runs as fast as he can, it runs faster. He skirts around a heap of clutter that's a blur in his rushed, frantic state, and scrambles to the closest hiding spot he can find- a locker. He slams himself inside of it and huddles up in the dark, tight space, listening to the pounding footsteps as the elephant tries to copy his movements. It slows to a stop as it draws near the locker and he ducks his head, clamping a hand over his mouth to muffle his heavy breaths. Praying the sound of his thundering heart doesn't give him away.
The floor thumps with every step it takes. A low, gurgling noise filling the space. He has no idea how a machine could make such a sound, but it makes him sick regardless. He doesn't relax when it finally wanders away. He waits. For several minutes, until he thinks he may have at least a snowball's chance in hell at making it past the thing.
He opens the locker door just a crack peering around for any sign of the elephant. Its footsteps are distant. It's not in sight. He hesitantly slips out and creeps around, back the way he came while looking all around, head whipping about frantically. He jumps when his foot bumps something and scrambles back, barely stifling the shriek of terror that wants to rip from his throat, and he looks down. It's just a crate of wind-up mouse toys. He sighs at himself… Then he has an idea and grabs one, cranking it up and then throwing it clear across the room, as far as he can. It hits the floor and starts to squeak, to squirm on the floor, and the elephant charges to it like a hound hunting its quarry.
Arnold sneaks past as quickly but quietly as he can, going straight to the door to the next area and unlocking it. The moment it shuts behind him, he breaks into a run, getting as far from the door as he can. If that- that thing can break them down, he doesn't want to be around to find out!
He doesn't slow down until he reaches a closed office space where there seems to be an elevator, and then he has to stop and sit down, struggling to catch his breath. It shouldn't be that fast. It shouldn't be that fast! He hugs his knees to his chest, unable to stifle his whimpers of terror. I have never seen any fast, alert animatronic before, l- let alone one that can be that fast while it's wearing the heaviest, baggiest-looking costume possible! I got lucky, I got so lucky that it didn't catch me!
He keeps thinking of that body he saw. How that could have been him if he was even a second slower…
After getting the next security upgrade, Arnold knows the only way forward is the busted open wall. He peeks into it, finding a party-themed room within, boasting huge cake models and dogs wearing party hats and balloons and present boxes around the middle wall. As he steps into the room, a spotlight flashes on, focusing on the largest box among the lot- one with a crank that looks like it could be unscrewed by winding it.
Oooh, but I have a baaad feeling about this… He feels his stomach start to sink as he slowly creeps towards the large box, reaching out to gingerly grip the handle of the crank. It's gotta be a Jack-in-the-Box, right? So who knows what uncanny thing is locked up in here… He takes a deep breath and starts winding the crank and shivering as the music comes out distorted, a bit slow. He tries to wind it faster to get it over with, feeling the crank loosening as the music peak until-
"TIME TO PLAAAY!"
"FUCK!" He jerks away and stumbles straight into the clutter behind him, grunting as a pang runs through his back. He glances over his shoulder before his gaze whips back to the Jack-in-the-Box animatronic.
"A clown! Of all things, it had to be clown!" He rants to himself, pressing back into the cake with a shudder as he watches the thing swing back and forth on its spring, its mouth agape in a toothy, unsettling grin as its eyes stare lifelessly into the distance. The fact that its cross-eyed might've been funny if it wasn't an abomination that crawled up from hell in the technician's mind.
And remembering that the endo can inhabit any costume, any character, big or small, makes him feel worse. Because this thing is very big, and again, it is a clown. A horrific clown with large hands on long arms- he already finds himself backpedaling towards the exit, not wanting to be near it any longer than he has to. Besides, surely- surely the endo couldn't have followed me up here, it couldn't know where I'd go! And how could it have gotten into the box? It- it couldn't have, it wouldn't have, there's no reason to! Just- God, please anything but the clown!
He makes his way to the security fence, plugging the crank in and winding it as far as it will go- which is only halfway, fine by him, he ducks under and heads down the hall, grimacing when he's promptly faced with a poster bearing the clown's image, its arms stretched cartoonishly to form the letters for "Let's play!"
He pays the other posters little mind as he rushes to the door, opening it and pausing as he's greeted by some strange robot with a keyboard in its body. Admittedly, the thing is still uncanny but way less terrifying to him in comparison to the clown.
It almost looks like it could be an extra in the Robots movie, honestly, Arnold decides, then he makes his way to the generator in the corner. He pulls the cord until the machine activates, then he jumps as a large hand shoots into the room, gripping the wall as its counterpart does the same, dragging something forward.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAAAY!" The clown cheers as it collapses onto the floor, its gaze immediately locking on Arnold as he freezes in terror. "Iii fooound yooou!"
He staggers back into the corner, huddling into it a he watches the clown flail around, struggling to control its spring-loaded limbs, giggling manically all the while. His heart hammers rapidly in his chest as he watches it pull on the wall until is body snaps free of the box keeping it from getting into the room- from getting to him.
It pulls itself towards him, its head cocking to the side as it peers at him with those blank eyes. "Time to plaaay!"
Arnold is paralyzed. Unable to move, painfully aware that he's cornered, trapped. There's nowhere to run, not with it blocking the path, and he can't hide from it in this small space. The idea of fighting it is laughable.
This is it. This is really it. His heart sinks as a cold wave of dread washes over him. I never even stood a chance here. I'm just the next link in a never-ending chain of sacrifices to this thing… And I never got to tell Elaine and Sammy goodbye! His eyes sting with tears and he shuts them tightly, images of his wife and son flashing through his mind…
"TAG! You're it!"
CRASH!
His head snaps up at the sound, and he watches in shock as the clown suddenly turns and attacks the typing robot, backhanding it into the floor before wailing on it, ripping off pieces and tossing them away with paper flying like confetti. The display is so violent and unnecessary that Arnold struggles to process it and only snaps to focus again when the robot crashes through the nearby wall, opening a gaping hole.
"Let's have fun!" The clown cheers, its head snapping towards him with terrible intent. Arnold rushes to the hole- the only way out not blocked, and he drops onto a broken catwalk straining under his weight. "No fair! Out of bounds!"
He tries scrambling off the catwalk to the safer, more stable path ahead…
But it collapses under him, sending him plummeting to darkness.
He has no idea how he's able to stand back up again. How he only has a throbbing ache from the fall and some dust to cough up. He's lucky, that's the only conclusion he can come to, especially as he looks at the typing robot and sees it in pieces, its head completely detached.
But now isn't the time to relax, I have to get out of here… Wherever this is. He glances around the maintenance halls he's ended up in and slowly presses onwards, leaning against walls to support his tremoring legs. Unfortunately, he discovers that the clown is already on his trail, peering at him from behind the bars of a tunnel leading into pitch darkness.
His heart hammers in his chest and he breaks into a run.
So I got inspired to do a EAPS ship fankid, I'm sure you'll never guess which ship I picked-
TiredTech.exe babyyyy!! I wanted to use the Puppet!body Arnold variant of Executing Eclipse.exe because I'm not ready to try and process a human-animatronic hybrid baby. Plus a celestial shape with puppet stripes sounded absolutely baller.
So say hi to Dollia! Named after the flower with the "dahl" replaced with "doll" instead. Arnold probably decided to let Eclipse have the honor of naming the wee bab since they're the one who suffered and Mx. "Named their OCs Bloodmoon, Lunar and Solar Flare" could not come up with anything better. /j
Bonus reaction to the initial egg from Arnold and ghost Puppet, who is absolutely vindicated seeing Eclipse get their due karma after how much they teased her about Freddy.
For this AU, things got a lot better between Arnold and Eclipse after Arnold settled into his new body, and then eventually they caught feelings and fessed up. Then after about nine months of them dating, Eclipse's magic did a funny thing! :3
How would characters from your TSAMS AUs react if someone hugged them?
Oh, that's an interesting question! :0 (Long post under the cut!)
Executing Eclipse.exe + Ailment of the Heart:
Eclipse wouldn't be happy. They'd grimace and push the hugger off, hissing, "Take your damn hands off me!"
Arnold would be confused and lightly pat their shoulder but not fully reciprocate the hug. He'd just wonder why this stranger is hugging him??
Foxy would awkwardly hug back. "Uh, hi there. Nice to meet you, I guess?"
Puppet would poke their head. "What's this about, bud? You mind lettin' go? This is weird."
Charlie wouldn't know any better but to hug back as tight as she can. She's always happy to give big hugs!
Ghost Whisperer Sun AU:
Sun awkwardly hugs them back- not opposed to it but he's not super comfortable accepting affection outside of friends and family.
Killcode would kindly reciprocate in a fatherly sort of manner, though he wouldn't hug too tight.
Bloodmoon isn't super comfortable being hugged by a stranger and just leave their arms at their sides, waiting for someone to come help.
Emerith nervously pats their back before gingerly pulling away. "Ah, s- sorry, I just- don't like hugging people I don't really know. Sorry..."
Sylas is confused but accepts it, shrugging.
Vorago is not enthused and mutters, "Kindly unhand me, I don't care for hugs from strangers."
Moondrop frowns and awkwardly pats their head. "Uhh. There there? Now let go."
Solar hesitantly accepts the hug, rubbing their back because he doesn't know what else to do.
Equinox is pleasantly surprised and hugs them back, probably a bit wanting for company after being (justifiably) locked in parts and services for so long.
New Moon doesn't really respond. He's not sure if he's okay with it or not so he just lets it happen for a moment before silently pulling away.
World of Paradise:
It depends on the variant of Lord Eclipse but- the more canon-adjacent one would scoff and shove them off. "Who gave you the right to hug your god without his permission? Petulant lamb, your place before me is kneeling, not in my arms."
The nicer Lord Eclipse/the dad variant would be a bit taken aback but not mind it too much, hugging them back and saying, "Whatever is troubling you, please speak your peace. As the Shepherd, it is my duty to bring peace to my flock."
Servant Sun would freeze at the unexpected gesture before sinking into their embrace. He wouldn't have the heart to say much.
Star would be uncomfortable and nudge them off. "No offense, but just because I'm the princess doesn't mean I like getting hugged by strangers."
Addisein (Servant/Butler OC) would groan and push them away, brushing off his suit and straightening it out. "What on earth has gotten into you?! Don't rumple my clothing again!"
Ilia (Servant/maid OC) accepts without question, patting their back. "Aww, giving little ol' me a hug? How sweet!"
Rebel leader Monty would click his tongue and pull away. "Enough of that. It ain't helpin' anything if you fall apart, soldier."
Rebel Lunar would begrudgingly allow it. He wouldn't say anything.
Rebel Moon sighs softly and hugs back, murmuring, "I know. I know, it's okay. Just... Try to keep your head above water. We'll make it through this."
Trash and Brotherly Bonds
Cedric hug them in return while lightly patting their back. "You doing alright? If you need to talk, I'm here."
Nem would be surprised and nervously reciprocate the gesture. "Um, hey, bud?"
Poppy reciprocates, also patting their back. "Just take a breather, mmkay? I've got you."
Strife raises a brow but simply hugs back, unbothered.
Sirius snorts in amusement and ruffles their head, but doesn't fully reciprocate. He's not really the hugging type.
Chica awws and hugs back with a motherly smile. "Aren't you a lil' sweetheart?"
Cadet grins and gives a big bear hug back, restraining airflow and probably crushing some ribs.
Roxstar scoffs, saying, "Ugh, who do you think you are to be hugging someone as awesome as me? You're lucky I take pity on losers!" While melting on the inside because someone cares enough to hug her.
Bronty recoils and shoves them off. "Oi, what the bloody 'ell is wrong with you?! Don't you know who I am? I'm Mon'gomery Ga'or, owner of the Mega Pizzaplex an' a billionaire! I could buy the city o' London two or three times over, wot do you think you're doin' throwin' your nasty arms around me?!"
Glamrock Bonnie/Morgan chuckles softly and pulls them close, patting their head.
Mangle pats their back with a smile. "Affectionate one there, aren't ye?"
Dim forces a smile and says, "Aw, how nice." And he tolerates it for a minute or two before pulling away. "Sorry, but I have to get back to work now."
Gaia hums in intrigue and gently accepts the hug, murmuring, "Well, this is unexpected."
Uncorruption of a Dark Star:
Nexus smiles a bit and awkwardly hugs them back, though they'd be confused why they're even being hugged to start with.
Vega raises a brow and mumbles, "Uh, okay. I guess this is happening now."
Altair would grunt in discomfort as his chest is squeezed but he wouldn't have the heart to protest.
Aster awkwardly says, "Hi??" And grumbles a bit as he's hugged like a teddy bear.
Darksun frowns and pulls away, muttering, "What are you doing?"
Ruined Refugee AU:
Ruin is surprised in a good way and gently hugs them back, happy that his appearance isn't so off-putting that people would avoid hugging him.
Thackery is nervous, not quite used to receiving physical affection like this, and he'd kind of freeze up for lack of knowing how to handle it.
Wolf is confused and just nudges them away. "Uh, sorry, but I'm not the touchy-feely type. Better try my older brother instead."
Ruined Chica/Rena gives a one-armed hug, since that's all she can do. She'd offer a smile and try to give some encouragement to whoever's hugging her. Nurture the vulnerability rather than shun it.
Ruined Roxy/Roxanna would rest the remains of her chin on their shoulder and quietly ask, "Everyone still loves me, right?..." There's only one correct answer to this unless you want to get hurt.
Ruined Freddy/Ferdinand would frown at the unexpected gesture and begrudgingly return it with one arm, still holding his head with the other. He'd pull away as soon as he could, though.
Ruined Monty/Maul would sneer down at them and hug them closer, tighter, until it was painful. And when they start wriggling to get loose he'd mock them, saying, "Aww, but I thought you wanted a hug? Ain't this what you wanted, you little weakling?" And he wouldn't let go until something broke.
Opposite AU:
Cupid is thrilled to get a hug and returns it happily, then they even offer to let the stranger hug their stuffed bunny, Velveteen! You can never have enough hugs. ^w^
Bluemoon is surprised but accepts the hug, not one to snub kindness of any kind.
Montana grins and hugs them back, then afterwards she thanks them for it and gives them a wad of cash for extra cheer.
Cheercode, before her turn to villainy, would hug them close and sing them a sweet song. After her turn to villainy, she pulls them off. "What are you, a child? A pathetic little thing who needs a "hug?" Tch, you're just like my idiot youngest."
Ruin pretends to like it but very obviously is making a face of disgust. When asked about it he lies. Very badly.
Lunar shoves them off and barks, "Do that again and I break your face!"
Sun glares daggers as he pries them off, gripping their neck as he drags them off to hang them by their thumbs.
Moon just breaks their arms and laughs. "What did ya think would happen? That I'd snuggle up on you like a cat? Hah, think again!"
Misc AUs:
Rabbit would be confused but accepts the hug without question, holding tight and patting their back.
Lorelei would gently hug them back, asking if there was anything on their mind they wanted to talk about.
Jigsaw would be very unsure of how to react. People rarely choose to hug them and he's sure he's not comfortable to hug, with all his broken parts and sharp edges. Gingerly, he'd pat their head while trying to keep on his smile for show.
Gray sighs softly and rests a hand on their shoulder, not fully accepting or rejecting the gesture either way.
Crimson grunts in annoyance and he debates simply shoving them off or breaking their arms to teach a lesson.
Bastet gently strokes their head with a grin. "Aw, what a sweet gesture."
Narinder grimaces but just accepts the hug, even though he definitely doesn't like it.
Rao gently hugs them back, murmuring, "Keep this kindness in your heart. There are darker times still ahead..."
Aaand that's all I can think of! X3 I tried not to do any repeat characters (Like RR AU Sun being basically the same as Ghosts Sun or Executing Eclipse.exe and Ailment of the Heart Eclipse.) I hope you enjoyed this, I had fun with it!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
A new chapter's been added to Executing Eclipse.exe Extras! In which we go back to the canon timeline and get to see Eclipse handle a workplace accident in the theater with a reckless employee who improperly handles a box cutter. Yippee! :D
What would happen if all your TSAMS/EAPS AUs Eclipses met each other?
-Cracks knuckles- Let's give it up for long yap post part three!
So, everyone's attention is immediately drawn to opposite AU Eclipse/Cupid, because in the crowd of dark animatronics they stick out like a sore thumb. Cupid smiles wide, cheerfully greeting, "Hello! It's so nice to meet everyone!"
Cedric gives a good natured smile. "Likewise. It will be interesting to talk to..." He glances around at all his counterparts, some faces scarily alike to his and an unpleasant reminder of the one who nearly took his little brother away. "Other Eclipses."
Lord Eclipse/Lucifer: "Interesting how you refer to your own kind with such derision, little mechanic."
Cedric, scoffing: "I don't consider other Eclipses to be my kind unless they are kind. Unless they're not complete and utter bastards like the one I had the misfortune of meeting."
Thackery from the RR AU hesitates, then he points at Cedric and quietly asks, "Are you usually distinguished as the nice Eclipse in your world?"
Cedric: "Yeah, actually. Are you, as well?"
Thackery: "Yes! Er, I was, at least until I changed my name."
Solar: "Not to butt in, but I'm another "nice Eclipse," as we tend to be called. Changed my name as well- you didn't?"
He shakes his head, replying, "Cedric is just my interdimensional alias for situations like these. We get a lot of visitors back home, including someone who knows a bad Eclipse and doesn't really have a good association with the name."
Ghost Whisperer Eclipse/WE: "Let me guess, you're talking about Lunar?"
Cedric: "Yes, I am."
Lord Eclipse/Lucifer: "Tch, I haven't heard that name in decades. Could have gone dozens more without hearing it again and it would have still been too soon."
Cedric: "I don't remember asking, actually."
Lucifer, sneering: "I'm the Lord of Paradise, I don't wait to be asked to speak. I speak freely."
Cedric just gives him an unimpressed glance up and down. Trying to break the tension before fights can break out, Cupid chimes in, "So, uh, how are your guys's Bluemoons doing?"
Thackery: "Our who?... Uh, Lunar is fine, thanks for asking."
Cupid, frowning: "N- no, I meant- Bluemoon. You know, our sister?"
The other Eclipses exchange confused looks. Then WE groans and smacks his forehead. "You're an opposite, that's right. So your Bluemoon must mean our Bloodmoon."
Cupid: "Oh, I guess it does!"
Lucifer: "Hmh, he's been dead and buried for over a century, and I'm happy to keep him that way."
Cupid: "Oh..."
WE, sighing: "They're fine, they've been learning to cook with fa- tch, Killcode and GW. Still as annoyingly energetic as always, I suppose."
Thackery: "I claim no relation to my world's Bloodmoon, they've been terrorizing everyone in the daycare- Sun especially..."
Toy Eclipse/October: "I have no clue where my world's Bloodmoon ran off to. Probably snuck out of the 'plex to hunt something meatier than rats."
Lucifer, baffled: "What the- I didn't even notice you down there, you're so small."
October: "Ha ha, least I'm not using my height to compensate for something."
Lucifer: "Oh, trust me, it matches my stature perfectly," He states with a prideful grin.
Thackery: "And just like that, I am very uncomfortable with the energy we've created in the studio today..."
Solar: "Let's talk about anything else, I beg."
Cedric: "How about our Suns and Moons instead? That will tell us a lot about each other."
Solar: "I like the sound of that."
Thackery: "Agreed. Uh, well, my Sun and Moon... They don't exactly get along." He grimaces as he realizes he has to explain their very strained relationship. "RR and Wolf have been fighting, uh, pretty frequently, especially after Valentines. I don't know exactly what Wolf did but Ruin said he crossed a huge boundary."
Solar: "Ruin? You're- you're listening to Ruin?"
Thackery: "Of course, he's my friend. Why shouldn't I?"
Solar: "Are you sure he's your friend? He's not just faking being nice?"
Thackery, brows furrowing: "I'm sure. Ruin isn't the kind of person to fake friendship or kindness, he's a very honest person."
Solar: "I... I see." Wish mine could have been like that... He rubs his upper arms as his gaze drops to his feet- and before anyone not in the know can press about his sudden trembling, he mumbles, "My Sun and Moon are doing a lot better- MD and GW are, at least. We... Haven't seen Newio in a while. Not since Taurus took him away."
Lucifer: "And you, Cedric? I'm curious about your relationship to your Sun and Moon- I'm forming a little theory right about now."
Cedric: "They're both my older brothers, and I love them very much. Nem has helped me through a lotand I couldn't even be here without Poppy." Though sometimes I think, it would be better for him if I never happened...
Lucifer: "I see. So you "nice Eclipses" all have formed bonds of some sort with your Suns and Moons. Enough to keep their company, no wonder they call you all as such. They see you as domesticatedcompared to us real Eclipses."
Unexpectedly, there's a huge round of groans from October, WE, Bastet's Eclipse/Narinder, Ailment of the Heart Eclipse/Vier, and Executing Eclipse.exe Eclipse (albeit their voice crackles with static.) Basically, every other "real" Eclipse meets his words with resounding exasperation.
October: "Can it with the elitist shit, will you?"
Vier, muttering lowly: "We're not better for having let ourselves get consumed in anger and vengeance until it destroyed us over and over."
Lucifer: "Oh? It sounds like I'm surrounded by a plethora of soft Eclipses, then."
Narinder: "You only speak so highly of yourself because you have the luxury to. You have the Newton Star, you're a god among mortals. Of course you feel superior to us."
Cedric: "The Star only works in its base dimension, though. So your shiny toy is about as good as a paper weight here."
Lucifer, eyes narrowing: "I suppose you all have some intelligence to your names, at least."
Cedric: "I've studied the Star extensively, of course I know all about it."
Lucifer: "Have you, now? What ever for, if you are so above vengeance on your precious "brothers?"
Cedric: "... That's none of your business," He mutters.
Thackery and Solar exchange knowing looks as Lucifer smirks down at the mechanic.
Lucifer: "You might think you're rather mysterious, Cedric, but I can see right through you. You want with the Star what all us Eclipses do. Paradise. Perhaps not as in a place. But as in a concept. Your precious brothers must have some problems, right?"
Cedric: "... Poppy was damaged in the separation between me and him. I... Was trying to find a way to fix what I did to him so Nem didn't have to..."
Solar: "Wait- Nem isn't the Moon in your new dimension?"
Cedric: "No? I- I didn't leave my dimension at all. I mean, I leave to visit Lunar, but I haven't permanently left my home."
Thackery, whispering to Solar: "He might not be at that point where running away is an option."
Solar: "True."
Cedric: "Hey, I'm not going to run away! Why would I? I just said I love my brothers!"
Thackery: "And... Nem... Loves you back?"
Cedric: "O- of course he does. Do- do your guys' Moons... Not? The ones from your original dimensions?"
Both of them shake their heads. Solar mumbles, "Mine tried to kill me twice. I only lived because of Bloodmoon saving me."
Thackery: "Mine tried to scrap me for parts and I have to run away."
Cedric, in horror: "Dear stars..."
Lucifer: "Fascinating. So Cedric, you're quite the anomaly among even among your fellow nice Eclipses. In more than just appearance, in your story as well. I wonder what else about you is different?"
Cedric: "That... We can talk about it later. I- I'd still like to know more about the rest of you guys, I've spoken enough about myself."
Lucifer, tauntingly: "How polite. How evasive."
Cedric, pointedly ignoring him: "Do all you other Eclipses... Not actually hate your Suns and Moons?"
Vier: "I do hate them, but we've got something of a truce going on. I don't bother them, they don't bother me."
WE: "I don't like MD, and I hate Newio for my own reasons, but... GW is alright, I guess."
October: "I gave up on vengeance when I got stuck in this body. Not much harm to do with rubberclaws, or when you're so small..."
Narinder: "Ma'at is a traitor to the colony, he abandoned it and Lord Bastet nearly a century ago. But Lord Bastet was kind enough to grant me mercy when I finally repented, so for that, I serve him with my utmost loyalty."
Lucifer, in disgust: "How unnatural. No Eclipse should be forced to grovel for a fucking Sun of all things."
Eclipse: "Same as Vier-r-r. Truce."
Confused as he notices the other's voice box glitching, Cedric looks to Eclipse, who's sat in a chair away from the table, the chair itself turned around so they can lean against the backrest. "Hey, are you okay? Your voice box sounds like it's malfunctioning real bad."
Eclipse: "Been bet- better."
Lucifer: "You just now noticed that one? Their back is practically blown out."
Cedric, flustered: "Excuse me??"
Lucifer: "I meant that literally.
Eclipse: "PHRASE IT BETTER NEX-XT TIME."
Lucifer, sighing: "Tch. To put it more aptly, their back casing is pried open like something was trying to rip them into two."
Vier, quietly: "Or something tried to wear them as an exosuit."
Eclipse bristles at that, their tail lashing in agitation as Vier turns away, crossing his arms over his chest tightly.
Lucifer: "Now what could have done that, exactly?"
Vier: "Piece of shit called the Mimic."
Cedric: "Mimic, singular? We usually have multiple in my dimension."
Vier: "What?"
Cedric: "They don't appear frequently, but sometimes they sneak into the Pizzaplex to try and cause harm to the kids... Sometimes it's obvious when there's a Mimic, but other times they're very skilled at, well, mimicry, and I have to get Nem to verify if they're a Mimic or not."
Vier: "That sounds horrendous."
Eclipse: "I swear, I'm g- going to beat Edwin's ass if more Mimics start-t showing up..."
Cedric: "Edwin Murray?"
Eclipse: "He made the Mimic."
October: "I bet it was difficult to piece the pieces together." Everyone slowly turns and stares at him, and he blinks. "... I don't know why I said that. It just kinda slipped out."
Eclipse, groaning lowly as their head hangs forward:
Cedric: "Is there anything we can do to help you feel less... Pained? Uh, maybe I could turn off your pain sensors?"
Eclipse: "C- can't. Set my systems s- so they can't be accessed... Without a computer t- that's got admin permissions in my lab."
Cedric: "Oh. Well, just- just try to take it easy, and we'll try not to bother you much."
Vier: "I just have to ask one thing, were you pulled here just after Puppet freed you from the Mimic?..."
Eclipse shakes their head. "That was months ago. Different Mimic this t- time."
Cedric: "This time?! This- this happened to you more than once?!"
Eclipse just nods wearily.
WE: "Was it invulnerable to magic or something? How could you not defend yourself?"
Eclipse: "I g- gave up my magic and it has no pain sensor-r-rs."
Vier: "I gave up my magic as well. It's a bigger headache than it's worth."
Lucifer: "Sounds like you just weren't disciplined enough to maintain it as you needed. Magic isn't something you can just let sit and idle without routine practice."
October: "I had my magic taken from me by that damn gator."
Cupid: "You guys had magic? Where did you get it from?"
Vier: "Magic circle given to us by our dimensions' respective Ruins."
WE: "Do you guys also have the circle on your backs?"
Vier: "No?? Do- do you?"
WE: "Yeah. He put it there so I couldn't disavow my magic."
Vier: "No wonder you didn't give it up first chance you got."
WE: "And I think I'm going to practice some spells to burn metal endos and shit to ash when I get back..."
Vier: "Good call. Wait-" He turns back to Eclipse. "Where did the second Mimic come from in your dimesnion?"
Eclipse: "Murray's Costume Manor. Went th- there to get the code that would shut the other dimension's Mimic down. M2 is the one that d- did this to me-e. Wasn't... Strong enough." They breathe out heavily, gripping at the back of the chair tighter as they try to push out the memory of that hook plunging into their back.
Cedric notices this, a pang of sympathy running through him. Hesitantly, he reaches out and sets a hand on their shoulder, murmuring, "I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Eclipse stiffens at first, not expecting the contact... But the familiar feeling a gloved hand on their shoulder is comforting. They relax a touch but don't say anything.
"Aw. Now that's a heartwarming scene if I've ever seen one," Lucifer remarks with a chuckle, to which Cedric shoots a glare his way. "What? I'm just saying, it's sweet."
Cupid nods. "Mm-hmm! I'm glad we're all, uh, m- mostly getting along!" They smile brightly as their tail wags.
"I'm curious, though... So between the two of you-" October points at Vier and Eclipse. "Aside from how many times you've been attacked by a "Mimic," what else is different between you two?"
"That's a good question, actually." Vier looks to his closest counterpart, asking, "Do you have any kids?"
Eclipse nods and puts up three fingers. "Andrew, Jake, Andy."
"Same here. Little hellions sometimes, but they're not too bad." He gives a light snort of amusement.
"I'm guessing if you h- haven't gone to MCM, you don't know who Arnold is?..."
"Arnold? No, I don't. Who is that?"
"Faz technician, he was sent to r- retrieve company property. We've been working together all night to s- stop M2-2-2," They explain quietly, their tail lightly swaying back and forth now. "He saved me from... It."
Cedric gently squeezes their shoulder, murmuring, "He sounds like a good man, and I'm glad you two have each other to lean on."
Vier quietly watches the movement of his counterpart's tail, then glances aside. Probably nothing. "He does sound nice. Not every day you meet a decent technician from Fazbears. But... Why didn't Puppet or Foxy go with to help you? Or both?"
At that, Eclipse's gaze snaps to him and they question, "Wait, is Puppet alive in your dimension?"
Vier stiffens from head to toe as his chest tightens unpleasantly. "She isn't in yours?"
"... No, she's not," They whisper, their rays retracting almost completely. "She died stopping the Puppet Master. Foxy disappeared afterward..."
He lets out a shaking breath, murmuring, "I- I see." The thought alone of the ones he loves dying and disappearing make him sick to his stomach.
EW listens quietly before he looks to his feet, brows furrowed tightly. I need to start working on some kind of back-up plan to stop the Puppet Master without losing Puppet.
"It sounds like you could use a source of phenomenal, cosmic power to bring back your dear little friend, then," Lucifer remarks to Eclipse, receiving a low, static hiss in reply.
"I'm not t- tampering with Star power again. I just barely got away with it the first time. If I try ag-g-gain, Taurus won't show mercy..."
Lucifer scoffs. "Taurus. You mean one of those weak little Astrals? He died just as easily as all the others."
Cupid puts their hands over their audio receptors, starting to hum to themself to block out Lucifer, much to the others' concern.
"Really, all of you could be almost as glorious as me if you just stopped being cowards and soft simpletons," The dark deity goes on to say, then points to Narinder. "You especially should not be so content in your lowly station. Serving a Sun? Fucking shameful. You're a disgrace to your name."
"I couldn't care less for the opinion of one who calls himself Lucifer," The other retorts calmly. "After all, was it not a snake of the same name who convinced Adam and Eve to take a bite of the apple, and thus saw them expelled from their safe garden?"
"I simply wish to bring light to your mind, Narinder. To illuminate how you could be so much more than a servant to someone so insignificant as a Sun. You have the potential to be a god." Lucifer says with a wide grin, met by only a look of derision from the other. "Yet you shun it so wholeheartedly."
"Who wouldn't? It's tough to be a god, or so they say," October remarks with a scoff.
"Tread where mortals have not trod," Vier sings under his breath.
"Beee deified when really, you're a sham," Narinder adds in with a pointed glare at Lucifer, whose infernal eyes narrow dangerously.
"C'mon everybody, smile smile smiiile, fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine!" Cupid blurts out, then they shrink in on themself when everyone looks at them in bafflement. Though Cedric's look turns to sympathy and he murmurs,
"Alright, let's try to curb the fighting. Not light it's going to help anyone here, we all clearly have... Different viewpoints that arguing can't change."
"That does remind me," Lucifer begins, turning to Cupid with something close to a sneer. "Youneglected to share anything of your Sun and Moon, little lamb."
"S- so did you!" They retort, taking a slight step back.
"Oh, that's easy. Moon is dead and buried, as he should be. Sun is blessed to serve me and my castle, doing anything and everything I ask of him," He answers smugly, teeth showing through in his grin now. "So that turns it back to your turn to answer."
"I- I'm not really friends with my Sun and Moon, so-"
"Aw, but I thought you were supposed to be friendly? What have they done to be excluded from your sugary sweet cheer?"
"I am nice! I- I try to be! But they're not! It's not my fault... They both rejected the pacifism code and they tried to hurt me, I just wanted t- to be friends... They said no," Cupid whimpers, shrinking in further on themself. Lucifer raises a brow, then hums.
"Ahhh, right. That'd be the opposite of the homicide code. They both rejected it you say? Even Sun?"
"Sun's a bad person. They both are..."
"It's an opposite dimension, Lucifer, don't be thick-k," Eclipse scoffs, growing weary of watching Lucifer pick on the light animatronic. They remind him just a little too much of Arnold for them to sit silently. "That means we start out good, while Sun a- and Moon are bad, obviously."
Lucifer glares back at Vier. "I knew that."
"Then act like it."
"So that means Bloodmoon- er, Bluemoon, is... Good as well, right?" Thackery asks. "That's tough to imagine."
"My sister is nice. Both halves of Bluemoon are," Cupid protests quietly.
"I believe you. It's just different than what I'm used to," He replies gently.
"... I'm sorry your Bloodmoons are bad."
"So am I. But it's not your fault."
"If it's any consolation, not all Bloodmoons are so bad," WE says to the two. "My two idiot br- Bloodmoons... Like I said, they're learning to cook from Killcode and Sun, plus they changed. Maybe it's not too late for some of the others."
Solar sighs. "Ours changed for a pretty big reason, though, WE. They changed because their death freed them of hunger and their need for violence."
"So when they came back from the dead, they weren't hungry?" Thackery questions.
"Well, yeah, but they had changed even in the afterlife," Solar explains.
"How do you know? Did they tell you when they came back?"
"No, they told us while they were still dead. We could see them, after all."
Vier and Eclipse have no major reaction to this, but the others all look confused.
"... As in, you... Talked to their ghosts?" Lucifer questions slowly.
"Well, yeah?"
"It's not that insane, everyone can see and talk to ghosts after all," Vier scoffs.
"What-? Not in our dimension, they can't!" Cedric responds.
"Not in ours, either," WE adds, raising a brow. "It's something only GW, Solar, Puppet, FC and I can do in ours. But everyone can do it in yours?"
"Yeah. How else would they have seen Jake, Andy and Andrew?"
"People still can't in my dimension, I'm trying to make their bodies but I keep getting side-tracked," WE mutters.
"Is your dimension s- still in 2024 time?" Eclipse asks, receiving a nod. "That explains a lot..."
"Why? What do you mean?" WE asks, his rays straightening up. "When did Puppet die in your dimension, then?"
"February, 2025..."
"February," He mutters, expression turning grim as he starts to pace, muttering, "I don't have much time..."
"I'm still tripped up about ghosts being a thing, honestly," Cedric murmurs, with Lucifer nodding in agreement.
"I would hate being able to see ghosts," The dark deity mutters, shaking his head. "That sounds like a plague."
"So, you have the whole Melinda Gordon Ghost Whisperer opening memorized, right?" October asks Solar.
"GW does. And I think WE does, too," Solar replies. "But I never actually watched Ghost Whisperer before- I need to, but I want to wait until I can watch with GW." Then he hesitates before he quietly asks, "So does this mean you guys haven't noticed the other Eclipse who's been in the corner this whole time?"
"That's not funny!" Cupid whimpers.
"I'm being serious," Solar replies with an apologetic look. WE stops and looks to the corner, adding,
"He's a red and black model like I was when I had the Star. He's probably from a dimension between the time he got nuked and brought back."
"I'm sorry, nuked?" Lucifer questions. "I don't remember Sun and Moon trying that hard to stop me."
"Second time."
"Wha- you had the Star a second time and you still gave up?!"
"After I got nuked to dust and then brought back against my will and then nearly killed again before GW stuck up for me? Yeah," He scoffs, shaking his head. He pauses as he paces by Solar and mutters, "No hard feelings about getting blasted, by the way."
"Cool," Solar replies sheepishly.
"Speak for yourself, I still want to slap my Solar's ass for blasting me," Vier snarls, startling when Eclipse snorts violently.
"Snrk- y- you do that!" They respond, their repressed laughter making their shoulders shake.
"What are you-? Oh. Oh! Dammit, not like that!" He snaps, his rays retracting as his tail lashes while most of the others start to laugh. Solar looks mildly perturbed. "I want to pound him- no, not that either!"
"This is so uncomfortable," Solar mumbles to WE, who nods a bit. "I mean, I see you more like a b- well... Isn't that technically self-cest?"
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT!" Vier yells. "I don't like that asshole like that!"
"Whose do you l- nope, I shouldn't make that joke," Cedric giggles to himself.
"I DON'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT! I want to hurt him in some way! Just- as a bit of payback! He's so smarmy anyway, I just want to wrap my hands around his throat and-"
"Hey, now, there's innocent Eclipses here! Keep it to the fanfictions!"
"I'M TALKING ABOUT BEING VIOLENT I DON'T LIKE HIM LIKE THAT! I ONLY HAVE FEELINGS FOR-" He quickly cuts himself off. "No one else! Nothing!"
"Oh, the tea is getting hot," Lucifer hums, grinning as the bites the second knuckle of his index finger. "Go on, whose ass do you want to slap?"
"NO ONE'S!"
"Is it Roxanne's?" Eclipse asks playfully, surprised when Vier gives him a baffled look.
"No? Why would I want anything to do with that bitch?"
"... You better be talking about the one Sun dated," They mutter.
"I am. What, is there a different Roxanne in your world?"
They nod, sighing a bit and muttering, "I think my timeline is farther ahead compared to yours..."
"Are Ballora and Monty together in your dimension?" WE asks, and Vier shoots him a glare.
"They are, and even if they weren't it wouldn't be either of them?"
"Lefty? Ruin?"
"No and fuck no!"
"Henry?" Eclipse questions.
"No."
"This is tough," WE murmurs.
"Because there isn't anyone I like, I was just- I was saying shit, okay?! It was all word vomit!"
Eclipse sighs to themself, saying, "All I c- can think of that fits his timeline is Puppet and Foxy-y-y, but-"
Beep beep beep!
Everyone falls silent for a moment, looking at Vier in genuine confusion.
"... Did a fire alarm just go off in your chest, what was that?" October asks.
"Nothing," Vier grits out viciously, gripping at his chest.
Eclipse's brows furrow in confusion as they look their counterpart over, then they hesitantly repeat, "Puppet and Foxy?"
Beep beep beep!
... Eclipse and WE slowly exchange glances as Vier tries and fails to hide the hint of color creeping onto his face-plate...
Then they both shout, "Puppet and Foxy?! Are you serious?!"
Beep beep BEEEEEP!!
"It's not what it looks like!"
"Are they not a couple in your dimension or something?" WE questions.
"I- they are, but I wouldn't-"
"Ohoh, Vier! Pining after not one but two spoken for animatronics! How utterly unwholesome," Lucifer snorts in amusement.
"I'm not pining! Pining is stupid!"
"Oh my gosh, pining is sooo romantic!" Cupid chirps, bouncing on their paws as their tail wags uncontrollably.
"Just makes my big ol' heart wanna melt," Lucifer scoffs, sarcasm lacing his words.
"Yess, exactly! It's just so lovely and sweet and- ahh, tell me more, tell me more!" They continue giddily, missing the other's sarcasm and following eye-roll.
"There's nothing more to tell," Vier hisses. "They're together, I don't have feelings for them, even if I did, I wouldn't come between them!"
"Wha- but who said you had to come between them? If you're all friends, you can all be together! The saying is that you have two hands, after all!"
"That-!" His face is scarlet red now, and the snarls, "There's not going to be any hand-holding, dammit! I don't have feelings for them!"
"Hmph, it's always the people who refuse to accept their feelings who fall first," Cupid grumbles to themself. "When will it be my turn? I wanna fall in love and jump in head-first..."
"I'm sure you'll meet someone special like that someday," Thackery says gently.
