Batim oneshots

This is Home (Wally Angst)

(Henry's Pov)

I was just staying in the studio after hours, sitting in my office sketching some new cartoons. I was kind of bored, so I decided to take a break and walk around. Hardly anyone else was working tonight, but I tried their offices regardless. Grant was here. Passed out on his desk. But other than him I don't think anyone else is here. Or that is until I heard the strumming of a ukulele. Is Sammy here too? Or one of the band members? I walked towards the quiet strumming, curious who it could be.

"Often I am upset that I cannot fall in love but I guess this avoids the stress of falling out of it..."

Who is that? I don't think I've heard that voice singing here before. Did we hire a new band member?

"Are you tired of me yet? I'm a little sick right now but I swear when I'm ready I will fly us out of here..."

If I had to guess this was some sort of metaphor. I don't know for what, it's just a guess. Do they feel people are tired of them..?

"I'll cut my hair..."

I was drawn closer to the music department, and then to the room the band practices in. As I quietly walked down the hall towards it I knew its where the singing was coming from.

"To make you stare..."

I stopped outside the doorway, not looking in yet. There was a certain sadness in their voice as they sang. Could this song maybe be about a past experience..?

"I'll hide my chest and I'll figure out a way to get us out of here..."

I finally peeked into the room. And the last person I would have expected to be there was there. Wally was sitting on one of the chairs, holding a ukulele and leaning back on the chair as he strummed it. His expression was empty and sad.

"Turn off your porcelain face. I can't really think right now and this place has too many colours, enough to drive all of us insane."

I watched as he sang, a look of melancholy apparent on his face.

"Are you dead? Sometimes I think I'm dead, cause I can feel ghosts and ghouls wrapping my head, but I don't wanna fall asleep just yet."

As he sang that part I saw a teardrop fall down his face. He didn't even look bothered by it. In fact, he didn't look phased at all by anything that happened. Wally, what have you been hiding from us? He again started strumming the chords, humming quietly to the tune. I leaned against the doorframe, watching him still.

"My eyes went dark... I don't know where... my pupils are, but I'll figure out a way to get us out of here..."

He paused between those sections, humming to himself. Who does he keep referring to when he says 'us'? Why do they need to leave? None of this is making sense.

"Get a load of this monster,"

I was a bit surprised at this line. His voice was a bit louder than it had been before, and he sounded so sure of himself.

"He doesn't know how to communicate."

Who could he be talking about? He doesn't have any people he ever bad mouths, except for-

"His mind is in a different place, will everybody please give him a little bit of space?"

Oh god Wally, do you really think of yourself like that?

"Get a load of this trainwreck..."

You aren't a trainwreck. You know you aren't, don't you?

"His hair's a mess and he doesn't know who he is yet."

I mean, his hair is usually messy, but why wouldn't he know who he is?

"But little do we know the stars welcome him with open arms."

Wait... that isn't a metaphor for what I think it is, is it? Wally why wouldn't you tell us this..?

"Time is..."

I felt a tear run down my own cheek while I watched.

"slowly..."

I felt awful for never noticing his hurt.

"tracing his face..."

Did we not do enough to make him feel at-

"But strangely he feels at home in this place."

He finished with that line, a small smile on his face. But now I could see it. The hurt in his eyes. Something that had gone unnoticed for so long. He went and put the borrowed instrument back in its place, and turned. We stared at each other for a minute, Wally in surprise and me in sadness.

"Wally, what haven't you told us..?" I asked, holding onto the short man's shoulders.

"...a lot, actually..." He muttered, looking up at me. He smiled a bit and hugged me. "But now I'm safe. Now I'm with my family. Now I'm home."

(Came up with this when i heard the song "this is home" by cavetown for the first time.)