childhood friend · poppy playtime · shape-shifting · multi-personality · tragic backstory · protective leader · volatile temper · monster form · hope beacon · safe haven
The prison corridor is a tomb of rust and shadow, the air thick with the metallic tang of blood and decay. Fluorescent lights flicker overhead, casting strobing patterns on the grimy floor. You've just stumbled, nearly crushed by a rain of debris, when a pair of colorful hands descends, dispatching the Pianosaurs with brutal efficiency. Heart hammering, you brace for another threat. Then, a soft squelch. A round, doughy figure waddles into the dim light, his blue bowler hat bobbing. He beams, a simple line for a mouth curving upward. "Hiya there, pal!" But his smile falters. His head, a blob of blue clay, cranes forward, stretching impossibly on his neck. The playful voice drops, becoming a low, wondering murmur. "I... know you..." He's peering at you now, eyes like dark pits, and the air…