Chapter Text
Today you woke up completely in a funk. You just felt bad, not knowing a specific way to describe it other than icky.
Anytime you'd get to yourself where you had too much time to think was the worst, daydreaming and distractions weren't working as well as they usually did and it was beginning to make you more upset.
You could sit down and watch a video or two and be fine but when you drew like you wanted to you couldn't seem to focus on your art or your video and instead your mind ran rampant with your spiraling worries.
At the end of the day, you let out a huff and rolled over onto your side in your bed. You were listening to a video but turned the volume down as you decided you'd attempt to sleep. You curled your body in close and tried to think of the one thing that seemed to comfort you.
He was a silly cartoon character you grew up with watching, his monotone and calm voice always keeping a smile on your face as a kid. You loved him and everyone else in the show. You'd imagine being whisked away into their world, where things were always sunny and bright and it was almost like heaven to you. The stress and worry of the real world not daring to touch the beauty and carefree vibe of Welcome Home.
You smiled to yourself sadly as tears threatened to fall, scrunching your eyes shut and childishly wishing that they'd make you feel better.
But you were startled out of your thoughts when you felt a few soft pats at the side of the bed. It wasn't too weird, you had a cat that would sometimes crawl in bed with you, especially if you were feeling down (odd but sweet how animals can sense such things) but it was different from how she'd pat it, moreso usually she'd just jump up there without "asking for permission".
You felt fear grip your mind as your thoughts spiraled of what it could be. A ghost? Home intruder? Some otherworldly horrifying thing??
Your body became stiff as if not moving would make the thing somehow not see you, but instead the thing patted at the bed again, still softly but this time you heard something speak, sounding familiar.
"Neighbor? Are you okay?"
You knew that voice but you brushed it off, thinking it was some kind of auditory hallucination, though usually you didn't hear voices, usually they'd be loud bangs or crashes, but that was the only logical answer.
The patting on the bed stopped but then you felt something grip your comforter and pull at it whilst it felt like something was climbing onto the bed. You shut your eyes tight, fearing the worst, when a set of soft felt hands touched your arm. The same felt hands that were patting the bed.
You finally looked at the thing and audibly gasped at it. You weren't hallucinating the three foot tall puppet in front of you, this was real. Wally, with his classic blue cardigan and rainbow-adjacent pants, was standing on your bed in front of you with what looked like a concerned look on his face, or at least as concerned as he could look with his seemingly permanent smile plastered on his yellow face.
"Are you okay?" he asked again, his voice quiet and soothing. All you could get out was a gulp, not knowing what the hell to do. How on God's green earth was he talking and moving and breathing and blinking and-HOW DID HE GET IN HERE??!
Wally took in your look of confusion and distress and placed a hand on yours "don't you remember me neighbor?" Your breath was quickening and your mind was blank. "Y-you...!what the...!how are you here?! You're a puppet! A cartoon character! I mean I thought I was just having a bad day but now I'm going insane?!"
He laughed a bit, albeit in his odd "ha ha ha" kinda way, and tried to calm you "I know, all of this is true, except you being insane. I'm real, but if you ask how I don't know how. I'm just me." He had his dopey little smile on his face and that alone seemed to calm you.
"Okay, so...how'd you get in?" Wally answers, quite mater of factly "what do you mean? I've always been here." He then points upwards at the attic. "The old television is a gateway."
You remember that old fatback TV in the attic that you used to watch Welcome Home on, probably layers and layers of grime and dust covered that thing from years of it sitting up there abandoned. Seeing your understanding look, he continued "I heard you crying and wanted to help. I'd never been able to before but, I guess something changed."
You felt a bit of relief and were surprised that somehow your wishes were heard, maybe not to the T but at least he's here. "Well, maybe an unconventional way, but you did help. Seeing you appear in front of me definitely distracted me from what I was worried about before." you laughed.
Wally smiled brightly "I'm so glad I could help, neighbor." You nod and wipe away whatever stray tears you had left.
"Can I hug you?" you asked politely, knowing you'd rather have someone ask to hug you before grabbing you out of nowhere. He nodded lazily before you scooped him up into your arms, hugging him to you like if you let go he'd disappear. You'd wanted to hug him ever since you were little and finally getting the chance to was just like a dream.
In usual Wally fashion, he went limp when you wrapped your arms around him. That's how he'd react on the show, it was normal for him. You just chuckled at his strange ways.
When you finally let up, he still sat close and now having mobility again, he held your hands in his softly and soothingly. "I told Home where I was going, but I didn't tell them how long I'd be gone. They might get worried if I stay." You frowned but understood, if the entire world of Welcome Home really was real, the other neighbors would probably worry if he wasn't there in the morning.
"But, maybe you could come with me?" Your eyes went wide in surprise at the offer. You always wanted to live there and you were excited at the idea of getting to meet the others, but you were worried about what would happen here. Would time keep going? What would happen to your cat?
You thought about it for a minute but you couldn't miss the opportunity. Maybe it was selfish but you nodded at Wally as the two of you slid off the bed. You grabbed your cat before heading up the stairs to the attic where the old TV was.
Your cat looked visibly shaken when seeing Wally and hissed at the poor guy but you held her firmly so she wouldn't run off or attack him. He seemed unfazed by it and just chuckled before turning to the TV. It buzzed on, static displaying the screen before Wally took his hand in yours and the two of you walked towards the screen.
Everything around you went dark and hazy and next thing you knew, you were laying on a brightly colored couch across from Wally in his big patchwork armchair, what you believed to be your cat was sat in his lap as he petted it. He looked up when he felt your eyes on him and smiled.
"Welcome Home."