The woman they called Yukimura seemed like a nice person, which is why it was a little alarming when her smile began to fade. Finn was already panic-stricken, so noticing the change in her expression only made things worse for him. It was only when the big guy gave a hasty explanation did he remembered that his MLP was exposed.
[Dante: Put your goddamn hood on.]
The message arrived just as the thought occurred to him, but the damage was already done. Tomato Head quickly took control of the situation and diverted Yukimura Nana’s attention, but then he turned around and dropped some heavy weights on him.
"Finn over there will help you set them up."
Finn almost opened his mouth to complain. Why was he being made to help with something he was entirely unrelated to? Also, just because he was good with tech didn’t mean he could handle just about anything. Those tablets looked so ancient that they might as well be made of clay.
[Jake: You should start looking up how to do it.]
He kept listening to the conversation even as he grumbled on the inside, and soon enough it felt like he was starting to get the story.
The place they were visiting was called the Owls’ Lantern, which served as the daycare, Kindergarten, and elementary school of the building it belonged to. Such places were always short on funds and that showed in their aging equipment or the lack thereof.
Tomato Head and his big friend volunteered to help fix some of those problems, and after obtaining a few things the facility was lacking, they were quick to bring them over. The big guy seemed to have a crush on Yukimura, the manager of the Owls’ Lantern, so his intentions were clear. But Tomato Head’s motivations were still unclear, and Finn refused to believe he was doing what he does out of the kindness of his heart.
After discussing the stuff contained within the white van, Yukimura invited them inside, saying that the kids would love to see them again. Though he complained earlier about having a job he needed to get to, Tomato Head was quick to accept the invitation, grabbing one of the crates and following after the manager.
Finn got a message telling him to come inside, too, along with a not so subtle reminder that he shouldn’t get any ideas. As tempted as he was to take advantage of that situation to escape, he decided against it, having already committed himself to avoiding escalating his problems any further.
Once inside, Yukimura stayed behind to give the other employees some instructions while they proceeded forward. Tomato Head seemed to know his way around, so he led the way toward a specially noisy room.
"Hey, everyone! Did you miss me?"
Silence took over for a moment after they entered, but then chaos broke out once more.
"Dante is finally here!"
A tide of children washed over him and he was instantly surrounded. Well, more like seven or eight five year olds, mostly boys with only two girls.
"Hey hey hey! No need to rush me like that!" He let out a chuckle. "I might drop this big and heavy box on some of you!"
"What’s in the box!?"
"Did you bring candy!?"
A shadow fell on them a moment later, bringing with it a wave of silence. The children paled as they craned their little necks to see the giant boulder that had squeezed into the room, and right away tears began to form in their eyes.
"It’s Kuma!" One of them yelled.
"Kuma is here!" Another one followed.
"Run! He’s going to eat you!"
The reaction to the big guy’s arrival was entirely different from that of Tomato Head. It seemed to reverse everything, replacing the excitement on the children’s faces with fear and causing them to scatter in every direction.
Boris was still, the smile on his face twitching. It was a little sad seeing him like that, but not as sad as it was funny, which is why Dante burst out laughing.
"I told you wearing a suit was a bad idea!"
As it turned out, one of the shows currently popular with the kids had a villain character named Kuma, who’s basically a big round grizzly in a black suit, and Boris just so happened to fit the description perfectly.
"W-what is happening!?" Yukimura arrived not long after and quickly took in the situation, embarrassment taking over her instantly. "I’m sorry! I’m very sorry! They just have a wild imagination!"
"It’s... It’s alright..." Boris tried to laugh it off, but it’s clear that he was severely impacted. As she tried to think of a way to salvage the situation, her eyes suddenly glinted and she clapped her hands.
"I know! How about we have some tea in my office! There is something I would like to discuss with you, Mr. Marcov."
Instantly, life seemed to return to the big guy and he put on an expression of utmost seriousness. As they turned around to leave, Finn couldn’t help but wonder if the kind manager was going to be fine. He wondered if the big guy was going to be fine as well, having noticed his lack of game since they parked outside.
The door they came through closed and another one opened on the other side of the room as three more kids entered with their parents.
"Ah!" A tall man came to a halt when he spotted them. "Dante! What are you doing here?"
Though he looked surprised, the look on the man’s face was nothing compared to the little girl he was carrying.
"Dante!" The little girl beamed and instantly tried to rush toward Tomato Head, almost falling out of her father’s arms. Tomato Head put down his crate and knelt down, holding his hands out as the little girl came rushing straight at him the moment her father put her down.
"Ellie! How’s my little princess doing?"
Catching the girl, he wrapped her in a warm hug, standing up and twirling around. A lively giggle resounded in the playroom and quickly banished the tense atmosphere born not that long ago.
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For the months of May, June and July 2025, the first and only Privilege tier will cost only 1 Coin! Please read the latest Chapters as they come out!