"No! Absolutely not!" Arachnus stomps his foot down, making his displeasure clear. Toadal Dude merely stands there unaffected by said action, frowning by his ally's decision to no participate in his activity.
His amphibious friend shakes his head to the retired general.
"You're kidding me, right?" he steps closer, letting the wind gently carry his tongue hair like a flag. "The general of the bony spirits, alleged tough guy and self-controlled rival of mine, doesn't want to help me throw a puppet show for one of our younglings?" They were hiding out under one of the cement bridges in Harrisville.
They're under the famed bridge where Nathaniel and Nate met for the first time. Everything describing Arachnus only confirmed it. Indeed, he was a leader, and almost alleged tough one (that's more of Toadal Dude's range) but he was never one to… perform.
The 'performances' those two did back then, was merely fighting. True rage, disputed all for which doughnut fillings the teams wanted to make official for everyone to eat. Arachnus pinches his ruby colored forehead, taking a deep breath.
"Listen, I understand it's for a little one's celebration but I'm not good when all eyes are on me!" He states wiping the air in front of him. Toadal Dude was aware of his nerves when it came to him doing anything entertaining. Fighting had a purpose, so does entertainment and that was the audience.
But what point was there? Making a fool of himself to young children but then degrading to the adults.
Toadal Dude steps in again, patting his shoulder calming his nerves. Besides his minor stage fright, the fleshy general never took it to the next level to humiliate a friend. After fighting for over 60 years about sweets, he didn't want another one to begin all for a puppet show.
"I understand, man. Nothing happens to your… what did you call it credibility? For making a kid's birthday a big one, you'd be making a lot of our other friends happy!" He spreads his hands like there was confetti within them.
Arachnus is slowly trying to come to terms with this, shoulder going limp and eyes darted to the ground that was painted a mix of brown, red and orange by the suns tainting luminesce.
"You have to let loose some time, y'know? I get you like to have your lifestyle slow and stern like the school teachers who are no fun I'm telling you. You don't lose anything, take it from me!" He nudges his elbow into Arachnus' shoulder. The latter wrapped his other hand around said nudged arm, rotating his head to Toadal Dude.
"Well… Ok. What do I have to do?" He reluctantly agrees to do said activity with his partner. TD laughs and fist bumps into the air, excited he'll be able to make a young one's day with a celebration they'll all remember.
"This puppet show will be between hand puppets the handsome wizard, me, and the valiant yet grumpy gremlin, Morton." He takes out said hand puppets revealing their style. By the looks of them both, Toadal Dude was the only one who worked on them. Especially on the wizard.
"His name is Ramon." He puts his fingers within the slots of said object and off it was yapping without its voice. Ramon had a red cape and overalls, filled around it with stars. Its wand contained a fake emerald toy jewel for waving and his hair was as black as the spots on a cow. He gives Morton over to Arachnus.
His scorning face shouted curses to the amphibian, looking up and down the toy and him several times. Almost harshly taking his toy, he looks over it. The puppet looked back at him with a giant unibrow, blue eyes and a frown so like his when Toadal Dude does things like this.
Scruffy green hair, and a small tunic on his chest. The spider slipped his digits into the compartments, feeling the various parts of the puppet: the arms, mouth and even the unibrow could move! This was so new to Arachnus, but so accustomed. At least it wasn't technology, and he tries to maneuver the limbs like he wants.
One finger moved the unibrow up, and it seemed like the toy came to life. It left the ninja spider in awe.
*1 Week Later, Zappary's 1st Birthday*
"Papa, what's gonna happen? Am I getting a big surprise?" The blond electric child fumbled the various presents he received from other yokai.
His grandfather Papa Bolt arranged the party, seeing that one day he'll grow up and become an exciting and incredible Bolt like himself. At least that, or become a yokai with a good living than his brother Infinite.
Frazzel bounced his son in his lap, telling him to finish his dinner to wait for his surprise to come. "Now, now you gotta wait. Now eat those carrots so you can have the eyesight of a hawk, and detect things from far away." The elder said taking a spoonful of carrot bits with beef stew.
He flew the airplane into Zappary's mouth, and he consumed it like the enemy he could take down.
"I gotta say, we should get invited to yokai parties more often." Keita tells Frazzel, taking a bite of one of the red velvet cupcakes. The party was held within Mt. Wildwood, around the tree of the yokai gachapon where Whisper came out. It wasn't meant to be a hidden place, but it felt like the right place.
Less travel time and convenience to water and fish for Papa Bolt to get. Mao agrees with Keita, humming while biting into a whimsical brownie full to the brim with an orange zest filling his mouth with euphoria.
"These sweets are amazing! Who made these?" Mao asks. They sat on the grass ground, towels everywhere to prevent stains from coming onto their clothes. Most yokai were called and invited to attend, especially ones Frazzel came to friends with.
Tengu, the Gemnyans, Orochi, Kyuubi, Roughraff, Frostina, Blazion, Hidabat (through a live video chat), Master Nyada, Jibanyan, Whisper and a variety of the retired general teams. There were red candles for lights, a lot of them. No one wanted to use their energy but to celebrate Zappary's birthday.
Orochi, swooping down from the big tree unravels his goodie to reveal the icon of the maker of these sweets. It involved the silhouette of a girl with long hair, smiling and trying to kiss the air. The hair was curly, and it's as though she also sported jewelry.
"Chastity's Bakery. I think it opened a few weeks ago."
"I give her credit, she makes the chocolate in her cupcakes sing in my mouth, nyan~!" Jibanyan hummed landing on Orochi's lap to lay on, taking a bite right into the Red Velvet cupcakes brought over.
The lights dim, causing everybody to turn their heads around trying to see where the surprise was going to come up.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. May I present to you the newest act between ex generals of Bony Spirits and Fleshy Souls: Ramon and Morton!"
A super energized signibble shouted, rolling out the R in Ramon. The Signitons acted as giant Light bulbs wearing what Orochi could see as what was called the "Cone of Shame" to most animals if they didn't pay attention to their masters. The larger portion were shown to the big tree.
Timidevils from behind the curtains unveil the table behind it, as they scurry back to their proper spots on the grass.
A big yellow table, with Toadal Dude and Arachnus hiding underneath and behind a yellow wall. Out pops up the wizard, making Zappary tug at Frazzel's pants leg. Whisper swiveled around Keita, extremely curious why these two made this event in the first place.
"Hello friends! My name is Ramon! The most charming wizard in all of Mt. Wildwood!"
Toadal Dude muses, waving his wand through his pinky finger, and taking bows to the audience. He even made Ramon nod a couple of times. "I live at the tip top of the mountain, trying to make the wishes of children come true. Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't." That made the audience giggle, even Zappary chortle.
"With me today, is a very special friend. The Gremlin that lives in the water of this very mountain, Morton the Grump!"
Toadal Dude made the voice as high as possible, but not to the point he would hurt his voice. Everybody claps, waiting for this 'grump' to appear.
Out from the hole next to Ramon, came out just the top of Morton's bushy hair. 2 more attempts to pop him out of his hole. This was making Whisper laugh like he was small young white blorb he was before.
One more push, and out he came taking in a giant breath of air. He faced away from the audience. The Grump looked like he was trembling almost, most of the viewers were getting into a tiny laughing fit at the poor character.
"Um, Morton the audience is behind you." Ramon says picking his wand at the others shoulder. The other still 'stands' there shaking. Arachnus' heart was throbbing even when he himself isn't shown to the audience.
"Don't be down in the dumps, It's alright." The wizard coaxes his stingy friend, slowly turning around to look at everybody. As if Enma's father came back from wherever he was resting, the lowest voice was bellowed out from within the gremlins innards. This made the wizard put up his hands to his head in surprise.
Zappary laughed like the happiest little one he was. The others were just as amused, clearly following that it was clearly Arachnus in that hand puppet.
His trembling stopped, moved the eyebrows up to see their reactions. Light but still effective.
"So, Morton do you want to know why I called you here with me today?"
"N…No Ramon. It's… well It's been ages since I've come out of my underwater home. What is it you would l-like to do?" finger gestures and unibrow all going in motion to Morton's question.
"Don't you remember? I found something I wanted to share with you!" The puppet turns a little and reaches into its pocket, where Toadal Dude gets a small snake and slips it through the pocket into a box and holds out in front of Morton.
"Oh…um th-thank you." The confused arachnid played with his fingers to open the arms out and receive it, but in the other direction. Ramon looked out to the audience shaking his whole body with gift in his arms. He taps the other 'shoulders' and he zips back to facing Ramon.
Ramon opens the box, and unveils a look-a-like cupcake from the same bakery. Obviously, it was one of her real-or-not props to entice people to her pastries. "It was the last one she had, but I wanted to give it to you for becoming friends."
Arachnus, as laid back to technology as he was just now realized that around the holes was see through glass.
Through Morton's actions, and of course the ex-generals under the table, Morton moves its arms to its huge mouth, in turn opening agape, and unibrow going up in unison at the gesture. He looked at Toadal Dude through the faint yellow light of the table.
Under the yellow hue, mixed with a light red around his cheeks made it seem like orange. Ramon looked nervous and awaiting his response. Mortons body shriveled down from Arachnus' hand going down, but quickly put it back up and continued the show. He lightly grabbed his 'friend' on his shoulder, smile that lit the campfire in Toadal's heart.
"Well… I accept your friendship." This made Ramon the wizard puff up and hugged Morton, in turn held hands. Zappary was enjoying this show, even if they never met, this was essential to learning in life.
"Remember Zappary. Growing up means you make enemies and friends. Sometimes you'll learn that just offering a hand can change their attitude." Frazzel bounces his child again, scratching the back of his head, pleading to himself that once he learned this he could make more allies and keep things in life with peace.
"I see you've taken one of my items. You could have asked you know." the unknown feminine voice comes from the big tree. Keita looks up to see a girl with incredibly long black hair reach down from the branches, and a green outer line of her figure.
What appears to be her stretching was grabbing a branch, but the one she was lying on cracked and an audible 'oh no' and a few screams coming down, as she hits the stage landing on her feet.
"I fell down." She said, grabbing a nearby chair and sat with the wizard and gremlin of the water.
As wobbly as she was, durability was one of her best properties. She had semi oval glasses and was covered in leaves and various stains from being in the kitchen.
"Thank you for the cupcake, Chastity."
"Indeed, you have our gratitude and newfound friendsip." She smiles patting their heads. "Sorry to interrupt everybody! I just needed to wish the birthday child a happy birthday. Take it from me, I love to watch the smiles my customers have whenever they munch on a napoleon or tart I made. You'll do excellent, sweet heart." She says smiling to Zappary.
Unbeknownst to Arachnus, a random stag beetle entered the hole and bit his arm, causing Morton to fly and Arachnus to scream, and made Chastity fly off the chair. The audience was in an uproar of laughter.
She put her head up with an arm, and huffed at such an entrance.
"Hey, is there something burning?" Keita asks looking around.
"I-It's the yokai watch Whissu!" Whisper clamored trying to look for a yokai friend that can take out the unbearable smoke coming from the object.
This shocked the baker, making her shoot up in the air and scream. "MY DINNER!" she bellowed, tripping once more breaking an easy to break vase from background props. The generals were too busy snickering at her antics, and Whisper was hastily pushing Frostina to blow out the smoke.
The green baker zips through the various friends, spins and her bracelet shines like an azure jewel. She flies into the green part of the watch and dissipates the remainder of the smoke coming from the watch.
"Wh-Whisper don't! –"Keita begs his butler to not come any closer, but Frostina shoots a blizzard at Whisper, Keita and Orochi leaving them in frozen ice. Orochi's stance didn't change, but Jibanyan and Keita were in mid flying positions from the attack.
Zappary could have sworn she had a green shiny thing on her cheek that made her transport herself in the watch but that could have just been his imagination.
"Papa, can we do this again but with fireworks?" He asks his father only to receive a shrug to his question.