Hey everyone, AutoHunter here with something I have been thinking about for a long time.
I hope you enjoy it.
It was another day at Beacon. Ruby was lying on her bed relaxing, Weiss was studying on hers, Blake read a book, and Yang watched something on her scroll. It was quiet until Ruby spoke up.
"I'm so Bored!" Exclaimed Ruby.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Weiss asked, annoyed at her leader's whining.
"I don't know, I feel like doing something," She replied. "Do you have any ideas?"
"Well, I meant to get our mail yesterday," Yang suggested. Weiss glared at the blonde from her bed.
"Ok," Ruby said. "It's something." She then stepped out of the room to retrieve the mail.
-x-
A little while later, Ruby returned with a handful of mail.
"Mail's here!" She calls out to her team.
They all gather around on the carpet to receive mail. "I hope there's no dog in there." Blake thought to herself.
"Alright, let's see. Junk, junk, junk-" Yang said, skimming through the mail. "Weird confession poem to Blake, junk, junk."
"Wait, Wha-?" Blake asked, confused.
"Hey, Ice Queen! You got a letter from your butler." Yang said, cutting off Blake and handing the envelope to Weiss.
"Why, thank you- HEY!" Weiss exclaimed, releasing what Yang called her.
"Some more junk, and what the?" Yang said upon seeing the last piece of mail.
"What's wrong?" Ruby asked her sister.
"Check out this one," Yang says, holding up the last piece of mail.
It appeared to be one of those big yellow "flats" envelopes schools send report cards in, But this one looked like it had something big inside.
"There's no return address," Blake noted, suspicious of this strange envelope.
Weiss examines the envelope and finds only one clue about the sender.
A stylized logo in Ubuntu-Title font, inside a yellow box spelling Playtime Co. with the Co. in yellow and inside a blue box. The P in Playtime was red and coming out of a hole.
"Playtime Co.? Why does that sound familiar?" Weiss mumbled to herself.
"Open it, Yang," Ruby asked.
Yang did, and out fell a yellow VHS tape and a piece of paper. Ruby picks it up and examines it, Vintage Poppy Commercial was written in blue on the front.
"Wow, it looks like one of the old tapes Dad used to record old movies with back home."
"Yeah, you're right, sis. But how are we going to play it?" Yang asked.
"I think there's a VCR in the library," Blake said.
"Wait, maybe we should talk to the teachers first," Weiss suggested.
"You know they're gone right?" Blake said. Weiss looked around and saw that her Faunus teammate was right. The sisters were indeed gone, most likely going to the library.
"Of course." Weiss groaned and left the dorm with Blake not far behind.
-x-
In the library-
Yang and Ruby finally found the VCR and were ready to play the tape, When Weiss and Blake finally arrived.
"Bout time you got here," Yang said to the monochromatic duo.
"You two are insufferable! You know that." Weiss snapped.
"Yeah, I heard that before." Yang deadpanned with a smirk.
"Just play the tape!" Weiss demanded.
The four huntresses-in-training put the tape in the VCR, pressed the play button, and sat down to watch its contents.
The tv screen turns on and flashes blue, then black as an older-looking man in a suit walks into the frame.
Upon seeing this, Weiss's eyes widened from shock from seeing the man in the video. Ruby notices her partner's expression and tries to get her attention.
"Weiss, are you ok?" She asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I-I remember where I heard the name Playtime Co. from, and I know the man in this video," Weiss explained.
Her teammates looked at each other with concerned looks awaiting to hear Weiss's answer.
"Playtime Co. was a company that specialized in toy-making, It was founded in Vale sometime after the Great War."
When they heard this, the sisters looked just as shocked as Weiss.
"Woah, Woah, Woah! Hold the phone, That Playtime Co.!" Yang exclaimed. "Ruby and I used to play with a Boogie Bot that belonged to our mom when we were little."
"I remember hearing that place closed down ten years ago," Blake added.
"Wait, you said you know that man?" Ruby said, pointing at the screen.
"Yes, that man is Elliot Ludwig. He founded the company and was a good friend of my grandfather."
"Really?!" Ruby asked, shocked.
Weiss shook her head. With that, the young huntresses returned to the video.
"You are about to see the most incredible doll ever invented. Her name is Poppy, and she is the first truly intelligent doll in the world. A little girl can talk to her, Poppy gives her answers. She is the first doll actually able to have a conversation with a child." Ludwig proclaimed.
"Yeah, right," Yang said, skeptical, before getting shushed by her team.
Hard to believe? Just watch." Mr. Ludwig explained.
The screen changed, showing a small white porcelain doll with curly red hair tied into ponytails using a pair of blue ribbons. She wears a flouncy, large blue and frilly dress adorned with many bows and frills.
Upon seeing who they presume is Poppy. Team RWBY couldn't help but feel a bit creeped out by the doll's visage.
"Why would anyone want to have that doll in their home?!" Was the first question Yang blurted out.
"It was a different time Yang. I guess kids back then didn't find it as creepy as we do today." Blake theorized, while also agreeing with her partner.
"Poppy Playtime!" A group of children excitedly cheered in unison.
(Que: "The Most Incredible Doll" from MOB Records)
"Poppy's as lovable as a real girl, and she talks like one, too!" A female narrator proclaims about Poppy, then proceeds to tug on her pull string.
"Hi! My name is Poppy! I love you." Poppy says to the person holding her.
"Can you help me polish my shoes?" She then asked them to do so, raising her foot in the air.
"Why, of course, Poppy!" The Female narrator said while someone polished Poppy's shoes. "Just like a real girl, Poppy always wants to look her best."
"I guess you were right about it being from a different time, Blake," Ruby commented on that last thing the narrator said.
"Speak for yourself. Do you think this just happens overnight?" Yang says, gesturing towards herself. "I work hard to look this good."
"And why do you think, Ruby, makes us take showers and get ready before you wake up?" Weiss asked back.
"Touche, Weiss, Touche." Yang says, pointing to Weiss.
"Her hair is sturdy and won't come out when you brush it, and smells just like a poppy flower!" The narrator added.
"Is there anything else you'd like to say, Poppy?" She asked the doll.
"I'm a real girl, just like you." Poppy replied.
For some reason, the girls got a chill up their spines from hearing that.
"What's the time?" The female narrator asked.
"Playtime!" The group of children from earlier excitedly cheered in unison.
"And, if you've ever wanted to see how all of the nation's favorite toys were created, Playtime Co. is now offering factory tours at just $2.99 a person. An entire hour in the most magical toy factory on Earth. What are you waiting for? Come visit the factory! We can't-" A male narrator added before going to static as the commercial gets replaced with a security camera footage of a railway that leads to a door in the middle of a big, mural of a poppy flower.
(Song end.)
"What the-" Was the thought that all had.
With that, the video was over. Team RWBY just sat there for a while in complete silence trying to take in what they just watched.
"Uhh, Blake," Ruby asked her Faunus teammate, still keeping her eyes on the now blank tv screen.
"Yeah!" Blake replied, also still staring at the screen.
"You said that Playtime Co. went out of business, Right."
"I did."
"W-Why?" She asked.
Blake gulped and explained to her team. "T-Ten years ago, everyone who worked at the factory disappeared into thin air with no explanation. Never to be heard from again."
"With no bodies, no foul play, no nothing. It remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of modern Vale, to this day." Weiss added.
After learning this unsettling new information, Yang suddenly remembered something from earlier.
"Wait, wasn't there a note in that envelope."
"You're right, I saw a piece of paper fall out." Ruby realized. "It's still back in our room."
Now that they are done with this tape they head back to their dorm. Before they left, Yang took the VHS out of the VCR and took it with her.
"Don't wanna leave this."
-x-
Team RWBY arrived back at their dorm and saw there was indeed a folded piece of paper on the floor. Weiss picks it up and reads it out loud.
EVERYONE THINKS THE STAFF DISAPPEARED 10 YEARS AGO
WE'RE STILL HERE.
FIND THE FLOWER
Followed by a drawing of a familiar-looking Poppy flower.
With that, Team RWBY was at a crossroads on what they should do now.
TBC…
Author's note: Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is allowed. Trolling is not.
I might do this when Chapter 2 comes out any day now.
Also someone please create a Poppy Playtime category on this site.
So, until then, see yeah next time. AutoHunter Rolling out of the hunt.