Ted could see it as plain as the nose on his face. It was like he was still sitting in front of his computer on that old messenger app, and there she was on the other end. Miles and miles of wire bridging their gap with just a few seconds of delay. He hadn't realized it at the time, but the screen gave him confidence. It let him express himself while carefully considering every word. He could pause for as long as he wanted while he perfected every sentence, and that helped him say things he never would in person.

After all, they had started dating when they were both still in person. For four months, he had every opportunity in the world, but they only went on six dates. She planned them all of course, Ted was really much more passive. She had hinted so often, but even in his mind he could never go through with it. It was just one kiss, and yet to him it was like asking him to lift a car with his bare hands. But after they were separated by a nearly insurmountable amount of space, it all seemed to fall in place.

Behind that screen, he finally got it. Romance just clicked. Poems, stories, songs, love letters, he sent the works. But nothing stays the same forever. Eventually she saw through it. She saw the hollow way he acted. Of course, she would. She was aggressively inquisitive, and she seemed to gain a cold confidence from her screen as well. No one can hide forever. Eventually, everyone would find out. He didn't know if this was really a prison like Sid thought, but if it was, he couldn't say he was surprised that he was here.

"Ted?"

Ted was shaken from his thoughts as Pockets put a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing all alone down here?" Pockets sat down next to him on the plank of wood, and a wet fart sound rang out. "Oops!" she leaned over and pulled out a whoopie cushion. "This diet really doesn't agree with me, haha!"

Ted didn't even fake a smile. He was sitting on a shelf that must have fallen off years ago in the old cellar. It was quiet down here. Almost felt like he was cut off from the world even more than this place already was. Like a room hidden within another room.

"What's eating you Mr. grumpy Gus?" Pockets teased as she slapped Ted's back.

Ted jerked forward. She hit him much harder than he had expected. It wasn't painful, just startling. "Nothing." It was a lie of course, and clearly an obvious one by the way Pockets raised an eyebrow at his dismissive answer.

"Well," she said as she leaned back on the slab of wood. "I always thought the best way to get rid of a bad thought was to laugh until it left. You know! Scare it away."

"Scare it?" Ted scoffed. "With laughter?"

"Hello, earth to Ted, anybody there?" she said as she pretended to knock on the top of his head. "How else would you do it? Bad thoughts are notoriously tough to scare! That's why you gotta chase them off with their only fear, a good time. And what better time is had, then when you're laughing!"

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"Eh, I don't really see it." he shrugged as Pockets seemed to slowly draw him more and more into the conversation.

The clown smiled and then let out a hearty laugh from deep in her gut. It was so deep; Ted could swear that it was coming from someone like James Earl Jones. She was clearly a girl, but that was a deep, masculine, bass laugh ringing out from her mouth as she flung her head back. This only made Ted even more confused, as his focus shifted from his earlier thoughts to how strange this all was.

Pockets cut her laugh mid chortle, as if she hit the pause button on a song. Then, as she waved a gloved hand towards Ted, she said, "See? Now you try it."

Ted shook his head. "I think I'll still have to pass."

Despite the distraction, he still felt that strange pain deep in his gut. Even without thinking about it directly, it still seemed to pull at him. Why did he have to be so passive? Here, without any help, why was he still so afraid? What was holding him back. These questions started to seep into his mind as the clown's distraction seemed to fade.

Pockets rubbed her chin, and then a lightbulb lit up above her head. She raised a finger in triumph, but then the lightbulb fizzled and went out. Immediately, she lowered her finger. Then, she glanced up at the lightbulb, and started to root around in her back pocket.

"You've already done this routine before." Ted told her.

"Huh? Wait, I have?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Well," shrugged Pockets. "I'm not used to having only the same audience you know! A girl can't invent a new routine every day, these things take time to refine and master."

"Well, if you want to do it anyway."

"No, no. Now it's ruined." She said with exaggerated sadness as she pulled out a giant polka dotted handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. "I'm afraid there's no point for me to continue." She reached up and grabbed the lightbulb from the air and tossed it down into her pants. As it flew in, there was a loud crash, as if an entire window had just fallen and shattered into a million pieces.

Ted started to open his mouth, but realized he had nothing to say. She exaggerated most everything, so he wasn't sure if she was just acting upset, or if this was how Pockets would act if she was genuinely upset. He tried to think of some words of comfort, but nothing came. Then it seemed clear she was about to start sobbing, and that seemed to shut his brain off even more. Luckily, Og'drimun saved the day.

"Whoa, what are you two doing down here?" he called out. "You're gonna miss the big event!"

Yeah bros! It's gonna be awesome! Death howled as he walked right past them.

Og'drimun lingered a moment as he looked from Pockets to Ted. He gave Ted a quick wink, and moved to follow Death further in. "We're just down here for a barrel. Trizel said there were a few empty ones that had vinegar in them and were no good for alcohol. We're gonna just nab a few of those."

Sweet, does that mean you changed your mind about carrying them?

"Yeah, I'm not really suited for manual labor like this. But that's why I brought a new homunculus." He smiled, and then flew up to Ted's ear and whispered, "Don't worry. We'll be out of your hair soon enough. Didn't mean to interrupt your...fun..."

"What do you?" Ted started to ask before Og'drimun put his little pawed hand over Ted's mouth and winked again.

"No need to say anything. In and out. Real quick, I promise."

There was a gurgling sound as a strange creature hobbled up. It looked like a trampoline with legs all around it, and a strangely blocky head constantly tilted back with its giant mouth open to the sky.

"This little guy is going to make carrying these barrels super easy!" Og'drimun cheered.

Uh...how's he gonna get up the stairs from down here? Those things were like super narrow. Death pointed out.

"Huh? Wait...but I made him in the kitchen using a few...unnecessary leftovers...he has to be able to fit, since he got down here!" Og'drimun declared proudly as his homunculus shuffled closer.

Pockets had stopped looking sad and seemed completely enraptured by the strange new creature.

Maybe it rolled down on its side, it's certainly skinny enough for that. Death called out as he started to try to look in barrels.

"By your logic wouldn't that make him too tall for those stairs?"

My logic? That's just reality bro. Something you really need to get back in touch with.

"Hee hee," giggled Pockets as she poked the side of the creature. "He's so squishy!"