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The early morning was the most peaceful part of James' life currently, regardless of his health. Even whilst struggling under the grip of the recent dreaded Booboo epidemic, he was able to simply lay back and relish the soft soothing sensations of the world awakening around him. The sound of birds chirruping in the dawn chorus, the feeling of his husband's body warmly next to him, the smell of fresh grass from outside and that odd taste of runny saliva warmly pooling in the back of his throat. His eyes blinked fiercely upon realising what that meant, pushing himself out of bed to swiftly grab onto the porcelain bowl of the lavatory and wait for the worst bodily sensation. "H-HHRRRYYYLLLLLK! KHAAA! Ohhh god..." His body would not relent in its struggle to force the virus out of him as his stomach regurgitated fiercely, burning his chest with the most intense bile from his body as the acid taste on his tongue was the least of his problems. The longest five minutes he suffered with eyes blisteringly dry from dehydration as he heard Koopin's voice. "James? You okay honey?" "Uhm fine...gnnnguh..." "Awwww..." The sound of bedsheets and the gentle patter of small feet came to his right as Koopin hugged him tight, carefully rocking him back and forth to try and ease his bodily discomfort. He already felt the sickness pass but still appreciated the warm embrace as the koopa kissed his burning hot cheek. "You think you can drink some water, something to rehydrate?" "I think I...mmmhhh please." "Alright, just get back to bed." "Whut time is it?" "It's about eight. I don't have work today so it's just you and me." "Mmmm that's good." Koopin went off to grab a glass from the kitchen to fill up with the softest watery orange juice he could make, diluted to have at least some flavour and nutrients without the strong taste in case it upset him as James struggled to slink back to bed. His husband let Charlie outside the back to let him wander and stretch his legs, metaphorically speaking, and brought a bucket to place on his side of the bed along with his juice. "There, just in case you feel sick again, don't want you tiring yourself." "Mmmthanks. I slept better at least than yesterday." "That's good. Lemme know if you feel any more pains alright hun?" "Okay." It always took at least an hour for James to start feeling hungry during his sickness, which at least was a good sign for him to still want food even at his lowest physically. Eventually they moved themselves to the living room with bucket in tow on James' side of the couch to sit and wrap up with blankets to watch some television. They only just caught the beginning of a film review show as Koopin made him some soft shredded wheat cereal flavoured with special fruit-flavoured sugar packets that were also easy to digest. The raptor's voice sounded rather plaintive from his weakened body, not enough to exhaust him like last week, but still much softer than usual. "Heeere you go." "Thanks cutie." "What movie are they talking about?" "The Toad Warrior...man, I loved that movie." "Really, I thought it would have been too depressing and empty for you." "Well, yeah but it was so good, I mean...you know we even had a movie exactly like that in my world." "Really?" "Yeah, we call it Mad Max, it's almost identical which is kinda weird but it's all about motorcycle gangs in the post-apocalyptic wastes, Sarah showed me it and it was pretty good." "Is it like, literally the same?" "Well, not exactly, I mean it doesn't have this whole relationship between the main character and his yoshi Yaundice, so that makes Toad Warrior a lot better, like almost a buddy flick to keep their spirits up." "But everything else?" "This is less violent, at least compared to the movies in my world." "Jeez. I'm almost scared to see what that looks like, I mean Toad Warrior gets pretty brutal like that one scene where a boomerang just SLICES a guy's head off like paper!" "Heheheh...what's your favourite movie again, Van Shellsing?" "Yes, absolutely, I guess it's cuz I watched it as a kid and it blew my mind. What's yours?" "Ravens from the Moon. God I can't believe how good that movie is." "I KNOW right?! I mean it's old but it's got such a good story-" "And the bad guy actually isn't like some completely evil douche, he's got really good motivations that make you almost wanna sympathise with him. It's just he went sort of extreme." "Yeah...maybe we should watch it again, later tonight if you feel up for it." "Aw that would be great, then after we could watch uh Shellsing." "Sure!" Just then they heard a knock on the door as Koopin got up with welcome greeting. "OH, good morning!" "Helloooo Koopiiiin! How's it going?" "Great thanks, you wanna come in?" "Yes thank you hwoh. Don't worry I had my shots, hehoh!" The door closed as a red-clothed shy guy came waddling into James' vision, his mask reflecting a whitish shade of pewter as his little flippers adjusted the proud green-and-yellow striped tie on his front. They were equally reminded just how much size difference was between them, the raptor a good two feet above him when standing normally. "Hey Shybert." "Hello James, are you feeling better?" "Sorta, getting there. Howsit going?" "Going the good long day thank you very much. OH, you watch Films at Dawn too, I love this programme." "Yeah? They just finished talking about the Toad Warrior." "Mmmm, never was a fan of that movie, it's too desolate and violent for me hwoh." "What kinda movies do you like?" "Comedies mostly, like uhm Desktop, that one was really funny." "I dunno that one." "Ohhhh it is hiLARIOUS, it's a good office comedy, Koopin you saw it too!" "I did!" replied Koopin. "It was pretty good, I loved that scene with the hamburger-" "Hhhwehohohohoho...so what are you two up to today?" "Well James is still recovering and other than retelling him the story about what I've been up to when he was away not much else-" "OH, are you telling that story again?! Which part are you at?!" "Just finished all the sad stuff before I met you." "OHHH goodie! Um, may I take the driver's seat for this, hwoh?" "Uhhh...sure, actually you know what, I don't think we ever heard the story from your side of things." "I haven't," said James curious, "I mean sure if you got nothing to do let's hear what went on in your side, I got nothing else to do." "Great!" The shy guy clambered onto the sofa sitting himself between Koopin and James as he cleared his throat. "Well, it all began around ten-and-a-half years ago, actually almost eleven now I think of it. The mid-year reports had just come in and there was great kerfuffle in the departments upstairs concerning the distribution of a new filing system that was said to increase productivity by thirteen percent. Not that anyone wanted it, said it would take too long for everyone to readjust, but it was QUITE the hot topic around the water cooler-" "Is this about Koopin or is this about office politics?" "It...can be both?" "I think you can skip ahead a little bit," said Koopin gently, "James sort of has an idea on how the TGA works." "Right, right don't mind me, just...setting the scene as it were." With arms spread as if casting a spell over his captive audience, Shybert began to reminisce as James rolled his eyes with a smirk listening to his tale, back into that strange new beginning of office days from so many years ago.

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The Rising Fallen Star Chapter 2: Shybert

The walls of the TGA Toad Town office greeted him with a soft powder blue and grey ceilings that mirrored the floors as the reception desk stood before him. Stairs in the left corner and elevator in the right, the plants dotted around the sides with plush seats between them helped give a slightly more coloured atmosphere as Koopin approached the receptionist who herself also was a potted plant. With purple head and white spots upon her eyeless face, the piranha plant grinned with two large leaves curling like hands together asking with a sweet prim female voice: "Good morning sir, how can I help you?" "Hi, my name's Koopin Kennidon. I used to work in the field but now I'm coming back into the office." "Okay, may I see your ID?" He handed it over as she noted its authentic plating before picking up the phone beside her and calling upstairs. "Hi uh mister Bobunov? Yeah I have a mister Kennidon who's moving out of field duty and back into the office? ...ah huh. Alright then." The phone went down with a clack as her leaf unwrapped around the handle. "Your new desk is at room 5B on the fifth floor mister Kennidon and welcome back into the fold." "Thanks." "Um, can I ask you something? Sorry this may not be important but, do you have family in Petalburg?" "U-uhhh I...used to, my grandfather came from there." "Did he used to run a grocery store?" "He did! But then we relocated to Dry Dry Desert." "Oho my stars, my dad used to work in that store when he was a sapling, I THOUGHT that name was familiar!" "Really?!" "Yeaaaah gosh what a small world, I'm Nellie Mushkin by the way." "Nice to meet you miss Mushkin. That's definitely a Petalburg name." "Hmhmyeaaaah I always get that. Is your family still doing well?" "Business is great yeah, my dad still runs the place, it's going good." "That's awesome, sorry I just had to ask, you head on up." "It's okay...but um, I thought the supervisor was gonna meet me here." "I was just talking to him, mister Bobunov is slightly delayed with some work, you can go on and meet him upstairs, that's room 5B on the fifth floor." "Alright thanks miss Mushkin." The piranha plant smiled with wide pale lips as Koopin headed up, taking the stairs to give his legs a decent workout and see what each floor had to give to the office branch. First floor he noticed was purely interaction with customers involving the booking of tours, trips and various travel advisories, Public Relations as it called itself detailing the Tour Guide Association's trade and operations with other companies, individuals and governing bodies. Second floor dealt strictly with Personnel Management, concerning with inner company complaints, care for employees and also most importantly their wage packets. Third floor was Marketing which composed entirely of company exposure such as advertisements, tourist offers and even restorations for older sites that were in danger of crumbling. The fourth floor was the busiest of all due to its dealing with Finance involving not only how much could be allocated to restoring projects, but also to building management, paying employees, services, taxes and profit margins that could be reported back to the main HQ. Finally there was the fifth floor, which mainly involved Administration. This was the least important but still demanding job due to being the archive holders, the record keepers and even the place where new recruits could be trained at until they moved up in the world. Ironically, the higher the floor one worked, the lower the rank one was in the company. Scaling the stairway gave him plenty of passersby to meet involving boos phasing through walls, koopas and toads walking through, lakitus hovering with small clouds above shy guys, piranha plants and goombas all waddling or hopping through the halls until he made it to the fifth. The rooms were strangely quiet as opposed to the clamouring of floors previous as Koopin stepped forth into Room 5B. An open office of six desks situated in various spots giving everyone free room and access along with a couple of wilting plants next to two long windows to the north and east with slatted blinds crisscrossing their light beams across the central floor. Koopin saw the desk with his name reserved on it right in the corner opposite of the door, which gave little light from the windows causing it to look drab and shabbier than it would be. "Hey." He turned towards the centre desk, where a husky green piranha plant stood basking in the warmth of the sun's rays. Among the office of room 5B were also two toads of red spots and purple spots, a boo with yellowing fangs, and another koopa whose red shell had markings reminiscent of two curved brackets facing left. "You the new paper fodder?" asked the plant. "Huh?" "Koopin. That's your desk over there right?" "I um...yes. You alright?" "Yeaaah s'all good here dude. Just another day of...TWO...reports, eh heheheh." "Right, working away huh?" "Mmhmm." Koopin walked over to his desk seeing it had been cleaned out of its last owner to leave only a few pencils, a telephone and of course the main PC that was sitting on top which went out of date at least seven years ago. He sat himself down into his swivel chair, thankful for the room he had despite the dull shaded corner of the room he had been given as he waited for his supervisor. It wasn't more than five minutes after that he heard voices clamouring with jubilation down the hall. "HEHEYYYY Shy-maaaaan gimme up TOP!" "How's that big report?!" "Patience boys, hwoh, I've got big plans for all of us." "Sir we need YOU to sign off on our big trade." "Wehell let me just bring out my special pen for the big ones!" "THANK you sir!" "Bert-Bob, what is HAPpening?!" "Lllllookin' gooood Yorick, gimme some skin brother." Flowing before Koopin as he strode into the room was an enigmatic personage surrounded by an adoring crowd of workers, all with signing forms as if he were some superstar. His tie fwipped gorgeously like hair past his face, the shining mask almost winking with a sparkle as- "That's not how it happened!"

Shybert looked over at Koopin somewhat shocked. "You totally did not come in like some kind of prince." "I remember our first meeting quite well, are you sure about that hwoh?" "I'll take over, let's see. So I was waiting for this supervisor to show up when, suddenly-"

"MAKE WAY! MAKE WAAAAAAAYYYY!" A clattering screech came from outside the hall as something skidded viciously right round the corner as the sounds of trampling feet, papers scattered and squeals of fright came along the other side of the walls. A mail trolley was careening out of control with something small and red inside clinging desperately for life as it thunked against the open door. A little mask popped up shaking his head freely as he tried to clamber out of the trolley but before he could, someone shut the door fast swinging inwards and knocked the trolley hard into the room. "WHAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The little red figure went shooting towards the ceiling fan above like a bullet, flippers grabbing one of the fan blades as he spun wildly whilst everyone watched him except the one red koopa in the corner. "AAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" He finally lost his grip and landed straight back into the mail trolley, the force of his landing sending it forwards on its wheels to slam against Koopin's desk as he backed off by instinct. Slowly extricating himself from the mail was a shy guy with green and yellow tie looking terribly dazed. "Hwoh...h-hweh-h-helloooooo." "I don't remember that!"

James palmed his face as Shybert put up his flipper in defiance. "I most certainly did not go careening through the place like some clown!" "Really? Cuz I remember that happening at least once." "It most certainly did not happen when we first met I can tell you now, I'm not a buffoon hwoh!" "I never said you were, I'm just saying that it happened!" "Well I DON'T remember that!" "Um, guys?" said James weakly. "Could you maybe get on with the actual stuff because I'm kinda dying." "...well, right, point is I met up with Koopin and-"

"Misterrr Kennidon?" asked the shy guy before Koopin. "Um, yes." "AH, hwoh, good to meet you, I'm mister Shybert Bobunov your supervisor on this floor." "Oh, um it's...nice to meet you sir, I uh um...s-sorry, I uh thought from the name that you were a bob-omb." "Oh. Well I'm not, just call me Shybert. We like to make it a first-name atmosphere around here so we can all respect each other as people. Not workers." "U-ummm, right. So uh, what do you want me to do?" "First I need to get you registered onto the system, now have you used a computer before?" "Yes, in fact I remember this exact model back when I was in the office." "Oh, goodie you won't have to learn it all firsthand then, so, welcome to room 5B!" "So uh what will I be doing?" "Well, you are part of a very important taskforce that will specialise in mainly archiving documents. We have a volume of papers from before we started to put in these computers and we have to process them all for the new age of digital information." "What'll happen to the original documents?" "Oh we keep them of course, but we also want to have digital versions of them so we can quickly refer to them. Some documents are too important to shred so we will keep them on file for legal or historical purposes, but every document is important! So, you'll be getting various pieces of paperwork through the local intranet from our busy shufflers downstairs, the real archivists, who then copy and scan documents to upload into the system's network for you to fill in and compile." "So I'm just cataloguing stuff?" "Yes, essentially, but it's very important still hwoh! Just think, you might encounter a document that's come in two parts, or has missing information which you then have to fill in and complete through the use of other relevant documents, think of it like solving a mystery!" "Ah hah...right, okay then mister-" "P-please call me Shybert, we're on first-name terms here at the TGA Koopin." "Alright...Shybert." "Let me introduce you to the team. That's Paul, that over there is Booris, there's Kevin over in the corner, and we also have Sher T. and Lynn T., don't worry, we don't bite, hehoh!" "Except me if you ask," said Paul with widening teeth. "Hehohohoh, quite the joker you are eh Paul?" "Better than you tinyface." "Heh, hoh...well um, let me just give you your account details and get you started." The supervisor handed Koopin a folded piece of paper with his new account name and password to type in and set things up. It was easy enough to remember everything from the word processing documents to spreadsheets to databases. It was as Shybert said like piecing together clues except far more tedious and nowhere near as interesting as Koopin would expect in his wildest dreams. He hoped in some small part there would be some small trail of papers involving old ruins or discovered artifacts. Instead it was all names of previous employees, minutes of meetings that had been filed improperly and documents detailing exchanged fiscal routines that went spanning all the way back to the very beginning of the branch's opening. Koopin went methodically at his work, filling in reports, filing them onto the network as completed and so moving on to the next one. Names flowed through his vision back and forth into soul-numbing shifts from ten-to-five, yet it was enough of a distraction to help his mind forget about his doubts and fears. Meanwhile Shybert's duties involved something less hands-on around two weeks after Koopin's induction into office services, strolling towards the other supervisor's office with a clip binder full of reports. He hadn't knocked on the door more than twice when a firm male voice came from within. "Hmm?" "Helloooo," said the shy guy, "it's me, I have that folder you wanted with the office performance results." "...folder? Performance?" "Yes, remember our performance reports, goodness Yorick I hope you won't be like this at your new office branch!" "Oh, right those heh, I think I have the other half here, hold on." The sound of shuffling papers came from inside the office as eventually the door opened where a dark blue yoshi's hand slipped through the door crack holding another ring binder full of documents. Shybert took it gladly now carrying both folders underarm with a slight struggle. "Whew! Thank goodness we got this all done before the big boo downstairs came up waltzing eh, hehoh?!" "Yeah yeah, sure." He headed back to his office chirrupy with a slight skip, passing between rooms along teal-coloured corridors filled with various workers in equal capacities working on various parts of the office structure. Nobody said a word to him, even when he popped his head round into the occasional room to check on his employees and seeing them still relatively working. "You have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" A voice shouting from down the hall came accompanied by the sound of banging thuds as Shybert briskly walked up towards the break room of the floor. A larger room with some tables, couches and a small kitchen for coffee and treats, there laid also some vending machines to which one boo was feverishly pounding his small flippers onto the glass front. "E-e-excuse me sir, that's...that's company property please don't do that!" "Did you do this?!" The boo turned showing slightly yellowed fangs in his scowling grimace as he hovered venomously towards the supervisor. "What in Star Road do you think you're doing, HUH?! This is an outrage, this is discrimination" "N-now sir, Booris please there's no need to raise your voice, what exactly happened hwoh?" "Oh like you don't know mister tinyface! THIS!" He spread out his arm towards the offending machine brimming with newly-placed glass cabinet. "Your BOOIST company put anti-ghost glass on the vending machines!" "What?" "SEE THIS?!" The boo pressed his arm against the glass to find it completely impenetrable to his spectral limb. "What the heck is wrong with you people, I NEED this candy!" "Sir I'm sorry but...we had to debate on new measurements and the company thought it was simply unfair that certain employees were able to take food from the vending machines without paying." "OH! Just because I'm a boo you assume that I just reach my hand in through the glass and just take what I want, is that what you're saying?! Are you calling me a thief, without evidence?!" "Wha-no, that's not what I meant! We had new glass put in because certain employees were taking advantage of that fact when we want everyone to pay equally." "Well what about you half-pint!? I don't see anyone complaining about you being so little you could just squeeze right into the bottom flap and take whatever you want!" "They...um, they DID actually address that issue and made the flap smaller by sixteen centimetres to prevent that, they had e-everyone's considerations-" "Well WHOOP-DEE-BOO because I'm going to pass out in a diabootic coma before I'm done with the day, thanks to YOUR selfish company's policies not considering people like me!" "You...y-you can just pay, it's only three coins Booris-" "You don't deserve my money, not after this!" The boo phased rudely through Shybert's body leaving the supervisor in a grimacing spasm of cold breeze as he left in a huff, floating through the wall and fading back into his office as Shybert gripped his ring binders tightly with a heavy sigh from his mask. He simply walked on back to his office which stood at the end of a hallway looking rather suspiciously like a broom closet. The cubicle-sized room with one small window at the very top of the wall contained but a simple desk, built to his size along with a smaller PC and a chair that fit him snugly. Despite its rather pale walls and bleaker existence, he actually enjoyed being in his office imagining as if he were the only person in the company every time he sat at his desk to reaffirm his neat stripy tie and set himself to work. There was a folded chair next to the wall for visitors but it was now gathering cobwebs for the fact that almost nobody visited his office. He finished up his first report on the standards of ventilation of the fifth floor, before collating both his and Yorick's reports into one single bigger folder to streamline their thought processes. It was a struggle to carry it downwards especially when the elevator became occupied by four goombas as he made his way to the staircase. He almost reached the second floor unabated despite the large ring folder blocking his view, when he misplaced his foot on the last step and barrelled forwards into a thick white fluffy mess. "H-HEY, WATCH IT!" "WHA-OOF!" He floated briefly in the air with little legs kicking underneath, struggling to disentangle himself from the back of a lakitu's cloud as the bespectacled worker stared offended at him. "HEY, YOU! GET OFFA MY CLOUD!" "WHA-NO-OWW!" The cumulonimbus shook him off with a blistering grey scowl as if about to rain, before floating itself away with its lakitu in tow as Shybert dusted off. The walls of Personnel Management were a comfortable imperial green with firm wooden floors giving a very stately look to the place, as Shybert approached the head manager of this quadrant. A very old door with thick glass and a name carved in as he knocked. "Yeeeeeeees?" "Um...h-hello sir, it's um Sh-shybert here, I have that report from me and Yorick finished-" "Ahhh yes, come in and close the door boohind you." Carefully walking in gave him the sight of a very antique-looking office with creaking mahogany desk and three bookcases filled with strange titles of archaic words that Shybert struggled to comprehend. There was a globe in one corner with only half the landmasses of the world showing along with several artifacts that hung on the walls such as feathered spears, strange carvings in stone and eerie tribal masks that unnerved him greatly, deep within his racial subconscious. The door locked behind him of its own will seemingly as a faded wisp began floating above the desk. "Please, sit down mister Bobunov." Flowing from the aether as if travelling between planes of existence was a very sombre-looking boo, larger than most with eyes sunken deep. His voice was like a ransom note that arrived four days too late. Bitter, tragic and yet expected as Shybert sat down. "You have the report?" "Yes, it's right here." "Did Yorick not come down?" "Oh, he seemed rather busy and I didn't...actually I forgot to ask, but you don't need both of us, he's been working away his last months with us after all, want to make sure he has a safe passage through our shores one may say!" "...yes. Perhaps." The boo gently took the binder and placed it to one side as he calmly clasped his fin-like limbs together with an oddly gentle tone. "How are you?" "I'm...very well thank you, and how are you?" "I am well. If you wish to speak about anything, please boo not hesitate." "Don't you worry, Shybert is ON the case, we are going to come out of this tourist season like kings of the world hehoh!" "Hmhmhm. Your enthusiasm is appreciated. But please do not tire yourself out. How is our new employee settling in?" "Oh, mister Kennidon? He's doing quite well thank you, only two weeks and already he's done quite a tidy number on his archive duties!" "He is quite a good employee. Helpful, well-rounded of his knowledge, experienced with travel." Booratio pulled up a folder showing Koopin's face as he perused it with sharp ancient eyes. "He made a good candidate to replace Goombenedetta's post. You know why Kennidon has been allocated back to the office?" "I read his file yes, and I completely understand wanting to get one's head out of the field after a lot of stress, even if I shan't ask about what that stress might be, hwoh." "You know...I think both of you would boo well if you connected with him." "What do you mean?" "You have no real friends here Shybert, and...I fear for your mind becoming lonely without any companionship." "That's not true, I have Yorick! I know him well Booratio!" The boo bowed his head gently as if palming his face in silent prayer, clasping his fins to his eyes with a gentle mist briefly causing his body to fade halfway. "Ah, yes, how can I forget." He pulled his arms away to fully reveal himself once more. "But he is departing soon for a different branch and...surely you would not want to be left alone without companionship." "I'm sure I'll be fine, I'll always write to him or email once he gets set up over at his new work." "Yeeees but consider this. Koopin has no friends here, he is just starting out, he worked in the field for seven years and he has acquaintances but no one in this office is friends with him. Why not take advantage of that fact and become more than just a supervisor?" "But, wouldn't that be unfair on the other employees hwoh?" "They are experienced, plus they are also friends with each other, I am...recommending this to you Shybert. Would you please boofriend mister Kennidon and help ease his time amongst us? If anything it shall help him unwind his stressful mentality a lot sooner and thereby allow him to become a more upstanding employee with us." "Well...when you put it that way I...suppose I could give him some more special guidance, after all it would be nice to help him-" "Not guidance, friendship. Be more than just his supervisor, show him that the office is not some dark soulless refuge for those shunned from outside." "It most certainly is not!" cried Shybert. "Not according to the bathroom graffiti." "Wha-...I TOLD them to clean that off, what the ruddy heck is wrong with the janitorial staff recently?!" "My point is," continued Booratio, "that you are responsible for new employees first and foremost. And I am not just asking, but rather imploring that you keep Kennidon under your wing and help him through this rather dark time for...both of your sakes." "Well, you can rely on me hwoh!" Shybert gave a brilliant salute with arms sweeping to his back and forehead simultaneously. "I shall not let you down Booratio!" "That's good. Now, you may leave, if I need anything else I shall call for you. Thank you for bringing Yorick's reports." "Thank you sir."

"So," asked James cautiously, "he just...asked you to be Koopin's friend?" "Well I never understood at the time," replied Shybert, "but eventually we would see what reasons he had to sow our seeds of friendship hwoh." "Wow that's kinda weird. I always thought you guys just got nerdy about music and it sorta picked up there." "We did," said the koopa, "but that comes a lot later, this is just all the beginning stuff. So around two weeks after I started to settle in, I was starting to open up with some of the people in my workplace, not intentionally but...it started with some report that I only had half of and-"

The screen told him that there were no more names recorded in the personnel accounts after eight years ago. Koopin did not want to move on and leave an account unfinished after he had been steadily working through a paper trail to clean up knowing that the freshest data in his mind and his hard drive would make it all the much easier when he found himself being diverted into old personnel records. He briefly emailed people in his department asking if anyone had any data relating to this time period, of which only one person responded clearly. Kevin, the only other koopa in his office room. "Oh good that makes it easy." Deciding not to waste time with emails he made his way across the floor to ask the red-shelled Kevin whose back was turned to him staring at the PC screen. "Hey umm you said you had data from personnel back eight years ago? ...uh...hello?" The koopa did not respond. "I said...I said-um...a-are you okay?" "He's deaf," said a voice nearby. "Huh?!" "He's deaf, didn't anyone tell you?" Koopin turned to see Lynn T., the goth-looking toad with purple spots and spiked collar. "You wanna get his attention, you either email him or knock on his desk." "Oh...thanks." He firmly knocked against the wooden desk, briefly alerting Kevin who slowly turned round with a curious face and brown eyes as Koopin waved gently. His hands began to form a series of sporadic gestures which made Kevin's eyes widen with surprise. You, have, info, on, eight-years-ago? I-do, you're-K-O-O-P-I-N?! Yes, nice-to-meet-you. You-know-MKSL?! Sort-of. Studied, took-course, not-used-some-time, sorry, rusty. That's-fine, you-could-have-emailed-me-if-it's-easier! It's-faster-to-just-talk, right? I-mean, you're-right-here. I-guess. What-you-need? I-need, data, on-four-names, can't-find-them. Which-ones? Write-them-down-here. Kevin offered a notebook with a pen as Koopin wrote down the four names he had trouble searching for as the red koopa nodded. I'll-email-them-to-you-in-a-moment. Thanks-K-E-V-I-N. Hahaha-nice-you-can-sign-my-name! Sorry, wanted-to. Really-need-to-relearn. It's-alright, most-everybody-emails-me-rather-than-talk-to-me. If-I-need-something, I'll-ask-you, okay? Sure! Thank-you! Koopin walked away with a gentle smile but not before seeing Lynn T. nod at him with the first smile he had seen from her. The other three workers kept their heads buried in their screens or in the case of Paul, languished lazily over the back of their seat absorbing sunlight whilst doing nothing. But this little touch of communication gave Koopin more confidence when he entered the office cafeteria during lunchtime. The place doubled as a meeting hall with grey linoleum floor and blue ceiling along with an array of hexagonal tables amongst several rectangular ones with seats included. Koopin lined up at the kitchen window to receive a healthy portion of sausage rolls, mashed potatoes and sponge cake as he went to look for someplace to sit. Nobody from his office could be seen however presumably just eating elsewhere or bringing their own lunches as a little red hand poked out from the clamouring sea of tables. "HW-HWOHHH!" He pointed at himself, seeing a nod from the shy guy that beckoned him over to sit at their own table rather isolated from everybody else. The supervisor had an apple, a fruit drink with straw and a hot bowl of chunky soup. "Good day?" asked Shybert. "Oh, um...yeah it's going well." "Anything exciting happen?" "Um...no." "Oh well. No news is good news, is what I say." The two ate in a brief silence, Koopin smearing his mashed potato over his sausage rolls to eat together, whilst Shybert started on an apple with tiny gentle bites from his miniscule mouth. "So...there was an incomplete account report dating back around eight years ago. Some names I couldn't find." "Oh, what names were they?" "I forget, but Kevin's been helping me, he has the other half of the paper trail." "That's good to hear. How are you doing in the office?" "It's been pretty okay. Kevin's nice, I think Lynn T. too but the others are uh...not very talkative." "Busy little bees I presume, hehoh." The shy guy finished munching on his apple which became now a reverse-hourglass shape as he started on his soup. Cooled down enough for him to sip, he carefully poured the spoonful of broth to his little masked mouth without even a slurp. "How long have you been working here?" asked Koopin. "Mmmm about...ten years I should think." "How long you been a supervisor?" "Oh, about four years. Promoted alongside Yorick, I don't think you've met him yet." "No I haven't, is he also supervisor?" "Mmhmm, he's very hard-working, partners in crime one might say hehoh!" "Heheheh...I've only been in the TGA around seven years myself." "I read your profile," added Shybert, "you're a very fine worker, I'm very glad to have you in my office floor. Already your reports are cleared up faster than most of our employees." "I just know how to keep things up. Or at least trying to but I'm...surprised at how much stuff there is to process." "The TGA is quite an old institution, this branch has been around a hundred years you know." "I do but...it's kind of strange, I know the TGA started out as just an adventurers' club but still." "Well you can still call us an adventurers' club, you're certainly quite an adventurer yourself, travelling all those places." "Yeah I...travelled a lot." "Not doing it so much anymore?" "No I have a chain chomp at home, I kinda don't wanna leave him alone for too long. My mom recommended I have someone to...tether me at home with, for uh responsibility." "That seems rather odd advice, hwoh." "Well it wasn't just me, it was also because my boyfriend was living with me at the time too, it was for both our sakes. Steady us, keep us to the ground with something responsible between us...like having a kid I guess." "Ohhh, I see. Well in that case I think that was good advice." "I just hope it's still good now." Koopin finished up his lunch thanking Shybert for having a spare seat before he headed off back home. Meanwhile Shybert went up towards his fellow supervisor's office at the end of the work day with his briefcase swinging cheerfully at the sight of the yoshi leaving his room. His skin was a cool deep blue like the ocean at night, his shirt slightly unbuttoned above a pair of khaki shorts. "Eeeevening, or should I say afternoon hwe-hwoh." "...ohhh heh, hey, you need something?" "No no, just wanted to walk and talk as we head off back home you know the usual drill. Make it last while we still can right buddy-yosh?" "Oh, yeah alright then." Closing his door with his own briefcase in tow being large enough to fit Shybert inside of fully, both supervisors walked through the office towards the elevator which Yorick jammed his finger against almost leaning into the wall. "Been a rough day?" asked his companion. "Yes." "The usual then, heh. Can't wait to see your new office I bet, wherever it might be." "You have...no idea." "Hehehohoh! You know where it's going to be yet?!" "No." "Well you'll need to know at some point so I can still send you a letter, or email if you prefer." "I know, you said." "It's going to be not quite the same without you and all our misadventures at work, all our cah-raaaaazy parties you know." "Mmmmhmm." "But that's all she wrote. All good things et cetera, leaving on the twenty-sixth?" "Just like I told you. Twenty-sixth, next month." "Got it noted down in my daily planner and everything, don't you worry, I won't miss it!" He gently pushed his fist against Yorick's leg which twitched slightly as the door opened and both of them walked in. It was a quiet ride downwards, to which the yoshi sighed deeply through his nostrils until Shybert asked: "Do you need any help on the day?" "What?" "For your leaving, you need any help moving things?" "I've got it sorted." "No worries, hwoh. You know I really think that there won't be any other supervisor to replace you truly, we always work so well together. I mean we're almost never apart, working on the same floor, been in the same job for a good few years, it reminds me of my favourite album, you remember what it was?" "Here's my stop." The door opened as Yorick went strolling out at the ground floor before exiting the building itself with Shybert waving him off as they headed off separate ways back to their homes. The yoshi never said anything despite hearing his work partner saying: "Goodnight Yorick! I'll um s-see you tomorrow, at work, like always hwoh-OH excuse me!" "Ahhh j-jeez!" He almost bumped into a lakitu coming the other way with a rather angry-looking cloud underneath him. "Sorry, I uh...hey, you work at the TGA?" "I do indeed, how can I help you sir?" "You know a Koopin at all?" "Um...yes, I do actually." "You know where he lives?" "Actually I don't, sorry, plus I am not allowed to give out employee addresses as part of company policy." "Oh, well, if you see him, tell him that he just met his match, and he's called Melvin." "Wha-...match? Are you su-no he already has a boyfriend-" "What NO I don't mean a romantic match I'm talking about a fierce rivalry, tell him his RIVAL will see him around one day so he better prepare himself, and it's Melvin, got it?!" "Right. Melvin...I'll just pass that along to him shall I?" "Good. Have a nice day." The lakitu hovered down the road as Shybert walked back to his own house.

Twenty minutes earlier from this supposed rival's meeting, Koopin had joined half the workers soon leaving back to their various homes in a crowd of suits and shirts. Koopin walked out from Toad Town's exit back all the way towards Koopamuir in the late afternoon. To his surprise the moment he walked in, he found someone already let herself in and was sitting up on his couch. "Wha-...m-mom?" "Hello Koopin. How was your day?" "Uhm...it was...fine I guess-what are you doing here?" "I just wanted to speak with you about something. Please, come sit." He carefully closed the door behind him as the motherly koopa clasped her hands on her lap, with messy brown bun of hair on the top of her head and kind worrying eyes slightly wrinkled in her age with her travel bag slung around her body. Charlie was at her feet gently snoozing, nuzzling against her shoes at his most peaceful state as Koopin sat down beside her. "I...I know you are trying to cope with all of this." "I know. But I-" "Please, let me say this. I need to. Koopin...do you..." Her hand gently rubbed over the other fearfully. "Do you remember...granny Shellahim? My mother, that is." "I...sorta do, why?" "Do you remember the long vacation that you took with your father, back when you were around ten years old or so?" "Yeah, I remember. You never came with us but-" "There was a reason for that Koopin." Something clicked in his mind as he connected the two events together, clasping a hand to his beak. "Oh...ohhhh my stars I forgot...the funeral." "Yes. You must remember that, afterwards I was rather unwell, or at least I claimed to be. But in truth I was...not taking my mother's passing well, so I asked your father to take you on a vacation. Away from me for a bit." "Wh-why? We could have...why didn't you want us around?" "Because I needed to vent my feelings and I could not bring myself to do that around you or your father. When you were at our house, during that dinner-" "N-no please I don't want-" "No, listen. I understand. But I also understand that you want to not upset us by putting on a brave face and keeping yourself the same cheerful Koopin we all know and love you as. But I know that isn't possible some days, so I want to help you. The day before my mother passed, I had a terrible stupid argument with her, I don't even remember what it was. But the last thing I ever told her was that she was...old, and stupid. I regretted everything the day after, and knowing that, I had to vent my feelings the only way I knew how. Feelings too complex to explain to others, not just sorrow, not just bitterness but something well between them." She pulled out of her bag a videotape, an old black rectangle that Koopin almost found a charming relic of older days from how long it had been since he had last seen one. "Play this. And watch with me." Carefully he put the tape into the VCR next to his DVD player, knowing the controls by heart as he checked which channel it played on before they watched together. It was a concert of some sort, being recorded professionally by the venue owners in quite a stately-looking hall of red carpet, brown seats and crimson ceiling focusing upon the stage. A small orchestra, but Koopin could clearly see it was his mother on the grand black piano in centre. The composer stood at the very back, a lakitu raised central upon a platform. The spotlight shone upon the piano as the theatre went dark, the sound of gentle keys resonating from her fingers as a soft stirring accompaniment followed from the strings. Slowly the music rose, as the back of the stage rose up to reveal a strange trembling force that thinly pierced the darkness. Magic flowed forth as a sweeping hurricane began to spiral around the musicians, separating them from the audience trapped within the eye of a storm safely despite the crackling spark of thunder from someplace near. A violin began playing upon its own, soulful, summoning the storm before shrieking with the brass concerto from nearby. The world screamed briefly with a roar of fury from all instruments as the wind kept rising. Klair played on lost amidst the music, her shining flute sitting on top of the piano case amidst the howling gale as drums went hammering deep within the hearts of the audience. A brief refrain as everything turned quieter, the stringed instruments whispering as Klair took up her flute and played a brief segment, emphasised by the brass horns once again. It was only then that Koopin saw something new. She was weeping. Softly, quietly, her tears cast adrift amongst the maelstrom as she forced her hands to remain still until the flute had finished its plea. Gently, the music returned to its first movement, a soft piano and a gentle murmur of strings. But not for long. Koopin watched his mother's face change with the music. When it was quiet, she wept. When it became loud, she cried howling with her face raised towards the heavens, pounding against the keys with such ferocity he had never seen in her. Fury. Anger. Pure rage that turned her piano into a shrieking beast, the entire orchestra communing with a force of sorrow lamenting their existence. The grand crescendo came at its purest form of overwhelming symphony, as every single instrument came thundering out its own fears and tragedies amongst the tearing storm that to the audience simply amplified the sound of furious sufferance that was cried out to them. Soon the wind stopped, slowly, ceasing its tirade as a gentle gust came dwindling down across the floor. The last instrument to speak, in its softest prayer, was Klair's piano. Her hands had stopped shaking. Her eyes had turned red from the tears as she ended the song. The sound of thunder rose up again in the form of the audience clapping unanimously, a standing ovation as all the musicians took a bow from their places until Klair stopped the tape. She turned towards her son who shook his head with disbelief, struggling to hold back his tears at such powerful emotions that struggled to sink into his heart. His mother only said: "Do you understand what I felt, back then? What I wanted to cry but could never speak?" "Y-y-yes...I...I do, o-oh jeez mom...I...I never knew about this, was that-...did YOU make that song?" "I did...but not alone, it was a symphony my friends helped me with, I simply...settled the basic melody and we added parts together. I wanted to be sad for my mother, and I was...but at the same time I was so furious at her and also at myself for allowing our last words to be heated like this. It was a selfish feeling, but it is an honest feeling that I felt and could not hide from my own self. And now...it's your turn." "Wha-what?" Slowly she got up and went towards Koopin's closet in the wall of his bedroom. Carefully digging through hiking equipment and back issues of Playkoop magazine that he stammered blushing at as she put them to one side without even batting an eye, she found her prize in the form of a long plastic keyboard, with eight buttons and four sliders in a symmetrical layout. "You remember this? This was not only a gift from James but also now one from me." "Y-yeah, James...he told me that you helped him choose on what one to give me." "And this shall be his gift from us that will set you free. Just as I made a song to vent my own feelings, this...shall be the way for you to vent your own." "But, but, I'm not a musician-" "I'm not asking you to create an award-winning symphony Koopin. I'm asking you to vent your frustrations onto this." She handed it over to him with calm patient tone like a schoolteacher with her best pupil. "I want you to make me a song, let's say around two minutes at least. I want you to cry, I want you to scream, I want you to be angry, I want you to be selfish. I want you to pull your tears out and piece together a song that tells me how YOU feel. I want to hear your frustrations, I want to hear your excuses, I want to hear your laments and I want to hear what you actually feel about James leaving you." "But I told you already, this, this isn't gonna-" "No. Koopin, you are not going to convince me out of this, this is my way of helping you." "James is not DEAD for Peach's sake he's just gone away!" "You have no idea when you will see him again, did you forget all the things you screamed at our house?! One outburst is not going to help you, and I know you Koopin. I know you do not want to shame yourself like that again because you are a good and sweet koopa. You restrain yourself because people know you as someone kind and helpful, which is why you MUST do this. In the comfort of your own home, I want you to take off that mask that forces you to smile at everyone when you are deeply hurting and make the world hear what you truly want to speak. Just like the way I did." "You......I-i-i don't...know if I could-I mean I'm working again, I'm actually doing well just-" "Burying your head in tedious paperwork?" "...yeah." "That will not work, maybe for a while it will but eventually your heart will explode with frustrations because that same thing happened to me too. Some people write to vent their inner sorrows, some people paint. They don't have to be good at it, it's to express how they feel and I know that you have always loved music. You always wanted to be a DJ, well maybe now you should become one for the very sake of your sanity. Isn't there a song titled how a DJ saved your-" "Okay okay I got it. You want...me to make up a song for you, sure fine I will." "That's good. I'll be back in around...mmmm three weeks?" "That's fine, sure. What'll happen if I don't get a song done in time?" "Nothing. Just other than that I'll be disappointed in you, that's it." "Really? Uhhhh then...okay, I'll try to make something." "Don't try just for me. Do it, for YOU. Right, well I need to get back." Klair started walking towards the door after ejecting the tape from the VCR to put back into her bag. "I'm just going to root around in Toad Town for a bit and then I'll head back on the train." "You gonna be okay?" asked Koopin. "I could come with you if you want." "Oh I don't want to tire you out after your long day, that's up to you sweetie. I just wanted to tell you all that and get things off my chest to someone who understood." "Well I um...thank you, for sharing that stuff with me, I appreciate it but does...does dad know?" "Yes and when he needed to vent his feelings out too I helped him out through my way." "But he...doesn't play any music." "I know. There are other ways." She smiled innocently as she bade her leave, patting Charlie on the head who had just woken up to see her off until she closed the door.

"And how long did it take?" asked James. "Six weeks," replied Koopin. "The first time she came back, I had nothing to show for it, at least not enough to give her a song. She was disappointed, not upset, not ashamed, just disappointed. She wasn't mean about it, just that she was trying to help and if I wasn't willing to put in any effort from my side then why bother?" "But you made a song eventually." "Yeah, it was pretty rough and I admit I think I could have done better on it if I really put my back into it but...she wanted me to vent and that's what she got. Took me a whole three weeks, putting on headphones, sitting on the couch or in bed to not disturb Charlie. It was a long three weeks of tweaking, dubbing, adding, deleting, at least twice I just deleted the whole thing and went back to start again all adding to me being frustrated. But then, finally...I managed to make something." "And how did she take it?" asked Shybert. "Well..."

"Are you ready?" he asked. "I am, let's hear it." She carefully placed the headphones on as Koopin jacked them to his MP3 player, a small USB stick that came with the synthesiser to transport songs from one place to another as he played. At first it sounded simplistic, gentle, a few budding verses of chiptune music like lemon gumdrops on a sunny day. Klair was confused, but the music was so sweet and charming that she began gently rocking her head from side to side to the rhythm of it. It seemed so pleasant and harmless that she closed her eyes imagining she was skipping through the daisies happily with her beloved, at least for the first forty seconds. Then came the scream. Her skin crawled with a silent gasp, another scream burst forth in succession accompanied by a vicious stabbing riff, like the blade of a knife twisting inside one's stomach. The screams changed pitch but they never acted outside of the rhythmic almost as if they were a synthetic malice. A choir of the damned fed minutely through a keyboard. The song brought an image to Klair's mind, something horrifying that would chase the innocent through hallways of darkness, broken twisted iron clenched in the hands of something with long claws and soulless eyes wider than her head. Her hands tightened with discomforting fear, her eyes turning themselves away unconsciously from this monster now seeping through her ears, a beast of shrieking hatred that never stopped chasing, never stopped hurting. It was only when the screams stopped, and the song started to peter out with a broken snarl that she pulled off the headphones finally feeling slightly shaken by the sudden shift of what she had just heard before staring towards her son as he nervously rubbed his hands. "So...that's...yeah that's um...that's it. I mean I know it's not GOOD or like it kinda goes off a little weird at the end I mean I can do better I know bu-" "Shhh." He found himself wrapped within her arms tightly, hugging close against her shell-covered chest as she nuzzled against his cheek. "I understood. I know what you were trying to say." "R-r-really?" "Yes. It was lovely at first but then I knew it was simply false, that was just you putting on a brave face trying to remember all the happiness before things turned and then I heard you...just...full of bitterness and fury and I could feel something hounding after you. Like...something, some sort of demon chasing you, threatening to take away-" "Everyone I love." His eyes became broken with tears brimming up to the surface. "That...I-i-i-i've tried to...tell you, or at least f-find a way, I've wanted for so long to tell you and dad-" "Shhhhh...it's alright sweetie." The sound of her son gently sobbing into her shoulder made them pull closer, embracing each other's pain briefly in that moment as Koopin felt a sudden release of weight from upon his heart, moreso than usual. Never it fully went away but he felt somewhat purified after her words of benediction. From that day onwards, Koopin went into work with better posture and an eager honest smile that almost nobody cared to notice, not that he needed them to as he sat down at his desk, worked the day away and returned home with very little incident in his entire formal routine. But there was something now different for the fact that nearly every once a week, he would start to experiment with different things upon his synthesiser, figuring ideas for new songs or just simply new angles to justify his bilious feelings. There were occasional days when the fury upset his heart a little too much, and so he had to vent by pounding away at the keys to build upon a new score cautiously. Half of it was on a pure instinct, splattering the canvas of sound with screams and terrorised chords until he managed to calm down, take a few steps back mentally and began to sculpt around his crude raw emotion with firm logical debate on what best worked as a bridge or how the progression of pitch should occur as he began his therapy self-administered. It wasn't until one rather odd day at the office around twelve days after his first composition that he would feel any further inspiration to succeed, when his stomach came gurgling from its queasy state. He wasn't sure what had set it off, but he struggled at first typing slower than usual whilst listening to his own first song on the MP3 player, vainly hoping it would distract him from the stifling twinges and strange heavy feeling in his gut as Kevin soon approached him. You-alright? Stomach-hurts. Not-too-bad-though. I-finished-up-finding-the-rest-of-that-account-data-for-you-but-one-of-them-just-stops. Which...one? Kevin wrote down the name on a piece of paper for Koopin's sake, that and it was rather long to spell out with his hands. Ask-supervisor-about-her-he-might-know. Okay, thank-you. He walked back to his desk as Koopin called up Shybert, gritting his teeth as a terrible knot built up in his stomach as he clicked back one song too many on his MP3 player. "H-hi, Shybert? Can you come...down here please I need to ask about someone in our...records. Thanks." Just when he thought he got a grip on his stomach problems as he put the phone down, it came flaring up again brilliantly with a vengeance, forcing him to double over in his seat as he pulled off his headphones and went staggering to the bathroom. No more than three minutes later from the opposite direction came Shybert wandering up towards Koopin's vacated desk. "Hello? Hwoh, where's Koopin?" "Bathroom," said Lynn T., "look like something disagreed with his stomach." "Oh, dear. Well um, I-i'll just wait until he gets back." Nobody seemed to care that he decided to stand waiting as he twiddled his stubby arms, carefully rocking on his shoes and noticing the name "Goombenedetta" written down on a note at Koopin's desk. As he came closer, he heard some strange tinny sound blaring from near the PC as he saw a set of headphones connected to a small player as Shybert listened in carefully. The sound of a violent melody composed of manufactured screams and an odd janky riff surprised him by its tone, yet he couldn't bring himself to pull away for a good half-minute until cautiously replaying the song from the beginning to hear it all complete. He was even more confused by the soft disarmingly cute intro, bobbing his head along all the way until the demonic plunge of minor chords came tearing through his ears. He almost jumped out of his suit when he felt a hand on his shoulder making him turn and launch with a fright. "HW-HWOHHHHHH!" The supervisor jumped straight upwards before falling into the trashcan beside the desk, wedging perfectly between rolled up scrunches of paper and chocolate wrappers until falling with the bin itself to roll along the office floor. "AH, H-HEEELP!" "H-hey, calm down, jeez!" Koopin stood over him and carefully pulled him out with one hand on the bin and the other on Shybert's head, popping him out and placing his bin back to where it was amidst Paul's snorting cackle. "SNRRHhhhahahahaaaaa-" "S-sorry, I um...I was just-I, a-are you okay Koopin?" "Oh yeah, yeah I um just...had a really bad uh...stomach problem, it was just something I ate. Were you listening to my uh...music?" "Yes, I um...j-just, sorry I know I shouldn't touch without your permission." "No no it's fine. Just, it's alright um so, I needed to ask you about a Goombenedetta?" "Oh?" "Yeah, me and Kevin we...can't find anything about her, she just stops around seven years ago." "Oh, I think Booratio might know something about her, I'll just get that for you." "Th-thanks. Sorry for calling you, I just couldn't go to your office cuz of my um...I thought my stomach could hold but-" "No no it's fine, I know a thing or two about an upset tum-tum, hehoh. But...can I ask who did that song on your um...player?" "Uh...why?" "Well...it's very good!" "......r-really? You liked it?" "Oh indeed, I heard the noise coming out of your headphones and it was very um...industrial, and that intro was really disarming, perfectly lulled me into an aural ambush! Reminds me of TriHex's earlier work on his second album." "Wait, you like TriHex?" "Oh indeed! I love any sort of music that's electronic, you name it, acid, dubstep, freestyle, concrete, dark ambient-" "Which is your favourite?" "Would have to say electroacoustic, I really like the old experimental stuff, not to say I don't appreciate the newer stuff but, it feels so much more...I'm not sure why, it just speaks to me." "You just feel it...resonates with you best, like it just clicks?" "Yes, exactly hwoh! The way it all sounds rather broken yet also creating a sound, like a broken clock becoming an instrument to make music, after losing its original function." "Haha, wow, I...never thought of it like that um...do you wanna talk more about uh...music stuff like that?" "I would love to! But tell me who made that song first I must know, it sounded really good and well, I wouldn't mind having it on my own player sometime hehoh!" "Well I-...um...I-i don't...don't remember his name but I could look it up for you, I found it online." "Please do, I must get back to my work though but perhaps during lunch we could talk more about our favourite music?" "That'd be great!" With his brisk departure and seeing another spring in his step as he took the written note, Koopin smiled at Shybert feeling somewhat joyful at such a positive reaction to his own work. Bold with spirit, he felt a surge of creativity suddenly take hold as he sat down back at his computer, finishing his reports with exceeding frenzy. Every lunch from that point onwards, he sat with Shybert as the two compared their musical tastes, discussing everything they could from the droning retro styles of synthwave to the bizarre fractured shifts in tone from early electronic awakenings such as that of musique concrete. Eventually they started sharing their favourite songs exchanging their MP3 players and giving honest critiques ranging from genuine enthusiasm to uncertain neutral acceptance. But never did Koopin tell him that the song he made was his very own, feeling strangely embarrassed by the thought of someone else knowing, a sentiment he shared at his parents' house one day during his usual visits. "And he just out of NOWHERE started talking about how much he loved music the way I did, it was awesome!" "That's wonderful," said Klair, "see I told you it would help you!" "But...thing is, I didn't wanna tell him that I made that song and...it's not like I'm ashamed or anything gosh no it's just...it's just that-" "I know what this is," said Shelldon. "You can't be Koopin the office worker whilst also being Koopin the musician. Because if you try to be the same person with every label you have, you'll get exhausted, and overload." "Y-yeah! Kinda, I think." "Do you remember that one wrestler Payce T.?" "Yeah?" "He tried to live his life using his own name both as the ordinary person he was and as the wrestler that he became. He started out as this wonderful boisterious everyday hero toad who could fight up with the big league, always fighting against the villains as this ceaseless crusader but then he couldn't separate his life from his career, you remember what happened?" "He had a nervous breakdown in a shopping centre right?" "Mmhmm, because he forced himself to be this wrestling character constantly, a character who had his own name, that he was unable to return to a normal life. And that's why he ended up in a sanitarium after having punched sixty-seven teddy bears through the windows of a shopping centre, forty-six of which had their heads clean decapitated by his fists." "Why do you remember those details?" asked Klair. "I can't help memorising numbers dear, you can blame my father but the point is, you should certainly keep your artistic self separate from your regular self if you fear you are not able to combine the two in your everyday life." "I agree. In fact, I'm almost certain most DJs do pick a pseudonym purely because they HAVE to do this, aren't most DJs rather secretive about their personal lives?" "Some of them," said Koopin, "most seem to be pretty laid back and just never talk about themselves but there are one or two that are especially private about their lives so I can see what you mean. You think I should maybe put my music up?" "Absolutely! It's quite good and you can certainly get better as well with new critique." "Alrighty...I guess I should think up a name then, wanna help?" "Of course dear, we can be your secret keepers, guardians of the truth!" "He's not a comic book hero," said Shelldon, "no need to get too excited dear." "Shelldon, please. Don't spoil it for me."

"So I remember that part," said James, "but how long did it take until Shybert realised who you were?" "That's not until much later," added Shybert, "but for now whilst Koopin was handling his new persona as it were, I was busy with my own quest." "And what quest was that?" "Well, you'll recall that my former friend Yorick was about to leave so I went about making a farewell basket as it were and-"

"What I really love about synthwave," replied Koopin, "is that it manages to be strong and powerful but like also smooth and flowing like uhhhh...lasers! It's not hard like physically but it's got a certain strength to it like a piercing energy all crackling with electricity, you know?" "Oh absolutely," said Bobunov, "I can certainly see rather a sort of retro mystique to it that some may find appealing. Not that I mind it certainly." "What was your first uh musician?" "Oh, most definitely Paperkraftwerk, such a magnificent fresh sound it was absolutely rhapsodic at the time of their debut, I mean it just blew away my senses!" "Heheh wow, that's pretty far back, I don't think I was even born back then." "Neither was I, I just loved it." "Wait how old are you?" "I'm twenty-seven." "Huh. I'm a year older than you, how about that?" "How old did you think I was?" "About...thirty-eigh-three?" "Hehohoho, Well I suppose I do come off seeming rather old-fashioned sometimes." "Well maybe the tie doesn't help, I mean you always seem to wear it everyplace." "Well, it just feels so...comfortable on me." "You never take it off? Not even at home?" "Nope, not ever except when I sleep. Can't go to sleep with a tie on that'd be just silly and dangerous." "So uh...what's with the basket?" "Oh this?" During the entirety of their conversation there had been a large gift basket sitting up on the lunch table between them full of various treats, from soap to coupons to a rather sleek fantasy novel that looked rather exciting from the front cover of a koopa wielding a fierce staff of power atop a bitter stormy mountain. There also laid a small book filled with scraps and photographs as Shybert explained: "It's for Yorick, my fellow supervisor and longest friend, he's leaving today and I wanted to give him a small gift before he left, just to remember all the times we had." "Awww that's sweet. Wait, you said supervisor, but he lef-" "OH goodness me you're right, he told me he was leaving just after lunch seeyoulaterkoopin!" Bouncing off desperately with his gift basket in tow between his small limbs, the supervisor headed up towards the stairs which luckily were not too inhabited by co-workers since most of them had gone to lunch. But even then he still managed to find himself almost squashing a goomba, who jumped straight up underneath his foot and sent him hurtling into an office door. "EY GIDOFF!" "HW-HWAAAH!" He barrelled through the door keeping hold of his gift basket above his head whilst somersaulting through the air, landing on his feet straight upon a desk which was just being cleaned by one of the office staff with pure polish. "WHAT THE-" "HWAAAAAAAAAH!" Skidding on the slippery varnish with little feet scattering about he hopped, skipped and jumped across the desks like at an ice rink, pirouetting twice between them as he went all around on a full square circuit before able to leap off back towards the corridor, hitting straight onto a mop bucket. "HWOHHHH NOOOOOO!" Skating wildly back and forth, the wheelie bucket was on a mission to go fully round the entire office as he dodged swerving between ficus pots and water coolers whilst using the mop itself like a gearstick. He almost collided into the break room if he hadn't pulled viciously to the left, which sent him straight down towards the fire exit after a long single hallway looming towards it. "Nooo, NOOOO, NOOOO IT'S NOT TO BE USED UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCYYYYY!" But it was not to be, as slowly the bucket managed to cease its tirade through the halls by gently coming to a stop with wheels squeaking loudly until it came to its rest. He gave a brief sigh of relief before cautiously stepping off the bucket and making his way along to where Yorick's office was giving a knock on his door. "Hellooooo! Yorick!? I've got something for you, I hope you haven't gone! Yorick?! Yorick h-hellooooo!" Panic rose up in him as he rushed downstairs heading straight for Booratio's office as he rapidly knocked on the door. "Yeeees?" "It's Shybert, please, I need to speak to you!" "Come in." The door opened with a flustering hand as the supervisor stumbled almost falling against the desk, pushing the gift basket straight on top of it as he poked from out the side of it. "Is he gone?!" "Who?" He poked his head from the other side of it. "Y-yorick! Is he gone?!" His head came out finally on top of the basket. "Please tell me he hasn't left!" "He left." "WHA-n-n-...n-no, NOOOOO I MISSED HIM!? He was going to see me off after lunch he told me it was today but I was caught up with Koopin an-" "He wasn't leaving today, Shybert." "If only-...wh-...wh-what?" "The supervisor Yorick left...yesterday." "Wha-...wh-wh-what? Surely you-that is not-you can't be-are you certain?!" "He handed me his card himself, I even have it right here. Yorick left yesterday, he never told you?" "He...he told me he was leaving today. I swear he did!" "Well either you got mixed up or-" "NO! He TOLD ME he was leaving today, he was absolutely certain, I-i-i had it marked on my planner and everything, wrote it in front of his door look!" Shybert pulled out a small daily planner's notebook revealing what he had written down today specifically as Yorick's leave, but Booratio was adamant. "I'm...sorry Shybert but he left yesterday." "He...he told me he was going today. He absolutely...cannot be mistaken." "He did? ...that I did not know." "W-why that just...did...did he make a mistake?" "He was not mistaken. He most certainly told me the day that he was leaving was today, I was well aware of this." "But...did he not leave a forwarding address, or email even?!" "I am sorry but no. He left nothing of the sort, and made no mention of you in any way." "But...that could only mean...that he......he lied to me?" "It was not a mistake. He knew what day he would leave." "But then...did he not want me to see him on his last day?" "I do not know Shybert. Would you like me to find out which branch he went to?" "Please. I just...I just want to know if it was a mistake or if he...maybe did not want to see me." He sat down upon the chair in a deepened slump, his basket facing him as he carefully opened the scrapbook he had been making to see the dark blue yoshi in the occasional photograph. He never smiled much, but that was always just his way, serious Yorick who wanted just to work, even when at a company outing in short shorts he always had a board clipped underneath his arm with Shybert either waving or toasting a drink at some party through the years. But Yorick's face never changed as Shybert wondered to himself. "M-maybe he wanted to...didn't want to get emotional, maybe he just wanted to...save us both the dignity of our last goodbye." "I cannot tell you what he thinks," said Booratio, "but I will try and find an address at least so you can send off this basket. Why not leave it here with me, so I can send it for you?" "That...that would help. Thank you, hwoh." Shybert dragged his feet as he walked out of the boo's office, leaving behind his basket as he rubbed his little arms together, clutching himself. A heavy heart weighted him as he sluggishly walked himself back up the stairs to his office. Nobody spoke to him as he sat at his desk, and went back to work without a single word afterwards. It was only an hour after that he walked into room 5B to hand over his printout report of all the data he had gathered on the name that Koopin was searching for. "Oh, hey Shybert is tha-" He never said a word to Koopin, slapping down his report on the desk and heading straight back out leaving Kennidon rather confused. He picked up the paper and walked over to Kevin who was currently listening to his own headphones which Koopin could hear a deep bass tearing through the remains of Kevin's hearing like giant sandworms in the desert. Thick hungering vibrations that trembled through his ears giving him a strange sense of heightened euphoria, cutting him off away from the entirety of existence until Koopin knocked on his desk. "Mmhhh?!" Kevin slightly startled himself out of his state as he turned around to see Koopin. Supervisor-found-stuff-about-that-one-name. Oh, cool-what-happened-with-her? Just-left, moved-house, files-sorted-incorrectly, couldn't-find-them-before. Wow, seriously? Well-glad-that-mystery-is-solved. Can-I-ask-you-something? Sorry-if-personal, don't-need-to-answer. Okay. Do-you-lip-read? No, I-only-know-MKSL, that's-why-everyone-emails-me-rather-than-talk-to-me, don't-got-the-hands-for-it. Damn, that-sucks. You-like-music-though, heard-some-sick-bass-in-there. It's-pretty-awesome, I-can-only-hear-anything-with-heavy-bass, my-hearing-is-mostly-gone-but-I-can-hear-anything-below-a-certain-frequency-plus-the-vibrations-really-help, give-me-the-oomph-you-know? Got-it. Any-favourites? Jungle-Scream. They-make-bass-like-an-art, at-least-to-me. Never-heard-of-them, I'll-have-to-listen-sometime. Could-send-it-over-to-you-on-PC, no-problem. Sure! Any-good-bass-I-find, I'll-send-to-you. Nice. I'm-going-to-get-snacks. You-want-anything? I'm-good, thanks-for-offering, see-you-later? Later. Kevin nodded as he waved Koopin off returning back to his music, with Kennidon walking down the hall to his remaining supervisor's office. The sound of typing from inside could be heard as he gently knocked. "H-hello?" "It's...Koopin, I just wanted to...ask you something." "Was my report not satisfactory?" "Um...it's not about that, I wanted to...ask if you were okay." "I'm just quite busy right now sorry, have a lot of work ahead of me and no real time to waste." "O-okay then. Um, I'll see you, maybe tomorrow at lunch?" "I'll note it down in my...planner." "Alright. If you need me for anything just call or email me, I'll see you around." "Hwoh." He could tell something was wrong but he did not push on it, letting Shybert work as the supervisor kept typing at his work diligently. Nobody saw his tense little flippers seizing up as if ready to smash something, his little mask shaking slightly in a fit of frustration. He stopped and turned towards his planner, opening it on today's date which was clearly marked for Yorick's departure. "...did I make a mistake? I did. I must have made it. He told you, and you didn't hear him. Stupid. Heh. Hehohoh. Stupid, stupid tinyface." He closed the book and gently grasped the broom handle from nearby before pushing the window open above him. His planner went straight through with surprising aim falling out open into the afternoon breeze. He closed the window, and went back to his reports.

---

"So...w-wait," asked James sleepily, "did he actually lie to you or did you just forget?" "Well, maybe that's for another time," replied Shybert, "I mean I wouldn't want to take up your whole day and you seem a little bit tired." "Mmmm yeah I just...mmm sorry this damn virus is really kicking me down and actually I...hrrk...I feel kinda sick again." "Alright well if you want to hear the rest of my story then perhaps we ought to reschedule. I have some plans myself later so I should make myself scarce." "Alright then...thanks for the uh...hearing stuff from your side Shybert, was pretty cool." "No worries chum! I'll just let you get back to bed, Koopin can I ask you something before I go?" "Sure." James headed off back to bed to recuperate with a brief nap whilst Koopin went out the front door with Shybert. "I hope I wasn't boring him with my story-" "Noooo no it was fine he's just tired with all the Booboos." "Yes well...maybe I spoke a little too much about what went on-" "It's important to you right? Don't worry, we can keep telling him our story when he feels better." "Oh yes, in fact I don't...really quite remember why I came to see you hwoh." "Maybe you just wanted to say hi?" "That's probably it. I can't think of anything-OH, that was it, I came to return your CD." The shy guy pulled from his pockets a CD case of what appeared to be a koopa's skull being infested by cybernetic wires, with the title of "DRYWIRES" embedded above which Koopin grinned at seeing. "Ohhh awesome thanks, I forgot I lent this to you." "Yes it was quite the ride hehehoh! Does...James like this sort of music?" "He much prefers dubstep, or breakbeat...or electro-rock, basically anything aggressive, like stuff you can fight to." "Hehohwell, I might know a few pieces he might like to listen to." "Maybe when he starts feeling better, he hasn't really been much up for this stuff since when he got sick." "Right well, I'm off then. Take care Koopin, I'll see you round." "G'bye Shybert." Waving his friend off, Koopin went back into his house watching James shuffle under the blankets and keep his head positioned close enough to the edge to stare into the bucket beside his bed. He started to pant feverishly with an expectation of something that had been under his tongue the past few minutes, as if feeling someone feed hot water into his stomach before the flood. "H-hhrrrrk, hrrrrhhhh-H-HRRRYRYRYRYRRRRKH! KHHHHhhh...g-g-god...dammiiiiiit." "It's okay hun, just ride it out, I got some mint and ginger tea to help your stomach." "O-okay th-thank...thank you." Koopin had to admit that he was going to miss the sweet plaintive voice he had when he was sick, despite hoping that he would recover soon. He went to brew up some ginger tea to help ease James' nausea whilst the TV continued speaking on its own with nobody to watch it. Except for Charlie who had not moved from his position at the foot of the couch watching the pointless images with a brief curiosity before he curled up back to sleep.