Tuesday: Story time's over, children.
Tuesday: Close your eyes. I'm going to turn on the light.
Her little audience doesn't hesitate to give her all the praise and applause.
Followed by lots of questions. After all, children are very curious.
Before Tuesday can answer any of them, one voice cuts through the chatter.
TTT: Ugh, finally! I'm almost out of battery!
TTT: I hope this is our last story time.
While she's complaining, Poltergeist leans against her.
TTT: Um, excuse me? I'm not a wall, you know.
Poltergeist: Oh, Sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just a little scared.
TTT: ...!
Crackling noises fill TTT's screens.
Tuesday: Heh heh.
Tuesday: You seem to have something to say, little ones.
She smiles and looks at the huddling children.
La Source: I ...
La Source: It's a teeny-tiny bit scary.
Eagle: N-Next time I'm in a forest, I'll have to be on the lookout for those eyes!
Eagle: I will do my best to figure out what's going on!
Avgust: I don't understand. Will I go hungry if I live in the walls, too? I want to play with it. Do I have to go into the walls to play with it?
La Source: Maybe it doesn't need food, like us elfin.
La Source: Still, "not needing" and "not eating" are two different things!
La Source: I wouldn't say no to a slice of Ms. Bunny Bunny's apple pie.
Tuesday smiles. It seems the children's thoughts have already moved elsewhere.
Tuesday: Oh, I can make some desserts too.
Tuesday: Let's see, we have ... six children here.
Eagle: 6?
Twins Sleep: That's not right. That's not right.
Tuesday: Oh, that's right. Eight, including Ms. TTT, who came to play us a movie, and that girl under the sheet next to her.
Tuesday: Now, children. Why haven't you spoken to our new friend there, behind you?
La Source: Th-There's someone behind us?
La Source feels a kind of pressure coming from the back of the sofa.
Tuesday: Come on, join us.
Tuesday: Here, use this napkin to wipe your face.
Tuesday: Ah, look at you! There's blood all over your face.
Avgust: Should we take a look?
Eagle: On the count of three.
One ...
La Source: She's just trying to scare us.
Two ...
Twins Sleep: It's okay. It's okay.
Three!
They take a deep breath and turn around.
Barbara: Hello.
Barbara: I didn't want to interrupt you, so ...
The room falls silent. Barbara pushes through despite the awkward atmosphere.
Barbara: Hello, Tuesday. I brought you your dollhouse.
Tuesday: Thank you. Just put it on the table there.
Just as she puts it on the table, Barbara feels someone pulling at her jacket.
Barbara: ...?
La Source: Goodness me, you're a sheep!
La Source: Can we play together? I really like your fur. It's so curly and pretty.
The other children quickly surround this new friend.
Tuesday: Looks like they're getting along well. Good.
Tuesday: Didn't want to scare these lovely children off. That little bit of mystery was just right.
Tuesday: Alright, it's time you and I had a chat.
She walks over to the stack of TVs and knocks on the top one.
Tuesday: Where's that little girl who was with you just now?
TTT: She said there were too many people here and ran away. Maybe she's hiding somewhere.
TTT: Anyway, I helped you a lot this time!
TTT: I bet you really regret selling me now, huh?
TTT: Where else could you find such a useful, well-designed, and perfect-for-a-motel TV?
Tuesday: You're right. The other TVs I bought never worked properly. I rarely used them.
Tuesday: I couldn't have finished the story without you. Thank you.
TTT: Oh, it's fine. If you really want to thank me, how about you tell me some secrets?
TTT: I know you must have a load of them! Motels are one of the most juicy places for gossip—just like schools and restaurants!
Tuesday: I haven't heard anything yet about the motel you once stayed in.
Tuesday: But I do have something else to tell you.
Guest: Hmm, that TV seems like it could fetch quite a price.
It's a phone call about "TV business."
Guest: Alright, just sneak it out when no one's around.
Guest: It's said that there's a talking ghost living in it!
An eye is peering in through the keyhole.
Tuesday: Heh heh, she's no ghost.
She quietly gets to her feet, ensuring she doesn't make a sound.
Tuesday: What should I do now?
Tuesday: It's not proper to kick out a guest.
Tuesday: And it's not appropriate to keep a child at home forever, no matter how well-behaved she is.
Tuesday: Oh. Didn't a guest mention that there's a market nearby?
Tuesday: Yes. She said it was crowded—full of arcanist customers.
Tuesday: That might be a good choice.
TTT: So you sold me on purpose?!
Tuesday: Well, weren't you the one always saying the motel was too "dark and creepy"?
Tuesday: I thought it'd be better if I sold you to someone reliable—and the Foundation was just that.
Tuesday: It's thanks to them that we can talk face to face now.
TTT: Alright, I—
*knock* *knock*
TTT: Hmm? Someone's knocking at the door.
Tuesday: But the door isn't closed. See? The children left it open when they left.
TTT: What?
*knock* *knock*
TTT: I-I need to go.
TTT: Tell me more secrets next time, okay? Bye!
The TV screens turn off in an instant.
Tuesday: Hm. She's still so afraid of ghost stories. Just when I thought she was getting used to them ...
The dollhouse on the table shakes a little.
*knock* *knock*
