Something stirred the boy. He opened his eyes, slightly, then closed them again. Another sound and he looked behind him, a mouse squeaking quietly. It ran out the door and he grabbed his blanket and followed it, subconsciously realizing how stupid it probably was for a highschool freshman to be at giddy about a mouse.

The doll watched as he ran past, starting into the abyss blankly.

Cori ran down the stairs and saw the mouse chewing on something by the door. When it saw him, it squeaked again and ran underneath the door. Cori rushed and opened it, blown away by a swirling portal the mouse ran down, the opening large and somewhat unstable. He dropped the blanket and began to crawl through.

On the other side was his living room, somehow brighter. He looked around in confusion, only drawn out by a fragrance coming from the kitchen. "Something smells good..."

He pushed the door open to the kitchen, where his mother was humming away, cutting something. "Mom? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

When she turned around, two things were different about Mel.

Her neckbrace had become a turtleneck.

Her eyes were buttons.

And somehow, she just looked younger, happier, skin glowing. "You're just in time for supper, dear," she greeted warmly.

Cori stared for a moment, her head tilted to the side and smile too wide. If she had eyes, he imagined they would be two golf balls with assumably brown rings. "You're not my mother," he began, stepping closer. "My mother doesn't have...b...b..."

"B - b - buttons?" she giggled and gave them a tap. "Do you like them? I'm your other mother, silly. Now go tell your other father that supper's ready."

He hesitated as Other Mother put on a chicken oven mitt that I desperately want anyone know where I can get it? "Well, go on. He's in his study."

He walked out into the hallway, eyes still glued to this imposter. In his not-paying-attentionness, he bumped into what felt like a girl's body. "Shit, sorry -"

Behind him was his girl, brought to life perfectly. The only difference was instead of eyes, she also had buttons.

"Cori!" she exclaimed suddenly, grabbing onto his hand with a tight squeeze. "My name is Y/n and I'll be your girlfriend from now on!"

"What."

She smiled at him, strained, creeping him out enough to take his hand back. "Um no you...you don't have to...I mean I'm sorry but who are you?"

"Y/n!"

"I - I know, but...who are you?"

Her smile twitched and she did not answer.

"Um...I'm just looking for my dad, so..." He backed away from her, keeping his eyes on her to make sure she did not suddenly turn on him. She watched him go with the same creepy smile and when he opened the office door, he shut it before looking behind him. "Hello?" he called to the figure at the piano.

The man joyfully turned around, his chair spinning and voice smooth as melted butter you could slice flawlessly with a butterknife. It creeped him out about as much as Y/n did. "Hello, Cori." He also had buttons and Cori was stunned, seeing his father in the state, but not surprised after seeing the other two. "Wanna hear my new song?"

"My father can't play piano," he argued.

"No need to." Mechanical hands popped up from the piano. They reminded Cori of Mickey's. "This piano plays me."

The hands began to play, the whole piano spinning.

Other Father:
Makin' up a song about our Cori
He's my bud, he's a doll, he's a pal to me
He's as cute as a button in the eyes of everyone who ever laid their eyes on our Cori

He let go of the hands that kept playing, spinning around in the chair.

Other Father:
When he comes around exploring, Mom and I will never, ever make it boring
Our eyes will be on our Cori

Cori cracked half a smoke while his Other Father's hands went back into the mechanical ones. Awkwardly, he tapped him on the shoulder. "Sorry, but...she said to tell you the food's ready."

He rubbed the hands together. "Mmm. Who's starving? Raise your hand." One of the hands flew up, nearly hitting him in the face. "Whoa!"

He laughed a little, but was still kinda weirded out.

-

In the dining room, Y/n stood by one of the chairs and immediately pulling it out upon seeing Cori. Uncomfortably, he took it and she stood by his side, still smiling. He was able to look away as everyone bowed their heads to pray.

"We give our thanks and ask to bless our mother's golden...chicken breast."

Y/n got back up and took Cori's plate and started to fill it up. He went to protest - mans needs to eat you know - until she gave it back. "Um, thanks?"

"Of course, darling."

He ignored her comment and took a bite of the chicken. "Mmm! This chicken is good!" he said almost immediately without swallowing.

"Hungry, aren't you?" Other Mother playfully chided.

"Do you have any gravy?"

"Well, here comes the gravy train. Choo, choo!" A literal train ran down the track past both Other Parents and dumped it onto his plate. Food began to rotate in front of him as Other Mother offered up literally everything to him. "Another roll? Sweet peas? Corn on the cob?"

"I'm real thirsty."

"Of course." The chandelier lowered, bottles on each tube filled with a different beverage. "Any requests?"

He thought for a minute. "Mango milkshake?"

One of the tubes lowered in front of him. He poured some of it like a soda fountain and began to chug it. Y/n was already taking away his plate and putting a cake in front of him.

WELCOME HØME

He blinked, slowly looking up at her. "Home?"

"I've been waiting for you, Cori. We all have."

"For me." That was somehow the most unbelievable aspect about all of it.

Yep," Other Father agreed. "Wasn't the same here without you, kiddo."

"And now we can be happy together." Hey hand grasped his, fingernails digging into his flesh. He winced and tried to pull away and change the subject.

"I didn't know I had another mother."

"Of course you do! Everyone does."

"Really?" Playfully, he asked Y/n, "And she's everyone have a girl suddenly throwing themselves at you in that world."

".............I don't know, dear." Same smile. Same story. Different tone.

"And soon as you're through eating, I thought we'd play a game." Excitedly, Other Mother's fingers rapped against the table.

"You mean like hide-and-seek?"

"Perfect! Hide-and-seek in the rain!"

"What rain?" On cue, thunder boomed, making Cori jump. "What about the mud?"

"We love mud here!" Other Father insisted.

"Mud facials, mud baths, mud pies...it's great for poison oak." Other Mother reached for his hand.

"How'd you know I..." he began, retracting his hand. 'Why the hell does everyone wanna hold my hand?' "I...I'd love to play, but I better get home to my other mother."

"But I'm your other mother."

"I mean my other-other mother. Mom number one?"

"What about me?" Y/n asked.

If he was not already convinced she was a psycho, he was now. She was horrifyingly close, showing every tooth in her mouth. He tried to back away, but she continued to creep closer. "I think I should get to bed."

"Of course, sweetheart. It's all made up." Other Mother began to guide him upstairs while Y/n went into the bathroom to change into her pajamas. By the time she had finished, the door was open to his bedroom, completely decorated and wonderful.

"Wow."

He watched the paper dragonflies fly around.

"Hello, Cori!"

"Hello, hello, hello, hello!"

The squid plushie shook its tentacles around. "What's shakin', baby?" he directed at Y/n. Despite his aversion to her, Cori found himself putting his body physically between the two.

"Hey. How's it going, Loper?"

"Where's your swampers and chook?"

He realized the people in the picture were talking to him and grabbed it, jumping onto his bed stomach-first. "Cripes almighty! How are my best trolls? I can't wait 'til summer. You're both coming, right?"

"We're already here, Cori."

"Gone to Oregon."

When he put it down, Y/n had grabbed his hand without him realizing. He was ready to grab it back and yell at her to stop, but she smeared it with something brown and he remembered. "Oh. The mud."

Her smile became somewhat warm as she laid next to him. Her buttons looked the same, but he imagined they were probably whatever the equivalent of closed was. Other Father turned out the light while Other Mother watched over him.

"See you soon..."