1999
"Elizabeth!"
Liz glanced up from the TV and looked toward the hallway. "What?" She called. There was a scuffling sound from the back of the house and a few minutes later, Quackerjack appeared in the living room carrying a box.
"What the hell are these?" He dropped the box at the girls feet.
Liz leaned forward and peered into the box. "What were you doing in my side of the closet?"
"Thats not important, how could you do this to me?"
"You will notice theres not one Whiffle Boy game in that box. Whiffle Boy is a boring game, I only play RPGs."
"Thats not the point," Quackerjack sank to his knees, a lot of hurt on his face. "I've been betrayed by my own fiance."
Liz stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Grow up," she told him. "I like video games, but I didn't play them when you were around. You already know I go to the arcade and I play DDR."
"DDR doesn't count. And I know you go to the arcade, but you've been hiding a box of them in our house."
"My house," Liz corrected. "My name is on the deed. If you ever get a real job, we'll put your name on it too." Quackerjack pouted, his eyes misting up a bit. Liz sighed. "Be thankful I don't play them when you're around," she told him.
"You won't play with my toys but you play video games."
"Your toys could kill me. Stop being a baby, I told you months ago that this revenge thing has to stop. If it wasn't Whiffle Boy, it would have been something else that put you out of business. People still buy toys for small children. Just not yours."
"You're being awfully bitchy," Quackerjack frowned.
"And you're being an unreasonable asshat. Put the box back where you found it and get over it."
By now Quackerjack was on the verge of tears as he stood up and retrieved the box, taking it back down the hall. Liz felt a little bad, but he really did need to grow up and get over it. Quackerjack returned a few minutes later and flopped down onto the floor in front of the girl. "I'm really hurt, Liz," he pouted.
"I'm sorry, love, but this is life. You need to learn to move on. You've stopped going after Whiffle Boy and thats a start. Now you need to learn to deal with the fact that I like video games."
"Will you play with my toys?"
"Do you want me killed? Make a toy that doesn't do something dangerous and I will play with it? Is D&D okay?"
"Well sure, thats fine."
"Good, maybe I should start a D&D group with Amy and the guys."
"I've never played D&D."
"Neither have any of the others, but I can teach you."
"You're a nerd."
Liz smiled, "Yeah but I'm a cool nerd. I also like anime and manga."
"If I make a totally normal toy, will you play with it?" He asked her.
"I don't really play with toys, I'm too old for that, but I wouldn't be afraid to mess with it. Make me a normal teddy bear. No exploding pandas, no razor sharp teeth and claws, just a normal stuffed bear."
"I can do that." His tears and lessened now. "I still wish you wouldn't play video games."
"You think video games destroy creativity."
"Yeah."
"QJ do you think I'm creative?"
"Well sure," he replied. "You're smart and you're a good journalist."
"And I also play video games," she told him. "Video games do not do anything to a persons creativity. RPGs are nothing but creativity. I admit that Whiffle Boy is a pretty shitty game and I dunno why its so popular. Final Fantasy is better. Much easier to write fanfics about."
"So no Whiffle Boy games at all?"
"Nope, I don't do boring games. I need detailed story lines."
"I... guess I can live with that."
"I'm surprised it took you this long to find them. What were you doing in my side of the closet anyway?"
"I was looking for super glue."
"Junk drawer in the kitchen. Next time ask before you snoop through my things."
"I will," he moved forward in the floor and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head in her lap. "I'm not mad at you."
"Good," Liz jingled the bells on his hat slightly. "You're growing up and I'm proud of you. You can continue to make toys and hang out with the guys. You can keep being silly, I like that, but you've matured in some ways."
"I will make you a teddy bear," he told her. "And it will be totally normal."
"If you do that I promise I will sleep with it every night."
"You holding onto a bear every night, I might get a little jealous."
She smiled, "I'd be holding onto you the most. You sleep with Mr. Banana Brain. So do you still wanna marry me even if I play video games?"
He raised his head to look up at her. "Of course I do," he told her. "I can deal with it. I'm mature."
"Well I wouldn't say totally mature, but you're getting there."
Standing up, Quackerjack leaned over and kissed her softly before heading toward the hall, "I'm gonna get started on that teddy bear."
"Have fun," Liz called to him. Turning her attention back to the TV she smiled. He really had matured a bit. And Liz would never bring a Whiffle Boy game into the house.