Expectations (Part 1): 4 and a half months until Boo.

A/n: It's been way too long since my last update. I'm going to try and get back on track with this thing. Four months, yikes. I plan not to have as big a gap again though if I can help it.

Expectations (Part 1): Randall Boggs has accepted the invitation to the block party/festival on James P Sullivan's street. Though in some ways while a party is a way to cut loose they can also be stressful events. For various reasons. Still, maybe it doesn't have to be. Maybe it all depends on who you choose to hang out with. Maybe.

21st June

Fungus

'A… B… Bo- ah Boggs!' Fungus thought to himself as he removed the folder from the filing cabinet. He sighed with some satisfaction.

Thank heavens for small mercies that Randall's name meant he was quick and easy to find. (Balancing on all those chairs and high objects had been difficult, and Fungus was afraid of heights. He was afraid of many things, but heights had a special place in his heart). He didn't want to stay here longer than was necessary anyway, even when his feet were safely on the carpet of the small office.

He glanced back at Roz who appeared to be looking at a magazine. Though she never seemed to turn a page either. Instead she fluttered it down as she seemed to sense his stare.

"Have… everything you need ?" she said, slowly (as ever) the chair beginning to creak as she moved.

"Oh-Oh yes." Fungus said, suddenly feeling uneasy as he flipped the brown folder open, trying to ignore her own eyes seemingly (and ever slowly) burning a hole through his helmet to the back of his head.

"Very good."

(Maybe Wazowski was right about her, he couldn't help but shudder internally).

As Randall's Assistant, access to some of his Scarer's personal files wasn't just a privilege but a fundamental right- in not just Monsters Incorporated but most Scaring companies in general. Another odd aspect of the relationship.

Scarer's were not known for keeping secrets from their Assistants in the first place (well… save for Randall), but they sometimes didn't even get a choice in certain areas. In extreme cases even medical records could be accessed with no prior permission. However regular background information was always on hand- on their own floor they 'simply' had to brave the ever impenetrable Roz, and woe betide you if you had not been keeping up with your paperwork.

Thankfully Fungus was, and always had been, a deft hand at that and so unofficially he could have even been considered in her good books.

Though if Fungus was honest he'd have hated to have seen the bad as it was now.

(He would have to remember to put the little furniture she had back in its proper place he realised. Not to mention he was possibly holding her back as he'd come knocking on her door, just after the water fight.)

There had been something, as he recalled, rather odd (if he remembered correctly at least)- about Randall's personal files. Perhaps it was something just tugging at the recesses of his memory bank given the unusual events and conversations with Mr. Sullivan as of late. Events which meant things from those incredibly distracting (and not to mention disastrous) first few days were being remembered, but it really did take actually seeing it to finally realise what had been bothering him:

'Next of Kin'

Randall

Friday: 22nd June

Randall, as he moved across the concrete pavement for the thousandth time since waking up that morning wondered what on earth he was doing.

He should be working on the machine.

He didn't want to be here. His first pair of hands began to fumble with one another. He coughed and then rubbed his neck with one of them a few times. At odd points he decided to glare at Fungus, as if this was his fault and he'd forced him at knife point to get in his car rather than silently walk in of his own accord. But as it happened the small Assistant was becoming less and less fazed by these looks as time went on.

He was losing his touch, clearly.

Well maybe he did want to be here, just a little. Perhaps it was more that it was hard to know what to expect (and as ever curiosity was also a driving factor in of itself). While yesterday... hadn't been unpleasant, hanging around James P Sullivan in a social environment outside of work had never happened before. He could remember the big lummox trying to make awkward small talk at office parties the odd time but with Randall being unwilling it had more or less completely dried up from there. Then again, he'd got the impression the guy was just being looking for a way to look good or polite or all that nonsense in front of Waternoose. The suck up.

But he'd invited him and seemed genuinely happy that he'd accepted. Perhaps it had just been a while since Randall had been given an invitation that hadn't seemed like one for the sake of politeness if he was in ear shot then an actual desire to see them there.

Still, even then, that didn't fully explain why he'd accepted it.

He had wondered what he was doing when he had first woken up that very morning.

He thought this when Fungus had come to pick him up.

And he thought it now as both he and Fungus pounded the pavement, the sun's light burning down over-head. Another heat wave looked to be set to commence, he could just feel it. At least, by now, everything would have been set up and he could perhaps drown his rattled nerves in some cool beverage. Sometimes, it paid to be an utter lightweight. You saved both time and money.

(On the other hand, perhaps getting drunk wasn't the best idea. Especially not at 10am. Or where young families were sure to be present.)

Besides, Sullivan was a big guy- it was pretty possible he could hold his drink a bit more than he could. Randall wasn't going to make an utter fool of himself alone in front of the general public if he could help it (and that damned behavioural order of conduct could hold true to a certain extent outside the factory- there'd be nothing quite like hitting on someone's spouse, getting into a fight or letting slip on a few too many secrets to end his illustrious career as a Scarer with a bang). No doubt a certain other Scarer would be avoiding alcohol anyway after last night. In spite of himself Randall cracked a grin and hoped he'd burned a hole in Wazowski's wallet if nothing else. Though this brief oasis of calm was quickly replaced with a panicked expression as he noticed a monster out of the corner of his eye seemingly brush a spotless pavement outside of a grossery.

There was hardly any dust anyway. This monster however seemed notice his stare even as he looked for microscopic dust particles which weren't there. He looked up and then began to twirl his moustache and winked at him as Randall walked by with a small salute from his tentacles.

"Happy Solstice!"

Randall flushed, caught off guard, and perhaps even simply the cheeriness in of itself seemed like an insult and a way to mock his own dour mood and sour expression. His fronds flared and then he scowled further. The grosser's own face fell. Randall hoped he wouldn't run into that guy at the party.

He was going to ruin it anyway. He could just tell. He would leech off everyone's happiness. Maybe he'd been kidding himself. Perhaps it really had been a damned pity invite or just Sullivan getting heat stroke with all than damn fur and the charged rush of the water fight. The life of the party Randall Boggs certainly was not.

He looked to the sky, briefly hoping for rolling clouds which could be blamed and to ruin the proceedings instead.

As it happened Fungus couldn't find somewhere to park right on the street- it was cornered off or occupied by masses of other cars and parking a few streets away gave Randall plenty of extra time to stress himself out as they passed by apartment blocks far more well kept than the ones he was currently used to. It almost felt like the first time he'd walked through what was considered a 'rough' neighbourhood in Monstropolis years ago. Out of place and simply waiting for someone to call him out on this inescapable and obvious truth: that he shouldn't be there.

Fungus kept giving him wary glances as they walked but he had at least had the good sense not to ask him if he was okay. It was strange but over the last few weeks it was like his Assistant was beginning to manage to annoy him less and less. He had his... good points. Randall supposed. He was more useful than he thought.

Relatively speaking anyway. Though if Fungus hadn't been there, the desire to bolt would have been even more overwhelming. Randall perhaps didn't give much care for seeming rude- especially not with Sullivan- they'd lost all pretenses when it came to that, but he wasn't about to show little jittery and cowardly Fungus he was nervous of a party.

(And he wasn't. He was not. He even told himself).

Randall heard they were there before they even saw it. There was some laughter and the murmured roar of chatter as well as music in the background, the clinks of plates and cups being set down or thrown together to be gathered up or in toast to one another.

People could sometimes stay up to watch the sunrise, but that was for the more religious observant. The party tended to start early though- almost starting as if it was a regular work day, though of course though only work which would occur would be towards the party itself before and afterwards.

Randall had thought it best not to come too early. He'd stick out more. It was easier to slip into a crowd. With some hesitation he eased his way in, drinking in the stalls where people could also buy food if they felt so inclined- and even play games the wafts and smells of various cultures and monsters, the sights and sounds ringing in his ears.

The brightness almost hurt his eyes.

Randall

Randall began to fumble with his first pair of hands, a glass in his first right hand. Not that he wanted to appear as uncomfortable as he really was. Not with George Sanderson standing there right in front of him who was trying to make small talk in his bumbling polite kind of way which reminded him of a certain other furry monster a little too much.

Only it was more annoying some how, and got on his nerves more. Especially since he didn't know. None of the four adult monsters he was currently with knew, knew that somewhere in the back of his mind he was debating about going back to a dank and dark place of pipes, wires and gears, that being where he probably belonged.

He cursed Fungus for abandoning him like this, conveniently forgetting he'd insisted he'd leave and go talk to the little irritating chums he had who's own nervous dispositions made Fungus look like a dare-devil, even before Sullivan's interference.

He squeezed at the grass underneath his feet, appreciating its softness, but barely resisting the urge to tear it out with them.

Sullivan's interference was also why he was here now of course, looking too hard at the (non-alcoholic) drink in his hand until it was Ted's turn to speak- using his hands to do so, meaning Randall had to look up. And while he may not have hated Sullivan quite so much anymore, there was a slight edge of bitterness to it. These people only had gotten round to ask if he was okay because Sullivan had. They trusted Sullivan, precious pefect Sullivan and not him, deciding that if he was so determined to include Randall then maybe, just naybe, there was something to this after all.

Appearances meant everything to him once (and being easily humiliated and embarrassed, desiring recognition- on some level they still did), and maybe, just maybe deep down in the recesses of his mind the little Randy of yester-year really was still there.

Of course no-one had noticed him then either. And nobody had really liked that guy. Or cared for him.

(Or that was what he told himself.)

Not even Randall liked Randy very much.

After all Randy was part of the reason 'Randall' was here now. And who could like someone who had helped cause that?

He looked towards Ted's gesturing hands trying to take in introductions at first.

There was something rather humiliating to it when someone you had worked with for almost a decade had to remind you of who his wife was, or the fact that apparently she was pregnant with their second child now, though the toys hanging out of a bag, and the unmistakable bump would have made it easy to guess.

(Randall hadn't even noticed or known of the first before hand, and for a moment he'd stared at the two year old in mild alarm saying nothing).

There was also George's girlfriend to meet. (Three years apparently they'd been together. Oh and they'd even met once but Randall had forgotten her entirely. She didn't seem to like him anyway, throwing him rather distasteful looks as she clutched George's arm, and in all honesty, Randall couldn't blame her.).

Randall let all this wash all over him as he gripped his drink tightly, especially since he couldn't grab onto something to say.

When you met someone new, sure there was pressure sometimes, but you had a clean slate so long as your reputation hadn't preceded you or they were willing to draw their own conclusions. But what did you do when you'd 'known' someone for years and realised you knew nothing about them?

Going to Sullivan immediately had felt like it would have seemed desperate. Maybe even pathetic, but on some level he felt like a stretched piece of elastic waiting to snap if he remained here any longer as they talked and mentioned things they thought he should know but apparently didn't, making him look like an uninterested or selfish fool.

Which maybe he was. Sullivan didn't seem to mind so much when he snapped (at him anyway) and he felt like it was going to happen soon if he didn't leave now.

He had worked with some of these monsters for years.

And he barely knew any of them.

"Excuse me a moment." He said setting the glass down on a table, and moving away from the more private area, towards the more public area of the stalls.

Though in the end he didn't come back.

Randall

He pushed through the crowds, or rather made his way through them. He'd passed the many colourful and packed stalls and was once more in a slightly more private part of the street, where the tables were set, with some monsters sitting down, and others mingling in a similar way as to how he had been earlier. Quite a few young monsters were around here- though most had been taken by the games around the corner and the greenery of the park not too far away. At one point someone had stepped on one of his feet and he'd scowled at them, the young monster (only barely an adult really) looking as if he might shrivel up and die right then and there for his mistake, under Randall's harsh glare.

He shook his head in disgust, and while not out of respect, because of his aura of irritability, people did eventually did get out of the way.

It hadn't actually taken him that long to find him, at the end of the day. Still, it had taken longer than he thought it should. He was Sullivan after all, and well known and well liked especially judging by the fact people actually smiled and sighed in relief when he asked where he was, it beginning to reach their eyes, though they'd actually shifted uncomfortably before hand when he'd approached, the few times he had finally decided to ask for help.

It was hard not to notice his agitation, in the way he walked, briskly and with due purpose, but with his fronds raised, his tail whipping back and forth, his arms folded and eyes narrowed in a squint which was only partially due to his lack of glasses.

There he was. Finally. And oddly, he was alone, still it seemed holding a banner in his left arm and looking up at a ladder as well as glancing back at the crowd, looking a little lost himself.

Wonders would never cease. Perhaps things were finally looking up. He'd been worried he'd be surrounding by sycophantic fans, that was the last thing he needed.

"Hey Sullivan." He said trying to be as causal as possible, perhaps trying to act as if he hadn't been trying to find him. "Don't tell me you're afraid of going up a ladder by yourself I mean-"

Then he noticed what was in his right arm. A monster kid.

One which looked a bit too like someone he saw everyday at work- and most days wished he hadn't.

Randall retracted backwards as if it was a rabid wolverine.

No. Way.

He knew he wasn't up to speed when he came to some of his work colleagues but this was just ridiculous.

"Hey Randall! Glad you could come" Sulley grinned (and the smile seemed genuine as Randall silently studied him). "You couldn't help me out could you?"

"Uuuuuhhhh..." He was still staring at the kid.

"Hold him for a moment would you? This will just take a sec and then we can talk okay?"

Wordlessly, still rather shocked and going on automatic, Randall took the kid.

(He was vaguely weirded out by the fact he trusted him so easily with regards this, but he was all together too shocked by what he was seeing to pass comment on it).

For several moments there was silence, just the sound of James P Sullivan knocking in nails, hanging up one end. Randall resisted the urge to pinch himself before finally finding his voice as he stared at the kid.

The kid silently stared back. With one big round eye.

Sulley

"… please tell me this kid isn't what I think it is."

"Ow!"

Sulley waved his left hand thumb and winced, trying not to bite down hard on the metal nails currently in the side of his mouth.

He looked unimpressed down towards to Randall. "He's not an 'it' Randall." He then continued to hammer in the banner.

"Don't play games with me Sullivan, just whose kid am I holding here?! Why is he even hanging out with you?" He exclaimed, looking uncomfortable as he held the small round orange monster with one eye who looked all too like a certain best friend and Assistant of Sulley's. Besides the colour and some rather sharp teeth poking out of his mouth, he looked almost identical to the guy.

"… His name is Joey." Sulley said, still a little muffled. He then spat the spare nails out into his other hand.

"He's Mike's nephew." He clarified with a raised eyebrow at Randall's expression, who had been holding the small monster child at arms length looking mildly repulsed until this point.

Randall finally exhaled.

"Thank gods for that. Don't scare me like that again. For a brief moment I thought Wazowski was breeding."

Sulley was torn between laughing and groaning at the same time. Typical Randall. Even this early in the morning though, it was too hot to argue.

"… b-b- bweed- bweeding?" Joey took that moment to speak, having trouble sounding the word out.

"Nothing you need to know about." Sulley laughed awkwardly as he climbed down the ladder, jumping the last step with a thump to the concrete ground.

Randall rolled his eyes.

"Sure, keep the kid all ignorant and naive, that'll help. He's already related to Wazowski, he doesn't need something else holding him back."

Sulley snorted.

"He's only three Randall. And come on lay off. You two had fun the other day. Admit it."

Randall said nothing to this at all, but Sulley decided not to press him for an answer.

Joey looked down at Randall as Sulley relieved him of the small tyke. Randall eyed him curiously but relaxed as soon as he was taken, just a little, but still a sour expression remained on his face as the child monster seemed to look him up and down from Sulley's shoulders. Assessing him it seemed.

"You're grumpy." Joey decided, and Randall folded his two pairs of arms scowling further.

"But I like him." Joey said to Sulley who slightly turned his head to look at him. "He's funny."

Randall looked vaguely startled at this.

"Yes. Yes he is." Sulley nodded gravely. "He's a silly grumpy funny lizard isn't he Joey?"

"Don't make me hurt you Sullivan."

Joey giggled.

Randall continued to glare, but Sulley hardly seemed fazed and if anything Joey seemed to find this funny too.

He rolled his eyes. "What's so funny mini-Wazowski."

Then he blinked and looked at Sulley, tilting his head.

"He is a Wazowski right?"

Sulley nodded still amused. "Yeah, he's Mike's sister's kid and yeah- he has her last name."

Randall shook his head.

"Ugh, what am I even doing here anyway." He folded his arms, seeing to jump immediately to the topic at hand, the real reason he had gone to find him.

"Well only you can answer that at the end of the day." Sulley said. "Though why you're here trying to figure it out, play some games, talk to people...eat something." He gave him a rather level look. "You did eat breakfast this time right?"

"Yes." Randall said sounding exasperated.

"Too bad, we're getting waffles anyway. There's a good stand around here you have to try. What do you say Joey?"

"Stawberries and cwream." Joey nodded.

"Excellent choice. We'll hook him yet." He nodded back. Randall shook his head again but found himself moving forwards beside them anyway. For a moment silence fell, the only sounds being other people on either side of the primary coloured stalls, a mix of various games and food. A range of different smells could be found from different places, some familiar, some not.

Randall

Randall quirked his head towards Joey and then back at Sulley again.

"So where is Wazowski anyway? He just dumped his nephew on you? That's pretty cold."

Sulley scoffed. "I'm just giving Celia and Mike some alone time."

Randall screwed up his face, rather unwelcome images flashing in his mind. "Making Joey a cousin?"

Joey blinked, or as much as a monster with one eye could.

Sulley groaned.

"Get your mind out of the gutter. It's just for another half hour while they play some different games. Besides I wasn't dumped with the little guy. I like Joey."

Joey took this opportunity to wrap his arms around the large monsters head as he sat on his shoulders and hug him.

It was so nauseatingly sweet Randall looked as if he wasn't quite sure he could take it.

"...So you like kids Sullivan?" He finally supplied instead.

"Sure. 'Course I do. Though Joey's a special one, right kid?" He bounced his right arm a little as he held one of boy's thin arms and Joey laughed again.

"... Right." Randall muttered still feeling a little uncomfortable with all this. He'd perhaps been hoping for some relief when he found the guy and maybe go off on a less than controlled rant but with a kid there it was a less than freeing experience.

Still for a moment a silence fell- though it was at least not particularly uncomfortable. Maybe because in the end it was just a kid and well... just Sullivan.

They weren't people who were hard to impress or people he had to anyway. Sullivan had already seen him at some of his worst anyway. Of course that dark side of him would like to blame him for that too, even if that was unfair.

"Ugh a line." He said as they suddenly stopped only to be met by twenty or so monsters, also waiting for their baked goods. He glanced over the side of them seeing one monster making batter while the other dealt with the heat and customers in their creation.

"Well- they're popular." Sulley shrugged. "But it's worth it trust me. And there's no rush today."

Randall took that opportunity to look around him a little.

Sulley

Sulley noticed his expression, and the way he kind of hugged his lower arms around his body as if he had a stomach ache. "Something wrong?"

Randall paused before answering. Though perhaps Sulley should have known better. He probably wasn't exactly going to admit his nerves in front of a child. Let alone a child related to Mike Wazowski of all people. Things had a habit of getting back to people like that after all and kids barely had filters as it was.

"I'm just wondering what the point of all this is." Randall finally said, sounding exasperated, sweeping a hand across the entire area.

Sulley suspected he wasn't being entirely honest with him right now but said nothing.

"I mean it's not like the old ones were much for this sort of thing anyway." Randall continued.

Ah. Sulley had heard this argument before, set against the secularisation of important holidays. Stalls of food and games... well there were bonfires and dawn services but it was safe to say while there were games back then, they'd certainly branched out as well to the point they'd almost become the main event in some ways.

"Never figured you as the religious type Randall." he simply supplied in answer, turning back to face the backs of the various monsters in front of him. He tried not to wince when he noticed a small adult monster at the front grab at the hot treat too quickly and then drop it, with a resigned sigh turning back to the vendor again.

Some monsters were a bit fussier about whether or not you could eat food from the floor or not.

Still: what a waste.

He bounced Joey a little, something to break up the boredom for him at the end of the day.

"Oh believe me, I'm not. " Randall said dryily in reply as he folded two pairs of arms again as they edged forwards with the line. "Gods don't give a sh- damn about me, I don't give a damn about them either. It works." He gave him a level look at this.

Even at his milder curse for the kid's sake it still earned him a stern frown.

"So... you hate both the secular and religious parts." Sulley resisted the temptation to add: 'Are you ever happy?'

"I didn't say I hated them, I just don't see the point." Randall muttered somehow sounding as if he was torn between both amusement and annoyance at Sulley's words. Though he supposed, going off in a large rant could be a freeing experience, depending on who you were. Randall waved his arms in the air. "I mean come on, what it's celebrating the fact we went around the sun again? Hell not even that, a part of the way? It's just the same damn thing each year."

At this he got an odd look from the monster in front of them who stared for a moment, eyes locked into their own frown.

Randall waved his first left hand as if to shoo him. It was after all a private conversation. The other monster rolled his eyes and muttered something about 'spoil sports', but with one large paw on Randall's shoulder he turned his attention back to Sulley again rather than confront the stranger in question.

"... you might as well ask why people celebrate birthdays" Sulley shrugged with a smile after considering an appropriate reply, removing his hand. "I mean it's...a celebration. With people you like or glad exist because... you never know. Maybe this will be your last one."

Sulley looked to the side. " Maybe one of us won't be here next year. You have to take what comes. You can't ever be sure what'll happen."

Randall stared at him for a moment and for a short time Sulley wondered if he'd struck gold, but then Randall scoffed. "Yeah. Sure. I still say it's a whole load of-" He glanced at Joey. "Trash."

Sulley smirked as they moved forwards shaking his head as if he found this funny, though it was a little sad too.

Randall

He had to admit the food was good as he stuffed his face with the last morsel, practically inhaling it, though it was hardly worth the wait. He'd eaten it so fast that when Joey had tried to imitate him, even with his even larger mouth it had resulted in quite the mess. A little exasperated, Sulley got down on knee level when he set Joey on the ground and patted the small monster's face with a napkin, who belched, rather loudly, looking immensely proud of himself.

Sulley laughed and ruffled the small blue cap on his kid, given the fact he had no hair to do so. "Settle down squirt."

Joey beamed again and automatically clambered onto Sulley's shoulders again gripping onto his horns.

"Up." He even clicked his heels on his shoulders as if he was a horse.

Sulley raised an eyebrow looking at him, though his expression said it all, even under his own amusement.

"Please?" Joey added.

"Better." He nodded, doing as commanded now easily as Randall stood watching and taking this all in before allowing a trash clean up crew to consume his own napkin.

Randall rolled his eyes- if the kid got any ideas with regards doing that with him, he'd have another thing coming. Sure the kid was even... amusing in some ways but still.

He was, at odd moments forgetting the time the longer he spent here, that was until Sulley was stopped to be talked to by random monsters before easing off saying they had a kid to keep entertained.

(Randall was also sure he heard people muttering about who he was with, and what that could possibly mean but he tried to ignore it beyond glares back at them which caused them to slip into silence.)

He could only spare a certain amount of time over all. Or that was what he felt anyway.

It got louder and increasingly more busy the deeper you went into what could be considered a temporary market place, as the stalls for food petered out to be replaced by ones for games. Simple ones generally- like ring tossing or coconut shys or things which almost felt out of place in a big city but felt oddly reminiscent in their own way for Randall. But he wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or not. There was also a few fancier ones with spinning lights and moving targets.

"Oh!" Joey suddenly pointed to their right. Randall glanced to where he was looking, the small monster once more on top of Sulley for the world to see.

It was a particular game which had caught the young monster's attention, one which praise the gods, didn't have a line. Or perhaps it was more the blue three headed monkey dolls hanging up on hooks which had captured his interest.

It didn't look particularly big, with small and fake pink, blue and white doors- (closet doors Randall realised), lined up and closed.

The stall owner, knowing a fast sale when he saw them tipped his straw hat.

"Hit the Human, get a prize!" The stall owner stood to attention. He resembled a large square block of purple flesh with horns as he pulled a lever briefly to demonstrate, jerkily, rather disturbingly almost, human heads poked out behind doors which jerked left and right themselves- and they resembled adults if anything else.

Joey nodded, seemingly enthralled, though there was something rather off to the human faces that Randall couldn't put his finger on. Perhaps it was the large scowl on their faces that didn't seem to be something they should be capable of. Then again he'd never really seen much of human adults himself. Not many monsters had, not even Scarers.

"Well I can try." Sulley eventually laughed. "Looks like fun huh?" He looked towards Randall.

"Oh sure, a barrel of laughs." Randall rolled his eyes and fixated the stall owner with a scrutinising stare as Sulley seemed to reach for his wallet. If anything the large smile from the business monster had seemed to waver a little underneath it. Finally breaking eye contact Randall turned to the other Scarer.

"Look Sullivan, most of these games are just luck anyway- they're rigged. They might let the odd person win so you know, people don't talk but..." He trailed off and shook his head, looking with distaste towards the monster who was doing his best not to look Randall in the eye as he took Sulley's money.

"Well." Sulley shrugged as he grabbed a ball. "There's still a chance then isn't there?"

Randall rolled his eyes and snorted.

How very easy for someone like him to say.

Unsurprisingly, Sulley lost, even though Randall was pretty damn sure even with his poor eyesight that Sulley had gotten a human male in the pink door on his second ball.

"Your turn." Sulley simply smirked, turning to him unexpectedly.

"Oh please." Randall said, looking away and back up at him again.

"Come on. Joey wants his monkeys, doesn't he?"

"It's blue." He nodded happily. (Apparently that was important, but then he was a kid Randall supposed).

Joey then looked rather beseechingly down at Randall even clasping his hands. Somehow that one eye seemed to grow even larger. Randall wasn't sure how that was physically possible.

"He's already got a big blue monkey to do his bidding as it is." Randall shrugged trying his best to look unmoved. "Must be those Wazowski genes."

Joey giggled again.

"Randall." Sulley said flatly, waving a five Monstropilian dollar in his face, holding it with his right thumb and forefinger, keeping Joey on his shoulders with his left. "See? It's my money to waste, not yours. Unless... you're scared. I mean like you said- it's rigged anyway right?" He continued to wave it.

Randall snatched it and scoffed looking away once more for a moment. "Fine rich boy, fine."

He handed towards the Stall owner and cricked his neck.

"Let's just get this over with."

He actually almost hit the stall owner on his first go. Almost. (It actually hadn't been on purpose, whatever Sulley's own disapproving stare might have meant). Still he got closer on his second try. At hitting the actual silhouettes that was. He'd hit a door just as it closed but he was sure he'd seen the vendor move his foot or something to that effect.

He then fixed the other purple monster with his famous glare, just looking at him silently for a few seconds before making his last shot.

He had to smirk when the stall owner, looking especially nervous at him apparently decided 'Lady Luck' might have decided to smile down on him, when Randall- despite his general aiming issues managed to get a hit on the female human's head with his own third and last try.

Buttering him up like that wouldn't work or change his mind about how unfair this game was, but like hell would he not let him try.

Smugly handing the three headed stuffed animal to Joey- which was even bigger than the kid was- did feel pretty good, all the same.

He swished his tail, though for once it wasn't in a particularly agitated fashion.

It was at that moment Joey also decided to stick the lollipop he'd been sucking to Sulley's fur as he held the toy closer.

"Joey." he scolded as he looked down at his shoulder.

"You know something? I think I actually like this kid." Randall smirked. Then his face fell. "Don't tell Wazowski." He warned.

After pulling the offending sweet from him and throwing it in the bin despite the kid's protests, the other Scarer seemed to smile.

Randall

For a moment they'd sat on the grass in the nearby park as Joey, still enthralled with his toy, occasionally using it to attack Sulley's tail.

Randall didn't really see the point in sitting still but Sulley was determined they'd sit down somewhere if only for a bit. It was where they were apparently meeting Wazowski and his girlfriend after all. (And Fungus apparently had been told of this too by Sulley himself. Randall somewhat expected this was just in case the pair hadn't run into Randall himself in all that time).

Though at least Sullivan didn't seem to mind him pulling up the grass with his feet, something which had caused other monsters to feel distinctly ticked off.

Overall they were rather comfortable just to sit in silence as the sun strained to get its way through the shade and the full crown of the old oak tree, the only sounds being the other monsters talking around them.

Randall leaned back against it and put his first pair of hands around the back of his head, feeling the knots in the bark as he did so. Still it felt comfortable, despite the sensation.

Randall wondered if it would be rude if he dozed off. He was full, he was warm and he was satisfied.

But then he pretty much doubted Sullivan would mind or say anything anyway. Both he and the kid were more or less content themselves it seemed.

Once more silence reigned for a moment, even his own thoughts seeming to slow down. Perhaps a minute had passed, or longer, he'd actually lost track.

"I think I need to go..." Joey suddenly said, in that simple honest fashion only a child could get away with.

"Okay, okay I'll take you." Sulley shrugged then glanced over at Randall, "You okay to hang out here until we get back?"

Randall scoffed. "I don't need a baby sitter." He opened one eye and watched as Joey began to hop. "Go take the kid Sullivan he's ready to burst." He glanced at the toy.

"I'll watch your monkey kid- you take care of the other one."

Joey nodded as he led Sulley away by the hand.

Randall caught a few words as they moved away.

"An' don' open door until A'm finished- you always do dat." Sounding a little annoyed even as Sulley finally put him around his shoulders (a bold move, Randall thought but not one he'd have pulled under the circumstances).

Sulley began to laugh. "Fine, fine. I promise."

After a few moments Randall took to leaning against the tree again, his second pair of arms wrapped around his stomach in a more content way.

In some ways it felt rather off. He was usually doing something, very rarely sitting still, but still there was something to it. Sliding down he closed his eyes.

But it didn't last.

Soon a larger shadow was blocking the fleck-lings of light which had pushed their way through the gaps of the branches.

Randall scoffed and rolled over on the grass, his eyes still closed. "What is it Sullivan? Joey decided he needed the toy to help supervise you?"

Then he opened his eyes and balked.

It was a horned monster alright, but not one he'd been expecting. Though until recent events- the only monster he would have disliked more would have been Sullivan or Wazowski. He hadn't seen him in a long time- though he looked more or less the same, though there was the odd white hair here and there otherwise marring that slick coat.

He even somehow, still had a popped collar and sweater, even though it wasn't red but a deep dark green, the shirt underneath being pink.

"Worthington?"

He sat up.

If the other monster was surprised at seeing him he didn't show it. Instead he simply quirked a famous eyebrow at him.

"Morning Boggs." He said simply as if it hadn't been years since they'd last spoken. "Heard you would be where Sullivan was- so where would he be now?"

A/n: Here we go. In this episode we're getting a few MU exclusive characters- one of which is Johnny. He's actually in Fear Co according to the Scare Cards of course.

Johnny actually has a reason for being here- which is unrelated to Sulley and Randall, but is actually related to Mike.

I am actually really nervous about writing MU exclusive characters but what the hey, it could be fun!

I will say though the reason for Johnny's presence is fairly out there all the same and probably doesn't fit at all but it amuses me too much as a concept. So yeah, watch this space.

Next Chapter: Expectations (Part 2): Johnny Worthington is not Randall's favourite monster in the world, but he's somewhat surprised when he senses tension between both the former Fraternity president and Sulley which is in fact completely unrelated to when they were in college. To say nothing of what is causing it. Randall is not above exploiting things and making things uncomfortable for Worthington, though Sulley is less than amused.