Mischief

Mischief
Mischief in his usual serpentine form
Name	Mischief
First appearance	Episode 01
Last appearance	Livestreaming from a Lighthouse with Henryk
Description	Mischief usually appears as a pink, serpentine creature, but is known to change into other forms.

Mischief (aka "Pink Guy" or "Smile") is a major character in the Interface series and a key figure in the overlying plot. He has been seen in many episodes and is often accompanied by Henryk Niebieski ("Blue Guy").

Origin

Mischief was originally an American human known as Percy working as a clown at the Dreamland amusement park. After the park burnt down, he joined the US Navy, and his form was altered by his involvement in the 1943 Philadelphia Experiment. The premise of the experiment (as explained by Mischief in Episode 01) in the Interface universe is the same as the real life myth—in 1943, the ship Mischief was stationed on was docked in Philadelphia and equipped with an electromagnetic field designed to make the ship invisible. Upon activation of the field, the ship was unintentionally teleported to New York. The process also caused the rest of the crew to fuse to the hull of the ship. Mischief's previous being was destroyed as a result of the incident, and he instead became the creature he appears as now (see Episode 21). Mischief describes this as being "forced to regain [his] physicality", which may suggest that he was reluctant to return to a physical form.

Appearance and abilities

Mischief appears mainly as a pink, elongated human; sometimes his arms and legs are absent, particularly when he is in motion. He is known to take many other forms including vehicles, animals, or plants. It is believed that this ability may be powered by or attained through manipulating cerebral electricity, mysterious energy which appears throughout the series. The full extent of power gained by Mischief through the use of cerebral electricity is unknown. In Episode 08 Mischief appears to Henryk by flying through an open window in the form of a bird before stating, "I haven't quite figured it out yet." This may suggest that Mischief requires practice to properly take the form of an object and replicate its behaviour. Mischief almost always takes the form of pink objects, with the notable exception of the "beautiful sunflower" in Episode 05, though he explains to Henryk in Episode 11 that "The reality is, I don't want to [change colours]. I choose to be this way".

One important note about Mischief's shapeshifting abilities is that when he transforms into cars, he may require a source of fuel. In Episode 13, a shot can be seen of his fuel gauge approaching empty. He comments, "I might have to switch over to something more... sustainable" before transforming into a unicycle. This may imply several things: that Mischief has shapeshifted part of himself into an internal combustion engine and needs outside energy to sustain the chemical reactions which power the car; that forming complex shapes or travelling at high speeds depletes his energy; that Mischief can become exhausted; etc. However, Mischief also may have shapeshifted out of car form not out of a need to preserve his energy, but for his own amusement.

Personality

Much is unknown about Mischief's personality and motivations in the series. Mischief has presented so far as a genial, sarcastic, empathetic character. He often cracks jokes throughout the series and has a dry sense of humour. Mischief is very interested in Henryk’s life and family, and how Henryk came to possess his immortality/extraordinarily long lifespan. While this investment may stem from a place of compassion for Henryk, it is also hinted, especially in Episode 20, that Mischief may have more sinister motivations.

Other appearances

• Stranger Danger
• The Dairy Dance
• A Christmas Stalking
• A Striking Ball
• Open Wide Up
• Big Smile's Order
• Livestreaming from a Lighthouse with Henryk

Gallery

Mischief's face imbued in the driver's seat of his bus form

Full shot of Mischief's normal form

The first detailed appearance of Mischief from Episode 01

Mischief's sunflower form as seen attached to the statue from Episode 05

The exterior of Mischief's bus form

Mischief's low fuel gauge

Mischief's first appearance in a 2009 comic by u m a m i