EDIT: Thanks to the reviewers who pointed out the weird glitchy thing that happened with the chapters. This is one reason why I prefer A03 XoX cause I didn't do anything different with the copy and pasting of the messed up chapters. So weird. Here ya go!
Mr. Drew tapped his foot impatiently. "You're off model again. Come on Bendy, I know you can do better! The star of the show has! To be! On! Model!" He punctuated the words by slapping the back of his hand to his palm.
Bendy's arm fell to his side with exhaustion. He looked annoyed.
Alice Angel, who had been newly formed less than a week ago, offered her cohort little more than a pitiful expression and shrug. She had no voice, so could offer no consolations.
"I didn't create you to look like that. Start over! Just start over! And for the love of God, someone clean him up." He flung his arms up, shaking his head.
An intern rushed onto the scene with a stained rag. She squatted and dabbed his face, where strains of thick ink had begun to dirty his pristine, white forehead. It smeared, but with a little scrubbing and a dab of saliva, she got him back on model. She darted out of sight just as quickly as she'd came.
The scene was reset and the camera man yelled. "From the top!"
All he had to do was pick some flowers, skip over, look smitten, then offer the flowers to Alice. That was it. But something was wrong, and he felt it. Every time he looked at at the taller toon, and when he knew the cameras were focused heavily upon him, he started to... melt. That was the best word for it. Melting. Only, he didn't understand why. It just happened, and he couldn't control it. Sure, he'd always been only semi-solid. But it was getting worse. It made Joey's chide remarks cut even deeper.
Bendy glanced over at you blankly, awaiting his cue. You gave him an encouraging smile. This was the seventh try, and you could clearly see both Bendy and Mr. Drew were growing more and more frustrated.
This was 'the future,' Mr. Drew had said; live action cartoons would dominate the television some day. They'd grace stages and theme parks, movies and radio stations. This was one of the reasons the cartoons had been brought to life.
Finally, it was his cue. Bendy's smile spread wider than before, strained. He wrung his hands, watching Alice's silent singing (to be dubbed over later), and looked around frantically. Soon he had plucked the faux flowers and inched towards the angel as her outdoor performance stopped. He gently lifted his head, as if calling her attention.
She looked down with surprise, the wildflower bouquet lifted high. But as Bendy turned his head away in bashfulness, Mr. Drew yelled.
"God damn it! Cut! What the Hell did I even create you for if you can't retain your form for more than a minute!"
Bendy and Alice both flinched. You were pretty certain anyone within ear shot did, too.
Mr. Drew took a deep breath, as if he were centering himself. He shut his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, before opening back up and going on. "Let's call it a day, people. We may have some kinks to work out before we push forward. But a little set back like this won't stall progress! So chins up!"
Then Mr. Drew pointed towards Bendy. "You. After you're done helping clean up your mess-"
Bendy only then realized he has begun leaking generously all over the grass.
"-come to my office."
The skeleton crew started the tedious task of packing up, while Mr. Drew stormed away into the building. You noticed that Alice was trying to reach out to Bendy, to share a solemn look, to do anything to offer a little comfort. But Bendy was just staring down at the mess he had made. He dropped the plastic flora into the ink and stomped away, leaving Alice to frown at his back.
As his assigned keeper, you followed. Even though he was off his harness for the shooting, he had not strayed far. You found him under the shade of a tree, knees to his chest and back to the bark.
"Mr. Drew wanted you to help tidy up your mess." you said quietly to get his attention.
He twisted his head away, angry and hurt.
You figured that you'd perhaps said the wrong thing, so added. "But he can also be a real piece of work."
He didn't respond, so you sighed and took a seat. A calming wind fluttered the leaves above, and you could hear the crew in the distance, wondering where 'the star' went.
After a moment, Bendy finally bore his eyes up at you, looking terribly miserable and confused. "What's wrong with me, [Y/N?]"
You furrowed your brows. "Oh Bendy, there's nothing wrong with you! Joey is just a huge jerk. Don't tell him I said that, he'd probably fire me on the spot!"
"No, I mean..." Bendy wrung his hands, but unlike before, this was a natural gesture. "...this!"
He pointed at the stream of ink that was oozing down his white face. It was just a little bit, threatening to merge into his eye. He'd become mostly solidified since wandering to the tree, but was still very sticky and unstable.
"That's not on purpose? I thought you could control that."
He shook his head, and began to pick nervously at the grass. Occasionally his tail flickered, and you could see where tiny droplets blackened the blades as it twitched.
The little monster really couldn't control it? You'd thought he was doing it to spite Mr. Drew, for whatever reason. After all, he was always messing with the other staff, so why not his creator?
After processing the information, your emotions got the better of you. You placed your hand upon his shoulder, drawing his attention. He tensed, but did not flinch away.
With a reassuring smile, you replied. "It's okay, I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe you just... need more ink?"
Bendy just looked up at you, sad as ever. It was amazing how expressive his face was, despite the limitations of his eyes and mouth. His eyes seemed to frown as much as his teeth.
"O-oh," you gasped softly. "Bendy, it's okay! Don't cry!"
He tilted his head. "...Cry? Is that what I'm doing?"
You tried to wipe away the thick blob of ink that drizzled down his cheeks, but it just smeared across the white. Now he looked like a drawing where one attempts to erase the under layer of graphite before the ink has dried.
"Shit. I messed your face up."
He actually giggled. Was he hysterical?
"Ladies shouldn't curse."
You rolled your eyes. "You spend too much time near Mr. Drew."
Bendy sprawled his legs out straight, which was a welcomed sight. He was relaxing, at least a little bit. His eyes went back to the grass. A fat drop of ink fell from his face and sullied the green.
"Joey is gonna yell at me, [Y/N]. Wants me in his office."
You went back to his shoulder and gave his arm a comforting stroke. "Well... when he's done being a donkey's rear end, I'll treat you to something nice. How's that?"
That did not change his mood. "I'm... scared."
In turn, that scared you. This was not the first time Mr. Drew had asked Bendy to go to his office, away from your watchful eyes. The previous time Bendy had been taken, he came out silent and wide-eyed. Bendy had eventually said that all Joey did was yell at him, but the demon's reaction was down right volatile. His shaking had gotten so bad, that when you walked him back to your little office space, the leash vibrated in your hand.
Mr. Drew saw Bendy as his property. You had no say in how he talked to, or treated, the cartoons. If he wanted to give them flowers, he could. And if he wanted to slap them, he had all the right in the world. At least, that was how he thought. You did not want to see Bendy so frightened again, but there was very little you could do, save for risking your job by standing up to the big boss. That would do nothing but get you fired and Bendy a new, likely less lenient, caretaker.
"I really wish I could do more... all I can do is try to make it better afterward. Come on, we'd better get inside. If you're out here for too long, they'll eventually come looking. I won't harness you, but you have to see Mr. Drew. Don't try to hide in a trashcan, or something. In fact, I'll escort you."
Bendy wiped at his face with a flat palm. He somehow smeared the ribbons of ink back into place, as if he had never been crying at all. With what sounded like a deep breath (did he really breathe?), he nodded.
So you walked him back into the building, down the bright corridors, and to Mr. Drew's office. Everything about his posture screamed anxiety. Tail down, brow ridges furrowed, hands clasped. But he went on in after a knock, in spite of it. No one could claim Bendy was always a coward. Mr. Drew shooed you off, citing that this encounter may take a while.
You washed you stained hand. You had a small snack and cup of coffee. You wrote a second draft. Two hours passed before Bendy was dropped off at your door by one Mr. Lawrence. It unnerved you. The hell did Mr. Lawrence carry him back for? You thought only Mr. Drew wanted to see Bendy.
Mr. Lawrence did not stay, and uttered but a single phrase before leaving.
"Get well soon."
Bendy was smiling wide. He strode in, a tidbit off kilter, but otherwise appeared totally fine. No dripping, oozing, or leaking.
As you slipped the harness on to keep him in place, you prodded about what Mr. Drew had done.
"You sure you're fine?"
"Better than ever!"
"And all he did was feed you ink?"
"You worry too much!"
He was deflecting your questions. However, under all that good cheer, the corners of his smile twitched. Something felt very, very off about Bendy.
