NOTE
This chapter sure is OK.
I wanted to wrap up the continued story from the last time Mike interacted with Chica, so this is what this chapter is about. It's not record breaking, to say the least. I did my best, coulda done better, but it's done now, so I can move on to other things.
How the hell do you change a document name in the doc manager? I have this chapter labeled as 'Woohoo 3 pt. 2', but I mistakenly labeled the last one 'Woohoo '''2''' pt. 1' and I cannot for the life of my figure out how to fix it.
Whatever, anyway. Enjoy.
After a good portion of my survey, I take a seat in one of the dining chairs in el-chips. Finally, a chance to take a real breather.
What the hell's been going on these last couple nights.. I remember when it was as easy as taking 30 minutes to walk around, then spending the rest of the time relaxing in my office. What happened to those nights?
...Sigh. As much as I want to claim that these nights have been annoying, I've made considerable improvements with my relationship with the crew.
I didn't really care about that back when I first started working here, but after weeks of no immediate threats or secrets to hound over, my focus has been starting to shift towards other priorities.
I wanna mention that this is not something I'm used too. I'm glad that I can talk to the gang freely, but any interaction I have is exhausting.. I can't remember the last time I had to put so much thought into what I said.
Maybe I should just stop thinking about it. I doubt one of the animatronics are gonna be losing their mind every day of the week, so I'm hoping today and yesterday were just exceptions to how my shifts usually are.
...Not that I'm opposed to talking to anyone...
Man, I'm starting to become sad.
"Mikalike!"
Monty?
Trudge.
"Who taught you to call me that?"
He just chuckles and zips into the seat next to mine.
"Wacha doin' up here?"
"What are YOU doing up here?"
"Lookin' for you."
"So you went to El-Chips?"
"Yep."
"Why?"
"We checked everywhere else."
Just.. Friggen call me, or something.. 'We'?
"Guess whoo!" I hear, a few seconds before Chica manages to actually cover my eyes.
I instinctively try to take her hands off my face, but she's holding awfully determined for someone doing a 'guess who' bit.
"OH my god! Right! What did you say about Roxy?"
"I told Arin not to rewrite her."
"Ha! I knew you would!"
I feel myself get tackle hugged from the side, presumably from Trudge. I would be more confident about that guess if Chica would take her god forsaken feathery hands off my face.
"Guess! Who!"
"Chica."
"There!" She finally removes them. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"
I dunno about that. Now all I have to do is get Trudge off of me.
"Thank you for not making Roxy go through that.. I would have missed her." Chica says, finally contributing to the conversation instead of bugging me.
"I wouldn't have let them do that either! Roxy is so cool.. I beat Chica in a race today!"
"How did anyone let either of you on that ride?"
"We don't need permission! We work here!" Trudge claims defiantly. Also incorrectly.
"How'd that juice mess end up?"
"I cleaned it! We cleaned it!" Chica chirps again, happy to have been helpful.
Well, that's not a surprising answer at least. I wonder how it actually turned out.
Suddenly, I remember something from last night.
"Hey Chica."
"Mhm?"
"Did you ever show the thing?" I say, intentionally being unhelpfully vague, hoping she would catch on.
"What thing?"
Dammit.
"When we were talking yesterday you needed-"
"OH!" She jumps up from where she was sitting. "I NEED TO GO GET SOMETHING!"
Before Trudge and I can react, she's already bolted out of the restaurant at full speed. Looks like she caught on, at least.
I also think it'll take her a while to get all the way back down to the ground floor, so I guess Trudge and I will have a little one-on-one time.
"Hey"
"Yeah-huh?"
"What was the day crew's opinion on Roxanne?"
I remember hearing Arin tell me that the day crew was pretty torn, but Roxanne told me differently. She said that almost everyone refused to look at her, and constantly spoke about rewriting her.
"Why do you call her that?"
"Huh?"
"You and Freddy are like, the only one's who still call her that."
"Call her what?"
"Roxanne."
"That's her name."
"Your name is Micheal, but everyone calls you Mike."
"So.. What?"
"You should call her Roxy."
"Why?"
"She likes it."
"She does?"
"Yeah. She told me when I started working here. Didn't she tell you?"
"We've never really been too close."
"Oh yeah, right."
He goes silent for a second.
"You're still ok, right? Are you angry at her?"
"No. It was an accident."
"No- for like.. Everything."
"..No, I don't dislike her for disliking me. Actually, I think we got a little closer today."
Trudge.. 'bounced' in reaction to this information.
"Really!?"
"Y-Yeah.. Don't go talking about it to her though."
"Yay! I was thinking you two might never get along!"
He's practically skipping in his seat. What a weird creature.
"You could totally beat her in her racing game!"
"Don't tell her about that either."
"Awww! Look at you!"
"..What?"
"Tryin' not to hurt her feelings and all! When I first met you, you were nothing but blunt."
"I.. Guess so."
I have changed, haven't I. Even I noticed it. I know I've thought about this before, but every time I come across new evidence for it, I can't help but think about how I once was not all that long ago.
"But I still want to know what the day crew's opinion of Roxanne was today."
"Didn't Arin tell you?"
"He told me what he knew, I'm sure. But I'm not sure if it's the whole truth."
"Mm.. Well, they were pretty jarred about the incident. I don't think any of them liked the idea of an animatronic attacking a person again, like the rumors before."
God, it takes everything in me to prevent myself from telling him they weren't rumors. There's so much I know that ONLY 'I' know. Optimally, however, I should take this knowledge of the events to the grave, for them to be forgotten forever. Suppose it's just gonna have to be something I bottle up.
"But I also don't think any of them coulda truly stomached getting rid of Roxanne. I know we woulda just rewritten her AI or something, but she wouldn't be the same, and I don't think people would like that very much." This is the most sensible I've ever seen this moron.
That's effectively what I told Arin, though. Day crew were scared of Roxanne, but they also wouldn'tve likely been able to stomach getting rid of her. I hope this means that everyone else can tell that she's a good person through that rough exterior.
I relax in my chair, responding with a small "mm.."
Before I have enough time to enjoy the silence, I hear footsteps rocketing towards our position. I barely get my head turned around before Chica makes her way in. I think she sprinted the entire way there and back.
She slows down to a light jog to approach us, paper in hand.
"Trudge!" She manages to get out through gasping breaths.
"Hi! Whassat?" Trudge points at the paper in her hands.
Chica doesn't respond right away, just sitting there panting before regaining her composure, looking at Trudge, and then losing her composure again. She starts fidgeting, embarrassed to show him the picture.
I actually take this as my cue to leave, I motion to Trudge that I'm taking off to continue working, and he nods. still distracted by Chica. Works for me, however, as I'm already out the door.
It's a weird relationship those two have. It's like Chica's a loyal dog, and Trudge's a loyal idiot. I can't imagine a more perfect duo.
I think about where to go next. I've been to most of the pizzaplex already. I think I might just have to visit the kitchen where all the pizzas are made. I don't really like it down there, but it's not really manned with people very often due to the surplus of animatronics.
Also, I rarely find anyone down there, ever. This oughta be a nice time to truly relax a bit without any threat of being jumpscared by a wild Trudge.
My thoughts are interrupted by a new pair of rapid footsteps from behind me. I barely have enough time to turn around and see Trudge rapidly approaching, and then passing me before I have the chance to ask what's going on. A few seconds pass before a second pair of footsteps run up to my side.
"Chica?"
"I-I dunno what happened! I showed him my picture and he ran away! D-did he not like it?"
Apparently, Trudge also forgot to fill Chica in on whatever the hell he thinks he's doing. I didn't get a good look at Trudge's face, but Chicas on the verge of freaking the fuck out.
"He just ran away?"
"Yes!"
"He didn't tell you anything?"
"I just showed him the picture! H-he just looked at it and ran away!" Now it's looking like she's about to cry.
"Do you know where he went?"
"No!"
That was a pretty dumb question, huh. Also a completely unnecessary one, as I have the entire collective knowledge of what's going on in the pizzeria on my wrist.
It takes me a while. But eventually, I see a blip on the map where animatronics typically don't go, one of the security offices. I see where monty is, and I feel like I can safely assume that Freddy and Roxanne are the blips in their respective rooms. Monty is likely in his area, so I don't even bother checking.
"I see him on the map. Want to head down?"
I already take a couple steps, thinking my question was more rhetorical.
"W..wait.." Chica responds weakly. I look over my shoulder to see her looking hopelessly at the floor.
"Chica, I bet he was just-"
"What if he ran away because he thought it was weird..?"
"The picture isn't weird."
"No, like.. Everything.."
"..?"
"Like.. Look at me." She raises her arms up a little.
"I'm not like him, right? I'm all wirey and.. Not like any of his other friends. Not like you." She lowers her arms to hug herself.
"I'm weird, yknow? I stay in one building all day, and perform the same way, and every time I love it. I have.. Weird habits. I don't look anything like you guys do. Wouldn't it be weird for something like me to show affection to something like him?"
I stay still, thinking of a response. It is weird, I know it's weird. But Trudge is weird, Arin is weird. Hell, I'd bet I might be one of the weirdest things on the planet.
"We're all weird. You're different than us, but I'm different than Trudge too."
"But.. I, like.. I shouldn't even be able to feel things, right? It shouldn't be possible, right? It's like I started weird, and then added even more weird. I'm not even weird in a way that makes sense!"
"Trudge likes you, Chica. He doesn't care how weird you, or anyone else is."
"He just ran away!"
She freezes once she completes the sentence.
"H-he.. Ran away from me.."
Shit, I know there must be a reason he ran, but I can't prove that to her without knowing that reason. He really did just run away from her, as far as we know.
"Listen, if we can just go down and ask him, I'm sure he'll have an explanation."
"..How, uhm.. How do you do it?"
"..Do it?"
"Y'know, with the.. You're almost never talking to anyone, and no one ever talks about you." This contradicts what Roxanne said earlier.
"How do I be a loner like you are?"
"I'm.. I don't think I'm a loner."
"You are!" Chica replies passionately, like this is the only thing she's sure of. "But its like, its your fault! N- I mean! Sorry, that was mean.." She backs off and hugs herself again.
"I know I like to be alone a lot, but I don't think its because I have to be."
"That still counts!"
"I guess it kinda does, doesn't it.. Well-"
"So how!?"
"I don't know how to answer your question."
"How are you always ok with being alone all the time?"
"I just don't mind it. There's no real reason behind it." Or at least, not one I'm about to share.
Suddenly, I make a connection I should have made a while ago.
"Chica, you aren't going to be a loner."
"But Trudge just-!"
"I'm standing right here."
"..B-but Trudge!"
"Even if Trudge doesn't visit you, it still doesn't make you a loner. In addition, I can almost gaurantee that he really is off doing something for a reason."
"B-but!"
"HEY!"
A familiar voice echoes back through the auditorium, accompanied by more rapid footsteps. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who it is.
"T-Trudge!" Chica exclaims in disbelief. Did she really think he would dislike her for showing affection so much that he would just run away and never talk to her again? Ha, she was right. She is weird.
Not nearly as weird as Trudge, though.
"Look!" Trudge extends his arms at full length, showing Chica a drawing of his own.
It was of considerably higher quality. Better than I thought anyone here could draw, truth be told. It's actually quite impressive.
The picture itself was a detailed drawing of Trudge carrying a kid on his shoulders, and Chica following right behind him, pointing in the direction that they're running. It wasn't a realistic photo, leaning towards cartoony, but the detail made it really easy to tell who was who in the picture.
Trudge is laughing wildly at the coincidence that they both were drawing pictures of each other, and Chica is still staring at the picture. It looks like she wants to cry again.
Trudge noticed.
"Haha! H-ha.. Chica?"
He is immediately swept into a bone crushing hug.
"IloveitIloveitIloveitI-"
This continues for a while before she gasps for air, forcing her to take time to think.
"Ooo-! I thought you hated me! Don't run away like that!"
In an immediate change of pace, Chica places Trudge back down and starts lecturing him like a disobedient son.
"C-chica! What are you talking ab-"
She hugs him again. Trudge looks as if he's about to get crushed again.
I gotta get out of here before I get caught up in whatever the hell Chica's doing.
Get the hell out of there I do.
It did actually take me a little bit to get away. However, I can confirm that Chica's obviously feeling way better about herself. She explained to Trudge what her and I were talking about. Trudge, the sneaky snake he is, manages to get away with it with a dumb grin and a nervous laugh. If they were inseperable before, they might as well be glued together now.
Fortunately, I was able to sneak away from Trudge, and therefore Chica as well. It takes a little bit of jogging, but my hidey-hole office is in sight.
Man, tonight's almost over already.. I might have to get my fill of the two other animatronics tomorrow, I don't even think I've seen either of them today.
I plop down in my chair, rummage around for the ol' reliable laptop.
It's gonna take the power of god himself to get me out of this chair until closing. If I have to talk to anyone else tonight, I might just die on the spot before I can get a full sentence out.
Woohoo..