Mable: Happy late Memorial Day! I hope you all had a good day- I had a busy weekend with family myself. Got to meet my older cousins new baby. ^-^ Nothing like a new baby to make you feel prematurely old.
I have another question, this time from Lonecl0ud;
I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Reassure your sister that the story will not turn M-rated. While I don't intend to spoil future character developments, the story will stay at its current rating, and I kind of prefer having the relationship advance naturally without having to get into mature themes.
Remember, if you have a question you'd like to have answered, which won't spoil the story, then feel free to ask! For now, I hope you Enjoy!
Can't Go Home Again
Chapter Fifty-Nine
It had almost seemed to be a successful day, but there was certainly one who couldn't help but feel ashamed.
"Hiding from children. I was created to entertain children, how could I freeze up?" Baby vented to the others. Specifically, Foxy and Marionette, but she was unbothered by speaking towards the humans as well. "I couldn't even do a thing! I became completely worthless!"
"It was yer first day, Lass," Foxy told her as he fidgeted around the arcade. "All those kids pourin' in at once was little intense. Don't beat yerself up 'bout it."
"But I must!" Baby insisted with clear frustration in her voice. "How could this have happened? Am I… Am I broken?"
"Not at all," Marionette protested, sitting at the end of the table on one of the chairs. "I agree with Foxy. It was a lot to confront on your first day. Perhaps we should've started with a smaller group or a quieter day." He sympathized with his sister's plight and hoped she would be calmed. It didn't seem to work very much, but Baby's emotions were hard to read. Even to someone as in tune with covering as Marionette was.
It was then that Mike approached the group, having just cleaned off one of the tables. Oddly enough, he addressed the animatronics directly instead of waiting for Natalie and Jeremy to finish their work nearby. This was the first cue that something was.
"We got an important call earlier," Mike forewarned. From the way he was turned, it was clear that he was specifically aiming the comment towards Foxy and the Puppet.
Marionette immediately perked, unintentionally guessing that Mike was speaking to Foxy. "Indeed we did!" He looked to the others with delight, clasping his hands together. "I spoke to Mike's mother! She sounded like such a sweet woman! A bit surprised to hear me, but regardless-."
Mike felt fire hit his face and moved in quickly. The less that was said about his mother, the better; less anyone in the group start suggesting that they invite her into the pizzeria. As it was now, it was the only place that she didn't seem willing to look for him at. "Not that, something else," he assured as he planted his hands on the Puppet's shoulders. A small gesture to signal him to quiet down. "We got an actual gig."
"A gig? A birthday," Foxy clarified, seemingly not taking to Mike's wording. "We get plenty 'o birthdays. Whozit this time?"
"It's not a birthday this time. You've been hired out," Mike corrected with a challenging smirk. "They're having one of those God-awful fair-carnival things up around Provo and they're looking for entertainment. It's not exactly a venue that would be worth much, but they're going to pay well and it would get us more expositor. I gave him the go ahead to reserve the spot, but I just wanted to run this by you all before we get stuck driving up there."
Both animatronics seemed a little surprised. Foxy's ears raised and his patch raised while Marionette tensed and turned. Mike rubbed at his fabric, hoping to ease him.
"Outside gig…" Foxy remarked, deep in thought. "…I'd be outside in daylight. Outside around humans… Hmm…" Almost immediately, he was considering it, but someone else was starkly in contrast.
"I couldn't," Baby protested. "I wouldn't have to, right? I just couldn't. Too many people- I couldn't imagine counting so many!" There was a sort of desire in her tone, but she seemed to have learned her lesson from earlier. She just wasn't ready to face the children. Marionette had yet to voice his opinion.
"Geez, this seems like it would be a pretty big deal," Natalie volunteered in. "That's like a three-hour drive. Are you sure we're ready for that?"
"Trust me, I've gone through all the downsides, but we can't pass up the publicity," Mike pointed out. "We've obviously got competition and if we want to get enough revenue to consider expanding the building, then we'll have to get more attention. Hopefully without having to kill anybody." That was meant to be a joke. Baby's head snapped to look at him as though she took his words literally.
"There are some cons you haven't considered." It was strange to hear Marionette's voice hold so much authority. As though he was a boss considering the idea of an employee. He sounded a bit skeptical as he began to recite. "Such as the lack of a track. Won't they find it odd that I can just hover on my own?"
"We don't," Mike challenged playfully. After a moment to let the joke sink, he tapped his fingers reassuringly. "We'll figure something out. Maybe we can make a stand or something, or just a pole to hold your cross. We'll figure something out in the next week." He then got a slight smirk, "Maybe get some sap whose willing to puppeteer you." And he knew he won him over. He heard the smothered chime and knew that he had gotten him right where he wanted him. He began to feel over his right shoulder, pressing and searching for any segment of string.
Soon the Puppet gave in just enough for Mike to start winding a string around his finger. Just that little bit of a playful touch, too subtle to be seen by the others.
"If Foxy is willing then I am," Marionette agreed. "And let's be reasonable. The only one who would be able to handle a performance of my kind would be you. You would have to be my puppeteer."
"I think I can manage that," Mike quipped as he continued to fiddle with the string. For a moment, he was losing focus of the conversation as Foxy, Natalie, and Jeremy discussed the pros and cons. Occasionally, Marionette broke in with an observation, but they were both mostly silent. He wondered if anyone would notice if he leaned down a little closer to the Puppet, or played with his 'toy' a little more. Though on second thought, he decided that Baby would probably see it and guess the worst. If Baby could guess the worst.
"I guess it's not the craziest thing we've done," Natalie admitted with a small smile. She reached back to fix her ponytail. "It's going to be work, but it could be worth it." Jeremy looked a lot more skeptical. He let out a mutter of 'I'm not sure' before Foxy had his hook on his shoulder.
"Don't overthink it, Lad! It be the same 'ol thing we be doin' here. We can do it," Foxy insisted to the male. Though he may have been trying to convince himself as well. It would be a tremendous risk, but it could be his last time outside in quite some time. It seemed worth the moderate amount of risk. Jeremy gave what was almost a defeated nod of agreement.
"Then it's settled," Mike spoke and Foxy looked to him. His gaze landed back on the grip that the security guard had on his younger sibling. For a brief moment a flash of anger started to form. He fought the urge to verbally scold Mike on his hands' position, knowing good and well that nobody else could know what he did. He suppressed the emotions and ignored Jeremy's confused look when he noticed the fox's arm tensing. "We'll wrap up the week like it's going and figure out how to get everything up there."
Marionette turned back towards him, waiting until Foxy's constantly probing gaze was distracted, and reached up to grasp Mike's wrist. "I hope you know what you're getting into," the Puppet warned with amusement in his tone. The security guard was only amused by the statement.
"I have zero confidence in my decision, but no publicity is bad publicity. Not when we live in a town as small as this one." Mike paused after this comment. "…And no, the irony isn't lost on me."
This got a chime out of the Puppet and he tugged at the human's wrist. "Would you do me a favor?" Considering that he had just agreed to a performance without either of the animatronics' previous consent, he supposed that he owed that much, and leaned down a bit more. Marionette slide up out of the chair and leaned in to whisper, his hand moving up to cup Mike's other cheek and pulling him in. Mike glanced over at the others, realizing how odd this would look if anyone saw them. It was only by sheer luck that nobody was looking over.
"When we get home…" Marionette began, smiling just as sure as ever as he murmured lower. Either this was of dire importance or-.
"Call your mother."
Of course.
It was worth a shot. Even if the lyrics were questionable and Jeremy couldn't exactly sing- or didn't feel comfortable enough to sing- it was worth a try. By time he had gotten home, the house was eerily quiet. He glanced around before walking into the center of the living room and giving a timid call. "Daisy?"
Almost immediately, Daisy came bounding in, as happy as she usually was to see him. He knelt down and scooped her into his arms before intending to move to the couch. This short trek was interrupted when he noticed two more Minireenas entering the living room. While they kept their distance, Rose and Forget-Me-Not were clearly more interested than they usually were. He didn't know if it was because they were wearing some of Daisy's dresses or not, but something seemed different.
It was as though they were slightly, just slightly, starting to become more open to the idea of living here. It wasn't much, but it relieved him to no end. They still kept their distance as he sat down with Daisy on the couch.
"Baby taught me a song today," he explained to the Minireena. She didn't really react. "I think you'll like it, so I'm just… I'm going to sing to you." He didn't understand why he felt so nervous; they wouldn't judge his singing prowess. Yet he had always been a little self-conscience of his voice. Then again, Jeremy was self-conscious about a lot of aspects of who he was. Still, he was willing to do anything to get his house back.
"Why do you hide inside your walls?~" Jeremy began. Daisy flinched to attention, as did the other Minireenas. "When there is music in my halls.~" Rose and Forget-Me-Not looked to each other slowly. Jeremy couldn't tell if it was working, but it did get some sort of reaction. "It's so good to sing all day. To dance, to spin, to- Wait!" Midway through the verse, Daisy suddenly leapt from his lap and began a mad dash for the hallway. Looking over, Jeremy just caught the glimpse of Forget-Me-Not sprinting out of the room. Rose was already gone.
"Whoa, wait! Come back!" Jeremy called after them. Then he could only stare in shock at where they once had been. "I… I don't understand. I thought that was the song…"
"That was the song."
Jeremy choked and flinched back at the voice. Then he looked over the back of the couch and stared down at the short animatronic behind the couch. "W-What?"
"You're right, that was the song," the Magician voiced to the human. This was the first time he had ever willingly spoke to him. "But you've got it all wrong. Whatever you're doing."
"I-I thought- Baby taught me the song to sing to the Minireenas, to make them more comfortable," Jeremy awkwardly explained. He gave a sad sigh. "I just thought it would help."
"Not that song. Not anything around Ballora," the Magician forewarned. "Your friend doesn't think decisions through. These dolls may of followed Ballora, but they were afraid of what she became. Started out as an animatronic, turned into a monster, lost herself in the process." He suddenly broke into stiff laughter. "Ha ha ha! You could say that she fell apart! Ha ha ha!" It was as though the conversation abruptly dipped into uncomfortable territory. Or, at least, Jeremy suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Don't listen to Baby," the Magician forewarned. "Baby doesn't know what he's saying. Baby doesn't know what makes the Minireenas tick."
"And- And you do?" Jeremy inquired. It sounded as though he had made a terrible mistake. He didn't want to run the Minireenas off for good, especially not Daisy.
"Go find them," the Magician insisted. "They understand what you say when you speak." With that, Jeremy was off the couch and towards the bedroom. "And good luck! Ha ha ha!" he rattled out.
From the way his door was ajar, Jeremy suspected that at least one of the Minireenas had slipped into his bedroom. Most likely it was Daisy. He stepped into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. "Daisy?" He didn't dare to move in further until he knew he wouldn't startle her. "I'm sorry, Daisy. I thought that you'd like the song. I didn't even think…" He quieted down as the blankets were pushed upwards and a small figure crawled out from under the bed. "Oh Daisy…"
The little doll approached almost cautiously, but came to him none the less. Jeremy sat down on the floor with his back against the bedroom door, and watched as Daisy climbed into his arms. "I thought you missed Ballora," Jeremy said as he hugged her tighter against his chest. "I never thought I would scare you by singing her song." Daisy gave a tiny giggling noise, though it was slower and quieter than usual. She continued to curl into his arms and eagerly accepted his apology. To Jeremy's relief, he had managed to dodge a bullet.
It was by sheer luck that a second Minireena appeared out of its hiding spot beneath his dresser. It squeezed itself out and pattered over, coming to a stop in front of him and simply standing there watching. He recognized it as Forget-Me-Not and offered a hand out to her. The Minireena responded by taking a step back; it only wanted to observe. So, he let her.
Perhaps two or three minutes later, the final Minireena appeared from under the bed. This one was definitely Rose and its behavior showed this. It kept more crouched into itself as it crossed over, but then, instead of keeping its distance, it closed the final bit of space and joined Daisy in Jeremy's grasp. He was stunned; Rose had never gotten this close before. Forget-Me-Not hadn't really either, but she was keeping obvious distance. Somehow, they decided to get close even after hearing a song that left them so distraught.
This time, Jeremy decided to stay quiet. It worked like a charm.
The three-hour drive had been harder than Mike would've ever expected it to be. If he would've known a week ago that it would be so hot in the van, or that he would be wearing a long sleeve shirt the entire drive, he wouldn't have been so willing to agree to the job. It had been miserable.
To save gas, it was decided that they would just take the van, and because Fritz wasn't entirely well and Jeremy needed to tend to home matters, it was decided that Natalie would accompany Mike. Foxy and Marionette were in the back; nobody had any belief that Baby would join and it was probably better she didn't, considering the lack of space.
The week between the call and now was mostly uneventful. Baby had still yet to make her debut, the workdays had all been relatively similar, and his mother only called slightly less. For that gift there was a price, as not only did his mother now constantly ask him about Marionette, but she frequently requested to talk to Marionette, which the Puppet agreed to. Mike could see this building to be a problem in the distant future, but decided that it wasn't anything too serious for now. Not like the baking heat that somehow overtook the air conditioner.
By time they made it to the fair, it was about six o'clock and the temperature had only dropped slightly. There was more than enough time to spare with getting things set up and Natalie went to seek out the man Mike had spoken to on the phone- a mostly uninteresting man named Riley Sanders. She then helped Foxy out of the back of the van while Mike climbed into the back to get Marionette's cross. They had settled on attaching the cross to a pole and just pretending that he was being carried; with the Puppet's ability to hover it wasn't as though he would weigh anything.
"Wait," Marionette commanded before Mike could even begin to approach the deceptive mechanism. He immediately went for the face paints they brought. "Let me paint you before you leave."
"I can promise you that anything you put on my face is going to melt off," Mike warned as he rolled up his sleeves. The only striped shirt he was able to find that looked similar enough to the Puppet's stripes was clearly out-of-season wear. It felt a thread too thick and, again, the long sleeves were a nucience. Unfortunately, this is what he agreed to when he let himself get roped in as Marionette's puppeteer. The Puppet still seemed determined and Mike wiped off his face. "Let's just make this quick."
"Don't worry, I know exactly what I'm doing," Marionette assured as he opened the set of face paint. It wouldn't be the exact same paint he was used to, but it was a close enough difference. He pressed the small sponge into the white, greasy paste and began to apply. "You're going to look perfect," he assured, "and I would have nothing less for my puppeteer." He wouldn't lie; as disturbing as it would seem to willingly label someone in a place of control, Marionette got a giddy feeling every time that he titled his human into such a role.
"Just wondering, since we've never gone into it and you've been pretty vague," Mike began as he tried to mostly stay still, "were you ever assigned a puppeteer?"
"Oh please, nobody would work with me," Marionette pointed out with a chiming chuckle. "Nobody was given the role, but they couldn't even get anyone to watch the Prize Corner during the daytime. Finding a willing human to tend to me would've been impossible!"
"Someone had to do maintenance or repaint you once or twice," Mike pointed out. His curiosity bypassed how much he didn't want certain answers. He didn't really want to know about previous humans who poked around the animatronics; they already had enough baggage from Freddy's. He noticed Marionette going for the red. "I don't want any on my mouth. From the way this stuff smells, it'll probably rot my teeth if it gets too close."
"It's just for your cheeks then," Marionette patiently assured as he readied the brush. "But no. I required little maintenance and, while I barely remember being painted once or twice, I picked up the task of painting myself as soon as I could. To avoid the discomfort of having strange adults getting so close to me."
"I'm not strange enough to be barred?" Mike quipped a brow with a playful smile.
"You're right in the grey area," Marionette answered. "Right where I like it." The conversation briefly stopped as he continued to paint the red, then followed with the purple markings. Then he spoke again, "It's been so long since I've been to something like this. A carnival, an amusement park; I'll be honest, I would have probably agreed to anything to come, even against my better judgement." He removed the brush and set it aside. "But the thrill- I'm going to lose myself in it again, and I love it."
"And that's why you have a puppeteer. So you don't get too lost," Mike remarked. He then leaned into the front to check his reflection. He was surprised at how well it turned out. "You did great. I think this is the closest I'm getting to looking like you." Marionette looked pleased with his work and kept his gaze on the other as he opened the back of the van and got out. Foxy was standing nearby, staring blankly ahead, pretending to be a normal animatronic in a sort of resting mode. It was believable enough.
Mike dragged out the pole and quickly set the frame up. Then he reached for the cross, "Are you ready?" The Puppet gave an agreeing nod, now reluctant to speak with the door open, and slipped out of the van. As soon as his strings were weaved into the cross, Mike shut the van doors and brought both puppet and pole over to the others. He didn't have confidence in the pole staying upright with any weight, even with an adequate base, so he would have to keep his hands on it. It didn't help that the small wheels on the base were struggling over the grass beneath them.
"The sooner the better, really," Natalie awkwardly insisted before noticing the other human. "Oh, hey, here's Mike. This is who you talked to on the phone. Mike, we were just talking about when we should go on." She then sent him a much more obvious look. "Before Chipper goes on."
"Chipper's is here?" He could already foresee what disaster that would be. Chipper's wasn't exactly competition, but he could see any audience losing all faith after two minute of watching broken animatronics with parts falling off. They couldn't risk that sort of disappointment… Besides, he didn't want to stick around for the show. "We've already got everything together. We can go on now."
"Huh. You're sure?... Well, okay," the man, clearly Riley from the familiar sound of his voice, agreed. "We're not starting the live entertainment for another twenty minutes, but if you want to get your bots on the stage then you're welcome to. Doesn't look like you brought as much as Chipper's."
"Course not. Chipper's…" Mike bit back his remark as soon as he remembered exactly how indebt they were to the fellow establishment. "-got way more characters than we do. These two can handle it."
"Do you usually dress like that, or is this a special occasion?" Riley asked in a surprisingly straight tone considering that Mike assumed it was a joke. Or he hoped it was a joke.
"I'm contractually obligated to match my mime," Mike flatly quipped back. "If I don't, it's fifty lashes on the ass."
"For goodness sake!" Natalie blurted out as her hand landed squarely on her own face. "Keep those kind of jokes for people who know to ignore you." That being said, he saw the amused smile that she was trying to cover. Though both Marionette and Foxy were now obviously staring. Riley didn't notice; he laughed, he finished up, and he left to attend to other matters. It was about what they had expected for his guidance. Though with him gone, Natalie changed the conversation, "Why would Chipper's be here?"
"Same reason we are. Glenn made it clear that Chipper's was wobbling on its last legs, so it's looking for a bit of popularity," Mike pointed out. "…And if we don't go on before them then we'll get some obvious comparisons."
"Then we should get this over with… Before someone literally cracks the whip," she added in, sending him a look. Mike returned with a smirk of amusement, but decided pointedly to say nothing. "Come on, Foxy. We'll get you where you need to go." She took his arm and Foxy shuffled stiffly beside her. Both humans had to admit that Foxy played his roll well and was clearly on his guard. Marionette was also completely still, watching everything with a silent smile. It was fortunate that they faked lifelessness so well.
It wasn't until they moved onto the stage- out from the sanctuary of the behind the stalls staff only area- that the sheer amount of fairgoers could truly be seen. This was the first show of the evening and still the folded chairs laid out before the stage were packed with waiting guests. Most of them looked exhausted; Mike could imagine them wandering the fairground in these heat for hours and only stopping for the show to get a rest. There were plenty of children at least. Children were easier to please.
For a split second, Mike felt his heart begin to pound. His vision briefly tunneled, but it was only for a second as he quickly put his back to the crowd and instead turned his full attention on Marionette. The Puppet was still just as still as before, but Mike felt a little more comfortable with his attention aimed on him.
"Yar! Welcome to the show, ladies and landlubbers!"
And there was Foxy, who knew very well that he wasn't supposed to be 'on' and yet was beginning the performance anyway. Mike's head snapped over to look at the animatronic, who was now moving in stiff, realistically animatronic movements. "Foxy," he whispered over.
"We be glad to dock in yer port after such a mighty voyage across the lands," Foxy explained as he waved a hook at the audience.
"Foxy," Mike whispered sharper. "We aren't supposed to be on yet."
"See a lot of strappin' young kids!" He raised his hand above his eyes as though peering out. "Ye could be a fine crew!" The children were looking excited and Mike looked back off the stage at Natalie who gave a shrug of confusion. Neither knew if Riley would fly in and have a fit about them starting early or not. "…Tis a shame that ol' Foxy not be puttin' on a show tonight. It ain't my night." Some of the children gave confused noises and Foxy nodded. "It be so, kids. It ain't my night…"
For a split second, Mike actually realized that he was leading into something, but this was interrupted by Foxy breaking into song.
"Don't want a struggle, don't want a fight, don't want a scene, but it ain't my night,~" Foxy began with a contrastingly jovial tone. "Close the curtains and pull down the blinds; someone's putting on a show, but it ain't mine! Sorry fellows and girls alike, would love to see ya, but tonight just ain't my night.~" Either Foxy somehow was able to spontaneously create lyrics or this was yet another song that used to be a part of Freddy's songlist. Before he could even ask, Marionette sprung to life beside him, breaking into a spin. Mike grabbed the pole to brace it; apparently this was happening now.
"Foxy, Foxy, don't be shy,~" Marionette chimed in contrast. "Come and sing with us tonight!~"
"Sorry, Lad, but I made up my mind!~" Foxy contrasted, wandering closer to the edge of the stage. "Beg and plead, but ya ain't in the right!~"
Mike realized that there was no stopping the two. All he could do was hold the pole, give the illusion that he had some sort of control on the puppet, and hope that Riley wouldn't throw a fit and dock their promised pay. Thankfully, playing the puppeteer was an easy job when Marionette did everything on his own. While the song was about as cheesy as could be, there was a charm to the performance, especially when being so close. From this angle, he could see all the eager children, could tell how excited the animatronics were, and he was starting to understand.
Once the song came to a close, Foxy took ahold of the show again and it was obvious that he didn't intend to stop. He could care less what Riley had planned and, considering the situation, Mike and Natalie didn't have the means to stopping him. "Ah, what a good crew we got 'ere, Mari! All these lil swashbucklers in the makin'!"Foxy praised as he knelt down to look closer at the children. The ones closest to him, the younger ones, began to vocalize questions and comments. Already they were eating out of his hand.
Meanwhile, Marionette turned his head just slightly in Mike's direction. Without a word, he raised and offered his hand, as though wanting Mike's own. The security guard glanced over towards the audience; most were focused on Foxy and only one or two were looking at them. So, he went through with it, intending to briefly take the Puppet's hand and then drawing back. Marionette clutched his hand tightly, unwilling to let go and, beneath such a perfectly put together exterior, it felt unyieldingly desperate.
"You're doing fine," Mike whispered. He turned his head to shield his mouth from any prying eyes. "Don't freeze up. You got this. You're doing great." He held the base securely with his shoe and removed his hand from the pole, instead moving it to Marionette's back. He leaned just a bit closer and continued to whisper to him. "It's just like at the pizzeria. They're just new kids."
"So many eyes…" Marionette's voice wavered with an out of tune cracking. "I can barely stand it."
"Don't think about it. That'll just make it worse," Mike encouraged him. "And they're looking at Foxy too. He's got their attention right now, okay? Just relax." Marionette's hand softened its grip and he seemed to relax just a small bit. "Just remember that I'm not going anywhere. I'm right beside you and I'm not going anywhere… Because I'd look insane being dressed like this without you." This got a chime, then a low warble, and then was abruptly cut off by Foxy's attention being sent towards his sibling, now with a new song suggestion.
And suddenly Mike knew how important his task as a puppeteer was and why Marionette had been pushing for him to take the role. He needed him, and Mike was ready to oblige.
The show went smoothly from then on. After six more songs and a few moments of intermission between each, it finally ended and they could leave the stage. Which was a relief to Mike, who had begun to grow stiff standing in one spot for what was nearly an hour. After loading Foxy into the back of the van, Mike and Marionette were stuck waiting for Natalie to find Riley for payment. They had a somewhat obscured view of the stage and could see right when Chipper and a few others were loaded onto the stage.
"I'm sure they've done repairs since we last saw the show," Marionette remarked quietly. While they were secluded from the fairgoers, he still didn't dare raise his voice above a whisper. "They could be a form of competition in the future."
"Did you see how that bird's beak was flapping while they carried it out of their truck? They're just as loose as when we last saw them. I guarantee it," Mike quipped as he leaned against the van. "It's almost a shame we won't get to watch the show." It was a joke, of course. He had absolutely no urge to ever watch Chipper or the others again. Not after their nearly murderous rampage. "…Though at the rate we're going, we'll probably still be here after they leave."
He had no doubt that Natalie was having a hard time getting ahold of someone who was capable of paying. It was worth the wait, he supposed; he was certainly not planning on driving back up for the payment. This meant this drug out period of waiting with virtually nothing to do. It didn't help that the smell of fair food, probably from the audience of the show, was starting to get to him.
"I'm going to go find a concession stand. You can keep an eye out for Natalie," Mike abruptly spoke. He then started to sift through his pockets for his wallet. "Hopefully I'll find something that's only been fried once."
"Don't be gone too long," Marionette forewarned as he moved to the back of the van, guiding his 'stand' with him and starting to unweave his strings from his cross.
"Unless you want to come with me?" The offer was equally sudden and for a moment Marionette just stopped midway through what he was doing. He considered the idea, but then shook his head.
"It's not safe, but I appreciate the offer regardless." He continued to unwind himself. Mike wasn't as ready to give in.
"Come on, I'm going to look weird if I walk around like this and don't have you with me. At least with the both of us they can buy that I'm some sort of performer," Mike pressed. Then he decided to change tactics. "Besides, you were the one bringing up how exciting it would be." He reached forward and laid his hands on Marionette's shoulders, trailing along the strings. "Think about it; nobody will know that less than a few feet away is a living animatronic. All we'd have to do is play the role. What's more exciting than that?"
Maybe Mike was getting a little too into the danger of the situation. Indeed, if they got caught they would be in serious hot water, but if they weren't, if they could hold their own, then they would have that cheap thrill that Mike sought out. "What do you say? I'll win you a bear or something."
"…And Foxy?" Marionette inquired, peering in at his brother. Foxy looked mostly limp in the spot behind the driver's seat, so it seemed like he was sleeping or had somehow shut himself down.
"He'll be fine. I'll lock the door and we'll be back before Natalie gets here," Mike pointed out. He then shot a look over at the stage and noticed Chipper's son flailing its arms. He couldn't tell if it was part of the show or yet another glitch. "It's either that or standing here watching Chipper and co have a seizure."
After a few moments of thought, Marionette slowly closed the van door shut. "Then lead the way!"
Mable: A weird spot to end, I know, but it felt like a good stopping point. ^-^ Because the next chapter is already thoroughly planned, down to the smallest detail, I'm hoping that I will be able to finish and post it in exactly seven days. I think I might just go back to every seven days instead of every Saturday, just until I can get myself back on track with Saturday. I know it's frustrating to have an unknown schedule, but trust me, the results will come out better. I think I learned that the hard way. XD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!