NOTES
Had a surprise day to myself. Used the time to pump out another quick chapter.
Since this chapter was so off of a whim, I did just kinda wing it.. Originally, this chapter was supposed to be another series of short stories like a couple previous chapters. It did not turn out that way.
It'll be a couple days till the next chapter, like usual; but as a result the chapter will also be pre-thought out and 'outlined' as opposed to this one.
Alrighty, enjoy.
Eve
My footsteps clack and echo off of the cement walls, offering me little company but allowing me to be confident of my surroundings.
Extremely rarely, a small bit of muscle memory from the years prior resurface down here, but only in areas as quiet as this one. Thankfully, the muscle memory in this case includes things like flickering my flashlight down a hallway or checking areas to my right and left repeatedly. You know, as opposed to crushing something in my hand like an ape.
Finally, a sound other than my footsteps can be heard a distance away; the sound of the endoskeletons marching around, doing whatever it is they like to do at night.
The closer I get, the more distinct the noises they make are. Though a couple out of place footsteps start emanating from behind me, as opposed to in front.
I walk a bit more before eventually turning around to acknowledge whoever's approaching from behind.
...
Two distinct footsteps.. One is heavy and metallic, incredibly similar to an endoskeleton's.. And the other..
Chica.
As two figures round from a dark corner, I confirm my assessment. Chica's having a little difficulty seeing in the dark, but the indifferent endoskeleton she's with is pointing towards me with certainty. Chica must've asked them for help in finding me.
Sure enough, Chica follows the endo's outstretched arm and spots me on the other end of the room.
I had my flashlight off at the moment, since I prefer to let my eyes adjust to the dark instead of relying on a beam of light to guide me, but for Chica's sake I click it back on.
"Mikey! There you are!" Chica chirps. "Thank you!" She turns to the endoskeleton guide and shakes their outstretched arm. The endo replies with a nod and starts wandering off in another direction.
"Hey. You came all the way down here to find me?"
"Yeah. It's okay! The metal guys here are super nice!"
Chica's noticeably restraining herself from being too excited or talking too loud. I'd assume for no other reason than it's calm and quiet down here, so much so that talking in a normal conversation volume would seem jarring.
"No emergency or anything, right?"
"Nope. Freddy just told me something interesting!" The bird explains, positioning herself to my right. The two of us set off in the direction I was headed originally. Suppose Chica's tagging along this time around.
"What's that?"
"Freddy said you worked at the old Fazbear places, Like this one!"
My eyebrows lift a bit. I had almost forgotten that Freddy knew. Wish I had a bit more time to prepare for this conversation.
"..Right. I worked at the old places, but none of them were like this one."
"No?"
"No. They were a lot smaller, and didn't have much going on with them except the animatronics themselves."
"Animatronics like Freddy?"
"Yeah."
"Were they nice?"
...
"I couldn't really talk to them like I can to you."
"Aww." Chica looks forward. The two of us are walking into the entrance to the endoskeleton exhibit as we speak. "Didja like them anyway?"
"They were alright."
"Ooh! If there was a Freddy, does that mean there was another Chica too?" Chica's voice raises a bit, and a few endoskeleton's heads turn. I wave, they wave back, and everyone keeps doing what they were doing.
"There was. She was yellow though, instead of white like you are."
Chica hops a bit.
"Yay! What was I like!?"
I motion for her to calm down a tad, and she quickly simmers down, though still eagerly awaiting my response.
"I wouldn't say you two were the same person at all. The old Chica was hardly more than a piece of metal, to be honest."
"Aw, but all robots are metal! What did they have that made them 'hardly more'?'
...
I have a feeling I might be knee deep in another one of my episodes by the time I manage to scratch my way out of this conversation.
"Nothing anymore. They're all broken and gone."
Chica's excitement dies a little bit, but it seems like she was expecting this.
"Mm.. Freddy said the same thing. Why couldn't we fix them? We could make new friends."
"With any luck, they're gone forever. It'd be impossible to rebuild them without creating entirely new animatronics." I explain casually, trying to veer the conversation away from this topic.
...
"With any luck?" Chica wonders out loud
Bad choice of words, Mike.
"Sorry, slip of the tongue."
"You didn't like them?" Chica insists, curiosity growing insatiable.
"I didn't dislike them, it's just.. I don't know how to explain it. I don't mean this in a bad way, but I'm happy they're gone, yes."
"Why?"
...
"They had something that didn't belong to them."
Mike, are you insane?
"They had something?"
"Sorry, Chica. Can we talk about something else?"
"Oh! Of course, I'm sorry!"
"No reason to be sorry, I'm just tired of talking about them like that."
"Okay! We can do something else then! Like, umm..!"
Chica takes a while to think of a different topic.
"Was there another Monty, too?"
Sigh.
"No. Monty didn't exist in any of the old places."
"Wow! How come?"
"I'm not sure. Does the name Bonnie sound familiar?"
"Uhm.. A little bit?"
"Bonnie was the animatronic that Monty replaced in the lineup."
"Oh. Was he a bunny?"
"Yep. Nicely done."
Chica glows in response to the praise.
"How 'bout Roxy?"
"Mm.. Well, no: Roxanne Wolf wasn't a thing until this Pizzaplex, but there used to be a similar character named Foxy."
"Ooh, was she a wolf too?"
"Foxy was a boy, and Foxy was.. A fox.."
"A fox?"
"..Do you know what a fox is?"
"I dunno. Remind me!"
"They're kind of like small red wolves. They act kind of like a constantly excited and.. 'loud' dog."
"Mm!" Chica hums, satisfied that she learned something new. I guess I've never seen a real fox in the wild either, so Chica doesn't have much excuse to know about them.
...
The two of us walk in silence for a while. Chica's messing with her hands, lost in thought about the things she learned today.
"Didja have a favorite?"
"A favorite?"
"Was Chica your favorite!?"
"Oh.. I'm not really sure. I guess I was a pretty big fan of Foxy for a while."
"Mm! That makes sense, 'cause you and Roxy get along really good!"
"Hadn't thought about it that way."
...
As the two of us reach the final room of the endo attraction, Chica puts her hand up to her chin.
"How many old places were there?"
"I'm not sure; a lot. The original Freddy gang had 3 locations they existed in, technically. But they were only the main attraction for one of them."
"You worked at 'em all?"
"Only one of them. The one that Freddy was the star of."
"Freddy made it sound like you worked at a bunch of them!"
"There were more. A sister location, and.." My sentence drags off as I realize that I might not want to talk about the other two places I haven't mentioned yet. "..A couple more."
"..Like what?" Chica asks innocently, unaware of the situation I'm trying to avoid.
"Nothing special. Neither of them were open very long."
"But Freddy said there was a scary one! Didja work at that one too?"
Fuck... Sigh.
"Yes, but that one wasn't really a Fazbear location. It was mostly just props gathered in a building. Freddy wasn't really even there."
"A Freddy's without Freddy?"
"Mhm."
"Then who?"
It's like she knows what she's doing.
"Is Trudge not here today?"
" 'Course not! We're closed 'till Christmas is over, remember?"
"Right. I'm surprised he still didn't show up just to be here, though."
Chica shakes her head.
"He said his parents wouldn't let him."
"...His 'parents' wouldn't let him?"
"I dunno, that's what he said!"
"Trudge isn't living on his own?"
"He is! Trudge is living in a apartment-thingie nearby!"
"His parents must really be into the holidays, then. Weird how his parents still have control over him after he moved out."
"I don't think it's weird! He probably just loves them, so he obeys! Like good children!"
"..I guess I wouldn't know. I'll take your word for it, then."
"Of course you'd know! Remember when your parents would so something like-?"
"You wanted to know about the animatronic in Fazbears Fright, didn't you?"
Damn it. Tried to change the subject off my parents off a whim, and it cycled me right back into talking about my father.
"Oh.. Sure! Who was it?"
...
"It was another bunny, different than Bonnie. He and a bear different than Freddy used to be the stars of Fazbears Family Diner, which was the first place."
"Cool! Was he nice?"
"I couldn't talk to him like I talk to you either. I was young when he was in working order, so I don't remember much."
It helps to think about the Spring Bonnie I knew back when I was a kid, instead of the abomination in Fazbears Fright. It even makes me feel a bit like a kid again.
"Mkay.. How old were you when you met him in the scary place?"
"Considerably older than I was when I saw him at the diner. Only a year or two ago, actually."
"Only a little bit ago?"
"Yeah."
Chica glances at me with concern.
"Was the bunny okay? After all that time?"
"..Not really. He was about as busted as they come. Just like everything else in that place."
"What!? How come no one fixed him!?"
"..People forgot about him, I guess. He was trapped in a room alone almost the entire time between when we met for the first and second time."
"Oh nooo! That's terrible!"
"It's alright. He wasn't awake for most of his the time in there."
"That's not alright! What if he got bored from being in there so long!?"
He deserved worse than getting 'bored'.
...I gotta stop thinking about this.
"He was fine. Can we talk about something else again?"
"Oh..! Again?"
"Yeah."
"Didja not like working there?"
"Not really. The building burnt down only a little while after I started working there, so it wasn't too much of an issue."
Chica apparently thinks it was.
"It caught on fire? What happened?"
...
"Mike?"
"It's not that important."
"I think it is! What happened to the bunny?"
...
"He made it out."
"Oh thank goodness! You scared me-, you shoulda told me that first!" Chica scolds. "You never told me you were in a fire!"
"I wasn't in that fire. I was standing outside."
"Well still! Fires are dangerous!"
"I know. Can we talk about something else now?"
"Alright, fiiine.. Umm.."
Getting pretty tired of talking in general.. But I'm afraid if I stop, I'll start wallowing in self pity like I usually do when I think about this stuff for too long.
...
"Oh hey.. Didja, um.. Didja work at any different places?"
"Nope. I've only ever worked at a Freddy's location my entire life. 'Been part of the Fazbear family since birth." I respond, making myself chuckle softly.
"So then you got hurt at one of them?"
"..What do you mean?"
Chica points at me like that's at all supposed to help me figure out what she's talking about.
...Oh. Nevermind. She's pointing at my torso in specific.. Uh oh.
"You said you hurt your tummy at a old job, right? It happen at Freddy's Family whatever?"
"No, not there."
Forgot she knows about the scar.. I still have plenty of control over what I'm able to prevent her from discovering, but I've already confirmed that I was injured at a Freddy's location.
"Was it the scary one? During the fire?"
"No, I said I wasn't in that fire."
"Sister-place or something?"
"Can we talk about something-?"
"Aw Mike-, come oooon!" Chica loud whine echoes through the cement hallway we're in. She's getting pretty tired of my reluctance to finish talking about anything. "We 'are' talking about something else! I came all the way down here to talk to you about Freddy's!"
"I know, but.."
"I promise! I promise if I can ask a little more, then I won't ask you for anything ever again!"
What are you, twelve?
"Chica."
"Mikey!" She responds defiantly.
...
"Just a couple more. But you've gotta give me a break before we talk about this again."
"Okay! That's okay! Alright, umm..!"
"..Why do you want to know so bad? What are you gonna do with this information?" I lightly joke.
" 'Cause I know everything 'bout everyone! But it feels like I don't know anything 'bout you!"
"You know plenty about me, just not my job history."
"Then I wanna know your job history!"
"That's.."
"Nope! You said I get to ask something already, no takesies backsies!"
Haven't heard 'takesies backsies' spoken unironically in a while.
"Fine, but hurry. We're gonna be done here pretty soon."
"Okay!... So how'd you get hurt then?"
"I got too close to a machine I knew was dangerous, and the machine went off."
"Oh! Like your arm?"
"Kind of like how I lost my arm, yeah."
"Was it another chompy?"
"It wasn't another chompy."
"Was it a crunchy?"
"A 'crunchy'? Did you just make that up?"
"...No."
"You get five more questions."
"That's enough!"
Chica thinks hard as we ascend the staircase.
"Mmmmm... Was it at the Sister-place?"
"It was."
"Were 'ya trying to use the machine?"
"Not really. I definitely wasn't trying to injure myself."
"Then what 'were' ya doin', then?"
"...I'm.. Not really sure.. I wasn't really 'trying' to do anything in specific. I guess my goal was to figure out how to do something entirely unrelated.. Or what I thought was unrelated."
"Mmkay.. How many questions is that?"
"Four, including that one."
"..Wh-? Nuh-uh! That doesn't count!"
"It absolutely does."
Dick move, maybe. But I feel like I'm about to burst.
"Fine! Then..! Um.."
"Last question, make it count." I lightly tease, trying to reassure myself in the process.
"I know! Lemme think.."
And think Chica does. The two of us wander around the Pizzaplex for minutes in silence until the auditorium is within reach. I'm not sure why I think the auditorium will save me, but I need something to hold onto.
"..Okay! Mike!"
"Mhm?"
"Why did it make you purple?"
Oh right. I told her it was the scar that made me purple, which is only really half-true. The same thing that gave me the scar ended up making me purple as well, I guess. Whatever, this should be an easy one.
...
...
"Mikey?"
...
Shit.. How do I..?
I can't think of a good answer. I'm not sure if it's even possible.
No matter how you look at it, the reason I'm purple is because I'm a corpse. No matter how I describe the process to Chica, that remains true.
"..Mikey, are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm just thinking.."
...
...Damn it! What in the world am I supposed to tell her!? I want to respond with something like 'when the machine hit me, my skin changed pigment', but that doesn't answer a damn thing. Chica knows that already, that's why she's asking this question!
"Mike, are you sure you're okay..? You don't look very.."
Shoot. My expression must've been reflecting the stress I was feeling. Worry and uncertainly has consumed her mannerisms.
"I'm alright, I'm just.."
...
"It's okay, Mike. You don't have to answer this one if you don't want too anymore."
"Nah, I told you I'd let you ask 5 questions, I'm just.. struggling to figure out an answer for that one."
"No- it's okay!" Chica takes a few quick steps and stops in front of me, grabbing my both of my arms reassuringly. "I shoulda listened when you said you didn't like talkin' about it!"
"I promised you I'd-"
"You don't gotta anymore! I understand, okay?"
Chica's incredibly good with upset children. Her warm expression and comforting tone are obviously well practiced, and I can hear it in her voice now.
"...I, um. Don't like breaking promises.."
"You didn't! I'll ask a different question!"
"..Alright." I give in.
"What's your favorite food?"
"That's not a question about-"
"It don't gotta be! Just tell me what your favorite food is!"
Chica obviously has no ill intention, but she's making me feel like a child. Emasculating, I guess.
"..Not really sure, then. I don't think about it very often.. I like pizza, but I have that a lot, so maybe something like.." I lift my gaze upward a bit to recall all the foods I've had. When I was younger, pizza was definitely a favorite; but due to having it so frequently, I'm kind of indifferent to it now. "Maybe like a good Chicken Alfredo? I was really into pasta as a kid."
For a second I think I've stumbled over a sensitive area since Chica's a chicken, but quickly realize that thought is incredibly stupid.
"Perfect!" Chica releases my arms and folds them neatly in front of her. "That wasn't so bad, right?"
"Chica, I don't know if that was fair for-"
"Nuh-uh!" Chica quickly clasps a wing over my mouth. "You did what you promised, so don't think about it anymore!"
I stand there and wait for the wing to leave my face before speaking.
"Alright.."
"You okay?"
"I'm fine, Chica. I just couldn't think of an answer."
"Great!" Chica claps to herself proudly. "I'll stop buggin' ya then! Thanks for the talk, Mike!"
Before I can utter out that she wasn't bugging me, the avian is already halfway through the auditorium.
...
...
Can't say I'm incredibly happy with how that interaction turned out.. I've got the events of the past on my mind, and now I feel like I cheated Chica out of a promise.
Sigh.
Whatever, at least I'm done walking around for the night. Maybe I can get it off my mind if I work on that story of mine a little more.
The door to the animatronic's corridor slides open, and I'm let inside. I've already run to my office and grabbed my laptop, but.. I don't have high hopes.
I try focusing on the clacks of my footsteps as I traverse the length of the corridor, unintentionally lowering my gaze to look at the floor.
...Ugh.
I wish I could just.. 'Stop' thinking sometimes. Turn my brain off for a while and let whatever I was thinking about fade off into nothing.
Unless there's some wacky invention of my father's down in his cellar, there isn't much chance of that happening.
..My father really was trapped in that spring bonnie suit alone in that room for literal years. The room had no windows either, so once it was boarded off, there was no light whatsoever. I'm not at all proud to admit it, but I feel a little bad..
He deserves absolutely no empathy, especially not from me or any of the others he's hurt.. But even the children he killed had 'some' ability to roam and work at night. Even if their objective was something as horrible as 'kill the nightguard', it was still something for them to 'do'.. There WASN'T anything for my father to do. As far as I'm aware, none of the souls were capable of sleeping in their machines either. Just imagine that. You wake up in a suit, and it hurts too much to move. You can't see anything or feel anything.
I might've lost my mind in a 'day'. Father waited a day, then another, then another, then another.. Literal years of being forced to stay awake, in constant pain, with absolutely 'nothing'.
...
I want to say he didn't deserve something as horrible as that, but.. He just might've. He didn't even stop there. As soon as he was found and put in Fazbear Frights, he was immediately out for blood again. My blood, I guess, so maybe that's a little more reasonable but..
- bonk -
Ow, whoops.. What did I just run into..?
"Nice goin', dumbass."
"Roxy?"
"What's up with you?"
Only when trying to get a look at her do I realize my vision is hazy. I can't believe I went so far without realizing that I needed to rub my eyes.
"Sorry. Wasn't looking where I was going."
Roxanne fully turns around to face me and crosses her arms.
"It's fine. Where have you been?"
"Doing my job. Did you need something?"
Roxanne taps on her cheek.
...
I dunno what that means..
"I dunno what that means."
"You didn't put the 'scar' back on while I was putting your face on, moron."
"Oh. I'm sorry. I've been zoned out for like, 80% of the day."
Roxy 'hmphs'.
"That's a step up from the normal amount."
"Yep."
I shuffle around in my pockets a bit.
"...Think I left the marker in your room.."
"Let's go, then."
Roxy immediately turns and walks in the direction of her room.. Honestly, I was hoping to be alone for a little while, but good luck trying to convince Roxy of anything other than what she has planned.
Begrudgingly, my feet carry me to her door.
"Here."
Just as I take my first step into the room, Roxanne is shoving a pen towards me.
"..This one isn't mine."
"It'll do."
"It isn't purple like mine is, if that's alright."
A small snicker escapes her snout.
"Good. I'm pretty sick of that color anyway." Roxy responds, taking a small jab at me.
I take the pen she's holding and uncap it, unenthusiastically drawing a small line on her cheek.
"There."
Rather than an immediate snarky response, Roxy is silent for a moment.
...
"You alright, Rox?"
Shifting my gaze up to her face, she raises an eyebrow.
" 'I'm' fine."
"You seem a little grumpy today." I mention flatly, expecting a bit of an intense reaction from the wolf. It doesn't come, however.
"Yes, Mike. I'm fine.. Alright, I'm sorry if I'm a bit of a bitch today; still workin' through yesterday." She explains stoically, referring to the Christmas performance. "But what the hell is 'your' problem?"
"Mine?"
Roxy bends down a bit and pokes my chest.
" 'Yours'. Where's your sarcasm and pathetic jokes?"
"Mm.. Sorry, not very energetic I guess. It's been a rough night."
Roxanne stands in place to comprehend what I just said.
"..It's been what?" Roxy leans back up a bit, apparently barely able to grasp the concept that I can have rough days as well.
"A little rough. I'm just tired."
...
"You mean, like.. You had a bad day?"
Is it really that damn difficult to comprehend?
...
...Sorry. That was a little mean. I must be more tired than I thought.
"I guess so. Nothing serious, just wish some things went differently tonight." I scratch the back of my head. "I'm sure I'll forget all about it tomorrow."
Roxy stands back upright and unfolds her arms, letting them fall to her sides.
"What happened?"
"Nothing important."
"Nope, Mike. What happened?"
"..Nothing that you need to-"
Roxy interrupts me with her glare alone and points at me.
"No! If you get to annoy me to high hell until you make me share my dumbass issues, I get to do the same!" She brings her finger back and rests her fist on her hip. "Tell me."
"..Um.. It's not something you can really help with, y'know?"
"Don't care."
"But-"
"Mike." Roxy reaches down and grabs me by the upper part of my shirt. "You are not leaving here until you tell me what the hell your problem is."
"You should teach a class on comforting people." I lightly jab, using my hand to remove her aggressive grip on my shirt.
"Mike!"
"Fine, fine." I take a small breath and figure out what I want to say. "Chica and I were talking and it brought up some unpleasant thoughts. That's it."
Roxy continues to glare at me, figuring out what I'm saying.
" 'Chica' made you upset?" She asks with a sudden hint of annoyance directed toward the chicken in question.
"No, don't worry. I made myself upset, Chica didn't do anything wrong."
...
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Rox. Chica's good."
"Fine."
Roxy finally releases my shirt and stands back upright, looking down at me with an emotion I'm not entirely sure of. Genuine interest is in there somewhere, which is flattering.
"Thanks for the concern, but I'm alright. Just need a little rest and I'll be fine."
She grumbles.
"How come you always get to help when I'm the one having an episode?"
"Luck, I guess. There isn't much you can do this time around, though.
Roxy scoffs as if I was testing her ability.
"Mike, of course I can help."
"Uh-huh."
"I can!"
"Well if you think of something, I'll listen. Imma head back out to the corridor, if that's alright."
"Wait." Roxanne calls out to me before I can even turn around fully. I look at her over my shoulder, and for the briefest moment I can see real concern as she reaches out to me, unclouded by any of her other normal emotions. Of course, as soon as she notices I'm looking again, her expression returns to normal.
A little touched, I stand in place for an extra second.
I'm really not trying to be rude, but I'm tired. Want nothing more than to just rot in the corridor for a while until I feel fine again.
My posture indicates that I'm listening, but also that if she doesn't come up with something soon, I'm leaving.
The fae catches on, and we just kinda informally stare at each other while she conjures up an idea.
"Rox, it's alright. I'll just be right outside the door."
"No, just.. Here."
I watch as the wolf takes a couple steps across her room, then unbelievably, sits down on the floor. With her back resting against her desk.
Soon after, in direct contrast to how Roxanne likes to act every other moment of her life, she raises her arms up towards me, beckoning me closer.
...
I can barely comprehend what I'm looking at right now. Apparently I look like it too, 'cause Roxy is quick to comment.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"..What the hell am ''I'' doing?"
"Come here!"
I don't know how to respond. I'm not sure she even realizes what she's doing right now.
...
"You want me to..?"
"Yes! We've done it before, if you've forgotten already."
"Yeah but.. I'm usually the one who's sitting and holding 'you', right?"
The wolf grimaces slightly and a tint of pink appears on the top of her snout.
"Stop thinking about it so much, just come here!" She beckons me to come closer again.
...
"Why would I..?"
Roxy growls under her breath.
"Holy shit Mike-, 'cause it makes me feel good when you do it, alright?! So it'll make you feel better too!"
"O-Oh.."
...
Usually when something like this happens I just shrug play along. If it'll make Rox happy, then I don't really mind doing it. No reason not to, right? But for some reason, there's an unfamiliar feeling preventing me from doing as she asks.
...
"Come! Here!"
"Hold on, I'm.."
"The more you think about it, the worse it's gonna be for both of us Mike!"
"I-I'm trying! It's just..!"
"What the hell do you mean you're 'trying'?! If you were trying, you'd be in my arms already!"
"D-Don't say it like that!"
I almost can't believe that last sentence came out of MY mouth. Rox must've found it jarring too, since she hasn't responded yet.
The two of us continue to have our outlandish stand-off when I simply can't maintain eye contact anymore. It's as I turn my head that I recognize what the hell's happening to me.
I'm embarrassed.
Logically, it isn't strange at all for me to feel this way. It makes sense. The situation I'm in is an weird one. But I haven't felt actual embarrassment in literal years. I thought I 'couldn't' feel embarrassed anymore after running around as a purple freak for all that time!
The realization that I'm embarrassed only makes me doubly so.
Unfortunately, Roxanne seems to have noticed.
"Mike..?"
"..What?"
A smug grin forms on her snout.
"Are you actually blushing right now? Like for real?"
"I'm..?"
Roxy laughs gently.
"I can't believe it. Maybe you 'are' human after all."
"Of course I'm hu-.. You can't seriously be making fun of me for getting red right now are you?, look at yourself..!"
"I dunno. Who's the one tripping over their own words right now."
"I thought you said you were trying to make me feel better.." I grumble.
"I did, and I am. You could have just said you were scared of me, we could've avoided this whole thing." Roxy shrugs, not content to let me off this easy.
"Of.. course I'm not scared of you, why would I be?"
"You're not, huh?"
"No! Why would I-"
"Come here, then."
Roxanne once again extends her arms towards be and beckons.
Godammit. I know she's playing me, but it's working.. This damn confidence burst she got from seeing me like this is hard to work with.
"..Fine."
"Y'sure? Who says I don't bite?"
"When 'aren't' you biting?" I grumble as I lower to my knees in front of her.
"Last chance to back out, Mike."
Her cocky grin is getting to me..
"You're the one who insisted this happen.."
"And now it's happening, I win."
The two of us glare at each other with our respective shit eating grins and distrustful gazes. Both of us know the next move is the point of no return, so despite Roxy keeping up her cocky and confident expression, it's easy to see the pink spread further across her face.
...
At the peak of our staring contest, I finally give in and lean forward just enough to be within range of Roxy's outstretched arms.
...
- pompf -
My face collides with her stomach fur.
It took me too long to realize this, but Roxy still wears her regular show uniform casually, even on days she doesn't perform. The uniform does have a shockingly large midriff section between her two clothing pieces.
...
This really doesn't feel very special.. It's not even as intimate as I expected it to be. I tried wrapping my arms around her like she did me a couple nights ago, but it still doesn't feel very spectacular compared to something like a regular hug.
It'll make Roxy shut up for the time being, though. I'll just sit here for a second until I find my chance to go back into the corridor and be alone.. Not that I don't appreciate her trying to help, but clearly this isn't working the same for me as it did for h-
...
J-Jesus Christ.. That come out of nowhere..
I hadn't even noticed Roxy's arms weren't wrapped around me until it happened. It felt like the last piece of the puzzle was slid into place, and when it happened, holy shit.
The best way I can describe it was like a shockwave.. I've been hugged plenty of times, even multiple times just yesterday while Monty and Chica were in a good mood from the Christmas performance. But it's never felt like this before.
...
"I told you it wasn't so bad.." Roxanne's voice rings from above me.
...
I can't work up the motivation to respond, instead just staying put pressed up against her fur.
...
I guess I've been a little touch deprived over the years.. Over 'every' year. The occasional hug from an energetic co-worker or someone with different social norms than you isn't that uncommon of a feat. Because of that, I thought I had plenty of experience being hugged here and there. Not a master-hugger or anything, but thought I at least had a good idea how they 'felt'.
...Not true, it would seem. I've never been hugged out of anything but obligation before, and a lack of good parental figures didn't help.. The feeling does strongly resemble the fleeting comforting feeling I'd get when the roles were reversed back when my arm was severed, or even from last night.. But being on the receiving end is like experiencing that feeling a hundred times over, all at once.
...
"You feel better yet?" Her voice pierces my thoughts again.
...
"Yeah."
"Good. Ready to get off?"
"No."
...
"Oh.."
"Sorry."
"It's fine. Just.. Let me know, I guess.."
I want to joke about how she doesn't know how to act in these situations, but I'm reserving every bit of energy I can.
...
"You're warm."
"..C-Creep."
I didn't even feel myself saying that. That 'was' creepy to say.
"Sorry. Just thought it was weird." I lazily try to defend myself.
"Why would it be weird? Wolves have fur."
"Yeah, but you're.. Not a human. It's weird how you generate so much heat."
"Well you're weird for being a human that doesn't generate any heat."
"I don't?"
Roxy pauses to double check.
"..I guess you do a little bit.. But I thought you'd be warmer than this."
..Oh right. I'm a corpse.
"Mm."
...
...
I could sit like this forever.
...
"Mike, are you okay?" Roxy asks with an unusually worrisome tone.
"I'm fine. Why?"
"You're, um.. Holding on a little tight."
"Oh.." I guess I was. Wasn't trying to, but I'm feeling particularly 'not in control' at the moment. "Sorry, didn't mean too."
"..You sure you're fine?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you just saying that to shut me up?"
"I'm fine."
"Jeez.. Was I this damn clingy?"
"Am I still holding on too hard?"
"No, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hold on to you this long, and I was going through some deeper shit."
"We did this for at least ten minutes last time, and a little bit longer the first time. It hasn't even been that long yet."
Roxy doesn't respond right away.
"Mike?"
"Mm?"
"Are.. Are you telling me the truth? You're really fine?"
"Yes. I promise I'm fine. Why?"
"It's been almost an hour."
...
"..No it hasn't.."
"What?"
"If you want me off, you can just say so." I lightly joke, thinking that Roxy's just gotten uncomfortable.
"No, it's fine, I'm just saying that it's.."
Before Roxanne can finish her sentence, I take a hint and gather the strength to push myself off of her and sit upright.
...
"...Mike."
"Mhm?"
"It's been an hour. I'm serious."
I want to be skeptical, but it's rare that Roxanne talks in such a serious tone.
...
Holy shit.. Either that clock is way off, or it really has been an entire hour since I came in here.
"Oh.."
"See?"
"Yeah.. I'm sorry, I guess. It didn't feel like any time passed at all."
Roxanne shuffles her legs to sit criss-cross.
"Kept thinking you fell asleep, but you said responded every time I said somethin to you."
"I don't remember sleeping.. I thought I was talking with you for just about the entire time." I scratch the back of my head.
"You told me you went home to catch up on sleep during my Christmas show."
"I did, I slept almost the entire day."
"Then why the hell were you so tired? You even said so."
"I meant tired as in.. Fatigued, I guess. I didn't feel like sleeping at all."
...
Honestly, was expecting Roxanne to be a bit more embarrassed like she usually is when I finally got up.. But if an entire hour has passed, I guess she had plenty of time to get over it.
"That's a little scary, Mike." Roxy raises an eyebrow and leans backwards to use the desk to support her weight.
"I'm fine. I just lost track of time."
"You 'lost track of time'? For a whole damn hour?"
"..I'm not sure what happened. But I promise, I'm fine."
Roxanne continues to glare at me from the side uncertainly, but sighs and closes her eyes after a while.
"Whatever.."
The sudden apathy in her voice gets a chuckle out of me.
"What kind of answer were you hoping for? 'I'm dying, and only you can help me'?"
"One that gives me something to think about for the next couple of days."
"That's an extremely specific response."
"Tomorrow's Christmas, moron. We're 'closed' closed for a couple days. You'll be gone as well."
...
"Today's Christmas Eve?"
"Dumbass."
"Neat."
...
Tomorrow's Christmas.. A Christmas I actually get to celebrate. That'll be interesting.
I spent Christmas eve inconveniencing Roxy for an entire hour. I'm pretty happy with how the holidays are turning out so far. If only I didn't spend another hour of today moping around and getting myself down thinking about, um. Thinkin' about...
...
...
What the hell was I sad about..?