NOTES (Might wanna check this one out. Prepare for a wall of text.)
Hey, important question for y'all.
Alright so "Cooper". I've been thinking about changing his character a bit. When I first wrote him, I didn't really give him much personality or character other than 'he's interested in William Afton'. Like, he was about the same age as everyone else, talked the same as everyone else, he really wasn't 'anything'.
I was thinking about changing him to be a bit more distinguishable for a variety of reasons. Like, instead of being the same age and personality as everyone else, he's be noticeably older. Not elderly or anything, more like a slightly lazy, but kind and enjoyable 50 or 60 year olf man. Maybe a little scruffy.. 'Friendly old bartender' kind of vibes, y'know?
For THIS CHAPTER IN SPECIFIC I wrote his bits the way I was thinking. So first, give it a read, and once you're done do me a huge favor and answer me this question.
Should I keep Cooper the way he was before? Or do you think I could change him to fit the new style?
Coop hasn't been an incredibly big character in the story so far, and he only interacts with Mike in like 2 or 3 chapters. If he were something like Trudge, who shows up way more frequently, I'd be much more reluctant to make any changes.
Of course, this would mean that Cooper's parts in the older chapters would be somewhat inaccurate. If you have REALLY strong feelings about it, I'm not opposed to going back and editing Cooper's parts to match what this new style would be like.
Alright, and finally: I wouldn't be asking for something like this if I didn't have plans for his current part in the story.
More importantly, his future parts.
(Don't tell anyone, but that's a little trick called 'foreshadowing'. Bet you've never seen anyone use that before, huh?)
(Don't act like you're not impressed.)
.
Separate thing to mention: There will be more art in the future, but not for a little bit. I'm taking my time to really solidify an art-style and create things I'm proud of, instead of just dumping random 20 minute character arts in the Reddit page at random. A drawing tablet opens up worlds of possibilities I never thought possible, so I want to really get to master it before sharing.
Of course, that only applies if you're interested in the art at all. It's a bit of a stretch calling it 'art' in the first place, just fun little sketches I make while learning how to draw worth a damn. Reddit is: "ParticularlyLargeRat", in case I forget to mention that later.
.
Last thing, I promise.
Should this story be rated M? I haven't added anything excessively gory or sexual, and until I need to do either of those things, I was just gonna keep this story rated at T.
But like, re-reading some older bits.. I swear a lot. Kind of unnecessarily at times. (Maybe that's something I should work on).
I know swearing every now and then doesn't immediately warrant a rating change, but I dunno. I'm not versed enough in this kind of thing, so let me know!
Alright, you made it to the end. Good on you.
Enjoy.
I'm already spent..
There's an inkling of satisfaction scratching off the last task on my list, but it quickly fades upon reminding myself that finishing what I was assigned to do rarely means my work is done.
I let the list fall to my side, and slide the pen back into my shirt pocket.
We open tomorrow. No special event or anything, but that's when the doors open back up. Cooper had got a hold on whoever he could to see if there would be enough employees willing to come in and help take down all the Christmas decorations.
..Of course, with the recent weather, not many people were even capable of showing up.. I happen to live nearby, so there wasn't much road to struggle with between my house and the Pizzaplex.
I enjoy being here too, so why wouldn't I come?
Welp.. I've been running around with a mile-long list in my hands, none of the tasks being particularly effortless. And of course, this place is colossal.. 'take down the lights' is at the top of this list, for example. Not a hard thing to do, but when there's lights in every damn room in the building, it's gonna take me a while..
And y'know what? I wouldn't have nearly as much of a problem with this if we actually 'finished' everything.. Only a small handful of people showed up, and despite our best efforts, there's still plenty of decorations littered all over the place.
Mnn.. Dunno if I'd call this feeling 'annoyance', but I do wish things turned out a bit differently.. Been here from dawn to dusk doing everything I can, and at the end of the day, we're not even finished.
..I wish I at least got to talk to the gang a bit.. Since tomorrow's opening day, Arin coerced all of the animatronics to focus on themselves while we're out here tidying the place up. So they've been in their rooms for the most part, getting back into the show-mood.
I'll get to talk to them soon, at least. Everyone who's left is either making conversation with their co-workers or are currently walking out the door.. At least that's what I'm figuring from the steadily decreasing list of contacts on my watch.
Don't think I've ever had the chance to say this before, but.. Yeah, I'm just about ready to get out of here as well..
I don't need much, but I think a little bit of sleep is gonna take me a long way.. Gettin' a little salty, at Cooper specifically.
He's a great guy and all, and his inexperience in being the CEO of 'anything' usually works in his employee's favor.. But every once in a while, that inexperience can lead to frustrating situations like this one. What could he have been thinking when grabbing all 6 of his employees that showed up to come and do 30 employees worth of work?
..Mnn, I shouldn't be thinking that way.. Today was really the only day that made sense. After we re-open, we aren't shutting down again for a while, so what other day is there to come deconstruct everything? The only other solution would be to keep everyone past midnight to work, and lord knows that wouldn't have gone over well..
Sigh.
I force myself to relieve my tension that's been sucking all the energy out of my body. It's comforting to know that it's over now. Just gonna drop in here, say hi to the animatronics real fast, and go home.
The shortcut-door between the stage controls and the animatronic's corridor slides open.. This place looks nicer without the multicolored lights hung in every corner of the room.. Though I guess I'm the only one who's looking for a peaceful-atmosphere when coming in here.
Looks like a couple of the gang have finished their little preparations.
Freddy and Chica, namely. Chica's always running at a million miles-per-hour, so it's not that surprising that she's one of the first to finish. Freddy's an odd second choice, though. I figured Monty would finish cleaning himself up just as fast as Chica would.. Maybe that long break of sitting in silence and playing his bass mellowed him down a bit.
Speaking of cleaning themselves up.. They look pretty dang clean.
Of course, there's still an entire night to wait through before the place opens, so they haven't quite prepared themselves to be show-ready. Chica isn't wearing any make-up, and neither of them are wearing those obnoxiously large shoulder pads usually found on their uniform. But they look 'fresh'. Like someone power-washed them.
Chica's chatting pretty enthusiastically about tomorrow's opening while Freddy's just kinda nodding along, but I can tell he's pretty happy that he'll be back to entertaining before too long.
Might have to sucker off their enthusiasm as much as I can in hopes of seeping enough energy to make it through this interaction.
Freddy's the first to notice me, and he sidesteps a bit to give me enough room to join their gossip-circle.
"Michael. Nice to see you." Freddy politely greets, his enthusiasm failing to match his mannerisms. Chica abruptly quits (and forgets) the topic she was just talking about, and hops to face me.
I position myself in front of the two while they turn me, completing the triangle.
"Hey. Ready for tomorrow?"
"I am. I've been ready for the last few days, truthfully."
"Roxy told me it got boring without the children around."
"It did." Freddy looks up and scratches his head. "There's only so long I can remain interested in a watch, I'm afraid."
"Did you sleep at all?"
"Sometimes, but rarely, and not for long. Too much of it can make me feel unproductive"
Chica butts in before I can respond.
"That's okay though! Mike-, tell him that's okay!"
The chicken points to Freddy as if accusing him, and the bear just raises his hands defensively.
"Tell him what?"
"Tell him it's okay to not do anything helpful sometimes!"
"I understand, Chica! It's just a preference of mine too-" Freddy tries to defend himself, not getting through Chica's volume.
"You said you couldn't play with me 'cause you had to stay 'productive'!" Chica recedes her finger, now puffing up at the considerably-larger bear.
A lazy smirk finds its way onto my face as I start to realize what's happened. Freddy didn't want to get caught up in Chica's energetic nonsense at some point while I was gone, and he made the excuse of being busy.
"It's alright to have fun every once in a while. That whole time we were closed was kind of like a 'break', and you aren't expected to work on break anyway." I contribute.
Honestly, I completely understand Freddy's situation and wholly empathize with him, but agreeing with Chica is more fun.
"I-! I just like being busy, alright?"
"You're always busy!" Chica responds, not letting him off with such a dissatisfying answer. "I like it when we play!"
"I know, but I was just..! I was just in the middle of something at the time and didn't want to break my concentration!"
Freddy babbling for an excuse is a rare sight, but a pleasantly enjoyable one.
"Hmph!"
Chica crosses her arms and turns away, leaving Freddy standing there and scratching the back of his head.
...
Alright, I've had my fun. Thinks it's about time I-
"MIKE!"
Burly arms find their way around me and lift before I can react, squeezing me of any energy reserves I had left. Just as I think I might really die for good this time, I'm dropped back on my feet like nothing happened.
"H-Holy.."
I grip my shirt to tug it back into place and look straight up, correctly assuming it would be enough to see my assailant towering above me from behind.
"Gotcha." Monty chimes with a toothy grin.
Yeah, y'know what.. You really did get me that time..
"How is someone like you so good at sneaking around..?"
" 'Someone like me', eh?" Monty leans down a bit. "Callin' me fat?"
"No, I was.. More talking about your sheer muscle mass.."
"Well yer' wrong then." Monty stands up straight and pats his belly. " 'Cause I 'am' gettin' pretty fat.. Check this out."
Monty sidesteps to my right and slaps his belly with good force.
"Y'see that?" Monty looks up at me expectantly.
"..No?"
Monty looks back down and slaps it again.
"Y'see my belly jiggle a bit?"
"...No?"
"Well it does!"
Dunno what the hell he's talking about. It's like he's slapping the slide of a brick house.
This is an odd conversation.
- Whap -
"Mmmm.." Chica (excessively) rubs her chin, evaluating the results of 'her' slapping his stomach. "Maybe a 'lil.."
This is an odd, odd conversation.
"Told ya'. Big man's gotta cut down on them cookies." Monty proudly(?) claims, resting his fists on his hips.
"That's okay!" Chica stands up straight and hops. "I eat a lot too! You just gotta run a lot! You should come run with me next time."
The two of them continue to yap about their new plans to exercise, and the thought alone is sapping my stamina further.
...
Alright, I'm done. I have to get home before I die.
"Alright, I'll see all of you tomorrow. I have to-"
"Ooooh Mike!" Chica abruptly ends her conversation with Monty.
"Huh?"
"Can we start now that everyone's all here!?"
"I'm.. Not exercising with you right now, sorry."
"Noooo, dummy!" Chica takes a step worryingly close to me. "Roxy said you brought movies for us tonight! She said it's really cool!"
Hums of agreement and recollection are shared by the two males on either side of us.
...
I.. Completely forgot that was the plan.. I even have the CD's in my car right now.
Damn it, I reeeeeeaally want to go home.. I'd love to watch a movie with them, but.. Come on..
"..I.."
"Didja remember them?"
"Well- Yeah, but I was-"
Chica fist pumps mid-hop and takes a few steps backward, starting to jog.
"Thank youu! Okay, you go get them! I have the perfect idea of where to watch them!" Chica turns around to start running, and the two others start waltzing in her direction to prevent her from trashing whatever area she has in mind. "You're the best, Mikey!"
...
Fuuuuuck.. I was really hoping the movies would be a 'happy' memory. Now I'm really starting to dread it.
...
Well, now I've gotta make a trip to my car..
I'm a little excited, but not enough to make up for 'about to pass out'. Got a few things at the store that I thought would be fitting for a movie night. I'm happy to see their reactions, but that's about as far as the excitement goes.
The part I'm most excited about are a couple pieces of clothing, actually.. I was inspired to grab a few pieces of 'lounge-wear' for the movie, since none of the gang's outfits seem incredibly comfortable to sit and watch a screen in for hours at a time.
Actually, Rox was my biggest concern.. Those shoulder pads that annoyingly jud out from everyone's uniforms are detachable for comforts-sake. The exception is Roxanne's outfit, for whatever reason.. My theory is that everyone's costumes take a little bit of assembling to get on properly, but Roxanne's is minimal enough that it just kinda slips on. No reason to make parts detachable if it doesn't need to be assembled in the first place.. Makes sense until it's time to do anything but perform.
Rox does wear that mechanic's outfit instead of her show-clothes quite a bit, but that doesn't look much better.. Seems just as comfortable as an actual mechanics uniform.
I turn around and start marching in the direction of the entrance.
Here we go..
The lobby is nice and bright again. Really helps with the 'not falling down the stairs' portion of the room.
The setting sun and reflective sheets of snow are visible through the doors. They're inviting, but I know I'm only going to experience them for as long as it takes me to get the stuff I need.
My feet collide with the bottom of the stairs, and like I triggered some kind of trip-wire..
"Oh- Hey kid! There ya are."
Coop. Shoulda known I wouldn't be able to avoid him.
The older man brushes a couple stands of graying hair out of his face and leisurely makes his way towards me from behind the stairs.. Why was he behind the stairs? Is there something over there?
Y'know what, he was probably just waiting for me and wanted to act like he wasn't. Fair enough.
"Hey."
"Sorry for buggin' ya. Needed to run something by you before ya left."
"Ominous."
He chuckles.
"Thanks, I've been tryin'." Cooper makes it within a step of me and slaps his hand on my shoulder like you'd expect your grandpa to do on a fishing trip.. Oddly specific, but it's hard to generalize the feeling behind anything he does. "Nah but really, just sayin' thanks to everyone before they get outta here."
He's.. Awfully friendly right now. What's more concerning is that his other hand hasn't come out from behind his back the entire time we've been interacting.
"It's no problem; I don't mind being here."
"Riiight, but I betcha you'd rather have been talkin' with your friends than cleanin' the auditorium all day." Cooper pokes my chest. "So I gotsa surprise for ya."
Upon hearing the word 'surprise', my eyes are instinctively drawn to whatever's behind Cooper's back. I catch a glimpse, and it's enough to answer just about every question I was starting to have about his behavior.
Looks like he's been getting his 'holiday-spirit' in the form of festive wine. Part of me wants to laugh, but the other wants to groan.
Cooper must've been drunk since he walked in the door this morning, which can likely be tied to most of the nonsensical decisions he's made all day.. This isn't the first time Cooper's been a little inebriated, but most of the time he isn't in charge of ordering around a group of employees while doing so.
Well, whatever. Everything I needed to do is done with anyway, no point on dwelling on it now.
"Alriight, check this out."
As expected, Cooper brings the bottle out from behind his back and shoves it into my chest. I instinctively grab onto it, but.. I've never gotten into alcohol on account of being reminded of my father every time I try to drink it. The bottle looks nice, I guess. Festive green, and it's got a little bow around the neck.
"..Did you get a full bottle for everyone?"
"Nah, only a couple." Coop pushes off my shoulder to standing on his own. "Arin got one, 'cause he's cool. Another kid got one too, can't remember their name though.."
...
"Okay."
"Arright, I'll stop buggin ya'. Head on out, I'll lock the place behind ya."
Mnn, didn't really want to tell him this, but..
"I'm sticking around for a while. Animatronics felt like doing a movie night."
"Gggotcha." I'm not even sure he comprehended what I said, but the keys to the place were shoved into my hands. "I'll be around fer a while too, then."
"You will?"
"Probably gonna die if I try drivin' right now."
"Ah."
"..Might wanna wait till ya get home to try a sip of that stuff."
"Yeah."
This thing is probably gonna end up as a decoration anyway..
"Arright, see ya later kid."
"See ya."
...
He plays off being drunk really well.. If it weren't for his abnormal friendliness over the last five minutes, I might not have suspected a thing.
...
Chica was right. I can't figure out what he's thinking for the life of me.. That might be on account of his condition, however.
..Did he say that I was cleaning the 'auditorium' all day?
I slip the crumpled list of tasks I was assigned from my back pocket and look it over.
...Nowhere on this list does it say anything about an auditorium.
...
But every single one of these tasks would have made sense for the auditorium in specific. Was I only'supposed to do the auditorium?
...
Motherf- Was I only supposed to do the auditorium?!
I do my best to knock on the wall before I enter Rox's room, but the automatic door makes it hard to announce my presence beforehand.
Still, an in-character 'what is it?' invites me inside all the same. So inside I go.
"Figured you'd take the longest to get ready for tomorrow."
Roxy grants me a side-eyed acknowledgement as a greeting, but quickly returns to whatever she's doing with her hair.
"The hell've you been?" She asks, not looking away from her mirror.
"Around." I toss a small pack next to her couch, followed by plopping down on it myself. "Mostly just talking with everyone right outside. They seem pretty pumped."
"They're always 'pumped'."
"Not excited?" I question, turning myself to lay horizontally on the cushion.
"I'm ready to open again." Roxanne leans closer to her mirror. "I just don't rush preparations like they do."
"Mhm."
"Don't believe me?"
"I believe it takes you longer. I just also believe that the reasons are different."
"Uh-huh? Care to share?"
"You're a neat freak."
"And you're a 'freak' freak." Roxanne finishes using her brush and slides it into her desk drawer before spinning her chair to stare condescendingly at me. " 'And' making a mess on my damn couch."
"It's just a little snow."
"All over my couch, yes."
"What are you gonna clean it with? Water?"
"I prefer a claw to your throat."
That gets a chuckle out of me, unintentionally making me relax a bit more. Good luck getting me off your couch now, little fae.
The two of us sit around in comfortable silence. Roxanne taking the time to apply some last-touch make-up, and me trying my damndest not to fall asleep right here and now.
...
"Brought the movies. Chica's off somewhere getting a room set up for it."
" 'Chica' is?"
"Yep."
"You really let Chica be in charge of setting something up, moron?"
"Wasn't really my choice. Hopefully Freddy is there too."
"And Monty?"
"Him too."
I hear Roxanne's chair rotate, presumably in my direction. I've failed to keep my eyes open, so I can't really tell.
"Chica and Monty in charge of setting up a room, Mike.."
"And Freddy."
"Y'think Freddy can stop those two idiots?"
"Not really."
"Dumbass."
"Could you?"
Roxanne's chair rattles like she rose to standing, and nearby drawers close shortly after.
" 'Course I could. I'm not as soft as Freddy."
"Dunno. Your fur was pretty pleasant to dive into."
"Fuckin', Mike.."
Victory.
...Dunno what's so enjoyable about all of our interactions being a contest to see who can come out on top, but I swear I could do this forever.
"What would you do anyway? 'Overpower' Monty?"
"Maybe hold Chica hostage."
That's a funny thought.
"That's not fair, anyone could overpower Chica."
Roxanne scoffs.
"Uh-huh. Her whole 'deal' is exercise, Mike. She'd hold 'you' hostage before you even knew what was happening."
Oh yeah. That's easy to forget about.
"Mm.. And Chica would just 'go easy' on you?"
"I could take her."
I stifle a skeptical chuckle.
"Yeah? You could but I couldn't?"
Roxanne's footsteps can be heard approaching the couch.
"Yes." A sudden thud on the armrest next to where my head was resting motivates me enough to open my eyes. Apparently that was intentional, as Roxanne slammed her hand on the armrest so that I could see her leaning down threateningly over me, sly grin hovering just above my face. "I'm stronger than you."
Oh boy. I remember this talk.
"Yeah?"
"yeah."
"Remember how this went down last time?"
"Uh-huh." Roxanne plants her other hand on the top of the couch. "Chica arrived just in time to 'save' your purple ass."
That's correct.. Don't really know where I was hoping to go with this.
"You just spent all that time making yourself look presentable. Willing to undo all that work?"
"Yeah."
"And spend the entire movie peeling bits of the ground off your face?"
"I won't have to."
...
Alright, truth be told, I'm fucked if I dedicate to this. I'm not even sure I have enough energy to get up from the couch by myself, let alone fighting off an animatronic wolf.
"You're lucky I'm so wiped, then." I shrug her off, intentionally sounding cowardly for the sake of humor.
"Nuh-uh." Roxy leans in closer. "you're not backin' out now."
SOS
...
"Oh, hey. Check out that bag." I slither my arm up from where I'm pinned to point at the small pack on the ground next to the armrest. "Got clothes for everyone, that one's yours."
...
"You got 'clothes'?"
Distraction successful.
"Yeah. Thought watching a movie in your uniforms would get uncomfortable. Also brought a few snacks and drinks."
...
"Fine." Roxanne pushes herself to standing straight and peers over the corner of the couch to look at the bag.
"Didn't know what snacks you liked, so I just grabbed whatever." I explain, resting my eyes again.
"When the hell'd you get time to buy all this?"
"Picked everything up after I found out we were watching movies. You owe me $30 for the clothes."
Roxy scoffs.
"$30 is pretty fuckin' low for what I like to wear, Mike."
"You'll be fine."
Despite expressing disgust towards my reluctance to spend absurd amounts of money on clothes for her, I can hear Roxy rummage through the bag with anticipation.
...
"Pfft." Roxanne huffs, amused with whatever it is she found.
"What?"
"How nice, you got leggings for me. No ulterior motives here, huh?"
It takes me a second to both figure out what the hell she's talking about, then figure out what she's insinuating. When I do, I make a 'pfft' sound as well.
"They're sweatpands, not leggings, and everyone got them. Awfully full of yourself today, wolf."
"Yeah? Nothin' going on in that mind of yours?"
"No. Hurry up, Chica's probably done by now."
"Fine, then I'm changing. Don't open your eyes."
...
S-She's joking, right?
...
I'm only able to relax when I hear the ruffling of clothes 'behind' the couch I'm laying on, so even if I opened my eyes, I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway.
This damn wolf.. I thought she was meant for 'children'.
...
Well, I guess she isn't.. William only made her as a body for one of his expi-
No, no, no, think about that later. Or not at all. Don't need to slip into one of my pathetic 'episodes' again.
...
"There. Happy?" Roxanne's voice trails from behind me to in front of the couch I'm laying on.
"Yep."
"..Not even gonna 'look', dipshit?"
"I'm fine."
"Nope, you're gonna need to look and tell me if I look fine or not."
...
...
"You, uh.. You're wearing clothes, righ-?"
"Yes I'm wearing the damn clothes!"
"Alright! Alright!"
Despite feeling idiotic that I had to ask that question, I do as I'm told.
Yep, those are clothes.. Thank god I managed to get the right size, but the real question will be if the clothes I got for Monty will fit.
I tried to color code them a little, but Roxanne was a bit difficult. Eventually, I just got her a gray T-shirt and sweatpants, since it's the closest matching color to her fur.
"Yeah, you look fine."
"That all?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
"Adjectives."
"I said 'Fine' " I respond, closing my eyes and returning my head to it's resting position.
"Douche."
"Want me to start praising you like your 'followers'?"
"No, I just want-! Ugh.. Fuck it, nevermind, are you ready to go or not?"
"In a minute. This couch has provided the only bit of rest I've gotten today."
"I thought you said Chica was already done setting things up?"
"She probably is, but she can wait another minute."
"..Fine, then move your legs, you're taking up the entire couch."
"No."
"What the hell do you mean 'no'?"
"No."
"This is 'my' couch!"
"No."
"Move!"
"No."
...
...
Wh- AAck!?
"Fine."
"R-Rox, I can't breath!"
"If you were 'stronger than me', this wouldn't be a problem, right?"
"My s-stomach!"
"Shut up, I'm 'relaxing'."
"G-Get off of me!"
The cable management was a bit peculiar, but all things considered, Chica did a pretty good job.
Apparently, Chica decided to vouch for 'projector' instead of just choosing a TV somewhere. To her credit, I've never even tried to set up a projector before, so good on her.
Roxy and I took a few minutes to drag a few bean bags in here, since all the other chairs in the room seemed like they'd get uncomfortable to sit in for an extended period of time. Dragging a few bean bags from outside seemed like the best choice at the time, since the floor in here isn't carpeted either. Thank god for that, actually.. It would have been impossible to clean the blood otherwise.
Chica chose the tree-chomper room.
At first glance, it seemed like a 'sensitive' room to be in.. But with Chica's projector plan, it actually isn't the worst idea.
The whole room doesn't have a damn thing in it other than a few out-of-place chairs littered by the walls, and of course, the chomper. Which means the walls are bare as well. No windows, and a gigantic empty wall available to 'project' something on.
I really don't have any qualms with this room. Every once in a while I'd catch one of the animatronics glancing in my direction as if waiting for a reaction, but it became clear that I really didn't mind.
...
But Roxanne.. Doesn't look so hot..
Figured that If I was in her position, I'd rather not have anyone call me out on it, so I've remained silent.. But it's been a few minutes, and she doesn't seem to be fidgeting any less.
Maybe the movie will be enough to distract her from it.. But just in case, I think I might make some light conversation about it. Out of earshot of the gang if at all possible.. I really don't want Monty to start suspecting Roxy of being responsible for my arm again.
...
After a few minutes, just about everything is set. I kick my bean bag over to where Roxanne's sitting and call out to her.
"Rox."
That alone seemed to be enough to snap her out of whatever trance she was in, just in time for her to panic-catch the soda I threw in her direction.
"Jesu-!" Roxanne begins, but immediately cuts herself and lowers her voice to a whisper upon realizing how dark and quiet the room has gotten. "..Jesus, Mike. What would you have done if I didn't turn around immediatly?!"
"Laugh."
"Fuck you."
I laugh anyway.
Roxanne falls down into her bean bag, and I scoot mine around with my foot until it's positioned next to hers.
"Here. Take that end."
"Is that a blanket?"
" 'I' don't have fur. It's cold in here."
"I don't need the blanket."
"Take the damn blanket."
"Fine! What's up your ass?"
"You 'sat' on me."
"You wouldn't move!"
"I was going to. Give me that end."
"..You don't have your own damn blanket?"
"They're expensive. I went to the store to buy one thing and some groceries, and walked out with 200 less dollars."
"They 'cannot' be that bad."
"It's fine, I bought big ones. The others are using one blanket between them too."
They were. The other three had set up their chairs a couple meters behind and to the left of us. It's kind of funny: Freddy and Monty are sitting together, and Chica looks like she's third wheeling. Too bad Trudge couldn't show up, I bet Chica would've loved to sit with him.
"Sheesh.. Fine, here."
"Thanks."
...
"You alright?" I ask after a few seconds of silence. The movie has already been playing for about a minute, but there's a lot of those pre-screening logos to go through, so everyone's still chatting.
"I'm fine."
"You don't seem fine."
"I'm 'fine'."
"Is it about the room?"
Roxanne groans.
"Mike, holy shit, I'm fine!"
...
"Yes, it's the room.." She mutters after a few seconds of skeptical staring.
"Why are you so upset? 'I'm' the one who lost the arm." I attempt at keeping the conversation light.
"Fuckin' Mike.- How often do you see a still-twitching severed arm in a death machine?"
"Not very often."
"Yeah? What about slipping in a pile of someone's blood?"
"Not.. Very often."
"Then fuckin' realizing that 'you' caused it to happen?"
"Alright, alright. I get it. I thought I told you not to feel bad about it anymore?"
"That's not the issue, dumbass. It's just-.. Fricken'- It was scary! How the hell do 'you' not find it unsettling to be in here?"
Mm, I.. Probably should have considered that.. I figured that the whole ordeal wouldn't have any lasting effects because everyone turned out fine. Failed to realize that rotting appendages and bloodstains would be pretty frightening to someone who hasn't had to deal with them most of their life. Rox doesn't seem traumatized or anything, which is a strength I admire about her, but it's only natural to feel iffy about the whole thing.
...
"Sorry, I guess I got over it quicker because it was 'my' blood."
"Doesn't make any damn sense.."
"Sure it does. I don't remember it fondly, but I know better than anyone else that I turned out perfectly fine."
"But it's not even a 'little' scary to you!?"
"It's.. objectively frightening, yeah. Guess I just got lucky."
Roxy scoffs and looks at the projection.
"That 'lucks' gonna run out one day, and I'm not gonna be gentle when it does."
"Fair enough."
I turn to the screen as well, and a few moments pass in silence.
...
...
"Talking about it helped."
"It did?"
"I'm not gonna thank you, since you weren't even trying, but it helped."
"You're welcome."
"Mike-.."
"What?"
"Die."
"Mhm."
...
It's like their zombies.
To be fair, I'm sure I was no different the first time I saw a movie. Still, it's entertaining to see them so entranced in something.
...
"I like that guy." Roxy states matter-of-factly.
"..The guy in the suit?"
"Yeah."
"He's the protagonist, so that makes sense. I've heard they're a good actor."
...
"What's that?"
"An actor?"
"Mhm."
"The people playing the characters. Like, the guy in the suit is Robert Downey Jr. He's in a lot of movies."
"..What?" Roxanne asks like she didn't understand a word I just said.
"..What do you mean 'what'?"
"But that's Stark. Toby Stark.."
"That's 'Tony', and he's just who Robert's playing right now."
Roxanne's gaze goes blank while she stares at the screen.
"...Wh-, But..?" Roxy points at the screen towards the actor in question, but freezes to think about it some more.
...
"Oh." Roxanne finally mutters while lowering her hand. I'm not sure she totally gets it, and I'm not entirely sure what she doesn't get about it.
"It's like if I dressed up as Freddy and performed like you guys do on stage. I'd be acting like Freddy, but I'm still Mike."
"Well- Why wouldn't you just go perform as Mike then?"
"It's a little complicated."
"It's 'dumb'."
"They have good reasons. Stark was part of a fictional comic before he was in a movie, so Tony Stark doesn't really exist. They just chose Robert to play him."
...
"Well that's still dumb. If they made a comic about him, why did they make a movie too?"
"Why not?"
" 'Cause the movie would be the same story as the comic! No one would want to see the same story over again!"
"Some people would, and there's differences between-"
Chica's face pops up in front of me from around my bean bag, interrupting my train of thought.
"Mikey..!"
"Chica?"
"Shut up!"
Before I can respond, she's already disappeared behind me.
...
...
I cross my arms and grumble.
"Why didn't 'you' get yelled at..."
"Shut up."
If it wasn't for Roxy's snarky response, I wouldn't have known she was trying to hold back laughing so hard.
Alright fine, I lose..
The lights flicker back on, and the chatter behind me grows ever louder. Chica's most of all. Apparently she REALLY likes superhero movies.
...
If it wasn't for them talking, I might actually be asleep right now.
Sitting in one place in the dark for this long almost killed me. It's taking everything I have not to simply fall unconscious right where I sit. I'm afraid that if I fall asleep now, nothing will be able to wake me up until my body decides I'm well rested, and god knows how long that's going to be.
...
"You alive?" Roxanne's voice pierces my sensors.
"Mnn, barely.. Can you get me another soda? If I don't get caffeine and sugar in my veins-"
"Gross, yes. Hold on."
Why was that 'gross'? 'Cause I have veins?
Her footsteps fade away, presumable in the direction of the cooler the sodas are in.
...
...
Roxy! Don't LEAVE me here!
...
Thankfully, her footsteps fade back in after a suspiciously long time.
"Which one did you want?"
"Holy shit, the one currently in your hands, I don't care anymore."
"Well Christ!" Roxanne plops back in her bag, still holding the soda. "You're not getting anything if you're gonna be a dick about it."
"Rox."
"Mike."
"I will pry that thing from your hands if I must."
"You don't look like you could pry yourself from that bag."
I stick my arm out and make a grabby motion towards the soda.
"I'm begging you."
"Then beg."
Roxy lifts her hand away from mine, holding the soda out of my reach.
"Rox."
"Mike."
"Rox!"
"Beg!"
Alright shitass, I'm getting that drink.
I feign giving up by letting my hand fall back down to my side. Just as Roxanne starts to taunt me, I take two fingers and jab them into the soft spot right above her hip.
"Mik-wAAAAAH-"
Naturally, as anyone would to that god-forsaken trick created by none other by the devil himself, she reacts with an uncharacteristically high-pitched scream; violently curving her torso away from the blow.
Which of course causes Roxy completely forgets about the drink in her hands for a moment, bringing it well within reach for me to snatch it from her grasp.
"Mine."
"F-Fucking Mike! Give that back!"
"Absolutely not."
Thankfully, the adrenaline spike awarded me enough energy to prevent her from leaping on me. Not entirely convinced she's after the drink anymore, but that's all the more reason to keep her away.
The two of us continue to berate each other while I try and stay alive. I start to get worried that I might lose this fight until heavy footsteps are heard rapidly approaching. Monty'll take my side and save me. He'd better.
Being that I'm the one trying to prevent Roxy from jumping onto me, my head is tilted upwards enough so that I can see Monty the moment he gets close enough.
I open my mouth to call out to him, but fail to do so upon seeing Monty's expression, causing my heart to sink through the floor like an anvil.
Holy shit, holy shit, I forgot Monty reacts extremely poorly to any of his friends getting injured. No one did, but the little jab I gave Rox was enough to warrant a scream that did admittedly sound pretty pained.
I break out of my frozen state as quickly as I can, then use the excess adrenaline I received to push Roxy up just enough so that she can see that Monty is here.
She does manage to catch a glimpse of his legs, and starts calling out to Monty the same way I was planning to.
"Mike stole my damn drink! Hold him still or someth-!"
Of course, as soon as Roxy's gaze lifts enough to see Monty's face, she shuts up pretty quick.
The two of us are frozen in the position we're in, unsure of what we could possibly do to remedy this situation.
Monty's expression when someone gets hurt is something else entirely when the 'assailant' is nearby. The closest feeling I could possibly compare it to is the pin-prick stare the old animatronics would sometimes give me back at Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria.
...
...
...
By the grace of god, Monty's expression is the first thing to change between the three of us.
No one was actually injured, and he seems to finally be understanding that.
...
...
"Ah.. Ah ha.." Monty finally breaks, and lifts his hand to scratch the back of his head. "I-I'm.."
"J-Jeez!" Roxanne loudly interrupts, breaking out of her trance before I do. "The hell was that for?! A-Are we doing something 'wrong'?! Scared the shit outta me!"
Monty's quick to put his hands up defensively.
"N-No! Jus' thought someone got hurt, and-!.. Uh, m-my bad!"
"Get outta here!"
"Y-Yes ma-am! I'm, uh, Sorry again!" Monty quickly salutes and scrambles off to where he came.
...
...
"Jeez..!"
"Rox."
She turns her head to look down at me.
"The hell was his problem..!? Thought he was gonna kill us for a second..!"
"Can you get off?"
Roxy recognizes that she's still practically on top of me, but only continues to glare.
But eventually, she does recede.
"Fine. Enjoy that damn soda."
...
"I don't think I need it anymore."
...
"Fuckin'.. Me either.."
It's been about an hour since everyone dispersed from the projector room. Chica and Monty went to go exercise, and Freddy went wherever it is that keeps him 'busy'.
Unfortunately, I had made another promise for tonight. So, after excessive banter and argument regarding where to watch the other movie, Roxanne and I eventually retreated back into her own room.
There's a monitor, there's a couch, and we have a blanket, so it worked out pretty nice.
It was also as inconspicuous of a location that we could think of. I'm fairly certain Monty and Chica would get bored of this movie, but they'd still probably insist on watching it anyway.. Soo, Roxy and I snuck everything in here without them noticing.
...
"Godammit Mike."
"I'm trying. This remote isn't great."
Roxanne hasn't sat down yet, despite the movie having started about a minute ago. Being the clean-freak she is, she absolutely insisted on tidying up the place while I get stuff set up.
"This is a place for 'children', y'know that, right?"
Suddenly no longer aware of what she's talking about, I glance over to see the object the wolf's holding in her hands.
"Oh, sorry. Cooper gave it to me, and I wasn't sure where to put it."
" 'Cooper' shouldn't be handing out alcohol to idiots like you."
"I'm not having any. You aren't having any either."
"Uh-huh. Gonna stop me?"
"No, but you wouldn't look good half-inebriated on stage."
Roxy scoffs, but puts the drink back down next to the couch.
"I can control myself, moron."
"Don't wanna test that."
"Every word you speak only makes me want to try it more."
"Don't."
"Fine.. Fuck- what are you, my father?"
"Your 'dumbass' night-guard who's trying to keep you alive until tomorrow morning."
"Whatever." Roxy crosses her arms and falls onto the couch next to me. "Start it."
"It's already started."
"Skip the intro shit then."
"Alrighty."
It's been about as quiet in here as it was for the last movie, but I don't really mind.
...
Maybe I mind just a little, simply because I hadn't thought of bringing that soda in here with me. Or at least I shouldn'tve reclined this chair.. I had a field day upon realizing that this couch can recline, it even has one of those things that kick up for your feet.
So that's cool.
...
I'm tired.
We're only halfway through the movie, so it's not like there's anything coming to save me.
Hoping that I'm not really as tired as I feel like I am, and that at some point I'll find a stasis point.. Haven't fallen today so far, so I'm doing pretty well already. Only a little further to go.
...
Guess it would be easier if I was into this kind of movie.. All I know about it was that it was popular, but I guess that shouldn't have meant that I'd enjoy it no matter what.
I let my gaze fall from the TV, staring at the corner desk underneath it.
...
The blue light coming from the monitor is the only thing lighting up the otherwise completely dark room. The sound serving as white-noise, despite it being the opposite of it's purpose.
The blanket, the couch, the lights, the sounds, the wolf.. It's about as cozy as it gets.
...
I feel my eyelids begin the process of slowly blinking, and they close for a fraction of a second.
But when I open them up, I'm in an entirely different room. An entirely different building.
The cold cement floor and checkered walls send me spinning in confusion for a moment, but ironically, it's the fact that I can still hear the movie playing that makes me realize what's happened.
...
I fell asleep, and I'm having that dream again. That one where I'm alone in an empty Freddy Fazbears Pizza.
My heart calms a bit, and I rise from where I sat.
I'm not tired anymore, but that must be due to, y'know, being asleep.
Good thing you can't be tired in dreams.. Now I can be wide awake to do stuff like..
...
Sit on the stage and not do a damn thing I guess.
It's peculiar that I can still hear the movie playing in front of me, but it lines up with what I already know.
Last time this happened, I could hear Monty yelling at me to wake up. Guess that means not all my senses are resting like they should..
...
Well, guess I'll 'listen' to the titanic. Nothing else to do.
...
...
"Mike?"
Roxy's incredibly soft voice jarrs me. My head raises from where I was hunched over on the stage, but it evidently wasn't enough to wake me up.
...
"Mike?"
I want to respond, but I can't. As far as she knows, I'm asleep.
That's kinda cool.. I can still hear her talk, even if I'm stuck here. I wonder if I should tell her I could hear her when I wake up.
...
I feel a light push on my shoulder, like she gently punched me. If she'd have the audacity to punch me harder, I could wake up.
"Fuckin' jerk.. This was supposed to be our 'thing'."
...
I decide to stay quiet and listen.
...
"You're so damn annoying sometimes.. Nothing I ever plan works out with you."
Y'know, I was kinda hoping this would be a 'aww she was nice to me while I was sleeping' thing. Apparently she has some stuff to work through.
"Every day you do something stupid, and you learn new shit about me. But I just fuckin' can't. I can't figure out 'anything' about you.."
...
"What if someone asked me what I learned about you since I first met you, huh? 'You' could tell them tons of shit about me, whether I like it or not.. But what could I possibly say about you, huh?"
...
"What have I learned since I met you at first? You're a purple freak that's impossible to work with. Nothing I ever say goes through to you. You always make things weird..! You never make any sense.! But none of that, not a god damn thing compares to the most infuriating fucking thing about you."
Something pokes at my cheek.
"You're always 'there'. No matter where I go, or how hard I try to get away from you, you're always right god-damn there. Every time. Every time I turn around, you're standing there, looking at me like an idiot. When I want to be alone, you're right there..! Whenever I don't want you to see me, you're right there! When I'm doing something embarrassing, you're there! Whenever I need you to be literally 'anywhere' else, you're right! fucking! there!"
The pressure on my cheek increases, but caps out. Then starts to fade away.
"You're always there when I don't need you. You're always there when I don't want you.."
...
"You're always there when I feel like shit. You're always there when I'm a mess.."
...
"You're always there when I do need you. You're always there when I want you.."
Roxy growls quietly, and the finger on my cheek disappears.
"Even right now. You're ruining my plans, making things difficult, fucking me over, but worst of all.."
...
"You're right here."
...
...
...
"Ugh."
There's a sound of the couch ruffling while Roxanne positions herself to grab something..?
...
...
"You're not the fuckin' boss of me.."
- pop -
...Was that the wine bottle?
My eyes crack open, and I mean seriously 'crack' open. It takes me a moment to blink the crust away.
There's light pouring in from the cracks around Roxanne's curtain, creating a similar feeling to the sun creeping through your blinds.
Shit, that must mean I've been out for quite a while.. If I don't get outta here, someone's gonna stumble in and wonder why I'm sleeping on Roxanne's couch.
I pour all my energy into my arm, hoping that I can lift it enough to check my watch.. But I can't.
..Oh.
I have a funny feeling it has something to do with the third-empty bottle of wine on the floor, and the wolf tightly wrapped around me.
...
A-Alright, now I definitely gotta get up before someone sees us..