Michael Afton: Outlived Purpose

by ParticularlyLargeRat

THIS STORY IS GETTING COMPLETELY REMASTERED AFTER CHAPTER 50; IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS FIC, I RECOMMEND WAITING UNTIL THAT HAPPENS IF YOU WANNA READ AN ACTUAL QUALITY FIRST 20 CHAPTERS! -.-.- Michael Afton survives the Pizzeria Simulator fire and applies to the Pizzaplex when it opens to free what souls might be trapped there. There aren't any, and the animatronic gang grows on him

30. Chapter 30

NOTES (Wall of text time)

Hey y'all. Got a couple things.

Gonna put this first one bluntly and throw all the details in there afterwards:

I think I'm gonna take a small, small break.

And I don't mean like a 'months long hiatus' kind of break, I mean like, a week at most. It's not because I'm feeling overworked, I don't think, so don't worry about that. I've gotten a bunch of reviews/pms/other miscellaneous chats reassuring me to take a break or slow things down if I'm feeling overworked. I cannot stress this enough, it warms my heart to know that y'all genuinely care. Like, seriously. You guys are the best. I promise that's not what it is though.

There are a couple reasons for the break. 1: This story isn't the only thing I've been doing to try and get 'better' at something. Got myself a drawing tablet about a month back, and I've always loved to draw, so I've been desperately, desperately wanting to spend time learning and getting better at it. I've also been neck-deep in trying to teach myself a new programming language, and have been working on an entirely separate project with some friends of mine. Writing this story has 'not' been preventing me from doing these things, I promise. I'm pacing myself to the best of my ability, but here's the thing.

I do my damndest to prevent a chapter from coming out any longer than a week on average. As you can probably tell, I'm anything but consistent, so I don't really have a 'deadline' to get chapters out. So long as it doesn't take longer than a week and a half AT MOST, I'm alright. Being interested in learning all these other hobbies haven't prevented me from doing this, at least not yet. The only issue (and 'issue' is a strong word) is that whenever I dedicate time to focus on the other things I like doing, I always feel like I 'should' have spent the time writing instead. So I've been falling into this mindset of 'oh man, I'm in such a mood to draw, but if I don't keep writing the thing, I'll be keeping people waiting longer than they have to and I'll feel bad.'

Of course, none of you have complained even ONCE that a chapter took too long to come out. This is absolutely not your fault in any way. I know I sound like a broken record, but you guys really are the best.

So I really, really hate to do this, but if it's alright with y'all, I think it would be amazing if I could just take ONE single week to get the story off my mind and get my fill of everything else before I return. That way I could stop fooling myself into feeling bad that I've been spending precious time doing something I enjoy other than writing.

(This is NOT saying that I'm getting tired of writing this story. Not at all. I'm still very interested in keeping it going, it's just that I've also been interested in like 4 other things that I can't do without feeling like I've been cheating you guys.)

Another (smaller) reason is that college starts up this week, and I think one week would be plenty to re-adjust to it without letting the story eat at the back of my head.

But seriously, this 'break' will be over before you know it. Maybe find another FF to skim through, or buy that game you've been wanting to try. By the time you're done with those, the next chapter will be here waiting for you.

(Recommendation: Outer Wilds is one of the very best video games I've ever played, maybe even THE best. And seriously, I don't say that lightly. If you're out of ideas, maybe give that one a shot. I'd love to hear what you think about it :D (Don't look up too much about it, though. Watch the trailer if you wanna sneak peek, but the entire appeal of the game is experiencing things for yourself.) (NOT Outer Worlds by the way, but that one's good too.))

Alright. That was the biggest thing I needed to say, there are a couple small things though.

First, I promise that I understand the blue-balling I'm putting you through with Roxy not figuring out Mike's past by now. I've been tantalizing it for so long, and I completely understand how frustrating it can be, but I promise it's coming!

In an attempt to pitifully defend myself, here's the logic I've been using regarding the issue:

Roxanne has enough information to connect the pieces between Mike and the document's 'son', so yeah, she really shouldn't have any trouble figuring that part out at this point. The last remaining issue is that FREDDY is the ONLY animatronic that's heard the rumors surrounding Freddy's locations. Which means, more importantly, Roxanne hasn't. As far as Rox knows, Mike made up literally everything in that document, even if Mike resembles the 'son'. My worry is that if Roxy were to put the pieces together by now, she would be much less likely to believe that the stuff in the document actually happened due to the difficult-to-believe concepts like spirits, remnant, and basically zombification. If I were in her position, I feel like the conclusion I'd reach is that the similarities between Mike and the 'son' is just the result of Mike doing some kind of cringy self-insert thing instead of thinking that all the stuff about ghosts and animatronics is true.

So, tl:dr, Roxy needs a reason to think that Mike didn't make up everything in the document and just slap himself in the story like a self-insert.

It's coming, I promise. You won't have to wait much longer, and I apologize for making y'all wait as long as you already have.

Second (and last) thing is that I had completely failed to insert a small portion that was supposed to be in the last chapter.

You've probably noticed that Roxy was a little more 'pissy' than usual last chapter; she even called Mike a corpse a few times, which she stopped doing ages ago. That was intentional, she was supposed to be in a poor mood with Mike, but I completely failed to mention 'why'.

There was supposed to be a small section explaining that Roxanne was still upset with Mike about the topics from the chapter 28 (The big-ass one). Of course, she doesn't hate him or anything; The two of them still hang out and interact just as often as before. There was just supposed to be a small portion explaining that Rox wasn't entirely over Mike failing to recognize the things she was actively telling him right to his face quite yet.

Thought about going back and fixing it, but thought people who have already read the chapter probably wouldn't want to go back and read it all again over a change as small as adding a paragraph or two. So, this is the best I could come up with. My bad y'all.

Okay.

The only thing I have to say about this chapter is that it's kind of similar to the old 'shorties' chapters, but is obviously a bit longer. The only real 'point' of this chapter is to show that time is passing, and finally exiting the holiday-era of chapters. If I'm remembering right, every day since Christmas Eve all the way until New Years has had it's own chapter. I'm pretty sure the Christmas Eve chapter actually came out on the real Christmas Eve, so while 7 in-story days have passed, 27 days (as of writing this) have passed in real life. So this chapter demonstrates that things really have gone back to normal for a while, covering about a month or two of in-story time.

And, if you missed it the first time, this isn't a big 'plot' chapter like chapters 10 and 20 were. There are more details in last chapter's notes, but basically, to make up for it, chapters 35 and 40 will BOTH be big plot chapters.

ALRIGHT.

Now that you've read a small chapter's worth of notes, here's the actual fricken' chapter.

---

Workday

._.-._.-._.

1:30 AM

Falling into a beanbag and cracking open my laptop has never held as much weight as it did now.

It's been a while since I could just sit here and work again. This time, I might truly have a night to myself.

There's been a lot of internal conflict on what I want to do with this 'book' I've been slowly developing during my time here. I was never sure what would be appropriate to include if I ever wanted it to get published in the future.. Hell, I never even reached a conclusion on 'if' I should get it published or not.

Things like these have always been sitting in the back of my head, making themselves known whenever I wasn't actively focusing on something else.

It's been a little different recently.

Ever since a few nights ago, these thoughts have been screaming in my face. It sounds like a bigger deal than it truthfully is, but it forced me to stop dawdling and make a decision. What do I include? Who will I show this too? What will people think of it? Should I even publish this?

It didn't take long to figure all that out. Settled on a solution.

'Ctrl+A, Delete' kind of solution.

Of course I shouldn't publish it. It almost kills me to think that I might have.

ONE person read it, and it almost killed me. In fact, I'm still actively waiting for a time-bomb to explode over in Roxy's room.

I understand that she's a bit of a special case. The only reason Rox became an issue is because I basically told her to her face to make a connection between the book and my scar, but..

If I were to publish it, I'd basically be relying on the chance that there will not be another special case, ever. Who knows, maybe 4 people would read it in total, maybe it'd become a best-seller, but all it would take for things to go wrong is for 'one' person who read the book to make some sort of connection that I failed to notice while writing. The worst part would be that I'd have no idea it happened. I'm right here in the Pizzaplex, so I was able to work with Roxanne's case myself, and even then I still wasn't really able to fix anything. I'm still waiting for the consequences of that to blow up in my face.

So no. That 'book' is a no-go.

...

Sigh.

That's not the end of it, though.

I click the mouse-pad and begin to surf around the revision history.

That might be the end of the whole 'book' thing, but it was never supposed to turn into something like that anyway.

The reason I'd started writing this to begin with is because all the memories and information from the years prior felt heavy on my shoulders. I was the only person on the planet who knew what happened. All the animatronics, the spirits, the remnant, the death, the family, how it started and how it ended.. I'm sure I'm placebo-ing this issue into existence, but knowing all those things wouldn't be so bad if they didn't actually fricken' happen. The whole thing sounds like a 'story', like it really is something you'd find in a book. Hell, if all this information came to me in the 'form' of a book, it wouldn't mean anything to me. I've read my fair share of books, some with much wilder concepts than this, and those stories don't weigh me down any.

But I didn't 'read' about these things. I was there. It happened while I was there, some of it even happened to me. It was real. It's not a 'story', it's history.

Like, imagine if you alone discovered everything about ancient Egypt. You watched it all happen: Pharaohs, building of the pyramids, their history, their gods, their social structure.. And now imagine that you're in today's time, and you are the only one who knows. Such a significant part of the past now only exists in your head. What would you want to do?

I can't speak for everybody, but I'd want to 'tell' someone. Hell, all the structures and evidence still exist out there in the desert today, all you have to do is point someone in the right direction, and they'd find it too. That piece of the past would no longer be lost, like a missing puzzle piece missing from an infinitely growing puzzle. The whole 'puzzle' is already completed, and is continuously growing outward in all directions, but there's a gaping hole in the middle that no one noticed but you. Better yet, you have the pieces to fill it in. You know where everything goes already, all you have to do is just slide them into place. Imagine the satisfaction you'd get from doing so.

..But now imagine staring at the hole, having the pieces, but you can't put them in.

The entire, groundbreaking, revolutionary history of ancient Egypt locked away in your mind, and you can't tell anyone.

Impossible technologies could be investigated, the secrets of surviving in the desert could be discovered, and you can't tell anyone.

Things that were thought only to exist in myth could be reproduced and made public with just the little pieces of information in your brain, and you can't tell anyone.

...

The secret to immortality and reincarnation could be within humanities grasp, and I can't tell anyone.

The implications of spirits and souls existing could be elaborated on, but I can't tell anyone.

I know that physically interacting with and changing the course of a soul is possible, but I just. can't. tell anyone..

...

It's heavy, is what I'm trying to say. Like a physical weight pressing down on me sometimes. Information this important is clawing desperately at every corner at my skull to escape, but I just can't let it.

It's not a story, it's history, and history inspires people.

I don't want to say something cheesy or cliche like 'history repeats itself', but it follows that line of thinking.

There are already so many people fascinated with the mysteries behind Freddy Fazbear's. My worst fear is that those who are obsessed would find inspiration in this history, and it would repeat itself in some way.. Of course, no bumbling idiot who spends all his time gossiping about a children's restaurant is gonna be able to replicate something like Remnant. I'm not terribly worried that soul-possessed animatronics are going to be a problem ever again, it's just.. If copy-cat killings were to occur, that would mean my father's influence that's consumed so many already would continue to create tragedy after tragedy, and I don't think I'd be able to stop it that time. THAT'S what I just can't handle.

...

I just...

...

A bubble of frustration swells somewhere in my upper chest.

I just want him to stop, already..! I want to march over to my father in the afterlife and tell him sternly to stop, like that'll do anything.. Like he's even doing anything anymore..

William created hell on earth. Tragedy after tragedy. Finally, he died, but he came back, and It kept going..! Tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. And even now! He's finally been killed for good, but it's still so hard..! It takes so much damn effort just to prevent his name from being painted on the front of tragedy after tragedy after tragedy after-!

Just 'stop'! Stop already! Stop killing people! Stop getting animatronics to kill people! Stop trying to get other people to kill people! Stop-

Oh-, jeez..!

Alright, alright.. Time to calm down.. Little bit of purple started to creep into my vision..

...

That's why I created this document.. Not to make it into a book and share it with the world, but just so I could put it somewhere. Reassure myself that I don't need to remember it all anymore, because this thing will remember it for me.

The day a copy-cat killing occurs in my father's name is the day I 'lose'. It's the one thing I fear more than anything else. A day I've started referring to as 'doomsday' in the back of my head.. A little excessive, maybe, but that's really what it feels like.

...

Man, glad I got a hold of myself when I did.. If someone were to walk in and see me gripping and staring down my laptop with enough frustration that it looked like I might start crying, it probably wouldn't have resulted in a very pleasant conversation. Not a dignifying one, at least.

'Sorry about that. Got frustrated over a scenario I made up in my head, and I almost lost my mind.'

Good night guard material.

...

With a sigh, I find the revision I was looking for and conjure it back onto my screen.

Give or take a few paragraphs, this should be the entire document before I started editing it into a story.. Think I'm gonna keep working on this one, since I'm clearly not over myself yet.. I'm locking this one away hard, though. Not letting anyone just stumble into my laptop and see this again. Thankfully, computers make things pretty easy to hide.. Maybe I'll even password-protect it. That's always been something I've wanted to try.

...

Just as I finish placing and locking it somewhere I think it'll be hidden, the sound of steam releasing can be heard a little ways in front of me.

Finishing up with a couple of clicks, I turn my head just in time to find Roxanne starting to lean on the wall her door's connected to, glaring at me from across the corridor.

"What's wrong with you?"

"..With me?"

"With you."

"I'm fine, why?"

Roxy exhales a breath she was holding.

"You sure didn't 'look' fine a few seconds ago.."

Oh boy.

"I'm fine 'now', sorry."

Her curtains are open, I'm just now realizing. Dunno how the hell I missed that.

"Mike."

"Rox."

She rolls her eyes, deciding on another approach.

"Mike, get in here."

"It's fine. I'm alright."

"You 'aren't'. Get over here."

"Rox." I close my laptop lid. "I'm alright, promise. Nothing actually happened. Just thought about something that I had no reason to think about. Entirely my fault. I'm not thinking about it anymore, so I don't have a problem anymore."

...

"..Fine, but you're still coming here."

"Why?"

"So you can tell me what's eating at you. Talking about it helps. 'You' taught me that, numbnuts."

"That's alright, actually. Thinking about it is what upset me, so talking about it is only gonna make it worse."

"Then we won't talk about it."

"..So then I'm not going-"

"You. Are taking. Your ass. Into my room."

"What now?"

"I'm bored. Bring that computer thing, we're watching a movie."

"But-"

" Mike-.. 'I'm' bored, and 'You' need help getting your mind off something anyway. We both win, as long as you quit your fricken' whining." The wolf pushes herself off the wall and turns around to march into her room without waiting for my response. "If you're not in my room in the next five minutes, I'm dragging you in here myself."

The sound of the steam door sounds as soon as she finishes talking, indicating that the conversation's over.

...

Sigh.

I slide the laptop off to my side and hobble my way to standing.

Guess that means Rox figured out you can watch movies on this thing..

Sheesh.. I swear to god, it's like she 'knows' when I have these episodes. She never fails to catch me at my lowest point and demand I do something with her..

...

I'll have to thank her for that later. Preferably when her ego calms down a bit.

---

1:00 PM

Hmm.. Wonder if Evan's ever gonna come back..

I scan the steadily dispersing crowd in the auditorium, all the kids running off to do whatever catches their attention first. The mid-day performance just ended, so just about everyone in the building was clumped into that showroom.. It looks like it'd be extremely warm from the sheer amount of people, but this building's ventilation just as supernatural as the animatronics are.

My arm lowers to my side as I use the raceway's railing system to support my weight.

Bet Rox'll be surprised to see me. Or not. There are only so many times I can randomly appear somewhere and still surprise someone with it.

There were some maintenance crew that came in last night to check out some of our larger equipment. Enough of them were there that Coop simply decided that it probably wouldn't be necessary for a nightguard to watch over the place. Usually, I'd still end up coming anyway, but I decided to take the time off just this once and be productive around the house, which I've been procrastinating on as of late..

No biggie, but I ended up getting done with everything pretty quick and just slept the night away. Upon hearing that, Arin asked me if I could cover a day-crew's shift today. He started listing off the reasons why the usual day-crew couldn't make it, but I accepted the offer without letting him get too far.. Already got everything I needed to do done last night, so there was absolutely nothing for me to do back at the house today.

...

Man, it 'is' kind of depressing how rarely the raceway gets visitors.. All because kids can't come in and do it without their parents around. That still doesn't make any damn sense.. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to drop by Coop tonight and-

"Hello?"

Whoops. I work here.

"Oh- hey, what's up?"

Professional as always.

Fixing my posture, I give the man a quick scan while responding.. Think I stare at him for a bit longer than I intended too, but it doesn't look like he minds.

What interested me is that this man is the spitting image of what I used to look like before I became, y'know, purple. Obviously that was a while ago, and the two of us certainly look different now.. Still kinda neat though.

What also interests me is that he's alone. Looks old enough to have a kid, but if he does, I don't think they're here with him.

"Hey, sorry.." The guests shifts his gaze to the small pizza box in his hands, drawing my attention there as well. "If it's not too much trouble, there was a mistake with the toppings on this. Is there something we can do about that?"

"Like a replacement or refund?"

"If it's alright.. No one's touched this one though, so I guess the employees can have it or something."

"I'm sure we could, but we're about as far from the kitchen as we can possibly be." I raise my arm as if introducing him to the area we're in. "I'm just here to watch the raceway. Someone in the auditorium or lobby could help you, though."

The guest stares blankly at me for a suspiciously long time.

"..Back in the auditorium?"

"Yeah."

"S..Sorry, but I just came from there.. I asked an employee there the same thing I asked you and he pointed me in your direction.."

..What?

"They did..?"

"Well, yeah."

"..Do you know what they look like?"

"Um, they.."

...

Godammit it was Trudge.. I'd bet you a million dollars.

"..I'm sorry, but I can't do anything for you over here. The auditorium would be the best place to ask someone, just.. Maybe not 'that' one.."

They sigh, letting their gaze fall a bit but raise back up to meet mine shortly after.

"Why'd they send me over here if you're not able to help?"

"That person in particular's kind of unpredictable. He probably just did it to mess with me.."

Another blank stare occurs, and I start to regret saying that the way I did.

"To mess with you?"

"I'm sorry, but probably.."

As literally anyone else would, the customer gets a slight bit annoyed. I basically told him that whoever he talked to just toyed with him for their own amusement. It's a deceptively long walk from here to the auditorium, so I'd probably get a little upset too if I found out whoever sent me here intentionally pointed me in the wrong direction.

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure that's what happened, but that might be the only story this guy will believe.. What I imagine happened is that Trudge really didn't know what to do in this situation, so he sent this guy to me, who might actually be able to give him worthwhile information. Sounds harmless, but I doubt he realized how annoying it could be.

"..Are 'you' messing with me?"

"No, I promise. The kitchen is nowhere near here."

"Well, why would-?" The guest sighs, letting off a little steam before he continues. "If you know who I'm talking about, then this must not be the first time something like this has happened, right? You haven't told him to stop or something?"

"He's, um.."

"Y'know what, nevermind.. Who 'should' I talk to then? Anyone else I should avoid?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure.. I don't know who in the auditorium knows what to do in this situation, so it might be better if you went to someone in the reception lobby."

They grimace weakly. I meant what I said, but it's really not a great option.. They'd basically be traveling the distance of the entire Pizzaplex and then back some just to get a pizza that he could've eaten in half the time it would take to walk there.

"Fine.. You're sure someone there can help me?"

"Probably.."

Not the answer he wanted to hear.

"Alright, look- Is there a manager or supervisor I can talk to? Someone you 'know' will be able to help?"

"Oh, sure. As far as I'm aware, both the manager and CEO are in the building today."

They let out a small sigh of relief upon getting a solid answer.

"Perfect. Where can I find them?"

...

"They're, um.."

...

Shit, I don't know.. It's not like they stay in an office all day, they're just 'around'..

"..?"

"I'm.. Not sure.. I can call one of them real quick, if that's alright with-"

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"I'm sorry, but they could be anywhere."

Justified frustration starts to appear behind their body language.

"What do you do if you need something, then? Just run around until you find one of them?"

"Well.."

"Don't you dare answer 'yes'- I was kidding..!"

"I can call one of them if you'd like, it won't take more than a few seconds."

The guest inhales to continue talking, but ends up holding and using the exhale like he was taking a deep breath.

"You're absolutely sure this will work?"

"Yeah. They're about as competent as they come."

He pretends not to mutter - We'll see about that.. - before giving me an exasperated thumbs up and gently placing his pizza box on a platform next to him.

Good. Cooper has yet to disappoint, so lets see if he can get through to this guy better than I can..

As quick and fluid as I can, I get Coop's contact pulled up and press call.

...

...

I shouldn't be thinking about this guy like he's some sort of Karen.. I've witnessed unnecessarily upset customers before, but this guy isn't really one of them. A little passive aggressive, but at least he isn't screaming. I can't say his frustration isn't warranted either..

...

...

...

Coop, uh.. Didn't pick up..

I honestly wasn't expecting that. Coop's one of the most responsive people I know, so there must be a good reason for it, but.. That's probably not gonna be a good enough excuse for this guy..

This time, I'm the one giving him a blank stare as the ringing fades away.

...

...

"This had better be the best damn pizza I've ever had."

"It won't be."

Why the hell do I say things?

The guest lifts his arms a bit as if to say 'what do you want from me?'

"Are you sure you're not messing with me?"

"I'm not. That's strange, they've never failed to pick up my call before.."

"Look- What do you want me to do?"

"Um.. Want me to try calling my manag-?"

"No, no.."

"Who took your order?"

"Chica, I think. The bird one."

"Really?"

"Yes, she's the food- What do you mean 'really'?! Don't you work here?!"

"Yeah, I guess I just never noticed that she was capable of doing that.."

"I'm not gonna chase down that chicken for another pizza."

"You probably couldn't even get close to her at this point.. I don't know, lobby is my best guess."

"Your 'best guess'?"

"I'm not sure of anything anymore.."

That might not have been the best thing to say either..

"Well I don't either. Are you absolutely positive I can get someone to help in the lobby?"

"It would surprise me if you couldn't."

A small grumble escapes his breath.

"Can I get a solid answer to work with? Please?"

"I promise I'm trying to help.. To be honest, I'm just the night-guard. I've never had to deal with something like this before."

"So that-!" They stutter, trying to chill out a bit again. "So that other guy sent me to the only other person in the building that can't help me?"

"Well.."

"Does this happen often?"

"I.. Don't know, I'm just the night-guard.."

"What 'do' you know?"

"How to be the night-guard."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"I don't know what to tell you."

"Anything..!"

"If I could think of a better solution, I'd tell you right now."

With a sigh of frustration, the guest crosses his arms.

"Listen, purple, if I can't get my pizza from anyone in the lobby, you're getting a face-full of my current one."

"Look, please calm down.."

"I wouldn't be so upset if you'd do your damn job..!"

"I am doing my job, I'm just here to keep an eye on-"

"If I were to talk to your manager right now and ask him if you were supposed to help customers, you're telling me he would say no?"

"No, I'm saying I've done all I can."

"You haven't 'done' anything..! Listen, so help me god, if I find out you're-"

"Leave." A new voice violent pierce our minds, followed shortly by a furred hand falling on the guests shoulder, breaking him out of his trance and causing him to whip around.

"Wh-?" As the guest does so, Roxanne uses the momentum of his spin to add extra 'oomph' to tug hard on his shoulder, bringing him uncomfortably close.

"Get out of my raceway, away from the guard."

"Wait- my pizz-!"

"What did he tell you?"

"Huh?"

"What did he tell you?"

"To go to the l-?"

"To go to the lobby, so fucking go."

Like it never happened, Roxanne gently slides the guest out of the way and continues walking to the platform I'm on.

Of course, the guest takes a second to register what just happened and doesn't leave right away, but he eventually decides that he won't be able to 'win' an argument with her like he might've with me and stumbles in the direction of the door.

I watch as he disappears through the entrance, slowly returning to leaning on the rails behind me. Once the guest is out of sight, I trail my gaze to the wolf hopping onto the platform I'm on, holding a slice of what I assume to be that guy's pizza.

"Sure we won't be hearing about this later.." I lazily remark, watching the fae impressively maneuver her tail to shut the nearby pizza box she opened.

"We won't, calm down." Roxy responds, taking her place on the rails next to me.

"I thought you didn't swear in front of guests?"

"I don't swear in front of guests, not dumbfucks who cause trouble in my raceway."

"Mm. Was he 'that' annoying?"

"He was annoying, that was enough." Roxanne uses her tail to swoosh behind her and gently bat my head. " 'You' just don't know how to defend yourself."

That gets a small chuckle out of me.

"He wasn't about to attack me or anything, man just wanted his pizza."

"Could've had his pizza by now if he just listened to you the first time.." She grumbles through her sentence, causing me to cock a brow.

"What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"Was he really that upsetting?"

"Yes, Mike."

"What about him?"

"No one gets to yell at you. 'I' get to yell at you. You're mine."

Whoof..

"He wasn't yelling."

"Whatever."

---

10:30 PM

...

Nice blinker, moron..

Drove over to a town about twenty minutes away because I heard they had a small pizza business there that's really, really good. Mom 'n Pop shop kind of pizza. Admittedly, it was pretty friggen good. Brick oven pizza, which is objectively the best pizza a man can have. Anyway.

I've had so much pizza over the years that pizza in general isn't something I'd find myself traveling very far for, but I had a theory. Trudge and I have been bringing food for Chica every now and then, since she isn't a fan of the pizza there. Trudge has started to take over for the most part, but mostly because the two of them seem to share the most random-ass hobby of cooking.

Dunno how that's possible. 'I' struggle to conjure up the patience to cook sometimes, so they must've found ways of entertaining themselves.

But I started thinkin'.. Freddy's pizza has never been particularly good. It's gotten better over the years, but it's still on par with something like bowling-alley pizza.. I wanna see if I can challenge that pizza-dislike of Chica's if I bring her an actually edible pie.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if she didn't like the pizza now sitting in the passenger seat.. Not saying I'm a pizza gourmet or anything, but if you've been eating pizza for as long as I have, you start to get a better idea on what 'good' pizza is. And yeah, this pizza's pretty dang good.

However.. The thing about this town is that, apparently, no one knows how to fricken' drive. So much so that I think I'd rather die than use the highway to get to the Pizzaplex from here.

So, my solution is to take the back roads.

Speed limit is still 45-55, surrounded by forest so it's a more visually pleasing and entertaining to drive through, and there are no idiots to accompany me on this route.

...

Probably woulda been better if I were driving during the day.. The forest is incredibly nice, but it's too damn dark to see anything that isn't directly in my headlights.

Sigh.

Whatever. I'm hardly losing any time by going this way, and I'll be preserving my mental stability..

...

...

My watch lights up, vibrating my entire arm for a moment.. Might ask Freddy if he can tone that down a little.

Not a text though, a call. Good, that means I won't die halfway there trying to text and drive.

The caller ID messes with my head a bit, but I soon recognize all the name's it's trying to list as the 'nightcrew'. Never done a group-call before. That sounds chaotic at best.

I answer the call, but slide my watch off and set it on the dash pointing towards me while I do. As far as I'm aware, all calls have video feed included, and they probably aren't gonna want to see the side of my steering wheel the entire call.

- click -

"Hello?"

Apparently I'm the last one to join, as all the other feeds (except for Trudge's, who's face is visible in Chica's camera) are already present, and I have, in fact, just cut Freddy off in the middle of a sentence.

"ou- Oh- Hello, Michael..! Are you somewhere in the building..?"

"Nope. I've started taking my watch with me, in case one of you need to talk to me during the day."

"I see."

Following that, a few of the animatronics voices can be heard overlapping each other, presumably responding to whatever Freddy was saying before I cut him off.

I decide to remain quiet and listen until I'm called for in specific. Freddy clearly didn't expect me to be a part of this call, but unless he says otherwise, I'll stick around and listen to the jumbled voices.

...

...

Man, it takes effort to make out what they're saying, but they can tell each other apart just fine.. Is that just a quirk of being an animatronic?

..Y'know, it's probably just because they're used to hearing each other's voices. They're probably better at singling each other out than I am.

"..F- Mike, what is that damn noise?"

Oh there's that friggen wolf. I was wondering when she was gonna say something.

"Sorry, driving."

"You're 'driving'?"

"You can't see me driving? Right in front of you?"

"I can't 'see' anything."

...Oh yeah.

I reach up and click the ceiling light. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of the watch. Apparently, Freddy correctly assumed that 4+ video feeds on one watch screen might be intense, so the feed automatically cuts to whoever's talking the loudest at the moment. The rest of the feeds don't disappear, though. They get compressed into a smaller portion of the screen.

"Sorry. Is that better?"

"Yes. Where in the world are you? I thought you slept before you came to work?"

Also just noticed that the background chatter has calmed down. I guess the animatronics don't get to see a vehicle in motion from the inside very often, so Rox and I caught their attention.

"I do, I just go to bed and wake up early depending on if I want to do something before work or not."

"Got lazy?"

"That's usually why, yeah. This time I needed to do something right before work though. I'm bringing pizza."

"..You're bringing pizza?

"Yeah. Like, good pizza though. Thought I'd try seeing if Chica dislikes the Pizzaplex's pizza or all pizza in general." I slip my hand into the open pizza box on top of the stack and pick up a slice to show the camera and start munching on. "Got pizza from a place I've heard is really good. I like it."

"Ooh!" Trudge's voice cuts in, causing the feed to flip to him and a mildly apprehensive Chica. "I know that place! They got the fricken-!"

Trudge stops talking to the camera and twists to face Chica.

"You're gonna like this stuff. It's good. Big slices. Big good slices."

"Really?" Chica's eyebrows raise a small amount, not having considered that pizza might be 'good' before.

"Yeahp. Big oven."

"Brick oven." I correct, starting to slow for a stop sign.

"Brick oven."

"Mm." Freddy's feed cuts in, who appears to be busy tinkering at his desk. "A day-crew had suggested I try a pizza of that variety."

"It's my favorite kind."

"Also heard it's rare to come by."

"Yeah, sometimes. We lucked out with one being less than an hour away."

"Whups-" Monty's feed displays in response to the instinctive grunt and sound of something small dinking on the floor.. He appears to be sitting on one of the couches that each animatronic has in their room, but it doesn't look like 'his' couch.

Freddy looks up to the feed curiously in response to the dinking, which unintentionally ruffles something on his desk causing the feed to cut to himself. If your camera is the one active though, the watch won't cut to the feed of yourself, instead remaining on whoever talked last before them.. So, everyone else got to watch Freddy while he stared at Monty's feed with progressively growing confusion.

...

"Wh-?"

Freddy whips around in his chair.

"Monty?"

"Heya."

"What on earth?!"

"Heya."

"What are you doing in here!?"

"I'm bored! I got bored! Lemme alone!"

" 'How' did you get in here? The door didn't open!"

"Wouldn' you like ta' know!"

"Yes!"

"Fred, listen. You gotta- wh- ACK! Your door was already open! It waS ALREADY OPEN! LET GO 'A ME!"

Monty's feed cuts out.

...

...

Freddy's empty video feed displaying his desk is the only thing our cameras show for a minute or two before Freddy himself exasperatedly falls back into his desk chair.

- Gimmie back my watch! -

Monty's muffled voice can barely be heard through Freddy's door as the latter stands right back up and presumably goes through the process of picking up Monty's watch and what sounds like chucking it out of his door.

...

Another moment later, Freddy falls back into his chair. Immediately afterward, Monty's feed cuts back in, showing that he is currently sitting up with his back against Freddy's door, grinning like nothing happened.

"Didja just bring enough fer' Chica or can we all have some?"

I take a moment to remember that I'm actually part of a call and not just watching a show.

"Oh, yeah, there's plenty. 4 boxes between 5 people should be more than enough.."

"Jesus." Roxanne's feed cuts in. "How big are these pizzas?"

"The biggest they have. 18 inch, I think. Big."

"Who the hell do you think we are?"

"I'm not 'expecting' us to eat all of it, I just wanted to get enough so that everyone would be satisfied."

"Whatever you say, lardass."

That gets a chuckle out of me.

"I'm surprised you even know what 'lard' is."

"I don't. Heard someone else say it. It means you're fat."

"I know what it means."

"You're fat."

"Rox, I'd bet you literally anything I weigh less than you."

"Not after eating an entire damn pizza you won't."

"I'm not gonna eat an entire pizza. I couldn't even eat half of-"

Fuck-!

- D-KR-RSHHhhh -

...

...

...

That made an interesting sound.

Welp. Suppose that's what I get for taking the 'scenic route through the woods'..

Taking a deep breath to shake off any remaining 'willies', I pull off to the side of the road and get out to see what's up.

...Tell you what, between my car and the deer, I think the car won..

Man, that wasn't the prettiest that could have gone though.. Deer jumped out from the woods and I hit the thing going at least 45. Slammed on the breaks as soon as I could, but there was no way I was stopping in time. Hell, I was going 55 and barely managed to slow down at all.

Can't tell you how much adrenaline that thing must've been feeling for it to still have recovered and jump back into the woods, but I reckon it's in for a bad time when it wears off..

...

I wipe the side of my face, thinking somehow I scratched myself and warm blood was starting to run down my face, but thankfully it wasn't. Splatter of sauce landed on my cheek, must've been from the pizza I was actively eating at the time.

Ah shit, the pizza..

Taking a step backwards to look into my window revealed that the pizza certainly wasn't in a 'pizza' shape anymore.. I mean, I'm sure it's still delicious, but no one's gonna want to eat globs of pizza by hand.

There's the watch, in the middle of the mess. Certainly not 'on' anymore..

The car itself isn't in the worst shape. Bumper and front of the car got pretty bent, and one of the headlights shattered, but it doesn't seem like anything's wrong with the functional parts of the car.

That was an experience though, never been in a wreck before.. 4/10.

I clamber back into the drivers seat and start to clean whatever mess I can. Think some soap and vacuuming is in order, but for the most part, it's not gonna take very long.

...

I pick up the watch halfway through cleaning, giving it a once over. It really doesn't 'seem' damaged at all, but it doesn't wanna turn on..

..Oh here. I think the battery-thing just got a little dislodged in it's case. If that's all it is, then that's a solid 2 minute fix. Bet I can do that right now actually.

Might be a good plan.. Gang's probably wondering why I left all the sudden. Only thing ruder than my entrance to that call was my exit.

...

Dammit, I bet Freddy could do this in twelve seconds.. But I'm a big boy too! I can figure things out sometimes!

..Sigh.

...

My phone buzzes in my pocket, severing my concentration.

Cooper. Interesting, I was pretty sure he went to bed at this hour..

- click -

"Hello?"

"Mnn.. Michael?"

Sounds like he's in bed alright.. Barely sounds conscious at all.

"Hey. What's up?"

"No idea, couldn't make out a dang thing when-.." The sound of ruffling as he sits upright can be heard on the other end. "..Listen, I dunno whacha did, but Roxanne is losing. her. mind. I couldn't make out halfa what she said, but she was practically beggin' me to see if I could reach you.."

Oh boy.

"Oh, I see.. Sorry, The animatronics and I were talking with our watches while I was driving to the Pizzaplex. Took a back-road and smoked a deer, which knocked my watch out."

There's a moment of silence on the other end before a hearty chuckle seems to stave his drowsiness away.

"Ohhhh, damn that makes more sense, arright.." The sound of Cooper standing up and turning a light on can be heard before he chuckles lightly again and continues. "Had no idea what that girl was trying to say.. You alright? Not hurt or nothin'?"

"I'm completely fine. Car's alright too, just a bit bent."

"Good. Need me to schedule you off for tonight?"

"Honestly, I'm closer to the Pizzaplex than my house at this point. I'll just camp there for the night."

"Might be a good call. Don't go anywhere from there 'till I get there and see what kinda damage it's got."

"You're coming to the Pizzaplex?"

"Not fallin' asleep anymore, that's for dang sure."

"Alright."

Another silence as Cooper shuffles through his belongings, interrupted by another snicker.

"I was wonderin' what in the sam-hell her problem was.."

"Roxanne's?"

"Yeah. Mike, you might wanna check on her if your able. Thought for a second there that she'd climb through my phone and tear me apart."

"That bad, huh?"

"Not good, at least. Want me to call her back? If that phone still works anymore..?"

"Roxy called you? With a phone?"

"With one of the office phones. I gave em all my number in case of an emergency."

"Mm."

A hefty laugh suddenly erupts from the other end before I can decide.

"Aww man, I oughta tell her you died. She might actually explode."

Alright, maybe a bit inappropriate at the time, but that would be a little funny.

---

The car was making some peculiar sounds, so I took it slow.. Don't know if that was necessary or not, but I'm finally at the Pizzaplex and in one piece, so I'll call that a victory.

Cooper arrived at almost the exact same time due to my sluggishness, so the two of us got to work seeing what all went down.

Seems like this guy's a little more versed with cars than you'd think.. As far as I know, he was never a mechanic or anything, but I guess it could just be one of his hobbies.

Well.. He might not be versed at all, it's just that I'm even less so. I can drive a car pretty well, but that's about as far as my expertise goes.

...

"Ooh..."

That's not a good sign.

As I open my mouth to ask what's up, Coop starts pointing to a steadily growing puddle under my car. Ruh roh.

"Mmmhm.. That's the kinda stuff you'd wanna keep 'in' the car.." He states, standing up from his knees.

"Oil?"

"Coolant, drippin' from the radiator.. I'm glad you made it here safely, but you ain't gonna want to drive this thing back home."

"Fun."

"Ayup."

I cross my arms and stare down at the car for a few seconds, deciding on a course of action.

"..I'll get a ride from Trudge in the morning. Guess I'll spend tonight making a couple calls."

"Arright.."

The two of us stand and think for a moment before breaking into an occasional back and forth about what we think a good plan would be.

Don't wanna sound like an idiot, but I'm glad he's around to provide his input. I'm making shots in the dark otherwise..

...

After another 5 minutes or so, the two of us make our excuses and start to head to our respective destinations.

...

Glancing over towards Cooper making his way towards his car in the driveway sends off a weak signal of familiarity in my brain.

..There's something I've been curious about, but I've been equally unsure if it's a good idea to ask about it..

...

"Hey."

Cooper shifts the top-half of his body around, making sure that I did, in fact, say something.

"Yep?"

...

"Out of curiosity, what would you feel if you learned an employee was leaving the Pizzaplex with an animatronic every once in a while?"

Subtle as always, dumbass.. The thought of Trudge and Chica getting together had forced reminded me of that time I saw them running back into the Pizzaplex.. I started to think that a relationship between them would be especially difficult if Chica was never allowed to leave.

"What would I 'feel'?"

"I guess, yeah."

"Uhhmmm.." Cooper looks up and scratches his head. "..Prolly wouldn't 'feel' very much.."

...

"You wouldn't? Like, you wouldn't care?"

"Don't think so, why? Should I?"

..How couldn't you?

"I was.. Just thinking about Trudge and Chica.. Wondered if they might try and leave and do something during the night, 'cause they're in.. a relationship and all..?"

"Aww, pff." Cooper dismissively waves his hand, starting to turn back towards his car. "Nope. Long as Trudge comes back alive, I don't really care. They can handle themselves, I think.."

"I see. Just wondering.."

"Arrighty, see ya 'round. Don't drive that car."

"Yeah.."

...

I was..

I was positive that Cooper would mind. Like, of course he would, right? There was always that hopeful thought in the back of my mind that he wouldn't care, but I thought that was just a pleasant impossibility.

But it isn't. Coop just explained that he didn't mind, which is great, right..?

I thought it would be heartwarming or filling in some way to hear Cooper say he'd allow them to leave, but.. All it did was create a pit in my stomach.

That doesn't make any sense.. Cooper doesn't care if they leave. Why? Why doesn't he care? How couldn't he care? Surely he understands that they are everything that makes this place what it is, so what in the world..?

He also said something backwards again, about how things would be fine as long as Trudge comes back unharmed..

Trudge is an adult, he can handle himself. Even if he didn't come back, he'd still be perfectly fine.. Chica wouldn't.. Chica should have been the one Coop was worried about. Not much would happen if Trudge disappeared, but it would be catastrophic if Chica failed to come back.

...

I just don't understand him.. Coop's one of the most generous and altruistic people I know, but there's always something going on in his mind that just doesn't click with mine.

---

As I push the glass doors open, I feel a gaze snap towards my position.

"There you are." Freddy's voice rings from the middle of the lobby. "I told her you were fine.."

"Hey, sorry about that.. Deer jumped in front of the car. Car and I are both fine, but the collision battered the watch around a bit.." I explain, sliding my watch off and holding the disfigured battery pack up towards the approaching bear.

"I had figured." Freddy gently takes the watch from my hands, holding it up to a soft light emanating from a neon sign nearby. "The sound gave us a fright, but you appeared to be fine in the last moments of your camera feed.."

"Yeah. Didn't mean to worry anyone."

"There's no need to apologize.." Freddy responds, using some of his focus to push a part of the disfigured battery into place. "Everyone was convinced you were alright, so there's-"

"Did you just fix the watch?"

"Oh, um.. I suppose so? Was the battery the only issue?" Halfway through asking, Freddy attempts to power the watch, and it lights up like a Christmas tree.

I really am an idiot, aren't I?

"I tried pushing that damn thing back into place for twenty minutes.."

"You did?"

"I 'tried'."

"It didn't snap into place?"

"It did not."

"Didn't seem very difficult when I-"

Alright, Fred. You've bruised my ego enough.

"Thanks. Nobody was worried, you said?"

"Somewhat." Freddy lowers his arm to hand me the watch. "We were all a little worried, but no one had thought you suffered any serious injury."

"..Even Roxanne?"

"Well.."

I resist the urge to snicker.

"Is she around? Think I oughta show her that I'm fine before she blows a fuse.. Did you figure out why she reacted so poorly?"

"Not at all.. Roxanne was so convinced that you had suffered an injury, and no one could get through to her." Freddy laments.

That's interesting.. Roxanne is usually the perceptive one of the group, so if everyone else correctly assumed I was alright, what did she see to make her think otherwise?

"Well, I'm perfectly fine.."

"I think you should prove that to her before you do much else, then.."

"Yeah. Is she in her room?"

"Most likely. I'm sure we'd hear her from here if she was anywhere else."

"Really?"

Freddy reaches behind his head.

"To be blunt, Roxanne got upset with us.."

"With you guys?"

"Yes.. I wish I could tell you more, but I'm not entirely sure of the reason myself.."

Huh..

The two of us chat about a couple other small topics, like what my plan is regarding my car and all that. Only a few moments later do the two of us part.

I'm sure Roxanne was upset in general, but what reason did she have to be angry with the gang..? Was she just taking some frustration out on them?

...

Welp, I reckon I'm about to get all the answers I need in less than a few minutes. Straight from the horses mouth.

---

- Pshh -

"Fuck!"

Probably not the best sign, whoop-!

Before I even get a grip on where she was, Roxanne grabs my shirt and uses her momentum to send my back into the wall.

"What!? What? I just got here!" I raise my hands in defense, trying not to laugh inappropriately at Rox's tantrum.

" 'Why' didn't you call me?!"

"Freddy only fixed my watch two minutes ago! It broke when I slammed on the brakes..!"

"Cooper called you, right?!"

"Yes, but-"

"Then why didn't you-" She stumbles on her words and backs up a little. "Why didn't he call me back, then?!"

My playful responses slowly fade as I get a better look at the wolf in front of me. Rox isn't losing it or anything, but she might be having more of an episode than I thought.. Instead of the flat anger I was expecting, her eyes are filled with a desperate frustration. And by 'frustration', I mean 'about to cry tears of frustration' kind of thing. A look that resembles more hurt than actual disdain.

I understand that Rox wanted me to let her know I was alright as soon as possible, but that alone doesn't seem to warrant something like this.. If that's the case, then she must really have found a reason to be upset with the gang as well.. Instinctively, my tone begins to soften.

"Rox, look at me." I do a small hand thing gesturing to my entire body. "I'm fine, nothing's wrong. Sorry I didn't call, but I was only a few minutes away from the Pizzaplex by the time the crash happened. Thought I could show you I'm alright myself."

"Don't-.. Ugh-, Don't lie to me!"

"Huh?"

"You don't, or you didn't-!" Roxanne fails to put words to the subject she wants to talk about, only exasperating herself more. After a few moments, Roxanne lowers her head and lets go of my shirt for just enough time to put both of her hands on my shoulders and keep me against the wall. "...I hate them..! I fucking hate them..! I hate them so fricken'-..!"

I'm lost.

"Rox, what are we talking about right now? What did the others do?!"

Like I tripped a nerve, the grip on my shoulders tighten and she snaps her head back up to look at me.

"Nothing, dumbass! They didn't-..! I told them you were hurt, and they looked at me like I was fucking insane..!"

"I'm not h-"

"I-I told Freddy to give me Coopers phone number, but he wouldn't! He kept saying everything was okay, like they didn't see that shit happen to you! H..He made me go find his number myself because he wouldn't tell me..!"

"Rox, calm down..! It's okay, everything's okay..!"

"No, Mike! It didn't-!" Despite desperately wanting to continue, Roxanne begrudgingly forces herself to take an incredibly short deep-breath, if nothing else than to keep her composure. "They're so fricken' mean..! All-, Jesus..! All I wanted to know is if you were okay! But they wouldn't let me-..!"

"Okay, okay. Take another breath, Rox. Tell me what happened, but take a breath first."

Roxanne glares and grips me a little harder upon being treated like a child, but takes a real deep breath this time.

...

Unbelievably, the breath is effective enough for the hands on my shoulders to stop gripping entirely, now just weakly pushing me in the direction of the wall. Her snout lowers a bit, but the weakened glare continues to focus on me.

"..They saw the same shit I did, Mike. They 'saw' you get hurt, and they didn't care.. I wanted to make sure you were okay, but Freddy told me not to wake Cooper up this late, and we wouldn't give me his phone number.. They looked at me like 'I' was a kid throwing a hissyfit over nothing, just because I wanted to see if you were.."

"Rox, I didn't get hurt. My car got a little bent, but I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't lie to me..!" The pressure increases again, but Roxanne's already calmed down to the point of no return.

"I'm not lying..! I'm not hurt anywhere, nothing happened..!"

"I 'saw' you, moron! I saw the blood..! Everyone did, but no one cared..!"

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"I saw you, Mike!"

There wasn't any blood. I escaped unharmed, and both my windshield and windows remained intact, so the deer's blood couldn'tve made it in the car either.

"Rox, listen-"

With what remaining power she has, Rox shakes my shoulders in pleading desperation.

"S-Stop! Stop lying to me! I saw it hit your face! It was on you! You bled! I-I 'know' this!"

Oh.

It takes everything in my power not to laugh and make this situation a million times worse, but that's funny.

"Rox.."

"What?!"

"I was holding a slice of pizza in my hand."

Roxanne continues to glare at me like I'm gonna keep talking. When I don't, she just stares up at me like I said the stupidest, least relevant information I could have given her.

...

"I was currently eating pizza when the-"

"oh- 'Fuck'!"

Unexpectedly, upon reaching the conclusion I've been trying to prod towards her, Rox basically headbutts my chest and stays there.

In her defense, I thought it was blood too when I felt the sauce run down my face.

Roxanne really is the perceptive one of the group, but I think that worked against her this time. I'd be surprised if anyone even noticed something as small as a splatter of sauce hitting me on the last couple frames of my video feed. My guess is that Rox is the only one who perceived that, and misinterpreted the sauce as blood.

Completely inappropriate for the time, but despite my best efforts, I chuckle under my breath. That's about the most cliche thing imaginable, like it's something you'd only ever see in goofy TV shows. It must be easier to misinterpret sauce as blood than I thought, this isn't even the first time it's happened in my life.. Well, kinda. The other way around. Back in Fazbear Frights, the man on the phone had explained that there was some kind of sauce spill in the backroom of Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria. Of course, 'that time' it was blood.

"Stop laughing at me.." Roxanne's weakened voice pitifully commands beneath me.

"That was funny. Like, objectively funny."

"It's not.."

"A little."

"I can't, fricken'.. Dammit, why does this happen every time I'm supposed to be mad at you..!"

"You aren't 'supposed' to be mad at people."

"Yes I am. Monty almost killed me, I get to be mad at you."

"Still?"

"Yes, 'still'..! You're an idiot..!"

"Sorry..! I thought you said you'd forgive me if I stayed with you that night?"

"I said I 'wouldn't' forgive you if you 'didn't'..! You're still the worst..!"

"Alright, alright.. How long do you think you're gonna be mad at me, still?"

"..I don't know, I haven't decided yet."

"Decided what? Are you choosing a date to stop being angry?"

"No."

"Want me to write 'sorry' on a postcard for you?"

"Mike."

"Got a punch of postcards yesterday. Don't know what to do with them."

"Mike, die."

"I'm kidding."

"Sorry isn't gonna work, I said that already. And you're not funny."

"I'm worth a chuckle."

" 'You' are worth your weight in sand."

"That's the spirit."

...

"Fuck you."

"What now?"

"You tricked me into saying a joke."

"I didn't do anything. I said a joke, and you responded with one."

"You still tricked me."

"You're insane."

"Most bad shit that happens to me usually has something to do with you."

"That's not true, what I do to you is not always bad stuff."

"It is. I hate it."

"You like it."

"I don't."

"You will."

...

"Can you get-?"

"No."

"Gonna let me finish my question first?"

"No."

"You have no idea what I was about to say."

"Fine. Talk."

"Can you get off me?"

"No."

"Didn't think so."

Unexpectedly, I feel a small snicker gently shake Roxanne's head. That's always a wonderful feeling at a time like this.

"Hate me that much?" Roxanne responds with sarcasm.

"No. Legs are getting tired."

"You've been standing for three minutes, leaning on a wall."

"It'd be nice if you'd support your own weight."

"It's your job to support me."

"It's my job to keep you alive."

" 'I'm' not the one crashing into shit and losing limbs."

"Can you get off me now?"

"Mike."

"Please."

"Holy shit, what's so hard to get?"

"You, off me."

" 'You' aren't in control, ever. I want this, so it's happening."

"How generous."

"Shut up."

"As you wish, Queen Shitass."

...

...

"Did-, um.."

"..?"

"Did I call you corpse again?"

"A few times. It's fine though, I don't really mind it."

"I shouldn't have.."

"Where'd all that ego go? That was more fun."

"You are. The worst."

"There we go."

...

...

"Alright.. Listen, dumbass."

"My name's Mike."

"Sorry, don't like dumbass either?"

"I prefer Mike."

"Want me to call you Mike instead, then?"

"That'd be neat."

"Fine. Then listen, dumbass. I figured out how you're gonna make shit up to me."

"Mhm?"

"No postcards."

"You lost me."

"You're gonna, um, me, u-uh.."

My eyes drift downward in response to the unexpected stutter.

It's a little difficult to see, since her head's pointed downwards, but Roxanne's face does seem to be lit up with a shade of pink. It's been a while since she got embarrassed like this. Instead of commenting, I decide to just remain silent and let her figure herself out.

...

"E..Everytime you stay here, or stay with me all night, I-I'll get a little less mad.."

"Can I do my job first, at least."

...

"U-Um.."

Roxanne's fur glows a little more.

"F-Fine.. But if you do that, then we have to do this for that night to count.."

"..Do what?"

"Y-... Like-, this! Right here! I-I get to-.. Y-You need to hold me, and we get to talk, l-like this..!"

"Are you malfunctioning right now?"

"No! T-There's just something in my throat..!"

"Something in your throat that makes you stutter?"

"Shut up!"

I thought I'd make a joke to lighten the mood, but that did make my heart flutter for a second.

The only reason we'd ever do something like this is out of 'necessity', I guess you could say.. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I still receive that small fleeting feeling of belonging for a fraction of a second every time it happens. Frankly, I'd be willing to do it forever if it meant getting to feel like I belong somewhere again, but I knew we'd only really need to do something like this in moments of extreme emotional distress..

...

I guess I wouldn't really mind doing it normally from time to time, just until Rox forgives me..

"Alright, alright. I understand."

"Fuckin'.. G-Good, I wasn't gonna repeat it anyway.."

...

"My legs really are starting to hurt."

"No- We're not done, we still get to talk more..!"

"You're just saying that."

"I'm not! I still need to talk to you..!"

"Fine, fine. About what?"

"About-..! Um-..!"

...

"Rox."

"Shut up! Let me think!"

If you're 'thinking', then you're out of topics..

...

...

"..D-.."

"..?"

"Did you-, um.. Ugh- Have you had a girlfriend before?"

Ha.

"Oh boy. Middle school gossip time."

Roxanne tenses up to defend herself, but quickly relaxes and chooses sarcasm.

"You're right, stupid question. No one'd date you."

"How do you know? Girls like the color purple."

Roxanne chuckles.

"Do they like your smell, too?"

"Mm. Do I still smell like rot? I was hoping I'd get better at that by now."

"Never thought about it that way, but rot is pretty damn accurate. You smell like your severed arm."

"Maybe that's the smell of manliness."

"Uh-huh."

"What do you mean have I 'had' a girlfriend before?"

"What do you think I mean, dumbshit?"

"How are you so sure I don't have a girlfriend right now?"

"You don't."

"I might- Ow..?"

"You don't."

Need to declaw you..

"I totally do. Her name's.." ..Come on bullshit generators.. "..Elizabeth?"

..Bullshit generators, gonna need you to run things by my brain before you send stuff straight to my mouth from now on.

"What?" Roxanne lifts her head up to look at me.

"Ye-"

"Does she work here?"

"Um.. Nnnno? No... No, final answer."

Surely she recognizes I'm fucking with her by now.

"Mike-" Roxy uses her hands on my shoulders to push herself to face-level. "What? Is she a night-guard too?"

"Nope. Performer."

"What? Fuckin'- Like me?"

"Shockingly like you, yes."

"Where?"

"Um.."

Roxanne suddenly gets a bit close for comfort.

"Do you have her phone number?"

"Well-"

"Let me talk to her."

"Rox-"

"Where's your phone?"

"Wh- Get out of my pockets!"

"Mike, Where. Is. Your. Phone."

"Rox!"

"It's fine, I'll call her. What's her phone num-"

"I was fucking with you! No, I've never had a girlfriend!"

There's a blank stare between us for a few silent seconds.

- Bonk -

"Ow."

"Fuck. You."

"You don't have to headbutt me every time you want to-"

"That counts as a lie. That's another day you have to stay with me."

"What's gotten into you?!"

"I could kill you right now."

"What in the world just happened?"

"Shut up.."

"Wh-"

"Shut up!"

...

...

"So you've never had a girlfriend. That's the truth?"

"Yes..?"

Unexpectedly, that answer seems to have triggered Roxanne to release a deep breath.

...

...

"Sorry.." Roxanne mutters from under me.

"For the girlfriend thing?"

"No, not-. Forget about that..! I meant for today.."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought it was blood, and thought you got hurt. Threw another tantrum, like I always do.."

"No, you're fine. The only 'mistake' you made was being more observant than the other guys. They woulda thought it was blood if they saw it too."

"Alright, but I sti-"

"And don't feel bad about that last thing either. You're just a little more emotional than they are. That's something I like about you anyway."

"Fuck, Mike, shut up.."

"Mm."

...

"If I stand here anymore, I'm actually gonna collapse."

"Jesus Christ, fine.."

In an instant, Roxanne pushes off me, taking a step back and crossing her arms.

"I'll be back though. I'll start that first day I have to do tonight when I'm done wandering the Pizzaplex."

Roxanne stares at me for a few more seconds before averting her gaze slightly, remembering the deal we made.

"You don't.. You don't 'have' to start today, moron.."

"I have nothing to do besides make a phone call or two, it's a good night for it anyway." I wave my hand dismissively, starting to let my considerably weakened legs carry me towards her door.

"Fine, hurry.." Roxanne turns her body a bit as an informal good-bye.

After a few seconds, I'm finally able to tear my gaze away and start making actual progress towards leaving. As I start booting up my watch, the sound of Roxy quickly turning back around can be heard behind me

"T-..That didn't count, by the way! Y-You still have to hold me tonight..!"

Sigh.

---

12:00 AM

There was a message sent out to a few people today.

It hasn't quite been a year since this place has opened, but it won't be long until we get there. Apparently, Cooper thought it would be a good idea to get an idea of what a few of the employees think of the place.

An email was sent to the 'important' people, such as Arin, a few day-crew that have been here since day one, and me because favoritism. Basically, we were sent a survey, where we could throw in our thoughts about any given topic. The food, the layout, the building and it's condition, ect.. It's about as interesting as a work-survey could possibly be.

The last section, however, caught me a little off guard.

The names of everyone working at the Pizzaplex was listed one after the other, and we were given the opportunity to share our thoughts about them. I don't mean like, criticize, but just put down what we've observed about them. My theory is that Cooper wants to get to know his employees a little better, and figures that this is a surefire way to get a bead on them before he even tries to interact with them himself.

It's entirely optional, I should mention. In fact, I'd venture to guess that just about everyone else skipped this section. It would take a ridiculous amount of time to wright your thoughts on every single person who's ever set foot in this building.

Buuut.. What interested me is the fact that the animatronics are on this list as well. I'm not entirely sure what purpose this serves, but..

I've got a little time. Don't think I've ever really taken the time to just sit and think about the gang I work with in detail. It might be worth a kick.

...

Welp. I've got the entire night ahead of me. Surely no one would mind if I sat down in my usual spot and did something half-useful for a change..

---

Glamrock Chica

Chica is mind-numbingly simple, but also deceptively complex.

It's clear that all Chica really wants to do is have fun, and make sure everyone else is doing the same. During the first few weeks as the night shift, I had fallen under this misconception that Chica's purity resulted in her being simple-minded. The kids loved Chica's energy, and that's all there was too it.. But in reality, the energy she shows during the night is considerably different than her energy during the day.

At night, she simply wants to enjoy herself. Her and Trudge are like peas in a pod this way. The concept of adapting your personality to fit someone else's is foreign to her, and it results in everything she does being the truest reflection of who she is.

This simple-mindedness is misleading, however. Chica might not be book-smart, but she can be wildly emotionally intelligent.

It's this intelligence that draws kids to her. Chica has this phenomenal ability to read anyone's emotions and act accordingly, as long as she's paying attention. She makes sure that her energy never scares anyone off, and adapts her enthusiasm to make sure that the children she's interacting with are enjoying themselves to the best of their ability. What amazes me about her is that it doesn't even look like she has to 'try'.

Dealing with people, children especially, can be really difficult. Knowing how to react to what a group of children do is exhausting, since you're constantly working through what the most logical next course of action should be. Chica doesn't have to do that. She just adapts, like it's the easiest thing in the world. Where the other animatronics might get fatigued from the crowds energy, Chica simply feeds on it and pushes things further.

I've been on the receiving end of this phenomenon before, and it's like magic. Chica recognized I was uncomfortable with something, and immediately acted accordingly, reassuring me and finding compromises like she was planning it all along.

Due to not wanting to scare the kids off with her energy, Chica's behavior can start to resemble that of a mother's. Soft, caring, understanding, but fun.

Chica isn't perfect, however.

She would rather wallow into herself that drag her problems onto others, which has resulted from small issues turning into character flaws from time to time. This strange obsession with being 'weird' used to eat at her, and still might. Though with Trudge around, I have a feeling her issues are gonna fade away one by one.

---

Montgomery Gator

Monty, surprisingly, might truly be the most simple of the gang. The way he acts does persist between night and day, unlike Chica.

Like Chica, Monty simply exists to have fun, and make sure everyone else is doing the same. Monty doesn't have that immaculate emotional intelligence Chica does, but he makes up for it in his own way.

The idea of 'obligation' is lost on him. When Monty interacts with a child, he doesn't try to just entertain them until they run off and do something else, Monty wants to know them. He truly cares about every individual he interacts with, It's this trait that makes it impossible not to feel at home with him around.

Monty's energy can spike at times too, which can scare especially timid kids from time to time. Though before long, those same kids will be swept into Monty's charms before they even recognize what they were scared of.

Even in appearance, Monty fits the role of a gentle-giant. Big, strong, scary, but jovial, friendly, and comically timid at times. Monty forms bonds with those he interacts with in scarily small amounts of time..

But sometimes, this can work against him.

Monty can't help but want to care for and protect everyone he deems to be his 'friends'. If something were to happen to them, Monty would react especially poorly. There are a few signs that this poor reaction might be the result of some internal mechanical flaw, but there are just as many signs that Monty reacts the way he does simply because his character dictates it so. Monty might get especially upset when an injury occurs to someone he cares about, which isn't a bad thing in itself. However, Monty's frustration isn't binded with the frustration of the one who got injured. Monty can remain angry about something, even if the victim himself was never angry in the first place. That blind frustration can be hard to sway, even if it's another one of his friends on the receiving end of it.

Despite everything, Monty might just be the most altruistic of the gang. He's quick to apologize, even if an apology isn't necessary. He rights his wrongs, and takes responsibility for anything he might have done that he deems 'wrong'.

It's impossible to stay mad at him. Hell, it's impossible to 'be' mad at him.

On top of that, despite not having Chica's emotional intelligence, Monty isn't an idiot. In fact, he can be pretty insightful when he needs to be. Him and I have disagreed on some things before, and each time he revealed to me that he noticed something I didn't. It's easy to mark Monty down as 'oblivious', but that might come back to bite you if you try relying on that trait. Everything Monty does is done with good intentions, and he takes that sense of justice seriously. So if you try to challenge it, you'd better have a plan.

---

Freddy Fazbear

Admittedly, talking about Freddy is a little difficult, simply because I'm not as close with him as I am with others.

He's genuine, I'll start with that. Freddy always speaks his mind, but takes great care in putting things in a way that wouldn't hurt another's feelings. I'd imagine this comes from his position of 'authority', if you want to call it that.

The gang resembles an informal family for the most part, and they treat each other like equals. Every once in a while though, there are times where Freddy has to make his point clear, and the other members of the gang follow his guidance with shockingly little resistance.

That might sound a little concerning, but I'm convinced the reason the animatronics are so inclined to listen to him is because they all truly, genuinely trust his judgement. And Rightfully so; Freddy takes great care in calibrating his sense of what's right and wrong, and the other's know this.

Despite making him sound like some sort of military general, Freddy is incredibly easygoing. He doesn't tend to snoop or feel any need to impose himself into the lives of others. Talking to him is like sitting on a couch and talking with a family member during a holiday get-together. There's no judgement, never any awkwardness, and plenty of things to talk about.

I'm not entirely sure what the kids see in him, since Freddy seems to act the same during the day as he does at night, but the kids certainly do love him. It might simply be his sense of earnesty and welcome that keeps people coming back.

Beyond that, there isn't much to say.. Freddy is absolutely the intelligent one of the group. This time, however, his intelligence does seem to gravitate towards book-smart. Freddy has no trouble talking to others, but it's easy to tell that he takes great care in thinking about what he says and how he says it; as opposed to Monty and Chica, who talk right out the heart.

The only thing I can possibly concern myself about him is that, hm..

Freddy's always 'thinking', and always keeps himself busy. He has an encyclopedic knowledge about the Pizzaplex and the companies origin, whereas none of the other animatronics know just about anything.. All I'm hoping for is that Freddy doesn't start 'over'thinking with how much he thinks. Freddy does tend to keep to himself unless you ask him about a topic in specific, so it's hard to know what he's thinking about at any given time.

I'm sure that he'd tell someone if he was genuinely worried about something, however. The gang trusts Freddy, and Freddy trusts the gang. He may be reluctant to share troubling information, but Freddy isn't the type to go as far as to keep secrets from everyone.

At least, I hope not.

---

Roxanne Wolf

Roxy, Rox, Roxy-pox.

It would be an understatement to say that Roxanne is 'gimmicky'. There have been so many different quirks and personality traits she's shown me in the last few months that it's almost impossible to get a solid bead on who she really is or what she really wants. The reason behind this is because I don't think Rox knows any of these things either..

The first word that comes to mind when I try and group all her quirks together would be 'contradictory'. Roxanne tries her best to be a proud wolf, and puts up that front well. 'Front' isn't to say that she isn't really proud or confident, but there's obviously a surface level she wants everyone to see. It's only when you get to know her that you recognize the contradictions.

Roxy acts influential. When she recognizes that she wants something, there aren't many people who would stand in her way when it comes to getting it. However, what's lesser known is that Roxy can get influenced just as easy as she influences others. She radiates 'this is who I am, and I'm not changing for you', but what people think of her is so important that she will work extremely hard and make drastic decisions if it means she'll resemble what other people think she should be. (i.e. the perfume incident.)

Roxanne does truly want people to like her, or at least like the concept of her. She'll work extremely hard if she believes it might boost people's perception of her. When it comes to interacting with her directly, she might become hard to approach, or even degrading at times. I think Rox understands that confidence is something people like in role models or influencers. I don't want to say she's 'faking it', but I do believe there are pieces that simply don't fit together somewhere in her mind.

Finally, despite how much people's opinions influence her, Roxanne really does prefer to be a 'lone wolf'. She works hard to keep her imagine pristine and admirable from a distance, and because of that, she also tends to push people away who are getting too close so that they'd only see her from a distance. I'm willing to bet that's truly how she thinks she prefers things. Roxanne's desire to keep people at a distance likely convinced her that she truly preferred things that way, and hell, maybe she does. However..

Rox doesn't like to admit it, but she enjoys having someone close enough to call a friend.

Her entire life before I appeared consisted of keeping people at a distance and enjoying what people thought of her from afar. Since she truly enjoyed life this way, Rox logically reasoned that she would 'dislike' it if she did the opposite and let someone get close. It makes sense on paper. 'I like X, so I probably wouldn't like the opposite of X.'

When the new nightguard waltzed in and made himself comfortable, Rox simply saw me as a threat to her 'keep people away' plan. Eventually, I guess I was.

I never actively tried to get to know Rox better, all I really cared about was doing my job and snooping around to find anything suspicious. However, there's something that drew me to her.

She's imperfect. Maybe even the most flawed out of the entire gang.

She's human.

That sounds oxymoronic, Roxanne's everything BUT a human, but you know what I mean.

All the other members of the gang are so shiny, sleek, and perfect. Freddy, Chica, Monty, they're all very, very good at what they do. From the inside out, they're confident, knowledged, and experienced. Chica always knows what to say. Monty always knows what to do. Freddy just knows everything. I never cared enough to notice until she was up for debatable reprogramming, but Roxanne just.. Doesn't, I guess.

Roxanne was the first one to show me that she 'isn't' perfect. She doesn't always know what to say, she doesn't always do the right thing, she gets confused and doubts herself.. I could go on and on and on, but the bottom line is that Roxanne showed me that she felt things. It was the first time that I didn't see each of the animatronics as gods, heroes, or simply higher beings than us 'lowly humans'.

As soon as I recognized that, Roxy became my 'favorite'.

Since then, we did get closer. Roxanne had gone against her own wishes and got close enough with someone to call them her friend. It was admittedly a little funny watching her afterwards. She didn't know what the hell she was supposed to do with a friend, sometimes she still doesn't.

I think eventually Roxanne realized that being friends with someone simply meant that you were able to act like yourself around them, more than other people.

Over time, I stopped seeing the other animatronics as higher beings as well. Each of them have their own problems they struggle with, and each of them have their own flaws to work on. I guess Roxanne got special attention because she was the first to show me.

Who knows what would've happened if she didn't slap the shit outta me all that time ago.

Maybe I'll get more friends if I let more people hit me. 100% success rate so far.