NOTES
Heya.
Chapter's a little longer than usual. That's cool. Had accidentally tried to save this document without checking if I had internet first, so there was a large chunk that had to be rewritten, which I expected to take wayyy longer. It was finished in about the same amount of time as most chapters tend to do though. Not entirely sure what that'll mean regarding the quality, but at a glance, things seem passable!
There's another thing on the Reddit if you're interested. (u/ParticularlyLargeRat)
(Silverleone, Conderl, and Zerutso (Though I know you've already seen it). Y'all might wanna check that out in particular :D)
I've started to notice that I'm still considerably better with pencil and paper than I am with a drawing tablet, and get most of my drawings done in between classes at college, so I might start posting those paper sketches on the Reddit as well.
Anyway, more relevant stuff:
Next week's lining up to be a bit unpredictable, so the next chapter might take an extra day or two to finish. Things are still rolling as usual, otherwise!
Oh, also, forgot that the cover art for this existed. It wasn't till I happened upon it accidentally did I look at it and see how incomprehensible it was. So, sat down and drew a 3 minute sketch and slapped that bad boy on as the cover art. Nothing super exciting, but it's better than it was before xD
Alright, I'll shut up.
Enjoy!
Obsession
...
...
Told the frickin' wolf that she could have the laptop once I finish a couple things..
...
Wish she's understand that I'd probably be done by now if she wouldn't mess with the back of my head every few seconds..
I'll feel something like a tickle periodically. It's hardly noticeable, but I'm pretty sure that only makes it more distracting.
Asked her what the hell she's doing on a number of occasions, but I can only get about a third of my sentence out before being told to 'shut up', so I've stopped trying.
..Y'know what though? I'm just about done.. If I can focus and pump out these last couple thoughts, I'll give her the damn thing and be done with it.
...
Tickle...
...
...
Tickle...
"Cut your hair."
...
...
Despite my best efforts, a small pause between sentences is enough for me to comprehend her request.
"No way you just told me to cut my hair." I respond, twisting enough to see her fur in the corner of my vision.
"Yeah? So? Think you know more about fashion than me?" Roxy responds rhetorically, the both of us knowing damn well who's better at 'looking good'.
"You have ssj 3 hair."
"I don't know what that means."
"You have a lot of hair."
"I'm supposed to have long hair, numbnuts. You're a boy. Boys cut their freakishly long hair."
"My hair isn't long." I refute, turning back around and instinctively bringing my hands up to my head. "It's the same length as everyone else's, at most."
"You look like a tomboy." Rox replies confidently, twisting to reach for something on the night stand behind her.
"I don't."
"When's the last time you got it cut?"
...
Well, on account of being purple and resembling a corpse in years before, I guess I never really found it appropriate to just wander into a barber shop..
I'm confident my hair hasn't been long, though. At least not noticeably.. There wasn't a hair on my body as I was hobbling out of the rubble of my pizzeria, I remember that much. Hair can get singed upon getting too close to the grill, much less being engulfed in a sea of flames.
"..It's been a while.. But there wasn't a hair on my head the last time it got cut."
As a hand mirror is thrust in front of me, Roxanne audibly makes a 'bleh' sound.
"Don't do that. You don't look good bald."
...
"Mm.."
"See?"
"I guess so.."
I tilt my head a bit to get a better look.. The hair in front has stayed roughly the same length for a while, but it is starting to look like the hair in the back is a bit longer than I remember it being.. Goes past my shoulders a little ways.
" 'Don't have long hair' my ass.." Roxanne mumbles while she tosses the mirror aside and walks out from behind the couch over to her desk. "Of course I know more about this than you. What were you thinking?"
"It's not that long. You make it sound like it's a threat to society."
"You're a boy."
"Boy's can have long hair. Not that mine is."
"Women get long hair. It makes them look nice."
"That totally depends."
"Uh-huh."
"You were the one who mentioned tomboys. Tomboys have short hair. Usually."
"Tomboys are dumb. You're dumb."
"Tomboys aren't dumb. You're kinda like a tomboy."
"What?" Roxy spins to look at me like I accused her of murder. "..No. I'm not a Tomboy-, tomboy's have short hair."
"Tomboys are just girls that like things boys usually like. Short hair is usually a boy thing, so it's something that can be seen as tomboy-ish, but it doesn't make them one."
"I'm not a tomboy. I'm a girl."
"You aren't very feminine, at least.." I mindlessly reply, trying to return my focus to the laptop.
"I'm-!"
A small series of footsteps trail the room before said laptop is slapped shut by the wolf now in front of me.
"I am feminine!"
"Jesus."
"What do you mean I'm not feminine..?!"
"You're desire to find out 'who's stronger' isn't something many females would insist on doing." I argue, intentionally being annoying. To add insult to injury, I lift my arm enough to boop the snout slowly closing in on me.
"I 'am' stronger.."
"Tomboy."
"Mike, I'm-..!" Rox lifts a hand from the laptop to grab the arm poking at her nose and pin it to my side. "..You're annoying.."
"Mm."
...
As I think back to try and find more evidence to back up my claim, I start to realize that there's actually quite a bit of evidence against it..
Roxy might be demanding, and never fails to get what she wants, but that might just be a personality quirk.. It's hard imagining her doing anything that you'd imagine a tomboy doing. Like, I'm pretty damn confident she wouldn't be thrilled to go out and explore a forest or do any hard labor (outside of tinkering with her go-carts). If Rox so much as got a particle of dirt on her, I'd never hear the end of it.
Just as I start to formulate a sentence to recede and let her keep some confidence in her 'femininity', Rox pushes off me and the laptop, using the momentum to stand up straight.
"Fine..Do you like tomboys?"
"Do I like tomboys?"
"Yes.."
"I guess so? As much as I like anyone else."
"No, dumbass. I mean in women."
"Tomboys 'are' women..?"
"Holy sh-" Rox puts her hands on her hips and leans in, displeased with my failure to understand her nonsense question. "I mean are they your type? What's your type?"
"My type of tombo-? Oh, my type in women. Sorry."
"Idiot."
I don't friggen' know..
"This seems wildly irrelevant to what we were talking about thirty seconds ago.."
"Mike."
"How did you go from 'tomboys' to 'my type'?"
"Answer me."
"Fine.." I let my head fall back on the cushion of Rox's couch, trying to recall any preferences I had.
..It doesn't bear much fruit..
Not in a million years would I have guessed what I prefer in a partner would be relevant ever again, so I can't say there's an obvious answer that comes to mind. For whatever reason, I just can't imagine women being into characteristics such as 'purple' and 'dead'.
...
"Alive.."
That was a dumb response no matter how you look at it.. It was my first thought as a joke-answer considering that I'm dead, and very much not 'alive'. Of course, Roxy doesn't know that, so now she probably thinks I'm desperate.
"Wow."
"That came out wrong."
"Well aren't you pathetic."
"No, I just meant, like.."
"Women like confidence, Mike."
...
Sigh..
"I'll keep that in mind.."
All I'm awarded is the sound of a chair wheeling behind the couch I'm on, followed quickly by the squeaking of Roxanne taking a seat.
"Don't move."
"What?" I worriedly respond, quickly picking my head up from the cushion.
"Don't-, I just told you not to move!"
"Of course I'm gonna move. What are you trying to do to me?"
"I was trying to-, friggen.."
Ow.
"Ow."
...
"Wouldn'tve been able to pull your head back down here by your hair if you'd cut it shorter.."
"You would've grabbed my by the head."
"Yes. It would've hurt less."
Sigh.
"What are you doing to me?"
"Proving your hair is long."
"I just- You just showed me my hair with the mirror. I saw it. It's not long."
...
"Sheesh.."
"Ow."
"Shut up. I'm not used to doing other people's hair."
"You're doing my hair? What does that mean?"
"It means stop moving and-"
- Pshh -
"Roxy~~~!"
"Still haven't learned to knock, huh.." Roxy mutters with a light growl.
"Is that Chica?"
"Of course it's Chica, dumbshit."
"I can't see on account of you holding my head down on the cushion."
"Who else sounds like that?"
"Roxy~~?"
That is unmistakably Chica's voice, I suppose.
"What?" Rox responds a little coldly, not too keen on being interrupted.
"Oh! Mixy~~~!"
Mm..
A few energetic pitter-patters emanate from the door before quickly arriving before me. Without any time to prepare, my vision is filled with Chica as she bends over the front of the couch to lean directly over me.
"Hi Chica."
"Hiya~!"
"What's up?"
"I'mma ask Roxy if she can-!"
"No." The latter quickly responds, before groaning slightly and scooting her chair backwards a bit. "This is stupid.. Chica, help me for a sec'.."
The avian obliges with a bounce, utterly unphased by Roxanne's refusal to do what she needs, followed immediately by a request of her own.
"Whatcha doin'..?"
"Proving something to the 'night-guard', can you do his hair?"
"Please don't touc-"
"Ooh~!" Chica beams, bouncing and clapping her hands lightly. "That sounds like fun! I've never done a boys hair!"
"It's.. The same thing as a girl's hair.." I mutter helplessly, knowing this isn't a fight I'm gonna win.
A few seconds pass as the girls swap places.. Right off the bat, it really does feel like Chica's much more experienced with this kind of thing.
After a few seconds, Roxy suddenly decides to take Chica's place in leaning over me, though additionally planting her hands on my shoulders.
...
"What on earth are you doing?"
"Making sure you don't leave."
"I could have left at any point in the last 10 minutes."
"You still might."
...
"Whatever you say.."
I crane my neck a bit to get what little look at the top of Chica's head I can.
"You're awfully good at this for someone who has one-sixteenth the amount of hair Rox does."
"Mhm~!"
...
Thought I was implying I'd like elaboration, but it appears that flew over her head.. Not that I'm a riveting conversationalist though, the error could just as likely be on my part.
"How come?"
"Kids!"
"Kids?"
"The girlies like the girl animatronics, so they like asking me to do their hair~."
"That's kind of impressive.. There are a lot of kids running around at any given time, do you do all of them?"
"I'm super fast~"
"Mm.."
Guess you'd get pretty good at it after doing it as many times as she has.
"How 'bout you? You're a girl animatronic, last I checked." I lightly prod at the fae staring down at me.
Shortly after I remember that Roxy's attraction is by far the least visited on account of the absurd restrictions surrounding the area.. Probably wasn't my best move to rub that in her face..
"No, Mike." She responds dryly, causing me to recede a bit.
"Mmm.. Sorry.."
...
Deciding now's a good time for a subject change, I tilt towards Chica again.
"..You're kind of a tomboy, now that I think about it."
"She is. Short hair." Rox confidently concurs.
"Rox, that's not-.."
"What?"
...
"Nevermind.."
"Whussat?" Chica finally interjects into the conversation about her.
"It means you act like a boy sometimes. Mostly just because you enjoy exercise and roughhousing as opposed to more delicate things."
"Like what?"
"Like reading, gossip.. Dolls.."
'Dolls' aren't very popular with most girls her age, but I was pressed on time, so I spouted the first thing that came to mind when I thought 'girly'. Perhaps it was a little sexist. Thankfully, I can't imagine the animatronics care very much.
"I like those too, though! I do those with Trudge!"
"..Really?"
" 'cept reading. That's like a 'by yourself' thing."
...
Dolls..?
"Mike."
I shift my gaze back to the wolf, who's staring down at me with narrow eyes.
"..Yes?"
...
"Mike, look at me."
"I 'am' looking at you, what's happening?"
"Hold still.."
...
"You're scary."
"There's something in your eye.."
"Oh. What?"
"..Right there.."
...
"I greatly appreciate the lengths you've gone to help me with this conundrum, and desire nothing more than to one day return this great favor you've done for me this day. I regret to inform you, however, that no matter how long you continue to point, I am still unable to look at my eyes."
"Fricken'..."
"Maybe point harder."
"Good idea."
...
"Claws."
"Yep."
"Don't point at my eye with claws..."
"Riiiiiiiight there."
"Rox."
"Riiiiii-"
"Rox!"
Thankfully, a feathered hand comes to my rescue and lightly bats Rox's hand away, much like a cat would do.
"Don't be mean!"
"Fine. We'll save it for later." The wolf returns her hand to my shoulder, undeterred.
"I feel like I'm on an operating table.." I mutter loud enough for them to hear.
"You're due an eye-surgery."
"Don't touch my eye."
A wildly off-putting smirk is all I get in response.
...
"Mikey~!" Chica randomly chimes, ruffling my hair.
"..Chicken?"
"Your hair's so fun~!"
"What could that possibly even mean?"
"What shampoo d'ya use? Or conditioner?"
"...Blue?"
"Is that their name?" Chica asks with another ruffle. "Your hair's sooooft, like a cloud!"
"No, that's the, uh.. Color.."
I know that's the most horridly unintelligent answer a man could give, and Rox's certainly looking at me like it, but how much thought could one man possibly put into their choice in shampoo?
"Name, dumbass. What's the brand?"
"I can't remember."
Rox exhales, randomly deciding to use a hand to ruffle my hair as well.
"What do you do to it, then?"
"My hair?"
"Yes, moron."
"Wash it."
"With what?"
...
"Blue?"
"I could kill you right now."
"It takes up like forty seconds of my day. I can't remember."
"To wash it?"
"To 'anything' it-, stop ruffling my hair!"
"It's soft."
"I don't know what to tell you."
"Air dry or hair-blower?"
"Towel, like every other sane person on the planet."
"Are you a caveman?"
"Cavemen probably didn't use towels."
Rox groans, retracting her hand from my head and pressing down on my shoulder a little harder than before.
"So it's just like this, then?"
"I've heard your hair looks better the less effort you put into it."
"That makes. No sense."
"Apparently it's better for your hair to wash it properly every-other day, instead of every day."
"Shower every day, you sweaty bastard."
"I do! That's just what I've heard..!"
"You still smell."
"Sorry it takes so much effort to compete with my natural beauty, wolf."
I'm about as artificial as a human being could possibly get, if I'm being honest.
"You talk. So damn much."
"Maybe you could take lessons from me."
"Natural beauty something you're into, then?"
...Sigh...
"What kind of answer are you trying to get from me?"
"Any."
"This came up just as abruptly as last time."
"Chica." Roxy calls out to the bird, who was heavily invested in whatever she was doing to my hair at the time.
"Mhmm?"
"You're good at romance or whatever, right? 'Cause of Trudge?"
"Mmm.. Maybe?"
"Mike won't tell me his 'type'."
"Oooh~!" Chica suddenly perks a bit to be within my field of vision. "Mikey find a girl?"
"I didn't find-"
"No, he didn't."
..Awfully presumptuous..
" -Mike just sucks, and won't tell anyone." Rox continues.
"I'm not 'not telling' you, I just don't know. I've never had to think about it before."
"Why's that?" Chica asks, using her arm on the couch to prop up her head.
I really didn't intend to get involved in girl talk today. In fact, I desperately, desperately still wish I wouldn't.
"Why would I?"
"You don't have to think about it, numbnuts. You just know."
"Well.. I don't..?"
"You're either painfully fucking stupid, or just pitiful."
"The latter would be preferable."
"D'ja ever date someone?" Chica asks with discomforting interest.
"No."
"Or like a, uhhhhh.. Like a school crush?"
"No. What in the world would you know about school crushes?"
"Mmmm.." Chica lifts her head a bit and rubs her chin. "..Mikey could do one of those phone things."
..?
Oh, she means-
"I'm not interested in dating apps. I barely use social media."
"What?" Rox responds, notably louder than what's necessary. "What are those?"
"Apps you use to find people to date. You still have to put your interests in those things in order for them to match you with someone though, so it's not like we'd get any further than we have now."
"That's stupid. Those are stupid." Rox sharpens her gaze as she meets my eyes. "Don't use that."
"I have zero desire too."
"But you gotta find somebody! What if you wait too long?!"
"I am purple."
"Purple's are lot's of girl's favorite colors!"
"It certainly isn't their favorite skin tone.."
"Mikey!"
"I'm not gonna go out and look for girls to date for the sake of dating them."
...
"Boys?"
"What?"
"Boys!"
"No."
"Weird isn't bad! You can-!"
"Gay." Rox gently chimes from the sidelines.
Sigh.
"Are you done with me yet?"
"Oh! Yep!"
That was rhetorical.. It would've been nice if you told me you were done when you finished.
I quickly sit up before either of them can change their mind, which makes what they've done to me pretty obvious.
"Feels like it's pulling my scalp off.."
"Pony taiiiil~~!"
"That took a pretty long time if putting a rubber-band in my hair is all you did.." I reach behind my head and feel around a bit.
"Nope! Combed it!"
...
"I find it hard to believe you managed to do that without me noticing."
"Hehe~.."
"Alright, fine..."
I get my hair's starting to get long if there's enough there to pony-tail it.. Still, it was done as an attempt to prove something instead of practicality, so it both feels unnecessarily tight and ultimately doesn't look phenomenal..
...
Welp.
"Don't take it ou-! Nooooooo-!" Chica cries a heartbroken cry behind me.
"I am not wearing that around all night."
"Get a haircut." Roxy repeats, like she's re-stating her thesis.
"You first."
"I already told you, my hair's fine because I'm-!"
What the..?
...
What in the world just happened?
I manage to play it off without either of the animatronics noticing, but that was weird.
Nothing happened, nothing changed in the last 20 seconds, but I just got a horrible premonition. A chill like no other rode all the way up my spine, almost making me twitch.
I make it clear I'm still listening, but my gaze starts to scan the room for anything that might've triggered this newfound sense of apprehension.. Of course, it felt like a 'premonition', so by definition, nothing seems to have happened yet.. As such, my attempt to find a cause turns up nothing.
Just as I try to shake it off and return my attention to the conversation, my eyes stop halfway between where I was looking and the person actively speaking at the moment. Right on Rox's door.
...
...
"Mike, would you fuckin' look at me when I speak to y-?"
- Pshh -
The sound reverberates, and the two others in the room who weren't obsessively staring at the door turn just enough to see who else has decided to crash the party.
"Hohooo Mike!"
"..Coop?" I respond after a delay, a little taken aback at his unusual supply of energy.
"Are you busy?"
"I'm-"
"Either way, you're gonna wanna see this. C'mere."
Just as quickly as he appears, Coop vanishes from the side of the doorway. A few quick footsteps can be heard fading away before the door itself closes shut.
...
"Everyone wants a piece of Mike today.." Rox grumbles, crossing her arms but continuing to watch the door.
"What is he doing here..?" I mumble to myself, though talk loud enough to hear in the incredibly off-chance either of the animatronics have an answer to that question.
"He owns the place."
"Cooper almost never visits during the night, and when he does it's usually because he's staying late to finish something. I saw him leave tonight, though. So he left, and came back.." I finish my thought, then feel a need to respond to Rox's sassy comment. "I know he owns the place, wolf. He doesn't live here."
"Fine." Roxy recedes with surprisingly little effort, turning and brushing past me to reach the couch I was on a moment ago. "Go do whatever he wants and come back. I'm not done with you."
"Riveting." I respond, already feeling a little sapped of energy. Duty calls, though, so my feet start to carry me outside.
...
"Chicken."
"Mmmmhm~?"
"Get out of here."
"M'kay!"
Be nice to the chicken..
I didn't have to walk very far. If Rox didn't keep her blinds closed 24/7, we would've been able to see that Coop made himself at home right in front of the former's room.
...
This bodes poorly..
Coop seems to catch one of my footsteps, and twists around violently to meet my gaze.
"Michael, you ain't gonna fricken' believe this." The bossman announces, sliding his phone from his pocket and tapping around a bit while also walking to intercept me.
"I thought I saw you leave..?"
"Yeah, uhhhhh.." Coop acknowledges my question, though fails to answer on account of being preoccupied with pulling something up on his phone. "..Lookieeeee, hereee, uhhhhh-, There we go, check out them marbles."
I feel the urge to insist my question a bit harder, but decide to at least see what he's trying to show me before I continue.
"..What am I looking at..?"
"Article. Made yesterday, after the police did their magic. Might needa scroll up t'see the headline."
"Oh, okay.." I lift a hand from my pocket to scroll around the article. "The police? Did you manage to-?"
...
...
'Infamous case re-opened after heavy pressure from parents in the area following a recent discovery at local hot-spot, Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. A new, hefty bounty will be offered to any who can offer the whereabouts of-'
...
'The whereabouts of Fazbear Entertainment's long-missing Chief Executive, William Afton, who officials now have reason to believe may be partially responsible for the disappearances of several-"
Are you kidding me?
...
I keep my head lowered as if I'm still reading, but I've already seen more than I might be able to handle.
That can't be true. I swear, there was nothing to-...
...
"That case can't be reopened." I state plainly, keeping my gaze locked on the phone. "There's.. The Statute of Limitations won't allow a case this old to be brought back."
"Nah, the article says 're-opened', but it's technically a whole new case by a whole new lot'."
"Statute of Limitations applies to events, not who filed the case."
I'm mildly impressed my voice isn't reflecting the hurricane of thoughts shredding through my brain, and how logical I'm managing to be despite that.. Though admittedly, the purple creeping into my vision is serving as pretty significant motivation to keep my shit together.
"The Statue of Limitations exists to protect the defendant, Mikey-boy. The only 'defendant' in this case would be William, who's been gone for years. It didn' take much convincin' to clear that hurdle."
...
This is bad. For everybody. Even Coop. Hell, especially Coop, who just shot himself in the foot with this little 'investigation'.
They're all gonna come back; everyone who's ever been invested in these events are going to have that passion re-ignited, and all their eyes are gonna look right. Here.
...
"Cooper, this isn't.. What do you intend to-?" I finally raise my head to look at Coop, hoping maybe that he already has a plan to deflect the insurmountable backlash this place is about to receive.
Finally getting a look at him reveals that he likely hasn't thought about this at all.
...
He's ecstatic.
"Hehh! Whatcha think?"
"I'm.."
"Ain't it freakin' amazing?!"
"It.. What?"
"Kid, they found 'im!" Cooper exclaims with a stifled chuckle, slapping a hand on my shoulder like he's trying to tell me the best news I'll ever hear. "And it was him..!"
"They don't know that yet.."
"There ain't another person on the planet who'd make this as interestin' as that man. The man built the friggen' building he nabbed those kids in."
"Coop, what about, um.. What about the Pizzaplex?"
"Aww, Mike! Stop thinkin' about work!"
"People will stop coming to the Pizzaplex in droves if.. What are you planning to do?"
Cooper pushes off my shoulders and plants his hands proudly on his hips.
"I'm sendin' everyone I know after every diner that ain't turned into dust yet. Tellin' em to grab everything they can find and bring it back here."
What..?! That's the exact opposite of a solution for what I just- That'll make it even worse..!
"Cooper, if you associate yourself with those old places, they'll be all over this place.."
"Good fer' business."
"Horrible..! Horrible for business!"
"Bah, humbug!" Coop dismissively waves my concerns away. "Their loss if they don't wanna come, it ain't for them anyway."
He chuckles through the last bit of his sentence, which only adds to the pit of dread accumulating in my stomach.
"What do you mean it's not for them? The point of the Pizzaplex is to appeal to them, right?"
This is summoning a lot of unpleasant emotions that Cooper just doesn't seem to acknowledge. I feel like I'm passionately arguing something, and Cooper's laughing like I'm making light banter.
"It's about Willy, Mike!"
"William..?!"
"Everyone's gonna be scratching at each other tryin' to find out what happened to Willy. With everybody workin' together like that, someone is bound to find somethin', right?"
What in the world is he talking about? Can he even hear me?!
"I-.. I'm not following you.."
"I. Have. To know, kid." Cooper states with a sudden passion and calculated determination that it takes me aback. "If there's any chance I can figure out more, we're followin' it. You're with me on this, I know ya' are. Think 'bout what we still don't know, Kid!"
I'm so lost.. What's the end goal here..?
"I'm.. Cooper, what?"
"Arright listen." His hand finds my shoulder again. "I'm callin' in a bunch of favors tomorrow, and they're gonna bring back everything, from everywhere that's ever anything to do with Willy. I'mma probably need 'yer help with that."
"With bringing back-?"
"Nahhhhnahnah. That's what I'm payin' them to do. I just need yer' input on what they bring back."
"With what they bring back..? Why?"
"Cause yer' the only one who's been to all these places, yeah? Night-guardin', at that. You're as good a lead as I got, y'know?"
"I'm.. Confused-"
"Look, alls I need to know is if you're willin' to help help? It'll be a day or two, but when they get back, can ya' come check out all the goods they bring back?" Cooper raises a finger. "I'll pay ya, like always. No free labor from this guy."
"Coop, I'm.."
"What'dya say? I betcha you'll like diggin' through all yer' old stuff too! Just fer' a little, wanna do it?"
...
...
...
"Yeah."
"Yes, Mikey!" With a slap on the shoulder, he pushes off me once more, starting to back-pedal towards the end of the corridor. "I'll start makin' calls right now. You and I're gonna figure out the whole story one way or the other!"
"Okay.."
Without as much as a good-bye, Cooper turns around and jogs towards where he needs to go next, taking out his phone in the process.
...
...
It's never felt this quiet in here before, but I know that's just because how loud my mind's screaming at me.
This is the worst. The worst. Like, beyond worst-case scenario.
What the hell? What happened? What did they find over there? How did they even re-open the case? What made them think William did it? What else did they find?
..What the hell am I supposed to do?!
The only thing I've been trying to do since hobbling out of my pizzeria was prevent this from happening. Fuck, dude, I even gave Coop the idea. This wouldn'tve happened if I had just sat in that fire and died like I was supposed too..!
What in the world is Coop's deal all the sudden?! Where did this obsession come from? The information he's given me this day is beyond enough to obliterate any hopes of profit this place would make, but Coop's jumping around like he just won the lottery.
Why? Why does he care so much about William? Why couldn't he just forget about it like everyone else?
Damn this friggen-.. Give me a break already..! That bastard is finally in hell, burning away where he should be! There shouldn't be any trace of him left on that planet, but here we are again! It's like people worship him, just because he did something interesting!
How many more need to go through some eldritch horror story before people realize things are just better if they stay away from him..?! Even the parents of the children keep chasing after that bastard like there's any solace to be found with him! There's nothing good about him, all you'll find is nightmare after-
_..._..._..._..._
..._..._
_..._..._..._..._..._...
-shoot, whoops..
...
...
I, uh.. Lost it again. This time it wasn't even like it happened before I could react, I could see the purple clouding my vision, but I just kept frustrating myself further until I realized I wasn't in control anymore.
..Thank god it doesn't last very long.. I seemed to realize that there wasn't anything actually 'causing' the episode this time, so there was nothing for me to destroy. Just kinda stood there and clenched my fists..
...
Ow, actually..
Peering down, it looks like I clenched them a bit hard. A very tiny couple spots of blood can be seen poking out of the very deepest points I dug my nails into my palms.
...
Hope the gang doesn't mind me being a sodden, self-pitying sack of potatoes for the rest of the night.
..Hell, probably for the next week..
...
...
Y'know what? I'm probably freaking out over nothing. Maybe I just need to calm the hell down..
I'd already made peace with the possibility that they might find something in the pizzeria. Admittedly, this is way more significant of a result than I thought possible, but it doesn't mean things are spiraling out of control.. Alright, so what do I know so far?
Cooper, by some unknown means, managed to convince his friend in the sheriff's office that Freddy's was somewhere worth checking out again. I really don't know what they might have found, but it's something that incriminated William as the criminal behind the missing kids.. One of my bigger fears was that they'd somehow managed to open the parts & service door, but honestly, I doubt it. If they did open the door and found something important, the article surely would've gone in an entirely different direction. It's possible there are bad things in that room, but as far as I'm aware, none of those things would have anything to do with William or the missing children.
Unfortunately, however, that does suggest something I'm not terribly happy with. I checked every last corner of that restaurant, and I can say for certain that there weren't any 'objects' that were of any importance in there. So, what they found must've been something you can't find just by looking around with your big ol' eyeballs. Something you'd need special tools or methods to find. i.e: Forensics. Specifically anything to do with DNA or the like, which you can't use for information without the tools to do so.
I, do not have these tools. Which means anyone 'with' these tools has a significant advantage over me when it comes to finding something important. Unless I get really smart and spend a lot of money, that's just gonna have to be a disadvantage I have to live with.
The bright side is that there's really only so much you can figure out with that kind of thing. I'm obviously not very versed in knowing what you can and can't find, since I told myself I was positive that no amount of forensics wouldn't be able to find anything in the diner..
Alright, anyway.. Beyond that, there's not much else I don't know. An article was published announcing the re-opening of an infamous case, which will likely draw a lot of attention, and has a rather significant chance of dirtying this place's reputation.. Which is bad, I guess, but not particularly world-ending. I've made it clear before that I like this place when it's quieter and less busy, so if nothing else, there's something to look forward too.. How the animatronics might take it could be a bit more of a problem..
If the customer count starts to decrease like I expect it too, the gang is gonna notice.. I'm not entirely sure what I'm gonna tell them once they do.. Each member of the gang loves the guests and their kids, and the more there are, the happier the animatronics tend to be. Part of me wants to tell them what's going on, and to reassure them that it isn't their fault or anything, but that would include giving them some worrying pieces of information. As far as I know, Roxanne's the only one who knows about any of the tragedies surrounding the Fazbear name. Rox's a bit tougher than the rest though, so while information might be a little unsettling for her, it could be heartbreaking for someone as innocent as Chica. I'm not even sure Chica's fully internalized that I had my arm cut off yet...
Still, if things get bad enough, it might be necessary to share these events with them. It's effecting their lives just as much as mine, if not more, so they're probably entitled to know..
The only other bit of information I'm reluctant to share with the gang is the name 'William Afton'.. I've convinced Coop that my relationship with him is distant, but it if at all possible, I don't want to lie to the gang anymore.. It's not a pleasant thing to say, but if I deem it important enough, being a little deceptive might be necessary.. Cooper trusts people, his friends and co-workers especially, so he took my words to heart without a second thought. The result would probably be the same with either Chica or Monty, at least. Freddy trusts people easily too, but he's also shockingly intelligent, so he could be a bit more difficult. Roxy, um..
..If I told Rox the same thing I told Coop, and she figured out I was lying, that might be damage I can never repair.
..I guess that kinda settles things.. Lying to them again could do more damage than I'm willing to risk, so I guess I've gotta find another way to play it off.
...
Well, with any luck, I'll have plenty of time to think about it before that time comes. It might serve me better to turn my attention elsewhere for now.
Sheesh, what can I even do? Is this just gonna have to be a spectator sport?
...
That's not entirely true, actually. It was kind of hard to follow Coop's thought process nearing the end of our discussion, but if I interpreted things correctly, then I might still have some power.
Cooper said he'd be making calls for the purpose of acquiring enough manpower to spread out and salvage anything they can find in every Fazbear's location that isn't a pile of rubble. That sounds a bit worrying, but in reality, it might just be saving me some trouble.
Instead of going around and searching for anything important in those places, everything's gonna be brought here to the PizzaPlex. Cooper seemed adamant that he wanted me to be there once everyone gets back with what they could salvage for the purpose of separating what's important from what's junk, since I have the most experience out of anyone with just about everything Freddy-related.
Realistically, everything that remains in those old places is probably junk. Though if there is something in the mess that could be used as evidence to figure out what happened, it'll be brought straight to me, and I'll be responsible for deciding the fate of that 'something'.
There aren't even all that many buildings left standing.. Of course, there are the couple I burned down, but that might not be all of them. If I remember correctly, the pizzeria that had all the toy animatronics had simply collapsed after being abandoned for so long. Nothing but a pile of rubble to be found there either.
As for the fate of Fredbear's Family Diner and Baby's, I really have no idea. The only place I know is still standing is the pizzeria Cooper just had investigated.. It'd be nice if Baby's was also out of commission one way or the other.. I haven't been back there since I was a meat-puppet, so while there shouldn't be anything worth finding, I can't say that for sure. I'm pretty indifferent about Fredbear's. There's no real reason for anything important to be there, since nothing important happened there.. The only tragedy that occurred was when I killed Evan.
..Not that that wasn't important or anything, it just isn't, uh..
...
Man, I haven't thought about him in a while.. Wasn't ready for me to, um..
...
...
In a puny attempt to snap out of it, I start to raise my arms to rub my eyes or something, but I don't get very far. Looking down at my palms only serves to remind me of the blood on my hands.
Or, like, the actual blood, on my one hand, because of when I clenched my fists too hard. Not because I, um..
...
- Michael -
A slightly strained voice violently breaks my train of thought, causing me to lower my hands and turn around a little harder than what was necessary.
Jogging over to me is a.. Peculiarly-disheveled Arin.. Which doesn't mean much, since Arin's as professional-looking as they come, but it's still worth mentioning.
"Hey..? Did Cooper drag you back here?"
"I'm sorry, but has he come this way? I was under the impression he wanted to speak with you."
"Oh, yeah. He informed me of what happened and what he plans to do, I think.."
As he gradually slows to standing, a small grimace begins to inch across his face.
"Impressive you managed to decipher his incoherent-.." Arin stops and chooses not to complete the rest of his sentence, instead trying to force himself to remain on topic. "..Look, the least I can do is assure you that I'm handling things to the best of my ability.."
"Thanks. Is Cooper alright?"
"As far as he's concerned, yes.."
"..Is he, like, objectively alright?"
A steady sigh precedes his answer, which doesn't bode horribly well.
"I'm sure he's alright, just too excited for his own good.."
"How about the company's good?"
"It's a bit late for that now.. Though I'm working to cushion the blow."
I nod, expecting Arin to continue jogging after his boss. As soon as he straightens himself out, however, he instead continues to stare blankly in the general direction Cooper went.
...
"..Did the police ever tell Coop what they found?"
"Forensics had a field day, but that's about as much as I know."
"Were you there when the investigation happened?"
"I was, yes.."
"You didn't see what it was..?"
"Mnn.. admittedly, I wasn't invested in the place at the time, so I didn't pay much attention until after Cooper starting jogging everywhere with a giant grin on his face.."
"That's fair, I wasn't expecting anything to be found either." I lower my gaze a bit, deciding on how much I should be badgering this man for answers he likely doesn't have. "..Was it in the parts & service room?"
That was a little blunt, but Arin acknowledged the question quickly, so that room must've stood out to him as much as it did to me.
"I'm.. Led to believe otherwise.. No one there had the resources nor the permission to open that door by force, and if there was a key, it's clearly not in the building anymore."
"You're way easier to talk to than Cooper."
"That would be on account of that old man refusing to listen to reason.." Arin grumbles, clearly unhappy with the new discoveries. I would be too if I was in his position. The CEO is off in a world of his own, so Arin's likely the only high-ranking individual willing to dedicate his efforts to maintaining the Pizzaplex.
...
"Is there something I can do?"
"I'm not certain there's something I can do.."
"Sorry. Are things really that bad?"
He sighs, interpreting my question as a sign to cool down.
"No, not yet. I'm just afraid they will be.. I appreciate the offer to help, Michael, but all I can ask of you at the moment is to continue working, no different than usual."
"High standards."
He huffs in (what I hope is) somber amusement.
"Of course.." With that, Arin straightens himself out one last time. "Please come to me if you have concerns. I'll be trying to talk some sense into this sociopath.."
"Will do. Good luck."
...
...
There he goes..
...
Well. If nothing else, I'm gonna take some comfort in knowing I'm not the only one who thinks Cooper's losing it.
The talk between us was limited, but fruitful. A good portion of what I 'didn't know' before was covered in a matter of seconds. It's crazy what you can learn when you're talking to another competent human being.
...
Whookay.. Things are okay, things'll be okay..
I take as deep of a breath as the remainder of my lungs will let me. Maybe things really will be okay.
There's a lot to worry about, but none of them seem particularly world-ending or difficult to deal with.. Think I just need to stick it out until this blows over..
...
What the hell do I do now?
I turn around and look about the corridor, thinking maybe a third person will run in here and share psychotic information with me.
There are a few things that need to happen, but I can't make these things happen any faster than they already are.. Still, it feels wrong to just knowledge everything I learned tonight and waltz back into Rox's room.
Hope she doesn't realize I'm in a bit of a different state than I was when I walked out.. Won't really know how to explain myself without giving her some rather unpleasant information.
...
Well, whatever. It's never pleasant to keep them in the dark like this, but I reckon things will work themselves out one way or the other.
What's another secret to keep? I've already got plenty.
...
"Dammit."
I can't say this isn't exactly what I thought would happen, but re-entering the wolf's room reveals she's already made herself comfortable with my computer.
"What?"
"You." I mutter, practically falling onto the couch next to her. "I wasn't done with that thing."
"You lost computer privilege when you walked out of my room." Rox responds, not bothering to look up from the screen to acknowledge me sitting next to her.
"That was entirely out of my control."
"Mine too. Tough shit."
"Get Freddy to make you your own damn computer.."
"No."
"Mkay."
I let my head fall back on the couch cushion, but it really doesn't feel like it's supporting any weight. I fidget for a while, but it's starting to look like it isn't the couch's fault.
"Your couch needs a recliner."
"Your laptop needs a better speaker."
"I didn't make the laptop."
"And I didn't make the damn couch."
"Mm. Sorry."
A few seconds of silence pass before Rox gives me a suspicious side-glance.
"The hell do you mean 'sorry'?"
"My argument didn't make sense."
"Since when are you sorry about anything you say?"
"When I realize it's stupid?"
"You're always stupid. You're never sorry about being stupid."
"Fine. I take it back, I'm not sorry."
"Good." Rox replies with a mockingly cheery tone, returning to the computer screen without a second thought.
I don't' stop peering towards her, though. Eventually, my gaze is drawn to the laptop as well.
"What are you trying to do?"
"Nothing. Learning."
"...Learning?"
"Reading. Internet. Whatever, you know what it's called."
"Mm. Why?"
"Why do you talk so much?"
"Sorry. Curious about what you like to do with-"
"No, shut up." Roxy interrupts, turning a fair portion to face me this time. "Stop saying that."
"What? Oh, 'sorry'?"
"Yes, what's gotten into you?"
"Nothing, I'm alright."
Roxanne actually seems to deflate when I reassure her I'm fine.
"Come on, where's your usual stupid banter?"
"It's still here. I'm just low-energy, I guess."
"It's off-putting."
"I'll insult you more from here on out, I swear." I respond while letting my head fall back again, placing a hand over my heart.
"Fine." The fae dismisses me again, turning back to where she was before. "I'm looking at the things you were telling me about. A lot of people say a lot of stupid stuff."
"Mmm.. Which things?"
"The old places, with Freddy and whatever."
"Oh."
"And Foxy."
"You're peculiarly obsessed with him."
"I'm not obsessed. It's just weird how I'm supposed to 'replace' him."
"Aw, Rox."
"Don't 'aw' me.."
"You aren't a replacement. Those old bots are entirely different mechanisms, there's nothing similar between you guys and them."
"I know, shitlord. That's not what I'm saying."
"That is almost exactly what you said."
"What I meant is that the shit that he's done effects what people think of me, and it sucks."
I crack an eye open and stare at the ceiling for a moment.
"Well.. How so?"
"Foxy bit someone, right? That's the whole 87' bit?"
"Yeah. Well- the toy version did."
"So what if people don't come to my raceway 'cause they think I'm like him?" Roxy continues with a slightly bitter after-tone.
"..That's.." I stare forward again, trying to follow her train of thought and come up with an answer of my own. "..No, I don't think that's true."
" 'Cause I'm 'not Foxy', or whatever?"
"No, 'cause the bite of '83 was done by another animatronic that strongly resembled Freddy, and he's still a fan-favorite."
...
"Oh.."
I huff at Rox's delayed response.
"I win."
"It wasn't a game, purple boy." She responds, preceding the clacking of keys on my keyboard.
With an annoying smirk, I continue trying to fall back and relax on the couch.
Starting to appreciate how good this wolf is at making me feel less sorry about myself. No one else has this phenomenal ability.
I guess that's not entirely true. Chica's pretty good with this kind of thing as well, but that's 'cause she tries to be. That bird's pretty good with emotions in general. Rox's just the best at dealing with my particular case. Doesn't even try either.
Hell, I bet the fact I find as much comfort in her as I do is entirely dependent on the fact that she doesn't try. No difficult conversations or hard to answer questions when it's just the two of us.
"Afton.."
"Please don't start calling me by my last name."
"I'm not, moron. I'm reading the 83' thing."
Mmmmmmmm...
"..The bite? Wait, what?"
"Some kid shares your last name in here. Evan Afton." Rox casually peers over her shoulder at me. "You know him?"
...
"Yeah."
"Thought so." She responds, facing forward and lifting her arms up to stretch. "How many 'Aftons' could there possibly be?"
"Is it an uncommon name?"
"Thought you were the only man on the planet with a name like 'Afton' until now."
"Mm.."
"If the other Afton's are anything like you, I can understand why they struggled to populate."
"Thanks."
"I'm calling you unattractive."
"I know."
"Most people would feel the need to challange that claim, numbnuts. If you- FUCk you-!"
Completely fine if you take a jab at me, but you can't do something like that while stretching and expect me not to poke you in the side while you're vulnerable.
"There. I retaliated."
"I'll rip your other damn arm off."
"Please don't."
"Fuck you."
"Can I have my laptop back?"
"No. Die."
For another few moments, the two of us fall into comfortable silence while we do our own thing.
I'm not really doing much of anything, rather just sitting back with my eyes closed and waiting for Roxanne to stumble into the next conversation piece that she finds on the internet.
Kinda figured I'd be having a more stressful time discussing this kind of stuff with her, but it's actually pretty relaxing. Makes me feel like an encyclopedia being read. I bet this is what Freddy feels like all the time.
It's like the waves of pity that swallow me after thinking about this for too long are getting immediately counteracted by Rox's effect. How convenient.
Not that I'll be admitting I like having her around to her face though. That ego of hers is swelled enough as it is.
"Pff.."
Oop. Sounds like Rox's found something to talk about again.
"Do I got a kid in me, Mike?"
...
I raise my head off the couch a bit.
"..What?"
"Am I controlled by some vengeful spirit of some twerp?"
"...No?"
"Of course not. People are stu-"
"Don't go around asking people 'do I got a kid in me?' "
That awards me a snicker from Roxy, though she quickly returns to the point she was trying to make.
"People are stupid."
"Did someone say there's a ghost in you?"
"No, but they said that about all the other scrap-heads you used to work with."
"Oh.. Which ones?"
"All of them. Some schmuck was trying to tell people that the toy-fox bit someone 'cause there was an angry spirit in it."
"Oh, no, that's not true at all." I respond with confidence, letting my head fall backward again. "That was the result of faulty facial-recognition. There weren't any disappearances around that time period."
"I know. It's the dumbfuck on the other end of the screen you gotta convince."
"Think I'm okay ignoring him."
"Good choice."
...
...
"There were a lot of rumors about spirits.." Roxanne mutters skeptically, scrolling through some discussion page.
"Yep. Freddy's is infamous because of them."
"Here's one. This guy says the robots at the pizzeria you were in crammed people into suits at night, 'cause of the angry spirits."
"I've certainly heard of that one."
"That is dumb. If there were spirits, they'd fuckin' kill the guys instead of just inconveniencing them with a damn costume party."
"..Mm.."
"They ever suit you up at night, 'Mikey'? I bet the costumes were hot as hell."
"They didn't."
"I know they didn't, I was being rhetorical."
"Right, sorry."
- Clunk -
"What's wrong with you?"
I crack my eyes open again upon hearing the laptop clap shut.
"What do you mean..? Oh, I said it again. My bad, I was-"
"No, tell me."
My gaze shifts downward to meet Roxanne's, who's stuck between staring daggers and trying to seem plain authoritative.
"..Tell you what?"
"Tell me what your problem is."
...
So much for 'don't let her see that I'm different'.
"Fine, sorry.. Cooper just told me some unpleasant information. That's all it is; just feeling a little sapped."
"Is that everything?" Rox responds without delay, like a parent trying to extort information out of their child.
"It is. I'm sorry if I don't go into much detail, but it's really nothing important. Just overreacting, like I always do."
...
"You trust me, right?"
"Yes I trust you, where did this come from?"
Roxanne huffs and turns back forward, starting to open the laptop again.
"Nothing. Just making sure you're not doing the same shit you said you wouldn't do."
"I'm not, I promise."
"I believe you, just making sure."
"Sorry, for real."
"Stop saying that, for real."
"No one else has ever gotten angry at me for saying sorry before."
"Maybe 'cause you never say sorry around me." Rox responds with just as much sarcasm.
"That's so, so untrue."
"Don't you have a job to do?"
"When I feel like it."
"You're a horrible employee."
"Alright, alright." I raise my hands defensively, taking position to rise up from the seat. "I'll be back though."
"That's up for me to decide, purple boy."
"Fine. May I come back after I'm done with my rounds?"
"Beg."
"No."
"Smart, 'cause I'm dragging you back here anyway."
I huff again, taking a few extra seconds to get used to standing again.
"Alright, be right back."
"Hurry. There's-.."
Just as I take my first step, I'm immediately halted on account of Rox's hand suddenly snagging my arm and holding it firmly in place.
Naturally, I tilt to peek back at her, but find that she isn't looking back at me. Instead her gaze is sternly transfixed on the hand of the arm she's holding.
..Oh.
"It's nothing. Just a small cut, not even worth a band-aid."
While reassuring her, I get a look at the hand myself. Of course, it stopped bleeding a while ago, but I failed to remember to clean or wash off the small amount of already-present blood, so there are a couple small red stains on my hand that are jarring to look at at first.
...
After thorough inspection, Roxanne finally concludes that what I'm saying is true, and that it's hardly even worth being called an 'injury'. Still, instead of letting me go on my way, Rox instead vouches to violently tug on my arm to send me stumbling back onto the couch next to her.
Ow.
"That wasn't very nice." I intone annoyingly.
"I hate you.." Is all the response I'm able to get following my sarcasm.
"Why? 'Cause it wasn't a big deal?" I jab at her again, taking a moment to look at my hand in the process.
"No, because I never have any idea what kind of deal it really is.."
The slight sincerity in Rox's voice is enough to stop me from starting to rise from the couch again.
"..What do you mean?"
"I mean you're annoying." She responds, tilting her head away from the screen. "Every time I think you're in danger, you make me look like an idiot. And every time you are hurt or something, you hide it from me at all costs."
"Really..? I think if I was actually hurt, there'd be no reason to hide it from-"
Roxanne interrupts by grabbing my mechanical arm and lifting it in front of us.
"Remember when I hurt you? Almost killed you? And instead of telling me you were alright, like you knew you would be, you ran away and left me drenched in a puddle of your blood?"
"I'm-.. That was.."
...
"Sorry.." I finally mutter out.
"You're not going anywhere anymore." Roxanne decides, delicately closing my laptop and starting to set it somewhere on the floor by the couch.
"I wasn't hiding my hand from you, this one was just a small cut."
"Fine, that one just looked weird from a distance." As I start to scoot forward to look where she's putting my computer, the arm she wasn't using suddenly extends to push me back on the couch. "You're staying."
"I wasn't trying to get up-"
"Good. Hold still."
Once the laptop safely touches down on the floor, Rox uses both her hands to grab and tilt me in specific ways, like she's positioning me for something.
"It'll take me, like, 20 minutes to do my job if I skim everything. I promise I'll come-"
"If you leave, and you get hurt, you're gonna hide it from everyone again. You're staying here."
"I'm not gonna get hurt in the 20 minutes I jog around the Pizzaplex."
"You might."
"I really, really don't think I'm gonna-"
"You might."
As soon as Rox finishes maneuvering me to her liking, she suddenly headbutts my chest with enough force to knock me to laying down horizontally across the couch.
"Ow."
"Shut up."
"Coulda just friggen' told me to move.." I whine, lifting my arms a bit so hers can slither behind me.
"I wanted to headbutt you too. For not telling me what's wrong with you."
"Fine.."
"Tell me things."
"I'm trying."
...
Accepting my fate, I let my head fall back on the armrest this time.
...
"I'm really not gonna get hurt by wandering around the Pizzaplex like I've done a million times."
"You might get hurt as soon as you leave my door. It wouldn't be a problem if I knew you'd tell me."
"I'm gonna have to leave eventually, wolf. I have to go home, you have a job to do."
"Please. Shut. Up."
"You can't keep me here forever."
...
"I can.." Rox mumbles weakly into my shirt, unable to think of a better rebuttal.
"That was adorable."
"I fuckin'-.. Just- Stop talking..!"