Gregory Doesn't Want To Explain Himself Any Further. He Wants To Go Inside And Head Down To The Sinkhole

★ — Gregory doesn't want to explain himself any further. He wants to go inside and head down to the sinkhole with Freddy — as much as he feels he has to go back, he wants to get it over with as quickly as possible. She's just taking up more of his time. ( more time for someone to notice he's gone missing again in the first place ). It would much easier if they could just go inside and go their separate ways, doing whatever it is they both feel they need to do without interfering with each other. Pretending they never met at the back door.

But by the way the blonde has stopped working at the lock and is instead looking at him, it's clear she's looking for an explanation. Gregory whines ( dramatic ), letting his head fall backwards as he looks to the night sky.

"Look. I have been inside before, and I know it's dangerous. But if I tell you why, you have to promise not to freak out, okay? And you can't call the police. You can't. Because I swear I'm somewhere safe now, but ... I need to go inside. I need to see something."

Her brow furrows a bit as she listens to him. "What could you possibly want to see in there if you've already been in there like this?" It's a mix of disbelief and hoping the kid might give her a lead. Maybe he's lying, trying to talk her into letting him go on his own. But just maybe he's telling the truth, and whatever he wants to see is what she is also looking for. Not that she's about to let him go see it, if that's the case. Putting a kid anywhere near her father is a recipe for disaster, clearly.

She finally processes the last statement, however. "Friend?" Well, now she's curious. She's still not sure what to make of the kid. He seems to know something, if she can trust his word. It's still a kid, and a kid who seems eager to get in at that. Maybe he's just making something up to try and get her to let him go.

Either way, she's not going to continue to pick the lock until he gives her more information.

in vanessa’s defense, it was a genuine question…

[ JACKET ]:          sender notices the receiver beginning to shake after an immensely distressing incident, and removes their own jacket to wrap it around the receiver’s shoulders.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒.

★ — Gregory's throat feels hoarse from screaming ( feels as though he's been screaming for hours, for help, for someone to hear him, for the blind panic that felt as if there was no other outlet than to scream in anguish ; though it can't have been more than a few minutes since he escaped. since the fire started ), and yet he starts once more the moment he feels a hand on his back, desperate and tired, sure that he has no more fight left in him — if this is William crawling his way back out of the fire, then Gregory is going to die here.

He's flailing in his potential assailants arms, weakly hitting at them as his screams meld more into exhausted sobs, pleas for them to let him go when a familiar voice ( one he's long associated with safety ) cuts through the haze of panic, and for the first time since the flames started Gregory truly sees.

He sees Michael.

Michael, who he had been so certain was dead in a basement because of him, because of his inability to take care of them both. He thought he was never going to see him again.

He's holding onto him tightly, not letting the teen fight out of his grasp, but still at arms length distance so that he's not smothering Gregory, not invading his space and increasing his panic. His expression is deathly serious, full of concern — still pale, but alive, his blue hues worriedly scanning over his smaller frame. Gregory is covered in blood.

( he's not sure how much is his own, and how much is the blood of his guardian's father ).

A long moment passes as they stare at each other in similar states of disbelief. Michael is mumbling words of reassurance that Gregory doesn't hear. His shouting sobs pitter off into quiet cries as the fight leaves his body, slowly and then all at once. Pure exhaustion takes its place. Gregory's knees begin to buckle, and he falls forward onto Michael, trusting that the man will catch him. He does. Without a second thought, Gregory wraps his arms around his neck. He's trembling.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I — I thought he'd leave me alone if he saw it. I didn't know he was looking for it. I'm sorry. I didn't know ——."

Half - babbled apologies that Gregory is hardly conscious of, just overcome by the need to make sure Michael knows he's sorry. Michael returns the embrace just as tightly, pulling Gregory in tighter as he tucks himself into the man's collarbone. He feels safe. He wants to stay here, forever.

Everything begins to blur together as the adrenaline begins to wane. Michael shifts, and Gregory allows himself to be maneuvered around easily ( not noticing that even as he's moved, michael never once lets him fully slip from his hold ), still muttering apologies under his breath that are softly forgiven and excused. Something heavy settles on his shoulders, the weight of it solid and warm ( not that it's the cold causing the teen to shake like a leaf ).

It feels safe. Michael is safe.

An arm wraps around his shoulders, pulling him in close to Michael's side and Gregory goes without resistance — burying himself into his guardian's side, leaning his weight into him ( something in the back of his mind reminds him that michael isn't fully healed yet, he shouldn't be relying so heavily on him, but it's not enough for him to take back control of his body from moving on autopilot ) as the man begins to steer him away. Gregory stumbles as he moves.

The crackling of flames continues behind them, though neither looks back.

★ — His concern is genuine. It may have turned to frustration at his guardian's reluctance to let him share in her struggles the same way she encouraged him to share his. ( they were both fucked over by fazbear, weren't they? there was no other person on the planet who could begin to understand what all they had been put through. all they had was each other ). And that may have yet turned to thinly veiled anger ; because all Gregory has ever learned is how to react to things with anger. But his concern is genuine.

( and despite it all, he can't help the self - satisfied smugness he feels at her obvious shock towards his choice in abrasive language, as he always did upon reminding a guardian that he wasn't the good kid they expected — he would never be the meek and mild, gently sweet poor little orphan that would sing praise for the simple act of a roof over his head that so many wanted and expected ).

He sticks his tongue out at her reprimand, the little shit.

Can practically hear Freddy's scandalized concern at his actions. Maybe it's a good thing the animatronic isn't around for this argument.

How can he tell? It's obvious — not that either of them are expected to be okay after everything they went through ( and vanessa, for so much longer ). But Vanessa has looked like she's been falling apart since the night they left the pizzaplex together.

"Seriously, 'Nessa? M'not stupid — you should know that."

Anxiety seeps in, running in his veins like ice alongside the red - hot frustration burned anger. It wasn't his fault? She may claim that it isn't because of him, but he's seen this before. ( his own mother had been around her age, when he'd lost her ). It had been his fault then ... or so he's allowed himself to believe.

His shoulders curl inwards, a slight, subconscious protective gesture meant to make him look smaller. Does his best to narrow his eyes as he looks at her, chin lifted. It looks silly ; childish.

" .... I don't believe you."

𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 on the guardian's face is easily transferred to her open mouthed, pinched brow shock at his brazenness. although she's not sure why she's so surprised. (it's not like she's never heard him swear, before).

arms come down for hands to land upon the former guard's hips, as she looks away with a huff & a shake of her head. smiling, almost in disbelief before looking at the floor.

he was right & she knows it.

vanessa isn't even good at hiding it, anymore. every bad habit coming forth at once, especially some that shouldn't be exposed to a child. her inability to sleep, her crying in the bathroom [...] her binging, & otherwise -- well you get the picture. she picks cuticles till fingers bloat, struggling with her self esteem now that there was nobody to pick her up. guilt at the nagging loneliness when gregory is right there. yet, how is she supposed to handle all of this, when also so deathly afraid of the child's hatred?

not being good enough.

"seriously, gregory?" she sighs. looking up at him with eyes alone, while her lips part blankly & green orbs stare. chin low by her chest. "fucking language."

one arm comes to cross over her chest, while the other pushes the few fly-aways back down against her slicked back hair. resting in a nice ponytail. one she re-did twenty times until it looked right, mind you. thumb resting in between her teeth with a scoff.

"please, you just --" she throws up her hands with a coping smile. "you wouldn't understand, okay? [...] look. i don't know how you can tell that i'm... i'm not taking care of myself." she grits the words like they physically pain her. as if she doesn't have bags under her eyes. "but it's not because i'm taking care of you, okay. so please don't think that."

“You really are a pain in the arse, aren’t you?” ( sorry this one made me laugh fkdshfsal / @spring-lxcked )

Argumentative Sentences, Vol. 1

★ — It's a source of pride, really. ( if you're going to be labeled a problem child, why not get the fun of acting like one? ).

Gregory may be in trouble ( though he's unaware of just how much trouble he's in yet ), but he doesn't do anything to stop the muffled snort of laughter in response to the man's words, only half - trying to bite down the smirk that's tugging at the corners of his lips. He at least has the sense to not roll his eyes, though it's far more tempting than it should be. Brown hues flicker around the surroundings, quickly making note of what might be the best way to get away should he decide he needs to make a run for it.

"I don't have to be," ( a shrug, his attention briefly flickering back ). "Y'could just let me go and not deal with me at all. I'm pretty good at staying out of the way."

★ — Brows furrow, confusion clear in the young boy's expression as the rabbit - costumed girl continues with her lies that sound saccharine sweet, her voice dancing around him from all directions. Disorientating. Both her voice and her words. It feels as if she's speaking in riddles like ribbons, wrapping around him until they ensnare. He wonders ( only briefly ) if these were the sort of lies she had told the children before him — lured them in only to strike when their guard was down. ( he won't let his guard down ). Is that why Cassie was lured here? She wasn't aware of the horrors that lurked within the pizzaplex like he was. An easier target, with the potential of luring him back in, deeper than the surface level of the lobby Gregory usually finds himself in. He spins around, facing in the direction he thinks Vanny has gone and hidden herself.

"The hell do you mean I'm going to join you? Just — stop lying! I know you were trying to kill me! I know you killed all the other missing kids! I know you want to kill Cassie now!"

oh  the  animatronics  may  not  be  functioning  anymore  but  don't  worry  ,   she  has  a  plan  for  the  wretched  girl  .   a  child  never  gets  far  from  vanny  just  talk  to  the  eight  others  who  went  missing  besides  gregory  .   oh  wait  ,   you  can't  .   vanessa  took  care  of  them  for  afton  ,   who  needed  them  .   though  he  didn't  need  them  as  much  as  he  needed  her  .   the  young  girl  being  his  eyes  ,   hands  ,   feet  ,   everything  .   though  the  vanni  network  had  given  him  new  life  ,   kind  of  .   allowing  him  to  be  present  at  all  hours  with  the  mask  on  .   security  nodes  put  in  place  to  make  sure  of  his  permanence  for  the  costumed  girl  .   never  can  let  them  know  of  their  true  intentions  .   though  her  fault  for  showing  her  hand  to  this  one  too  early  .   he  slipped  from  her  grasp  ,   she  was  right  there  .   becoming  more  unhinged  after  6  am  looking  for  him  .    ‘  i̸   w̸a̶s̴   t̵o̸l̸d̷   i̷t̶   w̷a̵s̸   y̴o̴u̴r̸   b̴i̵r̷t̴h̴d̴a̵y̷  !   w̴e̴   w̵e̵r̴e̶   c̸u̷t̶t̵i̴n̴g̶   c̶a̴k̶e̶   w̵i̵t̷h̸   t̶h̸a̵t̸   k̵n̴i̸f̵e̶  ,   t̷o̶g̸e̵t̷h̴e̴r̶  .  ’    more  lies  easily  coming  from  the  girl  .    ‘  d̴o̵n̸'̸t̶   w̴o̸r̷r̷y̷   g̸r̶e̷g̵o̶r̵y̵  ,   y̵͔͂o̶̯̊u̴̫͠'̸̌͜ŗ̵͛e̶̻͘ ̸̛  g̶͍̾o̷̫͘ï̸̢n̴͖̎ǵ̸̫ ̴͂  t̴͎͋ő̷̝ ̴͠  j̸̞̀õ̷̲ị̸̏ṇ̸̃ ̶̚  ù̵̝ş̴̊  ,   o̴̟̪̓̂ñ̵̼̮ẽ̵͙ ̸̐ͅ  w̶̧̾͌a̶͇͐y̶̼̅ ̸̢̐͘  ô̷̭r̵̞̖̆ ̵͆  a̸͉͊͝ṉ̴̀̒ò̸̘̱̕t̵̮͚̐h̷̹̫͗ȇ̶͈̞r̶̙͚͐͠  .  ’    facade easily falling .  threatening  voice  becoming  more   &*   more  menacing  as  she  spoke  .   practically  above  a  growl  now  .   though  she  was  careful  as  to  where  the  voice  was  projecting  .   needing  him  disoriented  .   planned  to  capture  him  ,   wipe  that  smirk  off  his  face  once   &*   for  all  .   she  won't  fail this time   .  .  .  —   she'll  make  him  proud  .