A Gregory Doodle-dump Let's Goooo!!!

a gregory doodle-dump let's goooo!!!

★ — Gregory is beginning to think he chose the wrong adult to take cover with. Most are far too willing to spare a strange kid nothing more than a glance and pretend he isn't there at all. Although speaking softer now, the exchange much less conspicuous than it had initially been, she's still asking too many questions — questions Gregory does not want to answer.

( how can he possibly explain? a flash of a blonde ponytail had sent him into a near panic, half running until it was out of sight and he could blend in amid the slight crowd of mundanity. it likely wasn't even her, but rational thinking hadn't been present ; just fear, the need to get away, to vanish, as quickly as possible ).

"No one. None of your business."

He almost doesn't notice when the pretzel is passed to him, only eyeing it curiously after it's already been in his hands.

"... Why'd you give me this?"

she's not sure what she'd expected when she got out of bed this morning. a calm day at the mall, at the very least - a sea of pants and shirts to choose from and later realize is the same as one she already owned. a stale pretzel, enjoyed on a bench as she wondered what she was missing before she headed home. those were all on her list of things to expect. but a little kid, out of nowhere, clearly using her as cover as he ran from something was the last thing she had on her list.

she knows that she shouldn't humor it, that doing so could get get in trouble, and him in danger. but she also knows there's a sophisticated art to being subtle for the sake of helping someone. ❝ who are you supposed to be here with, kiddo ? ❞ she quizzes, keeping her tone low as she hands him the remaining half of the previously mentioned pretzel, he certainly looks like he could use it. ❝ is someone bothering you? ❞ she further asks, uneasy with the thought of his kid, alone and lost, running from god knows who or what.

@braveburned continued from here.

how do you feel about knowing michael is hiding things from you? does a part of you think it’s fair or would you feel much better if he just told you?

gee gregory who let you have a zombie dad / father's day asks

★ — "Why would I think it's fair? It's not."

His answer comes immediately, firm in its tone ; not upset, per - say, but certainly not without an edge. Frown flickers over his expression, and Gregory lets his gaze fall to the ground in stubborn contemplation. How did he feel, knowing the only person he trusted was keeping things from him? It was complicated. Everything was always complicated.

It doesn't take much thought to know whatever Michael is hiding from Gregory is bad. Everything surrounding Fazbear is, everything they try to keep buried under the neon lights, obnoxiously greasy pizza, and shitty novelty merchandise.

"Michael says he's trying to keep me safe by not telling me. I think ..... I think he really believes that. But that doesn't make it fair. And — and I don't think he's right."

A continuous source of tension in their little household, the source of too many arguments to count. Gregory doesn't doubt that Michael wants to keep him safe. He wouldn't have come with him after it was all over if he did, would have run away long ago if he thought for even a moment that Michael was going to usher him into the wolf's maw. ( perhaps bear would be a more accurate analogy ).

But how is he supposed to stay away from the teeth that could destroy when he's walking around blindly? He feels as though he's in a cave that only goes deeper and deeper ; Michael is holding the map, but refuses to let him have even a flame to light his way. What would happen if they were to let go of each other's hands?

The truth of the matter is Gregory is scared. There's no way out, and there's no light at the end of the tunnel. There is only this.

"I wish he'd just tell me. But he doesn't get it."

what is the most embarrassing thing that michael has done while looking after you?

gee gregory who let you have a zombie dad / father's day asks

★ — "Embarrassing for me or for him?"

There's a slight sneer in his tone, but he doesn't really mean it — not if the hardly - there smile thats tugging at the corners of his lips is anything to go - by, small and trying to be bit down but undeniably fond.

Their spur of the moment living arrangement certainly had its fair share of ups and downs, some being far more dramatic and emotionally charged than others. But there were also little moments ; small growing pains, where they tried to settle into this new routine and stumbled along the way but ultimately caused no harm.

He'd never say it, but Gregory liked those moments. It made everything feel more real.

"Have you seen the guy try to grocery shop? It's like — killer animatronics in a giant mall, no problem, but god forbid he has to figure out where the frozen lasagna is. He acts like he has no idea where he is or what he's doing. I told him he should let me do it, but," ( a shrug ). "The missing person poster around town makes that .... kinda hard."

Tone takes a turn for the somber, his expression briefly falling ; but only for a moment, before Gregory's eyes light up once more and he keeps going with a soft laugh.

"Our freezer is full of frozen waffles. They're good snacks, but, uh, I don't think we need five bags of them. Especially when I'm the only one that seems to eat any. Oh!" ( moving on from that relatively quickly? ). "The first time I got sick, he completely panicked. It was just a fever and a cough, but he grabbed every kind of medicine he could think to, and then kept checking on me so much that I couldn't have slept even if I wanted to. It was pretty annoying at the time.... but it's funny now. Michael — he was so cool when we were in the pizzaplex, and it seemed like he knew how to handle everything. But now that we're out of it, he's kinda .... a bit of a loser. But in a good way, I think."

what do you value the most about living with michael? (see i can be nice)

gee gregory who let you have a zombie dad / father's day asks

★ — For a second, it seems as though he doesn't want to answer. Gaze flickers down, off to the side, focussing on nothing in particular as if somehow looking at nothing will save him from view. Teeth worry at his lower lip, a small sign that his hesitancy to answer isn't from indignation but from nerves. There's an almost imperceptible way in which he makes himself smaller, the shrinking of his shoulders, the way his fingers fidget despite the way he tries to ball them into fists.

It's always been easier to pretend staying with Michael was purely out of convenience — it wasn't like he had anywhere else to go, after all. But that wasn't the whole truth. Gregory's already run away from one home. He wouldn't stay in another if he didn't want to.

"Michael's ..... y'know. He cares, I guess."

A pause, followed by a deep breath. His gaze lifts, shoulders following alongside as if gaining a moment of confidence, but it only lasts for a quick second before it all falls once again.

"And it's not just cause I'm a kid, and he has to care. It's — he never acts like he expects me to be different."

Even when he's being a jerk, lashing out and running away, intentionally making everything difficult, because if Michael is going to give up on him Gregory would rather see it coming than not. Michael never gives up. Michael doesn't hold it against him. Michael doesn't expect Gregory to be anything other than who he is, even during the times when all Gregory seems to be able to do is show him the worst aspects of himself.

".... I've never had someone like that before."

quick doodles