The JereMike Collection

Game Over

Mangle eased into the Prize room, spotting her target sitting comfortably in the box, a thoughtful look across his mask. Endo lightly willed forward, leading them quietly towards the puppet.

Marionette didn't seem to notice them, or if he did, he didn't seem to care. "...Evenin' to ya, Strings." Mangle greeted, lowering down from the ceiling. "How ye faring?"

The puppet didn't answer, keeping quiet as the mass of wires dangled above him. The fox tilted her head, giving Endo a worried glance before slinking a foot or so away from the box. Usually the puppet would give some passive aggressive retort, some elegantly devised snark to deflect her away, or just let muse in her company, giving a short answer from time to time.

But with tonight's recent events, it was clear the puppet was in no mood for chatter. Mangle blinked. "Saw a lil' mouse scurry out here not too long ago..." She commented, searching for an reaction. "Surprised ya didn't hold onto 'em. Just let 'em loose to the wolves..."

The puppet hardly moved. "Saw a wolf too, ya see. Just mad, I tell ya. Rabid...Looked as if it was ready to tear himself apart..." She continued. "He be huntin', no doubt bout it. Though I don't believe it's treasure he be searching for..."

Not giving any sort of acknowledgment, Marionette kept his mask tilted towards the ground, contently listening to the music box as it played. The notes were slow in rythem and almost nostalgic, but it was still a melody he could follow.

Worried and unsure, Mangle watched as the puppet ignored them, trying to keep his focus solely on the music. "Stormin' seas tonight, Strings. Can't seem to see the end of it...." She spoke, her tone growing more serious.

As expected, the puppet paid them no mind. Endo twisted his neck, craning down directly into Marionette's line of sight, much to Mangle's disapproval.

Metal teeth bent into a grin. "That little doll of yours is going to be torn from limb to limb-"

"Mangle, control your other half."

Said fox nodded. "Aye" Her body convulsed, whipping Endo back up to his place. She gave him a glare, to which he only sprung his neck in a mock shrug. "Stay ye words, Endo." She sneered, looming over the head. "A sentence like that again and I aughta plank ye"

Endo rolled his eyes, turning back to the puppet. "Well, ya don't leave us hanging..."

He gave a yelp as he was whipped back behind Mangle. He spared a angry glare at her before shutting his teeth. Sighing, the fox set her sights back on the puppet, eyeing how he hasn't moved so much as an inch. "Pay him no heed. He speak nothing good, M'friad. Just a bunch of bolts and springs, truly..."

Marionette sat still. "I can tell"

A moment of silence passed between them. "I know ye had a soft spot for the wee lad..." Mangle announced A tiny shimmer of light shined in the mask eye's before disappearing No denial, she supposed. "Don't blame ye, really...even a siren could listen to a voice alike his own...."

Marionette twitched, his mask slowly lifting to stare Mangle from the ground. The light had returned, a dim glow in his eyes. The fox inwardly smiled, feeling pleased with the progress. "We can all hear the songs that lad sings in the night. Quiet melody, a lil' hum if nothing more. But it pretty, ain't it?" She chimed, Endo watching with interest from behind her.

She thought for a moment "Only does it when the wolf ain't here, it seems. Shame... a bit lonely if ya ask me-"

"-and no one did, Fox"

Her wires spun in a playful gesture. "Ah...there's the ole' String talk I was lookin' for" That familer disembodied voice that hung in the air was a relief to her. A small victory for the broken animatronic, but it was progression noneless. "The lad wit' the balloons worried about ye, asked me to come find ya"