𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒

𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙨

i swear this is the last angst thing i'll publish for now i swear the next one'll be an x reader JUST LET ME HAVE THIS-
(edit: i actually meant to say cyberfun tech when i wrote bsi. im sorry i cant im embarrassed)
charles (boozoo) angst but not really but still
tw: blood, gore

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A man impatiently tapped his foot against the pavement of a doorway, arms crossed in front of his chest. He held the essence of importance, a watch dangling from his jittery fingers with his chin jutted up in the air ever so slightly.

"I am so, so sorry," His head turned at the sound of a scratchy voice. "Come in."

Charles let out a sigh, swinging his watch into his palm and tucking it in his pocket. He ran a thumb over the initials engraved into the silver before pulling his now empty hand out of the leather pocket and holding it forth.

Felix stared at it anxiously behind wire framed glasses before finally understanding what he had to do and clapped his clammy hand with Charles', watching the man give it a single affirming shake. Charles let his hand drop to his side and stepped past the glass paneled door Felix had opened for him to pass through, allowing the balmy air to slip into the restaurant along with him.

Around Charles were nattering kids, clearly oblivious to the missing people who seemed to retain shadows along the walls. The adults were slouched in quiet whispers, every eye on Felix when he decided to step in.

Charles glanced down to Felix and let out a mutter. "Let's make this quick, shall we?"

"Y-Yes, of course." Felix seemed to smother a shudder as he made his way towards the employees only rooms, passing by a door without looking to the side. Some type of putrid smell slipped through the cracks between the wood and the doorway, but before Charles could investigate, Felix had ushered him into an office and shut the door.

Felix Kranken was a generally anxious man, Charles knew this from the day he met him and his now absent partner. Now, his nerves seemed to be in pure disarray, his shaky figure almost not fitting the clean office around him.

"You are aware of the disappearances, yes?" Charles snuck a quick glance at the silver watch in his pocket before taking a seat on a chair opposing Felix's. The wooden desk that separated them was smothered in crisp paper stained with ink.

"Absolutely," Felix's knee thumped against the bottom of the desk, but other then that, he had stopped fidgeting and instead was looking down at his hands. "I'm taking every precaution to stop them."

Charles fiddled mindlessly with the dainty chain of the watch. "With all due respect, Mr Kranken, BSI would like to know exactly what those precautions are."

"Well–" Felix's glossy eyes, streaked with red lighting, flickered to the now open door.

A young girl stood in the doorway, a blue cardigan fastened around her chest with a collar that touched her quivering lips. "Uncle Felix? Could I go home?"

"I'm busy," Felix's eyes flickered to Charles' face in search of some disapproving expression for their interruption, but Charles didn't seem to mind. Eventually, the man returned the glance with a questioning one, and Felix continued his sentence. "You can wait in the doorway of the restaurant, if you'd like. I'll finish up soon and call your mother to pick you up."

"Thanks," Sophie muttered in response before her puffy eyes flickered to Charles. "Sorry."

Charles gave her a warm smile. "No problem."

She returned it quietly before turning out of the room and rushing away, her feet picking up pace when she reached the door– Charles recalled the putrid smell –and eventually fading off.