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“ i’ve been exposed…?? “

@strange-changes-ln

im not sorry

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chapter nine lol

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“Strange Changes.”

Chapter 9: A Mistaken Relationship..?

Mary casually leaned against a wall, tapping her foot against the ground, lightly. Well, today has been an interesting one! She met a lovely fellow today. Though, she did nearly drown him. So, that was a bit of a downside of this entire ‘meeting a new person’ thing. At least she had a reason to go up and through the pipe. For a while, she didn’t really see one. But, now? Yeah. She can-

Her train of thought was halted by a knock at the door. She turned her head.

Does… does she answer?

Another knock. Uhhh.

” ..Hello? “ She called over. “ Do y’ need anything? “

There was a momentary silence.

Then- another- knock?? Didn’t they hear her? She sighed. “ Hey- Rog’?? Someone’s at your door. “

” -What?? Hold on- “

“ Wait- can you even get down? “

“ Yeah, I can, just give me a second! “ The voice from above— the upperish room- responded in a sort of moderate yell? The little man, somewhat like Mary, was wearing a white tee, and shorts. Except he could fit them better than Mary could. But they got it to work.

He was still wearing the hat though…. Hmmm…

Roger really took his time. The knocking was getting much more aggressive as time went on. “ Give me a minute! “ He shouted over. Please, he doesn’t want to freaking fall.

After a moment, of sheer concentration, he was finally off the ladder and on the ground. Yay!

Now to go answer the door before it gets busted down! “ Who’s even.. “ He muttered, reaching for the knob. Twisting the door knob, and pushing it open. “ Hello-? “

“ Roger! Hey, um.. so sorry about coming by at a weird time, but- we came to give you something, but when we got here, you weren’t-… here…? Um.. “ Thomas paused, spotting Mary. She just stood to the side, with a neutral expression. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

” ..What? “

“ Who’s- that? “ Marcus stepped forward, and pointed at the woman in the room. “ Where’d they come from? “

“ -Oh! Uh.. Thomas? Marcus? This is- Mary. Mary, this is Thomas. And this is Marcus. “ He backed up, and gently motioned Mary to step forward, trying to ease in her welcome.

She bowed. “ It’s nice to meet you both. “

Thomas nodded a little bit, before walking forward, and holding his arm out, offering a handshake. “ It’s a pleasure to meet you too..! “

“ Er.. you’re Thomas, right? “

“ Mhm. “

“ Ah, good. I didn’t wanna be getting you both mixed up now, heheheh. “

They seemed to be getting along, Roger thought to himself, smiling. That’s good.

He eyed Marcus, who was ever so slowly scooting towards him, trying to make it seem like he wasn’t. He blinked. “ …Marcus, what’re you doing. “

The chef stopped. He motioned the man to stand next to him. After an invisible eye roll ensues, he shuffles on over, and goes back to watching Thomas and Mary chat. It was nice. It really was. Though, the nice viewing didn’t last for the longest time, as he heard a “Pssst” right next to him. He- for a millisecond, thought it was somebody else that wasn’t here, but.. it was the older twin chef. “ Mmhmm? “ Roger hummed, as a response.

Marcus kneeled down, to meet his height. The next words coming out of his mouth, got the Janitor confused at first.

” (So. You found somebody, hm?) “

Oh, they’re whispering now. Okay. ” (I mean- yeah, I found her in some area lower than the Prison.) “

” (Roger, I meant- you found a woman.) “

” (..Yyyyyess...? I did..? What're you trying to say.) "

" (Kh- I mean, you're like.. beginning a 'relationship' with her. You could've picked someone more attractive.) "

..His face went warm. " (Wh-b--bhs-- no..???) " He sounded absolutely bewildered by the Chef's words. " (I-I'm not--- whY..???) " Marcus just shrugged.

" (I don't know, why else would you bring a woman to your room?) "

" (Because she didn't have anywhere to stay?? I'm trying to be kind to her, not get her to date me.) " Roger hissed, staring hard. " (Why on Earth would you even-) "

" (Alright, alright, calm your- uh- stare.) "

...

Mary was very much watching those two boys gabber about something. Whispering like there wasn't anybody there. She questioned what exactly was such a topic to whisper about. " ..Err. What're they on about? "

Thomas shrugged. " It- could be anything, really.. I could go ask them. "

" Mmmm. I'll do it. " She casually brushes off her shoulder, before approaching. They seemed distracted. They probably wouldn’t mind if she butted in for a second or two. She clears her throat, quietly, standing tall over the two. “ Excuse me, you two? What, exactly, are y’ whispering about. Must be important. “

The two froze, going silent. Marcus then stood back up, quickly. “ Hey, uh- question- are you and Roger a thing now, or what. “ He was smirking, asking with a VERY obvious smugness in the question.

” -MARCUS. “

“ Wh- Bro, c’mon! “ Thomas was very close to facepalming. “ You don’t just— you know better than this. “

…Mary just had this- blank, unamused expression on her face. “ ..No. No, we’re not. We’re just two elders, livin’ out our lives. Alright? None of that couple stuff. “

“ ……Are you sure. “

“ Yes. “

“ …Alright. Sure.. “ Marcus nodded, slowly, taking the time to walk back towards his brother, who was filled with pure disappointment. Thomas sighed after a while, and put on an exasperated smile.

” A-Anyways.. “ He started. “ We- er… (Marcus where is the freaking food.) “

” (It’s outside the door you dingus.) “

” (Wh- go get it!) “

” (Okay, sheesh.) “ Marcus muttered, heading back towards the door. He looked to the side of the doorway, and saw a white box. Those boxes you put leftovers in, or something. They had a few spares somewhere. He reached out, and scooped it up into his hands. He headed back inside, leisurely. “ Rog.’ “

“ Hm? “ He hummed, as he was handed the box. Roger blinked. “ ..What’s- this for, exactly..? “ He took it, obviously, for it would be rude not to. But he was just- puzzled?

Thomas piped up. “ Oh-! That’s- just a snack we got for you. We- well- I-.. kinda noticed you haven’t.. ate anything in a while. For a couple of days actually. It’s- kind of easy to tell, with.. with your body, all.. um.. “

” He’s saying you look like a twig, Roger. “

“ I—I- n-not exactly, but.. you just look.. thin, is all. “ He really did try to explain it without sounding offensive. But he honestly thinks he failed. “ So.. for your sake, we just- got you something to eat. Nothing too big, but nothing too small either..! Y’know..? “

…Now- here’s something people don’t know;

Roger… is not adjusted to eating at this point and time of his life. At least- he’s not adjusted to eating a lot of food. It’s not that he wanted to fix something about his body or anything. There wasn’t anything that could be fixed. He- doesn’t actually know why he slowly began this descent into malnourishment, maybe it was an unconscious thing..?

But why would he unconsciously stop eating? That’s something people need to do to live, right? So, why did he slow down and stop to such an excessive point? Isn’t that bad for him?? He slowly began to notice a grumbling pain in his stomach. Was that- always there?

” …Uhhhh.. I… uhh.. thanks.. that’s- really kind of you. “ Just accepting it. Y’know what, he could- he could use it. When.. was the last time he even ate? Uh.. shoot, was it.. last week? “ Is there anythin’ else? “

“ Oh, no, that’s it. We’ll- be on our way now. It’s late, and we should be resting. We’re- already kind of behind. Y’know.. with the uh.. the Guest’s, and all of that.. but- we’ll pull through. “

OH GOD.

HE- HE FORGOT ABOUT THAT??? OH NO.

“ ..ooOHH GOD I FORGOT-! “ He abruptly exclaimed, in a sudden panic. A rush of adrenaline shot through him, as he began to look around for his work outfit. “ WherewherewhEREISIT??? I have to get SOMETHING done today- it’s probably way too close to the deadline to keep DOING THIS, I— I-I- “

“ Roger, ROGER. “ A hand is rested firmly on his shoulder. “ …How the hell did you forget to do your job? “ Marcus squinted, frowning. He knows that this guy is old, but-

“ I- I don’t know-! A- a lot of stuff happened in the span of a few hours, I g-guess! “

“ Well, maybe if you didn’t distract yourself- somehow- you would’ve gotten something done, today, Y’know? And— what’s with the limp-? “

“ ..Th- the limp. It’s… a long story, I- don’t have time to explain- it’s best you go. “ Roger simply decided to get him out of his gosh darn room, ushering them both towards the door. Mary, all the while, spectated from a good distance.

.

.

.

The door made a clicking sound, as it was closed. Well.

A heavy sigh came from the short old man. “ ..I- uh…… I’m- really sorry. “

“ Huh? Ah, no, no need to apologize. “ Mary held her hand up. “ Though, I am wonderin’ where that boy got us being a couple from. “ She thought aloud, prompting another wave of face heat, in Roger. It was blush, no doubt. That, or he was very warm.

” Heh.. yeah… stupid. “ He cracked a smile; albeit it being crooked, and out of discomfort than anything else. “ ..Can you- uh., put this.. somewhere..? I think the.. the tiredness is- getting to me. I’m gonna… sleep. Dunno where you’ll sleep, though.. “

” Eh. I’ll figure it out. “ She casually takes the box of edible food from him, and puts it on the seemingly nightstand. “ You get some rest. You have a job to do, apparently. I’ve probably been- wasting your time. “

“ Oh- nonono, not at all! “ The man waved his hands around, sitting on his bed, reassuring her. “ You’re- uh- actually making it.. kinda nice..? My time. I mean..- I mean, past all of that drowning stuff, you’ve.. Y’know, you’ve.. been company, I guess, and.. I haven’t- had that, in a while.. “

Mary nodded, lightly. “ ..Well. Glad to know you enjoy me bein’ around. “

“ ..Mhm. “

…

” Well, I am- going to bed. Goodnight. “ He tried to bury himself under the covers. Sleep.

He heard a chuckle.

” Heheheh.. night, Rog’. “

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lowkey- Roger headcanons specifically for this “AU” alone.

Update on the sexuality part

I’m stuck on either “on the Asexual spectrum” or Bisexual for him. Why? I don’t know, it’s all getting to my head.

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Doodles of Chapters 1-8.

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“Strange Changes.”

Chapter 8: A Simple Chapter.

Text

“ Well! Here we are! “ She grins, eyeing a huge pipe-way right in front of them.

Wow, Roger thought to himself. It’s- pretty big. And it- didn’t even take that long. That’s.. huh.

wait.

“ ..How.. How are we supposed t- “

” Hm? Oh, you don’t know? We gotta climb through the old thing. Simple as that. “

oh.

“ ..Y-You sure?? “ He looked slightly bewildered. How were they supposed to even- that- was that even gonna work?? It doesn’t make sense!- “ How do- how do we- “

” Ohh, it’s easy, it’s easy! Watch. You can stand for a moment, right? “ Mary asked, wary of it before demonstrating. Roger examined his legs. His eyes narrow.

“ ..Maybe..? “

” Maybe ain’t a good enough answer, Rog’. “ She gave the shorter man a firm look. “ I rather not have you crumbing down like a damaged tower if I let go of you for a sec. Eh- here. “ She lead him over to the side of the pipe, and let him lean onto it. “ Do NOT let go of this, ya hear? Let’s not try and get worse, now, alright? “ She kept giving him the firm, almost motherly stare.

“ ..Ahh- y-yes Ma’am. “ He nods, smiling a little. Awkwardly- as usual, but with a side of natural obedience. Mary narrows her eyes, before turning back to the black void that is the ‘entrance.’ She put one foot on the circular ledge, and pushed herself up, and into it. Roger watched.

He heard the sounds of slight banging, from her, stating the obvious. It was a bit loud at first, but it got quieter.

Quieter.. quieter..

“ ..Mmm- Mary?? “ He tried to call through the pipe.

No response. Did- Did she make it? She probably did. Could she hear him? “ ..Mary?? You there?? “

He didn’t get any response. That’s most likely a bad sign.

Did- Did she abandon him?? Leaving him here to—

Nonono- “ M-Mary! Mary, answer me! “ He sounded a tad bit more desperate. “ Mary!! “

” Yeaaah?? “ Finally, a response. Oh thank god, he wasn’t abandoned-

“ M-Mary!- I thought- I thought you- “

” What?? “ She called from the other side. Would- would telling her even be worth it.

” ..N—Nevermind- how do I- “

” Oh—.. wait a sec…

…

I’m an idiot- hold on, I’m comin’ back down! “ She exclaimed. The Janitor blinked.

A faint sliding sound was heard, and- out came Mary, landing on her feet, like it was some slide on a playground. “ Uhh- here. “ She stepped towards Roger. “ You think you can ride on my back for a bit? “ She questioned, kneeling down to reach his face level.

” -Huh? I.. I guess..? “ He blinked a couple times, looking down at the ground, then back up at Mary.

“ Cool. “ She spins herself around. “ Hop on. “

..Roger stares for a moment, eyeing his arm, and back at Mary. Just- ever so gently wrapping his arm around Mary, attempting to prop himself to-

Mary quickly stood back up. “ Alright! Now- “

” aGH- “ He went from carefully securing, to hanging on for dear life. “ Wh- you could’ve WARNED me you were gonna do that! “

“ My bad, my bad. “ She rolled her eyes. “ ..Hey- heh- you’re pretty light for an old man. “

” Oh— can we just get going, please?? “ He hissed.

” Alright, alright! Let’s go. “ She steps back in front of the entrance of the pipe, and pushes herself into it again. They begin their ascent. Roger glances about. It gets darker and darker as they go on. Like- if you close your eyes slowly, it gets darker, sort of.

That- might not actually be a great comparison, but still! He quietly exhales, resting his head on the old woman’s back. That tiredness is coming back, isn’t it. That’s just swell, huh? Maybe.. just for a moment.

He closes his eyes. Just a tiny bit of rest. For a couple of seconds, it’ll be okay.

Right?

…right?

…

…

…

” ROGER- “

His eyes shoot open, wha- what?? He notices Mary, grabbing onto his wrist, and pulling him forward. W-What- did he let go??

Ah- of course he would- STUPID.

“ The hell’re you thinking, boy?? “ She jerks him up, putting him on his feet. “ You don’t just- “ She stops, to sigh. “ Okay. Next time? Just don’t fall asleep, alright..? “ She leans forward a little, looming over him. Almost everybody does. He- didn’t think he would, he-

No, no, of COURSE he would. He’s just been like that! He’s just been- brainless recently, and it’s ticking him off.

“ ..Right- sorry, Ma’am. “ He stared down.

“ No need to apologize, Rog’. “ She lightly chuckles.

“ I— I should get going. “ He begins forward, ignoring the subtle soreness in his body, and the limp, despite it being a noticeable aspect of his at the moment. “ Don’t wanna- mh.. keep you to long, Y’know? Keheh- “

” Now hold up, just one second! You think you’re in a good enough condition to go on y’ own right now? “ Mary puts her hands on her hips, eyeing him suspiciously.

“ ..I……I think..? “ He glances to the side, a bit anxiously. He doesn’t want to be a bother to her much anymore. “ I-I’m sure I can just- “

He pauses. “ ..Uhh.. I-I can- uhh.. “

” …You don’t know what you’re even doin’, don’t cha..? “

“ ..I-… yeah. “ His shoulders hunch. “ ..Kinda wish I didn’t break my freaking bones that m--much-- keheh….nnhh.. “ He puts a hand to his forehead. “ ..Jeez.. “

Mary walked over, and wrapped her arm around him once more. “ C’mon, Rog’. Which way do we go? “

“ Mm— umm.. f-forward. “

” Right. “ Mary begins to walk, exiting the room they were currently in, the room Roger never recognized before- uh-- plummeting, and out into the Prison he was familiar with. " ..My, my. It's pretty spacious here, ey? " She grins, examining the area. The Janitor nods.

" You get used to it. " His expression's a bit blank, his head occasionally shifting significantly.

They simply traveled on, the man ever so often directing the woman to where he personally resides. They were simply having small conversations here and there. Mary hasn’t seen this place in a while, and it’s… erm.. while it’s not as bad as the Depths- as she likes to call it- it’s also not much better. But you get what you get, right?

Right.

A bit of time later, they reach the Janitor’s abode. It was quick. It doesn’t take much time to get from the Prison to his “home” Anyways. Mary eyed Roger, who sighed with relief.

” Okay..! Okay, uh.. we’re here. Here, I can- I can open it for you. “ He carefully removes Mary’s arm from his side, and limps towards his door. She very readily followed behind. Sure, it was- a short distance, but anything can happen. Especially with someone such an age as him. He simply twisted the door’s knob and pushed it open. He scooted himself inside, before waiting at the side of the doorway.

“ Why thank you, Rog. “ She smiled, before entering; the doorway was.. a bit small. So she kind of had to make herself smaller by leaning forward. “ ..Huuh. Everything’s so… tall. Well- ‘cept your beddin’, but.. “

” Yeah. That was more-so just a choice of mine, since.. I like to, uh- keep things. Also, my- uh.. my arms can reach the.. the- the higher points, since my.. I-I’m not that tall, just… uhhhmmhh.. “ He thought for a minute. He was going on a tangent, huh. “ ..Aaactually- you don’t gotta hear all of that, just.. umm.. “ He had to keep thinking about all of this. “ …uuhhhhhhhh.. “ oh c’mon. “ ..Are- are you planning to- to head back to the.. y’know the.. the place. “

” Back there?? Hell’s no! “

” Oh, alright then, well I- “ He stopped. Wait a second. “ ..You’re not? “

” Naaah, it’s gotten old. Sure, ‘twas fine for the while. Even a bit comfortable. But it’s ‘bout time I branch out. “ She nods to herself, with confidence. “ ..Thooough, I should probably fix m’self up. Both of us should. “

“ Hmm? Oh- it’s funny, because a friend of mine told me the same thing, heh. “

” Really? Well, y’ gonna abide? “

” I-……………..guess. “

“ Swell! Now uhh.. I must ask where y’ bathroom is. “ Mary wanders about, a bit bamboozled by how small the room itself is. “ It’s like- there’s only the bedroom, but no other rooms to go with! “

“ Oh- uhh.. hold on. “ He waddles over to his bed, which has just been lying there the entire time. He sits himself down on it, and reaches waaaay up high. “ ..It’s there, just- okay, I got it. “ He latches onto a handle that’s just- on his ceiling. He pulls down on it, an opening coming forth and revealing itself. Outfalls, a ladder.

“ -Woah-! “ She jumps a little, from the odd appearance of the ladder. “ ..What in the name of.. “

” I don’t- really go up there anymore, unless it’s for a specific reason and I don’t have any other options. You can go ahead if you’d like, I suppose. “ He offers, genuinely smiling for a change. Would you look at that?

“ ..Well. That’s awful kind of you. “

” Oh, it’s- it’s no problem. Do you need any clothes? I got a few spares. “

“ That would be nice. “ She nodded once more, before beginning to climb up said ladder. Roger simply watched from his bed. Well.

He slowly begins to lie down. He gently hugged himself with his arm, closing his eyes for a minute, simply resting on his side. This? This is nice. Very.. very nice.

“ ….mmm. “ He curled up into a small ball, before drifting off to sleep. Mary had things under control, he feels. She seems pretty intelligent. He’s just gonna..

..take a small nap. Nothin’ too long.

Hopefully.

…

“ Hey!— Hey, hey, hey- c’mon, wake up now..! “

“ ..Oh- there y’ go… you alright..? “

Mary asked the now awakened Roger, as calmly as possible. He didn’t look too good just now.

He sat up, rather slowly, stuck with the same feeling he had whilst in a slumber; fear. Not too intensely, however, but it lingered. He eyed his hands; they just barely shook. He bunched them up into fists, sighing.

" I--I'm fine. Don't- worry about it, i-it was nothing. "

" ..Sure. "

" I'm b--being honest, it was just a dream.. o-or something. " He leaned his head to the side, his very slightly deformed fingers nervously findling. Mary just stared at him, with an unamused expression. “ ..Really- I’m fine. “ He just began to stand up. “ So, uh.. now what? “

” ..Hmm. You could go wash up. “ She points up at the extra room in his room. “ You could need it, Y’know? It’s relaxing. “ She steps forwards, turns, and plops herself down on his bed, wearing the same exact outfit she had worn for so many years. Mainly because- she didn’t get any spares.

“ ..Right-.. wait- did I not..? “ He narrowed his eyes at the worn out dress of Mary’s, and grunts. “ Shoot. I- forgot to- h-here. “ Roger limped over to one of the very extended drawers. He reaches for one of the handles, and pulls backward. Rummaging inside, grumbling to himself. The old woman simply waited, hands in her lap, calmly smiling. This guy..

“ O-Okay, I got something. You- you don’t mind wearing- shorts, do you..? “

” Oh, no. Whatever you have will work. “

” Right, um- here. “ He stretches his arm all the way to Mary, holding a white t-shirt, and shorts. It’s clean. He wouldn’t give her dirty clothes, that’s just uncool.

” Ah, well thank you. I’ll be right back. “ She takes the spare outfit and proceeds to climb back up the ladder.

“ Mhm…..mhm.. “ Roger stared down at the floor for a minute. Before just- sitting down. This is fine.

This is.. just fine.

…

Yep! Everything is just fine!

:)

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“Strange Changes.”

Chapter 7: Fallen In The Depths.

It’s dark. Can’t- can’t see anything. It’s not like that’s a foreign thing for you, but.. still, it doesn’t- feel right. It’s not the kind you’re used to. It’s just different.

Though- you start feeling- wait. Wait, it’s coming back? No- w- yeah- yeah, you’re waking up! You’re-

He’s waken up. The first thing felt is pain. Much pain, his entire body rives. He stares upward, at the hole he fell down. Why- good god that’s- a far fall- how is he not DEAD? It should’ve- broken every bone in his body, at least.

He huffs, shakily, before trying to sit u-

“ -G-Ghk- “ Nope- no, no, no, going back down. J-Just.. just relax, you’re- you’ll be okay. Y-You’ll be fine. You- You had one job. Go check on the kids- but- b-but you can’t even do that right. You- You-

He forces himself up, a sharp crack being audible.

“ Nh- gHHA- “ He cries out in pain, but immediately clasps his mouth shut, with his hand. He glanced to the side—

Water? Why.. why is there.. so much water? Where- where is he?? He goes back to the ground, and his own body. What-

Parts of his body were contorted, out of place. He broke at least a few bones, but the rest of his body was just- hurting. Not broken but.. just not in the best condition to move too much.

..Ohh no— oh no no no— no nO NO- he’s- he’s gotta get out of here, he has to- he has to fix this. Why, why, WHY is just so- so- MESSED UP?? If he just- looked where he was going, he could’ve avoided this, but NOOO- YOU JUST HAVE TO-

He, for- some unexplainable reason, tries to stand. He has a broken leg, a broken arm, almost all the way up to his shoulder, while the rest of his body is more-so in a state of explicit pain. Just- j-just gotta..gotta.. hmm..

He just- collapses back down, slowly spiraling into a state of panic. How- why- how did you survive the fall- can- y-you don’t know how to set bones, how can you- h-how can- h-how..

“ ..Hh-hello??!- I- gh- nhhh- “ He winces, before continuing on. He has to pull himself together. “ I- I need- help- c-can someone… a-anyone.. “

Who is he kidding- no one lives down here, right?? Okay, nevermind. He looks around, frantically, trying to find- something that can help him, meanwhile trying not to have a panic attack right then and there. Okay.. o-okay.. just breathe. Just breathe, and—

*!

Two hands latch onto his non-broken arm, and try to pull him down into the large pool of water. Roger screamed in alarm, not having enough time to react.

He was pulled in. Dragged down, into the water. He tried to fight it. He tried, he really did, even with his current condition. But it didn’t work. The only thing reaching the surface at that point, was his hat. It floated, idly.

He fought, squinting at whatever had grabbed him.

A woman. An old, old woman, probably older than he was. Her face seemed hollow. Empty.

…Snapping himself out of his pause, he tried to keep- fighting. She would have to let him go at some point. And- eventually, she does! That’s great!

…

But- he can’t.. he can’t swim. Oh no—

He reached his arm out towards the surface, but.. he can’t.. he can’t get……get…

no- NO- Nonono, don’t- don’t stop- you’ll have to-

He felt the old woman grab onto his waist. NO-

He tried using his mobile arm to knock her off of him. C’mon, C’MON-

His movements slowed. Getting.. tired…

so…

so..

tired.

…What on Earth was this man doin’ down here??

The old woman held on to the limp body, and stared. She looked back up to the surface. Where’s that- uh.. old wood plank that’s ‘round-

Aha! There we go. She so casually rises from the water, and trudged her way towards the plank.

Once there, she lifts the unconscious body up, and places them on said plank. Pulling herself up and out of the water as well, she stared still.

She’d be lying if she said her head didn’t hurt from all that thrashing and whacking- dang! She’s just wondering how this oldie got here.

She did make note of the broken legs. He fell? From that height? She’s surprised this old man didn’t die right then and there!

Though, maybe it’s best to check if he’s still livin’. Checking his pulse.

…for a moment, she thought he was out cold. But- he’s still hangin’ on, just- slowly. He looks like he’s breathing. Maybe she’s just gotta be patient and wait. Though, she’s pretty much ready to ask him some very serious questions.

“ ..Good grieve. “ She sighed, shaking her head a little. This was no good. No good at all. Perhaps she shouldn’t have immediately pulled the poor boy down. Didn’t look like he could swim, at all. Not with those legs- ha!

Ahh, that was harsh. For now, she just stared. Maybe, she could just-.. what’s the thing people do, they uh.. press on their chest? I think?

The old woman crouched on the plank, and carefully placed both hands on the oldie’s chest. Now, juuust…

She presses down a couple times. Is- is it workin’?

Clearly. As water is coughed up, and it got all on her face. She flinched, oh! It worked?- Okay then. She blinked, watching the old man recuperate. He was breathing like he just ran a marathon, his eyes- oddly not there? That’s weird. Buuuut, other than that, he just looked freaked out, which was understandable.

” Howdy! Name’s Mary! Now, uhh.. I know this is all kinda strange, since- I nearly drowned ya- heh- crazy, right? But, really, I have questions of my own. First of all, how did- “

She was cut off by his cry of alarm. Oh-

“ W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!- “ He was attempting to scoot back, just nearly falling right back into the water.

“ Now, now, just hang on a minute, sir, I- “

“ Y-You’re the-.. t-th.. the woman who nearly KILLED ME- “ His expression of fear melted slowly into agitation. “ Why YOU LITTLE- “ He attempted to lunge- “ -Gh-hhhh- “ But it was abruptly cut short. Ah, so he was in pain still? That’s sad.

“ ..Are you done..? “ She gave him a look, an unamused one. The man.. was silent. Before nodding. Probably didn’t have a choice. “ Good! Now, again, I’m Mary. Who might you be? “

“ …R—Roger. “ He was huffin’, trying to catch his breath, just now beginning to calm down a little.

” Roger, ey? Well, it’s nice to meet you, Roger. “ She held out her hand to shake. Roger did seem hesitant, and she wasn’t a-boutta blame the fella. She waited; he then took her hand, and shook shortly after. “ Now, tell me, old-fella.. “ She begun, with a calm, low tone to her voice..

Before it erupted into a loud, confused tone, “ How did you get here, and how did you survive that fall?! It’s like a 15 foot drop, ya hear?? “ She leaned into towards him, narrowing her eyes at Roger. He flinched, before blinking. Then he responded.

” I..I don’t really know..? I-It’s weird, I know.. “ He rubbed at his broken arm with the unbroken, mobile one. “ I- wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I fell down, everything went dark- next thing you know, I- heh- end up with a few broke limbs..! Keheheh.. “ He chuckled, exasperatedly. She just looked more confused.

” What’cha laughin’ about, boy? “ Her expression was that of suspicious. Did he think nearly dying was funny?

“ O-Oh- uh.. nothing. It’s just.. just a- uhh.. “

“ Just a- a- just a what?? You gotta stop stumbling your words, sir! “

” I- I know, I know..! “ Roger sighed. “ I’m just.. lost. I need to get back up there- “ -He points at the hole, then continues, “ Because I need to do my job. If I don’t do my job, then it’ll be like I’m slacking. And if I’m slacking, I might get fired. Even if I get fired, the Governess might kill me, if I- “

” Ohh, don’t worry ‘bout Ol’ Missy. She ain’t that dramatic, haha! “ She cackled, patting his shoulder. He flinched again, before perking up.

“ Y—You know the Lady?? “

” Heck yeah, I do! Well, if I may say- I was her mother once. Still quite salty with the youngin’, I mean- “

” Y-You’re her MOTHER?? “ Roger was taken aback. The Lady?? Her mother?? Down here???

“ Yes, yes, don’t be actin’ too surprised now. “

“ I- I AM surprised- I thought her mother was dead! “

“ Ahh, so it seems. Well, here’s news for you, pal: I ain’t! It’s quite a miracle that I lived for this long. “

” ..Wow. W-Wow.. I, uh.. well, I-.. “ He couldn’t seem to find the words to say to her. She waited. It’ll come to him eventually. “ ..I-It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss… “

” Mary. “

“ R-Right. Mary.. “ He gave Mary an awkward smile. She returned it, by giving him a less awkward smile. “ N-Now, uh.. I gotta go, I- Hh- “ He- must’ve forgotten he wasn’t in the best state to move around. And he was adrift in the water. He can’t swim. “ ..N-Nevermind. “

“ Oh- you need help with your bones? Here, I got ya. “

“ Wha- oh, no-no-no, y-you don’t have t- “ She already had grabbed onto his broken arm, and had attempted to set the bones. He winced, hissing just barely. “ I- I told you- you didn’t hav- nhhg- “ He simply shrunk, and stopped talking. This was certainly something. How- did she even know what she was doing??

“ There y’ go! Now, about the leg.. “ She took her hands away from the set arm, and onto the un-set leg. She eyed Roger, who just looked uncomfortable. “ Don’t worry, this’ll be quick. “

He just sat. Idly. It was- kind of her to help with the bones, but.. were they set the right way? She wasn’t necessarily a doctor, so- what if she just set the bones the wrong way?? Would he have to break them again??

“ Aaaand.. we are set! “ She let go of his leg. It- looked better. “ How’re y’ feelin’? “

” ..Good. I’m.. I-I’m feeling better. A little. Thank you, Mary. “

“ Ahh, it’s no issue! Here, I’ll help you get back up to where you belong. “ Mary casually slid back into the water. “ Now- if ya want, you can use that ol’ plank to make your way across. But, I oughta warn you, it might be a little tipsy, ya hear? “

” ..Uh.. uh-huh.. I hear you. “ Roger squinted, rather awkwardly, before using his more-so-in-better-condition hand to move the plank along. This is fine. This isn’t weird at all. Really, it’s not, it’s like a Canoe. But it’s easier you may fall off and actually drown. Though- he supposes Mary could always- or.. you can learn how to swim, moron. But- you never really needed to swim, Why- you know why know, don’t you??

The plank bumped up against the ledge. Oh. Okay. He pulled himself up and onto the ledge, but- having only using one arm, it wasn’t the- easiest thing, and he just laid on his side. To his right, Mary got herself onto the ledge, much easier than he had. She looked over towards him.

” Alrighty! Now, we’re gonna need to travel a little bit. Y’ mind? “

“ ..Mind what. “

” Me supportin’ you so you don’t fall down, dingus. “ She said, with a slick smile. Roger sort of- blankly stared, before responding.

” Oh— yeah, uh.. I don’t mind much. “ He sat up, there was significantly less soreness and pain this time, but it was still there. “ ..ow. “

“ Okay, c’mon, fellow old timer! “ She very quickly brought him to his feet, and wrapped one arm around him, keeping him up.

” -HMm-! “ Roger blinked for a second. “ ..okay.. I.. guess we’re doing this now. “ She eyed her for a moment- wait. Something.. something was different.

Is…

” Is that my hat. “ Why was it on Mary’s head-

“ Oh- yeah, I saw it in the water and picked it up for you. Ya want it back? “ ..Well that makes sense.

” ..Yes, please. “ Roger nodded. Without a second wasted, she took the hat off of her head, and placed it on his. It was soaking, but it was- fine. It’ll be fine, this is fine.

” Onward! “ She began to walk.

Roger followed her lead, but limping severely.

[strange-changes-ln]

“Strange Changes.”

Chapter 6: “A Talk.”

…

The Janitor sat, within the tension between himself, and the Governess. She had decided to take this to the Library inside of the Residence, using two chairs she had managed to find. Her stare seemed blank. Well, clearly, with the mask on, it was gonna look that way, but under it, it was… firm.

A strong silence followed on. While the Lady sat firmly, with professionalism and elegance, Roger, on the other hand, was shuffling and shifting constantly, seeing no way to make this feel less… like this. Like he’s currently facing something… almost… dangerous. Not like he hasn’t before.

And like those times, he was never ready.

Silence, still. It was never-ending, it seemed, as the two collected their thoughts, and a way to begin the conversation.

.

.

.

” What has been going on. “ The Lady finally took initiative, considering the notion that the Janitor was not, and started the conversation. Roger perked up, blinking. Oh.

” ..uh.. well.. um.. “ He considered leaving the whole shadow invader thing out of the conversation entirely. It would make things easier, right?

But, at the same time..-

It’s a terrible idea. Lying doesn’t do anyone any good.

“ ..not..much..? “ ..that works..??

The Lady simply hummed.

Behind the mask, however, she frowned, as she was not pleased. She could tell the man was lying. It was in his tone, he was questioning his own wording.

” ..Roger. “

“ ..yes..? “

“ …You know very well, that something has been arising. It has been throwing your duties off track, as well as the Chef’s’. “ She leaned forward, looming over him, even in a sitting position.

" ..H-- "

" You know how, Janitor. "

Roger shrunk, shifting in the chair for the 30th time. His arms hung off the sides, given their length. His hands tensed. Squinting at the ground for a minute.

” We cannot be losing order here in the Maw, for it is the only place in this god forsaken world that makes sense anymore. So whatever the trouble may be rising, I suggest you say it now. It is best that you put an end to the- problem.. as soon as…… “

She stopped. Is he just- spacing out right now? Is this not important to him? After all she’s given him, this doesn’t concern him at ALL?

Indeed, he was lightly rocking back and forth, staring at the ground, not exactly obtaining anything the Lady was saying to him.

..Slowly, shadows began to whirl around the Governess, as she sat straight up, her posture tense. “ Roger. “

That got his attention. Eyeing back up at—

her. And the shadows. Oh. Oh no.

“ Pay attention. Does this not mean anything to you? Whatever is going on, I insist you explain NOW. That, is an ORDER. “ The shadows grew with intensity, swirling around her, menacingly. She looked… much more threatening like this. If she hadn’t been already, that is.

He flinched, expecting a sort of- physical contact to occur if he didn’t start talking. After all, he was simply a little, slightly shaking leaf, within the breeze of the one in control of this vessel. “ ..Y-Yes, Miss.. “ He nodded, with haste, so he could just get to the point.

“ ..There’s this.. I- I don’t really know what it is. It was like- like a shadow? A big, humanoid shadow. “ That was the simplest way to explain. She maintained her exterior, staring down at him through her mask.

" ..Shadow. " Her body just barely relaxed. " ..Do they have a name. "

" That's the thing. They don't-- we don't know their name. They keep it a secret. I don't- know why. "

" ...Hmm. " She leaned back into her chair. " This is.. unfortunate. Distracting. "

" ..Mhm. " Roger slowly reached up to adjust his hat a little bit. " Is- there anything you-- or- we, could do? " Asking, slowly beginning to relax himself. The Lady hummed.

" ..I will- see what I can do. " She nodded, the shadows ceasing from the air. " But for now, you and the Chef's can attempt to stall the... thing. "

Oh thank god. " Oh- that's-.. al-alright, uhh.. alright. "

. . .

Silence. Again. This is so awkward, good lord.

The Lady stood up, slowly. " I think we are done here. You may exit. "

" -Oh-- uh.. wh-what about the chairs? " Roger blinked.

" I will tidy that up on my own time. What I need you to do, is go. Do I make myself clear..? "

" ..yes, my Lady. "

She then vanished. He.. always wondered how she did that. How she attained that- shadow magic of hers. It's strange. To him, at least. But, without another word, he made his way to the exit of the Residence.

...

Okay. Okay. This is fine. Everything is fine. You aren't dead. Everything, is okay.

Roger took in a deep breath. Yep!! Everything is cool. Everything... is cool.

He needs something to drink. He just casually shuffles his way to the Kitchen.

.

.

.

" So! The talk went well? That's good, isn't it? " Thomas spoke up, trying to sound supportive- for one reason or another- while serving the Janitor a glass of water. He handed the glass cup to the short man. " So, what did she say? "

" Well.. uhh.. " Roger took the cup, and took a quick sip. " ..Mm- she said she'd see what she could do. But I don't know exactly what she will do, or when she'll do it. "

" Pehh. She might brush us off. Like always. " Marcus huffed, pouring himself a glass of wine. Though, he did glance to Roger for a moment. " Want some? "

" Nah. I'm not feeling it. "

" Oh, c'mon! Everyone needs a bit of wine every so often. 'Sides, you're looking terrible. You could use it. " Marcus commented. He's not wrong. Roger looks.. tired. And just unfresh. The Janitor deadpanned him for a moment.

" ...Really. "

" Seriously! I'm serious! I'm right, aren't I, bro?? Tell me he doesn't look terrible. "

" W-Well, I mean- " Thomas honestly didn't know how to respond. " ..I- uhhh.. "

" Exactly! "

" Alright, alright, calm down. No need to--- to keep--- wineing about it. "

.

.

.

" That was so bad, Roger, you know that- "

The Janitor just broke into a cackle. To him, that was- the funniest thing. Why? His sense of humor is broken, most likely. Thomas tried to find it at least somewhat funny. It wasn’t really there though. But Roger seemed happy with it.

“ C-Come on, it was funny- “ The Janitor held his hand straight up, pointing it towards Marcus.

“ No, it wasn’t, Roger. That was horrible. “ Marcus cringed, which only seemed to make it better for Roger, who was still laughing, smiling from ear-to-ear.

“ Kehehehe..heheh.. okay, okay. Now, uh.. I think I should- get going. “ He tilts his head towards the exit of the Kitchen, and back into the lower parts of the Maw. He eyed the cup of water he was still holding. He- kinda spilled some on the ground from the laughing. Oops. “ ..Sorry. “

” Oh- it’s okay. “ Thomas pats his shoulder gently. “ …Can I ask you something? “

” Huh? Sure, shoot. “

” Umm.. how many fingers am I holding up? “ The Chef proceeds to hold up four of his fingers. Roger simply blinked.

” ..Four. Why— “ oh wait.

“ -Y— You can tell?? You didn’t even have t— you can see now?? “ He looked confused, and surprised at the same time. Ohgeezohmanohokay—

“ ..I- I guess?- “

“ Wait- what? I thought you were just- “ Marcus squinted. “ ..Why didn’t you say you could- “

“ oH MAN- WOULD YOU LOOK AT THE TIME?? I REALLY GOTTA GO, I’M- “ He coughs in between the words. “ I gotta- I GOTTA- Go— do my job!! Really would like to talk some more, I REALLY would, but I shouldn’t be holding up my work, sowiththatbeingsaid, I’mgonnaleave- goodbye- bye- seeya- bye- “ Roger then ushers himself out and away from the Chefs.

He just left them in silence. A short period of silence.

” … “

” … “

“ Roger can see..? “

” Yeah, it’s weird, right?? “

” ..If- he can see, why do his eyes look so.. “

” Oh- I think that’s because.. uhh.. here, I’ll just explain it to you. “

…

Oh my god.

Why? Why did you do that? You’re so brain-dead. A moron. An idiot.

Why can’t you just talk to people correctly?

Roger groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. Once he opened them back up, his arm fell to his side, and he just- begun to shuffle forward. He needs to check on those kids. Make sure none of them went up and tried escaping while he was gone. For the while, he just thinks to himself.

The Lady. She’s very.. beautiful. But- at the same time, she’s kind of scary. And mysterious. Sort of in a sense, of- why does she wear the mask? Was it just an outfit choice, or is she hiding.. something? Where did she get that shadow thing from? It’s- sort of- confusing.

He squints. What’s gonna be done about the- the shadow person? Maybe she’ll take care of it privately? Probably, probably not.

Y’know what? Okay- stop thinking. Just keep going. Keep descending. Go check on the kids.

…

What’s their name? Why can’t they say? Is it- a sort of.. a sort of-

N-No. Stop. The last thing you need to focus on right now, is that- guy. Gal? Wait-

Stop. Just stop.

…

Roger rubs at his eyes. Tired. Need sleep. But you can’t. You gotta work first.

..you feel dirty. When was the last time you took a shower..? Washed your clothes…? Oh my god-

No- work first. Self-care second. Why is this so hard to understand right now, just do your stupid job.

He grips his head with one hand, and his face with his other, still walking, lowly groaning, and slightly humming, just trying to distract himself. Maybe-

NO. You’ve- you’ve been inconsistent enough, go do your job. The Governess didn’t let you stay here for nothing.

The hand holding his face, moves up to his hat. At least he’s not blocking his own view. You seriously need to chill. Nothing should make you do this. Focus. Focus.

..He blinks, staring at the ground, at his shoes. It’s.. kinda.. kinda blurry. He glances up ahead. Yeah.. yeah, it’s.. kinda blurry. Nothing looks right. It’s all.. it’s all.. really hard to see, right now, wait-

His arms fall to his side, his head tilts to the side, confused, rather lost, he doesn’t- understand what’s happening. He’s still walking. Does- does he even know where he’s going?? No, no, you don’t, cut it out and FOCUS. Why is that SO HARD?? You aren’t that tired, just-

He stops, scratching at his eye sockets, emitting garbled, agitated noises from his throat. Stop, stop, stop. Deep breath. In and out. In and out. You’re fine. You’re just.. tricking yourself..! Yeah.. you’re fine. You’re okay.

His vision isn’t blurry much anymore, but.. he can’t.. recognize where he is. Wait.. what?? He takes a step forward—

and he falls.

[strange-changes-ln]

“ sir? “

“ ..yeah-? “

“ … 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘑𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘬𝘦. “

“ . “

yeah, read this asyou will lol

[strange-changes-ln]

(I’m ready for the hate ya’ll.)

Just an experiment. Reblog if you actually give a fuck about male victims of domestic violence and rape.

Of fucking course

What sick bastard doesn’t

[strange-changes-ln]

“Strange Changes.”

Chapter Five: “What a Surprise.”

“ Pssst. Heyy… wakey wakey. “

It’s funny how someone can sleep on a constantly rocking boat. They guess the people here just got used to it. You’d probably have to, really. The only way they could really tell, is how the angle of Roger’s room shifted every so often. It’s fascinating.

They stare, intently, at the resting worker, a big smile upon their face. They do silently note the lack of the skin covering his eyes. That’s new.

“ ..Pssssssttt…. “ [ REDACTED ] begun to tap on his shoulder, at a quick pace. He should be up now, since he was so fussy about work. Was sleeping an exception? They doubt so.

They watch Roger stir, unblinking. Wake up, friend, the time has come…

To wake up, they mean.

They watch, floating uncomfortably close to the Janitor’s face, as his ‘eyes’ flutter open. Grinning.

“ Hey there, buddy… I’d say you have a nice bed head, but you don’t seem to have any hair. “

They calmly watch his reaction, his eyes widen, before jolting upwards, yelping. [ REDACTED ], only snickers at this. “ Ehehehe. Did I get you? Yeah, I got you. “ Their voice had a childish tone to it. Roger simply blinks, in- surprise- and confusion. Who-… why does he recognize that voice.

“ …W-Who— what- “

“ Say, do you happen to know any Chefs? I just so managed to give them a visit yesterday! It was fun… “ They giggle a slight bit.

“ ..wait… a-are you the… th.. “ Processing, he’s lost. Perfect. “ … “ He rubs at his eyes, rather aggressively. All the while, the strange shadow just looms, smiling.

…

Though, the looming doesn’t necessarily last for too long, as they are swatted at. Wow. How rude!

“ Wh— excuse me?? Can you not? Gosh! “ They float backwards, away from the swatting Janitor, staring him directly in the eyes as he glares.

“ What’re you doing here..? “ His eyes narrow. [ REDACTED ] blinks.

” I just wanted to visit a friend. But clearly, you didn’t get the memo. “

“ ..Friend? The hell are you talking about. “ He slowly steps out of his bed, and onto the floor, staring the… thing down. “ I barely even know you, Mr. It’s Not Important. “

“ Hey! You wouldn’t want to say who you were to a stranger, right..? “ They tilt their head to the side, that smile still plastered onto their face. Roger just- frowns. You’re kidding, right?

“ Says the person who’s calling me their ‘friend.’ “ He huffs, glancing to the side. “ Now- if you excuse me.. “ the Janitor simply turns, and shuffles away from them. They aren’t worth his time, really. He has work to do, now recalling yesterday. Gotta get caught up.

He heard the snickering. The giggling. How immature are they? He just exits the room, not even taking the time to look at them.

…

…

Sigh. Okay. He glances back as he closes the door. Are they… not following? Well, that’s probably for the best. He doesn’t need many distractions today. He just continues to move forward. This is fine. He can get maybe a little bit more work done than usual before the boat arrives. When does it get here again? Soon, at least. He can’t remember exactly, but… soon.

He shuffles through the Lair, barely thinking about anything else other than work. That’s, what’s most important.

Muttering a bit. Well, that was the first time he’s ever seen whoever that is, and he can say for sure that- that’s not someone he’d see on the regular. Looked like a sentient shadow ghost or something. Where’d they come from, anyway?

Ah, what does it matter. Maybe they’ll get bored, and leave, off to bother someone else, hopefully.

… yeah. Hopefully—

“ Roger? “ A voice spoke from up ahead. The Janitor blinked, jumping a little at the-

“ ..Thomas? What’re- what’re you doing down here? “ He squinted, this also was something he wouldn’t see on the regular. “ Did you need something? If so, what is it? “ He started asking.

” Well- no, I don’t need anything. But.. um… “ The Chef glanced to the side, rather awkwardly. “ ..Our Lady does. She said she needed to talk to you about something. She didn’t tell me much, but she did tell Marcus a bit more. But- he won’t say what she needs either.. so I’m- kind of lost. But maybe you could fill me in afterwards? “

…

Oh. Oh, lovely. She needs to talk to him. Privately. This is…

“ ……… “ Roger just stands in silence for a moment, staring down at the ground. What would she really need to talk about, that involves him? Was it about the package? The conversation about the stupid eye incident? Is she cross with him?? Oh god oh god-

“ ..Roger- are you okay? “ The Second Chef stepped forwards, trying to take his co-worker’s attention away from the floor, and towards him. “ ..Roger- “

“ -uh— huh? “ He glanced upwards. Oh.

” ..you okay? “

“ ..Uhh— yeah. Course I’m okay, why wouldn’t I be? “ Roger shuffled his in place a little. This is awkward.

…The Chef merely sighed. “ ..Alright, uh.. how about we go talk to the Lady now. “ Thomas turns, and starts to walk away. It took a moment, but Roger followed behind.

. . .

. . .

“ What did she tell you. “

Roger was standing in front of the First Chef, Marcus, with sort of a suspicious glare. He, for some reason, needs conformation he isn’t walking into a death trap by confronting her. Anything can happen.

” I’m not allowed to say. “ The Chef spoke with a firm tone. “ I’m sorry, man, but you’re just gonna have to find out yourself. “

This is stupid, Roger thought to himself, with a frown. He took his glare away from Marcus, and down at the floor.

” … “ He merely grumbled, his hands clenching themselves into fists for, but a fleeting moment. Then he just- sighed. “ Is it important..? “ He asked, his voice quiet.

” What do you think. The Lady almost never talks to us, let alone one of us. What do you think, Roger. “ Marcus deadpanned, as if he were talking to someone with no brain-cells. He knows, they all should know that this is most likely important.

” … “ Yet, another grumble. Roger can’t argue much with that. Yet another sigh.

” What’re you huffing about? Get your dumb-ass outta the kitchen, before- “ The Chef had begun to berate- but had paused. He blinked, before narrowing his eyes at- something, above the Janitor. Thomas had already caught what his brother had been seeing, and he shrunk.

” …what. “ Roger blinked, looking to both of the Chefs. They didn’t response. He turned around—

… You’ve gotta be kidding me.

. . .

[ REDACTED] loomed over the three adults in the room, grinning widely. “ Hi! Oh, it’s so good to see you all again! Though- it hasn’t been that long. Just a day, but that’s still a while. “ They nodded to themself, emitting another one of those child-like giggles. He’s certainly having fun.

“ ..What the FUCK are you doing here?? “ Marcus stepped forward, his tone being aggressive. The shadowy being simply floated backwards.

” Ahh, well, I had just decided to follow our good old short friend here, Ehehe! “ Simply patting Roger’s hat, gently. None of them said anything. In-fact, they still looked either angry, nervous, or just giving a firm stare. Eh, it’s not the worst thing in the world. They watched as the first Chef snapped his glare towards the Janitor.

“ Roger, you just let them follow you?? “ He pointed towards [ REDACTED ], he’s preeeetty mad.

“ I- I didn’t think they were! “ Roger simply tried to explain this nice little arrangement. Oh, this was so much fun to watch. “ I— “

“ You should’ve gotten them off the ship. That’s all I’m trying to say. “ The Chef crossed his arms.

“ ..Well, how do you think I’d be able to do that?? They won’t listen to anyone, so I can’t tell them to buzz off- “

” Just force them out! “

“ I can barely touch them! “

…

This is fine. [ REDACTED ] eyed the second Chef, who was just… standing there, awkwardly. He then turned back to the argument going on. Welp!

” Now, now, relax. I just simply wanted to pay you a visit. I won’t stay long, if it’s gonna stir up trouble, hehe. “ He actually loved the chaos. But, just for now: he left. Once more.

…

” AND DON’T COME BACK. YOU HEAR ME?! DON’T! “ Marcus shoved Roger to the side, just to shout that to the exiting shadow. The Janitor winced, before just- scooting backwards, awkwardly. The Chef huffed, before turning back towards both his brother, and his co-worker.

“ … “

“ … “

” ..I-..g-uh… “ Roger shrunk, adjusting his hat. “ ..I’m- “

” Go talk to the Lady. Enough times been wasted. She must be getting impatient. “ Marcus interrupted, before motioning to do his work.

…

The Janitor left. Without saying anything else. There wasn’t anything else to say.

[strange-changes-ln]

“ Strange Changes. “

Chapter Four: “An Episode.”

Okay.

Okay.

Okay.

This is- fine, this is A- for- Alright. Just- enter the elevator. And- And get this box to the Lady already. So… why is he hesitating? Is he nervous? Course. Why not. He made it all the way here, he could probably turn around and go back, but that would’ve been a lot of time, simply wasted. So, he’s just- gonna have to suck it up, and go in. Roger presses the button on the side of the wall, waiting for the constantly rising, and lowering box from behind the metal doors to show up.

This? This is okay. Nothing’s wrong here.

For now, he can just look around for a while, he supposes. With the new sight. He’s still wondering how this happened. Was it merely by chance? Was something or- someone causing this? He highly doubts it’s a someone, but-

“ Janitor? “ A voice. Came from in front of him.

. . . The Lady.

Oh— Oh she was in the- he didn’t- think-

No- focus! Don’t start acting idiotic now, Roger.

“ Ah— My Lady! Uhh- I-I didn’t think you were coming down, you- usually don’t. “ He- tried to his best not to stammer, but it was bound to happen. The Lady slowly moved her way out of the elevator, her kimono making it seem like she wasn’t touching the ground to move. She stared. Silently, at him.

” … “ He blinked, awkwardly. “ I-uh- ahem- brought you something. This was supposed to be given to you. I don’t know why, there wasn’t anyone there when it arrived. The Ferryman just saw the package, with a note, by the dock, saying that it had to be given to you. Don’t know how it arrived, again, it just kind of appeared, and.. and I, uh… “ He glanced back up at the Lady. She was still silent. She- might’ve been getting tired of his ramble. Ah jeez.

“ ..M..My apologies, my Lady, I-I should’ve just given it to, huh. “ He let out a fake chuckle. That- didn’t make this looming, discomforting sense of tension any better.

The Lady simply approached him, looming over his shortened stature. She seemed to…examine him. Something was different about him, something she didn’t see at all before. She stared directly at Roger, technically making ‘eye contact’ with him. Her expression was hidden behind her cream white mask. The Janitor shrunk, just a bit, under her gaze.

” ..um..ah-haha- uh.. m-my Lady?- Is there, something you would- “

” Where are your eyes? “ She finally spoke, her voice was soft, and calm. He flinched. Not again.

” ..uh.. p..pardon? “

“ Your eyes. You do not seem to have them. “ It’s something she never knew, due to the skin acting as a blindfold most of the time. How interesting, this was.

He- really didn’t wanna get back on this again, but- he assumes he has to. Deep breath.

“ ..Well, you see, I— t-this is a past scar, it’s nothing, b-but… most of the townsfolk didn’t exactly appreciate that I was around. They saw me as a freak of nature, and… i-it isn’t like I could tell them they’re wrong. So, a- a group cornered me as I was just trying to find solitude, and.. they, uh.. “ The paining quiet, the uncomfortable stare of the Lady, having to recall this moment all over again— he just did his best to keep calm, despite the stuttering. Why was he acting like this, he’s an adult, suck it up.

“ ..They— did their damage. They got what.. what they wanted for the most part, heh-… “ He laughed it off. Like his normally would have, but it wasn’t helping. It didn’t help any of the times he’s tried it so far. The Lady still, stared. She was waiting. He wanted to just cut it short and give her the package. But… he kept going, he didn’t really know why. “ S-Sure, they most likely wanted me dead a-at best, but hey! At least.. they were satisfied, eheheh.. “

The Lady nodded. He’s kind of surprised she listened to all of that. He had the feeling she would have cut him off right then and there, but-

“ Did it hurt? “ She… unsettlingly asked. Roger was mostly looking at the ground during this, but now he had perked his head up to meet Lady’s eyes.

“ ..did it…hurt? “ He squinted.

“ The attack. Was it painful? “ ..That’s a…strange question to ask. But a question nonetheless.

“ ..Y-Yeah. A lot, actually. It was.. kinda scary, too, I couldn’t see.. everything was dark, it was cold.. raining. Nobody seemed to come to my aid, so I just- had to go off, on my own. I-I kinda thought I was- gonna die. My eyes were bleeding, I felt that if I lost too much, I would’ve…u-uh…mm- “ He shook his head, before continuing. “ T-Though, I- found my way to…somewhere, can’t remember where. And- luckily, there was a gauze. Just had to.. wrap myself up. Was lightheaded after. Cold. A-A little too cold. And alone, kind of when…wh-when I shouldn’t have been. “ He once again, tried to laugh it off a bit. But it progressed.

No.

No.

No no no no no NO. NO. STOP. You- You shouldn’t be having one of these now, not in front of the Lady..! Calm down, calm down, you’re just talking.

The Lady seemed confused. He had been giving out chuckles of discomfort a few times during this, but now? Now it seemed to escalate. To a strangely high degree.

” I-I don’t know where— my Mom- m-my Dad, they- weren’t around, they- I-I lost them, I lost- I-I was lost, so- s-so lost, it- it was cold, I was scared out of my mind that someone w-would’ve found me and tr-tried t— o-or hoped that someone would’ve helped, b-but funnily enough; nobody did!! “

He was rambling again, nonono, stop, calm yourself down! You’re being overdramatic, Roger, stop it. “ I-I could’ve…….c…..could’ve…… heh…heheheheh- n-no one was there, no one stopped it, I-I was on my own, b-but that’s what I wanted, right?— W-Well, I mean- sure, but- but not like that, not like that, not like.. someone, a-anyone could’ve done something, s-someone could’ve helped, someone, SOMEONE.. “

This was… spiraling out of control, the Lady finally made note. Roger was backed up against a wall, hand to his hat, putting an immense amount of pressure onto it, still talking to himself. She didn’t know what was going on with him, but it was best to calm the situation down at this point in time.

She gently put her hand on the Janitor’s shoulder. He jolted, eyeing up at the tall, elegant woman. He was a shaky, stammering, panicked mess for a couple of moments there. Another one. Really?

His breathing slowed, his hand slowly lowering from his hat and down to his side. The…The shaking was still prominent, but not as much as before.

This seemed extremely unprofessional. And he felt as it was. But the Lady simply brushed it off, and eyed the little box he was supposed to have given to her sooner. It fell to the ground, as he lost his grip. She reached down, and picked it up, firmly. Once more, eyeing Roger. He immediately diverted his attention, looking to the left.

“ ..I-I’m.. “ He began to speak, eyeing the Lady, still… stuttering. “ ..I’m s- “ He was stopped, the woman putting her hand in front of him. She didn’t need an apology. She simply turned, went into the elevator, and went back up to her quarters.

. . .

He’s so… so… tired.

Mentally, and emotionally. He just- wants to get back to his comfort zone. Where he doesn’t have to be around people other than the kids. Alone. By his own choice.

Passing through the Kitchen, he doesn’t even know what time is it, but he notices Marcus still up. He’s smoking. He’s…not supposed to be. But he still does, and Roger never knew why. The Chef had noticed him from where he stood.

“ -Oh, hey R..uhh… you okay? “ He squinted one eye. “ Did you get the box to- “

” Mhm- yep. “

“ Oh. Uh. Was she mad, or.. “

” Nono, uh… it didn’t seem like it. “ He could’ve only been able to tell if she had spoken, if she had a certain tone to her voice. But she sounded calm and collected. So… hopefully she wasn’t mad afterwards. “ I just.. “ Roger ‘crossed his arms,’ which was just an excuse to not say that he was hugging them instead of having his arms crossed. “ ..I’m just gonna go. I’m tired. You should, uh.. probably go too, Y’know? “

” ..Yeah. Yeah, I probably should. “ Marcus nodded, and put whatever he was doing at the cutting board to a halt. He started to head off, off to his living space. Marcus glanced back at-

Oh. The Janitor was already gone.

Huh.

…

Y’know, he— he kind of got curious. About the box. Whoever sent it to the Lady must’ve been… maybe… important? He doesn’t know. He never gets to see her often.

Eh, whatever. He’ll just get some rest. Marcus kept thinking to himself. As he carefully entered his bedroom, careful as not to disturb his brother.

. . .

The Lady hummed. She held the box firmly in her hands, as she made her way over to the wooden desk-like object, with the broken mirror.

She quietly sighed, before continuing to hum. She quickly inspected herself. She still looked the same. She was still elegant. She was still…

Hm. Eyeing the little box that had been sent to her. It was a cardboard box, with a little dark blue bow on the top. She squinted behind the mask. How…simple of a design. She gingerly removed the blue bow, and put it down on the wooden surface she stood at. She then began to open the box up itself.

She wonders.

Once the box has been properly opened, she sees— a letter? Just- a normal, white letter. She hums, lifting it from out of the box. She removed the seal, carefully, with the best precision she could muster. Inside, was a folded piece of paper, exactly three times, it had been folded.

. . .

Unfolding the paper, she skimmed over the note for a moment, before taking the time to actually read it. Once that was done, she read.

She, ah— read it a couple of times. Because-..

Well..

” … “ She stood in a sort of- shocked silence.

She then muttered.. something.

. . .

She simply put the paper onto the wooden surface, and vanished. Into the shadows.

[strange-changes-ln]

“Strange Changes.”

Chapter Three: “Late At Night.”

.

.

.

Pacing. Holding his head, his mind racing. This is- this is IMPOSSIBLE. He has to be dreaming, he- he COULDN’T SEE after the incident, they- they RIPPED his eyes out! How was this happening-??

He had abruptly shut the television off and exited the room as fast as possible. Left the poor kid hanging.

That- That doesn’t matter. He kept trying methods to try and wake himself up. C’mon, Roger, stop dreaming! That- that kid might’ve been apart of this dream too…

Wake up.

Wake up.

WAKE UP.

You AREN’T able- or even supposed to see, this isn’t real! This is NOT REAL. Snap out of it, you-

He swerves into a bookshelf, unconsciously. Books, small items fell from the wooden holders. He backed away, blinking. He immediately went to the other side, and started to pick up all of the things that had fallen. He…paused to eye a book. It was…he can’t remember what it was about. It was dusty. A maroon, hard-covered, dusty book. Before- carefully settling it back with everything else. He rubs his eyes, what- what’s going ON..

..Is- Is this not a dream?? Is- this actually happening..? He can…he can see…

..He quietly laughed, smiling a tiny bit. Despite the immense confusion, he was… he missed this for so long…

aH- NO. No. He shook his head, that tiny bit of bliss snapping away. This isn’t logical, this isn’t normal- then again…nothing is- b-but THIS-

His chest expanded, and shrank back as he breathed at a quick pace. He turned to exit the room, his thoughts still spiraling along in his mind. Okay- this isn’t a dream, this isn’t a dream.

This…isn’t… a dream.

…

He- won’t focus on that for now. Despite it being both a miracle, and a bug in nature, he’ll just- try and remember what he had to. Think..

He could go check on the children. Yeah.. that’ll work.

. . .

Shoot. He’s getting the feeling he’s being watched again. Just- Just ignore it, Roger. It’s fine. It’s nothing. It’s fine. It’s alright. You’re being paranoid.

. . . He- hopes so at least.

It had been at least half an hour, and he STILL felt as if he was being- WATCHED. He kept looking around, actually trying to see what could possibly have been watching him, but there was nothing. It wasn’t as weird when he was around the kids, as they kind of eyed him once he had taken a bit of care of them- but even THEN, the feeling wouldn’t go away. He turned around, nothing. How long was this going keep up? It couldn’t keep going forever.

. . .

That’s what he thought until another few hours past, and he still, felt it. It’s getting darker, and darker by now. He- still needs to get things done, he still hasn’t- UGH! He audibly groaned into his hands. He’s- he’s just gonna have to wait until tomorrow. God, the boat’s gonna be here soon, and sure he’s- semi prepared, but semi isn’t enough!

..No— no, this can’t wait until tomorrow.

But- sure it can! He can just- get up early, and-

N-No— he has to do it now. At least some of it. It’s the least he can possibly do right now.

But it’s getting late, and he’s gonna need that energy for tomorrow.

..Why is he so torn?? Just pick the sensible option and go with that!

…

He swears, he’s gonna drive himself temporarily mad if he keeps going like this. He huffs, okay. He’ll come to a compromise with himself; he’ll send a few packages up where he needed to take them, and…and the rest can wait for another day.

..Yeah. That sits with him well. He remembers he had left those packages in his little living quarters. In the corner. He’ll go get them.

Walking along, rubbing one of his eyes with a hand. He’s- still so bewildered by this- sight. He can see again!

But..But how? It’s not like blind people getting their sight back is a normal thing, especially if they got their own eyes ripped out of their head.

That was… bad. It hurt. It hurt a lot. It’s not like they cared.

…

Actually let’s not think about that anymore!!!

It’s not worth even mentioning at all anyways, heheheh-

Heh…

…

He blanks out. So much so, that his unaware self bumped into his own door on accident. He stumbled back. Ow.

You know what? Whatever, it’s fine. He’s over it. He twists the knob on the door, and pushes it open. Ah yes, his room. His solitude. It’s wonderful. In the far, right corner, he sees-

Aha! The packages. Just where they were. Perfect. He goes over, and takes them into his arms. This is fine.

Totally.

Just leaving out of his room, beginning to head to where he was supposed to take them. Most of them were for the Kitchen, but… there’s one. A small box.

For the Lady.

He doesn’t know what it’s for, but- it was kind of out of nowhere. Nobody knows why it was sent, but…geez, he doesn’t think he should said this one to her right now. Especially when it’s rather dark outside by now.

That’s just- eugh. He doesn’t wanna risk it, but at the same time— maybe to get it out of the way, he can check..?

The thought makes him kind of nervous, but- he might…as well? Hm.

Over time, he went through elevator by elevator, until he made it up to the Kitchen. He begins towards the work-premises of the Chefs, humming the ‘Veronica’ song a bit. Surprisingly— he spotted Marcus. He was still working. Huh. He kind of expected to not see him, but- here they are.

” Hey, uh- Marc. “ Roger waved, squinting just a bit. Having not seen in…a while, the bright light of the Kitchen was…jarring. The chef paused, and turned towards the entering employee. He blinked.

“ ..Roger? What’re you doing here?- “ He stops what he’s doing all together, and approaches the shorter man. He…seems to look confused, upon getting a closer look at him. “ ..Jesus, what happened to your eyes? They’re just- gone. “ He sounded concerned. Wait—oh- uh- he- forgot about that. Uh, shoot.

” ..Uhh… yeah, something, um-uh— happened one time, when I was younger, and- y-y’know how some people are, eheheh- ah- “ He did not like talking about the empty, black sockets he once- and sort of now considers his eyes. “ Some people got together, and uh…d-did a number on me. Now, I- don’t have any eyes, ha! “ Trying to laugh it off as much as it makes him uncomfortable.

Marcus… narrowed his eyes, he didn’t get why he was laughing this off. “ ..Who? “

” ..u-uh…w-what..? “ The awkward toned worker glanced to the side, though it would’ve been hard to tell to someone else, since, he…doesn’t have pupils. Christ, why didn’t he pull the skin back down earlier??? Marcus, just take the damn packages and don’t make me stand here and stumble on my words like an idiot about this.

“ Who did that to you? They sound like jerks. “ The chef interrogated. Roger…simply stammered, why was this a conversation they were having.

“ Ahhh—w-well- it was a long time ago, I-I don’t know even know what they look like right now, I was pretty young.. w-when that happened, heh- uh— just a group of citizens who didn’t enjoy my existence and- uh- a-and decided to take it out on me! B-But it’s nothing, it’s fine, it’s in the past now, we don’t have to keep going on about it, it’s just a waste of time, c-can you just take th-the packages so I can go, this is really taking up the night, and we both gotta-um- get some rest!-Ahahaaha- “

“ Roger, for the love of god, slow down. Jeez, what’s making you so jumpy?? “ Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose.

The Janitor- looked down, at this point, embarrassed.

“ ..Sorry- I- don’t like talking about this stuff, Y’know..? “ Looking to the side, he holds out the packages. “ Just- take these already, okay? I forgot to give them to you before. “

Marcus.. casually took them from his co-worker’s grasp. “ Right. What made you forget, exactly? These were supposed to be sent to me ages ago, man! “ He frowned, glaring at Roger.

” ..fell asleep. Was watching tv. Met— “ He stopped himself at ‘met.’ Nono, he didn’t need to know about Mono. But the Chef had already caught it, and asked-

“ ..Met who? “

…Of course he had to catch it, Roger thought.

” ..nobody. Nobody important. “ This is getting ridiculous, the longer they stand here, the less things get done, and the less things they get done, the less prepared they’ll be when the boat arrives, and if they aren’t all-the-way prepared, something is bound to go wrong, and the Lady’s gonna have their heads.

“ ..Somebody, Roger. Did someone else get into the damn ship somehow? Are they still roaming, did you- “

” I said it was nobody important. “ The Janitor huffed. Eyeing the pile of packages.

“ ..Alright, sheesh. “ Marcus rolled his eyes and started walking away, off to the second intersecting room. The former blind man blanked out for a second, before snapping back into awareness, blinking. Wait. Did he-

He left the smaller package on the pile, oh my god-

“ -Hey- wait up! “ He quickly followed behind. He’s so scattershot right now, it’s unbelievable.

” -What?? You’re halting time here. “ Marcus puffed, turning around and beginning to stare his co-worker down.

“ Wh— “ Roger was going to protest, but he just brushed it off. “ Okay-sure-whatever- I need this. “ Snatching the smaller box from atop the pile. “ ..Uhh.. where’s your brother? “

” Thomas? He’s asleep, I told him I could take over. And.. is that the- “

” Yeah. The package for the Lady. I- I don’t know if I should go now, or wait… “ He still contemplated. He thought he was going to bring it to her tonight but… he’s hesitant. The older Chef sucked a breath through his teeth. Just saying-

“ ..I’m not gonna lie, Roger; you might just wanna wait. “

“ I know, but— maybe I can just get it out of the way real fast. “

“ But do you realize that could probably actually be a bad idea. “

“ I- uh-huh, yeah— I dunno. “

…

There’s an awkward silence for a moment. They both glanced at each other, and at the ground every few seconds. Marcus had his face all scrunched up in thought. Were people outside the Maw really that bad?? He and Thomas don’t even know, or remember what it’s like out there. They’ve only known this place most of their lives. But Roger…definitely seemed to have it a different way than from he and his brother. He’s lived outside before, for more of his life. And.. that happened. The eyeballs-being-gone thing.

Sheesh.

Meanwhile Roger had a point blank expression. He didn’t know what he was even thinking. Everything’s tangled up. Scrambled. There’s not much to say.

” … “

” … “

“ ..should I go send it up now, or.. “

“ —Ugh. You do what you want, I guess. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. “ Marcus once again rolled his eyes.

Mhm. Right. Roger scooted around him, and head off. Is he seriously doing this? Should he turn around?? He’s already going forward. But he’s not too far, he just left! He can just-

..Y’know what? No. He’s- he’s just gonna do it. Get it done, out of the way, never gonna do again. Possibly.

…He’s curious, anyways.

[strange-changes-ln]

“Strange Changes.”

Chapter Two: “The Television Boy.”

…

Roger, is…confused. Very much so. He’s- a mix of emotions actually. They’re all stirred, he can’t tell which he truly feels the most. If he had to pick; confusion. Definitely.

He and Thomas were going to find the trespasser, yes? Well- they were off doing…whatever it was they found fun: and by that, it means making a complete mess. They tried to at least come to a compromise with the thing but it simply wouldn’t budge.

‘See you later’ indeed.

He had- accidentally blew a fuse and immediately started getting aggressive. The chef kept trying to talk, while he was over it at that point.

Then— something hit him? He couldn’t tell what it was, but it managed to knock him onto the floor. He-… kind of blanked out for a moment. The thing that brought him back to reality was Thomas.

“ O-Oh geez- are you okay?? “ He questioned, offering to help the Janitor up. He refused, as he could lift myself up.

..He-uh—he thought he could. Turns out, he fell back down, and he kind of had to help him. It was embarrassing. Roger huffed, whatever took the hit kinda- knocked the wind out of him.

“ I-uh-..I’m fine, yeah. “ He finally answered, having not answering before, due to his own pride in attempting to stand on his own. “ What-…happened..? “ He tried looking in Thomas’s direction, but- he couldn’t really tell. He had to tap Roger’s shoulder to see where his face was.

” That- they flew into you, and- they disappeared right after. “ It sounded, weird. But, lots of things here aren’t normal. Like himself for example. He has long arms and stubs for legs. But that’s not the point.

He rubbed his head, mumbling to himself.

” ..um- are you okay, Janitor?- “ The chef asked once more. “ I could- walk you back, if you- “

“ A-Ah- no, I’ll manage. “ He put on a relatively awkward smile as he tried to exiting the Kitchen areas in general. He did what he had to do, now he’ll depart. On his own. No help. He’s fine.

” Are you sure? “ Thomas kept- asking questions. He doesn’t know if it was the event that occurred earlier, or if it was just the questions, but it was- annoying.

” I’m, fine. I just- need a moment. “ Roger held back a hiss, before just heading off.

. . .

Now, here he is. In the little TV room he likes to make himself comfortable in. The worker just- groaned, and slid down against the door, slumping onto the ground. Honestly? He’s just- so mentally tangled he might not be able to think properly. That- might just be an exaggeration, but- really. It’s beginning to seem…heavier in here. Maybe he’s just tired. Possibly, with the constant swinging of his arms from the lash out, that could be taken into account.

He sighs, no matter. He’ll just- turn on the television, and ignore the slowly…increasing… headache. Right.

Reaching over, and pressing the button, and letting the ‘Veronica’ song play. He likes this song. It- makes him feel…good. He just- likes it, for whatever reason. He just enjoys it. As much as he- really doesn’t understand the lyrics. He stands, takes a few steps up to the television, and sits back down. Just- letting the song go on, and on, resting his head on his arms, which rest on his knees.

It kind of…makes him feel better.

Though, he- slowly begins to drift off, managing to catch himself each time, but slower, and slower. Are you really that tired from just flailing your arm about? It’s fine, just keep yourself awake, sheesh.

But— he’s- tired. Maybe…just for a moment, he can-

No. No, you’re not going to. You have things to do, just- listen to the song for a little bit, then get back t-…

…he’s already out before he can continue his internal rant.

” Hello? Is anyone there? Hellooo? Can you hear me? Uhh- hold on- “

Roger flinched awake, at the sounds of a voice, and…static? What’s… going on?- He lifted his head up, moving his head around the room. Before facing the TV. He croaked a little, slightly tilting his head to whatever may be happening right now.

” Ahh, there we go! Oh- hi there! I’m- woah…uhhh….okay, not what I expected.. “ The voice sounded a little- surprised. They weren’t expecting to see him? Well- who were they expecting to see?? Who are they??

” ..u-uh….where…who.. “ The Janitor spoke, with a low tone, sort of out-of-touch with reality. Was that- a kid, they were hearing? How were they speaking through the TV..? “ ..who…are you..? “

“ Oh- um- right! I’m Mono! It’s nice to meet you, Mr… “ they awaited their response from the other end. They were a boy. He’ll note that.

” …Roger. “ He replied, trying to jog himself into full-awareness and consciousness. It was- kind of difficult.

“ Roger? Ohh, that’s a nice name! Roger. Simple. But in a good way! It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Roger! “ Normally they wouldn’t say this directly to an adults face, but…he feels safer behind a screen. Roger simply nodded, though quite absent-mindedly.

“ ..you…you two, kid. Uh… how’re you speaking through th- “ He put his hand on the television and paused. It…didn’t feel like metal. No…no, it felt like-

flesh?

“ -gHGH- “ Roger jolted, snapping his hand back. What the hell. What the hell?? That- that’s not- what’s it’s supposed to feel like?? Why does it feel like FLESH? “ ..what is going on.. “ He mumbled to himself. He’s- so..- confused, he- can’t- focus! Focus! UGH.

“ Oh- does the flesh bother you? I’m sorry- “ The boy in the TV apologized for the sudden change in material. The worker just- kept silent. His head was faced towards the grounds, subtly shifting it from side-to-side. Flesh TV? Young boy? Mono? Like— Like monotone? He doesn’t understand. Where is all of this coming from?

“ ..I—It’s fine. “ He finally answers. “ ..uh..mm…Mono, was it..? How are you.. “

“ Umm- it’s just an ability I have. I was trying to see if I could- find a friend, but…you aren’t them. “ They sounded…kind of sad for a moment. “ She disappeared, after she…ah-… “ They hesitated to keep talking. Before the boy shook his head, and kept going. “ That’s- that’s not important, I’m just trying to find her. “ Mono smiled sheepishly, having a rather awkward expression. But…Roger couldn’t tell.

” … “ He wanted to know what this friend of theirs did, but he felt that he shouldn’t ask. “ ..Uhh- where was the last place you saw them? “ He resorted to asking that instead. He was met with a moment of silence. Before-

“ ..T-The Signal Tower.. “ The boy spoke, stammering a little. The Signal Tower? Wait- what— what is that again? Has he actually ever heard of that? Uhh….umm-uh………

Shoot, he might not actually remember. He doesn’t want to sound stupid. So, he just went, “ …I see. “ Perfect. “ ..How’s that been? “

” Oh-uh…fine? I’ve just been sitting here. In this chair. “

“ ..That’s…nice. “ Roger slowly nodded. He yawned.

..wait- shoot— he has- things to do, what time is it-?? “ ..u-uh-..do you- know what time is it? “ He nervously questioned, why did he have to let himself fall asleep here??

” ..Oh-uh…it’s..the Evening right now. Why? “ His question was replied too. He didn’t exactly feel thrilled about it.

“ Wh- it was the Afternoon just a while ago!- “ The Janitor stood up, swiftly. Gah- he can’t even remember what he had to do. Think- think- think- think. What did he have t-

Ah- wait- too fast- too fast. He set himself back down for a moment, a feeling of lightheadedness washing over him. He emitted a soft groan. Christ, Roger…

” Woah, woah, are- are you okay?? “ Mono continuously blinked, blurting out, out of concern.

” Yeah- I’m fine, don’t worry about it- Ghh. “ Holding his head with one hand, Roger rested his rather large head on his free hand. “ I- fell asleep, when I had a job t’ do, like an idiot— now I can’t even remember what I had to do, I got up too fast, I feel dizzy, I- “

” Oookay, okay- okay, um- just slow down, i-it’s alright..! “ He waved his hands in front of the screen, now sort of…worried? “ Just- be careful next time, okay? “ He tried to give the blind man a warm smile.

. . .

he couldn’t see it. Roger simply nodded. He was just- startled. “ ..right. I…gotta go, I have- things to do. “ He was reaching to the button that activated, and deactivated the television. But Mono stopped him. He wanted to tell him something.

“ Wait- ah— I don’t mean to be rude about this, but…have you tried moving the blindfold around your eyes? “ The boy pointed towards the skin around Roger’s eyes. He would’ve blinked, but it really wouldn’t have mattered.

“ ..what. So, I could see? “ The man frowned.

” I-I mean-………maybe….? “ Mono shrunk in his seat, feeling both mean, and stupid about saying that.

“ ..That’s…not how that works, kid. But, I could just show you. “

” ..Show me…what?- “

“ How it’s not just the skin that’s blocking my sight. “ Roger seemed to deadpan. The child behind the screen squinted. Skin? Huh. He couldn’t tell. Roger reached for the skin around his head with a hand, and lifted it upwards, revealing-

Voids. Empty, eyeball-less sockets. Normally, it would’ve been the same; the world would be black around him, no real sight. But…not this time. THIS time… he…

He could see. He could see the room’s walls- the floor, the flesh-covered television- the boy. The kid had fair skin, darkened hair, and…voiding eyes as well. His new grasp of sight snapped towards the fleshy TV. It- the muscles pulsed. There were—eyes on it. They stared at him. He backed away, eyeing the ground. Looking back at Mono. Is he- dreaming?

“ ..Are you alright, Roger? “ He asked, the screen static-ing every now and then.

He…eyes his hand. He squints. Just a bit.

“ … “

” … “

” what…? “

[strange-changes-ln]

“Strange Changes.”

Chapter 1: The Said ‘Beginning of a New.’

. . .

. . .

Well. Seems like a, perfectly normal day at the Maw, yes? Everyone’s doing their part to keep the massive vessel going.

Those including, the Janitor of the Maw. Down, far below, in the Lair.

It’s an average day for someone like him. Wrapping up the uh-…bodies- and sending them off, to let everybody else above do their jobs.

Another boat, that sends in the…ah…Guests is coming around soon, yes? It’s best t’ get as much done as possible, as should. …Though, today, he’s getting a feeling that someone is…watching him. He doesn’t know why, he just- feels such. Slightly turning his head, though just barely. It’s not like he could visibly see the one who may-or-may-not be staring, but he might pick up some sound? Maybe a creak. Something.

Perhaps, a child had escaped? That could be the case. But he doesn’t know. Not yet.

…

It’s silent. For the most part, anyways. He can’t necessarily pick anything up, so…either the entity is as quiet as a mouse, or he’s just being a tiny bit paranoid.

He does lean on the second thing he mentally-said for now, and continues to work. Yes. It’s probably nothing.

Right. Nothing!

…

Hm. He still feels off. Is there someone here? Are they just- very very very quiet, or…is he once again letting a sense of paranoia get to him. He truly hopes it’s the second thing he said to himself this time.

Giving out a silent sigh, he merely turns his head. Again- he won’t be able to see whatever may be lurking. But maybe it’ll get them to stop or-

There’s- a sound. A small thud from somewhere in the room.

… right. He takes a moment away from his workspace, and searches around. Maybe there is, a child. So far, he does not feel anything. Yet, anyways. But- there’s nothing else. Not so.

Maybe it was just some…coincidence.

And then there’s a soft, barely audible snicker.

Indeed, someone IS here, and is TRYING to mess with him. Well, he doesn’t appreciate it. And he’s going to display that displeasure right now.

“ Excuse me? I don’t know who’s there, but- I’d like them to leave. Now. I’m busy. “ Roger says, with a clear, unamused tone.

Nothing happens. Not for quite the second. Then, there’s a voice.

” Busy with what, hmm? “ The stranger’s voice was filled with curiosity. They sounded young. Not child young, but… young enough.

” ..My job. As a worker of the Maw. “ The Janitor crossed his lanky arms. Who was this? How did they get onto the Maw? This shouldn’t even be happening, should it? No. Of course not. “ Once again, I ask you to leave. “

“ Aww, I just got here though! And it’s very, very interesting here! “ They seemed to get closer. But- there wasn’t a single creak along the floorboards to even tell. Strange. Roger simply frowned, the skin covering his eyes seeming to furrow.

” You’re trespassing, you know. “ He stated. “ ..Whoever you are, I suggest that you go. “

Again, another silence.

After a bit of this, the trespasser simply laughed. Ha-Ha, they went. They aren’t taking this seriously at all.

“ Who I am, isn’t important, Roger. “ They said, all giddy.

Roger paused for a second.

” ..How- do you know my name?? “ He tilted his head to the side, bamboozled. They’ve just met, and he could have sworn he never mentioned his own name once.

“ You have a name tag, silly. “

Ah. Right. Okay. He just- sighed.

“ Why, exactly, are you being so difficult about exiting my workroom? “ Roger asked, fairly curious himself. It’s frustrating.

” I’m being difficult, huh? Well, my apologies, Mr., but I just don’t want to. I just got here after all. Why not stay a little, right? “ They playfully whined, now sounding as if they’re right up to his face. This was not appreciated.

” What you want doesn’t excuse the fact that you’re clearly invading my personal space. I’m going to tell you one, last, time. Leave this place, at once. Or else. “ The Janitor sneered, trying to be as intimidating as possible.

Though, what would he even do? He’s not going to kill them. That- isn’t what he does. What he doesn’t try to do. He may be able to overpower them with his arms, but- if that doesn’t work, what then?

…

Once more- silence. This is common, apparently.

The trespasser hums. “ Okay then. “

-…what? “ What? “

” I’ll go, if that’s what you really want me to do! I’ll leave, and you can get back to whatever you’re doing. “ They’d be smiling.

What made them want to leave now?-

“ …As you should. “ He exhaled, and turned back to his station.

“ Bye-Bye, Roger! See you later! “ Their last saying, before departing.

…See you later.

Later. Will- they be back? He certainly hopes not. That, would be troublesome. Or- just very tedious.

But, for now, he won’t dawdle on it. For now, he’ll just focus on what’s important.

Work.

Well! One part of the day is done. Now to move on to the next. Roger vaguely remembered he had to send something up to the Kitchen. So, that’s what he’ll do right now. Moving along, searching for the way to the Kitchen. All the while, he was thinking. About many things, all of them being relatively scattered. Then, the thought of the stranger came up.

Who were they? Why was their identity ‘not important?’ How did they even get into the Maw?? Was there a mistake? He kept thinking as he entered an elevator that led to the upper levels. Hopefully not. The Ferryman can see, they’d clearly know if someone wasn’t a child. Were they a child that grew up? No, no, no… they most likely wouldn’t have been able to live for too long down in the Prison.

Thoughts and considerations whirled through the worker’s mind. The elevator stopped, and-

there was a rather loud noise. Coming from the kitchen.

The hell? He cautiously entered the first room, peeking in. “ Ah..hello..? “ Roger called, semi-quietly.

Ah, he could hear yelling. One of the brothers, indeed. He could tell from the more aggressive tone of voice. ‘Marcus.’ Right.

He carefully entered, slowly taking steps, still being cautious. He understands Marcus’s temper. Despite never really be harmed by it— except for a headache with the yelling. They were in the other room, he could tell. “ What’s going on here? “ Roger asked, once reaching the second, intersecting room, holding the package he was supposed to bring up. There was a pause. Then more talking.

“ Roger! You got the package, good. “ Marcus snatched the box away from him. Rude. “ Sorry- it’s just- there was some freak that caused a ruckus! “ He sounded angry. Indeed.

” Freak? Who- “

” T-They were black, and wispy! They didn’t even touch the ground! “ The other chef-twin, Thomas interrupted, his tone being more panicked in a way. “ They were flying- like a ghost! “

“ Wh- “

” They were being so childish! I couldn’t even believe it! “

“ O-Okay, but- “

” They made a mess- this is gonna take forever to clean! Ohh, the boat’s gonna here soon, this is bad-! “

“ Can you both just- “

“ Oohh, don’t start Thomas! “

…

They aren’t listening. They’re too busy bickering. Roger inhaled. And exhaled, kind of annoyed. “ Listen up. “ He huffed. “ What the heck are you two talking about. What- black, wispy, childish, flying ghost thing?? “ He was so confused, he wasn’t able to see what happened.

“ I-I don’t know! It looked like- a shadow? It just- got in somehow, and- made a mess. “ The meeker twin spoke, trying to calm himself down. Marcus staying quiet.

“ ..Right. Right, okay. “ The Janitor nodded, subtly. Processing, the best he could. “ Where did they go? “ He asked.

“ ..Umm…they left just a second ago. I don’t know where they’re going, but- I’m kind of afraid they might cause more issues. “ Thomas looked to the side. “ We don’t need any of these right now. “

“ ..Hmm… should we go find them? “

“ Psh- it’d be a waste of time. We have jobs t’ do, Y’know, Roger! “ Marcus rolled his eyes, looking at the…very short worker.

Roger just- kept going. “ I’m just saying.. we could try. “ He crossed his arms again.

At least Thomas somewhat-agreed.

“ ..I mean- it’s worth a shot?- “ Thomas mumbled. He doesn’t want it wandering around if it’s going to do… this.

…Hm. “ ..Alright- I’ll- “ Roger pauses, to sigh. Again. “ I’ll at-least try to see where they are. But it’d be helpful if one of you could follow. I can’t see anything, so it would be nice to have a pair of eyes. “ He twirled his hand around, before pointing to the skin-made-blindfold around his long-gone ability to see.

” ..O-Okay, I’ll- I’ll come with. “ Thomas said, nodding. Marcus decided to stay behind, as he thought this was all stupid.

“ Great! Let’s go then. “ The Janitor smiled a little bit, before waddling along. He could hear Thomas following behind.

…

Here we go.

[strange-changes-ln]

Beginning of a New.