80s-pizza-party

[80s-pizza-party]

"Little star..." Moon murmured, stopping the translation for the moment.

Even if Charlie didn't - and possibly couldn't - understand, she was only trying to help... There was no need for hostility.

Charlie sagged a bit, like an actual puppet on strings.

"... I'm sorry... I wish I knew how to help. I do... But I guess... you and I always thought differently about things like this..."

It hurt. Especially when they could relate to each other in so many other ways, and when they had become such good friends, too. Or at least, Charlie thought so... Maybe they weren't such good friends after all...

But if Cassidy didn't want to hear what she had to say, or even didn't want her around... that would have to be fine.

[80s-pizza-party]

She shook her head softly.

"No, I said that's how I felt. Not how you should feel..."

Charlie sagged a bit, like an actual puppet on strings.

"... I'm sorry... I wish I knew how to help. I do... But I guess... you and I always thought differently about things like this..."

It hurt. Especially when they could relate to each other in so many other ways, and when they had become such good friends, too. Or at least, Charlie thought so... Maybe they weren't such good friends after all...

But if Cassidy didn't want to hear what she had to say, or even didn't want her around... that would have to be fine.

[80s-pizza-party]

Charlie's head tipped a bit.

"I never said that... Of course it's a big deal. You could've been taken. And in our backstory, we died. There's no fixing that. No going back to our lives... It scared me a lot. All I'm saying is it's a little better when you're not alone."

Charlie sagged a bit, like an actual puppet on strings.

"... I'm sorry... I wish I knew how to help. I do... But I guess... you and I always thought differently about things like this..."

It hurt. Especially when they could relate to each other in so many other ways, and when they had become such good friends, too. Or at least, Charlie thought so... Maybe they weren't such good friends after all...

But if Cassidy didn't want to hear what she had to say, or even didn't want her around... that would have to be fine.

[80s-pizza-party]

Charlie sagged a bit, like an actual puppet on strings.

"... I'm sorry... I wish I knew how to help. I do... But I guess... you and I always thought differently about things like this..."

It hurt. Especially when they could relate to each other in so many other ways, and when they had become such good friends, too. Or at least, Charlie thought so... Maybe they weren't such good friends after all...

But if Cassidy didn't want to hear what she had to say, or even didn't want her around... that would have to be fine.

Charlie gasped softly at Moon's translation.

"... Where are they now?"

Her voice was quiet and serious... but Moon answered before Cassidy had to.

"Gone."

Surprisingly enough, Charlie only nodded to that and moved on.

"Are you going to be okay, Cassidy...?"

[80s-pizza-party]

Charlie shrugged softly.

"I'm sorry it feels like that... I felt the same way for a long time after what happened. I don't have an easy answer, especially when you're not a spirit anymore. But to me, it always felt like when I was too scared to do anything, I was letting him win. Even after I should have been fine - I was dead, after all. We all were... But he was still out there, hurting people. And it scared me enough that I asked everyone for help... I felt better when it wasn't just me. And together, you were able to do something about it. Maybe not permanently, but... it was better than I was doing. Maybe that's something. Not being alone..."

Charlie gasped softly at Moon's translation.

"... Where are they now?"

Her voice was quiet and serious... but Moon answered before Cassidy had to.

"Gone."

Surprisingly enough, Charlie only nodded to that and moved on.

"Are you going to be okay, Cassidy...?"

[80s-pizza-party]

"That's my point, though." Charlie said plainly.

"You know better. The adults watching you knew better. And because of that, it was stopped. Of course it's horrible it happened at all... but no one was going to let it get any worse than that. Bad people can pretend to be sweet. They can act fast and do terrible things when people aren't around. But the more people you can trust who are close by, the more you don't fall for their tricks, the better things can go. And because you didn't go with them somewhere else, and you had good people with you... they couldn't take you.

"The world's always going to have bad people who do scary things to people who don't deserve it... I don't like it, but it's true. Still, the best way to stay safe is always just being together with good people."

Simple comradery. Strength in numbers. The gift of a community...

... She always had tried to shelter everyone. Even if it didn't always go how she'd like.

Charlie gasped softly at Moon's translation.

"... Where are they now?"

Her voice was quiet and serious... but Moon answered before Cassidy had to.

"Gone."

Surprisingly enough, Charlie only nodded to that and moved on.

"Are you going to be okay, Cassidy...?"

[80s-pizza-party]

... Charlie nodded softly, not at all surprised.

"I knew better, too... enough to be scared, anyway. To try and get help. But no one came in time, and he was too strong for me..."

Her fingers flexed a little, rubbing against each other. Fabric on fabric... Nothing like skin...

"... Sometimes there's nothing you can do. But you had someone close, right? Someone who could stop it."

Moon shuffled a little, trying not to let his discomfort show at that. He was no hero... Not after what he did. But at least she was still here...

Charlie gasped softly at Moon's translation.

"... Where are they now?"

Her voice was quiet and serious... but Moon answered before Cassidy had to.

"Gone."

Surprisingly enough, Charlie only nodded to that and moved on.

"Are you going to be okay, Cassidy...?"

[80s-pizza-party]

Charlie gasped softly at Moon's translation.

"... Where are they now?"

Her voice was quiet and serious... but Moon answered before Cassidy had to.

"Gone."

Surprisingly enough, Charlie only nodded to that and moved on.

"Are you going to be okay, Cassidy...?"

So Moon slipped out in silence, letting the door close lightly behind him before starting towards the front entrance.

[80s-pizza-party]

When Charlie still seemed a bit confused, Moon translated for her... and her fabric body seemed to sag a little.

"Oh... What happened...? If you don't mind me asking."

So Moon slipped out in silence, letting the door close lightly behind him before starting towards the front entrance.

[80s-pizza-party]

Soon enough, Charlie was pushing open the front doors, taking a few moments to adjust to the dimmer lighting... before perking up at the sight of Cassidy and starting to raise her hand to greet her. It didn't last, of course, with her pausing midway through the gesture as she took in the scene before her.

"... Cassidy...? Are... Are you okay...?"

So Moon slipped out in silence, letting the door close lightly behind him before starting towards the front entrance.

[80s-pizza-party]

He didn't mention her nervousness, simply staying quiet as they stepped out of the Daycare for the second time and made their way downstairs.

By the time they were at the escalators, Charlie was entering the game, oblivious to anything wrong.

As far as she knew, her and Cassidy were going to have another normal, average play date, and that was all.

So Moon slipped out in silence, letting the door close lightly behind him before starting towards the front entrance.

[80s-pizza-party]

So Moon slipped out in silence, letting the door close lightly behind him before starting towards the front entrance.

Moon tucked her in meticulously, then reached to push the hair out of her face again... before standing up to go.

Charlie would be coming over just about any minute now.

[80s-pizza-party]

Either way, Moon wasn't about to begrudge her something as simple as her doll...

So once she'd settled again, he stepped with her off towards the door, glancing over at Vanessa as he passed.

"... Back soon..."

Moon tucked her in meticulously, then reached to push the hair out of her face again... before standing up to go.

Charlie would be coming over just about any minute now.

[80s-pizza-party]

Moon softened, immediately stooping down again to scoop it up and press it into her arms.

Nothing to fret about...

Moon tucked her in meticulously, then reached to push the hair out of her face again... before standing up to go.

Charlie would be coming over just about any minute now.

[80s-pizza-party]

Sun didn't even twitch... but he was still there.

After a beat or two, Moon turned towards Cassidy again, reaching to hoist her into his arms.

Moon tucked her in meticulously, then reached to push the hair out of her face again... before standing up to go.

Charlie would be coming over just about any minute now.

[80s-pizza-party]

Moon tucked her in meticulously, then reached to push the hair out of her face again... before standing up to go.

Charlie would be coming over just about any minute now.

"Water...?" Moon murmured, half reaching over for the bottle on the nightstand.

[80s-pizza-party]

Moon pulled the bottle back again, righting it and setting it aside before moving to shift her carefully back into a comfortable position on her bed.

"Water...?" Moon murmured, half reaching over for the bottle on the nightstand.