#{ neither of you deserve it FKJSDJKFKJD;;; }

[curseofbreadbear]

[As Cassie described the haunting events of her night, she heard Gregory utter a quiet "no" under his breath; was he shaking...? She'd intended to save all final judgments for when she finished her story, for when he tried to excuse himself, but she immediately felt a surge of regret for her skepticism. This couldn't be the same Gregory who'd remorselessly tried to kill her, could it...?]

[Presumably, he'd be frustrated with her for getting out, and for the possibility that she'd freed the thing in the basement -- he probably would have lectured her or tried to hurt her. She'd be a lot more frightened than she was now. Instead, she felt safe...safer than she would like, given that she desperately wanted to suspect every one of his actions. She just couldn't bring herself to, especially now that he looked genuinely horrified by the story she was telling. Damn it all, she believed him wholeheartedly, even after all she'd just experienced. Was she that gullible, or was her judgment correct? She might never know.]

[Gregory sounded hurt as he asked about whether she believed he would send her tumbling down an elevator shaft; she hated to admit it, but in the moment, she had. Even now, after reuniting with who was undoubtedly the real Gregory, she'd had her suspicions. She didn't anymore, not after how he'd reacted...]

❝ I'm sorry. ❞ [She whimpered; she felt terrible for doubting her best friend, her own family, but after tonight? She didn't know if she could have helped it. His voice had been used against her in every way possible, toying with her mind and making her believe the impossible. In hindsight, there had been so many moments where she should have suspected the voice on her Roxy-talkie, but she trusted Gregory -- what she thought had been Gregory -- beyond any shadow of a doubt. She only wanted to help, and now she felt betrayed and broken. She felt like she'd never recover.]

[Cassie jumped at the sudden shift in tone -- Gregory went from distraught to concerned, insisting that Cassie get to a hospital for her injuries. She "could have died" -- yeah, she was pretty sure that had been the intent. Still...despite the grim reminder, Cassie sniffled and smiled to herself. To her, this proved it; there was no way that this was the Gregory from the elevator. This was her best friend, through and through.]

❝ Um -- y-yeah. I mean, you're probably right. I can stand, and I can walk, it just...hurts. ❞ [That was an understatement; it was honestly surprising that she hadn't broken her legs in the impact. She was sure they had been affected somehow, but she'd pushed through the pain to escape. Maybe it was the adrenaline...she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stand back up again, now that she was on the ground.] ❝ But, hey -- at least you're here now, right? ❞ [Even if she'd been caught off-guard and scared out of her wits before, she appreciated his presence now.]

[Gregory's frantic murmuring finally quieted down to answer Cassie's question, one she would have rescinded if it was possible. He desperately tried to reassure her that it wasn't him; thankfully, she actually believed that now. She wasn't sure if she would have before, and she knew there was a nagging part of her mind that would never drop the idea that she couldn't trust her own cousin, but she'd try to ignore it. To prove it, both to herself and Gregory, she leaned forward and hugged him -- a gesture that she'd been avoiding, even though she needed a hug more than anything right now.]

❝ I believe you. I'm sorry I didn't before. I'm so sorry. ❞ [Cassie hiccuped, feeling tears sting at her eyes again. Come on, don't lose your grip now...] ❝ Please don't go. ❞

I heard you the whole time. Gregory felt sick to his stomach. That thing had tried to salvage the situation, taking up his voice again after he had finally gotten through. All night, he had been frantically trying to reach Cassie, ever since he got her answer - one to a request he had never made. It all made his skin crawl, and in that moment. Gregory felt incredibly violated as he truly processed what the monster had been doing.

His voice wasn't his own anymore. Distrust had been seeded into the only family he cared to associate with. "No..." Distantly, he noted that his hands were shaking.

He had gotten to her to the elevator. Yes, that was right - his frantic attempt to guide her out had led to an exit. The doors closed, and Gregory had been talking to her, trying to explain the footnotes of everything going on. He had told her to make sure she wasn't followed - advice meant in caution. We'll be there soon, he said afterwards, waiting for a response that never came. But Cassie had gotten a completely different message.

You tried to kill me.

"You thought I dropped you down an elevator shaft?" The words came out oddly soft. Despite himself, a bit of hurt touched his tone. Gregory would do many things for his survival - what had happened to the animatronics attested to that. Killing his cousin in cold blood was not one of those.

...Wait. Oh, God. She had fallen down an elevator shaft! Suddenly, the injuries she bore made much more sense. That snapped him out of his pitiful mood quickly. "Fuck, Cassie, you need to get to a hospital! Oh my God, you could have died. Fuck, fuck! Can you even stand? I should have been here sooner, shit..."

His frantic muttering was interrupted by her direct question, and Gregory took a deep breath of his own. Calm down. Calm down. She's freaked out enough already. "It wasn't me. I...I know you probably won't believe me. I can't blame you after tonight. If you never want to talk to me again, I'll...I'll disappear, okay? But I swear on my goddamn life that it wasn't me."