#('stupid plan but we got nothing better' essentially BSDFHJGKFKF)

[staystillgregory]

“You thought you were saving me,” He gently reminded her at her self-blame. Gregory hated to repeat the words she had heard just before she fell - no doubt they felt twisted, even now. The monster had taken what he had said in understanding and made it seem like a betrayal. “I would have done the same thing if our places were switched, consequences be damned. That’s what family does.”

The irony of the statement wasn’t lost on Gregory, long since abandoned by his parents and left to rot in the system. For years, Cassie had been the only tie he had to them - another irony, considering the estrangement between their branches. (It was deserved, in Gregory’s opinion. The Warrens were better off without the Halstaff shitshow.) She had been his only family. Now, that wasn’t the case. It might not be biological, but by God, Gregory was going to walk out of here with every member of his chosen family safe and well, Cassie included.

Ever compassionate, she was worried about them, insisting Gregory contact them before they went anywhere. Well, he could do that. Quickly, he typed out a message on his watch, affirming that he had found Cassie, noting her condition, and stating that they would try to reach somewhere with better signal. “Okay, I just sent a message to Freddy. He hasn’t sent anything to me, so I’m guessing they’re okay - he would have told me if something happened.”

Cassie was standing now, having released her hold on him. The pain in her face showed it to be no easy task, but she had managed. As strong-willed as ever, that girl. Carefully, he moved closer, so that she could grab his shoulder to stabilize herself. “Hold onto me, okay? We’ll go slow. If anything comes at us, they’ll fucking regret it. We came armed.” The taser Ness had supplied him with rested in his front pocket, ready for use against monster and animatronic alike. “That’s why I’m not so worried about my friends. They can protect themselves, trust me. And I’ll protect you.”

[Gregory's smile was, in fact, reassuring; it was another gesture that made her feel safe and comforted, even after the horrors she'd experienced. It was a reminder that she was being held by her cousin, and not by a monster. She felt like she was home, and after all she'd been through, she needed that.]

[Gregory then informed her about the friends he'd mentioned; she wasn't...entirely sure what he meant by "the night that started all this," and part of her worried that something nefarious might have happened behind the scenes, but she'd address it later. She didn't want to dig into her paranoia again. She'd finally gotten back to trusting her cousin, her best friend, and she wasn't ready for that to stop. If he'd had anything to do with the collapse of the Pizzaplex...she wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Not right now, anyway.]

[Cassie swallowed as he mentioned them getting M.X.E.S. back online; right. God, she'd messed up. She'd almost forgotten in the midst of her crisis, but she'd freed that thing, and disrupted the stronghold that was keeping it at bay. It was her fault if it escaped and wreaked havoc. What if his friends got hurt because of her?? What if it was too late??]

❝ ...Do you think they'll be okay? ❞ [Her voice was quiet, reluctant; she was terrified to acknowledge the possibility that they'd get themselves hurt because of that thing, because of her negligence, because of her naivete.] ❝ I-I'm sorry. It's just...it's my fault if they get hurt. Can you check in with them first? ❞

[Oh -- right. To get out of here, she'd have to move. She definitely wasn't keen on standing again ( she'd practically collapsed once she got out ), but she probably could...? She'd been running on fumes this whole time, and she felt like she was on the brink of collapsing now that she was "safe," but they had to leave. She had to push herself again. Trying to prove herself, she nodded and let go of Gregory, leveraging herself on the ground; she winced and stifled a whimper as she stumbled onto her feet. It hurt, moreso than before, and she felt agonized tears sting at her eyes. She refused to let them fall right now -- she didn't want Gregory to worry about her.]

❝ I-I'm standing. I can stand. I don't wanna leave until your friends are safe, though. Is that okay? ❞ [Standing NOW might have been a mistake, then. Whoops.]