#Mary and Minnie McConnel

[cutesyhunter]

Part 1 of the illustrations of ink stained mirror, since sometimes you just want to see the art. I know I do

[cutesyhunter]

Part 2 of the illustrations for ink stained mirror

[cutesyhunter]

Ink stained mirror Chapter 2: Intermission-Hallway (1/3)

Every day Mary saw the same halls, they were long halls, you could probably hear someone coming if you listened carefully enough.  She tried to avoid the rooms at the ends of the hallways where some of the employees had been forced to give up their things, Mary’s sewing needles had been taken and one of Minnie’s drawings. Along with the ink room and forget that they existed.

That didn’t concern Mary, what did concern her was what she sometimes saw at the ends of those halls, in the dead of night when working late she’d see long stretching shadows that seemed be moving with no purpose

but Minnie told her it was just working for hours on end with no break, Mary didn’t think so. 

She chose to believe what Minnie did because it was easier, then there was the room at the end of what was nicknamed ‘the closed hall’ a section of more rooms and hallway, where important equipment was meant to be put ‘so it won’t get stolen’ Joey had said but it was such a joke that Minnie would openly mock it in the break room or at her desk.

No one in this studio ever put anything in the closed hall besides maybe Norman with the projectors, but with everything else it was more risky to do that since it’d probably be covered in ink.

At the end of the hall there was a room of what Mary could only describe as a butchers room, there was no knives or anything like that, but with the seemingly new hooks on the wall, it was the best comparison she could think of but no other indication besides that like a butchers table.

If that were the case she would call the police immediately, but she needed this job…

She never went to the bathroom without Minnie outside the door after she found it.

[cutesyhunter]

Ink stained mirror Chapter 2: Pros n’ Cons (1/5)

*- Are for important breaks in the stories, such as a time skip

When Mary was younger, around her childhood, Mom would say something that stuck out and stuck with her even today, well especially today.

“You have to take the good and the bad with everything, Poppet. If something bad happens especially, you have to find the silver lining. You’ll be a happier person I think if you do.”

It might just be because Minnie was grumpy a lot in childhood, and tried to get Mary to make her not so grumpy.

How ironic that Minnie was the most positive thinking person now, not that Mary wasn’t a positive thinker, she just had a more…cynical optimism?

She could see things were bad but tried to think of how they could be good, even if her reasons were dumb;

The current depression was making her stretch it especially.

Con: She was so sick of milk and could swear she was getting lactose intollerent, the food they had to eat was bland. They were making so little money it hurt.

Pro: Both of them would probably get taller from drinking so much milk, and get thinner with their current diet. She was learning how to save money.

Biggest con, was seeing how far humanity was getting stretched, every time she went out she saw more and more homeless people, every time she went out, she didn’t know how to help them since she was pretty broke too

Big pro, Seeing others helping each other, it was a nice reassurance.

So every time something bad happened at work she thought of pro’s and con’s to try seeing the bright side of working in this ink stained sweat lodge.

To say her patients was getting stretched was an understatement, but she tried, heaven help her she tried. Even now she’s trying even though it’s too late

*

Her embarrassing work career started with a small flirtation, with one of her bosses, a week into this job.

“You never cease to amaze me Henry.” Mary commented looking over his shoulder at the little devil darling, Henry was much better at this then she was

“Thank you” Henry seemed to be a man of few words, the few he did were very calm and to the point, it was kinda cute. Like a prince from her story books, or from the radio shows she used to listen to

“Did you always want to draw?” She asked

“Yes” He nods indulging her curious questions

She hums at his confirmation “What about-“

“Careful Henry~ She might convince you to go on a date with her~” Minnie sang down to his little drawing nook

Henry chuckles at Mary’s face turning a bright red

“I don’t think Linda would like that” Henry says, which made Mary realize the handsome gent maybe taken, which made her even more embarrassed

“Oh I forgot I have to go…work.” She fast walks out of the nook, she looks at Minnie, slapping her sisters shoulder for that moment, since she did it intentionally since she’d have to go out of the way just to tease her about that and continues fast walking away

She didn’t try and listen to her apologizes since Minnie thought Mary knew, she didn’t speak to her at all for the rest of the day, but avoiding Henry since it was embarrassing.

Unfortunately that was the last time she saw Henry, he’d quit for some reason that Joey never told anyone.

She was saddened by that since Henry seemed like a nice gent.

Con: She’d probably not see him for a while, did he see her as a friend?

Pro: He’d spend time with this ‘Linda’? and he’d probably be happy wherever he was going, and with better opportunities.

She couldn’t be happy for him a the moment, but she might be later…

[cutesyhunter]

Ink stained mirror Chapter 2: Intermission-Gone (3/3)

*- Are for important breaks in the stories, such as a time skip

Trigger warning: Swearing and implied body horror

Mary had begun to notice how dirty the halls were lately, they weren’t coated in black perse but the lines between the wood floor were filling with thick black ink, she didn’t notice until she saw her own shoe prints with rhythmic lines from the wood.

Which made her realize and begged the question:

“Where’s Wally?”

She had asked Minnie who was eating

She looked up at her and around as if expecting to see Wally sleeping on one of the tables

“He’s not here?” Minnie said it like it was a question

“I can see that but have you seen him lately?” It took her a while to notice but she hadn’t seen Wally in forever, but Wally wasn’t exactly her friend, they usually just happened to sleep at the same time, when forced to work overtime, but his presences was usually just there since despite being lazy he got his job done.

So it was disconcerting to not see him around.

“….No” Minnie thought for a moment sipping her soup thoughtfully, ignoring Mary’s stare at eating the bacon soup

“Maybe he finally quit? He did say tons of times ‘I’m outta here’ for everything” Minnie pointed out

Mary thought about it, she supposed so, but Wally didn’t seem like the type to not tell anyone he was leaving at all, drop everything and leave; yes but not before the previous day say he was, but Mary wasn’t a good people reader so she shrugged and accepted Minnie’s explanation.

* Over the course of a few months, she noticed three more people missing, Jack, Norman and Sammy.

It was a process, she hadn’t noticed Jack was gone at first, he’d usually spent time in his ‘secret hideout’, as he called it where she suspected he got some terrible smell from, where it was she had no clue but when she’d asked out of the blue where Jack was, no one had seen him in days. Joey had said he’d fired him, everyone had winced in sympathy but that was that.

Until Mary had gone to visit him and ask if they could still do jam sessions with Sammy, his door was unlocked and she’d gotten no answer, so she asked his landlord if he’s seen him. He hadn’t, and when she came back the next day, and still no Jack. That’s when she called the police, anonymously.

Her and Minnie checked before they had to go to work if they were still there, and they were.

Minnie pat her on the back, saying “the buzzers got this”, so she swallowed her worry and they both went to work.

Sammy’s was just the same as Jack, she swore he was hiding somewhere, two great minds think alike, and those two were the greatest minds she knew. Sammy had been strange the last few days, he was secretive before but it was a whole new level of strange, he was now twice as secretive and twice as strange! Mumbling some gibberish she couldn’t hear under his breath and avoiding everyone as if it was the 13th century and the plague was just starting. Mary had tried everything to get his attention or at least get an explanation when she saw him, she knew Sammy didn’t like distractions and sometimes hated his work, but this was off.

She'd enlisted Allison's help several times but every time they caught him, he’d look at them like they were lower than bugs that he just smashed under his feet, the fourth time was when Allison had enough and just ran to the bathroom crying about what a jerk Sammy was.

It was Mary’s turn to glare at him for that, he had the audacity to hold up his hand like he was about to tell Allison to come back, Mary stared waiting and with some glimmer of hope he would but he didn’t.

She called him a ‘loathsome cad!’, the worst thing she’d ever said to him ever and humphed, going to comfort Allison who was crying in the bathroom, questioning over and over why Sammy was acting like this, an answer neither Mary or Minnie could answer.

It wasn’t long after that he disappeared completely. He wasn’t in his office or anywhere they could think of that they associated with him. It just vanished off the face of the earth.

“He went off to do better things” Joey told them when asked, to Mary it made sense Sammy was a great musician he deserved a great job.

Allison, Norman and Minnie just stared at Joey with the most obvious ‘I don’t believe you for one second look’

Norman, was so obvious it hurt. He needed money to support his family, he even came in when he was sick. So to see him not at work was immediately noticed.

“Where’s Norman?” Mary asked immediately when she didn’t see him at lunch, thinking he was in the projectionist room working.

Joey’s told her, with deathly calmness “His family reported him missing this morning”

Mary had to swallow her fear and keep it for the next five hours. When it was immediately time to go All the others went to go to Norman’s family.

They greeted the co-workers with fearful questions, and prodding. Everyone helped after work in the days to come looking for the man, but hope was given up after a week, Mrs. Polk cried into the arms of the friendliest looking employee for hours, then everyone went home with heavy hearts.

* Even with no, projectionist, song writer or lyricist. Joey made them work, but no one was allowed in the music room. He’d told them that if anyone went in there, he’d immediately fire them.

Allison asked point blank how they were going to do voice work when they couldn’t have accesses to microphones; he told them to make them silent for now until they could replace the missing people, which everyone felt was heartless, but practical. They needed money and if the studio wasn’t making money, they weren’t either.

The rule was fallowed to a T.

That is until Mary asked this at home “Minnie, where’s my….Guitar?” She’d remembered she’d left it in the music room for safe keeping if Jack or Sammy ever came back. It now seemed like a moot point.

So here she was about to break the rule, to go get her guitar, looking down the halls to be sure Joey wasn’t around, she looks at the elevator, it’d probably make too much noise and alert Joey, wherever he was that someone was going to one of the other floors, so she just took the stairs, carefully trying not to make a sound as she tip-toes, the smallest sound sounds like a boom in the quiet, pausing as not to make more noise when the booms occur, and finally she’s down the stairs.

Letting out a breath of relief at the fact the silence wasn’t broken by running footstep or any footsteps for that matter.

She rounds the corner to see the strange empty room, that was used for storage, but of course no one stores anything here really, Joey only put a few chairs down here and some drawers, but that’s all.

Peeking into the winding hallways, she notices strangely that there are candles everywhere.

She looks around the corner, covering her mouth to stop the gasp at seeing a shadow, she pulls herself back against the wall. Her eyes water at the fact she was caught, listening in fear for the foot steps that would be coming towards her, but she hears nothing, counting to ten and still hears nothing she looks again and sees the shadow still in the same place, she stares at it for a moment and when it doesn’t move, she walks closer just to see a bendy cutout.

“Hey handsome you scared me.” she giggled, only to quiet when she realized she’d made a noise that couldn’t be explained, listening again, she hears nothing.

She knew Joey wasn’t on this floor…yet. She just didn’t want to get caught, so she had to be quiet as a grave.

Waving goodbye to the cut out, she continues on her journey.

Not even five feet from the cutout she sees a problem, not with her current journey but just a annoyance she always hates, a pipe must have burst since the last time she was down here, there’s a few inches of ink.

Sighing she picks up her dress to try and save the dress, her shoes were ruined though.

She squeaked at the disgust warm ink filling her shoes, this ink was thick, like someone had taken a whole recipe for cake and dumped it in there just to make it thicker.

Trying not to go ‘ew’ all the way over, she stepped out of the thick ink, to be greeted by a little shelf of bacon soup

She hadn’t seen that before, Joey must have filled them before Sammy went missing, she couldn’t help but think of how disgusting the soup was and that’s why she found far too many in closets. She’s seen it coming since they were still in a depression, so people didn’t want to eat things with a lot of spice and overeat, the paper had called it.

Huffing she turned…to see the lights of the panel off, meaning the metal door closed, slapping her head thinking ‘really joey??’, she back tracked to flip the switches, going through the cake ink again thinking, why would anyone steal from this place

Once she got back to the soup shelf, she moved some over trying to be careful, but her clumsiness got the better of her, elbow hitting the stacked cans they fall with what sounded like a million bangs, sounding like fireworks in the silence.

She waited, starting to feel silly for repeatedly expecting Joey to come running, but he once again did not, Maybe she should just stop trying to be quiet?

It was especially apparent when the loud creaking sound of the metal door going up gave her that indication when she flipped the switch.

She let out a sigh when it was done making what she thought was like a sonic boom in the silence. If Joey did hear that he would defiantly have come running.

Opening the door, she’s greeted by darkness.

“Great…” She never needed to find the light switch and didn’t even know where to begin in finding the thing, she knew where her guitar was so she didn’t need the light switch.

Feeling her way to the music room, stepping forward, until she felt the wall, fallowing it to the right, she finds the opening and it was a straightforward from there, she opened the door.

It’s a little lighter in here but it’s only one candle. Why was Joey leaving burning candle out? It’s a very obvious fire hazard.

She wondered how she could fix this without getting fired, her concerned is short lived when she saw her guitar case

“hello old friend” She picked it up, hugged the guitar case, she makes her way to the door with it in her arms

The silence was interrupted for once not by her, it’s a slightly familiar metallic sound she’s heard before despite not knowing what it is, she turned around, she can’t see anything, the candle light only stretches so far, squinting she sees a shadow, it begins to come into light, first a hand on the corner of the wall, it’s black and dripping?

Mary begins to back away fear gripping her heart, as the entity got closer to the light, a dripping black face comes into the light.

A scream rips from Mary’s throat, running into the winding corridors, she hears splatting noises behind her alerting her that the thing was fallowing her, tear fell from her eyes as she ran, just as she tried running in the ink, she slowed down to a screeching halt

Mary cursed, trying to will her feet to go faster as she essentially fast walked in the thick ink, she heard the creature behind her, she whirled around to see it’s arms out stretched for her, she hit the think with her guitar case, the force sending it into the wall with a splat!

She yanked her other foot out of ink, running for her life once again, running past the bendy cutout she hears the creature chasing her once again, the candle room’s shadows seem like they’re trying to chase her as much as it did, in storage the thing tackled her to the ground making more screams rip out of her throat, as it pulled her foot, making a strange gurgling sound, she used her other to kick the thing, her shoe leaving a print on the darkened shirt, she pushes her body to her feet, throwing the guitar case at it to keep it down, she found herself running even faster down the hall, she hears the it once again its foot slaps matching her shoe clops.

She sees the stairs! Her salvation! As she ran up those stairs her salvation was short lived as she fell on the steps, she didn’t slide down it, she looks down to see the thing slide into the wall, it looks at her making it’s gurgling noise

“mmmaaaeee-”

“Get away from me!” Mary screamed using her hands and knees to quickly grab the rail and run the rest of the way, she went out the door and slam the door in the things face, dead bolting the lock only used for security at night, she hears it splat on the door, putting all of her weight on it.

She listens, it doesn’t knock, the thing lets out little harsh breaths

“mmmmmaaaa-“ it seems to stop, then she heard little splatting foot steps going down the stairs

Mary breathed in and out, tears falling down her face, trying to comprehend just what the hell she saw!

She didn’t know what it was!

She had to get to Minnie!

* Mary fast walked down the hall, even if she was terrified out of her mind, being jobless in this depression was so much worse!

She goes down the hall to the drawing nook and immediately starts speaking as she gets closer

“Minnie I need to-“ Just as she looks in the door she sees Minnie and Joey. Had they been having a conversation? Right now Mary couldn't care less! The person she wanted to avoid was here!

“H-Hello Joey” She waves, her smile is strained

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite pretty Mirror!” His smile faltered “did another pipe burst?”

Oh no! He was talking about her appearance! She’s covered in the ugly black ink! Mary swallowed

“Minnie, can I talk to you. Now.” She added ‘now’ when Minnie looked like she was about to say something

“Why?”

“I just need to talk to you, right now.” Minnie raised an eyebrow, Minnie knew that look. Mary was guilty about something and afraid

“All right Joey, Mary has priority.” Joey didn’t look upset, at least by Mary’s standards, but by Minnie’s she saw the twitch of his lip and his eye. Joey was pissed, but hiding it behind his fake smile

“Very well, we’ll save this meeting for another time. Au revoir my two pretty roses”

Minnie scowled, Mary gave a strained smile. Joey left, Mary watched him go to the end of the hall until he was out of sight at closed the door.

“Mary?” Minnie asked when Mary didn’t immediately say anything. Mary was waiting to be sure that Joey was far enough away

“What’ so important th-“ Mary grabbed Minnie’s shoulders without warning, and said in whispered urgency

“There’s something in the basement!”

“What!”

“I went down there to get my guitar and it graaaabed me” Mary sobbed, Minnie hugged her sister rubbing her ink stained back

Minnie gave her a few hushed shhhhh’s and came up with a plan

*

Joey was locking the door for the night, he kept hearing shuffling noises, but this building wasn’t the best, He did have something but he doubted it was that.

Walking out of the area, his footsteps faded.

In the still building a new voice broke the silence but still quiet

“Is he gone?”

“I think so”

Mary, Minnie and Allison peeked out of the closet, they didn’t hear anything anymore. So Joey must be gone!

The door opened to reveal the cramped women.

Minnie flicked on the flashlight that she’d brought with her

“I’m surprised you didn’t come during the night Mary” Minnie gave her a look that she rarely got to give Mary a very ‘that was a dumb idea look’

“Well, I didn’t want to go down there in the dark! Or be by myself in this entire building!”

Allison pat Mary’s back as she huffed

“Hey I’m not blaming you, look: let’s go get your guitar”

“Minnie, my guitar is the last thing on my mind right now.” Mary said

“Well then we’ll go see your ‘living ink stain monster’” Minnie shrugged, Mary didn’t think it should be approached with such a casual attitude

Mary stopped when they go to the bolted door

“You think Joey locks the employees in and no one notices?” Minnie joked, or attempted a joke

“Please don’t joke about that” Allison said, rubbing Mary’s tense shoulders “are you even sure we’re prepared? All we have is a flashlight to defend ourselves with if there really is a monster down there”

“I can take it down” Minnie said with confidence, they could tell she was a touch nervous about a monster, probably not. Being at work after hours when she was pretty sure their boss was a psycho of some sort, yeah that’ll do it.

“And I have a knife” Minnie pulls a pocket knife out of nowhere

“Where'd you get that?” Allison raised an eyebrow “She’s had it.” Mary answered for Minnie

“What she said” Minnie confirmed unbolting the lock, she shines the light down the dusty stairs, only Mary’s foot prints disturb it.

“Regular stairs it appears” Minnie attempted another joke, looking at the two “ I don’t know if I trust them, they seem like they’re up to something”

When stiff silence answered she mumbled, “tough crowd” twisting her head back to the stairs

When Mary didn’t move to go down the stairs, Allison pat her back “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure no one sneaks up on us, Mary gave a small smile, beginning her trek back down the stairs

Mary notices as she walks, her foot prints are all over the floor but where were the foot prints of the thing, she remembered hearing in her terror, it’s wet feet splatting on the wood floor.

She had to stop just to see if she was imagining it, pushing her foot against the dust next to her foot print. The dust shifted and brushes into her other foot print.

“You sure that there’s anything down here? I haven’t heard anything” Minnie said to Mary

“I…I don’t know” She said looking at the dusty but clean floor

Minnie looked at her then at the floor but didn’t get what Mary was looking at “Come on lets go deeper”

Allison pat Mary’s back when she didn’t move, as they moved she kept looking for the foot prints that weren’t there.

“What’s with the candles?” Allison asked, Mary looked, the candles were there, but they were burned out and making small wax icicles on the shelf they were set on.

“Holy shit!” Minnie pulled them to the side

“There’s someone there!” Minnie whispered

“actually that’s a bendy cutout” Mary hopped so anyway

The three women looked around the corner, Mary recognized the shape, it was the cutout, so she came out from behind the corner, making the other women make panicked noises, she again told them it was just a cutout.

The two look again to see it not moving when Mary came out, so they went to see it themselves.

“Bendy you adorable jerk, How dare you scare three beautiful women.” Minnie told the cutout

Allison scratched her head, Mary rubbed her shoulders like she was cold, Minnie shook her head, leading them to the flooded hallway

“And I thought wally not being here was just bad for the first floor” Minnie scratched her head, looking sadly to the side. Mary again noted just her foot prints were there

The women discovered what Mary had, that the ink was really thick.

“What the hell is this ink?” Allison was having a hard time pulling her shoes out of it

“It feels like ink cake” Minnie pulled her foot forward, she tried jumping but almost succeeding in just falling in the ink, but the other two grabbed her before she hit the ink

“Thank you…” Minnie squeaked in this state

“Don’t mention it” Allison mumbled as they both pulled her up

They managed to pull themselves to the other side.

“I don’t think this is helping the overall hatred everyone now has with ink, probably increase it actually” Minnie said “incredibly so”

“Can we just go to the music room and go home!” Mary was getting sick of Minnie making jokes like this was a trip to the market

“All right! All right! No need to get mad at me!”

Mary sighed in relief that the door was still open, not needing to backtrack.

They went straight for the music room

Everything was in its place like last time, at least by the candle light she saw before, she doesn’t see the candle anymore.

“Nothing seems out of place, do you see the guitar case?” Minnie asked

Mary looked around for it, she didn’t see the case, she hadn’t seen it in the halls either, where could it have gone?

She really couldn’t care less. They hadn’t seen the monster, was she going insane?

“Hello is anyone down here?!” Minnie shouted into the dark scaring the other women to death, nothing called back to them

Allison got angry “Why the hell would you do that!”

“Wanted to be sure no one was down here” Minnie shrugged

The two groaned, angrily

“Can we just go!” Mary said angrily, she wanted to get out of this place, it was giving her the creeps!

Minnie shook her head “We have to get rid of the foot prints from the ink, the dust isn’t too obvious, so then we’ll leave”

They did just that, then went home. Leaving the case down there forever for all they cared

Pro: She could think of no Pro

Con: She lost her guitar probably forever, she’s going crazy from who knows what, be it stress or the fumes of ink finally snapping her mind, either way she wasn’t feeling good.

[cutesyhunter]

Ink stained mirror Chapter 2: Intermission-Hallway (2/3)

Mary hated these hallways. For one more reason than scaring her to death.

The ever running pipes of the damned black ink, every single day she’d be covered in it, either it be a few drops on her collar or coated in it like she was going to a funeral. It never failed.

When she had a commission for sewing she had to put it under her clothes to prevent it from getting dirty when going home!

Also let’t not forget that ink only stained clothes, it stains paper!

Mary could swear she’d made the same Mary Mirror scene, three times but it seemed fate didn’t want Mary Mirror to see the light of day, but the same could be said for Bendy since it got covered in ink a million times too.

However Minnie had told her when Henry was around they’d managed to scrounge together two completed done cartoons. Meanwhile Mary Mirror hadn’t even completed one since the scenes kept being covered in the black liquid.

Mary stood in her ink covered everything, she looked at a bendy cutout, just sitting there innocently.

“Did you have to deal with this much buddy?” She asked his smiling face, sighing, she went back to her desk to see which scene she had to redo this time, she couldn’t help smiling since Minnie seemed just as determined to see these characters on the big screen as she was, especially since Joey didn’t seem to want to do any other cartoon in the past few months.

Pro: Mary was so proud of her younger sister, she had a lot more respect for animators especially if they had to deal with these same conditions

Con: She needed new clothes, and was having a new unrelenting hatred of ink.

[cutesyhunter]

Ink Stained Mirror Chapter 2: Music room (3/5)

*- are for important breaks in the story such as a time skip

(numbers)- are for different days that it happened, like different dates.

1

Mary balanced the papers in one hand staring at the device in her other as if it would any minute get up and just start walking. Joey had given them the recording device, or ‘Audio log’ a few months ago, something about for a class on art and animation, also for future employees to see how close the staff was. She’d never seen a device like it but she supposed Joey had his ways of getting things.

They’d had them for a while and everyone had already had something to say, but Mary didn’t know what to say. It’s not that she didn’t have a lot to say exactly, she just didn’t know what to say: Most sounded pretty stupid at least to her. She was too giggly and nervous, she wanted to sound like she knew what she was doing not like a giggly idiot.

She sighed going into the music room to give Sammy some sheet paper from storage, pretty proud she managed to avoid getting ink all over it.

No Sammy in the music room, or in the recording booth, she figured he was in his office, and went to check, since it had a window all the way at the end of the hall she figured, she’d see him but didn’t. Curious she put the blank sheets down to avoid getting them blacked out due to the sometimes gushing pipe outside of Sammy’s office.

Looking into the blindspot from the end of the hall, still no Sammy.

She wondered where on earth that gent could be? Wally had said he was here.

Shrugging she went to retrieve the papers and recorder from the stand she’d set them on, as she did so she heard a sound from the music room, a metallic sound, trying to place the sound, it stopped just as suddenly as it had started.

Confused she went into the music hall, to see Sammy sitting in one of the chairs, he looked at her.

“Why do you look so confused?” She must have had quite the look on her face for him to not even greet her first

“Sammy, where’d you come from?”

“I’ve been in here.” Sammy said

Now Mary was even more confused, had he been hiding behind the piano as to not be disturbed?

Had he been in the projection room above? No…she would have seen him.

Her confused inner ramblings had been interrupted by Sammy

“Can I help you with something?” Mary could never read Sammy’s frowns but this one wasn’t one of his glaring ‘scram’ looks as she called it

“I heard you needed some sheet music, so I got you some.” Mary said a nervous smile forming on her lips

“All right.” He shrugged taking the papers from her “Thank you”

“Y-Your welcome” She moved her hair behind her ear nervously

He looked at her other hand “Why are you holding you’r audio log like that?” She’d been holding it with two of her fingers on the ‘holder’ thing, like a metal bucket.

“you’ll drop it if you continue to do that”

“oh” She held it more in her hands since she couldn’t afford to break the thing, she didn’t even know where Joey got it if she did!

Looking at it she couldn’t help but sigh again, at her earlier thinking.

Sammy was staring at her again “What’s with that look?”

“oh it’s nothing…I’m just thinking” She told him

“is there something wrong with the recording?” He asked

“No of course not…I just don’t know what to say for the recording.” She said honestly to him

“Can I see it?” He asked, confusing her for a second time in the span of ten minutes

“Um…sure” She handed it to him, much to her embarrassed dismay, he pressed rewind and play on one she’d done the first day she got the thing.

(static) (rustling)

“Hi…(giggle) I’m Mary. Mary McConnell…(Strained laughter)”

Sammy looked at her, she’d turned into a shade of red that matched her hair, he gave her an amused look, making her turn deeper red somehow, when the recording stopped laughing his attention was back on the static words

“I (pfft)…(Throat clearing) I believe I should start at the beginning that’s how all stories start after all (Nervous giggle), my younger sister…well twin sister, Minnie got me this job. I was really struggling with keeping jobs, I’m pretty clumsy… (snort from laughter, throat clearing) I didn’t expect to keep this job let alone Minnie to keep this job, but seeing so much fire and passion when I see her drawing and trying to get it done, I feel so proud and, I feel like I could do this too! “

(…)

“Oh this sounds so unprofessional!-“

(static of being turned off)

Sammy looked up at her again, she was incredibly red in the face, like every drop of her blood had decided to rest in her face instead of throughout.

“I think you should keep it up, it doesn’t sound unprofessional and has a lot of personality” He placed the recorder back in her hand

It took a minute to process, did-did Sammy just encourage her?

“Don’t you have to go back to drawing?” He interrupted her thoughts again, with a really good point

“Oh that’s right! I left Minnie to finish the scene!” Mary took off leaving Sammy to his sheet music, and to hold in a chuckle at the tape being so sincere it hurt.

2

Mary and Minnie had a fight

when they had fights they couldn’t be in the same room without a glaring contest.

This week it was about Minnie getting a gold tooth which Mary thought was a dumb idea when they should be saving money

They’d had fights at work before, it’d put the studio even more behind schedule combined with the ink spilling on everything, with two of their animators fighting.

So when stuff like this occurred she helped another co-worker, with literally anything else.

Wally with cleaning: She hated this one since Wally would start to laze around when she helped. It was annoying. She liked him but his laziness should not be a thing when everyone was working hard.

Norman with his projection: She liked it a great deal since Norman was a real swinger of a guy. Only when she snuck up on her is when she didn’t like the work, editing was one of her favorite things when working with him, he’d talk about his family and such. Sometimes he’d tell her suspicions of Joey doing something, but she thought Norman was being Paranoid, it was making her a bit paranoid actually.

Sammy and Jack: They were okay to work for, she mostly went and got blank sheet music, mostly Jack since Sammy kept giving her a glare. Jack reassuring it was no hard feelings Sammy just didn’t like distractions when working. Mary was sure he just didn’t like her. She didn’t do this job often.

Any other jobs she had no experience with and therefore not trusted with the job

Today she was working with Norman, she was nagging about Minnie

“I mean who does that? get a gold tooth in a drunken stupor at a time like this? I mean I told her not to do something like that!”

Norman just silently listened as she complained, it wasn’t any worse than what his wife complained about.

“and she’s just so irresponsible most of the time, I mean can’t for once she do as she’s told or be at least a little responsible for her actions!” Mary fumed

“Ya both young, ya can ‘fford to be stupid” Norman said looking at the film for any imperfections

“Yes! I know that! But in these trying times we have to be cautious but Minnie is anything but that!”

Norman wondered if his own daughter was going to be like this when she hit puberty

“M’ybe ya need to t’ke a step back, ‘nd just calm down doll”

“I can’t when I’m so livid at her!” She fumed “This isn’t the first time! The last time she was in a drunken stupor she gambled away her paycheck! She bets all this money for some big thing thinking she might be able to save us out of this depression when she can’t!”

“‘ave ya told Minnie about this?” Norman asked

“Yes! She’s does this time and time again still!” She huffed out frustrated

Norman pat her on the back to get her attention “‘ave ya been firm with her?”

“…I think so?”

Norman noticed when he was walking and kind sneaking around. his observations with the twins were, Minnie was irresponsible but so good at reading people.

Mary was more of a doormat, but was such a sweetheart.

It was disconcerting since it Joey seemed to target what he considered weakness, one of the things Norman observed that Joey considered a weakness was kindness.

It didn’t surprise Norman that Minnie didn’t want Mary alone in a room with Joey, it was sweet of Minnie but something else Norman noticed was that since Minnie protected Mary all the time, it made the woman completely blind to the danger she was in.

“Mary do ya know wh’t Joey is like?” He questioned

“Well I know he’s a flirty gentlemen that knows how to flatter a lady” Norman had to stop his from snapping at her and getting whiplash “I really hope he fixes all the problems that are going on…someday…so he’d unreliable…”

Mary’s hand rested on her chin as she looked to the side with melancholy, she was thinking about it but to Norman it was obvious she didn’t want to see the bad in him, but she could see it. She didn’t want to say it, in case he was around the corner and fire her.

Norman considers his next question “Do ya think he’s suspicious at ‘ll?”

Mary looked at him smelling another theory of his “Should he?”

Shaking his head “I mean who gets a’ ink m’chine that causes more h’rm than good? Who m’kes his employees work overtime for getting the thing?”

“I don’t ask, I just do my job” Mary huffed out

They were both silent for a good moment

“Hey!” Both of them jumped, looking down at Jack, the lyricist.

“Can one of you go the melodies from Sammy if he’s done?”

Both of them wrinkled their noses at the terrible smell coming off Jack

“I will” She said trying not to show how bad he smelled, and avoid the conversation with Norman further

Once she left, Norman sighed, he really hopped the woman would be ok.

Pro: Her and Minnie made up by the end of the day

Con: Mary didn’t know how to feel about Joey anymore, but she really didn’t want to be fired so she was to stay quiet and try to stay positive.

3

Mary could almost swear that Sammy didn’t like her or Minnie, he always had this frown when she saw him, it could also have to do with the fact that he was always covered in just as much ink as she did at the end of the day. Maybe even more since she could sometimes still see the color under the black, but Sammy looked like a big walking ink stain.

Maybe she could get him some new shirts for a holiday if she knew his measurements?

Shaking her head of the thoughts as she continued sowing in the break room, she had another job to do, sewing by commission, she and Minnie couldn’t live if Joey kept ‘forgetting’ to give them their paychecks.

But they had jobs at least.

When the door opened she didn’t look up, far too focused on sewing.

“May I join you?”

She looked up to see Jack, the lyricist. He didn’t have the funky smell so she didn’t realize tit would be him.

“It’s just so quiet in her for once”

“Sure I don’t mind the company” Mary nodded, she heard him sit down, and went back to sewing.

She was so in the zone she didn’t hear another person come in, that is until they started talking to her

“Mary!” She jumped at her name, she looked at Jack only to find Sammy with him

“I’ve been calling you for the past two minutes. You in your own wonderland or something?” Sammy sighed

“you…know my name?” She couldn’t quite get over that shocked since she’d never heard him call her

“Of course I know your name, I’m gonna have to work with you, only an idiot wouldn’t learn the names of their coworkers”

Mary had to resit the urge to think about how she didn’t remember her customers names well

“As I was asking” He interrupted her thoughts “How does it sound?”

Sammy played a song on his banjo

Mary thought of the music lingo she did know.

“Maybe change the tempo to make it sound happier more…high pitched?”

Sammy seemed to sorta understand “You know music?”

“Only a little I can play guitar decently…”

Sammy shrugged at the realization

“I change my hobbies often so…yeah…” She awkwardly stopped that thought

Jack was looking between the two surprised they were getting along a little, and it was interesting. So his next thoughts were

“Can you sing?” Jack got closer to Mary with his sheet music

“…uuuuh” Mary shrugged, putting her needles down “ I could give it a shot?”

Mary sung the lyrics softly and tried to seem like she knew what she was doing

“I take it singing isn’t one of your hobbies?” Jack joked making Mary huff pouting

“Well it’s nice enough” Sammy mumbled

“…thank you?” she said trying not to sound a little offended

“Then again this song isn’t really for you, so when we have a song for you we’ll practice.”

Mary raised an eyebrow at the statement, it later hit her during dinner that Sammy had invited her to play music with them.

Pro: She had a theory that Sammy didn’t hate her. She might have made some new friends!

Con: Maybe she was wrong and he did hate her but right now she could think of no con!

4

About 4 months since the girls had been hired, a lot of things had changed, even if their boss was still terrible, the building while also terrible had gotten bigger, but their relationships with the other employees had gotten better, Mary, Jack and Sammy had gotten pretty close with their jam sessions and even allowed her to play guitar when it was time to use it. Mary would give hugs and had planned to make clothes when it was a holiday, and Minnie while not as affectionate was a great conversationalist with the others.

A few months into the new year a young woman had been hired to do voices for the characters since according to Joey both the women were terrible with changing their voices, both grumbling that they weren’t that terrible…

“Hello, It’s nice to meet to capable…albeit it similar pretty women” Mary smiled shyly pushing her hair to the side, Minnie frowned at the flattery

Her name was Susie Campbell, Mary thought she was friendly enough when they interacted in the recording room but like with Joey, Minnie got a feeling from the woman, probably because she was with Joey far more than any person in Minnie’s opinion should be.

That however was all Minnie got from Susie, she overall seemed to be a happy person who had a certain passion for her work that Minnie admired, playing a ton of the background characters that Mary nor Minnie could do. Even gave them some tips on how to change their voices, and get better at it.

After two months there was a new character for Susie to voice over, Alice Angel.

Mary was happy for her new friend, Minnie secretly hopped that meant Mary Mirror would be on screen more often, Mary Mirror was basically an everyman, the one you gave the background jobs to, the one who would switch sides depending on the episode; that is what she’d created her for in a way, since Mary herself tended to reflect the people she was around or whatever hobby she was doing that day bringing out the best in others, it was kind of obnoxious how she couldn’t stick to one hobby but it was also what made Mary herself. Even though it was how Minnie had written her she still wanted Mary more on the screen.

She wondered, if Joey ever felt like this since he created the characters, the idea made her skin crawl with disgust that they were in any single way alike.

Mary and Minnie had also watched what they hopped was a romance since they had once up in the projectionist room seen something amazing:

Both women had squinted to see if they weren’t seeing things

Sammy was…smiling?

When they saw that, they both broke out into smiles that took up the majority of their faces

There was no way they were going to let this slip through the cracks

“I’m going to tell him” Minnie smirked like a dork

“Don’t you dare!” Mary slapped her sisters shoulder

*

Mary wasn’t per say overshadowed but she still kinda took a backseat to Alice especially in the recording room since it seemed Alice too priority, which did annoy Minnie when drawing the scenes, especially when Susie started to sound like she thought Alice was better than Mary when she hadn’t even been on screen for very long! She wasn’t even done with her voiced lines yet!

“I think you’re overreacting…” Mary said after a few hours of complaining at home

“No I’m not!”

“She’s just happy to have a toon she connects to” Mary tried to calm her down

“That’t not an excuse to be rude! Yes Alice could be big like Sammy said, but so can you!”

Mary beamed shyly flattered at Minnie

“And if she’d rude and goes to interviews she’ll most likely ruin Alice before she’s even on the screen”

Mary decided for now this was a probable lost cause with her argument, so she just went to bed, leaving Minnie to fume

Minnie hopped that Susie got her comeuppance for being such a prick.

*

Minnie was walking down the hall trying to find another route to keep the papers clean

Rounding the corner, she suddenly heard muffled talking, which was strange since no one was around here, and rarely came this way, she saw a door starting to open and hid behind the corner.

She saw Susie adjusting her buttons, with Joey coming out behind her, Minnie suddenly hated Joey a lot more than before, but thinking about Mary and how much they both needed these jobs stopped her from running to slap his stupid head off.

*

Minnie couldn’t even speak to Susie, she was pretty sure she’d blurt out something that would get them both fired, but now every time Joey got close to Mary, she’d get in-between them.

There would be no more of Joey flirting with Mary, telling her she was pretty as a flower or that Mary and Mary Mirror would be going places, if he thought he could get away with it, he was dead wrong.

Mary might get mad at her for being rude, but she’d rather be seen as rude than Joey doing the same thing to Susie to Mary.

He could go screw himself!

*

“You know you shouldn’t trust him” Minnie said when she got Susie alone once

Susie looked offended “What are you scared that I’ll be better than your stupid little mirror”

Minnie would let that one slide, she’d let a lot of things slide right now

“No. I’m scared for you, you’ve lost weight, you’re a shade paler than before, and I get the feeling Joey has something to do with this!”

“Joey is going to make me a star!”

“Who cares!? You were happy when people liked Alice! What happened to that! Now you just want to be some star that no one will know who you are!”

“That’s not true! No one will know who you are since you’re just a pathetic little animator! With just as pathetic of a character!”

Okay that hurt, Minnie’s frowned, trying very hard not to get angry and just punch Susie in the face, it’d certainly make her feel better, she didn’t understand; Susie was passionate about her work and was a good person at first, was being with Joey making her like this? Or was she becoming blind to how people were?

“I hope you get your comeuppance soon.” Minnie grrr-ed out, leaving without punching Susie in the face

*

“Minnie? What’s wrong?” Mary asked her crying sister as she hugged the taller woman

*

“Everyone I’d like you to meet you’re new co-worker, Alison Pendle”

Okay maybe not that kind of comeuppance, when Minnie wanted her to get it. There was an air of awkwardness, as Mary sat with her new co-star Allison Pendle, she was trying to great the other woman and be polite but the red heads felt too awkward to interact or bring up the incident in front of Susie who they hadn’t seen for a while, then again whenever they did see her she glared at them like they were an enemy to her.

Minnie just growled back, pulled her sister to the other side of the road so they can get to work.

*

“Did I do something to make you not like me?” Allison asked Mary as she was about to exit the recording room, so Allison could voice Alice

Mary looked at Allison, she considers it, Susie had been a real jerk before she left, but everyone agreed, Susie hadn’t deserved that, so to try to make friends with the new VA seemed like a real betrayal to but since no one had seen Susie for a few days she guessed she should at least talk to the woman.

“No, Ma’am you didn’t it’s just that…” Mary looked to the side, thinking

Allison looked curiously at Mary, her lips quirked up into a reassuring small smile.

“Don’t worry about it, we’ll talk about it when I get done with the script. Deal?”

Mary considered Allison’s words, if she was going to be Mary’s co-star now, then Mary might as well get along with her.

“Okay” Mary mumbled bashfully

Putting a new spring in Allison’s step when they exchanged goodbye’s

*

The literal moment that Mary sat down to do some work is when Allison showed up:

“Hello”

Mary looked behind her to see who it was, Allison stood in the door way leaning against the frame, Mary couldn’t help but think about Minnie doing that

“Hello Allison” Mary gave a small shy smile to the woman, pushing her hair behind her ear

Allison raised her eyebrow, she’d noticed that everyone used her first name despite being new

“Why are you using my first name? Isn’t that a little rude?” She asked

“oh, my apologizes, it’s a habit Joey has encouraged in all the employees to make us closer, he’ll encourage you as well. Its honesty a nice idea since I feel closer to everyone” She babbled slightly since she was nervous, twiddling her thumbs more vigorously

“Oh that’s why” Allison crossed her arms thinking

There was a moment of silence that made Mary look back and forth awkwardly

“Did you need something?” She blurted

Allison shrugged “I just wanted to get to know my co-star a little better, and wonder why everyone’s giving me strange looks, and you seemed like the one least likely to snap at me”

“oh I um see” Mary put her hands in her lap

“So why is there so much tension?” Allison stood a little closer to Mary

Mary scratched her cheek and decided it was better she knew

“Well the previous star, Susie had voiced a few episodes and everyone was pretty used to her, but you came in like…really suddenly Joey had literally told no one until you came in a few weeks ago”

When Mary had said that, Allison’s face instantly understood but then she frowned deeply

“Wait you said she voiced a few episodes?”

“At least three but she’d been here for three months”

“Why would he change the voice actor so suddenly?”

“I don’t know, maybe he didn’t like how Susie sounded and didn’t want to tell her”

Allison wondered if Mary wasn’t the brightest bulb here

“And-“ Mary began getting Allison’s attention “I didn’t really ask since I really want to keep this job” Mary twiddled her thumbs again looking to the side sadly

Allison shook her head, she looked at what Mary had been working on earlier in the day, looking for anything to really get off the subject

“Is this Miss Mirror?” Allison points to the page, of Mary Mirror putting a hat on a stand and putting on a bartender uniform.

“Oh yes! I was just about to get back to the animation”

“She’s cute” Allison commented looking back at the actual person then held in her laughter that Mary was wearing the same clothes today

“What’s so funny?” Mary asked curiously

“Nothing” Allison chuckled “Are her and Alice friends?”

“It depends on the episode” Mary said concentrating on where her next line should go next

“Can I make some suggestions for the next episode?”

It took Mary a moment to let the question sink in “Of course!”

*

Minnie came in later to see Allison chatting with Mary as she drew, they noticed the semi-stunned sister

“Minnie! Allison’s been giving me tons of ideas for the next few episodes! Can we do them!?”

Minnie blinked at the quick sketch of Alice and Mary in matching black dresses

“I figured the only other female character could share the spotlight for a bit.”

Minnie decided she liked Allison

Pro: Mary had a new friend and she was so cool!

Con: She had no idea what happened to susie… She really hoped the woman was ok

5

Mary, Jack and Sammy were having their Jam session for the next cartoon, Allison was watching entertained, sometimes humming the tune. Minnie was at the door thinking of a good idea that Joey wouldn’t agree with but she was thinking about it. Kind of memorizing the positions

She wasn’t interested in the tune, Minnie noticed.

Minnie saw that Allison was focusing on Sammy, she knew that look on Allison’s face a little too well, another layer of awkwardness was now forming at the fact Susie was no longer there, but Minnie shrugged it off since as Mary said ‘sammy deserves someone great!’ and if Allison was that, great, but now Minnie wanted to go buy some shot gun ammo if Susie thought they’d set them up. Which they weren’t, just silently watching and cheering for them

They’d gotten a few cartoons done now, but Joey hadn’t released any of the ones with Mary as a Main character, so Mary Mirror still was just in the background. And the ones with her as a front character also was getting overshadowed.

Minnie had to pay Norman just to watch her own cartoons, with her own character. Mary would watch too but she kept reassuring the younger twin that Mary Mirror would someday see the light of day as they watched the butcher gang carry Mary and Alice to their secret hideout.

Minnie hopped so, truly but she hates Joey and she gets the feeling he hates her guts.

Letting out a huff, she didn’t realize the music had stopped when it did.

“You’re all really good” Allison clapped

Sammy let’s out a huff like ‘of course’, Mary just put her hair behind her ear, Jack smiled.

Minnie couldn’t help but smile at the group, they were really adorable, and hard working. She wanted with every bone in her body to show how hard working everyone in the building was, and to her it was to get one of the cartoons featuring all the characters out. If joey was going to screw her over, he shouldn’t be allowed to screw over his own company!

Minnie suddenly had an even better idea, she runs off, before she could leave to go home with Mary.

*

Mary waited with Allison outside, since the other woman didn’t think Mary should be alone outside, especially with it snowing.

Finally Minnie came out looking really shell shocked

“Minnie? Minnie?” Mary waved in front of her face

“Is she ok?” Allison asked Mary

“I don’t know” Mary was concerned

Mary convinced Allison to help her carry Minnie back home

*

When they got Minnie home, she just silently got dressed for bed and just laid on her bed, that is until she woke up Mary in the middle of the night.

“I got Joey to agree to air Mary Mirror!”

“That’s great Minnie, but can’t you save it until morning?”

*

Only privately and for tickets, but Minnie persuaded him to let her air it at the one place Minnie knew it would at least be appreciated.

“The Purple Pig?” Mary said with this very obvious annoyance, she was very angry

“That speak easy that you not only got persuaded to get a gold tooth but almost. Gambled. Your savings away”

Minnie would let Mary be angry for now, since she did have reason to be.

“It’s not like that this time, I’m not going drinking or a winning streak, I’m going there to really do something…good…for the studio” Minnie didn’t like how that sounded but it was the only way she could think of to convince her

“That sounds like you convinced Joey to let you go drinking and gambling”

“No Mary, I mean it. I’ll even invite your friends!”

Mary looked over at the door not knowing how anyone would take a speak-easy, hell it makes her nervous that Joey knows Minnie is like this

“Not your work friends” Minnie said. “Your old friends, I want them to see Mary Mirror and all the other characters”

“Alice, Bendy and Boris” Mary scolded slightly.

“I know their names” Minnie huffs “The point is, we’re going to create buzz so that Joey will let Mary Mirror on screen more often.”

“Won’t it just be promoting the cartoons in general?” Mary pointed out

Minnie huffed out like she was frustrated “Can we go do that or not? Cause last I checked I’m a grown woman and you’re not my mother.”

Mary let out her own huff, she too was frustrated “Only if I see no drink in your hand and no money.”

“Fine, Fine. I’ll give you my wallet and my word. Deal?”

Mary didn’t know if Minnie’s ‘word’ was worth much but her wallet was a start.

“Yeah, Deal” The sister shook on it.

*

How they got Norman to lend them a projection was beyond them. But he gave them the warning like two children “You bust my projector. I’ll bust both of your asses!”

Which was honestly fair enough, they broke the equipment they could never afford to replace it, which was why Minnie was in charge of it, with Mary’s butterfingers they were almost guaranteeing they’d owe some money.

“So what’s the password this time?” Mary asked

“I’ll tell him the password” Minnie told her, arms empty for once today she’d gotten there earlier with Norman since he didn’t trust her with his equipment, which again was fair. He however now knew, that one of the girls, most likely Minnie knew the owner of said speak easy

Said woman who he suspected didn’t seem to care.

As they walked down the slightly damp street it almost getting dark, they spotted one of Mary’s friends.

“Larry!” Mary called to the bigger man, running over to him, he opened his arms for the incoming hug that he saw coming, he spun her around as best he could, she was a good head taller than him.

“Mary! It’s wonderful to see ya darlin’!” She giggled at him “It’s wonderful to see you too!” she said

Minnie caught up to her running sister

“And wonderful to see you as well” He gave Minnie a hug too, making it a group hug

“Larry, you’re crushing me!” Minnie joked, making fake coughing sounds. He released both of them, laughing “I apologize! I suppose I don’t know my own strength!” He flexed jokingly making both the women stifle their laughter

“Did you wait out here?” Mary asked

“Well, Yes I wanted to be sure you both made it” Larry scratched his head

“we’re both here, let’s just go inside.” Minnie walked past them, and up to the door giving a secret knock

Larry and Mary came up behind her just as the peep hole slid open

“Password.”

“Swine fly.” Minnie said, the two looked at each other, raising an eyebrow at such a strange password

The man on the other side closed the peep hole and opened the door, Mary recognized the guy from last time she had to drag Minnie home.

He stared at them as they passed, he tipped her hat and he nodded at her

“Where my hoodlums at!”

Most of the people cheered and called Minnie’s name, Mary couldn’t help but wonder if she was hanging out at this place too much, not that these guys weren’t bad influences, some where actually sweethearts but in a place like this it made Mary slap her face

Mary spotted her friends, she waved at them, which they returned. Larry and her joined them

Mary pulled both of them in a hug since they were both small enough for her to do that

“Scarlett! Gary! It’s so wonderful to see you both!”

Gary sourly grumbled, Scarlett pat Mary’s arm

She let them both go “How’s the baby?” Mary asked Scarlett

“Rose’s all good girlo, I love her, but mommy needs a night out by herself. Also I figured her and Daddy needed a bonding night” Scarlett chuckled

Gary cut their conversation short “So you’ve been hold up in some studio with your sister, doing who knows what in a stained dress, and looking a shade paler than usual, to be blunt; hope your cartoons are good”

Scarlett slapped him on the back of the head for his bluntness, he was going to make Mary cry! She could already see the tears prick at the mention of ‘ink stained dress’

“What this tackless baboon is trying to say is we’re worried, we hardly hear from you in days and when it’s about your job, the stuff we do hear makes the place sound like a health hazard, I know the job market and money is bad right now, but I-“

Larry and Gary coughed

“-we. Don’t want you to go into a far too early grave” Scarlett finished

“And genuinely hope you’re doing a good job” she added

Mary twiddled her thumbs “Well sometimes they’re good, but with the rushed deadlines and the ink always making us redo it, we try our best but sometimes they do end up crummy”

Gary let out a huff looking sympathetic “ah terrible bosses, can’t work with them” He pat her back, he too had to deal with a awful boss, he was thankful that he wasn’t on the level with Mary and Minnie had to deal with “Maybe you could sue him later”

Mary flicked Gary’s hand making him mumble “ow”

“Don’t even joke you jerk” She giggled putting her fingers around a few of his own

They all gave each other smiles

“All right hoodlums! I hope you’re ready for these cartoons! Me and My sister worked on these so we hope you like them!”

Minnie jumped out from in front of the projector and gramophone, as a friend who had a little knowledge on the projector played play, as Minnie joined Mary and her friends, Salty joined them as well.

“We got this” Minnie pushed Mary with her knuckles making her giggle

Everyones attention went to the cheerful music and Bendy’s face coming up, now only time could tell

*

It had been a pretty good turnout, despite the animation having some of the ‘crummy’ ones in it, everyone laughed when they were supposed to, cheer when they were supposed to, and laughed when they noticed a very adult joke in one of them.

When the cartoon would end for an intermission, Mary and Minnie would get pats on the backs for their good work, since they did know most everyone here save for a few.

Before they both knew it, the cartoons were over. The twins gave each other a smile at the successful night.

Mary’d even been talked to by a few beautiful people, once a man and woman back to back.

“D-did it just get hotter in here?” She asked Minnie who was laughing at Mary waving her face and pulling her collar to let the heat out

It was a great night, that they couldn’t wait to tell about the next day, even if Joey didn’t agree to air them again for a while

[cutesyhunter]

Ink Stained Mirror Chapter 2: Home (5/5)

*- are for important breaks in the story such as a time skip

Trigger warning there’s some nasty stuff at the end of the chapter, proceed with caution or just skip

It had started like any other day, just Mary going about her business avoiding getting dripped on by ink and struggling not to break down, she missed everyone from the music room, their jam sessions made everything seem a little better.

“Hello Miss Mirror” Joey greeting Mary, she looks at him with her tired bloodshot eyes

“Oh Hello Joey” Mary gave him a small wave

“Looking a beautiful as ever” He complimented making her flushed

“Th-thank you Joey” She pushes her hair behind her ear

He gives her his charming smile, “I was wondering, if you’d be so kind as to accompany me tonight.”

Mary flushed harder “Oh is it a company thing?”, she pushes her hair back but it’s already behind her ear

“Only your company, beautiful.” He kissed her hand

Which made Mary immediately drop the papers “oh no! I’m so sorry sir!” She was immediately flustered, picking up the papers that were beginning to get stained with ink from the cracks in the wood

“No problem at all, but I believe you should give me an answer pretty mirror”

“C-Can I think about it sir?” She giggles feeling the heat increase rapidly

“Of course, pretty Mirror,”

Mary let out a fit of giggles from being flattered so much, she didn’t even care that her dress was getting stained

She couldn’t imagine a date with Joey since he was the exact opposite of her type, she liked reliable good gents, but maybe he’d surprise her, she hummed happily just as she passed the very stunned and very hidden Minnie.

A scowl slowly replaced her stunned expression as she saw Mary walking away happily.

*

It wasn’t even an hour later when Mary hear rapid stomping practically shaking the building, Mary wondered dully what Joey could have done to piss Minnie off this time.

That is until Minnie kicked the door to the drawing nook open, Mary nearly jump out of her seat

“We. Are. leaving.”

“Wha-“

Minnie dragged Mary out of her chair before she could protest

“Minnie what’s going on!?” Mary called over Minnie’s rapid stomping to the front door

Joey was saying something, yelling at Minnie but Mary couldn’t hear it with Minnie screaming at Joey that

“We quit!”

When those words left Minnie’s mouth Mary immediately demanded an explanation, slapping Minnie’s hand to get her attention until her skin was plastered with red from irritation, she shouted and hurled actual insults until people started staring making Mary shut up but Minnie just kept walking until they were at their apartment. Then Minnie actually looked at Mary

“Did that worm hurt you?” She demanded

“Who are you talking about!?” Mary demanded back

“Joey!”

“No!” Mary said appalled that Minnie would think that, Joey was many things but someone who hurt women that was just an awful thing to say!

“Why on this green earth would you think that!?”

“I-“

A cough interrupted them, and they looked at their landlord just standing there

“Can you both get into your apartment and keep the noise in there instead of disturbing the peace.” He glared at them

Both women mumbled a ‘…yes sir’, and went into the apartment, locking the door.

“Now tell me what’s going on!” Mary demanded, once the door was locked

“I overheard you!” Minnie said, looking to the side like the idea disgusted her

“Overheard what!” Then Mary realized “You had me quit over a DATE!” If she was angry before she was absolutely livid now!

“You shouldn’t accept anything Joey has to say!” Minnie yelled

“I told him I’d think about it!” Mary barked back

“You shouldn’t even be giving him that!”

“So I should have just said to ‘go away’! Do you even know what a date is! I’ll tell you! It’s to decide if you want to date longer or marry! You were on a date with Grant and decided you didn’t want to date him anymore!”

“That's different!”

“No it’s not! Joey isn’t even my type I don’t like irresponsible gents! But I would have gone to be polite! Yet you decide to make both of us quit when we have rent to pay and need food! That’s the most irresponsible thing you’ve ever done!”

“Oh here we go again! You go on and on about me being irresponsible but you can’t even see when someone is using you when it’s right in front of you!”

“Yes I will go on and on because you keep doing it! You even liked this job! So I can’t believe you just did something so stupid!” Mary’s voice rose in volume

“That’s not stupid! What’s stupid is you dating the man that could have killed your friends!” Minnie’s rose in volume with an accusing tone

“You don’t know that stupid!” She yelled back

“Stupid!”

“Stupid!”

Minnie turned around back to the door intending to leave “I sometimes wish I didn’t HAVE a sister!”

There was a heavy silence that fell between them, Minnie covered her mouth not believing she’d said that

“I guess we’re on the same page then.” Mary said quietly

Minnie didn’t look at her as she slammed the door shut

Mary stared at the door, hoping it would burst into flames, as the door started to blur from the hot tears pouring down her face, covering the river of tears with her hands she threw herself onto the bed wondering what on earth she could do

She didn’t have a job, rent was due soon, she was angry at Minnie, and she didn’t know what to do!

Her  clothing commissions could only save them for a little while, what was she going to do?

For now she just cried into her pillow

*

Mary opened her eyes, they felt heavy, her entire body felt heavy, she must have fallen asleep.

She looked at the clock, it was late, she’d slept for hours.

“Considering the hectic hours Joey has us working, it’s a wonder I slept so long” She sighs, looking over to the other bed, Minnie wasn’t back. She was kinda happy Minnie was still out, she got the feeling they’d just fight more

Mary rubs the tears away before they start falling again, she goes to the cabinet getting a glass, she gets the milk out and pour a healthy glass.

She takes a gulp to sooth her parched throat, out of the corner of her eye she spots something on the ground. Putting down the milk and glass she goes over to see an envelope with ‘Mary Mirror’ written on it, someone must have pushed it under the door, considering they got their mail from the post.

Mary shook her head at the nickname, she always found it odd, she noticed Joey used to call Susie, ‘Alice’ and now he called Allison ‘an angel’, one was perfectly normal but the nicknames were just off. It did give her indication of who sent it thought.

“What could Joey possibly want?” She said to herself as she opened the envelope with a letter opener

To Mary Mirror,

Terribly sorry about causing a scene, I suppose animation is just too much for her now. It’s a shame I had to lose both of you, but I must ask you to come back as soon as you can to get your last checks and get your answer to my question. Tonight would be great.

Mary wondered if it were far too late to do it, but their checks would make it easier for a bit.

Pulling on her hat and coat, she considers leaving a note but then shrugs, it shouldn’t take long…then thinks it would be bad not to, so she quickly leaves a note that she was going out and would be back and off she went into the night back to Joey Drew Studio’s.

*

“As creepy as last time” Mary recoiled at how creepy the building was at night, she thought about the last check and how it’d help her and Minnie for a while, steeling her resolve she turned the knob, thankful that Joey left it open for her

again just as creepy as the last time she was here at night

She shook off her worries, and entered the building

“Joey?” Her voice echoed off the walls

She looked around the corner, to see a moving shadow

“Joey!” The shadow seemed to look in the direction of her voice, but then it went out of the light, it was in the ink room

“Oh why” She slapped her face, but steeled her resolve again

She went around the corner, did Joey really go into the ink room? She couldn’t see a shadow anymore

“Joey?” She called as she jumps over the pipe, she never came here. The room gave her the creeps.

Thankfully the balcony was small so she just had to scan to see it was empty, she let out a phew that she wouldn’t have to go into the room itself.

But then she heard something, a familiar splatting sound, it was close together, almost like footsteps that gripped her heart with fear, she looked over to the ‘floating’ ink machine.

She gripped her shoulder in fear, holding herself as she got closer to the railing and looked down into the inky depths, she was thankful that there was nothing there.

She spots movement in the corner of her eye, near the bottom, so she got on her toes to hold the railing, she sees something moving in the ink pool, her nails practically are in the wood from griping the wood, but she sees it. A withering face in the darkness like a wiggling airless fish.

“Wha…the hell?” She backs away getting ready to turn and run for her life, a spitting pain in her head makes her fall forward on the wood floor, her heads throbbing as she watches the world get swallowed in darkness, she sees a man’s shoes come into view just as her world completely fades.

*

Mary comes back into the world in a blurry dark haze, she shook her head to make the fuzz go away, but it only succeeded in giving her a headache, screwing her eyes shut at the pain.

She hissed but couldn’t hear it.

When she opened her eyes, it was still dark but that was more lack of light than coming out of unconsciousness.

She squinted, she recognized the room from what she could see, it was the storage just outside of the music room!

She tried to get up, but she realized, she was sitting in a chair, her wrists and shoulders were tied to the chair, she attempted to scream, but her mouth was covered, another few attempts to pull her wrists out of the rope, tears began to fill her eyes as she realized the graveness of this situation, her muffled screams filled the room.

Her head lowered as the tears and snot fell, she noticed in alarm, that there was a strange circle underneath her, she didn’t know what it was or where it came from!

She jumped realizing in terror, in her moment of silence: she heard something behind her, a tapping of a shoe, and a few breaths.

She held still hearing harder to figure out who it was, she couldn’t turn her head all the way, the person must have realized since they stopped tapping their foot.

Mary jerked her bare foot back, it felt like something had just stabbed it with a needle, but there was no one in front of her!

She pulled them back as much as she could, pulling her knees up to her chin but her toes still on the floor, looking around wildly for something, anything that made sense right now

Then, she saw it, the ink circle was moving, and moving towards her like little tendrils, it creeped up to her big toe, she let out a muffled scream as it felt like her foot was burning.

From the blurry tears she saw the ink going into her feet like tree roots, her tears joined the thick ink reaching up her leg, but then she looked up to something worse, a big ink tendril rising up like a pillar, and pulling itself back like a scorpion tail.

She saw it coming but it didn’t prepare her for the pain, as it flew through her heart, and her world went black again, from the burning pain.