#The Mistake Of The Studios (The Ink Demon)

[reel-fear]

one day I'll snap and write a 234 page essay on why BATDR's ink demon is one of the worst character designs I have genuinely ever seen and how while I'm sure they're well intentioned. People who defend it or say its better than the og are genuine proof that most ppl are NOT qualified to speak on what makes good character design.

Hell maybe I'll even make it a video essay but dear god seeing Mike slander the hell out of batim ink demon while acting like the new one is SO much better like SHUT UP SHUT UP YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO SPEAK ON THIS STOP PRETENDING YOU ARE!! STOP BEING SO CONFIDENTLY WRONG AND STUPID ABOUT THINGS YOU HAVE NOT STUDIED EVEN THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF

YOU COULDNT EVEN ANIMATE HIM CROUCHING THAT'S HOW POORLY YOU DESIGNED HIM. HE HAS TO TRIP OVER HIMSELF AND HOLD OUT HIS ARM TO PREVENT HIMSELF FROM EATING SHIT IN OUR BIG DRAMATIC CUTSCENE BEFORE THE CLIMAX.

Genuinely if you have a character design and you cannot animate it Crouching/Kneeling/Leaning Over without it looking unnatural or stupid. Go straight back to the drafts and do some anatomy studies. The basics of art of anatomy of character design are important to understand and this design fails all of them. They didn't even give him digigrade legs THATS NOT HOW DIGIGRADE LEGS WORK, DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW I LEARNED DIGIGRADE LEGS AS A KID? I LOOKED IT UP ON FUCKING GOOGLE AND STUDIED HOW MY CAT WALKS. ANYONE WHO HAS DONE EVEN THE MOST BASIC OF STUDIES ON DIGIGRADE LEGS KNOWS THATS NOT HOW THEY WORK. HERES A GRAPH-

This is rough cause I didn't want to make anything too elaborate for a random tumblr post, but genuinely I hope you can feel the struggle as I attempt to pose these legs in a way that SHOULD be natural for digigrade legs. But the hoof isn't able to move on it's own [think like how your ankles can move and rotate your foot] so they just follow the legs rotation in a way that is so stupid looking.

The joints are evenly space out so it looks horrifying and I mean just look at this mess! I couldn't even draw him raising his foot or SITTING in a way that looked natural anyone who has so much as looked up "digigrade legs tutorial" or "Mlp hindlegs tutorial" knows this is WRONG. This is the BASICS the FUNDAMENTALS and yet they got it all wrong showing Mike and Meatly haven't so much as gone through the effort of a god damn anatomy study before rushing to make this design and declare the best god damn creature design ever seen. Embarassing UGH-

[the-horror-show]

“My ink swells and boils, it consumes…. I. Am the ink demon.” Title: The Ink Demon nickname: Bendo Aliases: The Demon, One with the ink, Bendy, Mistake of Joey Drew Studios, Remnant of Eddie, broken Shell, the first attempt, the habit’s prison, Ruler of the studios, God Of The Ink, Broken Kid, Henry’s Creation, Broken Son, the Monster -Height: 6′9 feet -Length: 13 feet (tail) -Weight: 200 lbs -Age: theoretically he’s technically around the same age as the Habit, though is physically stuck as 19 years old, his actual age would be possibly early 20s to early 30s as of current events -Species: Ink Entity/Ink Demon/Cartoon/former human mix Abilities/Aspects: -inhumane physical strength that surpasses all beings in the studios -able to use ink to regenerate lost body parts and wounds -heavily impaired vision, uses echolocation and the cutouts to see -able to manipulate all matter of ink at will -inky demonic aura is heavily hazardous to weaker ink beings, and a death sentence as if you step into the aura your basically announcing your presence to him, can also corrupt and shift an ink being’s physical form to it’s liking -consumes souls to become stronger -immense durability -despite exhausted and heavily scarred state, is quite fast and agile, able to run faster than normal humans -unpredictable mindset and behavior, can be docile one moment, and extremely aggressive the next -cartoon personality makes it somewhat act more or less like a teenager at times -able to use portals made out of ink to get around faster, some just call this teleportation -telepathic, seemly connected to all entities within the studios -can also make his presence known by having the victim’s vision shift to An black and white like filter, with their heartbeat being very visible as it’s footsteps echoed -if under extreme stress and in very stressful situations and if enough ink is around, the many souls within it will go haywire, absorbing any and all ink around to have the demon transform into a larger, far more monstrous form of himself -has more endurance and stamina and reflexes than normal due to being an vessel for the HABIT -stealth -sharp claws -powerful tail -sharp teeth -seemly weak to an unknown material of lighting and energy that causes it immensely physical pain, reverting it back to it’s smaller form in a instant. -due to being made out of ink, can possibly ‘fuse’ with others into a single entity or more to become even more stronger -constantly tired, and afraid of being taken over by the habit -is heavily vulnerable to a certain film reel, and other inky beings that are on a similar level of strength to it -extraordinary Jumper -predatory mindset when following the script, acts much more like the ink demon in canon than he normally does Background- When the habit isn’t possessing him, the ink demon, aka Bendo, is in control, he looks exactly like how the twisted and malformed state that the ink demon is in when the habit is in control, but more stable, smaller, and nearly perfected, though with faint scars throughout his entire body. Due to this, and being heavily tired whenever he is in control, he is normally seen either resting for heavy periods of time due to the overall exhaustion he gets when he has control over his body, or- more accurately, much to his own annoyance, even when he isn’t being controlled by the habit, still following the script despite it being heavily broken and altered, despite the reputation he holds, Bendo is overall an really nice little guy, who just happens to have a lot of souls inside of him, and is also the remnant of this universe’s Joey Drew’s own son, Eddie. Bendo is basically like the canon ink demon at first, harmless- childish and possibly scared- being locked away for a time by gent and Joey, though unlike the original canon, he was actually taken in and cared for by Tom and Allison, along with their own kid, going by Buddy. though when the studios fell part, nothing was the same ever again. bendo is overall in essence- an traumatized, troubled teenaged kid that had been hardened and forced to grow up, to live up to his name and reputation within the studios being the dreaded ink demon, when in reality, he simply just wants to be with his family again, and to have someone to care for him. And to finally get rid of the entity that had basically destroyed his entire life. --- Mod Toon Notes- This was Originally meant to be concept art for something prowler related- now it’s simply meant to show what the ink demon normally looks like in the horror show AU when he isn’t being possessed. As you can see he’s meant to look basically nothing like how the habit makes him look, though he is still a threat, as he’s pretty much a shell of his former self, having an amalgamation of souls within him to restore the lack of one when he was turned into the ink demon in the first place, with his main soul being basically heavily tainted and torn, his personality is kinda like a mix between the ink demon from ink machine and little toon bendy from dark revival, being a scared kid/teenager to some degree, acting like an cornered animal that just wants to be left alone, though due to the habit, and of course, the cycle. He can’t get a moment of peace, and is sometimes forced to live up to his title of being the monster of the studios, when he simply wants to be normal, and not be treated like a monster. His voice actor shall be basically the canon voice, but made to sound younger since it’s only the true canon voice whenever the habit is in control, or if it’s in a more larger form that has more of the habit’s age showing out, and his theme song? Well, did you all really need to have me question it? youtu.be/FFHC1zOSaHY And he also basically sounds the same as the ink demon from bendy and the ink machine, with the added touch of adding in beast bendy’s roars, that is all- just wanted to post something different, the server is still by accounts open!- anyways hope ya all like this old art that i may or may not at some point fix up to actually show a more up to date design.

[telekinetic-electronica]

bendy, "ink demon", and trauma responses

I've recently got back into Bendy. (tbh this shit is never gonna be going away this has been my special interest for 7 years FDKJNDSJKFD) and I did some thinking on him again. It's crazy to me on how... dehumanized Bendy was. While, yes, he's not an actual human, but he's still, y'know a person. He has feelings, he's conscious. He just doesn't have a soul. Which brings me to this post. The Ink Demon has never been called by Bendy. Which, you're all like "well, duh. That's his ink form. His other form is his toon form, just to tell which forms apart." I know that's possible the case. But I do wanna look into this attitude a bit more. When Bendy was first created, Joey literally called Bendy a THING, and for him to lock him away because he wasn't what he wanted. His literal crime was looking scary. So, Thomas Connor and Gent by the request of Joey, locked Bendy away for... God knows how long. Tbh, it's never clear on how Bendy ever acts, but Bendy was probably scared out of his mind. Can you imagine you're finally made and some people are talking. You have no idea what's going on, but this Joey dude says that you're wrong. You came out wrong. You are a mistake. You're suppose to be loveable, silent, and small. But you're not that. You're tall, empowering, posing, and not even a real chance to prove you're not as scary as you look. You aren't even called by your name, nor the title you would gain via your infamy. You are a thing. You are not someone who has emotions or needs, a thing. You are a monster. Now, you're locked away, probably terrified, and calling for help but people around you are too scared of you to help or don't wanna face the wrath of this Joey Drew.

I think Alice said this best back in Chapter 4 of the original game. At the studio, you were in someone's pocket, or someone was in yours. The studio was a disaster pit. Even if not everything happened was "real" or w/e, Joey was still a dickhead to everyone around him. Bendy was no exception. I think Bendy probably learned the best way to survive the studio, and the harsh reality around him was to manipulate. Bendy is a pretty good manipulator, he can get into someone's head, mess with them, and still taunt them. No one is born or created evil. That's a learned method.

In extreme cases of trauma, many people are in survival mode and thinking about themselves to survive, and how they can get by. This is because their safety, wants, and needs weren't being met. Not to mention, Joey and Gent just threw Bendy into the cartoon world, probably to just lock him away forever. Joey locked Bendy up for God knows how long, and now he's in this like- cartoon world version of the studio. He goes from nothing to everything in one fell swoop. This just made Bendy retreat more into himself. It just made his coping mechanism of always having to be on top, always being in control, the one everyone needs to fear. Because, fuck it.

If he's so horrible, if he's so monstrous, if he's so terrible, than he'll just become it. Minus when Bendy meets Audrey in his toon form, Bendy doesn't have anyone. Bendy has never been shown any warmth, kindness, or love in his entire life. The only thing he does know is pain, suffering, coldness, been abandoned, and been made out to be a monster. Which brings me to this - no one has every called the Ink Demon by his real name.

Even when he's technically no longer being locked away, and ruling the cartoon studio, he's still been dehumanized. Or never seen as a fellow victim of the machine and Joey. Everyone has said to BEWARE the Ink Demon, look out for him, and watch your back. The one rule down there was always beware the Ink Demon. Hell, Bendy calls himself the Ink Demon. Bendy has just embraced the title of being seen as this almighty, opposing figure. People either blindly worshipped him or feared him. They never saw him as someone who was unjustly hurt. Unjustly locked away and abandoned. Unjustly painted as a monster because he didn't turn out the way Joey wanted him to be.

You know who has called Bendy by his name? Someone, for the first time, called him by his real name and not some title?

Audrey.

Audrey is the first person to show Bendy any kindness or warmth. While, yes, it was in his toon form. He actually gets treated like a person. Someone who has emotions, and even APOLOGIZED when she, on accident, hurt him. And Hell, dude accepts it! I really hope, going forward, as a way for Bendy to heal when he's in his Ink Demon form, Audrey shows him the same compassion and kindness in that form of his. But she also calls him by his name. Bendy. Not to mention...

The cycles are interesting to me. It could possibly just being a plot thing. But it could be seen as a continuing of generational trauma and toxicity, and Audrey is the one who stops it. Joey clearly has some shit going on. He hates not being in control and wants to be in control of how other people perceive him. So, he turns out destructive towards everyone. Which is... eerily similar to how Bendy treats his own trauma. Bendy and Joey were physically and emotionally destructive to the people around them. It's also kind of sad because Bendy thinks he's in control of the studio. Dude says it's his domain, when Joey was still in control all along.

Bendy is continuing that toxic cycle. Then Wilson comes along and projects his own trauma, and issues. While the cycle stopped, Wilson didn't make it any better, and probably made the cycle for everyone in the studio just worse. By Audrey having the book now, she's putting a stop to the generational trauma via helping out everyone still trapped and helping Bendy out. That's why I've been calling Ink Demon, Bendy.

Because that's his name, after all.

ADD ON-; I just wanna say that Bendy was HARDCORE self projecting on Audrey near the end. I also wanna touch on Bendy and suffering. Bendy was so miserable, and had nobody he just gave into his own suffering, and became the Ink Demon. If he has to suffer, he's going to make everyone else in the studio suffer. He only found any purpose was in harming others. Also, obvious disclaimer this doesn't justify what he does to the people he has hurt. It explains it, doesn't justify it.

It's just downright depressing that he thinks he had no purpose, his existence was a lie, thought of himself as a mistake, and monster. To be frank, I wouldn't be surprised if Joey called Bendy a monster or a mistake. He did call Bendy a THING after all. I really hope Bendy does get to heal and realize his purpose doesn't need to be him suffering and he can have SOME peace.

[devildarlindumbass]

(Tw fatass rant on my personal opinion on batdr and biggest annoyance with it that I think about forever)

Forever thinking about how the bendy games were meant to convey a theme of how seeking perfection and trying to erase mistakes always resulted in the worst

Alice going mad seeking a 'perfect' cartoon face, Sammy spiralling and leading himself down terrible places in search of returning back to his 'perfect' human body, Overall Joey creating monsters and harming the entire studio trying to create 'perfect' cartoons, Wilson trying to make his perfect cartoon character and attempting to harm Audrey in the process and ending up dead himself, ect. (Even in smaller cases like Jane wanting her character getting into the butcher gang to go 'perfectly' and presumably killing herself to get her way somehow)

And batdr seemed to have an excellent setup to follow this theme, with exploration of the ink demons abuse, In the studio despite being nonhostile being rejected for not being 'perfect', and growing aggressive when rejected and hurt- and then batdr follows off of this, how hes experimented on and tortured into being 'perfect', how despite the cartoon form is visually appealing and the desired perfection, it is quite literally achieved through torture and subduing.

The ink demons speech towards Audrey is very clearly projecting, and is explicitly with the line "You're a mistake, a monster, like me." He's ashamed of himself, but only because that's what he's been taught. Regardless, he feels powerful and truest in that form, and the cartoon form just isn't him, even if it's what was desired or expected of him, it causes harm.

And then after they team up and use the end reel, starting everything over after defeating Wilson (and his torture machinery), prepared to do the cycle right, what form of the demon do we see?

... Ah.

Gotta love being marketable (internal screams of agony)

Anyways I just find it interesting how after all the themes stressing how seeking perfection no matter the cost is BAD and HURTS they switched it around at the end. I think it was purely for the omg cartoon so cute hype because there doesn't seem to be much else reasoning to just do that as the ending to wrap up a story trying to follow this theming.

Anyways I have probably ranted about this before.

Tldr: personally (personally) I want to kick the child

[rosetyler42]

Here's a mixed bag of some crossovers I found while looking through my Sorting folder that I don't think I ever posted here!

1. Bendy meets Bendy! I did this gag after watching Everyone Knows It's Bendy and thinking it'd be funny if Fosters Bendy tried to frame Bendy for a crime yeah didn't commit (considering what else Bendy's been through.) Possible WIR-Verse or an AU where Bendy and friends ended up at Fosters after the studio's closure. As @lovelylivelyv said, Bendy's definitely gonna give the guy the scare of his life for this.

(Side note: While Foster's Bendy is a terrible lil shit as a character, Animation-wise I LOVE how he can go from very malicious to over-the-top innocence.)

2. Reuben and Jackie Khones! Two somewhat lazy, wise-cracking, sandwich-loving cartoon characters I could definitely see getting along. (Outside of their treatment of Wilt. Unlike Jackie, Reuben would see no reason to pick on a nice guy like Wilt, that's like kicking puppies.)

3. XD A hilarious WIR-Verse bit inspired by The Big Cheese. Somehow, Cheese wandered into Bendy and the Ink Machine without getting killed and most likely only got spooked by Sammy singing about Sheep. Don't ask how he made it in there, but Alice will definitely return him back to Fosters unharmed.

(Though...maybe tied up gagged to stop the annoying constant screams and running off. XD Alice might be a mom, nicer and far less murderous than Susan, but...she's a toon with some skewed thinking and would still find Cheese annoying. Even of she doesn't want to KILL him.)

4. Another in the "Don't ask how this happened" column: Bugs offering to help fellow hounded underdog Boris the Wolf deal with his "Angel Dame" problem.

5. This one came from the similarities and contrasts between Coraline and Destination: Imagination. Considering Coraline's experience was with a child-eating demon and The World was just a child looking for a friend (and the Beldam luring her in and spying on her with a doll) I thought it'd be interesting to have these two meet.

6. Some Coraline v Vanellope argument about Vanny leaving Sugar Rush for Slaughter Race. Both girls are in some ways important to their games and very adventurous, clever, and rebellious. But Coraline's learned what running off to live in a fantasy world and leaving family and responsibility behind can mean, what disasters that can bring, and doesn't want Vanny to make the same mistake. Whereas Vanny sees herself as just another racer, bullied her whole life and thought if as just a mistake, who doesn't really fit in there and feels meant for other things.

9. XD Here's an amusing AU: What if Coraline met Pinky and the Brain in the Other World somehow, thinking they were Other World mice since they could talk like she first mistakes the cat? Brain and Pinky most likely were on some take over the world scheme but I could see them trying to help this girl not get eaten by an obvious predator. Bonus, added by a question from @lovelylivelyv : Coraline actually wouldn't be thrown much by Brain's obvious spelling out of his identity and intentions. It's not the weirdest thing she's heard that day, and she might assume he either means THIS world or Her real world, whichever one she doesn't like more when he says it. Which...might bother him a bit, even as much as he appreciates the child's intellect.

7+8 I love the idea of Ki from "Mars Needs Moms" and @lovelylivelyv and I's version of Alice meeting. Two old-timey style characters somewhat unfamiliar with contemporary human culture but with a fascination with color and plants though growing up in a barren mono-color world. 7 shows Ki modified her color tags for the Cycle as a gift for Alice, while Alice shows an excited Ki a flower she grew herself.

10. Some messing around with Pinky and the Brain and my Drakgo shipchild OC, Lily Lipsky! Inspired by Two Mice and a Baby and the History song. I know Brain's not really good with kids normally, but with Lily being a evil genius child prodigy with intentions for World Domination who actually seems to LIKE him and UNDERSTAND his lessons...I feel they'd get along pretty well. Bonus: Pinky as usual, not paying attention and staring at a picture of Pharphignewton as a shout out to @lovelylivelyv 's ship.

@chytag @candyheartedchy (Ok, I know you're not into Reuben anymore and Jackie's an enemy, but I did draw Reuben and Bugs here.) @black-ak9 @hotelt-resurrection @serial-serializednovelreader @heartsong1994 @sammy-lawrence-my-beloved @gothicthundra @midnightcaptions @sweet-or-sarcastic @flowery-laser-blasts @inkiedraws @inkhyaena @inkspottie @inkwelldevil @thedopedemon @thedobermutt @thedemonsurfer @themangolover724 @blo0st4r

[clonedchaos]

𝔐𝔞𝔠𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔢 𝔐𝔢𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔢𝔰- 𝔇𝔞𝔶 11: 𝔐𝔢𝔩𝔬𝔡𝔶

Summary:

Sammy's trial today was getting unruly and inexperienced musicians-in-training to carry a simple tune.

Rating: G/PG

<- Previous Part Next Part ->

"My Lord, if you please, do not pierce the drum head. We do not have any extra," Sammy muttered shortly. Of course it was an honor to be in his savior's presence, but he didn't expect for him to have such a disregard for fragile instruments.

"What?" The Ink Demon growled. "Where's the fun in that? You told me to hit the stupid thing."

"Gently, Ink," Audrey corrected for Sammy. The artist sat next to him, violin resting under her chin. She ran the bow across its strings, causing a high-pitched sound to pierce their eardrums. She quickly stopped. "... Sorry, everyone."

"Perhaps he needs some mittens," Allison piped up from behind the microphone.

"Good luck with that. You'd end up with a severed hand," Alice snorted from beside her.

"Who would like to try that idea?" The Ink Demon purred, tapping his claws against the drum head.

Sammy pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting nowhere with this lot. Only Boris remained at attention with his flute. The wolf was capable of carrying a tune, thankfully. Meanwhile, Tom lurked by the in corner, refusing to participate but actively watching this disaster commence.

Bendy kept bouncing in his chair next to Henry with his tuba. "Come on! Are we going to get back to it or what?"

"If you all would cut the chatter, we might be able to," Sammy answered in exasperation. They had too much to get to, and they were barely five seconds into the song. An hour had agonizingly rolled by with little to no progress.

"How can we? These note sheets hardly make any sense," Henry replied, squinting to try and read the fine print. They had only reviewed it five times already. Sammy sighed.

"You've never played an instrument in your life, Stein?" Alice challenged and moved to stand next to Sammy.

"We went over this--" Sammy began before Bendy raised a hand.

"Sammy? Which is this? A treble cleft or a staff?" He held up his music sheet toward Sammy.

"Pretty sure that's a staff, Bendy," Henry chimed in at the same time Audrey added, "That's a cleft." Both artists stared at one another in confusion.

Something ripped. The Ink Demon stood behind the torn-up drum head, his claws still embedded in its surface. "... That was an accident."

Sammy felt like ripping his hair out-- not that he even had any to begin with. This was nothing like his previous life. The musicians he had worked with at the studio were experienced, more or less.  At the very least, they knew the basic roots of sheet reading. His goal was to conduct them, keep them on track, and help correct mistakes when needed.

However, looking back on it now, Sammy never missed the constantly changing deadlines and overwhelming pressure he faced as lead musician. He'd spend days working on the perfect piece, only for Joey to come in a screw it all up claiming "It doesn't fit my vision". Many nights he had stayed up reworking an entire composition before the next morning.

He made music, he loved music. Sometimes he needed a reminder of that. This wasn't Joey's music department anymore. It was his. Perhaps he can learn a bit of patience in time.

[unuskvloo]

-/ batim oc /-

Name: Bonnie “Bella” Clarke

Age: Thirty-Four

Pronouns: She/Her

Gender(optional): Trans Female

Species: Formerly Human. Now transformed into an Ink Humanoid

Job/Role in the studio: Voice Actress for “Bella”

Likes: Watching artists draw and the animation process, Jazz/Swing Music, Socializing with others, The “Boris the Wolf” character, Poetry, Reading Thriller Novels, Tap-Dancing

Dislikes: Mistakes of any kind (heavily judges her self-worth and integrity), Flaws and Failure, Messy Food, Closed/Narrow Areas, Sammy Lawrence, Susie Campbell, Sitting Within the Quiet

Relationships: TBA (Open for any kind of connections/relationships)

Backstory: (More or less a very simplified version)

- To perform as an antagonist, artists eventually created concepts and the final product of their most mischievous character: Batty Bella. The one to cause most antics that are meant to tempt the demon to continue his devilish activities. A contrast to Alice Angel; one that is there to “throw a wrench into his schemes”. The little devil on one shoulder as the angel stands on another.

- Bonnie was assigned the role after being hired through a friend of the company. Despite the major risks that came for being “different”, through tons of back-and-forths, Bonnie secured the role once she “fit the description”. While there weren’t the best intentions made in mind when assigning her Batty Bella. Nonetheless, she was ecstatic to be able to voice act within a toon that would be watched by many.

- However, in one moment- she could recall her vocal chords straining and vibrating to hit certain high notes of a particular song. And in the next, she would feel something impale her stomach. There are numerous blotches within her memories, unable to recall the moment before or during the ink machine debacle. But, nonetheless, the ink machine recreated the woman into something that felt more comfortable than her own skin. Even if her new form is not ideal for outsiders.

Extra Info:

- Voice Claim is Belle Baker (Song - If I Had a Talking Picture of You (1929)

- Feels as though the character was made for her in some instances when reading the synopsis of Batty Bella. Bonnie always had interest in ballerinas and other hobbies/activities considered feminine.

- Always feels at least suspicious or wary of other angels due to a part of her sensing (or assuming) one of them stabbed her.

- Ring and pinky fingers are melted together.

[insane-control-room]

Copy

ink demonth - copy

Base Game - during chapter 5 Rated: G Warnings: desire for violence, emotional instability, loss of faith AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/58558189 Length: 500

The rage fueled his return. Like a monster gripping onto their life by sheer force of anger, he rose from the ink like a shark torpedoing out from water, launching forward with bared teeth and lurching limbs flailing. He tore himself out of the dark puddles, furious and reckless. 

That fury propelled him further, drove him to find one of the fire axes around the studio, and replace his face. After applying the appropriate markings, he donned it, and his hand, still tremoring with hate and anger, clenched the ax tighter. 

He was going to find that insolent, mocking thing, and cut its face off. If it believed itself to be such a perfect model of his Lord, then why not wear that as his mask? The rage within his heart quelled for a moment at the thought of such righteous violence, letting him ease the shaking of his hands around the ax. A weapon of great power… yes, it would do nicely. How he yearned to sink it into the rotten heart of that imposter. 

Patience, Sammy. You will receive your moment. For you are loyal, and that shambling horror that the imposter turned into will face its due. 

Sammy waited. He peered through the hammered, wooden planks holding him within the confessional of his own making. He had instructed his flock to entomb him within, so that he may dwell on his mistake and find penance in the Holy of Holies. 

While there, he sharpened his ax, cut his fingers on its blade and let His blessing heal him, over and over. Those searchers and the butchers, he could not comprehend how they hated the immortality that their Master had bestowed upon them, begging and pleading to be struck out and utterly erased. 

Never. Never for him, the Prophet of the Demon. 

He would come back to fulfill his mission. 

And now, he was filled with purpose. Yes, yes, this must be why His Master was dissatisfied with him. He did not want the Copy as an offering, no, not alive. He wanted it slaughtered. Or maybe….

Sammy shuddered at the heretical thoughts that conflated his mind. His hand clenched the ax harder. 

Or maybe what Sammy believed to be an idol, a false god, was the true one, and the one he followed was trying to keep Sammy from discovering his folly. 

He clutched at his mask, trying to make sense of things. 

A growl built in his throat. He could see a boat in the distance, the silhouette of the Copy. 

Sammy knew one thing was true - regardless of what was the true reality, he would destroy it; destroy it for tearing away his sure footing, leaving him betrayed and abandoned. 

He would rip that smile off its face. Cut it off. The face. 

And wear it. 

His Master would be pleased. 

He would become the copy; and remove the one that did not follow the Demon. 

After all, imitation is the best form of flattery. 

[alchamy34]

Bendy and Audrey are one of the best sibling fluff

Yeah, this is the most popular fact about Bendy and the Dark Revival. It is impossible to deny this. They were made in the exact same machine, and they weren't employees of the studio that Joey turned into Ink people.

Bendy and Audrey are two sides of the same coin. Bendy was the mistake, Audrey was the perfect creation.

I don't think Bendy is truly evil, I'd be like him if my creators saw me as a mistake or a monster and locked me up. Ngl, I can understand why GENT was satisfied to see the ink demon feeling pain after they successfully shrunk him into a harmless cartoonish form. But Bendy wasn't the real bad guy. The real villain was the man who started this nightmare Henry was trapped in: Joey Drew.

So when Bendy killed him, I kinda saw it as karma. Though I didn't hate him 100%. Audrey was the only good thing that came out of his...intentions for the studio.

Bendy in the first game was an iconic horror-themed character, but I wish we had content like a modernized version of the Bendy cartoons. Had potential and Audrey could fit the franchise in her ink form.

I can imagine a scenario where people would assume Bendy (harmless form) is the younger sibling but be shocked to know that assumption is false. Audrey would be such a good influence on the devil darling. It would be wholesome family fluff, hilarious antics and hurt/comfort.

Yes, I am aware of the number of fanfics about them being in a brother-sister relationship. And I am glad that so many people have that opinion. Great, now I want to work on an Audrey and Bendy fanfic. There's too much potential and I need to find more fanfics with the siblings' headcanons.

[toaster-ay]

Alright folks. This is something I've wanted to talk about for a while now, but just now I decided to actually write it all down and hopefully make sense of myself.

Long ass ramble about BATIM and some lore from official books.

So far I've got my hands on two Bendy books, that is The Illusion of Living and Dreams come to life (I also have the Employee's Handbook but that one isn't lore important). I plan on getting the rest of the book in the future but let's look at these two for now.

The Illusion of Living is Joey Drew's memoir, written all by himself. In this book we get to know quite a lot about Joey, more or less his whole life.

We get to know that he comes from a family of shoe makers, that he lied about his age at 13 so he could join the war. Or that he likes to dress and look fancy long time before he actually is fancy, just because it makes him feel better and gives the illusion that he's someone important. We even get to know that he once joined a Detective when he was investigating murder. And that he can appreciate good art while also drawing slightly himself.

What I want to look deeper into though, is the way he and Henry met. Thanks to the game (and even fandom), most people assume they were best friends for a long time. That they would go to hell and back for each other. But that wasn't actually the case??

Joey and Henry met through a mutual friend, Abby Lambert, and he actually didn't like Henry at first. Joey didn't like the cartoon artstyle, which is what Henry mainly drew. So they didn't have anything in common.

That was until Joey got the idea for Joey Drew studios, and asked Abby for help to come up with the main character, since she could draw better than Joey. Well, Abby tried, but it didn't end up as they wanted. And then Abby took Henry for help and went to Joey together, and let me tell you, Joey actually wasn't really thrilled for Henry to come with her.

But, after a few tries, Henry was able to come up with the right design for Bendy. Joey and Henry decided to work together after that, but Henry left the studio not that long after. It's said that Abby started to work in the studio three years later, but it's also said that Abby and Henry never ended up working together. And Joey didn't really seem to care for Henry.

He acknowledges him, but isn't mad at him.

It's just so interesting, why is Joey so angry at Henry in game, if he didn't seem to actually care about him in the book? Could've been a mistake from the writer, or I don't know.

This is just something I've wanted to point out for a while, and I'm super open to starting a conversation with someone about this!

Now let's look at Dreams comes to life

This book is written from the point of view of Daniel Lewek, also known as 'Buddy', who is also the character that ends up being the Boris we all know and love in game.

I love how this book is written, since it's written after Buddy is corrupted by the ink, and he's slowly forgetting all of this, so he's writing it down so there's something left. So the truth is known.

Buddy is hired by Joey to be a delivery boy after a quick meeting when he's delivering him a new suit, but later gets promoted to an artist after Abby Lambert (who is now in the head of the Art Department) sees a drawing that Buddy's grampa actually did, but Buddy ends up lying, since being an animator is something he actually wants to do.

Buddy befriends Dot, who works in the Story telling Department, and she's a really noisy and sneaky character.

Now, something I think is interesting is that, Sammy Lawrence is probably the first character to get corrupted by the Ink machine. Buddy's first meeting with him actually traumatises him slightly, because Sammy jumps at him covered in ink after a pump bursts right above him. Throughout the book, Sammy is depicted to be really interested in ink, while also drinking some from the ink bottles.

Then Buddy has the luck to meet the Ink Demon himself, accidentally even letting him out from the room he was locked in.

And then, Sammy goes missing. That's when even Dot has the pleasure of meeting the Ink Demon, since she and Buddy went to the studio when it was shut down to see what other weird stuff they can find.

When we meet Sammy again, he's already The Prophet that we've seen in the game. And he even already made some sacrifices, Buddy and Dot (and Richie, Buddy's animation coworker) were meant to be part of them too but they were lucky enough to escape. But Buddy's coworker, Jacob, didn't. And when Buddy and Dot find him attached to the Ink machine cowered in ink (they are able to save him actually), they also find already dead bodies of Dave (another Buddy's coworker) and Norman Polk ("Of course no one would notice he was missing. Of everyone in the building. He watched everyone, but no one really saw him" – I'm sorry I had to add this, I absolutely love it)

Dot and Buddy end up having a small fight with the Ink Demon until they get rid of him. Or so they thought, because he ends up grabbing Buddy and pulling him into the ink with him.

When Buddy wakes up after, he's already in the body of Boris. Joey Drew standing above him, absolutely thrilled that they got a perfect cartoon after such a fail with Bendy.

Even if Dreams comes to life was mainly focused on Buddy, it feels like we've got so much lore for all the other characters. Joey shows how much of an asshole he can actually be. Norman shows up a few times, always unannounced and with some information no one else except him knows. Sammy and his grumpy ass that was slowly getting corrupted by ink. Hell, we even got Tom and Joey argument about the Ink machine (and Allison was with Tom!! Holding his hand!!).

These books are really worth reading, and I'm excited when I finally get my hands on the rest of the books.

Alas, that is the end of my ramble. If anyone read it all, here's a cookie for you 🍪

And I'm also super open to have a conversation with anyone about all of this!!

[that-one-cat-meow]

idk what to do so have a lore of one of my Bendy AU's

1945 - Men called Joey Drew and Henry Stain decide to open a cartoon studio. With the imagination of one and the artistic talent of the other, everyone expects it to be one of the best and most popular cartoons of the year. And they weren't wrong. Already six months after the launch, everyone was talking about only one evening cartoon - Bendy the Dancing Demon. This little delightful devil has won the hearts of millions of children. The stores now stock stuffed animals, figurines, notebooks, books, stickers, lunch boxes and even cups and plates. In 1956, however... Joey Drew didn't have enough. He began to secretly write a mysterious book called 'The Illusion of Living'. A year later he bought an ink machine. This large hunk of metal could supposedly have given life to the ink. And so, in 1958, the world's first living cartoon was created - a living Bendy. However, Joey Drew, because the creature had no arms or legs, half of its face was covered in ink, and was covered with six pairs of eyes, considered the creature "imperfect." Then a new version of the demon was created - this time it was too fat and tall, its eyes were covered, its arms were uneven and its legs were crooked. It was closed with its first version. The third time, an almost perfect Bendy was created, but instead of a charming smile, his face could open in half, revealing sharp, terrifying teeth. The fourth attempt was absolutely perfect. Perfect Bendy. However, after learning about his 'mistakes', Bendy drank ink to be imperfect. He became tall, muscular and bony - menacing. He was locked up with the others. Did he regret it? No, at least he wasn't lonely anymore. The fifth attempt produced two ink demon eggs. Then the fourth Bendy, then called Ink, decided that they would take care of them. After three weeks, Sinny and Noey hatched from the eggs - they looked like Bendy, but neither could talk and they had some differences. From then on, Ink was also called the Father of Ink Demons because of how he took care of them. Seeing the demons sitting in a cage, Henry left the studio, which further motivated Joey Drew to create new versions of the demons. Next was a half-cracked egg that the Ink Demons saved. He turned out to be a completely perfect Bendy, apart from his slightly crooked face. Joey continued - it was already 1962. The next completely perfect Bendy was born. He liked spending time with the 'mistakes' and they didn't reject him. However, even when Joey Drew got his dream version of the demon, the studio closed due to debts and lack of funds. The machine remained on, creating life. Ink was the first demon to escape from the cage and he succeeded. Together with the others, right at the bottom of the studio, they built a nest where they decided to live. After a year, they found something new - another Ink Demon egg. This time it was a completely different version of Bendy - Ink Demons named the baby Ripper. Then Night - Ink Demon appeared, who used to be a stuffed animal, but was thrown into a machine and turned into a living one. Ink The demons did not reject him, but he chose to live as a loner in the dark. The Machine, the Mother of Ink, created life, other creatures, not even just Ink Demons. The studio became overgrown, became a wilderness, a territory of ink creatures. Joey Drew's book is hidden in the very depths, in the crystal bottom. Ink Demons rule the studio. And whoever enters there should pray that one day he will come out again.

[brainyrot]

If Studio Bendy’s ink demon could talk I imagine his voice in the first game to sound like mangles. Like it’s a hint of a deeper voice but also a high pitched one mixed in with it.

Especially when mangle says: “Now I get to play take apart and put back together. You won’t feel a thing” I can see him saying that (if he could talk in the first game)

Like it goes form:

Toon voice=cartoons/comics

Toon/demon voice overlap=first game

Straight up demon voice=dark revival

IM Blackhat would be proud, IM Bendy however would not.

hat would definitely mistake batims motives. Or anyone would just not understand that when he says he has no soul, he means it.

also yes YES on the voice

[queenofcats17]

I've been thinking about how I want to handle BATDR in my AU and this is what I've come up with.

So, after Henry frees everyone from the studio, GENT probably comes in and repossesses the machine, much to Tom and Joey's collective horror. They both try to argue that it should be destroyed, but GENT refuses to listen.

Tom and Joey end up meeting up quite a bit to try and figure out some contingency plans and what to do if the machine gets turned on. They actually start to become somewhat good friends during these meetings. Joey begins to really respect Tom and his knowledge and Tom admires how dedicated Joey is to trying to be better.

And then Nathan buys the machine and some other assets from the old studio.

Both Joey and Tom are nervous about this, but Joey's still in a bit of a self-deprecating slump, so he thinks his legacy would be better off in the hands of someone else. Not to mention, both Joey and Tom are pretty paranoid about what might happen if anyone finds out just what the Ink Machine is truly capable of.

Unfortunately, GENT has already figured out some of the machine's capabilities, having gathered data from the remains of the studio and the ink left behind once everyone was freed. And worst of all... Wilson has caught wind that something strange is going on with his father's old friend and the fact that he doesn't seem to have aged in the 20 years he's been gone.

So, Wilson goes and starts messing with the machine.

And Joey feels the first time it gets turned on. Fusing himself with the Ink Demon for 20 years gave him a connection to the machine and the ink that none of the other survivors have. So, he calls Tom in a panic and the two of them head over to the Arch Gate building. But, of course, they aren't let in. And by the time Joey manages to get Nathan over to let them in, the machine's been shut off and Wilson's cleared out.

This repeats a few times more times as Wilson goes back and forth, building up an empire in the studio world. After the first two or three times, it becomes clear that they can't keep rushing over every time Joey feels the machine turn on. So, they elect to just observe for now, with Joey telling Tom when he feels the machine be turned on so Tom can note it down.

In this case, I think an imprint of the studio would have been left in the ink. None of the people who were trapped there for those 20 years are there anymore, but imprints of them remain, captured in the ink. So, there's a twisted Alice Susie, a more perfect Alice Allison, a Tom Boris, a deranged Prophet Sammy, et cetera. So, it's a pocket dimension like the base game, but also a recreation of the real place.

And while Wilson is messing with the studio, Joey is having dreams about what's going on. But they're pretty vague, just sort of thoughts and feelings coming through from the Ink Demon.

I think by the point Wilson starts messing with the machine, Audrey's been working at Arch Gate for a while. Nathan probably hired her as a favor to Esther and Joey, wanting to give his friend's daughter an opportunity. Not that he goes around saying that, of course. And although Audrey is probably using the name Klein, Wilson knows she's Joey's daughter.

And, like, all the other times, Joey feels when the Ink Machine is turned on when Wilson drags Audrey in. But he also feels Audrey go in. Which leads to another panicked call to Tom to alert him. But Joey ends up going to the Arch Gate building on his own. He can't wait for Tom. He needs to go in there.

So, Joey ends up in the pocket dimension to try and rescue his daughter, forced to confront his mistakes once more.

I think he and Audrey do meet up pretty soon after she goes in. Maybe when she's getting ready to head to Artist's Rest. And, Joey had told her about the things he'd done after he was freed. But being told and actually seeing the devastation is another thing entirely.

I think the Ink Demon and Baby Benders would be especially hostile toward Joey because he perceives Joey as having abandoned him. The Ink Demon didn't get to be freed with the humans. He returned to the Ink. So he didn't understand why Joey had left and why he'd had to go through the pain of Wilson's experiments alone. A part of the Ink Demon also probably both resents and sympathizes with Audrey. Because, on one hand, he feels like Audrey is the child Joey chose. But on the other hand, he knows Joey abandoned Audrey too. So, the Ink Demon has some complicated feelings.

There also probably wouldn't be a cell for Henry in this, or a Henry at all, because it's not a timeloop. But Joey would probably get thrown into a cell when the Keepers catch Audrey and take her to Wilson. Which would mean he'd be the one going through The Cage plotline that's coming up.

I'm not entirely sure how things would end, but I think Joey and Audrey would try to work with Tom to figure out a way to help the memories left behind in the ink. Especially the Ink Demon, whose mind Joey knows he poisoned.

There would also probably be a very interesting conversation with Nathan about how his son is dead.

[quillsinkwell]

Sneak Peek for Chapter 14 of BTC!

Heya guys. It's been a while, huh?

Sorry this chapter took so long, life stuff came up. I was in a musical, final exams happened, and then I'm gonna be honest, I just forgot.

But with the power of Determination (and Secrets of the Machine reawakening my hyperfixation), I was able to finish the chapter!

Now, enjoy this sneak peek while I edit the chapter!

(Tom’s point of view)

Tom knew that he was being a coward. Al was hurt, Audrey was hurt, and here he was, brooding in the back room. He wasn’t worried about Al’s life. She knew how to deal with this sort of thing, he had faith she could instruct the others.

What he was worried about was what was gonna happen when it was done with.

The demon’s…outburst was unexpected, by all three of them. He talked about…them. The people no one in the studio spoke of.

Hardly anyone remembered their names, and those who did knew well not to speak them. But Tom remembered. He always did.

He considered that more of a curse than a blessing.

He knew that they were involved with the Demon, but he didn’t think it would cry for them. For Audrey. He thought it didn’t have a soul.

No, he knew it didn’t have a soul. It was concrete. It was soulless, heartless.

And yet it bawled like anyone would, seeing a loved one like that.

Yes, Tom was worried about what was happening next. He knew Al, and he knew after that, she wouldn’t let things continue like they used to be.

The reason she agreed to keep the Demon locked up was because they had no way of knowing if it could be trusted like Audrey, Porter, and Henry claimed. It wasn’t a human, it didn’t feel, it could snap and kill them all at any moment.

But it did feel, didn’t it? And not just grief like Al saw. The way it was trying to get them to the quickest route, resorting to forcing them, it wasn’t trying to lure them into a trap. It was desperate to save Audrey and Al.

It was also trying to save Al. Not just Audrey. It wanted to save all of them. Even Tom, who, like a fool, just had to go and see how many Lost Ones he could make pay for what they did.

Tom said that the Demon was a mindless monster. It said Tom was the mindless one, but it left out the monster part. That was a mistake.

What kind of monster left their partner to patch herself up when she just lost an arm? She was absolutely going to be furious at him. And he deserved it.

“She deserves better than someone like you.” A familiar voice called to him within the dredges of his mind.

He looked towards the mirror and saw her. An inky, pussing, mass loosely in the shape of Al. Its horns had more precedence than its halo. It crawled out of the mirror and made its way to him. Tom didn’t run. He knew she wasn’t real, that she was merely a figment of his mind made to torment him.

“She found you another arm. She does nothing but give her best to you, and you can’t be bothered to do the same. It’s a miracle she stays with you.”

I know.

“Why do you stay with her? You know she doesn’t remember anything, she can’t even be considered the real her anymore. That’s why you don’t treat her properly, and you barely agree on anything.”

I know

She was going to let the demon out because the only monster here was Tom.

“The only reason she stays with you is because she doesn’t know what a horrible person you are. How many people you’ve put into a grave. All for the sake of what? A paycheck? Science? ”

“Or maybe you just enjoy causing pain and suffering for other people. Is that it? Do you enjoy breaking people until there’s nothing left? ”

And she was right.

“There’s a reason the Machine turned you into a wolf. You’re a wild animal of a human being, sinking your teeth into your prey, ripping them limb from limb, just to get the taste of blood, the rush of destruction.”

Her mocking was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and a chair falling. Tom looked back to see what it was and it was…the tiny Ink Demon. He was flat on his face with the chair next to him.

Did he use the chair to open the door?

“BENDY!” Al yelled, coming after him. Pretend that didn’t happen! TOM! We need to talk! The- Bendy said, walking towards him.

“You’re in trouble now.”

####################################

Thank you to @preciouslittletoonette on Tumblr and @StarChaserN1, @AliventMaybe, and @EldritchBeingofInk for your lovely comments, and thank you to all my lovely readers for your patience and for liking and reading the fic and I hope you have a nice whatever time it is in your timezones!

[a-vast-horizon]

Ink Demonth day 13: Children

Joey Drew was a man with a lot of demons in his past, both metaphorical and not. He’d spent decades consumed with relentless drive to make the impossible happen, to bring cartoons to life and raise his animation studio to new heights. 

Now he was an old man and all he had to show for his work was a bulky old machine in his storage room, running a pocket hellscape he’d built out of bitterness and anger. Joey Drew Studios was gone, Bendy was all but forgotten, and Joey was alone.

He’d made so many mistakes, he could see now. Hindsight was much better than it had any right to be, and Joey could trace the timeline in his mind and point out every place he’d made the wrong decision.

Alienating Henry had been the first mistake, where he’d really gone down the path of no return. Henry was the heart of the Studio, the characters, and when he left, the Studio’s demise was ensured, even if it wouldn’t come for some years. And in trying to force him back, Joey had created his biggest demon of all.

Henry would have done better. Henry wouldn’t have done the things Joey did at all.

If it had been you, old friend, what would you have chosen to do? Joey wondered. He wouldn’t get an answer from Henry, of course, and the double only knew as much as Joey did. It didn’t matter, though, because it wasn’t much of a guess what Henry would have prioritized. Hell, it was the reason he’d quit in the first place.

Family.

Joey had never really had much time for family, throwing himself into his work with his whole heart instead of seeking out the company of others. He doubted he was cut out for a romantic partner at all, with the way his mind worked.

But a child, a daughter, someone he could teach and guide, who he could shape to ensure she wouldn’t repeat his mistakes… 

That seemed like a good place to start.

(Follow and read on AO3 if you have an account!)

[darkstalker1247]

Hydraulics AU: Part 9

This was strange. 

Steve’s mind was racing, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Here was this giant creature who’d been feral even minutes before and was suddenly tame, curled up in the corner, away from him, as well as another person talking to him. What was this place? He’d just seen another world that looked like it was made of paper mache, and he looked and felt like a zombie. Even this strange new person he was talking to looked somewhat human, despite the whole being made of ink thing. He seemed like he knew what he was doing, however, so Steve rationalized to trust him for now. After all, he’d gotten him out of what he now described to be a literal hell hole. 

“I know you probably have a lot of questions,” Sammy breathed. “Lucky for us, the gentleman who runs this place stocked up plenty of ink and paper, so ask away.” He set a piece of paper on the floor in front of Steve; their only way of communicating. Steve pondered over what he should ask first. After a moment, he scrawled one particular question he settled on:

What happened to you?

Sammy went quiet after reading it. He rubbed his fingers together; Steve figured he’d struck a nerve. After a long silence, Sammy spoke up. “I wasn’t exactly forced into this, not at first.”

“It started off normal. I was antisocial as per usual, kicking everyone out of my department as soon as I could, just trying to get some peace and quiet. Those songs of mine never wrote themselves, after all. They started giving me a new type of ink to write with, and after the Machine was put in, we’d get trapped in the department sometimes. The ink would overflow and block the exit. Our boss’ answer was more distractions for me, which only made my work harder and my mind spiral more often than usual. It’s always been a problem, but it got just that much worse after… after the Ink Demon was made.” He paused for a moment, glancing at Bendy itself, who was seemingly alert, watchful. Then he continued. “I started hearing voices. They told me to do things I’m not proud of, like drinking that.” He paused again, this time pointing at the little inkwell sitting next to the paper in front of him. “It only made things worse. Not only did the voices come and go, I swore I started seeing things. Normal things for people around the studio, but I was seeing them in my sleep. I used to joke about how Bendy and his little cartoon friends would drive me insane…” 

The Demon snapped its head in their direction, recognizing its name. The two ignored it. “It got to the point where I was convinced that the Ink Demon was some kind of god, and that I needed to appease it in some way. When the Cycle ended up starting, I decided to try some kind of sacrifice. I basically screamed at the ceiling until I’d finally caught its attention, but when I tried to get it to accept a few people I’d stumbled upon as an offering, it just pushed me into the ink.” He moved his mask out of the way of his face and pressed his hand to his forehead. “It was a mistake. I knew it was a mistake. Susie warned me about getting too deep into my work…” 

Sammy had stopped, rubbing his head and trying to calm himself. He seemed finished with his story. Steve was very confused. Sammy’d mentioned some names that Steve recognized without knowing how or why. The Machine, the Cycle, even the name Susie was very familiar. He had a picture of the Machine in his mind; it was complex on the inside but had a simple purpose, to create an endless supply of ink. Strange. 

He couldn’t think of anything to say next, so he simply wrote underneath the question: I’m sorry. Sammy stared at this expression of sympathy for a minute before sighing. “Thank you,” he near-whispered, “Do you have any other questions? Anything at all?” 

Steve felt the need to write down something else, to clear this strange air of grief and regret. He scrawled down another query as fast as he could without misspelling anything. His black hands, still a horrifying surprise to look at, were shakier than usual. He managed to write out:

What happened to the Ink Demon? 

The two looked over at the Demon itself, who was fiddling with its fingers, clearly very bored. “Bendy,” Sammy called out, “He’s asking about you.” It snapped to attention and stood on its back legs, slowly thudding over to where they were talking. Steve noticed it left behind a giant puddle of ink where it had been sitting. It dragged its huge claws along the floor as it walked, and its heart beat slowly from wherever it was. It flopped down on the ground again behind Sammy, like a dog switching spots to be in the sun. It looked intently at Steve, but he wasn’t sure why. “That’s both an easier and a harder question,” Sammy said in a calmer, more purposeful tone. “The owner of the animation studio that the… place spawned from wanted to do something basically impossible. He wanted to make living cartoon characters. I’m not sure if he was actually the starry-eyed idiot he always pretended to be or if he was a money hungry monster, but he wanted living attractions. We don’t really mention him too often.” He glanced back at the Ink Demon behind him, indicating why. “Anyway, he wanted to make living cartoons. He experimented on that Ink Machine with some guy named Thomas Connor, and eventually they came up with something. The owner’s first experiment was his main character, Bendy.” He pointed behind him. “As you can see, it didn’t go so well.” 

Oh, that actually makes sense, Steve thought to himself. Money-obsessed business owner plays God and gets kicked in the ass for it. 

“After Bendy came out deformed, J- I mean, the owner locked it in some secluded location, away from us. It drove it mad, and uh… this is what we have now.” He seemed to stumble over his words. The Ink Demon grumbled. It sounded almost like it was in physical pain. It has emotions, then, Steve pondered again. Sammy sighed. “I know, buddy, I know… it’s over now. He can’t hurt you.” It whined and settled down, burying its head in its giant hands. 

Sammy looked back over at Steve. “Anything else?” 

Steve decided to write down one last question.

What was your boss’ name?

Sammy didn’t say anything. He motioned for Steve to hand him the pen he was using, and then wrote down something. His handwriting was really neat, all things considered. 

Joey Drew. 

Steve nodded in regards to Sammy. That’s all, he was trying to say, and thank you. 

___

it's been a bit hasn't it

ngl I'm really proud of the characterization in this one

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