#and. all the other employees

[magicicephoenix]

Hoax - The Ink Demonth 2024 (Day 3)

In which a particularly heavy rumor takes the studio by storm. And they take… interesting measures in the face of it.

ao3 link

-----------

went for more of an "audio only" type style here, mostly for my own sanity ^^' and yet this still ended up rather long for a day-long prompt… oh well. had a blast writing it, at least!

btw this takes place in my The Silent Demon AU, which is essentially just: everyone is happy, the studio is thriving, and Bendy is alive! he's also mute and deaf.

enjoy!

----------

"Another special? So soon? Honestly, Joey, it's like you want everyone to quit."

The sound of papers being shuffled. "C'mon Henry, it'll be great for business! I mean, it's not my fault that Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years all go in a row!"

"But it is your fault that Bendy, Boris, and Alice are celebrating all four." An amused huff. "Couldn't we just do a short for New Years or something?"

"But the vision! The prestige!"

"Now you're just saying words."

An offended scoff. "I'm just saying, this'll be good for the studio! A step up against the competitors!"

"And the best way to do that is to work everyone to the bone?"

"You know I'd never let it get to that point."

An acknowledging hum. "Alright, fine, whatever, you're the boss. But you better not get any ideas about Valentine's Day."

"Ah! Now that you mention it—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. I'm leaving."

"Wait, but- Henry! You haven't even heard what I was going to say!"

"Nope. I'm not hearing another one of your far-too-complicated ideas today. I'm making like Wally and getting outta here. For real this time!" The sound of decisive shoes on wood, a door opening.

A pause—skittering of hidden footsteps rushing away, staying unnoticed—and then… the laughter of two good friends joking around.

The shuffling and bustling of employees on break.

"Did you hear? We're starting another special."

The crinkle of a lunch bag opening. "Geez, again? What's this one about?"

"New Years."

"And we need a whole special about that?!"

"Jesus."

"Mr. Stein reacted the same, I heard."

The thump of a cup being put down. "Really?"

"Yeah. Told Joey something about quitting if stuff like this kept happening."

Stirring of a spoon in a bowl. A laugh. "Mr. Stein would never quit."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Are you kidding? He'd never leave the studio. Not to mention Bendy."

A chuckle. "Ah, you're right."

"Then why'd he say he was leaving?"

A spit take. "What?!"

"Who told you that?"

"Overheard. He said he was leaving, for real."

"No way."

"Yes way. That's exactly what he said!"

"That can't be true."

"He'd never actually leave!"

"You've seen how exhausted he's been recently! What if this was too much for him?"

"…he has been here longer than anyone else."

"And Mrs. Stein would be happy that he'd stopped working late."

"Where do you think he'd go, though?"

"Doesn't matter where he'd be going, what matters is that he might be leaving!"

"The department wouldn't be the same."

"Yeah, it'd be so empty!"

"We'd have to get another department head!"

"Augh, it'd be so weird reporting to anyone other than Mr. Stein…"

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"But… it's only a maybe, right?

"I mean, I guess. But what if it's true?"

"I can't imagine what would happen if he left for good…"

"Then let's just hope he won't."

"Yeah, fair enough."

A door slamming open. "Henry might be leaving."

The crash of a chair falling down. "He's what?"

"Wait, what-"

"Heard it through the grapevine."

"Susie, you can't just believe every hint of gossip that comes your way…"

"No, no, she's right."

Another chair hitting the floor. "She is?!"

"What, you're tellin' me that you haven't felt the stress from the recent specials? Imagine how brutal it must be in Animation!"

"Ugh, even thinking about all that drawing makes my hand cramp up…"

"He's been working late more often, too. What if he's reached a breaking point?"

"Henry doesn't have a breaking point. He's crazy when it comes to work."

"Everyone has a breaking point."

"Well, of course you do, you break just about every day, you perfectionist."

A scoff. "I am not a perfectionist."

"Oh, yes, when you scream at the band every day, that's not due to any undiscovered need for only the best take possible."

"I do not scream, I instruct, and it's only because all the fools on the instruments don't understand the basic principles of—"

"All I'm hearin' is that you have unreasonable standards."

"Well, Joey hired me for a reason—"

"Ladies, ladies!" The rush of banter dies down. "Calm yourselves. We have a problem on our hands, and we're going to address it."

"So what do we do about it then, Susie? Beg him not to leave?"

"Well, hold on. If he's already decided, there's not much that can change his mind. He's stubborn as a mule."

"Linda could!"

"If he's leaving then Linda knows and approves."

"…right."

"But he hasn't decided! It's only that he might leave."

"So we have a chance to stop him."

"Exactly."

"So what's the plan?"

"Maybe we guilt trip him."

"Norman!"

"I'm just sayin'."

"Well, actually, he might have a point."

"What? Guys—"

"How would we, though? If he's really thinking of this seriously, he must've already considered all the factors."

"True… so what else can we do?"

"What if we can't do anything?"

A somber silence.

"Well, then… we plan long term. Just in case he leaves. A safety net."

"I guess that's… reasonable. But I still think we should—"

"Who would be the next head of Animation, do you think?"

"Eugh, tough break. No one's as good as Henry."

"But someone'll have to step up!"

"What about Bill? He's been around for a while."

"Really? I don't think he's management material."

"Maybe Phil, then."

"Oh, that's not a bad thought. He can handle stuff in a pinch, for sure."

"Yeah, he helped time the frames for the latest song, you remember? When Henry was busy fixing the misplaced lighting debacle."

"Don't you dare speak a word about that, I swear to God, animators in here every second of the week—"

"Wait, hold on, everyone shut up." Everyone does. "We're thinking too complicated. Quick answer, what's going to happen if Henry decides to leave?"

"Um, Animation will lose a capable artist?"

"Joey Drew will summon more demons."

"Sammy'll blow a fuse."

"I will not— "

The sound of someone stomping their foot. "Ugh, honestly! You men are so dense. Do I really need to spell it out for you?"

"Maybe for some of us."

"Hey!"

"I didn't say it was you. What, you outin' yourself?"

"I- You annoying—"

"Bendy, you guys, Bendy! What'll happen to him?"

"What'll… happen?"

"Yes! If he can't be by Henry's side all the time, where will he go? What will he do?"

"Who will he choose instead, you mean."

"Well- I mean yes, obviously."

"Won't he just go with Joey?"

"Maybe if you think simple. Don't you realize? This is our chance!"

"What are you talking about? He already spends plenty enough time here."

"Playing piano with you, maybe, but the rest of us are woefully starved of Bendy time!"

"Bendy time?"

"You know what I mean!"

"Um, I honestly don't think this what-if warrants this level of—"

"So you're sayin' there's a chance of him pickin' someone else?"

"I think it's in the realm of possibility."

"Then we'll have to figure out who."

"And how will we do that?"

"I'm sure I could think up a few contests… see who he picks…"

"We'd have to go get him first."

"Well then, let's do that."

"Guys, seriously! Can't we just… I don't know, talk to Henry before jumping through these crazy hoops?"

A pause.

"Stick to lyrics, Jack."

"Yeah, Jack."

"Alright, let's do this, team!"

Amid the clambering of shoes leaving the room, there's a long suffering sigh. "I'll be in my office, I guess…"

"Did you hear? Henry might be leaving."

"Really? Always thought he'd stick around 'til the business sank."

"So did I!"

"So, see, the Music Department's been running around addressing things. Possible concerns."

"You'd think Joey would be the one doing that."

"Nah, haven't seen him all day, actually. And I have a script waiting for review…"

"Anyway, they've been gathering everyone in the band room."

"Everyone? What, they're doing a concert?"

"Bendy's in there. Norman says he's 'up for grabs.'"

"…what?"

"Bendy's super attached to Henry, right? So they're trying to figure out where he'll stay if Henry decides to leave."

"Isn't Joey the obvious choice? I mean, he is the guy who created him."

"I guess… but maybe he'll choose someone else."

"I don't think 'up for grabs' is the best way to put that…"

"Don't blame me, Norman's the one who said it!"

A pause.

"I mean, we're going, right?"

"Oh, of course."

The sound of a door easing open. "Hey, Mr. Drew?"

"Ah, Buddy, yes, hello! Come in, come in! What's on your mind?"

"Um… you're wanted in the band room."

"Oh, alright." The scratching of a chair being pushed back. Footsteps on wood. A door closing. "What am I needed for? Did Sammy finish that theme I asked him for?"

"Um… no, sir. It's for a contest."

"Pardon?"

"A contest. Everyone's there in the band room waiting for you. All the animators and writers, too."

"I… why are they there?"

"That's where Bendy is. And people are hoping he'll pick someone new to follow around."

"And they're hoping this because…?"

"Because Mr. Stein might be leaving."

One pair of footsteps stop. "…what?"

"Mr. Stein might be leaving."

"I… Henry isn't leaving."

"He isn't?"

"Of course not. Whatever in the world gave everyone that idea?"

"Um… it's what everyone's been saying, sir."

"I told you, Buddy, you don't need to call me sir."

"R-right."

"Anyway… do you know where they heard this?"

"Someone said they overheard him talking about quitting. And he's been working late a lot, so maybe he's tired."

"That… doesn't sound like Henry. I-I mean, I know things have been stressful, but not that much. Right?"

A noncommittal hum. "That's just what I've heard."

"Huh…"

An anxious silence.

"W-well, they still want you in the band room for comparison."

"I… comparison?"

"To see who Bendy likes more."

"Ah… I-I see… so they think this is really happening?"

"I guess so."

An unnerved clearing of the throat. "Right… well then… I suppose… it only makes sense…"

"Are you alright, Mr. Drew?"

"J-just peachy, Buddy. C'mon, let's get going. There are many, many people waiting for us!"

"Hey, Henry?"

Silence.

"Henry."

"Oh, hey Abby. What is it?"

"You’re not leaving, are you?"

"Leave- do you need help with something? I can stay. I was just finishing up with—"

"No, I mean… leaving. The studio. Y'know… quitting."

"What? Of course not. What gave you that idea?"

"Everyone’s saying it. Joey, too."

"…Joey thinks so?"

The rustle of a nod.

A long sigh. The sound of a pencil being put down. "Oh, man… alright, where are they?"

"Band room. They’re doing a contest to see who Bendy will take to if you leave."

The sound of a chair scraping against wood. Another sigh, this one more fond. "Of course they are."

Everything goes silent when Henry Stein enters the room. Everyone freezes on the spot, stuck with their hands in the cookie jar. Well, the cookie jar that is an elaborate mashup of toys, instruments, and other objects in an attempt to get a certain cartoon demon's interest piqued.

Bendy is the first one to move, of course. He jumps down from the table he’s been placed onto and weaves through the crowd of people to get to Henry, to whom he raises his hands expectantly.

In a clean movement, Henry bends down and scoops Bendy securely into his arms. He surveys the room silently, taking in a range of emotions from surprised, to confused, to worried, to amused. Then he sighs, exasperated, like the weight of the entire studio is on his shoulders. "I’m not leaving," he announces, much too tired.

The room erupts in noise. Disbelief and accusations hit the air, with everything in between ringing out into the big space. Above it all heaves the loud, mirthful laugh of someone who knew this all along and played into the insanity, and the similarly loud but very different cry of someone who knew and dreaded this very result from the start. And, quieter, between the shouts and yells, there's the blessedly relieved exhale of a man too paranoid for his own good.

In the chaos, Henry looks down at Bendy. Bendy blinks back, completely out of the loop, and Henry chuckles.

"Don’t worry, bud," he says, even though he knows Bendy won’t hear it. "I’ll never leave you. No way in hell."

----------

thanks for reading! :)

after this Henry has a very long talk with the entirety of the studio about jumping to conclusions. and a separate, more stern talk with Joey about letting his doubts get the best of him. and then another talk with the entire studio about just talking to him if they hear rumors like this, jesus christ.

[fanaticalthings]

Jason Todd with his goons:

[mobius-m-mobius]

#love the plot of 2x01

[faceeeeee]

Finnaly finished this gosh darn drawing. I wasted so much time on it and in the end, the perspective didn't even come out right. At least I'm learning to use the hatching technic...... I think.....Now for your regularly scheduled shitposting and doodles. I need a break from rendering goodness gracious.

@asuka-cream gave me the inspo I needed to come up with this so uhhh check them out and their art, it's so good-

[inkskinned]

one of the things that i think we should pay attention to, socially, about the disney v. desantis thing is that it is really highlighting the importance of remembering nuance.

in a purely neutral sense, if you engage in something problematic, that does not mean you are necessarily agreeing with what makes it problematic. and i am worried that we have become... so afraid of any form of nuance.

disney isn't my friend, they're a corporate monopoly that bastardized copyright laws for their own benefit, ruin the environment, and abuse their workers (... and many other things). this isn't a hypothetical for me - i grew up in florida. i also worked for the actual Walt Disney World; like, in the parks. i am keenly aware of the ways they hurt people, because they hurt me. i fully believe that part of the reason florida is so conservative is because it's been an "open secret" for years now that disney lobbies the government to keep minimum wage down, and i know they worked hard to keep the parks unmasked and open during the worst parts of Covid. they purposefully keep their employees in poverty. they are in part responsible for the way the floridian government works.

desantis is still, by a margin that is frankly daunting, way worse. the alternative here isn't just "republicans win", it's actual fascism.

in a case like this, where the alternative is to allow actual fascism into united states legislation - where, if desantis wins, there are huge and legal ramifications - it's tempting to minimize the harm disney is also doing, because... well, it's not fascism. but disney isn't the good guy, either, which means republicans are having a field day asking activists oh, so you think their treatment of their employees is okay?

we have been trained there is a right answer. you're right! you're in the good group, and you're winning at having an opinion.

except i have the Internet Prophecy that in 2-3 months, even left-wing people will be ripping apart activists for having "taken disney's side". aren't i an anti-capitalist? aren't i pro-union? aren't i one of the good ones? removed from context and nuance (that in this particular situation i am forced to side with disney, until an other option reveals itself), my act of being like "i hope they have goofy rip his throat out onstage, shaking his lifeless body like a dog toy" - how quickly does that seem like i actually do support disney?

and what about you! at home, reading this. are you experiencing the Thought Crime of... actually liking some of the things disney has made? your memories of days at the parks, or of good movies, or of your favorite show growing up. maybe you are also evil, if you ever enjoyed anything, ever, at all.

to some degree, the binary idealization/vilification of individual motive and meaning already exists in the desantis case. i have seen people saying not to go to the disney pride events because they're cash grabs (they are). i've seen people saying you have to go because they're a way to protest. there isn't a lot of internet understanding of nuance. instead it's just "good show of support" or "evil bootlicking."

this binary understanding is how you can become radicalized. when we fear nuance and disorder, we're allowing ourselves the safety of assuming that the world must exist in binary - good or bad, problematic or "not" problematic. and unfortunately, bigots want you to see the world in this binary ideal. they want you to get mad at me because "disney is taking a risk for our community but you won't sing their praises" and they want me to get mad at you for not respecting the legit personal trauma that disney forced me through.

in a grander scheme outside of disney: what happens is a horrific splintering within activist groups. we bicker with each other about minimal-harm minimal-impact ideologies, like which depiction of bisexuality is the most-true. we gratuitously analyze the personal lives of activists for any sign they might be "problematic". we get spooked because someone was in a dog collar at pride. we wring our hands about setting an empty shopping mall on fire. we tell each other what words we may identify ourselves by. we get fuckin steven universe disk horse when in reality it is a waste of our collective time.

the bigots want you to spend all your time focusing on how pristine and pretty you and your interests are. they want us at each other's throats instead of hand in hand. they want to say see? nothing is ever fucking good enough for these people.

and they want their followers to think in binary as well - a binary that's much easier to follow. see, in our spaces, we attack each other over "proper" behavior. but in bigoted groups? they attack outwards. they have someone they hate, and it is us. they hate you, specifically, and you are why they have problems - not the other people in their group. and that's a part of how they fucking keep winning.

some of the things that are beloved to you have a backbone in something terrible. the music industry is a wasteland. the publishing industry is a bastion of white supremacy. video games run off of unpaid labor and abuse.

the point of activism was always to bring to light that abuse and try to stop it from happening, not to condemn those who engage in the content that comes from those industries. "there is no ethical consumption under late capitalism" also applies to media. your childhood (and maybe current!) love of the little mermaid isn't something you should now flinch from, worried you'll be a "disney adult". wanting the music industry to change for the better does not require that you reject all popular music until that change occurs. you can acknowledge the harm something might cause - and celebrate the love that it has brought into your life.

we must detach an acknowledgment of nuance from a sense of shame and disgust. we must. punishing individual people for their harmless passions is not doing good work. encouraging more thoughtful, empathetic consumption does not mean people should feel ashamed of their basic human capacities and desires. it should never have even been about the individual when the corporation is so obviously the actual evil. this sense that we must live in shame and dread of our personal nuances - it just makes people bitter and hopeless. do you have any idea how scared i am to post this? to just acknowledge the idea of nuance? that i might like something nuanced, and engage in it joyfully? and, at the same time, that i'm brutally aware of the harm that they're doing?

"so what do i do?" ... well, often there isn't a right answer. i mean in this case, i hope mickey chops off ron's head and then does a little giggle. but truth be told, often our opinions on nuanced subjects will differ. you might be able to engage in things that i can't because the nuance doesn't sit right with me. i might think taylor swift is a great performer and a lot of fun, and you might be like "raquel, the jet fuel emissions". we are both correct; neither of us have any actual sway in this. and i think it's important to remember that - the actual scope of individual responsibility. like, i also love going to the parks. Thunder Mountain is so fun. you (just a person) are not responsible for the harm that Disney (the billion dollar corporation) caused me. i don't know. i think it's possible to both enjoy your memories and interrogate the current state of their employment policies.

there is no right way to interrogate or engage with nuance - i just hope you embrace it readily.

[wuntrum]

job market so bad that macrodata refiner at lumon sounds nice. i could be refiner of the quarter EASILY

[14dayswithyou]

tell ren to turn his location on👉👈

I saw one of the posts of how ren does get jealous of pets being loved over him and alll that so now I have the thought of the one meme of ‘ah yes, me, my partner and their [enter normal pet size] foot [pet]’

I don’t have anything else, it did pop into my head though and I thought I’d share with the class.

⌞♥⌝ ItsNotVivy on Twitter actually made that exact meme with Ren a looong time ago!!

[benevolenterrancy]

this description made me realise what one of my favourite MXTX character tropes is: Over-Worked, Under-Appreciated Employee Who Is Not Above Becoming Somewhat Evil About It

[swan2swan]

Yeah, I think if you and all your coworkers find out you got fired via a press release, you should be allowed to sue the corporation who fired you.

[inonibird]

Why, I got lost at C̶̥̆ö̵̯́ṅ̸̬v̸̯̌e̴̲͘r̵͙̐g̶̑͜e̵̘͊n̵͐͜c̸̨̀è̶̡ ̷̟͊S̴͎̓t̵͎͂a̴̠͊t̵̟͝i̷͙̐o̴̖̓n̷͕̂, how are you?

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

years later someone buys the plot, turns on the lights and is suddenly worshipped as a sun god by a bunch of puppets falling apart at the seams

pov you break into the spooky abandoned Playfellow Studios building for shits and giggles

[baldursghaik]

Reading the reaction to Larian's decision to fully step back from wotc/d&d/etc has been interesting

a lot of mourning of the loss of "content"

"we could have had years and years of content" "this is heart breaking to never see these characters again" etc etc

is that what you really want? content? is this what modern media production has come to, that people aren't sated with anything less than milking a property until it's a barren husk of anything it once was?

Why can't we be happy with what we have? I don't think it's unfair to be sad about this news, especially given that it felt like some things were being teased or hinted at, and now they most likely will not come to fruition (at least at larian's hands), but is that really so bad? If you're so dissatisfied with a character's ending or arc, write a fanfiction, draw fanart, boot up the game again and just imagine your way into what you DO want

is that not the fundamental nature of d&d?

[lifeisstrange-incorrectquotes]

PLEASE STOP HARASSING DECK NINE DEVS AND LIS PLAYERS WHO DON'T AGREE WITH YOU.

Death threats are not okay.

Telling people to kill themselves is not okay.

Harassing people over fictional ships is not okay.

Harassing people over their opinion of a game is not okay.

Harassing already overstressed, overworked employees is not okay. ESPECIALLY since it's been documented they've been working under discriminatory and predatory management, been through multiple crunches, and have an unidentified neo-Nazi on their team who management did not properly address and fire.

You can still be critical of a game and not harass the people who made it. Hell, you can absolutely hate a game and still be respectful to the people who made it. I'm sure the creators are far more likely to listen to the fans if we give constructive criticism than if we irresponsibly and cruelly send threats.

I know most people who see this haven't sent hate, and to those people: this post isn't about you. I massively respect you for maintaining your rationality and empathy. But for those who have sent hate or are thinking of doing so, please reconsider. Sending hate isn't going to change anything; it'll only break the fandom even further apart and stress out overworked employees. If you're going to be mad, be mad at the higher-ups at Square Enix for turning the franchise into a cash cow and at the upper management at Deck Nine for overworking and alienating their employees. (Also be mad at that 1 neo-Nazi because seriously, WTF!?)

But please, even to the worst of the worst, do not send death threats or harass people.

[bumblingbabooshka]

Tuvok & Janeway being normal close friends pre-delta quadrant but becoming irreparably inseparable over the course of their time on Voyager is actually a very funny alternative to them having been besties. Before the horrors they were close but now in the delta quadrant all their neuroses are coming out and new, worse neuroses are being added every day. Janeway's trying to kill herself in increasingly spectacular bouts of heroic sacrifice and Tuvok's too busy proving that he knows her best/will always be by her side to effectively stop her. And for that? He's her best and dearest friend and can have the honor of being the only one to die by her side [which he willingly asks permission to do, btw] ♥

[hijinxinprogress]

Civilian Gothamites realizing they can get vengeance through Sword!Robin

Gothamites figuring out if they happen to mention a rogue treating animals poorly within hearing range of sword!Robin that rogue will be in custody with at least four fractures and a concussion and Damian being completely aware that like 63% of these people are lying but it’s the only way he can get experience with the nonlethal takedowns he’s experimenting with bc everyone keeps complaining about how he treats his opponents and allies 

Like he’s guiding a civilian to safety and they mention that “this would be the worst thing to happen to me today if riddler didn’t stab my fucking cat” and this civilian does not own a cat but they did own a car that was just paid off but riddler fucking crushed it with a stupid ass hot air balloon that’s shaped like a fucking question mark and Damian is aware of this bc he was the one that verified the insurance claim (but he’s been looking for a reason to punch Nygma in the throat since his last Arkham escape when he called Damian a moron)

And he also knows that if he plays along with it and says ‘as if I’d let that gaudy and tactless imbecile get away with committing such atrocities’ when prompted that he’ll get away with barely a slap on the wrist like he gets three half hearted but long lectures he’s not going to listen to and an online sensitivity training seminar he goads Tim into completing (Damian and Tim 100% try to trick each other into doing work they don’t want to do and full heartedly believe the other has no idea what they’re doing)

Bruce’s tendency for finding small crashouts at risk of becoming future rogues in Gotham and deciding they need love & supervision but what actually happens bc he’s so fucking awkward is they get almost the same amount of supervision just with like an hour of intense helicopter parenting a week but honestly besides that they just have more money and resources to do fuck shit

Tim 🤝🏾 Damian: using the manipulation tactics they learned from their mothers then later improved on with help from an assassin cult and bat/cape interrogation questioning techniques on the homies

[autistic-demon]

There were many but the biggest red flag Mr Beast had was being the biggest Elon Musk fanboy and constantly shilling for Tesla