#bill danton batdr

[rainbowspinch]

Can I Please marry your Bill Danton

As long as you’re okay with him and his roommate being a package deal! (And you can handle being woken up at 4am every morning!)

[unnoticedunawarestillhere]

Bill Danton in my AU!

[thelocalmoth]

The Stranger That I Used To Know

Act 2 || Word count: 2,842

Note: This is based on a roleplay and therefore is cowritten. Jack is played by me and Hudson is played by @unnoticedunawarestillhere. Also, this is the second act. For the love of god, read the first one. 

TW:

• So, so many mentions of vomit

• Unhealthy ink usage

• Talk of mental/physical health

• Brief homophobia reference

• General dark themes

———

Previous Act

———

Hudson scribbled something down on a piece of paper, sitting next to a potted plant in the lobby, shying away from his fellow writers. He muttered something under his breath while he tried to focus on his work. However, with each flicker of the lights or sounds of footsteps, his head would perk up or swing around.

A pair of quick footsteps could be heard that suddenly faltered and seemed to switch directions before Jack appeared in front of the young man. “Damn, I know the writing room isn’t all that hospitable but I didn’t think it was enough to push you to the lobby. What’re you doin’ here, Hudson?” he said. He was carrying a stack of papers and a violin case, a cup of coffee precariously balanced on the papers.

Hudson looked up, blinking. He pushed himself up, his figure brushing against the leaves of the plant beside him. He eyed the items that Jack was clutching and rolled his eyes.

He took the cup carefully off the heap and the stack of papers. “Doesn't really matter. I think the important question is: do you really want to mess up your back, Jack? Jeez.”

Jack snorted and rolled his eyes, shrugging a bit. “I’m alright. Sam’s got us runnin’ around in prep for the seasonal special. Gods, working in commercial business can really make you hate the holidays.”

He sighed, raking a hand through his hair.

Hudson, for the first time in a while, actually laughed, smiling warmly. “Nothing speaks 'holiday spirit' than that!” He replied, his tone wistful while his eyes twinkled with amusement. He adjusted the papers under his arm and held the coffee cup tightly in his free hand.

“Think of me as your personal assistant for the day, eh?”

“Aw, you don’t gotta do that. I’m sure you have work too, don’t you?” Jack replied, tilting his head to the side as he stepped back, allowing Hudson to stand up.

Hudson's eyes darkened slightly as he muttered, “Nah, they don't need me there.” He shrugged, securing his hold on the papers and coffee.

“Hm. Alright then. Thanks for carryin’ that for me, by the way. I’ll try to make the trip short.”

With that, he headed off towards the elevators, violin case in-hand.

Hudson followed him, glaring at a group of writers that happened to walk past them. One caught Hudson's eye and whispered to the next writer. Hudson averted his gaze and entered the elevator.

Jack raised an eyebrow at him as the elevator doors slid shut. He’d already pressed the respective button, so as soon as the doors shut, the elevator (violently) jolted into action. “You’re an interestin’ man, Hudson,” Jack remarked casually as they ascended.

Hudson swung his head to look at Jack. “What is that supposed to mean?” He asked, almost sounding startled. His brown eyes glanced at the group of leaving writers before the elevator descended.

“You’re just… a character,” Jack replied with a light smile. “You’re not boring, that’s for sure. Don’t take it as an insult.”

Hudson relaxed a little, leaning against the railing. "Ah, gotcha. Well, you're a character too then, I suppose," he chuckled lightly.

“So I’ve been told…” Jack hummed. A moment later, the elevator doors slid open with the sound of a bell and the two stepped out, walking down the hallway towards the music department.

Hudson followed him out, before he halted, watching Lawrence directing the band through slitted eyes. He gritted his teeth in a new wave of annoyance, but kept his mouth shut for once. He spun around and kept up with Jack.

“So tell me, if you've known that guy for years, was he always such a nut case?”

“….Nah,” Jack replied after a beat. “I think this job really wrecked him. There’s a lot of pressure put onto his position. I don’t think either of us knew that goin’ in, cause… Well, the studio was hardly what it is today.”

“What was it like back then? Before me and us youngins came and wrecked it all?” Hudson asked, his tone flat.

Jack laughed softly at that. “It was fine. It felt less like a commercial factory and more like a local shop, y’know? I feel like I got more recognition back then…” he trailed off.

Hudson snorted, rolling his eyes. “Folks are idiots not to appreciate your work. Honestly! Without you, Sammy's songs would sound like shit and Miss Campbell would be left with nothing,” he huffed.

Jack smiled, flattered. “Well, thank you. I wouldn’t go that far, but I appreciate. ‘Just wish Mister Drew felt the same.” He sighed, sort of dramatically. “Nonetheless, I still have a relatively high position in a relatively functional business, so I guess I can’t complain.”

Hudson rolled his eyes once again. “Mister Drew's an idiot, thinking he owns everyone in this studio. Truth? Right now, he's scared shitless because people are already talking about quitting. Not to mention money troubles,” Hudson informed.

Jack nodded along. “Bendy isn’t quite what he used to be, I suppose. ‘Lost a bit of his sheer. With depleting money, we can’t afford to pay the staff and keep the studio clean, and if we don’t do that, we lose workers, and if we lose workers…. Well, we can’t make any money. It’s a bit of an endless cycle,” he mused.

“Hah! And now he wants to open up a damn theme park?" Hudson scoffed. "I may be draft at times, but even I can see how utterly ridiculous that is!” He sneered.

Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head. He looked a little less amused. “He’s gonna drive this place into the ground…”

They finally reached the infirmary, making their way down the open staircase to the sewers.

Hudson adjusted his grip on the coffee and stack of papers as he and Jack descended down. “What are you going to do? I mean if the place actually goes to shit.”

Jack mulled that over before shrugging. “‘M not really sure. I kind of need this job. Maybe me and Sammy could find somewhere else, but on my own, I don’t have much of a résumé….”

Hudson nodded, his eyes softening slightly. He clutched the stack of papers tighter. “Ah. Well, if I quit or get fired, I'll probably try and go back home and...enlist.” He strayed his gaze away from Jack's.

Jack grimaced at the thought. “‘Can’t imagine enlisting. ‘M not really sure if I’m eligible, honestly. ‘Not sure they’d even want me,” he chuckled sheepishly, “I don’t think I’m fit for uh… Servin’ the country. Is that bad to say? Probably.”

Hudson gave Jack a look. “Jack. I'm 5'5, you think I'm fit as well? Anyways, don't be so hard on yourself. Anyone can serve their country, well....okay, not anyone due to social norms, politics....” he trailed off, before shaking his head, “ANYWAYS. STOP BEING HARD ON YOURSELF, that's my point.”

Jack chuckled and ruffled Hudson’s hair, setting his violin on his desk, which they had made it to. “Alright, alright. Point made. Maybe I mean to say I’m not… Mentally fit to serve the country. I’m pretty sure I’m built for the arts.” He patted his violin case to emphasize his words.

Hudson raised his brow, blowing a strand of hair out of his face. “And you think I'm mentally fit to serve my country?” Hudson let out a snort, before setting the now lukewarm coffee down. “It's your choice and if you want to keep working in the arts world, then do it.”

Jack hummed in response, picking up the cup and taking a swig of it. “You’d leave it if given the chance though?” he inquired, giving Hudson a look that said he was trying to read him.

Hudson shrugged his shoulders slightly. “My Dad, back home, doesn't consider being a writer...a real hardworking job,” he muttered, his tone having an edge of discomfort to it, “he wanted me to get into the Air Force like him and my Uncle. I was already making my plans to do just that when a friend offered me a job here. She kept telling me on and on how I had such a talent in writing and art that I should just come here and not waste it.”

Jack smiled softly, tilting his head. “That’s really sweet, actually…” his smiled slipped as he added, placing a hand on his hip, “my dad felt the same. I think he worried his son would turn out gay if he let ‘im hang around too many artists.

“Anddd look at you now,” Hudson chuckled, leaning against the desk. “One of the best artists and the most gayest man I've met.”

“I guess he was right,” Jack smirked back at him, “that’s one thing.”

“And I’ll take that title in stride. Working in both the music industry and bars will do that to you, I think.”

Hudson chuckled, smirking. He rubbed his eyes, his smile faltering slightly. He inhaled slowly, knowing he couldn't lie anymore. “So...about enlisting......guess what?” He smiled, trying to sound enthusiastic, but his voice was way too strained.

Jack raised an eyebrow, moving his hand from his hip to cross his arms. “Hm? What about it?”

Hudson cleared his throat awkwardly. “I kind of...already...did? I-I was talking to my Dad on the phone a month ago and he kept going on about how my cousins were already being shipped off...helping Britain and all that.”

Hudson folded his arms and stared at his shoes. “I...leave in a month. I mean, I'll probably get fired before that, but..yeah, I've already signed the papers and sent them in the mail. RCAF...here I come.”

Jack blinked, eyes widening. “O…Oh. Uhm. Wow, this is really sudden. Huh. You’re off in a month, then? Leavin’ New York for good? I don’t blame you, it’s certainly not everyone’s cup of tea…but…huh.”

Hudson swallowed, nodding. “Uh yeah…” He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes looking hesitant.

“H-hey...uh, listen, you don't even have to, but It..would be nice if we could, uh, write letters? It would make going overseas less...scary,” he muttered, not looking at him.

“Oh, if you don’t send me letters, Hudson, I’m sailing overseas myself and finding you,” Jack said immediately. “…So yes. Definitely. We’ll write letters,” he clarified as an afterthought, softer than his original statement.

Hudson breathed, looking relieved as well as grateful. He stared at Jack with a hopeful, but sheepish grin on his freckled face. “You...mean it?” He asked.

“What? Of course I do. God forbid you leave the country and I never hear from you again,” Jack huffed out. “…I would really appreciate it if we could keep in touch through… All that.”

Hudson chuckled with a small smile. His small crooked smile. Imperfect and real as it was.

“Same here. Besides...I'd prefer to write to you instead of my other Dad,” he said. “It's a shame I won't see you there though…”

“…Yeah… You’re gonna be missed, I can promise you that,” Jack hummed, picking up his half-empty coffee cup. It’d definitely gone cold by now. He took a sip of it anyway. “…But, you’re here for now, I suppose. That’s somethin’.”

Hudson shrugged, leaning against the door frame. “I feel like a part of me is. The other part is just...already packing up and is preparing,” he mused, his tone a little wistful. “Anyways, I just hope this war doesn't last long, that's all. I'll just do my part, help my cousins in the sky and then get my ass back on the ground.”

Jack nodded in agreement, murmuring something along the lines of “Amen.”

“…Though, maybe we should focus on the studio crumbling down around us until then. ‘Too much stuff goin’ on now to think about the future, if you ask me,” he sighed, pushing his hat back to run a hand through his hair. “Either that or you think about the future too much and stress yourself out.”

Hudson smirked slightly, folding his arms.

“Hey, it's what I do best,” he pointed out with a wink. He laughed, but it faltered with a sudden cough. He put a hand on his mouth, wincing.

His chest felt suddenly tight and his throat burned with something salty. He blinked, dazed. The lights..why were they blinking like that? Why were the floorboards so loud? Questions came in Hudson's mind like waves hitting the shore of a beach.

“‘You alright?” Jack spoke up, fixing him with a concerned look. “…Hudson? Somethin’ wrong?”

Hudson turned his back on Jack and slid down the door frame, his hand still covering his mouth. Everything below his feet felt unstable and shaky. “I'm going to throw up,” he muttered suddenly.

“Oh—oh.” Jack straightened, his fight or flight mode activating. “Uh, ok, I have a trash bin. Just hold on a second—” he picked a small waste bin up from next to his desk and placed it next to the younger man.

Hudson took the rim of the trash can and stared at it, wincing. The bile was strong in his throat as his stomach squirmed. When nothing happened, he buried his head in his lap, squeezing his eyes.

Jack sighed and sat down next to him, gently rubbing his back. He didn’t ask any questions; figured he couldn’t answer them anyways.

Hudson clutched his chest and glanced at Jack. “I hate this place,” he murmured, shuddering. “There's things in the walls, and things that follow you when your back is turned and..” he shuddered again.

Jack didn’t really know what to say to that… What were you supposed to say to that? “Well… Hang in there for another month,” he murmured, pulling the younger man into his side.

Hudson blinked slowly, ink once again seeping down his lips. “If I make it,” he muttered darkly.

“Cut that out,” Jack said firmly, “don’t talk like that. Like you’re already doomed by the narrative.”

“Well even if I do make it, I'll be going back to Canada. Then getting thrown overseas. Where my plane will probably get shot out of the sky," he scowled, glaring at the ground.

“Hudson, stop. Please,” Jack cut in meekly, his expression twisting.

Hudson glanced at Jack, his eyes harsh at first, but he saw the hurt in the other man's eyes and looked away. He muttered something, but that was it.

Jack sighed and looked away as well, pulling his knees up to his chest. They were both silent for a while. “…If you’re sick, we should get you out of here. The sewer’s aren’t good for anyone’s health,” Jack spoke up eventually, “we can go up to my uh… Actual office.”

Hudson frowned slightly, but nodded. He swayed on his feet slightly, still lightheaded from the whole ordeal. He gripped the door frame, rubbing his eyes.

Jack stood up slowly and walked over to his desk to pick up the stack of papers that Hudson had carried for him. Then he returned and offered his hand to help Hudson off the floor.

Hudson grabbed Jack's hand and stood on his feet, still swaying slightly. Hudson gripped Jack's arm as if to anchor himself and repress falling over.

Jack lended Hudson his arm as he led him up the stairs and out of the sewers. They walked down the hall for a bit until they stopped at a door. Next to it was a plaque that read “Jack Fain” underneath that, “Head Lyricist”.

“I don’t really use this place for much else than storage nowadays, if I’m bein’ honest,” Jack said as he lead Hudson in, sitting him down on a plush chair behind the desk.

The room was relatively spacious, with several messily-organized filing cabinets on one side of the room and a few music posters scattered along the wall as well as a… round hole?? Higher up.

Hudson nestled in the chair, bringing his knees to meet his chest, looking around the room. His brown hair was still dishevelled and his features were still sickly. “Its nice...what's with the hole though?”

“Uh.” Jack glanced up at the hole in the wall, looking sheepish. “There used to be a clock there….I ripped it off the wall.”

“Ripped....it off. Huh,” Hudson murmured thoughtfully. “If I was you, I would've smashed it for fun.”

Jack silently motioned over to wear a clock sat on one of the filing cabinets, the glass shattered. “It wasn’t exactly for fun. Just uh… Annoyin’? The sound was buggin’ me, I couldn’t work with that clicking sound.”

“Ah, so that's why you have me banned from clicking pens?” Hudson asked, titling his head in almost a child-like why.

Jack’s sheepish expression intensified. “Something like that. The noise just—” he made a little hand motion, “—irritates me.”

Hudson shrugged, seeming to understand.

“Alright, I'll just click pens when you're not there,” he said, his tone holding no judgment.

Jack chuckled at that. “Alright, that’s allowed. Thanks for understanding,” he hummed. He set the stack of papers down on the desk, which already had several scattered across it, some forms and some music sheets.

“And I thought you were a tidy and neat person, Jack,” Hudson mused, smirking a bit at the scattered papers.

“Sammy would certainly beg to differ,” Jack snorted, “though, in my defense, I did say I use this as a storage room…”

“‘Suppose you did,” Hudson said with a shrug. He hugged his legs and buried one side of his face in his knees, staring up at the ceiling light.

“Are you still feelin’ sick? I can get you some water, maybe another waste bin if it’s that bad…” Jack offered as he gathered some of the papers together in an attempt to organize.

Hudson stared blankly at the ground, spacing out. He blinked before glancing at Jack.

“I'm fine. My lungs just kind of...hurt,” he shrugged, “probably just need to sit out.”

“If you say so. Just tell me if you need anythin’, alright?” Jack said with a sigh, patting Hudson’s shoulder. He glanced back at the papers, thinking for a moment before he suddenly straightened.

“Oh!—oh, I forgot my fiddle in the sewers…If you’re sure you’re alright, I need to run down and get it.”

Hudson blinked again, before nodding his head slightly. “I'll be alright. Take your time,” he muttered.

“I’ll be back,” Jack called before leaving the room, his footsteps fading down the hallway.

Hudson stared at the hole, his face blank. Everyone breaks at least once. Including Jack, he supposed. He stared at the hole a little longer, trying to imagine Jack ripping the clock off the wall and throwing it to the ground.

He couldn't.

Jack returned about five minutes later, holding the violin case and a new cup of coffee. He set both down on the desk and quietly apologized for taking so long.

Hudson rubbed his eyes. “Just found out there's another Hudson working here. Hudson Doyle? Yeah, him. ‘Made those fake coin thingies for the vending machines I think,” he muttered suddenly. “‘Think I should have a word with him."

“A word?” Jack repeated with a chuckle. He started to open up his violin case as he added, “What kind of word?”

“He made fake coins to cheat the system! The man has my respect...now if only I could get my hands on those coins..” Hudson murmured, leaning back in the chair.

“‘Sounds like somethin’ Wally would do,” Jack noted as he positioned his violin against his chin. “…I wonder if Mr. Drew actually uses the money from the vending machines. ‘Might be too…cheap?—No, tacky—in his eyes.”

“Ehhh, he made us pay up 'cause the money's getting too long! Not tacky, desperate,” Hudson pointed out.

“Don’t let him hear you sayin’ that…” Jack said softly, though smiling slightly. He started tuning the violin as he continued, “when’s the last time you got a paycheck? It’s been a little while for me.”

Hudson tapped his chin, his eyes looking up (his thinking face). “Uhhh, good question...! I think..last month?” He muttered, his eyes widening at the realization.

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Jack sighed, playing a note on the instrument. “…Me and Sam haven’t gotten one this month either.”

Hudson rubbed his eyes once more. “I think all these special projects are just draining the studio's source of money. It's not like the Bendy Park will actually go into the real world. I went on that roundabout thing with my friend and almost threw up my entire lunch,” he grumbled.

Jack hummed softly in response. “…I’m sure it would’ve been cool if they managed to scrape enough money to make it.” He paused.

“…What were you doin’ with the park equipment? Isn’t that area off limits?”

Hudson paused, wanting to bite his tongue. He said a little too much. He sighed. “Cat's out of the bag..." he muttered, then straightened himself, replying, “I had two friends during overtime and we sort of...sneaked off and checked it out...? One from animation department and the other works at Bendy Land.”

“I see,” Jack hummed as he tested out a few notes. His blank expression didn’t betray the disapproval in his voice. “Well, at least you were with other people. Though, I’d hate for you to get fired—even if it is a month before you plan to leave.”

Hudson coughed, clearing his throat. “Uh yeah....other people. Anyways, it would be kind of funny, don't you think? Got fired for sneaking in an amusement park.” He felt his face flush, but shrugged.

Jack eyed him curiously. “…Funny is a word to describe it,” he replied indifferently as he continued to quietly play his violin. “Let’s avoid angering authorities for now though?”

Hudson scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Relax, Jack, we were careful! Besides, it's not like that's the only time we've snuck innnnn.....” he trailed off. He coughed again, avoiding eye contact.

Jack fixed him with an unimpressed look. “Really now?” He sighed and rolled his eyes as he placed the violin back in the case.

Hudson's face got redder. “Yessss??” He grinned, shrugging. “No big deal though, Jack! Don't worry. Besides, Mister Frank always whistles when he's coming near. A good sign for when we need to scram.”

“Hm. Well, I can’t dictate what you do, so if you’ve done this several times and haven’t gotten caught, I guess I can trust you for now. ‘Doesn’t mean I support it,” Jack said. He closed the case and pushed it to the center of his desk before moving to the other side and starting to go through the drawers.

Hudson breathed out a sigh of relief, “Thank you, Jack. I appreciate it…” he said, his shoulders relaxing now.

“By the way, uh...so...I got a question. A hypothetical one. If I was bisexual or something, you wouldn't care, right? Not that I am, this is just hypothetical.”

“If you were hypothetically bi, I wouldn’t care, no. You can love who you want to love—I live by that,” Jack replied without even looking up from the drawers.

Hudson swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck, his free hand waving dismissively. “Right, right...so..uh..I kind of am. Surprise, I'm bi..? I think,” he muttered.

Jack chuckled and looked up at him. “Yeah? That’s great, Hudson. Just… Y’know, be careful. But yeah, that’s great.”

Hudson's face burned as his foot tapped the ground. “Oh yeah, trust me...I'm not coming out to anyone else, except you and maybe....Bill.”

“Bill?” Jack repeated as he returned his gaze to the drawers. “And who’s Bill?”

Hudson's face was full on red. “Uh, the friend from the animation department....no big deal, really,” he muttered.

Jack bit back a laugh as he looked up at Hudson again. “…Right. Yeah. I’m sure you two are awfully friendly if he’s the only one you would come out to aside from me.”

Hudson dragged his hand down his face and groaned, full on embarrassed. “It's complicated…” he huffed.

“Of course.” Jack pulled out a pack of Little Debbie’s cakes, unwrapped them, and started eating one. God knows how long those had been in there….

“‘You get back to me on that, though.”

Hudson put his forehead to collide with the desk and let out another groan. “I think he really likes me, Jack! I got no fucking idea what to do about that,” he sighed.

“Do you like him?” Jack replied simply, half-sitting on the desk next to Hudson as he took another bite of the mini cake.

Hudson still had his face on the desk as he muttered, "I think so."

“Well, that’s good, at least,” Jack said. He pulled the plastic further back from his snack as he added, “that might make things less complicated.”

Hudson suddenly grabbed Jack by his shoulders and shook him, yelling, “NO IT'S NOT!” His brown eyes were wide with panic. “I'LL FUCK UP! JACK! NO!”

Jack winced and set the package down, putting his own hands on Hudson’s shoulders. His grip was just firm enough to get Hudson to stop shaking him.

“Ok, ok, shshsh. That’s not true. You’re not guaranteed to mess things up. Have you ever been in a relationship before?”

“That wasn't just a fling? Yes, but only TWICE! Both girls and both ending very badly!” Hudson yelled, his eyes darting everywhere in his panic.

Jack shifted his hands to Hudson’s upper arms, squeezing them. “Alright, well stop yelling and talk to me, Hudson,” he huffed, “that’s only two times, and the first one barely ever counts. Those aren’t good enough indicators for your next.”

Hudson's arms dropped to his side, resting there. He had his head down, staring at his shoes. “Maybe not. But I'm different now. You know that," he muttered. He slowly tilted his head up. “How do I go for someone like Bill? Sweet, shy and creative? Even though I feel like I don't deserve his affection?” He asked, tears streaming down his face.

One of Jack’s hands cupped Hudson’s cheek and wiped away some of the tears with his thumb. “Very few people don’t deserve affection and you, Hudson, are certainly not one of them. Relationships are messy and awkward at first, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worth it.”

Hudson sniffled, leaning into Jack's hand for comfort. “Tell that to the pastor I punched,” he muttered, defeated. He sniffled again, tears still swelling up in his eyes.

“Uh—” Jack faltered at that, confused. “…You punched a pastor?” Despite the incredulous tone, he didn’t move his hand or get angry.

Hudson gave him a sheepish look, looking up at the ceiling. “Uh yeah...at my sister's funeral....”

“Hm,” Jack replied blankly. “You probably shouldn’t have done that, but y’know. Bill doesn’t have to know that. He probably deserved it too.”

Hudson wiped his eyes, sniffling still. “Mhm…” but he didn't sound convinced.

“Bill deserves better though..”

“Apparently he doesn’t think so if he likes you,” Jack noted as he pushed Hudson’s hair out of his face.

Hudson looked uneasy and unconvinced, but nodded. His lips still quivered. He hugged Jack, resting his chin on his shoulder. “Thanks, Dad,” he murmured.

Jack hugged him back, pulling him into his chest. “Of course. Y’know I’m here for you,” he murmured.

“....I'm still not gonna introduce you to Bill though, heads up,” Hudson murmured, still embarrassed.

Jack snorted back a laugh. “I’m just gonna have to find him myself,” he teased, “he works here, after all.”

Hudson's face was back to red again. “I forgot about that,” he hissed at himself. He rolled his eyes, “Whatever, just...don't tell him I said any of this.”

“I’m just playin’ with ya, I’ll stay out of it if you want me to. Update me, though.” Jack patted Hudson on the back, but he didn’t pull away yet. He’d wait for him to do that.

Hudson chuckled, but his smile faltered. He pushed himself off of Jack and coughed. He gripped Jack's desk, hunched over. “...remember when you offered me that trash can? That. I need that,” he rasped.

Jack didn’t waste a second before pulling the aforementioned waste bin up and placing it in Hudson’s lap. “I’m sorry about all this, kid…”

Hudson coughed, bile raising to his throat. “Why..why are you sorry..?”

Without waiting for an answer, he threw up. His lungs are way too tight for his liking.

Jack didn’t answer, instead rubbing Hudson’s back in an attempt at comfort.

Hudson breathing was uneven, he glanced up at Jack with wide unstable eyes. “Jack. Why are you sorry?!” His voice was now a little panicked. Black stained his lips as he turned away and threw up again, clutching the can tightly.

“It’s nothin’, Hudson. Just a tough situation to be in, s’all,” Jack replied evenly, his hand still resting on the man’s back.

Hudson clutched the bin even tighter now, his knuckles turning white. He shook your head.

“That's not it, is it? What, Jack? WHAT?!” He was yelling, panicking now. His heart rattled in his rib cage and his eyes couldn't focus on anything.

“Christ, I’m serious— it’s nothing more than that. I didn’t mean to scare you!” Jack said, removing his hand. His voice had raised slightly in response to Hudson’s. “…J-just calm down.”

“NO!” Hudson shouted, his heart picking up the pace. cold sweat beaded his forehead, trickling down. His stomach was churning and the floor beneath felt like it could vanish. “I can't, Jack! I can't. Everything is too quick! I have to keep up...I have to!”

Jack pulled away and took a step back. “…I don’t know what you’re talking about, Hudson.”

Hudson shook his head violently. “Animations aren't being done on time anymore! One unfinished project only gets added by the next unfinished project and the next! No time to stop, and deadlines are everywhere!” He yelled, closing his eyes and returned to coughing into the can. “Too many scripts, too many mistakes…” he muttered between coughs.

Jack didn’t really know how to respond to that, just looking over at him with an uneasy expression.

“It's too much,” he whispered, his tone in distress. He clutched the can firmly, ink still spilling from his lips. “I just want it to go away…”

Jack sighed and returned to Hudson’s side. “Hudson…”

Tears were bubbling in his eyes as he squeezed his eyes closed. “I can't do it, I can't DO it! My work is just trash all the time and I can't even fix it with what little time I have!” He whispered, his tone pleading as well as desperate. “It's not good enough, Jack.....no matter how hard I try,” he said in a small fearful voice.

“I doubt that,” Jack said softly, gently resting a hand on Hudson’s arm. “Hudson, can you take a breath for me?”

Hudson opened his eyes slowly, tilting his head to slightly face Jack. He took an uneasy breath in, exhaling sharply.

“Once more?” Jack instructed softly.

Hudson took in another breath, his shoulders lowering when he exhaled. He stared at the trash can, now quiet. His eyes still flickered erratically.

“Good,” Jack murmured, moving his hand to his lap.

Hudson moved the bin to the floor and placed his head in his arms, hunching over. He just wanted this all to end.

“...Maybe I should go to a clinic,” Hudson muttered, his eyes glued to the hole in the wall. “But then again, I don't think there's much that can be done for me.”

“It probably wouldn’t hurt,” Jack said, offering him a small smile. His eyes flickered up to where Hudson’s were trained and the smile faded a bit. “…The nurses are nice at least.”

“Sure, but what then? How do I explain that I've been throwing up ink and blood, can hardly sleep and I'm 89% that something is following me,” Hudson muttered. “Kindness is nice, but fixture is better.”

Jack looked away with a grimace. “…I dunno. I really don’t. I wish I did.”

Hudson gave Jack a glance, his gaze softening. “I didn't expect you to. Not really,” he murmured, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Just go finish those expired...what are those even??”

“Oh. Uh.” Jack picked up the package again. “Swiss rolls. I have no idea if they’re expired or not but these things have a shelf life of like, years, so…”

Hudson smirked, titling his head up, his knees brought to his chest. “Yeah? Well, pass me one then!” He was feeling calmer now, still on edge, but was beginning to feel better.

“If you can stomach it,” Jack chuckled, handing Hudson the other uneaten Swiss roll.

“…Seriously. Please don’t eat that if you’re still feelin’ sick.”

Hudson chuckled lightly. “I think it's better to have something in my stomach than just ink. Besides, I couldn't eat breakfast today,” he pointed out, taking a bite.

“........yeah, these are expired,” he observed, before taking another bite.

“Hm.” Jack shrugged halfheartedly. “‘Tastes fine to me. I don’t think it’ll harm you, but I could also just get you somethin’ else to play it safe.”

Hudson laughed, “No, no, it's fine! Way better than ink and opium solutions.” He took another bite, chewing calmly.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Jack replied with a soft smile, then turned his attention back to his own cake. It was mostly gone, given he had been eating it before, and he finished it off quickly.

Hudson gazed thoughtfully at his cake and took another bite, quieting down. Basically like giving a tempered young child candy so it will shut up.

Jack took his and Hudson’s wrappers and tossed them in the waste bin, which……right. “I’ll have to empty that out and replace the trash bag,” Jack noted, swinging his legs back and forth as he sat on the desk. Hudson looked sheepish.

“Sorry about that..”

Before he could offer a hand, there came a knock on the door. Smooth and gentle. Hudson looked up curiously. “Expecting anyone?”

Jack shook his head, confused. “Anyone who’d be visiting me knows I don’t really use this office,” he muttered. “The door’s unlocked, come in!” He called out.

A young man stepped in, his black hair neatly parted as well as his clothes smoothed out. The man smiled, his face flushing a little. “Hello, Mister Fain! Sorry to interrupt, but have you seen Mister Hendriks? I can't find him….” he trailed off, seeing Hudson on the desk.

Jack glanced between the two, sliding off his desk. “Heya! I’m sorry, but who are you again? I don’t recall meeting.” He gave him a bright yet polite smile.

The man gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh yes, how silly of me! Forgetful, aren't I? I'm Bill Danton. New hire in the animation department!” He offered his hand for Jack to shake.

Jack took Bill’s hand and shook it, looking him over while biting back a smile. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Danton. And it seems you know who I am. Sorry to keep you runnin’ around, Hudson’s been in here with me this morning.” He shot a knowing look at said man.

Hudson's face was back to being on fire as he sat up in the chair and cleared his throat. “Hey, Danton. Need something?” He asked, his voice rough as he tried to mask his embarrassment.

Bill smiled nervously, replying, “U-uh, yes! Just needed you to give me your latest script. It-t's alright if it isn't finished!”

Hudson said nothing, his face still on fire.

Bill glanced at Jack, “Is he okay?”

Jack had crossed his arms and was biting his lip to hide the smile on his face. He nodded at Bill’s question. “I think he’s doin’ just swell. Maybe he sat up too quickly.”

Bill looked instantly concerned for the smaller man, his hand over his mouth. “Oh dear! That does happen...I hope he isn't pushing himself too hard,” he murmured, his gaze softening.

Hudson gave Jack a look that could be translated to: "HELP."

Jack pressed a hand to his mouth himself, turning his head a way for a moment to cover his smile. Bless this sweet man, he was concerned…

“You’re doin’ alright, right, Hudson? Though, he said you owe ‘im work—you should probably get that covered,” the lyricist said, stepping behind Hudson and leaning against the back of the chair.

Hudson had his mouth open, but only an awkward noise could be traced. Bill's brow furrowed down in his worry. He took a step closer, his hand reaching for Hudson's shoulder.

“Oh, poor thing! I've been hearing the Writers Department was under deep water. Must be so overwhelming! Seriously, it's okay if the script isn't done!” He said softly.

Hudson swallowed, shaking his head, getting up from the chair.

“N-no, it's done alright. Not dragging you in our deep water,” he muttered, not making eye contact. He glanced at Jack, seeing the amusement in Jack's eyes.

Before he could even glare at him, Bill asked Jack, “What's he doing in your office, Mister Fain? Didn't realize writers also work in the music department!” He sounded surprised.

It was Jack’s turn to blush as he quickly waved his hand dismissively. “Oh, nothin’, we were just chattin’. He was helpin’ me out this morning and I sort of kept him around.” He paused, then added, “don’t let me keep you two; if you’ve got work to do, it’s certainly more productive than what I’m doin’.”

Bill smiled, adjusting his glasses and shaking his head. “Oh please! I couldn't take a son away from his father,” Bill chuckled.

Seeing the surprise on Jack's face, he explained, “Mister Hendriks talks about you a lot, y'know. Looks up to you and just says the sweetest things about you! You're quite likeable, I must say!” He chuckled, glancing at Hudson.

Hudson folded his arms and grumbled, “Not a lot...just average. God, Bill…”

“Oh! Wow—” Jack’s cheeks reddened, flattered. “I…Huh…! Well, I’ve heard a thing or two about you as well.” Jack’s gaze flickered over to Hudson, but he simply added, “you’re as nice as he’s made you seem.”

Bill brightened, looking flattered as well. He put a hand over his heart and swooned, “Aw, Hudson! Really? I knew you were warming up to me.” Hudson scowled slightly and turned his head away, still embarrassed and awkward. Bill chuckled, “quite the son you have there, Mister Fain. You must be proud of him.”

Jack quieted at that, but he still had a small smile on his face. “…Yeah. Yeah, he’s a good one,” he murmured.

“You two should get to work, don’t let this old man keep you,” he added, placing a hand on Hudson’s head and ruffling his hair a bit.

Hudson snorted, muttering under his breath, “You're not that old.” Bill smiled at the two, his face still red.

“He's right though, Mister Hendriks! We should probably get to work…” he said softly, his tone was a little awkward. Hudson stared at Jack, looking a little uneasy.

“I don't think I can do this. I'm going to fuck up, Dad..!” He whispered to Jack, his eyes back to being panicked.

“No you won’t. Just act natural, alright? It gets awkward if you don’t—trust me on that,” Jack whispered back, moving his hand to Hudson’s shoulder. “You’ve hung out with him before, clearly it didn’t go that poorly since he’s so fond of you.”

Hudson took in a deep breath, glancing at Bill, who was still beaming and patiently waiting. He rested his hands in his pockets and gave one lingering glance at Jack. He then took a step towards Bill.

“Alright, alright, let's talk scripts. See if you can catch up, eh?” He muttered, motioning Bill to follow him.

Bill gave an eager nod of the head, but paused.

When Hudson had walked out of the room, Bill glanced at Jack. “Hey..! Um, just to clarify...he's uh..he isn't taken, right? Just curious for the sake of being curious.”

Jack couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Oh, no. Not taken at all. Have at ‘im, Mr. Danton,” he said with a smirk, moving to sit down at his desk. “And, for the record, feel free to stop by anytime you need. A friend of Hudson is a friend of mine.”

Bill's face was reddening as he brought his glasses back to the bridge of his nose. “Oh! Um, how nice. I see...well, thank you, Mister Fain. I-I promise to take care of him! As a friend, of course. HAhah...yep, as a friend,” he trailed off awkwardly. He cleared his throat and beamed. “Take care! Thanks so much!” With that, he spun around.

“Mister Hendriks, wait up!”

Jack just laughed to himself, shaking his head. This kid was going to be the death of him.

————————————————————————

Ok, so when I said “thank you for getting this far!!” At the end of Act 1, I actually didn’t mean it because oh my god. This was so much longer. If you actually read this entire thing, I tip my hat to you, friend.

This took a little longer to edit and get out there, and considering it was about 3/4 times longer you can imagine why. But, regardless, it’s here. And uh.

…Queer

[fandomtrash-16]

some character design practice with studio folk

[archer-kacey]

some BATDR cast sketches and Archie Carter's most famous and real line

[inkmancy-au]

We don't talk about Bill Danton, non, non, non

Ask by @idk-and-idc-period ! (thank you for the ask and also sorry for answering super late !)

Artist's notes : So I wanted to make it simple but it turned out into a shitpost comic XD Now I can't take serioulsy Bill ha ha. I didn't even notice he has similarities with Bruno from Encanto.

Seeing a couple seconds into the futur is a nice suggestion ! But, actually, I think I'd give him the ability to predict in advance every movement by looking at someone (not like having vision to see the futur, for Bill, it would be more on instinct), since he's an animator and based on his audiolog :)))

[thatonecrookedsmile]

Through 2023, I've been sketching and conceptualizing my designs for the human cast of BATDR. Giving shape to some ideas, testing new ones, you know the deal.

And December of last year, I wanted to make some slightly more elaborate drawings ("elaborate" in comparison to the previous sketches in this case), with some of these designs. To sort of solidify these ideas better.

The result turned out quite nice, despite a few things. (why are noses so complicated from a head-on perspective) Last month I decided to bring these drawings + 3 small doodles to color. To also solidify how they look in color.

Obviously, this isn't the entire DR cast. There are only 8 designs here, it's a little less than half of the entire cast, I still have to show a lot lol. These above are what I chose to draw in recent times. For the rest of the characters, it's a matter of 1. fleshing out the designs (e.g. Angus Newman, Kitty Thompson) or 2. I still have to think of a design for them (e.g. Muncie Dunn, Telly Wester). When I have a better vision for them, I'll do something similar to what I did here. Make some more elaborate drawings for them, color them digitally and post them here eventually.

I don't know if the text I put is too big or too small, so here are the characters in each image, left to right: -Jane Todd, Kay Lee. -Grace Conway -Bill Danton, Lance Derby -Sally Newt, Hudson Doyle and Carl (one could argue that Carl might not be a real in-universe person, but I still wanted to do a design for him) There are still some details that have yet to be really set in stone, but even so, what we have above is practically the main vision for these designs solidified, so to speak,which I'm happy with.

At first I was only going to color the first three images, but I liked the other 3 mini drawings that I made at the time so I decided to put them here too. Eventually I'll make some better drawings with them, so the next time I show other BATDR designs, I'll post them together. Maybe in the future, when all the designs are finalized, I will make a digital drawing with all the designs, in one place. I tried to do something similar in the past with my BATIM designs, so it would be interesting to do something like this again with the Dark Revival cast.

[inkyboi25]

Head canons (BATDR human addition)

- Audrey Drew: Is described to be one of Arch Gate Films hardest worker, and is liked by many coworkers

- Wilson Arch: Where his father saw a simple cartoon industry, he saw a goldmine of experiments, and he wanted it all to himself. Wanted to use his own creations against the Ink Demon, and have total control over the Ink dimension

- Allen Gray: A man of business who doesn’t appreciate having failure in his projects. Sometime after Joey’s death he tried to take back the ink machine, most likely knowing what it’s capable of

- Telly Wester: Worked at the bank that Joey Drew would take loans out from, he had to repossess much of the studio belongings after bankruptcy

- Nathan Arch: After Joey’s demise, he was inspired by his work, wanting to keep the “magic” Joey created alive. Is Wilson’s father, but never payed attention to, deeming he wasn’t a “thinker”

- Angus Newman: Worked with Shawn Flynn in the toy factory, but was often slacking off

- Dale Little: Was in charge of tracking shipments in and out of Joey Drew Studios before being in charge of the security codes

- Hudson Doyle: Was forced to be a tour guide to try and earn more money, since Joey was always finding ways to keep money close to him

- Kay Lee: She was instructed to hide objects and files Joey would deem too important to lose, making her question Joey

- Sally Newt: Joey Drew’s personal secretary

- Carl: The amount of stress Joey and the animations put on him drove him to hang himself in his office

- Bill Danton: Started having personality disorders and mental instability after creating and acting out so many cartoon characters (became one of the lost ones in Artist Rest)

- Phil Clark: Was one of the many animators Joey had to hire to replace Henry

- Jane Todd: After the rest of the animation department laughed at her character, she wanted to prove Carly was worth being shown, and thus became Carly

- Lance Derby: Would try and look into what the GENT company was doing in the studio

- Dina Dean: A model that wants to endorse a new shoe polishing product, and Wally finds attractive

- Hank Scott: Just an average worker who wants to get some decent shut eye

- Muncie Dunn: One of the original mechanics at Joey Drew Studios before GENT arrived, doesn’t approve of Joey and GENT’s business partnership

- Grace Conway: Would often talk with Norman Polk when he was hiding somewhere, and would hide in spots no one could find, even stealing from her fellow coworkers

- Eugene Lloyd: Was one of the many JDS workers that hated GENT’s company choices

- GENT: Was once a construction company before working with Joey, starting using poor people as test subjects; broke into the Joey Drew Museum to steal the ink machine and everything it needed to start up

- Steve McGregor: A strong new worker at the GENT corporation that makes everyone drop their jaws at his strength (became Big Steve)

- Archie Carter: Was in money trouble so decided to accept being one of GENT’s test subject candidates

- Chef Buck: After his coworker Little Andre died in front of him, he used his carcass as food for the other workers

- Kitty Thompson: Is a person who is curious about the mysterious ghost train that appears on the lines

- Wilton Moore: An author who loved to create lengthy stories

- Tessa Arch: Possibly either Nathan’s wife or another family member who cares about his health

[gingerean]

The new one off type characters in batdr don’t have nearly the same amount of impact as they did in the first game.

I don’t know if anyone else feels like this but it feels like a lot of them have something missing. In batim there’s a bit of structure to the introduction of characters, “Hey here’s my job and here’s why I don’t like Joey.” Lots of characters follow that and I feel like that gives a lot of them a good starting point to be excepted by the community because it feels a lot more personally connected to the characters we already know like Joey or whoever else while the new characters in batdr feel floaty and unconnected. A good example is Grant Cohen or Jack Fain who both only have one audio log in batim stating their jobs and how they feel about it and name drop another character and both are beloved by fan and I’m sure some people would say they are their favorite characters. On the other hand there are reoccurring characters from batdr that I barely remember the names of that talk way longer than our one offs from batim. Another part of it to me is there’s no fun in trying to find out who’s who like we got to do with Norman or Shawn or anyone else from batim. Like who has deep head cannons about Dale Little . No one really pops out to me and everyone blends together. There’s no spice to these guys and they all can be used interchangeably to me. Sorry if this is a whole lotta nothing but I would really like to hear other opinions on this. Apologies to anyone whose favorite character is Bill Danton sorry for slandering your man.

Maybe I just like stories more heavy on interpersonal drama and stuff.

[sky-lia]

/!\ BATDR SPOILER /!\

God there are many things i want to draw for BATDR but im busy with my job training :') but here we go, just a lil concept I imagined for Bill Danton ! I liked his audiolog sooo yeah gave him a look XD (more a ink version)

Facts I imagined : 

- he fused with the bendy clock

 - can activate a special vision, like he can see every movement, even the fastest one in slow motion (eyes of animator) / or has time power 

- an antagonist, can even be arival for Henry (calm animator vs crazy animator)

Also I’ll likely integrate him into my batim au (Inkmancy). Also ! to the anon who send me the ask about deus ex machina and inkmancy, dw, i’ll answer in during the week-end hopefully !!

[nightmaretherabbitsideblog2]

Plz draw Bill Danton!!!! Everyone need this!!

Here you go.

I had fun designing/drawing him.

[rainbowspinch]

Did some designing last night using Insta requests!

Batdr designs 3/5

[unnoticedunawarestillhere]

BS Doodles I did last night!

[rainbowspinch]

Slicer, and Jane and Bill (they’re besties I have decided)

[rainbowspinch]

Things my partner and I have said about CTC characters, an ongoing draft

“Bill Danton is baby girl”

“Norman would love Disney Princesses”

“Jacob probably does many forms of art that most wouldn’t associate with him. Like he could design a house really well but people would go ‘that’s not a Jacob thing’”

“Jacob does sculpting. His housewarming gift to Norman when he moved next door was a middle finger statue.”

“When Norman went into his new house for the first time, he found all the statues Jacob had been storing in there of himself.”

“Tom’s got a touch of the ‘tism. Another one for the pit.”

“They’ve all got autism. In our world, autism is the default and you have to prove you’re allistic.”

“I like that he is a little fucked up.” (About the Ink Demon)

“Jane has slight shaken baby(adult?) syndrome. Bill shakes her with passion”

“It’s the discord kitten in him.” (About Bill Danton)

“I LOVE HOW MAN HE IS” (about someone else’s interpretation of Sammy)

“Certified boy holder” (about someone else’s interpretation of Sammy)

“The babies. He is So Ugly<3” (about the Tom plush)

“Allison would be a crystal girl in modern days. Susie would be one of the ones with a super complex skin-care routine”

“Do you think big Bendy accepts Sammy’s weird behaviour because he gives good tummy scratches”

“Susie would hate mullets. A lot of them would. Not Jacob.”

“Norman would fucking love the song Piano Man. He would sing that shit with heart.”

“Do you think Abby helped Richie through dealing with Dave’s death?”

“Sammy+Susie: the mean girls

Jack: the cat kid”

“Norman finally exercising his ice cream rights” (about a video of a man on a game show eating an entire pint of ice cream and then feeling sick afterwards)

“High school mean girls Susie and Sammy definitely practiced kissing together”

“Me: where would Jacob be from?

Rat: Ohio probably. Look at him”

“Me: Sammy. Is he British?

Rat: yes. He tries not to be”

“I literally spent $50 on this shirt because I looked at it and went “OOooOu Norman!””

“No arguments, Nice is a people pleaser. She wants to be Alice’s best pal ever, even if that means she has to commit to atrocious crimes” (about Malice Angel’s two different voices)

“Norman goes to a thrift shop and goes “ooooo for me”. Jacob goes to a thirft shop and goes “ooooo for Norman”. Strange gay things for a strange gay man”

“Got shoved in a locker for being a nerd” (about Grant)

“I can’t explain how, but the way you’re typing is Tom like” (about me calling crabs Big Boys, Tiny Boys, and then struggling to spell anemone, followed by “how the fuck do I spell this shit”)

“He loves almonds. Nut boy. Nut boy.” (About Norman)

“Kismesis. Mmm. Regret regret regret regret” (me regretting referring to something Homestuck related while talking about Prophet Sammy and Malice)

“Do u think Tom Boris cleans people. Like lick lick.”

“What’s more powerful then being nothing AND A WOMAN AT THE SAME TIME” (conceptualising nonbinary transfem Bertie)

“He looks like a Mangle” (about Bendy-Bot)

“Old Men that make Unexpectedly Nice Poetry” (about Henry and Norman)

“Bertie: You want meeee to come put of retirement to work on your silly little project? Do I get anything out if it?

Joey: I can give you a kiss-?

Bertie: *unimpressed*

Joey: I could get on my hands and knees and start crying

Bertie: that’d be a start” (Rat’s genius)

“His boyfriends wedding, he deserves that cake” (about Wally eating Tom and Allison’s wedding cake)

“Tom wouldn’t say blimey. ..I lie. I’m sorry.”

“Sammy Lawrence is Michael Bublé”

“Pfft- love his handbag” (about a picture of Sammy holding a light from BATDS)

“Richie has discord server mod vibes”

“Rosalia is not a discord kitten. She’s the actual mod, Richie just talks too much”

“Norman is a discord kitty for many many people to turn a profit”

“And Bill and Jane look like they eat humans and get away with it. But In a Endearing tumblr sexy man Sammy way”

“What the fuck is her” (about Slicer)

“Jack is catish”

“You know he’s ready to grab things and “what if you went in my mouth”” (about Ink Demon)

“Grant is autism.

He verbally stims (tick tick tick)

He enjoys math

Canonically He can’t understand when people don’t do things for money which I assume our Grant doesn’t get it either

Bad social skills

Resting bitch face

I say so???? So??? You can’t say I’m wrong???”

“I bet he’s never heard of a social cue in his life” (about Grant)

“Grant’s ‘Strange Money’ tape. He sounds like a self conscious southern 20-something year old that really doesn’t want to be southern. He sounds divorced. He sounds like his ex-wife is a lesbian.”

““Simmons I left something in the Hell Dimension can you get it for me” that’s on brand” (about Joey)

“Henry come on, respect your parents” (about Henry telling Abby to ‘get a better name’)

“Do you think their whole group has a thing for photos, Joey’s photo book, Carol hangs some up and Simmons just has them stuffed into random places, cup holder, under the seats, in his pillow, with the spoons”

“The moment you’re in Simmons’ house you’re walking on eggshells. There could be a jumpscare anywhere”

“Joey - a list of ways he handles the studio, to emphasise that he’s trying his best

Carol - a list of ways she handles being a secretary and a front desk lady, to emphasise that she’s good at her job

Simmons - what the fuck? What is he even doing here?”

“He/him (in the gay way)” (about Simmons)

“She’s actually 12 sea mines in a turtleneck sweater” (about Susie)

“Bald Sammy Lawrence and Skin Eyes Jacob”

“Fuck you [romantic]” (about Joey’s letter to Henry)

“Sammy keeping inky handprints from PJ on his overalls” (based on a picture of a cat leaving wet paw prints on a boot and calling it a little accessory)

“Enemies to lovers [obliviously]” (about Sammy and Susie)

“Do you think even as teenage mean girls beefing it out, Sammy and Susie were still crushing on each other”

“No idea who Eugene is but fuck Chef Buck”

“He is Brazilian I’ve decided, and Sally will be Greek” (about Andre and Sally Newt, when I was designing them)

“Rat: why does 30 years make my eyes green?

Me: Tism does that

Rat: Norman, Norman, Norman, Norman, Norman, Norman-“

“Bill is what happens when you forget about a middle child”

Edit: “Jacob and Norman definitely do drugs. Anything they can grow, they will take.”

“[scary[hot]]” (about Malice)

[sky-lia]

What is BATIM Inkmancy AU all about and how is it different from Deus Ex Machina?

Oh boy I'm glad you're asking the question !

As a reminder, Deus Ex Machina is not longer a BATIM AU, it's an original steampunkish story now, at least for me.

So when my BATIM phase came back while I was de-batim-fying Deus Ex Machina, I needed to create another BATIM AU so I created Inkmancy AU. Fun fact, I drew this before BATDR release and didn't get the occasion to post. So, now it is !

Inkmancy AU will be more accurate to BATIM aesthetic like the yellow shades and it'll be more oriented towards toon horrors and occultism.

Also, I made this to differenciate the main character, with Pyrop who is not a Henry anymore X)

For more details and rambling about the differences between Inkmancy AU and Deus Ex Machina, click "view more"

To differentiate Deus Ex Machina and Inkmancy AU, here the main points (sorry in advance, Im not a good writer but I'll try hsdfhz):

Deus Ex Machina is not a BATIM AU, it happens in a steampunk universe (might also be gaslamp fantasy), to summarize the concept :

"Pyrop", an enigmatic mechanical engineer, decided to come back in a ghost town to resolve mysteries about strange events linked to the disaperance of his long lost friend "Cobalt". Supernatural machines, diseased automatons and unknown creaturish people... Pyrop will have to rise up for the trials he'll face.

Of course there will be some inevitable things that will remind BATIM, but yeah, I'll try to make Deus Ex Machina distinguable.

-----------

Inkmancy AU is a BATIM AU, but also BATDR AU. In this AU, I'll throw and make it fit so many ideas I wished we had in BATIM and BATDR (example : like Bill danton, new monsters, inkmancy system, re-designed known characters, more sammy who don't get killed in 5 secondes...). I don't have a whole timeline yet... I'm still thinking for some ideas but I won't tell because I don't wanna give fase hopes in case i can't make those jvgdhgz. To summarize :

After long years, Hendrick comes back to the old animator workshop like his old friend Joey asked in his letter. A simple visit into this place will turn into a descent to an inky nightmare. Down here... , the cartonish monsters, many crazy occult people, ghosts and demons of his past will torment him. Eldritch horrors beyond your comprehension ! He'll have to solve the riddle of the Ink Machine to survive and to escape.

For now Hendrick is the main character, but Audrey will probably another main character too. But i'll see...