Chapter Text
The first few days in a new world were a bit rocky for everyone, though fortunately they had plenty of support. The group, and many of the Lost Ones who were at a stage of rehabilitation where they could be left on there safely, found themselves occupying a nice apartment building on the edge of Silvi city. It was the closest to the lab they had walked out into, where an over exuberant squirrel in a lab coat had begin drilling them all with questions about their experiences and the mechanics of the ink.
Fortunately they had four major sources of support, two being the Holy Council, which could not turn their eyes away from beings in such desperate need, and the Council of Scientific Explorations, which were rabid with eagerness to explore this strange pocket dimension between worlds.
Then there was the Council of Magic, which was primarily concerned with the overwhelming degree of negative energy built up in the studio and ink, as well as the dark magics Joey had invoked in creating the place. The group wasn't getting much information about that, all of them getting a sense that this was some serious stuff Joey had toyed with. What they did know was that it could have been far worse according to the magi.
The last support was donations from the kingdom itself, the news of their plight having reached them. It was run by a mouse, who Bendy claimed was swell guy, even if he was a bit of a goody two shoes. Everyone spoke highly of him, and it was clear they were empathetic to what the former humans had gone through, given the constant monetary support, and teachers who were sent to help bring everyone up to speed on cartoon society.
Like Bendy had once mentioned, there was the event of toons randomly appearing, and occasionally even new lands or locations. It was simply the way of the world. Sometimes these new locations were connected by wormholes, seeming to be the universes solution to prevent to much expansion or overlap at once. There was plenty of work for adventurers in the further edges of the land and mapping out the new lands that appeared through wormholes.
They were treated like new toons, which they technically were, taught the ins and outs of the currency, current political climate, sources of jobs and how to recognize when you were taken advantage of, and everything else a newcomer to the world would need. The teachers were very good at their jobs, being the best among their occupation, and kept busy as more Lost Ones were recovered.
The Lost Ones were an interesting situation. Some came out fully human, some as animals, some as a mix, and some as totally unique beings that didn't fit neatly into any category. It seemed to be something connected to their mental states, something so deep that not even the toons could fully explain it, but other than learning some new biological needs and learning to maneuver new bodies, most adapted pretty well. A good portion could remember bits and pieces of their past lives, though some had lost everything, coming out into the world as a fresh new being.
There was also a lot of therapy, unsurprisingly. Those being recovered from the studio would usually go through a screening session, and then they would be signed up with a therapist capable of helping. Those struggling with their bodies, or the traumatic memories of their time in the studio, and everything in between. Many of the Lost Ones had mandatory therapy until it was made certain they were not a danger to themselves, and stable enough to function on their own, in which case they would be transferred either out of therapy or into less frequent visitations.
Grant was the one of the members in the 'core group' who sought out therapy the most. At first, he had been stubborn and despondent, too proud to speak on what happened even though it still haunted him. It had broken pretty quickly under the patient warmth of his therapist, and soon enough the dam broke. He began to steadily improve after that point, surprised by how much talking about his issues helped. He was still haunted by the studio in his worst nightmares, but so was everyone else who had escaped that place.
Sammy, Oliver, and Lacie were the three at the forefront when it came to working with the Lost Ones. Sammy and Oliver were a given, since they had a standing reputation with the Lost Ones, but Lacie was present for those who would not feel comfortable with them. Those from her division, who had come in with Piedmont to work on the amusement park. The GENT employees who had been trapped in the studio when the machine they were hired to construct was turned on them.
It was the second week into their new lives when Bertrum was recovered, though the apartment heard it was not an easy matter. There had been a lot of yelling on Bertrum's part, until it was made clear that Joey was gone and dead. Bertrum had 'won' their little grudge match, even if it was indirect. He had become more reasonable from there, mostly speaking to Lacie to calm down. The long time employee knew her boss well, and how to get him to settle down, and before long the volunteers from the science and magic councils were working on removing him from the machine he had fused himself with.
The amusement park creator had been an interesting addition to the already colorful blend of beings occupying the apartments. He was reportedly taller than before, and wider, but what was most prominent was the fact the man had more arms. It seemed it had carried over from his time as an octopus ride, and he did not hesitate to put the stretchy appendages to use.
After a couple days of adapting to and learning the looser physics of the toon world, he had already began to draw up plans for another amusement park, one that would top everything he had done in the past, especially Bendy land. Oliver was hired pretty soon by Bertrum after they meet, the man taking a liking to Oliver's can-do attitude, and strict eye for details.
Norman was adapting as well, soon finding he was not the only 'object head' toon in the apartment, let alone the world. Turns out it was fairly common, and the strange looks he had dreaded never came. He was one of the first of the group to find a job, working in a nice little workshop repairing machines, primarily cameras and the like.
Tom and Allison were the first to leave the apartments, buying a small farm outside of the city. Allison claimed it was something they both dreamed of doing while trapped in the studio. Tom was still something of a sour apple, but he was slowly becoming a bit nicer. It helped when someone taught him Sign Language, and other ways around his damage induced muteness.
The second to leave was Brutis, who had developed a fast friendship with Boris. The pair regarded each other like brothers, though the circumstances by which they both came to life were far different. The undead wolf took up with Boris and started to help watch over the sheep and tend to them, finding the simple job soothing. He also learned sign language, though he preferred the simpler methods he had developed with Perci and the others.
He also kept the rabbits, since Pippen didn't have the heart to separate the happy trio. They were moved into their own hutches, though Angie surprised them all not too long later when she had a litter of angelic and impish children. Brutis was proud as a peacock when it was discovered, and was initially the only person Angie would allow near her children in the early stages.
Norman wasn't the only one who picked up a small job, most of the apartment denizens desiring to be self sufficient. Some even planned to move out when they were steady enough, not wanting to overtax the councils and the king's good will. Some planned to move to another house or apartment in the city, while others began to look beyond the city, having an entire world to sate their curiosity. There was so much more to see than there had been in the studio, and some of the more confident members of the recovered were eager to explore.
Sammy picked up a small side job teaching a music class at the local school, though he was still known for his occasional barbed tongue and sharp words. But he had mellowed some after his time as an ink creature, the pent up bitterness from his time in Joey Drew's studios slowly being release from him. It helped he had a familiar face also working in the school.
Susie Campbell had also picked up a job at the school, though she was only an assistant librarian at the moment. It was good, honest work however, and Susie liked the quiet, spacious library. She was slowly acclimating to large groups once more, her more social side returning with time and therapeutic help. Occasional, when he was on an off period, Sammy would visit her, and for a long time rumors abound over the pair.
It was finally put to rest one day as the pair went official, trying their relationship once more. There was still a mutual attraction between the pair, and Susie had always been good at soothing Sammy's temper. In turn, Susie was also always sure that what Sammy told her was the honest truth when he gave out a compliment or kind word, though he was steadily becoming softer when it came to her, as he had a long time ago. Only time would tell if the pair worked out. At some point they had taken up singing together, and Sammy had begun to write songs again on the side.
The butcher gang was the only beings to come from the studio who did not take up residence in the apartments, instead returning to their home on the other side of town. They returned to a life of petty crime and the like, trying to cheat the system for an easy life, as they had before their abduction to the studio. At the least, they did not try to scam the core group, who they had escaped with, and Edgar kept close contact with Wally, who had become good friends with him, and Henry, who tried to subtly push the group towards a better life with less crime.
Wally took up a side job as a handy man, and could often be found around the theater even when off work. He liked the theater, and all the cheerful people who came for the shows and games. The general upbeat atmosphere was good for him, and he was popular with the toons who came because of his good nature. When he went to the bank, he would go into Grant's line to see his former coworker, even though they weren't the tightest of friends. Wally had always been a people person, and the toon world didn't change that.
As for Perci, he resumed his studies as a doctor, though he had to adapt to the unique anatomy and possibilities of the toon worlds. There were also now curses and other magical diseases to content with and learn about, but he happily went back to work learning what he needed to know. He had also gained the three council's interest, though it was mostly because of his odd scissors, one of the two tools not weakened by the transfer to the toon world.
Henry's pen was the one weakened, no longer having a limitless supply of ink to work with, though it had a considerable amount. It was directly connected to his own strength now, like Pippen's was connected to her, but it took little time to adapt to. The most popular theory was Henry's pen had been limitless thanks to his connection to the studio, one that Pippen had lacked. Now that they were in a world where neither of them had any special connections, they were on even footing.
The old animator took up drawing again, finding it helped to release some of the emotions he had long repressed. It felt good to draw again, though he didn't use the magic pen except for special occasions, or where it was necessary. He always kept it on him, just in case. He lead a mostly calm life, though Bendy would visit him frequently, the pair slowly growing their bond with time together.
The bond with Henry wasn't the only thing Bendy worked on. He had taken quite a shine to Pippen while they were in the studio, though he could never fully explain why. He knew that initially he had just thought it was because she was the first one to try and help him, to befriend him, to hear his woes.. but it was also just something about her he liked. She was nice but not to much of a push over, and could be clever when she wanted to be. It helped she was cute.
Pippen ended up on a lot of adventures with Bendy, first there as support as he adapted to his home once more, having long gained negative habits meant for surviving in the studio. They had been supportive of one another as they worked through what had happened in the studio, though the devil clearly had the greater burden. He was grateful for her presence however, and her patience, even as his mischief began to shine through once more.
There was never a dull day with Bendy around, that was for certain. Be it with the addition of Brutis, Boris, and/or Alice, or just the two of them, the pair always had an interesting time. For the most part, Pippen didn't mind the small snags or trouble Bendy would brew, though she wouldn't hesitate to tell him when he was about to, or did, cross a line. Despite these few occasions, it didn't stop her from helping him, and she soon became known for being the devils accomplice in his mischievous endeavors, and then something more. Didn't stop the mischief either way.
When it came down to it though, Henry was the glue that held the core group together. Everyone kept in contact with him, even after some of them moved out of the apartments or to other areas. He was a patient, friendly man, and he was always one of the first people the recovered studio workers would meet at the apartment. He helped to maintain the peace, and seemed happy with his current situation, where he was no longer alone with only memories of the past. Bendy visited often, and while he was a bit of a trouble maker, Henry loved him all the same.
It was slow, but the group integrated into the toon world, having their own adventures and misadventures as life carried on. Memories of the studio faded, but never truly left them, but they always had someone they could turn to. Henry wouldn't abandon anyone, and being a small time artist meant he had time on his hands to help support his fellow survivors. It was slow, happening in leaps and bounds over weeks and months, but they recovered, and reached a point where they could look around themselves at the toon world and call it home.