Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

So, I originally was going to have the original “Running the Asylum” fic contain all these oneshots, but I figured it would be best if that one had character introductions, while this one is more story based.

Now, these stories are mostly self-contained, some might reference other stories. What I would recommend is at least reading the previous Human!Doors Fic before this, and maybe the biographic information as well. Any references to chapters in this collection will be put in the notes before hand.

Now, while I do have plenty of ideas, eventually I will run out. So, I’m allowing people to put in their own suggestions, and I might get around to writing them at some point. (no promises, though)

Will write:

- Comedy (my specialty)

- Fluff (also a strong suit)

- Angst, with or without comfort (not as good, but doable)

- Anything not listed in the Will Nots (self-explanatory)

Will NOT write:

- Smut (trying to keep this sfw)

- Entity deaths (no entity canonically dies in this au)

- Romance (there is only one future relationship and one future one-sided crush)

- Crossovers (the only one that exists is with jeff the killer, and even then, he appeared in doors as well. it really just boils down to me usually not being able to keep them in character)

That is all. First real chapter should be out tomorrow! :)

Chapter Text

“Everyone, family meeting.”

Rush, Ambush, and Screech were all sitting in chairs in Seek’s office. Seek himself was pacing around his desk, thinking to himself.

“So, uh...” Rush started. “What’s the news?”

Seek didn’t respond.

Rush nudged Ambush’s shoulder. “... Is ‘e lost in ‘is mind?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time.”

Screech giggled.

Finally, Seek settled down in his seat, glancing at them. “Me and Light need to go out of town for a day or so.”

Screech raised his hand.

“Yes, Screech?”

“Are there really other towns in Purgatory? It seems like an empty space to me...”

Seek shook his head. “No, no. It’s not here. It’s, uh...”

He pointed upwards. Everyone understood what he was getting at.

“Anyways. Since I won’t be here, the car is gonna need to be cleaned by someone other than me. Which is why I’m entrusting you three to do it.”

The children seemed surprised. To clean Seek’s car was a... Privilege. A sign that he trusted you as much as he did himself.

“R... Really?” Ambush asked.

Seek nodded. “Really.”

He walked over to them, getting their attention. “Now, without a car, I can’t do any business. Which means that things will be a lot harder for everybody. But that shouldn’t be a problem for any of you, right?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Rush said with nonchalance.

“We’ll make sure that it looks as good as new!” Screech promised.

“It better be.”

...

Seek’s car was very big and blocky, with a green body, brown wheels, and a grate on the front. It was almost a wonder it still ran smoothly. It looked like it came from caveman times. In fact, it probably had come from caveman times.

The last the children saw of their dad was him and Mx. Light dissipating in a flash of white light. That meant that they were now at the pearly gates, and the countdown had started.

“Alright," Ambush started. “We’ve got approximately 24 hours before dad gets home and sees what we’ve accomplished. So, as leader, I-”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute...” Rush interrupted. “Why do you get to be the leader? I’m the oldest, after all.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, maybe the oldest has more experience.”

He laughed in his face, clearly annoyed. “May I remind you who cleans this entire hotel? I can manage a car.”

“At least when cleaning the place, you’re not under total scorn if you do it wrong. Seek will literally ’ave our ’eads if we mess this up!”

Ambush glanced at Screech, who had been witnessing their bickering. “Hey, Screech. Who do you think should be in charge?”

“You, obviously!”

He smirked at his brother, smug. “Well, you heard the kid.”

Rush scoffed. “No fair! Everyone knows you’re ‘is favorite!”

“Keep telling that to yourself.”

...

Despite the initial arguing, things started out pretty smoothly. Screech was small enough to fit and clean the underside. Ambush got the car wet while leading. And Rush wiped it down, making it dry.

Within a few hours, they had successfully scrubbed it, head to toe.

Rush wiped the sweat off his brow. He turned to face his middle brother. “Well, I ’ate to say it. But you did a good job.”

“Oh, did I?”

Rush laughed, slightly shoving Ambush. “Oh, stop it. At least I gave you praise!”

Ambush rolled his eyes, shoving him back.

Unfortunately, he shoved him a little too hard. He smacked against the side of the car, causing a noticeable dent.

All three looked at the damage in horror.

“... What the hell, Rush!?”

“Me!? How is this my fault!? YOU pushed me!”

“YOU STARTED IT!”

Rush inspected the dent again. “O-Ok, maybe ‘e won’t notice! Let’s just... Not talk about it!”

“He notices everything!” Screech yelled. “We can’t just not talk about it!”

Ambush sat down in a fetal position, pulling at his hair with his hands, rocking back and forth. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, ffffffuck-”

“DON’T USE THAT LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF THE CHILD!” Rush covered Screech’s ears.

“FUCK, I’m sorry!”

“YOU DID IT AGAIN!”

“I SWEAR WHEN I’M NERVOUS! Give me a break!”

Rush started to pace around, thinking as hard as he could with his pea brain. Everyone there shared a brain cell, and now, it was his turn with it.

He ran inside the hotel, running back with a piece of green construction paper and a roll of tape. “Let’s just cover the dent with the paper! It’s the same shade! ’e’ll never ’ave to know!”

Ambush was suddenly snapped out of his panic attack, his head turning around with an expression of disbelief. “... That… Is the dumbest fu- freaking idea I have ever heard. And that’s coming from you.”

“Well, you ‘ave any better ideas?”

“... No.”

“That’s what I thought,” he said as he taped the paper over the damaged car. “’E’ll have no reason to check this spot specifically. The car already looks beat up enough. What’s the worst that could happen?”

...

“Care to explain to me why my car, the car I specifically told you to clean, has a dent in it?”

The trio was back in Seek’s office. He was fuming, but he tried not to show it.

“I-In my defense, I thought ya’ wouldn’t notice the paper...”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better!?”

He took a deep breath, calming himself. “Who did this? I won’t be mad.”

Nobody bought that for one second. Everyone was silent.

Seek slammed his desk. “If no one fesses up, you all will be in trouble.”

Ambush sighed. “D-Dad, it was m-”

“IT WAS DUPE!”

Everyone looked at Rush like he was crazy.

Except for Seek, who seemed intrigued. “Go on.”

“W-Well, ‘e snuck out after we finished, ‘e knew that we didn’t want it damaged, and and and and and broke it! Just to make us look bad! Can you believe it!?”

He seemed unsurprised. “Of course, that bastard did it.”

He grabbed his intercom, speaking. “Employee J, can you make your way to Mr. S’s office?”

Immediately, the doors of a closet flung open, an annoyed Jack inside. “What do you want now, sir?”

He noticed Seek’s kids. He waved, strangely cheery. “Oh. Hello, Seek’s kids.”

“Jackster, can you bring Dupe to my office? I need to... Discuss... With him about my car that he dented.”

“Of course, Seek.”

The closet doors shut.

”… And don’t call me Jackster.”

...

The three later found themselves in the bar. No one was there, so they thought it was safe to talk about the events of the day.

“... Look, I’m sorry about starting that fight with you that caused the dent. It was stupid, and...”

Ambush patted his brother’s back. “Ah, don’t worry about it. Shouldn’t have pushed you back.”

He turned to Screech. “And sorry for, y’know, not maintaining your innocence. Just... A little stressful.”

“It’s ok! I hear much worse from Dupe!”

“Of course you do.”

The three started to laugh. The situation was strangely ridiculous, now that they looked back on it.

But they started to hear a fourth set of laughter. Coming from the closet.

They opened it, revealing that Hide was inside.

“Ah, you found me out. Boohoo.”

They started to pale. If Hide was there, did that mean...?

He adjusted his pajamas, still chuckling. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell.”

“Why not?” Screech asked.

“I’m your uncle. It’s my job to keep my nephews out of trouble. Now leave me alone. I need to sleep.”

And the closet doors shut once more, leaving the trio in stunned silence.

Chapter Text

“Ha! Dumbass.”

Dupe stood over Ambush, smug. His victim was sprawled out on the floor, having just been tricked by one of his fake doors.

“Very funny, asshole.”

He tried to get up and walk away, continuing his janitoring, but Dupe followed him. He was his favorite target, if only because it was very easy to get the reaction he wanted out of him.

“Now, now, now, don’t be a sourpuss! I’m only having a little fun! Is that illegal?”

“Leave me alone...”

He was ignored.

“Y’know, I don’t understand what you have against me. Don’t you have someone else to annoy?”

“Dawww, but why would I ever pass up the chance to talk with old Shorty over here?”

Ambush audibly growled. “Shut up. I’m the same height as you.”

“Yeah, only because you wear those boots! Without them, you’re a tiny, pathetic mess!”

A familiar glare of anger was starting to form in his eyes. “Stop it.”

“Ohohoh! Looks like I struck a nerve! Of course, I know what else you hate.”

“Like what?”

“Your voice is so high-pitched; you sound like a child! You face never grows any hair, and, well...”

“What? Well, what?”

“You could pass off as a girl with how feminine you are.”

This was the final straw. Ambush threw a punch at the aggressor, Dupe stepping back and dodging it. “Missed me!”

More punches were thrown, each one missing by a little bit.

“HA! That never gets old! Seeya later, girlie!”

Dupe continued to laugh maniacally, looking for the next person to bother.

His stupid, smug grin.

It all made him so angry.

...

After work, he went back to his room. He flopped onto his bed, grabbing at his hair, this close to pulling it out of his head.

He grabbed a pillow, punching it.

“Stupid... Asshole...”

He continued to beat up the innocent pillow, trying to hold back the urge to cry. After all, if Dupe found out, that was one more thing to make fun of him for.

The door slowly creaked open.

“‘Ello? You in there, Bush?”

Ambush snapped his head at the sudden intruder in his room, that being Rush, who had heard noises inside and wanted to see if he was okay. He looked like a mess, manically holding a pillow, hair frazzled, tears clearly forming in his eyes.

“What do you want?”

Rush sat down next to him. “What’s wrong?”

“Excuse me?”

“You only beat up your pillow when you’re mad about something. What’s wrong?”

Ambush could barely hold it in anymore. He hugged his brother, loudly sobbing into his shoulder. “I-I- He- Dupe- He said- I just- I-”

Rush patted him on the head. “Ah, Dupe was being mean to ya’ again?”

“... Y-Yeah...”

Rush got up from the bed. “I’ll have a word with ‘im. Alright? You should probably get some rest for now.”

“... T-Thanks.”

“No problemo.”

...

Dupe was in his own room, laying on his bed and kicking his legs like a schoolgirl hearing the latest gossip.

“Classic Dupe. Always with the bright ideas.”

He thought to himself. “Maybe I should go see what he’s doing again...?”

There was knocking on the door.

“Come in!”

Rush walked in; a stare fixed directly on the perpetrator. “Hello, Dupe.”

“Well, if it isn’t the Hotel Supervisor! What can I do for you today?”

“Don’t play that card with me. I know what you did.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” He chuckled, obviously lying.

“Well, let me give you a reminder. Ambush told me you said some pretty bad things to him.”

Dupe rolled his eyes. “What, I was only having a little fun! Is that illegal!?”

“You made ‘im burst out in tears!”

“Well, he needs to learn to take a joke! He’ll never make it in life if he can’t learn to make fun of himself.”

“How is that a joke!?”

He chuckled, hopping off his bed and getting in his face. “It was hilarious! I don’t see why you’re defending him!”

“Maybe it’s because ’e’s my brother?”

This was the first thing in this entire conversation that made Dupe visibly sweat. He had been so caught up in his joy that he had failed to account for that fact. “... O-Oh, right. I-I forgot.”

Rush slowly approached him, trying to back away, realizing his mistake. “N-Now, wait a minute, maybe we can negotiate this...!”

He swung a punch to Dupe’s face. He tried to dodge, but Rush was known for his inhuman speed. The hit connected, knocking him back to the wall.

Before he could react, a swift kick to his nuts was also delivered, causing him to crumble to the floor, too focused on the pain to even yell or make any coherent noise for a while.

“Stupid... Asshole... Just you wait... Until I tell Seek that-”

“That what? That you bullied one of ‘is sons into a tearful mess?”

Dupe was silent, contemplating how that decision would probably go.

“That’s what I thought.”

Rush slowly walked away from the seething Dupe and to the doorway. “And I’ll be willing to do even worse if you try something like that again. Got it?”

“... Yes, sir...”

Chapter Text

“I heard there was an infestation?”

Eyes walked up to a resident’s Door. They had called for something in their room and wanted someone to check it out. And of course, Eyes, who could kill with a single stare, was sent to investigate it.

A guest had white hair, a black suit with a white tie, white pants, and black horns, stood outside the door, looking impatient. It was the same guest that they had accidentally killed a few months ago, but he was now wearing Seek’s Eyes Effect Blocking Glasses™.

“Oh. Hey, Nevs.”

“... How do you know my...? Whatever.”

Their fifty-something eyes darted to the room door. “So, what’s the problem?”

“I was trying to go to sleep, and I heard a noise coming the drawer. And, well, the last time I heard a noise like that, I got screamed at by a small child.”

Eyes chuckled to themselves, knowingly.

“Look, I’ve been waiting an hour for someone to check it out. So, can we just get this over with so I can get some rest?”

“Will do, sir.”

Eyes walked inside, shutting the door behind them.

...

As soon as they walked in, they saw the talked-about drawer. It was next to the bed, which seemed to have its blankets messed up and wrinkled.

And, as promised, when they walked in, they heard a faint, but noticeable noise. But it wasn’t Screech. It sounded like an... Animal.

Well, what’s the worst that could happen? They would just open the drawer and stare the rabid critter to death. Easy as that.

Except, it’s never that easy.

When they grabbed the handle and pulled, they didn’t see just any animal.

It was a spider.

Bigger than most, but still very small.

Eyes stared at it, and it stared back, making it’s clicking noises. But it somehow stayed alive. In fact, it didn’t even seem to react, like how the other Entities did.

“... Strange.”

The only other person who wasn’t even slightly put off by their look was Mx. Light, and even then, they seemed special. This was just some random arachnid.

And for some reason... They felt compelled to take it.

Slowly, they extended an arm to the small bug. It climbed onto their hand. It still stayed, even as they shoved their hands into his pockets, hiding it. They left, informing Nevs that the room was now safe to go back in.

...

After making sure they were alone, they pulled out the spider. It jumped onto the table in front of him.

Still a little confused, Eyes waved at it. “... Hey.”

The spider seemed to wave back.

“Can you understand me?”

The spider nodded.

“... I think I need more sleep.”

They heard a noise from the halls, and realized Seek was coming their way.

Eyes opened the drawer, shoving the arachnid inside. “Sorry about this. Can’t let my boss see you.”

As the drawer closed, it nodded again, seeming to get it. Eyes put himself in front of drawer.

Seek ran in, seeming annoyed.

“Oh. Hello, Eyes.”

“Hey.”

“Say, have you seen my gold? Someone took it. I think it might’ve been Greed, but I’m not sure.”

“Nope, nothing here.”

He peered at the drawer behind Eyes. “What is in that drawer behind you?”

They quickly darted their 50-something eyes at the drawer, and back to Seek. “O-Oh, uh... Nothing, sir.”

He didn’t seem convinced. He gently shoved Eyes to the side, opening the drawer.

Now, Seek was normally very brave. He was able to solve problems without freaking out most of the time, and he rarely yelled.

However, there was one problem.

He was arachnophobic.

So, when the spider Eyes had hidden in the drawer jumped up and attached itself to Seek’s face, he immediately started to trip over his steps, flailing his arms about, scratching at his head to get it off, all while screaming like someone who was being murdered.

Very quickly, Eyes outstretched his hand to the spider, knowing that it worked last time. And indeed, it jumped off Seek’s eye and onto their hand.

“I’m so sorry, sir, I was just taking the spider out, I didn’t mean- I mean- I didn’t-!”

Slowly, after multiple very deep breaths and hyperventilation, Seek started to regain his composure. “I-It’s fine, Eyes. Just... Get it out of my sight....”

He ran in the opposite direction, to get to his office.

...

Eyes took the spider to their room. Well, Rush’s room as well. They did indeed sleep in the same room, in the same bed, but only because they had the same job.

They extended their hand to a desk near the bed, it hopping off and looking at them.

“Bad spider. You can’t just scare people like that. You could’ve given him a heart attack... I mean, he would’ve been fine. We can’t die, but still.”

It seemed sad, recoiling away and facing down. Eyes relaxed a tiny bit.

“Y’know, you’re making it really hard for me to stay mad at you.”

A knocking was audible on the room door.

“Come in.”

Rush walked in, done with his shift. “Oh, there ya’ are. I’ve been lookin’ for you everywhere, and Mx. Light said they didn’t know where...”

He spotted the spider on the desk. He stared at it for a little while.

“... You, uh... You need help with that?”

“No, it’s-”

Rush grabbed a fly swatter from the wall. “Because I’d be happy to help!”

Just before it could hit the desk, Eyes pulled the spider away from the impact. “STOP THAT!”

They sighed, holding it in their hands. “I just found this guy in one of the rooms. He doesn’t seem to be affected by me looking at him.”

“How d’ya’ know it’s a boy?”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to be correcting us.”

Rush got closer, looking at the tiny guy. “So... You want to keep ‘im?”

“Yep.”

“And you do realize that dad is scared of spiders, right?”

“He already knows.”

“And how did ‘e react...?”

“... Not important. Look, I know it might be a little weird to be attached to such a small creature. But I mean... Look how cute he is!”

Rush allowed the bug to crawl up his arm. He looked into its big, pleading eyes.

“... Yeah, it certainly is cute. In that case, what should we name it?”

Eyes thought about this question for a total of two seconds.

“Timothy.”

“What kinda name is that?”

“... Dunno. Just gave me that vibe.”

This was good enough for Rush, who shrugged, and looked back at the spider. “Well... Welcome to the family, Timothy.”

Timothy made his clicking sounds of approval.

Chapter Text

Ambush and Rush were bickering once more.

Everyone besides those two, Rush and Eyes, due to their supervising, Screech, wanting to stay with his brothers, Jeff, who was unable to leave, and El Goblino, being friends with Jeff, had left the bar to get away from the commotion.

“You’re just jealous that my comedy levels are higher!”

“Well, at least I do my job!”

“At least I don’t overreact to punchlines!”

“At least I’m not a prick!”

“At least I’m not short.”

“CALL ME SHORT AGAIN, ASSHOLE.”

“Short.”

Ambush was very close to beating up Dupe once again, but quickly, not wanting to make an ass of himself, calmed down.

“I don’t have the time for this. If I beat the shit out of you right now, I won’t be able to do my job tomorrow.”

Right as he started to leave, Dupe chimed in with one more taunt.

“You mean, fail at your job tomorrow, right?”

Ambush stopped in his tracks, turning around to face him. “What?”

“Let’s face it, Shorty. Every time you try to clean these halls, you always stop in the middle one way or another.”

He rolled his eyes. “Like when? I’m not staying here forever, y’know.”

Ignoring the glare Rush was obviously digging into the back of his head, Dupe continued. “Well, you usually get upset at something while cleaning. Whether that be me, or just some random guest.”

He got closer to him, sneering. “And Seek always has to bail you out, giving you a break. Half this hotel stays dirty, because of you.”

Ambush started to back away, his expression of annoyance faltering. “Y-Yeah? What’s that have to do with anything?”

As he tried to exit the room, the door turned out to be fake, with Dupe somehow standing in the doorway, pushing him to the ground.

“We both know that he doesn’t actually care about you. He just shows pity towards you, because you manipulate him into doing so.”

“S-Shut up! T-That's not true!”

“He must really hate you, doesn’t he? In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he abandoned you, never to return. You’re just dead weight to us, after all. Pathetic.”

Ambush had no retort. He started shivering in his spot, processing the words he said.

He quickly got off the floor, running to the other door, tears clearly in his eyes.

Cackling at what he had just done, he walked over to Rush and Eyes, oblivious of the dirty looks they were giving him.

“Guess I still got it after all!”

Rush hit his shoulder with maximum force, while Eyes shook their head (eyes?) in disapproval.

“Uncool, dude.”

“WHAT!?”

...

Ambush slammed the door to his room, the lights turned off. Perhaps Halt would fix them later.

He sat down against the door, tucking his legs against his chest, trying to stifle the black liquid that came from his eyes. To no avail, of course, as the more he wiped his tears away, the more they fell out.

“O-Of course, I’m crying. I-I cry about everything, don’t I?”

He buried his head in his hand, attempting not to go through an emotional breakdown.

“I-I guess he was right... I-I am pathetic.”

“That’s not true.”

Ambush looked out of his arms to see a pair of glowing white eyes staring at him through the darkness. They seemed worried.

“O-Oh. H-Hey, Screech.”

Screech sat down in front of him. “Are you ok?”

“... No. I-I'm not.”

“Is this about the crap Dupe said?”

He could tell Ambush was nodding his head, even if no one else could see in the dark.

“I wouldn’t worry about that. I mean, Dad told me that he’s an ‘arrogant jerk who hates seeing people happy.’”

He tilted his head at Screech with doubt.

“Well, he said something a little stronger than ‘jerk...’ But the point stands.”

This didn’t make him feel much better. “E-Even if that’s true... I am just... Dead weight. I-I don’t understand why you all put up with me.”

“Well...” He started. “I put up with you because you’re nice to me. You protect me, you’re responsible, and you’re honest. Dupe doesn’t have any of that.”

Ambush was silent for a little while. “... Y-You think that of me?”

“Yeah. I do.”

Screech gave him a hug, which he accepted, letting out the rest of the tears in his system.

After that was done, Ambush stood up, carrying Screech in his arms.

“Well, I guess I should return and give him a piece of my mind, right?”

He nodded.

“Thanks, Screech.”

“No problem, Bush.”

Chapter Text

Ambush was taking a shower. One of his recent cleaning jobs had gotten very messy, so Seek had demanded he clean himself off.

This gave him time to reflect. He stepped out of the shower, looking in the mirror. It was foggy from the steam of the hot water. He wiped away the fog, looking at his reflection.

He wasn’t one to question his body. Well, at least ever since Seek had gotten him top surgery in secret around a year ago when he was adopted. He glanced at the scars on his chest, smiling a little. Sure, he was still imperfect in some areas, but his chest was more noticeable back then.

Coming out to his dad wasn’t hard. His adoption papers had listed him as female, but he insisted that he be referred to as a boy, so Seek put the pieces together very easily.

But Seek was the only one who knew. Not even his brothers were aware of who he used to be. No one else in the hotel knew. And it made him feel guilty. Guilty that he was keeping such a secret from them.

Now, would they be accepting? Probably. Almost everyone working in the Hotel was some sort of similar way. Whether or not they would accept him wasn’t the problem.

It was integrity.

He had kept such a huge secret for about a year now, and no one ever got the chance to know. Who’s to say that they would ever trust him with anything after learning?

The secret was eating him from the inside. He needed to figure out a way to tell everyone.

...

Seek was in his office, as usual. He was doing his morning work of signing papers, when he heard a knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

Ambush slowly pushed the door open, it creaking as it did so. His dad was pleasantly surprised.

“Oh, hello, Ambush. Have you taken that shower?”

He nodded, sitting in the chair opposite Seek. “I, uh... I-I needed to ask you something.”

“Ask away.”

He cleared his throat. He would understand, right?

“W-Well... I was wondering if I could schedule a company meeting in the Bar tomorrow...?”

Seek’s one eye raised, intrigued. “I’d be happy to. What is it exactly that you needed the others to know?”

“... That I’m trans.”

...

The next day, Seek had done his best to get the Bar Area ready for Ambush’s meeting with everyone else. He had given his enthusiastic consent, having wanted him to tell the truth ever since he first transitioned.

Jeff had refused to move from his table, but both knew that he wouldn’t (or rather, couldn’t) tell anyone. Of course, El Goblino was more likely to blabber all about it, so Jeff had convinced him that Dupe had needed some help with making a new door, so that he would leave them alone.

“... Luckily, since this is only between workers, you’ll need not worry about the... Undesirable... Residents who don’t quite agree with your way of life. Humans are not as progressive as we are, and they can be real jerks.”

Ambush nodded, adjusting his microphone to be ready for his speech. He had written it down on paper and everything, just so that it was ensured that this would go smoothly.

He still found himself nervous, fiddling with the sheets in his hands. Something that didn’t go unnoticed.

You doing alright?

Ambush felt the tug of a tentacle around his leg. He saw the latest sign that Jeff had written, as he looked with worried eyes.

Ambush jumped off the stage, going to the bar. “Yeah, sure. Why.”

You do not seem alright. You seem worried.

He couldn’t argue that. “It’s just... A very big deal to me. Coming out, that is. Seek insisted this big display, and...”

You want to impress him?

He nodded, a little sad that Jeff had figured it out so quickly.

Well, how do you want to come out?

He thought about it. He had never really thought about it.

“... Probably something more reserved. Just a few people. Not everyone at once.”

Here is the thing. You do not have to do anything you do not want to. Seek will be proud of you either way. He just has a way with theatrics. But you want to do it your way? Do it your way. It will not change how brave you are for doing it.

Ambush was dumbstruck by his explanation (and the number of signs Jeff had wasted to write the entire message).

“... I guess that’s true.”

He sat back up, pushing his chair in. “I need to tell them.”

He approached Seek, who was reviewing the speech Ambush had prepared.

“Excuse me?”

Seek looked back at him, his stare relaxing. “Oh. Hi, son. Are you ready to announce the meeting?”

“Actually... I’d like to cancel it.”

He seemed taken aback. “Are you not ready to come out? I’m sorry, I shouldn't've forced it onto you.”

Ambush shook his head. “No, it’s just... I’d like to tell them personally.”

He ran out the doors, knocking the incoming El Goblino into a nearby trash can.

Seek crumpled the papers in his hand, his smile clear despite his lack of mouth.

“Go get ‘em, son.”

A nearby closet rumbled, Hide falling out and splattering upon impact.

“I had a feeling...”

Jack also popped out of the same closet.

“Sorry. Just following your orders and getting him out.”

Seek sighed. “Well, that’s two people who already know.”

...

It was Rush’s turn to take Timothy out, just walking around the Hotel to allow for a new change of scenery.

What he did not expect was to see his younger brother running into him, nearly knocking him over.

“Oh, ‘ey Bush! You needed anything?”

He brushed himself off, making mental preparations for what he was going to do. “Yes, actually. I wanted to tell you something.”

He took a few deep breaths, confusing Rush in the process.

“... You good?”

He finally said what he meant to say.

“I’m trans, Rush.”

He didn’t say anything for a bit, clearly processing the massive bombshell his brother had just randomly dropped on him.

He settled for giving him a thumbs up. “... Neat!”

...

After that awkward encounter, as well as Rush assuring him that he did care, and he didn’t mind, there were a few other people he wanted to tell.

First, it was Eyes.

“Well, I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

Then Screech.

“... What is trans?”

“I used to be a girl, but I felt more comfortable as a boy.”

“Oh, cool!”

Then Hide.

“I know. I was eavesdropping.”

Ambush groaned, but at least he didn’t mind.

And then Jack. He didn’t know why, but he felt compelled to tell him even though he had barely talked to him.

“Nice.” Despite also hearing everything that happened earlier, he still pretended to be surprised to make him feel better. It worked.

Unfortunately, by then, he was tired from running up and down the Hotel telling people, so he decided to take a break. Perhaps later, he could tell the rest.

...

After getting his obligatory “so proud of you” hug from Seek, Ambush sat down at one of the bar tables. He thought to himself about what happened that day.

Guess he was overreacting after all.

No one really minded.

He smiled, knowing that they all cared.

That is, until Dupe sat down at the table.

His expression instantly soured. “What’d you want?”

Luckily, he had specifically avoided telling Dupe about it. After all, that would be one more thing to make fun of him for. As long as no one else told him...

“So, Hide told me you were trans.”

(Splashdamnit, Hide.)

He rolled his eyes, smirking. “Yeah? What of it? I’ve been having a good day today. So, if you think you’re gonna make me feel bad by talking your usual shit like you always do, you’re sorely mistaken-”

“That’s pretty dope.”

Ambush was silenced. “... What?”

Dupe kicked his feet up on the table, relaxing. “Must’ve been pretty difficult to say to people.”

“Yeah, I guess... So what?”

“Huh?”

“Seriously? No jokes? No jabs? No ‘I knew you were girly for a reason’?”

He scoffed, seeming offended. “I have standards. I’m not gonna purposefully trigger your dysphoria. I’m not that much of an asshole.”

“... Oh.”

Both sat in quiet for a bit.

“Still gonna call you short, though.”

“I thought as much.”

Chapter Text

“I’m implementing a new system here.”

Seek was up on the Dining Room stage. He had called for a company meeting, and as such, everyone had come, no matter what they were busy doing.

“Y’see, numerous complaints have come in from people claiming that they were being ‘bullied’ and ‘harassed.’ Now, I’m not going to name names here...”

Everyone glared at Dupe.

“... But I’ve come up with a solution. Since I can’t control what happens all the time, we’ll start small. The last week of every month, we will have a ‘No Bullying Week.’”

Jack walked onto the stage as well. “I will patrol the Hotel, and make sure none of you are up to any funny business. If you are, there will be punishments.”

“Now...” Seek looked at a watch at his arm. “It is approximately 9:00 PM, Sunday. Starting tomorrow, in 3 hours, bullying will be forbidden for a week. Get anything you need to out before then.”

...

After the meeting, Ambush took this time to rub it in Dupe’s face.

“I suppose you have some taunting to do before your life is ruined tomorrow?”

Dupe rolled his eyes. “Believe it or not, I have a life outside of pranking others. I’ll be fine.”

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”

“Alright,” Ambush said. “If that’s the case, I bet you 10 gold that you won’t get punished for bullying this week.”

“50 gold.”

“20.”

“40.”

“30?”

Dupe thought about it. “Sure. Better prepare your pockets, shorty.”

“Yeah, right, asswipe.”

...

MONDAY:

Dupe woke up, ready to do a whole lot of not-bullying.

He walked out of his room and saw Seek and Ambush putting up one of the “No Bullying Week” signs up. He rolled his eyes.

“Well, hello to you two, gentlemen.” He cringed inside from the not-bullying he was doing but continued anyway. “I must say, you sure are working hard.”

Ambush snickered. Seek’s eye squinted at him. “Nice try, Dupe. You’re not going to get an excuse for basic decency.”

He shrugged, walking away. “Was worth a shot.”

TUESDAY:

The first day went by smoothly. Dupe just hung out with Halt, who seemed to be the only person who didn’t hate his guts.

However, as he walked through the rooms the next day, he saw a wall. Pretty nice looking, not too big, not too small. Looked awfully empty.

He could fix that.

He pulled out a buzz saw, cutting a hole in the wall, and replacing it with a door. He wrote the wrong number on it.

As he opened the door, ready to step inside and wait for an unsuspecting visitor...

“Ahem.”

Dupe spun around, and saw Jack standing there. He seemed annoyed.

“What are you doing?”

He slammed the fake door shut, sheepishly. “Oh, nothing! Just... Fixing the door!”

Jack looked at the other two doors currently in the room. The number of the new door didn’t match any of them. “If that’s the case, you must’ve written the wrong number.”

“My apologies, sir! I’ll get right to it-!”

Jack pushed him to the side, opening the door. Inside was a black void of nothingness.

He looked at Dupe with doubt. “Where’s the room?”

“... I... Haven’t... Finished it... Yet?”

He got close to him, glaring. “No. Bullying.”

Dupe threw up his hands in protest. “That’s not bullying! It’s just a prank!”

“Pranks are supposed to be funny. You’ve caused nearly 43 heart attacks this month from your ‘prank,’ and 13 residents have double-died from it. Now, fix that wall, or you’ll be hearing from Seek.”

Begrudgingly, he complied, grumbling all the while.

Ok, so he couldn’t do that.

He could do other things.

WEDNESDAY:

Dupe had stuffed his Bag of Holding with the Hotel’s furniture and doors. Just like always, he had done it during midnight, so no one knew what he was doing.

But as he began to rearrange the Hotel...

“Excuse me.”

Jack was standing behind him.

“THIS ISN’T BULLYING!”

“According to official sources, bullying is the repeated, unwanted, and unbalanced harassment of others. All of which apply right now.”

Jack grabbed him by the collar.

“Also, you’re awake way past curfew. So, you’ll be putting everything back in the morning.”

Dupe groaned.

THURSDAY:

Dupe was running away. Jack had caught him trying to put birds in the Library bookshelves to scare Figure, so he was running before he could recite his “no bullying” spiel again.

He bumped into Ambush, who spun around looking for whoever was responsible.

He smirked upon realizing who it was. “Oh. Hello, Dupe.”

He growled. “Get outta my way, Sh...”

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Jack tapping one of the “No Bullying Week” signs impatiently.

He sighed. “... Ambush.”

“Hey, I guess it’s not as hard for you as I thought, huh?”

As he walked away, chuckling to himself and thanking Jack, Dupe had only one thought.

(I’ll fucking get you after this, Shorty.)

FRIDAY:

Dupe was spying on Ambush. Maybe he could catch him in the act of “bullying.”

Rush had just bumped into him.

“Watch where you’re going, Bugs Bunny.”

“Top of the mornin’ to you too, Slenderman.”

“... Top of the morning?”

“Dunno. Saw one of those ‘youtuber’ guys with green ‘air say it, so I thought it was appropriate.”

“Oh.”

The two had smiles on their faces. Clearly, they were just being playful in their banter.

Dupe didn’t care though. Perhaps Jack would take his side this time.

Speaking of...

“What’re you doing?”

Jack was right next to him.

“How do you sneak up on people like that!?”

“Not important. Why are you spying on them?”

He gestured to the two with a smug grin on his face. “They’re bullying eachother! See? Name-Calling! I can’t call him Shorty? Neither can they! Aren’t you gonna do something!?”

Jack looked at them for a few seconds.

“... That’s not bullying.”

“HOW!?”

“Well, notice how they’re smiling. They’re just friendly-teasing each other. Siblings do that. I used to do that to my brother.”

“... You have a brother?”

“Had a brother.”

SATURDAY:

Dupe sat down, face first into the Receptionist’s desk. Mx. Light was also there, confused by him there. Besides Halt, they were the only other person who didn’t hate him, but that wasn’t much of an achievement. They hated nobody.

“Sir, I have guests to attend to. What’s wrong?”

Dupe continued to sob into the table, looking like a pathetic mess. “I CAN’T BULLY ANYONE ANYMORE! What kinda fuckin’ sick mind thought of THAT!?”

“I think Seek told me it was him.”

“Of course it was...”

Reluctantly, they patted him on the head. “Well... At least it ends tomorrow night, right?”

“... Mhm...”

SUNDAY:

Dupe stayed awake all night. He couldn’t stop thinking about how shitty things had been.

MONDAY:

By the time morning arose, he was a shriveled husk. He couldn’t move from his bed; he was so drained.

He heard a knocking on the door. Despite no one answering, Ambush waltzed in.

“Well, I guess you were right. You were able to make it through.”

He placed his 30 gold onto his dresser. “And I kept my word.”

He walked out, pleased.

...

“’No Bullying Week’ is officially over,” Seek said, now on stage again. “You all may return to your regularly scheduled bullying.”

Everyone glared at Dupe, who was too tired to speak out against it.

...

“That was fun.” Jack snickered. Ambush joined him.

“We should do that again, right Dupe?”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

Chapter Text

Jack felt under appreciated at times.

Working the nightshift one night, his mind started to wander to the places they always did.

Of course, as the Hotel security guard, he didn’t ever expect to be loved, as he often stopped people from doing fun but dangerous things when Seek couldn’t.

But he helped, just like everyone else.

Without him, Dupe’s pranks would never stop.

Without him, strange pale men claiming to be “Jeff the Killing you” would claim more victims.

Without him, the Hotel would be an infestation of crime and depravity.

It would never be safe, without the rules he protected.

But that always made him wonder.

Was that the reason people disliked him?

Because he was too strict?

No, that’s impossible.

He played every rule by the book, sure, but he was only following orders.

He could be cool, if they wanted.

He kicked over a trash can, spilling it’s contents.

… Before feeling guilty, putting everything back.

Okay, maybe that was the reason. But it wasn’t his fault.

If they were so smart, how about they survive a week without him?

Jack smirked to himself, liking the idea. He would leave, and come back to see what messes they had gotten themselves into.

“After all, it’s not like anybody would miss m-“

His muttering to himself was interrupted when he walked straight into someone.

He snapped back to reality, clearing his vision of all the bad thoughts in his head.

Oh.

It was Ambush.

The short, green-haired, and aggressive middle child of the Seek lineage.

He mentally slapped himself for forgetting the one person who would notice him gone. He was the only one who appreciated him, after all.

“Oh. Hello, Ambush.”

He looked up at him, sheepish grin on his face. “… Heya.”

“What’re you doing after hours this time?” He always seemed to stick around at least a few hours after curfew, to Jack’s ever-increasing confusion.

“Well, I, uh…” He paused, clearly trying to think of an excuse. “… I lost my way from the Library again.”

“Of course.”

He grabbed Ambush’s hand, starting to walk back to his room.

A few doors in, Jack took the time to question him.

“… What’s your motivation?”

Ambush looked at him. He tried to act confused, but it was clear he knew what he asked. “What do you mean?”

“You clearly didn’t get lost from the Library. That’s the fifth time you’ve used that excuse this week.”

“… Oh, it has? How strange.”

Jack stopped. A rarity, considering he’d usually want to get people in their rooms as quick as possible. “If that’s not the reason you’re purposefully staying after curfew, then what is?”

Ambush stayed silent for a while. He looked embarrassed.

“If I tell you, will you tell no one else?”

“Sure.”

“… I just like seeing you.”

“… What?”

Ambush continued, as they started to walk again. “Well, uh… You’re one of the only people who appreciates what I do. And it’s just… I like you. You’re cool, you’re nice, and you’re always there for me. I just wanted an excuse to talk to you.”

Jack didn’t know what to say. Sure, he knew that he appreciated him, but he thought he was cool? Nice? No one had ever said that before.

“… Thanks, I guess. If it helps, I think you’re all those things you just said as well.”

“Really?”

“Sure. It’s why I was so focused on keeping you safe from Dupe last week. I wouldn’t want to see you seriously hurt by him.”

Ambush didn’t respond. He had certainly been working harder during “No Bullying Week.”

The two stopped in front of his door. Ambush let go, starting to walk in.

“Oh, and Bush?”

He turned around, expectant. “Yeah?”

“If you wanna hang out when your shift is over, you can always ask. I’m free pretty much whenever.”

He chuckled, nodding. “Of course. Thanks, Jack.”

As the room door closed, and Jack started to walk down the hallways to look for more stragglers, he smiled.

“What a nice guy.”

Chapter Text

Money-laundering.

Greed’s favorite pastime.

A bag slung over his shoulder, filled with gold.

He would take it back to his mancave and keep it there.

Well, as long as no one questioned whose money it was.

He ran face first into Seek, who was also making his way towards him.

Seek grabbed the bag from him, glaring with his singular eye.

“How many times do I have to tell you? No. Stealing.”

Greed pouted, grumbling as he shambled away, like a zombie. But this zombie robbed you blind instead of eating your brains.

Seek sighed, quickly peering into the bag to make sure everything was there. He had woken up to see all his gold missing, and he wasn’t going to let that slide for the fifteenth time.

He started to walk back to his room. Alright, maybe his morning started off badly. But there was still lots of time to make up for that shoddy beginning.

One of the drawers started to rumble beside him. Instinctively, he pulled the handle to open it.

A spider hopped out, launching forward to his face.

Before it could make contact, Eyes teleported into the room with a purple glow, catching it in a jar.

“Timothy, no! What did I tell you about wandering unattended!?”

They looked at their boss, sheepishness detectable through their fifty or so eyes. “Sorry, sir. He just wanted to-“

“Can it with the excuses, Eyes.” Seek muttered, walking away. “I’ve had a bad enough morning as it is.”

…

Seek tried to open the door to his office, only for Dupe to pop out with a shriek, knocking him to the floor.

“Priceless! Never gets old!”

He groaned, slowly picking himself up off the ground. “Don’t get sassy with me, Dupe. Or I’ll-“

“Or you’ll what? Fire me?” He laughed at the implication. “Do ya’ even realize how hard it is to get good engineers in purgatory? I’m the best bet you got, and you know it.”

“Maybe, maybe not. But I can always wring your fucking neck.”

”If we all strangled each other for the slightest annoyances, me and Shorty would’ve gotten into neck-braces by now!”

He growled. “Don’t you dare call my son that, shit-stain.”

“Ohohoho! Looks like I hit a sore spot, didn’t I? I’ll have to keep that in mind for later.”

Dupe waltzed off, manically laughing all the while.

“Smell ya’ later, gramps!”

…

Seek slammed the door to his office shut, storming over to his chair with his head in his hands.

“Dumbass employees… I ought to get rid of them all…”

A distinct rattling could be heard from the closet.

Seek walked to it, opening the doors. A pile of black goop with closed eyes all around sat on the inside. He snapped his finger at one of the eyes, causing them to open. They reformed into Hide, his brother.

“… Heyyyyy, how’s it going, bro?”

He grabbed him by the ear dragging him out of the closet. “Get out.”

“Aw, come on! You wouldn’t force your poor insomniac of a brother outside his sleeping area, would you?”

“Yes, actually. I’ve already had a rough day, and I don’t need YOU to add to it. If one more unexpected thing happens to me, I SWEAR TO SPL-“

Just as he began to pull him out of his office, he noticed a piece of folded paper on his desk. He let go, walking to the mysterious slip.

“… When did this get here?”

Hide shrugged. “You probably missed it while you were having your meltdown.”

Seek glared at him, unfolding the sheet.

On the inside was a drawing of Seek, Rush, Ambush, and Screech all holding hands. Text across the top and the bottom read, “Happy Father’s Day; We love you, Dad”.

His expression lightened up, his singular eye widening. “… What is this?”

“The boys said they had a gift for you, so I was waiting here to make sure you got it. Though, the sleeping area was a good incentive too.”

Seek looked at the calendar on his wall.

June 16th.

Indeed, Father’s Day.

Seek looked back at the paper, realizing that he was so caught up in his minor inconveniences that he forgot what really mattered most to him.

He started to laugh, Hide looking at him with concern.

“You doing okay?”

Seek wiped a tear from his eye, his smile clear despite the lack of a mouth.

“What an unexpected surprise.”

Chapter Text

Rush glided down the steps of the Hotel, late at night. His job was done, all was taken care of, so he had some time to kill.

Now, Jack’s search of the Hotel after curfew would most likely result in a painful trip back to his room. Luckily, where he liked to spend his time was at the Receptionist’s desk, as far away as possible from where Jack started his shift at Door 100.

But when he opened the door, no one was at the front desk.

Strange. Light never left their station. They often claimed that “nothing else is as thrilling as helping the people of purgatory.” Why would they...?

Rush spotted a sticky note on the desk. He took it off, reading it.

...

Dear Seek,

I’m off to take my company mandated break. You-know-who will be here in an hour or so. Please warn any new employees about them.

Sincerely, Guiding Light

...

Hm. So that’s Light’s name. Good to know.

But what was this about “you-know-who?”

And, wait...

“Aren’t I a new employee!?”

Rush turned around, prepared to run to Seek to, hopefully, find out what they were talking about. If anyone knew anything, it was his dad.

But, before he even opened the door, he heard an explosion behind him, accompanied by a flash of yellow light.

“Yeesh, I oughtta fix that...”

Rush turned around, seeing a yellow figure, unstably balancing themselves behind the desk. They had a suit, a top hat, and seemed jittery. They brushed aside some hair that was covering their sight, putting it all over their left side, revealing one golden pupil underneath circular glasses.

They looked around with their visible eye, excited. They seemed incapable of standing still, fidgeting and shaking constantly where they stood. All movements they made with their body were lightning fast and exaggerated. All the while, they rambled endlessly, rarely connecting any thoughts properly.

“Boy, this place has changed since the last time I’ve been here! What’s it been, like, a year? Guide wasn’t joking; This place is amazing! I should probably meet the new employees, shouldn’t I? I mean, it’s pretty late, I should probably go to bed! But Guide said ‘no sleeping on the job,’ didn’t they? I guess I don’t need sleep, especially considering I’m a-”

The figure stopped, their head snapping in Rush’s direction with a huge, manic grin on their face.

“Howdy, Rush!”

Rush stood still, hoping that if he moved less than them (not that it was hard), the stranger wouldn’t see him.

“... You doin’ okay?”

Shit. That didn’t work.

Rush quickly opened the door behind him, slamming it shut as he ran out.

...

Rush ran directly from the Receptionist’s desk and straight into Jack, who got knocked down to the ground.

“The hell-!? Watch where you’re-”

Jack looked up at the one responsible for what happened. His expression softened a little.

“Oh. Rush. Ambush’s brother. Greetings.”

Confused as to why he had earned that specific epithet, Rush helped the poor guy up onto his feet.

“What’s the problem this time, Rush? What’s so important that you had to run into me at the beginning of my shift?”

He pointed at the door to the Receptionist’s Desk. “There’s a strange man where Guide usually is! And ‘e knows my name!”

Jack chuckled, walking past Rush to the door. “That’s not a man, that’s just Curious Light. Guide’s sibling.”

“Light has a sibling?”

“Yeah, I was surprised too. I guess Seek forgot that you only started working here four months, two weeks, and ten days ago. You wouldn’t know who they are.”

...

“Why, hello, Jackie!”

“Don’t call me Jackie, only Bush can do that.”

Rush didn’t even question what he meant that time.

“Curious, may you introduce yourself to my coworker? He seems awfully... Confused.”

They practically climbed over the desk, shaking Rush’s hand with excitement. “The name’s Curious, Curious Light, Guide’s younger sibling! Well, I guess we’re the same age, we were created at the same time, after all...”

“Created?”

Curious didn’t bother answering Rush’s question, continuing their rambling.

“How may I be of service, my fellow co-worker?”

Rush cleared his throat, overwhelmed by their energy. “Well, sir... Ma’am... ... Gentlethem. Where the ‘ell’s Guide?”

Curious laughed, spinning around in their seat. “They’re taking a break! Company madates, y’know. Seek practically forces them outta this seat around this time of year!”

“And when are they comin’ back...?”

“Probably a week or so. They’re currently working at my place while I take this spot! The employees there love them. They can’t shut up about them!”

Rush was intrigued. “... Could you tell me about these employees?”

“Of course! Well, first there’s A-60, and they remind me a lot of you...”

They talked nonstop for the rest of the day.

...

Jack closed the door to the Receptionist’s office, done with his shift for the night. He didn’t exactly have a room for himself, but Guide/Curious usually let him sleep in the backroom of the office, where all the papers and such were sorted.

He opened the door to the backroom, spotting Curious lying down on one of the desks, kicking their legs in excitement and contentness.

“Hello, Curious.”

“Hey, Jackie!”

Jack’s brow furrowed, not wanting to be called that, but he didn’t bother to correct them.

He lied down next to Curious, lost in thought about recent events.

The day that Ambush found him late a night.

The day he was told he was “cool.”

The day he finally made a friend.

“What’cha thinkin’ ‘bout?”

Jack was awoken from his daze by Curious, who was tugging on one of his suit sleeves.

“It’s nothing. Just... Busy. Thinking, that is.”

But it wasn’t nothing, and Curious could tell.

“Come on, man. I’ve known you long enough to know that’s total horsecrap. At least tell me what’s going on.”

Jack was reluctant.

“I won’t tell anyone else, aight? I just wanna help.”

Jack sighed, not believing what he was about to say.

“... Y’know that Ambush kid, one of Seek’s sons?”

“What about him?”

“Well... He’s a good guy. He’s always been there for me. He wants the best for me, and I... Want the best for him. And, I’m glad we’re friends, but...”

Jack turned away, feeling sick to his stomach, unsure whether he felt positively or negatively about what he was going to say.

“... I almost feel like I care for him more than that.”

Curious tilted his head, feeling, well, curious. “What do you mean?”

They gently pulled on his sleeve again, rolling him back to face him. He had drops of sweat dripping down his forehead and a light blush spread across his face.

“... Wait. Do you... Have feelings for him...?”

Jack didn’t respond, only nodding, before turning back around.

“Well... What’s wrong with that? Feelings are normal! Everyone back at my home had them. Residents here have them. So why can’t you?”

Jack got up, pacing around. “I’m supposed to be the cold one. The one who doesn’t let ‘feelings’ and ‘emotions’ interfere with my work. And how do I even know if Bush will reciprocate or not?”

“And how do you know he won’t?”

He didn’t respond to that question, knowing they had a point.

“... And even if he did... He has a lot on his plate. I can’t add to his anxieties by dating him. It’s out of the question.”

Curious sadly looked at him, their jittering stopping for a moment. They walked up to Jack, wrapping an arm around him.

“Why don’t we discuss this over drinks at Jeff’s? Well, I won’t be drinking, since I’m a certified teetotalar, but still.”

“I’m not old enough to drink. It’s against the rules.” Curious nodded, acknolwedging how problematic that would be. “So is staying late after curfew.”

They gave out a hearty laugh, waving their hand nonchalantly. “My guy, Seek doesn’t care about these rules as much as you do! He won’t mind! And if he does, I’ll explain the situation! Well, minus the ‘having a crush on his son’ thing.”

Jack didn’t say anything. His mouth formed a shaky smile, following Curious out of the office to take a break and do some not-drinking.

Chapter Text

Ambush had completed another successful weekly janitor run of the hotel.

All the way from Door 1 to Door 100. He had narrowly avoided Dupe’s tricks, stopped himself from getting mad at the guests, and was ready to go for the night.

Now, usually he took the elevator to get back to his room. It was overall quicker, and easier to use. But this time, he decided to walk instead. After all, Rush did it at a much faster pace every day of his life. It couldn’t be much harder for him.

However, that thought changed when a call through the intercoms rang out.

“Curfew is in one minute. Be at your rooms, or Jack will force you back.”

Ambush started to run. As much as he liked talking to Jack, he couldn’t risk being left behind this time.

He arrived at Door 50. The Library, and a good sign. After all, his room was just at Door 44.

He slammed the doors open, startling Figure inside, who was trying his best with his blindness to put books on the shelves. It looked like he might make it. (Ambush, that was. Figure was failing miserably.)

Unfortunately, he didn’t see the pile of books on the floor as he was running by, tripping and falling flat on his face.

“It is now curfew. All doors are locked. Goodnight.”

Ambush quickly got back up, trying to open the exit. It was locked.

“... Ffffffuck.”

He turned to Figure, who was behind him, looking with curiosity. “Give me your keys.”

They shook their head. “Sorry. I do not have a knee.”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “... You. The Librarian. Don’t have a key to the Library?”

They tilted their head, confused. “Am I supposed to?”

Ambush was silent. He couldn’t believe he was hearing.

Suddenly, he kicked at the door.

“Son of a....!”

He continued to punch at the door, enraged. Both at his own stupidity, and the stupidity of the librairian.

“Stupid-ass-! FUCK-! ‘No keys-!?’ AGGHHH-!”

He hurt his foot kicking the door again, grabbing it in pain and collapsing to the ground.

The tall Figure looming over the short, pathetic man under him seemed apologetic, even without a visible expression.

“There, there, small man. I am sure everything will be thyme.”

Ambush glared at them. “That’s easy for you to say. You have to live in this rancid shithole anyway.”

Figure gasped, with offense visible on his mouth-face. “What are you calling shithole!?” He covered his mouth, forgetting that he was supposed to follow his own rules. “You will find that this place is a paradise of knowledge. Plus, wonderfully comfortable at the nighttimes.”

Ambush quickly shut him up by kicking his leg out of frustration. But he didn’t seem pained at all.

“... Does someone need a hug?”

He recoiled in disgust. “Uh, no thanks. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? Lots of guests have retorted that my hugs are very stress-reducing-”

“I’m. Fine. Leave me alone.”

Figure shrugged, heading back to his shelves to sort the books. “Suite yourselves.”

...

Ambush pried at the doors of the library using the edge of a book he found lying around. It was making a lot of noise, something that peeved the librarian.

“Would you stop that? At least try to lower your volume.”

The noises continued.

Figure silently ran over, impatiently grabbing the book out of his hands. “Listen. If you are going to be staying the night in my humble abode, you will have to follow my rules. The most impotent being...”

He tapped one of the many signs scattered about the library.

“No. Loud. Noises.”

Ambush scoffed. “Or what? You can’t do to me what you do to the guests. Number one, I can’t die, permanent or not. Number two, my dad would literally kill you.”

“Just try to have some respect for my Mesothelioma, alright?”

Figure ran back to the bookshelves, just as Ambush picked up the book again.

He could ignore the beast’s pleads and continue to pry the door open.

But...

That wouldn’t be the right thing to do, wouldn’t it?

He sighed, gently placing the book back on a shelf.

“Guess I’m staying the night.”

...

Ambush layed his jacket on a knocked over bookshelf, using it as a blanket for his makeshift bed. It wasn’t the most comfortable, but it would do.

He tucked himself in, trying to rest.

But this night, those dreams kept coming back.

His breath became uneven and close to hyperventilation.

Eventually, he got tired of it, opening his eyes.

Figure was looming above him.

He jolted backwards out of shock, not expecting to be jumpscared out of his anxiety.

“Is someone having trouble sleeping?”

Ambush tried to play it off, but he couldn’t find the energy to.

“... Yeah.”

Figure grabbed a book off a nearby shelf. “I could always read you a deadtime story.”

The shorter one scoffed, turning away. “Yeah, I don’t think so. I’m not a kid, I don’t need some stupid...”

He caught a glance of the tall one’s expression. It was clear they were sad, despite their lack of most facial features. He couldn’t help but pity them.

“... Fine. Whatever you want.”

If Figure had a more expressive mouth, he probably would have smiled. “Excellent.”

He looked at the books cover. But without eyes, he couldn’t read it. “Could you read the epithet of this book for me?”

Ambush squinted at the cover, illuminated by the hanging lights of the library. He read it out loud.

“The... Boy... Left... In... Isolation?”

Figure clapped their hands. “Oh, what a joy! This one is a personal favorite.”

They put the book back on the shelf, having clearly memorized it before this moment. (Most likely a necessity for someone who had been blind their whole life.) And they began to speak.

...

“There once was a child with ambition. A child with dreams. A child with the goal to be someone else.”

“But his parents hated it. They wanted him to conform to their standards. Play by their rules. Be someone he truly was not.”

“Eventually, they gave up on him. Left him to rot. Decided that they could find someone else to do as they say.”

“The child had nowhere to go. Everyone had abandoned him in the dark, with no light to guide them.”

“But often times, the ones who pave the way are the ones who we have no relation to.”

“A creature of ink, shockingly nice for his lineage, offered to take him in.”

“Give him a job.”

“Give him...”

“A purpose.”

“Days aren’t always alright, with people who are against the child trying to get him down.”

“But that doesn’t change who he is.”

“It’s not his fault he’s like this.”

“And it won’t have to ever again.”

“Because he now has a family, alongside others that have been left behind.”

“And he deserves to be happy, like everyone else.”

...

Figure shut the book gently, looking to Ambush. “Was that not an informational story?”

The man was silent. An expression of unclear emotion was on his face.

“... That... It’s, uh...”

Ambush turned to look at the librarian. His bad attitude from before was completely dropped, replaced with total sincerity.

“... T-Thank you.”

Figure giggled, patting him on the head. “Only doing my job, here at the Hotel! Goodnight, Seek’s child.”

He began to walk away to turn off the lights, but Ambush kept a grab on his arm, causing him to look back.

“C-Could I, um... G-Get a hug...?”

Ambush instantly blushed from embarrassment, but Figure faux-smiled with his agape mouth.

“Of course, small one.”

The triple-jointed creature wrapped his arms around the man with abandonment issues, encouraging him to let his emotions.

Streams of jet-black liquid ran from his eyes and down onto Figure’s arms, as he quietly sniffled and sobbed.

The monster eventually let go, keeping a hand on his shoulder. “Does that not feel better?”

Ambush smiled, wiping the rest of the tears away. “Y-Yeah. It does.” He made a mental note to not hold in his emotions so often.

Figure put out the candles lighting the library, allowing the short man to fall asleep, knowing that he was finally safe.

...

The doors to the Library opened, Seek having a key in his hand.

“Good morning, Figure. Good morning, son. Good morning, books-”

He looked back at where Ambush slept, startled.

“... Ambush sleeping? How unusual.”

Figure approached Seek, a little more cheery than usual.

“What happened here, Figure?”

He shrugged, not wanting to disclose his new friend’s trauma.

“Red him a bedtime story.”