Billy hesitated, his glowing green pupils flickering faintly as he tilted his head, his voice calm but carrying a hint of frustration. His tone was thoughtful as he tried to make sense of the girls' behavior.
Billy: "... Well, can you explain? Your way of moving, your way of talking... All of you talk in a strange way. And I don't understand what you mean, so... Can you now explain?"
Bonfie blinked, her ears twitching as she processed his words. Her playful smirk returned, though it was softer now, less teasing and more genuine. She tilted her head, her tail flicking behind her as she grinned up at him.
Bonfie: "Ohhh, Billy~. You're so serious!~ But okay, okay, I'll explain~. It's not that complicated, really!"
She bounced slightly on her heels, her energy returning as she gestured animatedly with her hands. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she tried to break it down for him.
Bonfie: "We're not like you, see? We're entertainers~. We're here to make people feel good, to have fun, to... well, entertain!~ That's why we move and talk the way we do~. It's all part of the vibe, you know?"
Billy tilted his head.
Billy: "But I also entertain, so I'm an entertainer too."
Bonfie: "You entertain kids~, we entertain adults~. What I was doing was what we normally do to entertain others~, and ourselves~"
Billy: "... Moving like that?..."
Bonfie moved closer to him, placing herself up of him, and pressing her torso against his.
Bonfie: "Yes~. Come on, big guy~, you'll love this too when you get used to it~"
Billy hesitated, tilting his head while looking at her, but after a short moment, his pupils flickered to have red outlines, but remained green. He grabbed her by her waist, lifted her up, and quickly moved her to be laying down, with him up of her.
Bonfie: "O-oh~, so rude~. Be ruder~, big and hard guy~"
Billy hesitated, but then he moved away, and left her there by herself, while he walked back to the main room, where the girls were still there in the main stage, but they stopped talking between themselves when they noticed Billy came back, his pupils now green with red outlines.
Billy continued ignoring the girls, and simply continued his way to the left hallway, and then continued through the left hallway.
Bonfie laid for a moment, her ears flattened in a mix of embarrassment and frustration. But true to her nature, she quickly recovered, propping herself up on her elbows with a forced giggle. Her tail flicked irritably behind her, though her smirk stayed glued in place.
Bonfie: "H-hey! Where's the fire, big guy?~ Didn't know you were the walking away type~!"
She stood, brushing imaginary dust off her fur, her voice dripping with playful defiance. But her eyes lingered on the hallway Billy had vanished into, her curiosity piqued.
Bonfie (muttering): "What's your deal, Billy...?"
The moment Billy re-entered the main room, the chatter died. His green pupils pulsed with faint red outlines, casting an eerie glow under the neon lights. The girls froze mid-conversation, their eyes tracking him like predators sensing a shift in the air.
Frenni broke the silence first. Leaning against the stage with her arms crossed, she arched a brow, her smirk sharpening.
Frenni: "Oho~. Someone's got a new look. What'd you do to poor Bonfie back there, shiny?~"
Fexa, slouched against the bar, snorted. Her tail lashed once, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Fexa: "Probably bored her to death with his 'What's a button?' routine. Congrats, weirdo—you broke her."
Chiku, perched on a stool, didn't glance up from polishing a shot glass. Her voice was flat, but her golden eyes flicked briefly toward the hallway.
Chiku: "Hmph. Took him long enough to leave. Now maybe we can get back to actual work."
Golden Frenni lingered near the curtains, her arms tightly crossed. Her blush deepened as Billy passed, her glitching voice barely a whisper.
Golden Frenni: "W-why's h!s 3y3s... gl0wing? Døesn't m@k3 s3ns3..."
Marie, ever the observer, stood apart from the group. Her calm gaze followed Billy until he disappeared down the left hallway. She said nothing, but her fingers tapped a slow, thoughtful rhythm against her forearm—a rare tell.
Billy continued further through the left hallway, his glowing green pupils with faint red outlines casting an eerie glow on the walls. His footsteps echoed softly, the sound steady and mechanical, but his mind was anything but calm.
The words Bonfie had spoken lingered in his thoughts: "Be ruder~."
He tilted his head slightly, his internal processors whirring as he tried to make sense of it. Since always, he had done the same—acted with care, precision, and a sense of duty. Those words were the extreme opposite of everything he had ever known.
Billy (internally): "Be ruder...? But why? How does that help anyone?... It doesn't make sense..."
He shook his head, the motion almost imperceptible, and continued walking. His path was clear: the security office. He needed a moment to process, to recalibrate. The neon lights flickered faintly as he passed, their glow reflecting off his golden exterior.
Back in the main room, the girls had resumed their chatter, but the air was still tinged with unease. Billy's abrupt exit and the strange glow of his eyes had left them unsettled, though none would admit it outright.
Frenni, leaning casually against the stage with her arms crossed, smirked as she glanced toward the hallway.
Frenni: "Well, shiny's got some mood tonight~. Wonder what Bonfie did to set him off~."
Fexa, slouched against the bar, rolled her eyes. Her tail flicked lazily behind her, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
Fexa: "Probably tried to teach him how to 'have fun' and broke his circuits. Good luck fixing that mess."
Chiku, perched on a stool, didn't glance up from polishing a shot glass. Her voice was flat, but her golden eyes flicked briefly toward the hallway.
Chiku: "Hmph. He's not like us. Never will be. Let him figure it out on his own."
Golden Frenni lingered near the curtains, her arms tightly crossed. Her blush deepened as she stared at the spot where Billy had vanished, her glitching voice barely a whisper.
Golden Frenni: "H3's... d!ff3r3nt. ! døn't l!k3 !t..."
Marie, ever the observer, stood apart from the group. Her calm gaze followed the hallway long after Billy had disappeared. She said nothing, but her fingers tapped a slow, thoughtful rhythm against her forearm—a rare tell.
Meanwhile, Bonfie was still in the neon-lit room, lying on the floor where Billy had left her. She stared at the ceiling, her ears twitching as she processed what had just happened.
Bonfie: "Ughhh, what's his problem?~"
She sat up, brushing imaginary dust off her fur, her tail flicking irritably behind her. Her playful smirk returned, though it was softer now, less teasing and more thoughtful.
Bonfie: "I mean, who doesn't know how to have fun?~ He's like... a walking instruction manual!~"
She stood, pacing the room as she muttered to herself, her energy undiminished despite the awkward encounter.
Bonfie: "Maybe I went too far... Nah!~ He just needs to loosen up!~ Next time, I'll show him how it's really done~!"
With a determined grin, she bounced out of the room, her tail flicking excitedly behind her. She was already planning her next move, her playful energy fully restored.