Chasing After You (Benry)

He Wanted To Be A Filmmaker

When our partners in crime arrived at level 14, everything was painfully quiet. Just as usual. The musican didn't like loud noises anyway. Sammy thought this place was a gift from heaven, despite him not believing in anyone else than his lord. He sighed. "Ahh, the silence in this area is wonderful~" Neither of them have ears, but that's besides the point. "Wonderful? Don't you mean aggravating?" Norman's voice slightly echoed through the huge hall they were currently standing in. "Nothing against a quiet place, however... Isn't it driving you mad?" Because it sure drove him nuts. The shorter guy laughed. It sounded like he just recalled a few memories of the days he used to overwork himself. The rash, tired bark echoed through the tunnel eerily. When he spoke next, he nearly sounded like his old self. "Besides the fact that I already am? No."

"I know, Samuel, but there's always a chance it can get worse again..."

As the projectionist debated whether or not he should ask if Sam needed a hug, he spotted a heart laying in the ink.
It was beating.

...

"Sammy... What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if your projector can play this fancy reel I found!"

Norman's projector cupped in his hands, Sammy tried to insert the spool.

So that explained why Sammy has touching him like that... "What reel?" Polk asked. He gently took it from the musicians hand to inspect said object. With realization, he snapped the plastic in two and quickly threw the broken circle away. It was consumed by the burbling ink in seconds. Now at a loss, Sammy directed the light of the projector straight into his eyes. "Heeey! What was that for?"

"It gave me ptsd." Norman responded in the most dead-pan voice he had. His normal voice, which reflected his broken dreams bluntly.

"Seriously Norman, what's the
problem? Don't tell me it's-"

"The expensive reel I bought from
my own pocket money? Yes."

Behind them, the ink swirled in an abyssal whirlpool. The reel reemerged, in mint condition. Norman snatched it up and repeated his past behavior. The reel came back.

"How come it's-?"

"I have no clue... " Norman then gave in, bitterly handing the disk to Sammy, who still got joy and intrigue from it.

Sammy studied the plastic, tracing his fingers across it's uneven surface.

As he watched Sammy, Norman speculated aloud, "Maybe it was my dream coming to life? Since this place is built on damned dreams..."

"Your dream..." the glossy black spool spun as Lawrence fidgeted. "I thought it was a hobby of yours?"

"Nope, I always wanted to be a filmmaker when I was younger... that's how I got mixed up into this mess..."

"...why did you never tell me that?" The musican looked up, meeting the
projectors gaze.

"I wanted to keep it to myself, it's nothing major anyway..." The taller quickly broke the stare.

"It is, well, was... Did you not tell me because of the attitude I had?"

"I always knew you were just hiding behind that wall of fake ignorance, so no, that's actually not it..."

"Wait, now I get it- it's because you
and I were different races and
so you thought..."

"...that you wouldn't understand
my struggles? Yes."

"Oh, Norman..." Sammy walked up and embraced his partner gently, trying to ease the others uprising feelings. "S-sammy, I- I was so naive..." If the older man could cry, he probably would, but instead his voice started glitching and he became more fluid. "Shhh, let it out, it's okay..." He whispered, subconsciously rubbing circles into the projectionists back, who continues to spill all his pain. "I- I was so young and stupid! I thought I could just b- become a film producer, just like that! But I was wrong! I was so wrong! The other children laughed at me! They mocked me for what I wanted to be, because they- they knew from the start..." He hiccuped, which sounded like it came from another room. "Kids are truly cruel..." Samuel muttered into the others shoulder, thinking back to the time where he got bullied for having a crush on a guy in elementary school. "Y- yes. But not as absolutely shameless as our former boss, Joey. He took my dreams and crushed them to his own fucking delight..." His melting stopped and was replaced by the ink on Norman's arms, which began to boil almost imperceptibly. "He told me I could help accomplish his goals and in return... He'd let me get one step closer to my dream job and I was hopeless enough to help him... After all, nobody else around town wanted to hire me, a rather old black person. Luckily, Drew never knew about my queerness, until that one unfortunate day where Susie told him..."

"That whore did WHAT?!"

"Sammy, that was years ago
and I'm sure-"

"She regreted it? Norman, this is Susie Campbell we're talking about. She would do anything to get what she wants!"

"I know, it's just... Before she grew obsessed with you, we were... Good acquaintances. Maybe almost... Friends?"

"Wait, you were friends? Are you sure she didn't just exploit you to get to me?"

"She was very amicable and almost a bit shy, that's why she turned to me for help. So I could show her around..." The taller man seemed to be floating in memories, when he said that. "On her last day as a 'new comer' I showed her the music department and..." His light good dimmer, as if his expression turned into a frown. He sighed. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't your great personality, that made her fall for you... From what I've heard, her mother-" *clack clack clack...*

"...someone is on level 13?"

"Three people actually."

"How can you know that?"

"..."

"Pfff- that was a wild guess, Normy~

Don't just believe everything I tell you."

"Now that you mentioned it,
I think it's four people..."

(Imagine getting a redemption arc and then dying right afterwards...

Rest in peace, Twisted Alice. ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ)