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The last thing he expected was for the megaplex to be so huge.
Quig hurried behind another family, avoiding the S.T.A.F.F. bots that were checking in different parties of people. He was immediately greeted with the bright neon lights brightening up the building, hues of pinks and greens and blues lining the ceiling, and music filling the atmosphere. His eyes widened in awe at the size of the place, despite its name. He wouldn't deny that it lived up to the hype that he's been hearing outside in the streets of the town, on lost newspapers that made its way into the alley that the boy practically lived in. With the soft, colorful hues of the walls, illuminated by the neon, or the glimpses of the gift shops and restaurants, and the arcade that Quig knew wasn't too far away from the main entrance, it didn't take long for him to understand why this place was such a big hit with those his age.
He glanced around, making sure none of the bots were looking in his direction, before following behind a few parties of people who were being admitted through the gates, kids excitedly pulling their parents' sleeves towards the admissions gate, happiness pouring from their expressions, bright eyes filled with glee. Quig couldn't help but feel a pang of hurt in his chest, but he pushed it aside. before running off to the elevators, curiosity and excitement bubbling up in his chest. He took a quick glance at the map on the wall, trying to make use of it. It was large and complex, Quig's brows furrowing as he traced a hand along the pathways, his fingertips meeting the arcade. But he was able to figure it out eventually, before pressing the up button on the elevator, its doors opening to allow him inside.
He stepped in the elevator, pressing the button next to Floor 3. The doors closed, before the lift moved upwards, and Quig stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pale-colored hoodie, waiting impatiently, excited.
━-
The arcade was bustling with kids, and for the first time in a while, Quig was having fun.
He went to game after game, some simple with their joysticks to maneuver past obstacles, while others surprised the eleven-year-old a bit, like the VR or small challenges where other children were his opponents. It was nice, the kids his age treating him as they would treat any other one of their friends, not like he was some orphan, excluded and isolated from everyone else. Quig didn't feel the lingering hunger from skipped meals, or the tiredness and exhaustion in his bones from lack of sleep. If the other children noticed, they didn't comment on how weird it was, or if he was okay, or pepper any other questions that Quig was so sure would've been out of pity.
Just because they were being nice to him, didn't mean that they were his friends; he's seen it all too many times before. Their faces would disappear as they always would, only providing him with some temporary comfort and joy, before they would leave him back to the streets. It was true, and it had happened before, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.
A loud voice boomed over the intercom, echoing throughout the rest of the arcade. It was jarring, cutting through Quig's melancholy thoughts like a sharp knife, so shocking that he missed whatever the announcement entailed. But with the sudden giddiness arising in the other kids' faces, they didn't hesitate to pour out of the arcade, heading towards the elevators or the stairs.
Still a bit surprised, not really grabbing onto what was happening, Quig called out to them; "What's going on?"
The group of kids that had kept him company turned back to shout something, smiles painted over all of their faces.
"They're calling us to the Atrium! The band is gonna perform, come on!"
Quig couldn't even react before they ran back to pull him along.
━-
The Atrium was crowded, groups of children and their parents surrounding the large stage. Quig stood on his toes, barely able to see the mist that covered the stage, so thick and foggy it covered the rest of the decorations and lights and speakers that would be in the back.
The kids beside him waited, eagerly peeking over other people's heads in the crowd, trying to get a good enough view. While waiting, Quig eyed the posters that were hung up on the walls, squinting as he tried to read the lettering underneath the mascots.
He quickly learned about the four animatronics that made up the band that the megaplex was so well-known for. Sapnap was the bassist, he put together, with a fiery personality if his poster was anything to go off of. Then there was Punz, the keyboardist, who seemed more about looks and presentation than the former, albeit still confident in the same sense. TapL━otherwise known as Harvey━seemed the complete opposite of the first two, bubblier and more expressive. An electric guitar was in his grasp, sharply shaped and yet giving off the same vibe that his design had. And then there was Pete, the main singer and lead of the group, the one that put all of their components together.
One thing that Quig noticed was that he didn't seem as energetic or as lively as his other bandmates━not like that was necessarily a bad thing. He seemed more kindly, more calm, as seen on his logo in the poster, a gentle smile and calming grace that was written on the slimeling-animatronic's expression.
Another loud announcement rang to the crowd, causing Quig to plug his ears a bit, as he wasn't used to the loud volume of the speakers. The other kids pointed excitedly at the stage, and one by one, Quig saw the band members walk out onto the stage. He heard the roars of the children as Sapnap and Punz made their way onto the floor, instruments in their hands, as they confidently waved to the crowd. The ravenette and the dirty-blonde almost seemed like two parallels, with their color pallete and their looks, and yet seemed to be in perfect sync with one another. The two each performed a little riff of their instruments, only earning more cheers from their preferred audiences, Quig noticed.
Soon enough, the third member made their way onto the stage, his bright-green guitar in his grasp. TapL waved excitedly, face filled with such adoration Quig wondered if the band members were even animatronics at all; they seemed way too realistic than he was expecting.
Finally, the leader stepped onto the stage, Pete eyeing the crowd, a grin painted along his expression as he clicked on the microphone attached to his headset. And the crowd roared the loudest, and Quig couldn't help but join in, excitement escaping his mouth as he cheered, not able to resist the infectious energy of the other children around him.
Quig saw Pete's eyes wander amongst the crowd, at the countless smiles and cheers and excited little faces of his fans. And when Quig saw his eyes settle on him for a few fleeting moments, giddiness arose in his chest, and it was the same for the other kids around him.
Until he saw Pete's gaze refocus on him, startling him. Quig's smile faltered, and he stole a glance or two at the other children, who didn't seem to notice. Quig, hesitantly, looked back to Pete, his heart skipping a few beats when he saw the twitching of his limbs, the rapid blinking of his eyes. TapL had caught notice of it, and he paused on his guitar to look up at his bandmate, worry beginning to flood through his features.
Quig felt his eyes on him, and dread began to pool in his stomach.
One moment, it had been normal. Yet in a few seconds, Pete had collapsed on stage, startled gasps and whispers of the crowd beginning to formulate. The group of children around him hushed, confused and a bit scared about what was happening.
By now TapL had ran over to him, guitar dropped onto the ground, as he was checking on him to make sure he was alright. Punz and Sapnap had paused, and while the dirty-blonde's expression was somewhat confused, the ravenette had a harder time hiding frustration that was beginning to make itself evident on his face. TapL looked in the direction where Pete had been looking a few seconds prior, and Quig felt his eyes land on him. As if he knew he was the one that did something wrong. He knew, they all knew, surely. Surely...
Surely?
But Quig didn't hesitate to bolt the other way, pushing through the large crowd of people and out of the Atrium.
He only realized now that he overstayed his welcome.