Chapter Text
“Okay Charlie. You’ll need to be quiet.” Mariana said.
“But Marrrriii!” Charlie whined, pouting.
“I can’t have Cellbit or some customer asking about you!” Mariana said. “I don’t want to seem crazy.”
Mariana watched as Charlie crossed his arms and turned his head to the side, looking away from her while still pouting. She rolled her eyes at his behavior.
“So dramatic.”
He left her house, locking the door behind her and leaving her apartment to go to work. When she arrived, Cellbit was there waking back and forth looking stressed. She frowned as she pushed the glass door open, it dinging as she did. Cellbit perked up at the sound, and it kinda reminded her of the cats.
“Cellbit? Is there an issue? Did one of the cats get out?” He asked.
His coworker winced and shook his head.
“No, no… it’s our last day here Mariana.” He said, looking her in the eyes.
His mouth hung open for a second as he blinked, trying to process what Cellbit just said. Finally he chuckled a bit.
“What do you mean? What do you mean last day? Don’t joke with me about that pendejo-“ he cut himself off, taking in a deep breath and starting over. “What do you mean Cellbit?”
He shook his head solemnly. “Apparently someone else bought the company and is shutting it down.”
Cellbit moved to sit down at one of the tables, and Mariana followed him, sitting across from the man.
“So Quackity was paid… to what, shut it all down?” She asked.
“It sounds… it sounds so, yes.”
She slammed a fist down onto the table. “Dammit! Fucking idiot, why?!? What will I do now?? I don’t have a second job, I haven’t been able- fuck!” She yelled.
Cellbit’s eyes widened a slight bit, but he seemed to understand her frustration. He seemed just as worried about this all as she was.
“I know, I know it’s all fucked up. But at least we’ll get one last paycheck. That’s good, yeah?”
She sighed. “Good but not enough.”
Cellbit nodded solemnly.
“So what now then? Huh? What do we do today?”
Cellbit shrugged, “What we usually do.” He looked at the table for a moment, something sad in his eyes before he got up and silently grabbed some stuff from the cleaning closet.
Mariana watched him for a few moments, before she picked herself up to take care of the sick cats.
He glared at the ground on her way there. Staring at the cracked tile flooring.
Where would the cats go? Would they just be thrown back onto the streets? Would they be given to some - some pound, where they’d sit rotting until the building and its retched owners put them down? What about JuanaFlippa? What about Pepito? What about all the sick cats, what about all the cats that weren’t Tílin!?
Fuck…
“Are you okay?” She heard a quiet and gentle whisper, down at her side. And Mariana lifted her arm to look at her watch, and at Charlie.
Her gaze hardened, and under her breath she hissed.
“I thought I told you to be quiet while I’m at work?” She sneered.
Charlie just rolled his eyes. “Whatever - forget about that. Are you okay?”
She paused for a second, her gaze eventually softening and turning to something more sad before she answered the digital man.
“No… what about the cats?”
Charlie seemed to look around the room before looking back at her.
“Well… maybe you could adopt some?”
“Charlie I don’t have the money.”
“R-right… b- Oh! Wait, I could steal some for you!” Charlie exclaimed, smiling wide.
Mariana raised an eyebrow at that.
That sounds like it would get her in trouble with the law. Real bad trouble.
“No Charlie.”
“Ooh but Mariiii! Think about it. You wouldn’t have to worry about money, I could get some for you and you’d be a-o-kay! It’s perfect.”
Mariana hummed, lowering her arm and looking away from the screen for a few seconds. Staring up at the ceiling.
“Maybe… give me a bit. I will think about it.”
“Okay..”
“Now be quiet, you.” He jokingly glared back down at Charlie, though she couldn’t help but smile. He saw Charlie silently laugh before the screen turned off again.
Now anytime any of her devices were off, they were always accompanied by specks of green ones and zeros. Like a reminder that Charlie was still there, even when her devices were turned off.
It was comforting.
Uh… at least she thinks it was.
Mariana went about the rest of her shift, silently milling over what she should do and if she should take up Charlie’s offer. She didn’t want to be financially dependent on basically a fucking robot, but… she was still having no luck with finding jobs. And until she got another job, she’d be way too short on money.
As for Pepito and Juana…
Once it started to reach lunchtime, she texted her boss asking if she could take them. And Quackity told her she could take the cats and some food and a carrier for the two. So she got JuanaFlippa and Pepito, and she watched as Cellbit took Richarlyson.
When she put the carrier with the two small kittens in her passenger seat they started meowing up a storm.
“So?” Charlie spoke once again.
“So what?” She frowned.
“Will you let me get money for you?”
Mariana sighed, not answering for a moment. She just started to drive off, glaring at the new animal cafe that was still opening. It must’ve been them. She didn’t know who else it would be, who else would have paid Quackity to close the cafe.
Only once she was on the highway did she finally answer Charlie.
“Okay. Just don’t… get caught.”
“I won’t! I promise. I love you Mari.” Charlie said, sounding very happy.
Mariana let out a small amused huff, her mouth ticking up in a smile. It started to rain so she turned to windshield wipers on.
“I love you to Charlie.”
JuanaFlippa let out a particularly loud howl, and Mariana laughed.
“You’re gonna need to buy them a litter box before you head back home, you know?” Charlie said.
Her eyes widened.
“Oh shit yeah-“
<~_>>
Once they were back at her apartment building she took the carrier and walked inside, only getting mildly soaked. She had multiple times thought about getting Juana, so she already knew that her place allowed pets. If they hadn’t… well then she may have just climbed the stairs at the side of the building and hid the two kittens.
He locked her door behind her and set the carrier down, first putting down the litter box in the bathroom and filling it with litter. Then she let the two out and watched as they immediately ran to go hide. It would take them some getting used to.. but they’d be fine.
She heard a crackling sound from the tv, and she turned to see Charlie appear on it.
“H3y! N0w that you d0n’t have to w0rk, you c@n just hang out with m3!” Charlie cheered.
Mariana rolled her eyes affectionately.
“I have other people I hang out with, pendejo.”
Charlie just pouted, looking like a kicked puppy.
Mariana smiled.
“But… I suppose I don’t have anything planned for the week.”
Charlie visibly lit up - literally, his colors all lightened and got a bit more vibrant, as well as the code in the corners. And Mari watched as Charlie proceeded to silently cheer and pump his fists into the air. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit at his digital companion.
Mariana sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote, and Charlie moved to the corner of the screen as she turned it to the homepage - looking at all the different streaming platforms.
“How about we watch something? Have you seen movies?”
Charlie hummed. “N000ooo… But! 1 have a sugg3st1on for s0mething w3 c0uld watch.”
“Oh?” Mariana raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She was honestly surprised that Charlie even knew of shows or movies - but maybe someone who had the app before him talked to Charlie about stuff.
“What do you want to watch?”
Charlie, now a lot smaller on the tv screen, ran to the side and climbed up the icons until he clicked one, the app opening. Mariana’s eyes widened as she watched him physically grab the search bar and scratched something into it - hands turning to black claws with green code flashing through. He marks he left in the search bar spelled out some unfamiliar show name, in black glitchy letters. Charlie put it back up and the search input actually seemed to work - and a show of the same name popped up.
Then Mariana started laughing as she actually clocked in what Charlie had just suggested they watch.
“Wh@@at?! Why ar3 y0u laugh1ng.” Charlie whined.
“You want to watch a soap opera?? Really mi amigo? Really?”
Charlie narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, huffing a bit. “Y3s!”
Mariana rolled her eyes.
She wasn’t into those kind of shows, they usually had way too much stupid drama made to make the viewers gasp every three seconds. But hey, Charlie probably hasn’t been able to watch anything - possibly ever.
So she’ll give him this.
“Okay. For you.” She pressed play on the remote and smiled as Charlie’s demeanor changed, and he was back to being happy.
She liked seeing him happy.