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"I think it would be fun!" Stanley signed, leaning back against the wall as he sat atop his desk. He was currently trying to convince the Narrator to join him in the office and go through the story together with him.
"Stanley, I've told you before, this is a story about you. It's not meant to have me in it, yet alone interacting with you.", the Narrator sighed in irritation, having gone through this with Stanley multiple times.
"We regularly talk and I visit you every now and again. You might as well join me! It won't change the story, and it would make me happy." Stanley pouted, certainly convinced that it wouldn't make any difference if the Narrator joined him or not. The Narrator was also fully aware that it wouldn't make a difference if they joined or not at this point, but... still.
"Stanley, even my battery wouldn't hold out for that long.", they tried again, though they knew what a weak argument that was. Stanley was also very aware of that, which was quite obvious by the way he looked, a brow raised and not even needing words to argue against it. The Narrator knew they were losing this argument, like they always did, but Stanley never pushed them. At least, he had always back down once he knew the Narrator was so uncomfortable with the idea.
"I'm coming to get you." Stanley signed before hopping off his desk. The Narrator sputtered, watching as Stanley made his way out of his office to begin his trek. The Narrator had kept the access to their halls in the fake elevator, so Stanley could get to them if need be. Stanley hadn't needed it, but he still had made use of it, and the Narrator hadn't moved it away yet.
"Stanley really, there's no need. I'm meant to stay here and watch.", the Narrator sighed as they watched Stanley walk through the office towards the boss' office, crossing their arms. They couldn't do anything to stop Stanley or change his mind, just watching the man making his way to them. Technically, of course, they could stop him. They could let the elevator loop endlessly, as it usually did. But they weren't. The Narrator wasn't entirely sure why they weren't stopping Stanley, why they were allowing him to come back to them again and again, why they spoke so much with him. Maybe it was because it seemed to make Stanly happy.
They could no longer watch Stanley once he left the elevator again, though they knew he was on his way. They did wonder what sort of space Stanley was going through to get to them -this place was more of a "subconsciously" made space, something the Narrator hadn't made with intention, and thus had also never seen. They supposed if Stanley got his wish, they'd see it eventually.
They kept watch of the observation room, waiting for Stanley to show up. He did after a while, eagerly giving the Narrator a wave, before hurrying into the room. The Narrator had gotten used to being lowered to be at Stanley's height whenever the man came around, though that didn't mean they weren't still sitting there with their arms crossed and with an unhappy expression on their face.
"I'm still against the idea Stanley.", the Narrator said as Stanley entered, making Stanley roll his eyes.
"You're just scared, aren't you?" he signed, making the Narrator glare a little at him. But their cheeks grew a little warmer, making them thankful that their "blush" wasn't visible. They were very aware that they were nervous about doing this, they just didn't want to admit it.
"I'm right here. I won't let you fall. And the game will be okay if you're disconnected." Stanley tried to reassure the Narrator, his expression gentle and reassuring. He knew the Narrator was just scared, and he understood that. They had never been disconnected from the main-frame outside of emergencies, and they couldn't use their legs, making them more dependent on help, and more vulnerable.
"Why do you insist so much?", the Narrator questioned, their tense body language loosening up a little. They weren't exactly warming up to the idea of walking around, but they were really wanting to understand why Stanley wanted it so much. To them, it was pointless. There would be nothing gained from them being able to walk around -it would actually be worse, because the Narrator couldn't influence the game when they were disconnected.
"Because I'd like to have you with me." Stanley replied easily. It surprised the Narrator, eyes widening for a moment, before they grumbled to themself. Eventually they sighed, running a hand through their hair, looking a bit uncertain. Stanley waited patiently for them, waiting for them to make a choice on what to do. While Stanley clearly wanted them to finally do it, he wasn't forcing them still.
"Fine. Fine. Let's... try.", The Narrator finally decided, reaching behind themself to start unplugging themself. They were clearly unsure about it still, but Stanley was smiling, proud of them for taking that step. He waited for them to have fully unplugged themself, seeing their discomfort when they were done.
"I'll help your feet on the ground, and help you stand up. You can hold onto me however makes you feel most secure, okay?" Stanley signed, wanting to make sure that the Narrator would be as comfortable as possible. The Narrator looked unsure about this still, but they nodded slowly, putting their trust into Stanley. Once he got the agreement, Stanley bend down to move the Narrator's legs, setting their feet onto the ground in a position he hoped would be the most stable for them, before standing back up straight. He held out his arms for the Narrator with an encouraging smile, fully aware of the other's discomfort (it was plain on their face, after all).
The Narrator took a deep breath before they reached out to Stanley, holding onto his hands and letting the man help them onto their feet. They felt unstable, making them grip tightly onto Stanley's arms, staring down at their feet on the ground. While they weren't shaking -as they physically couldn't- they felt like they would collapse just letting go of Stanley.
"You're doing great.", Stanley's voice was soft, gentle, and made the Narrator's cheeks warm up even more. They muttered something unintelligible under their breath, before looking up at Stanley again. Their expression was a lot more open than they probably intended, letting Stanley see how unsure (and afraid) they were right now.
"Stanley I don't like this.", The Narrator almost whined, their grip on Stanley's arms tight enough to bruise. The man didn't mind though, simply glad that the Narrator was putting their trust in him.
"It's fine. You're just standing, and doing a great job at that.", Stanley reassured them again, chuckling softly at the Narrator's unhappy expression. In his opinion, the Narrator was doing very well. They were standing without wobbling or swaying, and while their grip was tight with their fear, they seemed to be getting used to it slowly.
"We don't have to do more than standing if you don't feel up to it.", Stanley hummed softly, glad when the Narrator's death-grip relaxed a little. He truly didn't mind them holding onto him so tightly, but the bruises would still hurt. Though they'd be gone with the next reset anyways, so who was he to complain anyways?
The Narrator nodded lightly at his words, having shifted to look down at their feet again. It was weird to be standing, to feel the weight of their body and how gravity affected them. They were used to sitting, and never moving their legs. They were even more used to being carried around than using their legs! Not that they wanted to tell Stanley that, though it also didn't really matter. Stanley knew they never used their legs, and that was all that was actually important.
Eventually the Narrator was just gently holding onto Stanley's arms, feeling... almost secure where they stood. But when Stanley slowly began to move his arms, they felt a spike of -panic? fear?- go through them, holding on tighter again.
"I'm not letting go of you. Let's try holding hands, okay? No moving your legs.", Stanley smiled at the Narrator, making them feel a little foolish. But they stayed quiet, and instead just slowly nodded. This time when Stanley began moving his arms, they were prepared for it, letting go of him -their hands hovering above his arms still, until Stanley's hands gently grabbed their own. Slowly, they intertwined their fingers, and Stanley gently lowered their arms.
If you just now looked at them, they would just look like two people holding hands. Stanley was smiling softly, soft hands holding stiff metallic ones, his grip secure and certain. The Narrator's expression relaxed slowly, gaze cast down towards their hands, their grip looser and unsure. They were struggling to understand this... this warmth. This weird feeling that made their cheeks feel warm, and trusting Stanley. Not just trusting him, but feeling safe.
"How are you feeling?", Stanley asked softly, his gaze fixed on the Narrator, wanting to see every change of expression. They looked up at Stanley when they were addressed, before their gaze went back to their hands, lingering on how Stanley's skin and their black metal looked against each other.
"I feel... okay.", the Narrator answered after a while. They didn't feel as scared and unsure about their situation right now, and were almost comfortable. It was strange, but they didn't dislike it. They were more worried about walking, but standing was... okay. Looking back up to Stanley, the man was smiling at them, clearly happy about their words. It made them give a tiny smile back.
"How do you feel about trying to take a step?", Stanley asked then. They were already standing close together, but there was enough space between them for another person to stand between them, which meant the Narrator could take a step without Stanley having to let go of them or move. The Narrator seemed aware of that, as they had been looking down at their hands a lot, though the thought of attempting to walk was still a slightly uncomfortable one.
"I won't move, and I'll be holding your hands. And if you lose your balance, I'll be right here to catch you.", Stanley continued to reassure, giving the Narrator's hands a gentle squeeze. While he didn't know if that actually helped Narrator, or if they could even feel it, he wanted to believe it did. The Narrator did seem to relax a little bit at the action at the very least.
"Okay.", they said quietly, nodding. How hard could it be? They knew what walking looked like. They knew how walking worked like. So really, how hard could it be? Taking a deep breath, the Narrator tried shifting their weight between their feet. That worked. They still stood in place, but they didn't feel horrible having more weight on one leg than the other. Holding a bit tighter onto Stanley's hands, they shifted their weight and lifted their foot to take a step.
An embarrassing squeaking noise left the Narrator as they did lose their balance, falling forwards. Stanley, as promised, caught them easily, hands moving to hold the Narrator's body instead of their hands. He had to take the step forward to keep them from fully collapsing against him, though he didn't mind, helping the Narrator back upright on their own feet. The Narrator's cheeks were very warm now, as the held onto Stanley's chest now, not liking how they failed something as simple as a step.
"It's all good. You did great. Let's try again?", Stanley murmured softly, careful to not make the Narrator feel bad. The Narrator took a deep breath, relaxing with the exhale, and slowly let go of Stanley's shirt. Stanley offered his hands to them again, and so they held onto them once more, mouth a thin line as Stanley stepped back into his original position.
The Narrator nodded lightly, and so they tried again. The second go at it went better, though they felt unstable with their feet no longer next to each other. Completing their step made the Narrator hold tighter onto Stanley, fear spiking up as they wobbled a bit, before they found their balance again standing still.
"Good job!", Stanley praised, smiling brightly. The Narrator felt a little humiliated if they were honest, but Stanley was genuinely supportive of their efforts. He knew it wasn't easy for the Narrator, and he just wanted to encourage them, nothing more. So Stanley took a small step backwards, and the Narrator followed a moment after. Together they repeated this process, until Stanley was slowly walking backwards through the room, and the Narrator was slowly following along. Their grip on Stanley's hands eventually loosened as they grew more comfortable with the act of walking.
"See? I told you you'd do great.", Stanley praised with a smile, stopping their little walk-around. The Narrator grumbled a little, a bit of a pout on their lips, making Stanley chuckle.
"I'm glad I can do what any human toddler can.", the Narrator muttered, making Stanley laugh lightly, giving the android's hands a gentle squeeze. The action did make the Narrator feel a little better, though he wasn't exactly sure why.
"You learned considerably faster than a toddler.", Stanley hummed, which barely made the Narrator feel any better. Stanley just giggled, the android's expression simply adorable, before he slowly let go of their hands. The Narrator let him, though the loss of contact made their expression shift back into uncertainty.
"Let's walk you back to the main-frame, hm? I'll be right here in case you need me again.", Stanley grinned at the Narrator, making the android glare lightly at him. But Stanley took a step backwards, intend on leading the Narrator back to their usual seat. The Narrator sighed, knowing they had no other choice anyways.
The Narrator slowly began to follow Stanley, looking uncertain as they walked all on their own. Stanley's gentle smile was encouraging them though, making them feel a little better, reminding them of.. something. Or rather, someone. Someone from the outside, though the Narrator hadn't though about those people in a long time. Basically almost as long as it had been since the program had last been quit.
They shook their head lightly, focusing back on reality. They had... made it. They were back by their usual spot, the main-frame, looking as inviting as it always did. Stanley stood next to it, smiling softly at the Narrator, arms gently crossed as he watched them. The Narrator looked from Stanley to the main-frame, thinking. It had been... not a horrible experience. This whole walking around thing. And when they weren't thinking too much about it, it seemed like walking wasn't all that hard either, so maybe they weren't not meant to walk. Strange.
"Think we can do this again?" Stanley signed, still smiling at the Narrator. They managed a little smile in return, deciding that this really hadn't been that bad. Maybe Stanley's idea hadn't been all that bad.
"I think so, yes. Perhaps taking a walk with you would be enjoyable.".