HOTEL LEX - FLOOR 5 (10/?) (Patreon)

You ask if Mother has time to answer some of your questions.

"Of course dearie, what is it you want to hear 'bout?"

You bring up who you gave you the button from— a toy fox working in the factory. You showed him the broken pocketwatch and he suggested you find the timekeeper to fix it. He gave you that golden button to let the timekeeper know who sent you. You pull out the pocketwatch and hand it to her. She looks at it curiously.

"I don't know a lick about any toy fox but that darn timekeeper..." she says, heaving a sigh. "Can't keep his hands off what's not his. He obsesses over takin' things apart and buildin' amalgamation after amalgamation. Fact is, he sees most toys as obsolete, like they're beggin' for an upgrade. Well, his own creations ended up throwin' a fit and revoltin' against him, so it was settled right then and there that he could only fix clocks and watches. Now, the only reason he's still round these parts is that he truly is a mighty smart man and he has gone and fixed toys we all thought were broken for good. You watch your step if you do try to meet him, sugar. He's... well, he's a touch peculiar. You best find somethin' proper to pay for his services, lest he try and experiment on you. This fox havin' this button baffles me. If you run into him again, do some diggin' and bring word back to me." She speaks with a stern voice, "I'd sure love to see what else he's hidin' in his pockets"

She hands you the pocketwatch back.

"I don't know much 'bout moving parts; that ain't my specialty. Sewin' and stitchin', lovin' and carin' is all I'm good for. I'm sure the timekeeper can fix your little problem right on up."

You bring up what you heard between Charly and the Zebra. You mention a lamb that was turned into a toy and is now working in the factory. You mention 'the boss,' and Mother's expression drops and she looks down at you seriously.

"You stay away from the Baron now, you hear? He does... awful things to toys, terrible things. Folks round here call him the toymaker, but us toys that have been kickin' around long enough know his true colors. See, a whole mess of the toys here have never seen a non-toy before, so they welcomed him in with open arms. He thought livin' toys a miracle, and he got it fixed in his mind to replicate their creation. He might look like just some ordinary man trying to run his factory," she says, clearing her dry throat, "but he is a wretched creature. He found ways to force toys to life without a lick of love, without an ounce of care; toys that had no business walkin' around—greedy, selfish things, tainted by foul desires. I don't know nothin' of this lamb yer speakin' of, but if the Baron went and had his way with her..."

She shudders, clutching the cat close. "Though he might very well know a thing or two about changin' you back to who you used to be, it's best you stay far, far away from him. Try not to catch his eye."

You feel your curiosity grow and you ask what was the purpose of Pillowfort and bring up the previous caretaker. She looks at you with pondering eyes, and then looks down at the cat in her lap, "Now, what have you been goin' around and tellin' people, Bean?"

The cat just meows innocently and curls up as best he can. Mother looks down at the button in her hoof and takes a breath.

"Pillowfort has been around since way before my time; I've just stepped up as the next caretaker for these sweet little plushies. Pillowfort has roots interconnected to all sorts of places, but the most important work we do is tendin' to these toys that are lost, that have been thrown away, or neglected. Fact is, I was one of those forgotten toys that Mama found. I was a toy made for huggin' n squeezin' but I never made it onto a store shelf. Mama picked me up from behind a forgotten and dusty corner of a rundown store and she cleaned me up. She took me everywhere her two feet traveled, cared for me the way I had always dreamed of bein' loved as a plushie; that's how I came to life. Then one day, I just had the biggest urge to give Mama a squeeze when I saw her lookin' so down, so I reached out and wrapped my arms round her. From then on, I walked by Mama's side as she taught me what it meant to be a caretaker." She pauses, bracing herself for the flood of memories. "And then, one day... she just vanished. We don't know the first thing about what happened, why she went on, or if she even chose to leave. Lord knows we searched high and low for her, just waitin' on her return. This was all before the Baron ever came around, before the Timekeeper went clean out of his mind, but-" She stifles tears, trying to calm her labored breathing, "It wasn't until a plushie went and found pieces of her fabric tucked away in one of the rooms here in Pillowfort that— that—"

Mother is practically sobbing at this point. The cat in her lap brushes against her chest and purrs to soothe her.

"This button is one of three she had," Mother continues through hiccups. "We found two of 'em but after the fire—"

You give her some time to collect herself, unsure if you prodded too deeply. Mother bawls into her hands, her ache seemingly connecting with you once again as you hold your dear friend close in hopes of never losing him. Eventually, she calms down and sniffles as she pets Bean. You ask how to leave Pillowfort as you are only a traveler through these halls. You tell her of a place you came from, strange and unique, the hotel. She shakes her head, unsure of what that is.

"If it's up and out yer lookin' for, Bean can guide you right along. Pillowfort may be a safe haven for plushies and lost souls but truth is, it's only a hub. The way you wandered in here won't be the way you leave. We got ourselves several exits so when yer feeling ready, come and find me. For now, take as much time as you need to rest your weary bones."

You nod your head and watch as the two plushies pull back a pillow and leave. You sit there, taking in everything. It sounds like, if anyone has an idea of how to turn you back from being a plushie, your best bet would be the Baron, though hearing Mother's warning about him makes you rather uncomfortable. The Timekeeper sounds like a madman himself and you may not get the outcome you hope for visiting him. You sigh, pushing your decision to the back of your plush head.

You peer down at the materials before you and then at your companion who sits motionless to the side.

> Make some kind of clothing.> Make a bead bracelet. > Make a small charm.

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