Chapter Text
"So... This is the place I'm going to work, huh ?"
You stopped yourself, the sound of your boots drowning in the mass of other sounds created by the surrounding crowd that came and went according to their desires. You looked up, tilting your head back slightly to get a better look at the huge structure that dominated everything around, including the visitors. Freddy Fazbear's Mega Pizzaplex had reopened its doors to the public some time ago, rising from the ashes of the many incidents that had occurred years ago, and even accidents that had taken place more recently, and that had caused the so-called definitive closure of the Fazbear franchise.
The Mega Pizzaplex was a strange architectural mixture of huge interlocking rooms, some of them reaching the height of a ten-story building. The central building stood tall and proud, shaped like a 'T' with a bulging horizontal bar, the many windows that made it up reflecting the sunlight in all directions, creating a fairytale atmosphere to the place. On each side of the main building were long corridors leading to other buildings, on which were posted many posters and other marketing images highlighting even more all the activities offered by the Pizzaplex. The building still extended to the back but it was impossible for you to see from your point of view how far the structure continued.
Letting a sigh leave your lips, your gaze fell on the colorful neon sign that rested atop the main building, announcing the name of this place where 'dreams come true' for children while showing them the four flagship animatronics of the Pizzaplex. It was hard not to 'see' them since not only were the animatronics on the sign, but they were also represented on four gigantic posters specially dedicated to each of them.
Placed on the upper left part of the main building was Freddy Glamrocks, the robotic bear was the flagship member of the group, the one most loved by children and the one most known by adults since he had simply undergone a refurbishment of his old versions. In the upper right corner, the poster painted the portrait of Montgomery Gator, the crocodile rocks and roll. A little below Freddy, Roxanne Wolf, the she-wolf with the dense mane and the green streak, was like Montgomery a new arrival. And finally, there was Chica Glamrocks who like Freddy was an old timer, however she had undergone major changes compared to the first prototype you had managed to see on the internet.
A smile split your face, dipping your hands in the pockets of your sweater. Letting your gaze leave the building to focus on the road ahead, you walked towards the huge double doors in front of you where a mass of people were gathering to enter the famous Pizzaplex. The mere idea of having to wait your turn to enter the building gave you a headache. The structure was about to close, but that didn't stop customers from wanting to get in to try to take advantage of all the activities offered in the building.
Standing in the queue, you pulled out your phone, checking your emails and potential messages from the few friends you had or just going on various social networks, only looking up to watch the queue move slightly. When it was finally your turn, the saleswoman in charge of tickets gave you a questioning look, watching you from top to bottom. Raising an eyebrow at her expression you refrain from asking her if she had any problem with adults seeking entertainment. Letting an annoyed smile form on your lips you handed her the employment paper as well as the mail that had been entrusted to you to be able to enter without having to pay an exorbitant sum.
The saleswoman let you pass, also indicating the direction you should take to get to the office where you were supposed to finalize your hiring. You thanked the saleswoman vaguely before walking into the building. The interior was as impressive as the exterior, the first room was an almost circular shape, and the first thing you noticed was the huge golden statue that stood in the middle of the room. Almost six meters high, the four animatronics that were represented everywhere were standing, frozen forever in their headlining pose. You couldn't help but stop yourself, almost shocked by the amount of money that had been put into this statue.
The ceiling was placed almost 30 meters high, the roof just above the statue was a glass dome, letting the outside light filter freely. But to facilitate the lighting, there were also many spotlights that illuminated the rest of the room, lighting the areas not reached by natural light. There were plants, precisely palm trees and other exotic plants and flowers that, like everything else in the place, were huge. The hall had shimmering colors, a blue floor, tables and benches in fluorescent colors, walls of a white slightly beige decorated with abstract symbols in various colors and bright, a mixture that strangely matched.
On both sides of the place, framed by pillars almost similar to those of the Roman area were corridors that led to other rooms. The walls of these corridors were painted black, but many neon lights, colored to the theme of the place they led to, prevented the tunnels from being dark. You could see the main corridors, the ones that led to the main attractions, that is to say the one run by the 'Big 4' , indicated by oversized neon signs, there was also an arcade, an area dedicated to catering and so many other complexes that you already imagined yourself getting lost.
Putting the strap of your backpack back on your shoulder, you headed towards the area the saleswoman had indicated to you, making your way through the crowd as best you could. You passed through one of the few uncrowded corridors, continuing your way up some stairs before you came to what looked like an employee area. Contrary to the rest of the 'indoor theme park' , the place was sober and not very festive, the walls were grey, the floor was dark black, the furniture was only white metal benches. There were some fake plants and posters of their own company, but nothing too obvious.
When you saw what you assumed to be an employee arrive, you asked him for the direction of the manager's office, or at least the one in charge of hiring. Once directed, you walked into a new corridor of reasonable size before arriving on several sets of doors, reading quickly what was written on the plates hung on the doors to direct you. You finally stopped in front of one of them before knocking a few times. Immediately, a voice asked you to enter, not making you wait you pushed the door, entering the office of the director.
Like everything else in this part of the complex, the office was classic and dark. The furniture was made of black refined wood, white metal drawers, two plants, real ones you noticed this time, were on each side of the door while there was a smaller one on the desk. You walked over to the desk, ignoring the diploma frames and other awards hanging on the walls to focus on the man standing behind the desk sitting comfortably in a brown leather chair. He must have been around forty, with light brown hair in which a few white streaks were appearing as the middle of his head was beginning to recede. He had a beard a few days old, crow's feet and small round glasses that rested on the very tip of his prominent, hooked nose.
"Hello. I guess you must be the new employee for the Parts and Service department ?"
"Unless you've hired someone else as an Animatronics Technician, yes, that would be me."
The man looked at you slightly surprised as you gave him a small sly smile. He cleared his throat before inviting you to take a seat behind one of the chairs in front of him. You complied, taking your small backpack off your shoulder and putting it at your feet, before turning to the director. Immediately, the director, who answered to the name of Mr. J.Jonathan, began to explain the clauses of the contract to you, going over the important details such as the work expected from you, your hours, your pay, your days off etc... You didn't need to hear all this again since you had already received a paperless version of the contract by email. But you understood that all this was more for form than for utility, so you responded with little affirmations, hoping to get it over with as soon as possible.
Your prayers were finally answered when Mr. Jonathan handed you the final papers to sign. Reading quickly but carefully what it was all about, you put my signature at the bottom of each page, agreeing to the confidentiality and security clauses, but you stopped in your tracks when you saw the document concerning the handling of incidents. You looked up, raising an eyebrow at the director, who simply replied with a salesman's smile. Reading the outline of the document, almost all kinds of work-related accidents were covered, but some in particular stood out, such as the one about 'injuries inflicted by animatronics'. The very idea that Fazbear Enterprises needed to specify that such incidents were covered was disturbing. Especially since the contract specified that Fazbear Entertainment would only pay the full cost of care if the victim agreed not to sue and kept the incident quiet. "It's like déjà vu," you thought.
Anyone in their right mind would have refused to sign their documents, preferring to forgo the generous payout to preserve their physical or mental health, and maybe even their life. But not you. You signed the acceptance document before placing it back with the other signed documents and handing it to Mr. Johnathan, who almost gave you a relieved smile as he thanked you before handing you your employee card. You continued to discuss the few points that you needed to clarify with him, particularly in relation to other subjects such as overtime or the access pass. But someone came knocking at the door, and the director immediately invited him in by saying:
"This must be the person I have charged to show you around and show you the animatronics."
" 'Show me around and introduce me to the animatronics' you mean." You hissed in the direction of the director.
The director looked at you confused before completely ignoring your remark to focus on the person who had just entered the room. Seeing that Mr. Jonathan was not going to correct his mistake, you decided to turn to the newcomer. The woman who had just entered the room must have been in her early thirties, with a light skin, she had silky blond hair tied in a loose ponytail, almost in that classic way that you saw everywhere in the mangas. If it wasn't for the cap on her head announcing 'Security', it was easy to tell what job she was working at just by her outfit. A white shirt with epaulets where the logo of the security was on her chest, she had put her shirt in her pants which were a simple black jean held by a huge leather belt. She had at her waist hung again the logo of the security, as well as a scabbard, which did not shelter a weapon but a flashlight. Her outfit ended with brown leather shoes, classic and perfectly polished.
Her apple green eyes slid from the director to you, she frowned at you and looked you up and down before finally turning to the director to make a brief conversation that you did not listen to. Vanessa, who was in charge of security at the Pizzaplex, invited you to follow her, which you did without hesitation, relieved to be able to leave the office that smelled of old cologne and household products. Once outside the office, you threw your bag on one of your shoulders, before going to stand right next to Vanessa.
"So... How long have you been working here ?" You asked suddenly.
"Why do you want to know that ?" Vanessa answered rather coldly.
"Um... Just to find out a little bit about everything that happened here before I arrived. If I run into someone with a little seniority, I might have a bit more information on why the Pizzaplex closed for four months before reopening without any explanation." You answer with a shrug. "What was that story again ? Oh yes, incidents with animatronics that start attacking people."
Vanessa stopped abruptly, forcing you to stop and turn slightly in her direction. Her face was lowered to the ground as her hands closed into fists, a satisfied smile played on your lips as you now knew that Vanessa was part of the batch of employees who had been present before the mysterious closing of the Pizzaplex. Her green eyes met your eyes, she frowned and sighed audibly, relaxing her hands to let them fall along her body before one of them came to pinch the bridge of her nose.
"How do you know that ?" She asked as she made her way back out of the bureaucratic part of the Pizzaplex.
"Well... let's just say that as a robotics engineer I couldn't stay unaware of what had pushed such a great pioneer of animatronic technology to close its doors. So I did my research and found some interesting information."
"So... You searched the internet and found the cause of the closure ?" Vanessa asked, slightly shocked. "I thought the programmer had locked everything down."
"Not exactly. I did search for information on the internet, but as you said, your computer scientist did erase all traces of any incident. But with the help of some of my professional contacts and certain... methods, I managed to get access to some information. In particular, some letters."
"What ? What do you mean by that ? Don't tell me you hacked into our communications !" Vanessa grumbled as she came abruptly and threateningly towards you.
"I didn't exactly hack you. In the world of robotics, every little bit of progress matters, but so do the failures and mistakes. So the people in charge of animatronic technologies must have known about what was going on here, and it was from them that I got the information."
The blond girl stopped, staring at you intensely as she tried to understand everything you had just said. Vanessa shook her head and blinked a few times, waving her hands sharply as she searched for words, while you waited patiently for her to ask her question. Finally she managed to articulate :
"So you hacked into the top brass of the new animatronic technology ?"
"Um... Yep."
"Oh... Gosh... Please... Don't tell me you're a crazy person who are gonna cause us trouble again..." Vanessa sighed, almost muttering to herself.
An amused laugh escaped your lips as you took a few steps forward, slipping your hands into the pockets of your TARDIS blue sweater. You then turned to Vanessa, a frank smile on your lips, you didn't know her well enough yet but she seemed to be one of the few people who wouldn't infuriate you. You shook your head in her direction and flicked a few strands of your hair back and forth across your face before saying:
"Nope I'm not crazy, not that I know of. Although... I'm starting to doubt my sanity for signing a contract right here after reading what was on the internet and what was in that contract. And sorry but... I'm probably going to cause some problems, but not in a bad way !"
Vanessa couldn't help but let a small laugh escape her as she shook her head. She then stood up and motioned for you to follow her out of the employee area and into the main hall, she began to give you some directions to each attraction, indicating that the different buildings were all interconnected. The amount of people in the Pizzaplex had drastically decreased as closing time was fast approaching.
Vanessa leads you first to the corridor leading to the Arcade. You couldn't help but wonder what kind of games there were, and if there was any possibility that you could put your name on a new record. It seemed pretty easy, after all, you had completed Dark Soul, not some little arcade game that would defeat "TheCyborgSmaug". As you heard your guide inform you about one of the many rooms available to the employees, you came out of your thoughts, looking at the place she was indicating before answering her with a small "ok".
The Gaming area was exactly what you'd expect, it was an arcade with many machines set up next to each other, going from Just Dance to Pac-Man and stopping on games dedicated to the animatronics of the Pizzaplex. The place was modern, lit by neon lights of a blue, orange and purple, the floor was dark blue carpet, which must have been a real pain to clean, and the walls a warm brown. There was a smell of fizzy drinks and disinfectant in the air, but the place had its charm. You noticed that there was hardly anyone there, except for a lonely teenager who seemed desperately trying to beat the best record at a game.
"So... I still haven't got my answer. What happened with the animatronics that forced you to close the Pizzaplex for four months ?"
Vanessa glared at you immediately before looking around frantically, trying to see if anyone had heard you. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no one there but the boy, but he was so absorbed in his game that the building could collapse on him and he wouldn't notice. You tilted your head slightly to the side before making a small hand movement in the direction of the blonde, inviting her to give you more information about this famous incident.
"You're not going to let go of the case, are you ?"
"Hum... Nope."
Vanessa let another sigh escape her, her hand coming up to pinch the bridge of her nose in what seemed to be a habit of hers. You turned slightly, leaning toward the game closest to you. You quickly read the name "Balloon World" before turning back to the blond girl, leaning your shoulder against the machine as you crossed your feet together, waiting for Vanessa to speak.
"The animatronics had been hacked, their coding had been modified making them extremely aggressive to any unauthorized person in the building at night. At the beginning it was not... so serious. There were a few injuries, as thugs broke into the building. Then there was one of the employees who had forgotten his stuff, his keys I think, and got caught by one of the animatronics. He had three cracked ribs and a broken arm. The mechanics had tried to see what was wrong but they couldn't find anything wrong, so the board just blamed it on a bug but..."
She had stopped, immersed in her thoughts as if she was reliving every moment of everything that had happened. You could see the different emotions in her eyes, anger, helplessness, regret, fear. You decided not to interrupt her train of thought, letting her choose the words she wanted to use and the way she wanted to tell everything that had happened. As a night guard, she had to witness almost directly all of her events. She had courage to continue working at the same job, in the same hell, even after all the traumatic events.
"One day a kid was locked up. I was the only night guard at the time and... I was so obsessed with the glory of the post and the recognition that I forgot to consider the feelings of this kid. A kid whose parents had simply abandoned him. Gregory wanted to turn to the animatronics since they were the only ones left to help him... But the robots were simply not themselves anymore. All animatronics, even the maintenance robots, have an implant protocol that makes them take care of children when they are alone or lost, but here... it was as if the protocol had never existed, or that it had been erased. The animatronics... They attacked him, it wasn't simple aggression... T-They wanted to kill him."
"What happened to Gregory ?" You asked with concern clearly in your voice.
"When... when I found him... he was covered in blood, dirt and almost on the verge of death... The animatronics had... They had ripped off one off his leg and some off this fingers, but he was still alive, barely conscious, but still breathing. All thanks to Freddy. He was the one who helped Gregory escape my surveillance, he was also the one who led me to Gregory after the kid had been mutilated, it was Freddy who had protected him from his own comrades and... Its when I saw Freddy being all worked up over Gregory that I realized that maybe his animatronics had feelings. He was... He was crying... I don't know if it's possible but... Freddy was crying ! He was afraid that Gregory might die, like a parent would be worried about his child... I... It may sound silly, but these animatronics feel things."
You approached Vanessa, gently touching her shoulder to draw her attention to you rather than to her memories. Her eyes were watery, filled with regret and sorrow. You weren't good at comforting people, you weren't good at relationships in general, but you could at least try to understand her. She, a night guard who found herself facing a boy mutilated by animatronics programmed to care for and entertain children. She who had never thought that animatronics could develop feelings and who now saw an animatronic acting more humanly than a human. She must have questioned everything that day, including herself.
"What is past is past. You made mistakes, like everyone else. But you understood them and you are trying to make up for it. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here, crying and telling me this story."
Vanessa stepped back slightly, lifting one of her hands to wipe away the tears that had finally escaped. She turned her back to you, perhaps trying to hide her weakness. You let out a small laugh at this thought knowing that this was not the time to joke. So you let her simply recover from her emotions, pretending to be interested in the games that were here and there. Finally Vanessa comes back to you, after of course "gently" asking the young teenager to get out of the Pizzaplex.
"You said that all the animatronics had become aggressive, but in that case, why wasn't Freddy aggressive too ?" You asked.
"I don't know. When, after the incident of Gregory, the mechanics and the computer scientists analyzed the codes of the animatronics they found a virus there. It was present in all the AI of the animatronics except two, of which Freddy." Answered Vanessa while resuming the road towards you do not know where.
"Two ? Who is the other animatronic ?"
"He's the one who takes care of the Daycare."
"So... he and Freddy are the only ones who didn't get mysteriously contaminated ?" You continued, frowning slightly.
"Um... For Freddy, yes. But for Sun... It's more complicated. You'll understand when you see him."
You hummed an answer, trying to clear up all the new information you had accumulated. Vanessa continued to show you around, continuing to explain everything that had happened after the discovery of the virus. Of course all the animatronics had undergone a big and intense "check up". The virus had been removed from their coding and destroyed, then the animatronics had undergone "upgrades" to prevent incidents of this kind from happening again. The Pizzaplex had also taken other security measures, such as employing more guards, and imposing daily check-ups to make sure that everything was perfectly fine with the animatronics.
But even after the virus was eradicated from their system, the animatronics did not come back without sequels. Vanessa confided to you that the star robots of the Pizzaplex had a hard time recovering, the memories of what they had done, in spite of themselves, still engraved in their memory cards. According to the blonde, the first months were hard, especially for the animatronics who had started to doubt themselves, not wanting to interact with humans and even less with children even though they were programmed for that. But things were slowly improving for the Pizzaplex, until the robotics technician before you decided to suddenly resign.
"We should continue the tour. Then I'll introduce you to the animatronics." Vanessa said with a little smile, reusing your words.
"Ok."
Vanessa continued to give you the tour, going through the different game areas that were dedicated to the animatronics as was the Fazerblast. There was first "Roxy's Raceway" where young and old could have fun doing indoor karting. Then there was "Monty's Gator Golf" where everyone could have a good time playing mini-golf in a tropical forest atmosphere. Then there was "Mazercise: Chica's delicious path to fitness" which allowed all the foodies to eat, without having to worry about the backlash, while having fun solving puzzles. There were other game areas that we didn't visit like the dance hall, "Bonnie's Bowl" or the "Foxy Theater" even though the last two were much less frequented because they didn't have any star animatronics. The main stage where the four star robots performed at regular times was a must-see since it was there that bugs and other minor glitches often occurred.
But there were also other rooms that were not dedicated to the game and the entertainment, there was a catering area, an infirmary, rest areas for those who were looking for a little peace and quiet and there was even the daycare that answered to the name of "Superstar Daycare". You were curious to know how this daycare could be organized since the blonde announced that the daycare was mostly managed by one of the animatronics. But Vanessa invited you to visit later since you were already slightly behind schedule.
The night guard then explained to you how to get to Part and Service which was the area where the workshops were located as well as the material you would need to repair, maintain and take care of the animatronics and maybe from time to time the S.T.A.F. bots, but there was a team that was entirely dedicated to them so you were not really required. There were actually several accesses, the first was in the main room, it was a huge but discreet corridor that led directly to the Parts and Service department. The second access was outside, where the technicians and other departments received the material for the robots and other machinery of the Pizzaplex. The third access was in the concert hall, which allowed the animatronics to reach the engineers in case of any problems they might have on stage. The fourth and last way to access Parts and Service was through the back door, which was reserved for the employees, this door being used by the employees of the other departments too.
After seeing the different accesses and visiting the Parts and Service department itself, which was more than impressive to your eyes, you finally headed backstage through the access that started from Parts and Service. Vanessa had asked the animatronics, at least the ones that could move, because you understood that the one that managed the dance floor could not move as freely as the others, to all gather there at 10:30 pm precisely, the ones after the closing of the doors to be sure that the customers did not look for their favorite idols. You were slightly late, barely ten minutes, you wouldn't mind but it seemed to worry Vanessa, so you had made the effort to quicken your pace.
As you walked down the long, wide, white neon-lit hallway, you could hear several voices talking to each other. You could distinguish three voices, although electronic, it was easy to guess that two of them were more feminine while the other was masculine. They were talking about Vanessa, asking why she wasn't here yet and if something had happened to her. For a split second, the blonde showed a slight smile, as if she was touched to know that the animatronics were worried about her. Another robotic voice, male again but clearly different from the first one, said:
"I'm not going to wait here all night. If Vanessa doesn't get here soon I'm out of here !"
The blondie reached the door at the same time, pushing it open to the backstage area which was exactly like all backstages, a large empty space in the middle while the rest of the room was cluttered with all sorts of objects, storage furniture and what you assumed were musical instruments and microphones. The lights were a pale white and were placed high on the ceiling revealing ropes and other decorative materials. The floor was made of black plastic which, strangely enough, did not squeak under the soles. There were also posters of animatronics to decorate the walls, but who would pay attention to the posters when there were five huge metal and bolt animatronics standing in front of you.
"Sorry for the delay." Vanessa said. "The tour took a little longer than expected."
"It's not a problem, Vanessa." Said the one who was definitely Freddy Glamrocks. "But who is the person who accompanies you ?"
"Well, I'm here to make the introductions. Here is the singer of the group Freddy Glamrocks."
Your gaze met the bluish eyes of the robotic bear. More than two and a half meters high, the animatronic with the imposing stature, could have easily frightened you if it wasn't for the soft and calm smile that he displayed accompanied by this almost fatherly aura. Freddy was the same color as a teddy bear, a warm orange brown for most of his body and a light beige for his entire torso, his round muzzle and his fingertips. He also had a few touches of red on the parts that made up his calves and on his shoulder pads. But Freddy was part of the Glamrock group, so he proudly sported a flash of blue on his chest. The same color was also the mask that surrounded his eyes and went back to his cheeks, the pattern being framed by a small band of red similar to his shoulder pads. Another line of blue, quite thick, crossed his lower jaw in the middle has the vertical. He had also undergone a good manicure as his clawed nails, both on his hands and feet, were shining with the same neon blue. And how could you talk about Rock without the famous nail bracelets that the animatronic was wearing on each arm. There was a striking contrast between the gothic bracelets and the little top hat and bow tie that the bear was wearing.
"Next is Glamrock Chica." Chained Vanessa.
"Hi !"
Your gaze shifted from Freddy to Chica. The colorful animatronic chicken waved her hand at you and grinned at you with her toothy beak. Most of her body was crystalline white, she was dressed in a pink bodysuit, with the part that made up her belly and her shoulder pads of a darker pink. One of her legs was decorated with a black leopard pattern on a green background, the same green that made up her palms and gave the impression that she was wearing gloves, while the other leg was pink with black stripes. Like Freddy, Chica wore studded bracelets, but her feminine side was enhanced by the little pink ribbon she wore on her head to hold her crest that consisted of what you assumed were feathers as well as the touch of lipstick on the tip of her beak. Chica also had green triangular earrings, which you found strange since she didn't have ears, but you found the two small triangular designs under each of her eyes very interesting. "Are they inspired by Princess Mononoke?" you thought.
"The pianist of the group, Roxanne Wolf." Vanessa continued.
"Yo." The she-wolf said.
No sooner had you laid eyes on her than she gave you the impression of looking at a rebellious older sister. Roxanne was definitely a gray wolf, she sported a dense mane of a slightly lighter gray and a material that was surely similar to fur or hair. Her tail was also composed in the same way and waved slightly behind her. She was painted in such a way that she seemed to be wearing a crop-top and a stocking, both of which were a dark red decorated with what you would call "explosive" patterns. Her calves and forearms were the same color, a dark mauve striped with black. She also had a manicure, her nails were purple for her feet and a very pale blue for her hands. Just like Chica she had some feminine touch like a trace of mauve lipstick on her muzzle, two earrings on each ear, and the inevitable studded bracelets. Finally, what made her look like a rocker was the huge lock of mane she had on top of her head that had a bright green color.
"And the newest member of the group Montgomery Gator."
"Who is this one ?" The crocodile said, looking you up and down.
"Oh... So you're the one who can't stand waiting..." You point your finger in the crocodile's direction.
As the other Montgomery were tall, the crocodile-like animatronic was unsurprisingly green in color, with a pale yellow lower jaw and chest. The pattern on his pelvis and legs gave the impression that he was wearing crocodile skin pants, the effect reinforced by the belt that was on his waist. On the top of his head was a red mane cut in a very punk way in which he had pushed back his glasses in the shape of a star to better be able to stare at you. Purple came to contrast his style, coming to paint his feet, his shoulder pads, his palms as well as the first phalanxes of his fingers so that he had mittens. And as a sign of their Glamrock appearance, Montgomery also had nail bracelets. The animatronic blew loudly through his nostrils looking at you sideways.
"And this is Sun, the animatronic in charge of the Daycare." Vanessa said, drawing your attention to the last animatronic.
Finally you turned to the last animatronic who had, since the beginning of the presentations, not stopped moving and mumbling incomprehensible things. Sun was a little taller than the other animatronics, maybe 9 feet tall while the other were 8 feet tall. As his name indicated, he was in the image of the daytime star, his facial disk being the very representation of the sun, with at the back of his skull seven triangles of the same size, separated by six much smaller and more discreet ones that perfectly represented sunbeams and that seemed to be able to move independently from his face. He had on each of his cheeks a sort of cheekbone decorated with a small childish spiral, that his smile, which revealed strangely pointed teeth, almost reached. Part of his face and his rays were a soft warm orange-yellow, while the other half of his face, which looked strangely like a crescent moon, was a very pale yellow. The rest of his body was the same yellow, except for his fingers which had a different color for each phalanx, the tips of his fingers was orange before fading so that the last one was the same color as the moon of his face.
Unlike the other animatronics, Sun was wearing clothes, a rather peculiar and colorful outfit that gave him the air of a circus tamer. He wore a red shirt with sleeves folded just above his elbows and one of them decorated with a dark blue elastic sleeve. Over the shirt was an inky black vest with a tailcoat at the back. The vest was closed with two huge gold buttons, one engraved with a sun and the other with a moon. His pants were those of a clown, vertically striped with red and yellow, sulking downwards before tightening a little above his ankles. On his feet were shoes straight out of the Middle Ages, with their black leather and their pointed end that folded over the foot to end with a bell whose light and clear sound was barely discernible. His shoes were decorated on the inside of the heel with a crescent moon of the same yellow as the stripes of his pants. He didn't have a rock bracelet, nor chic earrings, but the sun personified had at his wrists, and at the level of where his pants tightened, ribbons of a dark red tied in a knot and decorated with two golden bells, similar to those of his shoes, which made that each of his movements was accompanied by a pleasant tinkling.
You couldn't help but frown as you noticed small details, almost insignificant but which made you wonder. Why a blue sleeve elastic ? The color didn't match the rest of his outfit at all. There was also the moon of his face plate, the moon of his buttons and shoes... Vanessa had said something about the animatronic that ran the daycare, right ? You were abruptly pulled out of your thoughts when two robotic hands slid under your armpits and lifted you off the ground with ease. A small cry of surprise escaped your lips as you found yourself face to face with the sun.
"Hi new friend !"
Being much closer, maybe even too close, to the huge animatronic, you could see all the details of his face plate. Contrary to what it might seem at first, his face was not flat, he had a long and pointed nose that went up very slightly, he had what could be likened to lips although unlike us other humans his was not really visible. But what made you stop for a few seconds was his eyes, just like the rest of us his eyeball was white, but his eyes were obsidian black with a small glow reflected in them.
"Sun... How many times have I told you not to grab people like that ?" Vanessa said with a sigh.
Sun turned his head towards Vanessa with a small metallic noise, revealing to you a little more about how his face plate worked. His face was worn as if by a mechanical arm, giving him the ability to turn his face in all directions and bend his neck at all angles, handy for an animatronic who was watching children. You looked down at his hands, which between them almost completely surrounded your torso and back. Despite the strength he had, which must have been more than substantial because he was holding you at arm's length as if you had no weight, the animatronic was holding you gently. You lifted your hands to put them on Sun's forearms.
The animatronic immediately turned his head in your direction, which surprised you slightly. You closed your fingers a little more firmly against his forearms which made him look down at your hands before looking up at you in a questioning way. The animatronic must have had micro-receptors built into its metal because he was clearly able to "feel" where you touched him. It was an ingenious technology, very advanced and above all extremely well thought out for an animatronic designed to work with children, since he was thus able to feel the children touching him when the little one demanded his attention. You couldn't help but wonder if it was the same for the others. Suddenly coming out of your thoughts and still feeling the hands of the animatronic holding you, you said with a little smile :
"Hey... Could you put me down please ?"
Sun blinked before quickly but gently putting you down before almost crouching down to your face. His playful smile had faded slightly to a small, worried, guilty expression, his long, slender fingers mingling together as his voice box began to crackle nervously before he managed to say:
"I-I'm sorry ! I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable! I... I didn't hurt you ?! Did I hurt you ?!"
"Hey ! It's okay, I'm OK ! I was just surprised." You waved your hands in his direction to signal him to calm down.
You've never been the touchy-feely type, so you certainly didn't want the poor animatronic, who seemed to have anxiety, to feel guilty about something he didn't do. You gave him a smile, which seemed to relax him a bit as he stopped waving his fingers around frantically. You let out a sigh before turning to the other animatronics and Vanessa who had been watching the whole thing. The blonde looked at you as if to say "sorry" and "I told you", while the other animatronics didn't even seem surprised, if a little intrigued. You clear your throat before dipping your hands into the pockets of your sweater and saying :
"Sorry for the late introduction, my name is y/n l/n and I'm the new mechanic."