#{ FSDHHFSDSHH LMAO - }

[curseofbreadbear]

groovepawn​:

An ashamed expression showed on Shiki’s visage as the security guard continued reprimanding her, but it certainly wasn’t the first time she’d been judged for the way she personified the emotions of stuffed animals, especially regarding her age. She severs the thread that remained, tucking the needle in her satchel as she once again shifted to hold her own plush to her chest. It wasn’t her, just… being playfully or delusional.

They really were sad.

“But they are,” of course they wanted to go home with new families, but they wanted to be whole as they did, they didn’t want to risk being returned or exchanged, “they all have feelings, and souls, like Mr. Mew.” Surely she must have some idea what Shiki was saying, right? All the children here could understand it, shouldn’t a woman employed by the company have some inclination to the fact, too?

She looks at the name badge the guard adorned, “Can’t you feel it, Ms. Vanessa? When you look in their eyes?” She hold up her beloved stuffed cat, and while his threaded white gaze wasn’t as large and expressive as anything from Freddy’s, Shiki would assure anyone he had a wide array of emotions behind his stare.

“Even… the animatronics have hearts. That’s why they’re so fun, and full of life,” ever the empathy, Shiki almost looked as though she were about to start crying, “only they’re not stuck sitting on a shelf, falling apart.”

[Feelings...and souls.]

[Vanessa pinched the bridge of her nose, utterly dumbfounded by the brunette's words; these were stuffed toys created in a factory. They had no souls, no thoughts or emotions of their own. The only ones who could string a sentence together were the ones installed with voiceboxes, and all of those were pre-programmed with, what, two or three phrases? They were hardly sentient.]

[Still, since the teen had at least apologized and cut the thread ( as demanded ), Vanessa frowned and stared into the eyes of the cat( ? pig? ) she was holding up. As anticipated, there was nothing there. It was just a stuffed animal, although it seemed to have more care put into it than the plushies here at the Pizzaplex. Vanessa put a hand on her hip, raising one of her eyebrows -- she was beginning to question this girl’s sanity.]

❝ Sorry, kid. I don't see it. ❞ [Her apology was disingenuous, but that didn't really matter; this was just an interaction with an "unruly" customer that had lasted a tad too long for her taste.] ❝ Really, the only "sad" part is how tacky they look. Rest assured, they don't have actual feelings -- you might wanna get yourself evaluated if you think otherwise. Or...you could just be projecting. ❞ 

[Vanessa stifled a laugh at the notion of the animatronics having hearts and being "full of life;" they were fun, sure, but when you worked up-close and personal with them, you got a first-hand look at just how mechanical they really were. The intricacies of A.I. were indeed beyond Vanessa, but she knew enough to realize that what the animatronics experienced weren't genuine feelings -- it was just advanced programming, meant to replicate emotion. Her sister would have known a lot more about that, though...]

❝ Oh, don't make me laugh -- ❞ [If this were a kid, Vanessa might hold back from this "revelation" -- shattering the illusion might break a few hearts and lead to less revenue ( which would, in turn, get her fired ) -- but this was a teenager. She could handle it.] ❝ Freddy and his friends aren't any more "full of life" than one of your beloved stuffed animals. The "heart" you see in them? That's just some sophisticated A.I., made to help them feel real. They aren't. I'm sure they'd be surprised to hear that their emotions are built on nothing but code, but that's just it -- they’re supposed to believe that they’re “alive,” as much as a machine can be, that they do have genuine feelings like the rest of us. The shows just wouldn't be the same if they were as mechanical as their predecessors, right? ❞ 

❝ So, no -- they can’t feel anything, either. Not really. Deep down, they're programs and nothing more. Now -- are we done here? ❞