#SunxOCxMoon

[kelpan]

Our first Sundrop POV chapter!!! Enjoy this precious, handsome boi! :D

Credit for this commissioned Sundrop Headshot goes to wwispie on Etsy! As their shop is closed at the moment, check 'em out on Instagram by the same name! Their art is absolutely incredible!

Might be a little bit 'till we reach Moon's first POV chapter, but that headshot will be ready and waiting until then!

Ao3: Petals on a Stream of Stars

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Act 1, Chapter 5: A Quest for Snacks

Tuesday

12:00 PM

Sundrop

Sun’s motors whirred as he waved goodbye to the last of his little sunspots, content to watch them all run off, giggling and screaming under the watchful eye of the two human staff members in charge of handling lunch today. He released a deep exhale, his body slumping forward, shoulders drooped and arms dangling. He loved his little sunspots, he really did—but he just did not have the battery to keep up with them all today!

Not like he ever seemed to have much of a full battery anymore, but still.

Turning about on his heel, he made his way over to the security desk, and grabbed a bottle of disinfectant spray stored there, along with a clean towel. No time to waste dragging feet; The Daycare wasn’t going to clean itself.

He’d start over at the gym mats, he decided, given how many running, sniffling noses he’d noticed during tumble-time today. Spring allergies must be hitting the kids pretty hard this season. He wouldn’t be surprised if a few of his regulars started calling out sick soon. 

He sprayed and wiped down every tiny vinyl nook and cranny, refusing to allow even one speck of germ-riddled dirt to remain for the next group of kids to find. Humans were such fragile, susceptible things. A clean environment was crucial to ensure all his kids would grow up to be big and strong!

After he’d finished, he spared a glance to arts and crafts, and spotted his new coworker still hard at work re-organizing and cleaning her section, just like he’d asked her to. Already she’d done better than the others who Fazbear tried to shove in the position. Engaged, present, cheery, never once pulling out her phone or being distracted, not like how every prior assistant had been, as if they couldn’t be bothered to even look at a simple child’s drawing. It was…a nice change of pace. 

As he observed her, a soft, lilting melody floated through the air, triggering his audio receptors. She was singing, he realized, just to herself and under her breath, but the fact still made him perk up some. She was in a good mood, even after working alongside him and all the kids. One of his internal processors kicked in, clicking and whirring with the realization, daring to hope that she might…actually be enjoying her time here. That hope is what pulled him forward, as if needing to confirm such a possibility.

Approaching from behind, he made no effort to conceal his movements, leaving him perturbed as she remained lost in her own little world, even though he stood well within her available line of sight, if off to the side. He chuckled, leaning down and forward, trying to make his presence known. 

“You have a very pretty voice.” He said, friendly, surprised then when he was met with the sight of her jumping and immediately whipping around towards him, a wide-eyed and startled expression on her face. 

“Sugar-freaking-SNAPS, Sun, don’t scare me like that!!”

 He chuckled again, raising his hands in mock surrender, his smile apologetic yet amused. Idly, he found her colorful, though still kid-friendly curse rather adorable, glad he didn’t have to chide yet another adult on “language” in the Daycare.

“Sorry! Sorry!” He lowered his hands once she started to relax. “Won’t happen again”. He took in her expression as she calmed herself, a slight blush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. Cutting her some slack, he changed the subject, gesturing back towards the craft tables with his thumb. “So, how goes it? Need any help?”

She took a deep breath, trying to banish the last of her embarrassment it seemed, and shifted her focus. 

 “No, not really,” She replied with a weak huff, her voice returning to a more natural and friendly tone after a second. “It’s all done. I just finished putting away the last of the supplies a second ago.” 

 “Perfect! How wonderful.” He stood tall and proud, his hands on his hips, surveying the space with satisfaction. “Thank you for all your help. I’d say now is probably a good time for you to go and take your lunch break, take a couple of extra minutes to rest before the next shift comes around. I can finish up what’s left on my own.” 

Her brows crinkled. “My lunch break?” Her head tilted in thought. “Yeah, I uh, guess I would get one of those. Right.” She glanced to the side, and started to chew at her bottom lip. When her eyes returned to his, there was something in them that didn’t sit right with him, a tension that wasn’t there before. “Are you sure you don’t need another hand?” She added. “I don’t mind sticking around to help.” 

“That’s, uh, very kind of you.” He said, choosing his words carefully, unsure what his sensors were picking up on in her tone but unable to ignore it nonetheless. “But no, I’ve got this. Go take care of yourself. I insist.” 

Her smile faded as she listened, and she crossed her arms, looking away again, shifting her weight from side to side.

She spoke first, as he was hoping she would. “I… didn’t bring anything with me.” She muttered, sheepishly. “Wasn’t really thinking that far ahead when I got here this morning.” Her expression turned strained, her smile now forced. “But it’s fine, really. I’ll just wait till I get home later to eat. No big deal.”

He balked. “And go that long without fuel? Oh no, no, no, I don’t think so! Kids forget their snacks all the time. Come on, I’m sure we can find you something!”

He reached for her wrist without hesitation, tugging her along to follow him as he guided them towards the door. She squeaked out a weak protest, but ultimately gave in without much fuss. As soon as he saw that she would follow of her own accord, he let her go, walking side by side out of the Daycare.

Once out in the halls of the Pizzaplex, Sun’s stride was tried and true, the layout of the only home he’s ever known ingrained into his programming. Though for a newcomer, staff and guest alike, he was sure it could become confusing and disorienting rather quickly. 

“It’s not far,” he reassured her, walking beside him with her head on a swivel, taking in the sights, her red, wavy hair bouncing back and forth as she went. “Storage is just up the stairs and through the theater. Won’t take us long at all!”

For the most part, they walked on in easy silence, the sparse nature of this area of the Pizzaplex during this time of day allowing them to move about unhindered. As they reached the aforementioned set of stairs, Chrys seemed to fully digest his words, her eyes finding his as they ascended. 

“Wait, did you say there was a theater in here? Like an actual theater?” 

He hummed affirmatively, smiling, his voice excited. “Oh yes! It’s one of our few attractions that’s really geared towards our adult guests. Gives the parent’s something to do while their kids are off having a faz-tastic time, you know? We even have some of the staff perform there on occasion! I bet you’d—” 

A heavy thudding interrupted him as they both looked towards the sound, coming from somewhere far beyond the top of the stairs. Sparing a glance, he noticed the furrow of Chrys’s brows, the way her expression shifted with a sort of confused unease. It made something in his processors click, disliking the subtle note of distress. 

“Oh, don’t worry,” he was quick to reassure. “That’s just another animatronic. Not all of us are as, uh…light on their feet as I am.” The smile he offered her was confident, a promise that there was nothing to worry about. 

As they reached the top of the stairs, the thudding sound grew louder, whoever they were from apparently heading their way. His sensors picked up on movement coming from the left, looking just in time to see a figure step out through the doorway of one of the nearby staff passageways. 

Monty.

“Well, hey!” The gator animatronic exclaimed, spotting the pair of them in that same instance and heading over. “Looky what we have here! Vitamin D, I ain’t never seen you out of the Daycare anymore! What’s it been, weeks? Months? Not that I really blame ya, ya know, after all that uh…mess. Uh, so! How ya been? Kids recovering alright?”

Sun tensed, his smile tightening. What had happened was not just some mess. And Monty of all people, had no right to speak to him about it with such a nonchalant tone. 

“Our kids are just fine, thank you very much.” Sun snapped, unable to hide the bite in his tone. “I suggest you be more concerned with the kids in your own sector. Heard through the security coms the other day that another fell into the river again. Didn’t they almost drown?”

“Ay now!” Monty barked, pointing a fat, clawed finger at Sun’s face, his green and yellow endo-skeleton unusually polished to a shine. “Not my damn fault if the pizzaplex didn’t install a safety railing!” His tail swished back and forth, flicking as his anger grew. “Don’t you dare accuse me of being neglectful, you sorry excuse of a pompous babysitter. Those kids are way safer with me than they are with you and that unhinged brother of yours—”.  

“Shut. Up!”

Sun exclaimed, slapping Monty’s hand away, his glare sharp, his tone sharper, leaving no room for argument.

“Don’t you dare talk about him like that. You. Know. Nothing. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have better things to do than to waste more of our time listening to you.”

Without giving Monty the grace to respond, Sun stepped ahead, placing a gentle hand to Chrys’s back, guiding the two of them to move on past him. Chrys, thankfully, didn’t resist, though Sun could tell how the interaction confused her, leaving him with a sense of gratitude for her trust in him in this moment. 

They made it only a few steps before Monty interjected himself yet again, this time coming up from behind. 

“Aye now, just you wait a tic.” His red eyes held a sly glint to them. “Who’s this? You stealing newbies or something, Sun? Damn, how bold of you.” Sun’s eye twitched, hearing the goading, taunting tone in his voice, and tried not to react, to not give him the satisfaction of a response. “What’s your name, cutie?” He continued, his words dripping with a syrupy-sweetness.

The moment could have ended there, had Monty not had the audacity to place his overbearing hand on Chrys’s shoulder, stopping and forcing her to turn around, facing him. It didn’t escape Sun’s notice how she stiffened, and his rays pulsed with indignation. 

“Uh…Chrys. My name is Chrys.” She said, trying to speak with confidence, but to Sun, with his sensitive audio receptors, he could hear the slight tremble in her voice. Which, unfortunately, meant Monty could too. 

The gator flashed his bleached row of sharp, pointed teeth in response, his expression a poor attempt at charm. “Chris, ya say? Funny, seems we got a lot of those on staff here. But I promise you, you’re definitely the prettiest out of all of them.”

In a move that even Sun hadn’t seen coming, Monty reached down, claiming her hand in his, and placed a quick kiss to the back of her fingers with a wink, his snout dwarfing her delicate appendage. “Please to meet ya.”

Sun’s eyes went wide, and he snapped.

Latching down onto Monty’s wrist, Sun squeezed and twisted, yanking his arm into an awkward and exceedingly painful angle, forcing him to let go of her hand. A part of him was content to hold him there for a second or two longer than was necessary before finally releasing him with a shove, staggering him backwards. 

“Hey!! The fuck, Sun? That hurt!” Monty clutched at his wrist, stumbling as he regained his balance. “The hell is your problem, you overgrown carnival reject!?”

“Language.” Sun seethed. “And boundaries. Keep your hands to yourself.” His face may have exhibited restraint, but his voice, his tone, dripped with warning, his body shifting ever-so-slightly so as to block his direct view of Chrys. 

“Oh fuck off already with that sterile corporate bullshit.” He bared his teeth in a snarl, his red eyes sharp, taking a step closer. “You’re such a fucking goody two-shoes, you’ve probably never even talked to a girl before without frying a damn circuit.”

Sun bristled, Monty’s arrogance testing the limits of his patience —and he prided himself on having quite a bit of it. “Enough Monty.” He repeated, stepping now fully in front of Chrys, tucking her safely behind him. “She’s not just some girl, she’s my assistant. And I think you’ve harassed her more than enough for one day, thank you very much!”

Sun stood tall, using every ounce of height advantage he had over the bass player to make his intentions clear. He would not stand by and let Monty’s rude and hot-headed ego ruin Chrys’s first day, or any day after that, if he had any say in it. They might not have been two animatronics to ever really get along, but she didn’t deserve to deal with his nonsense simply by association. 

Monty fumed, his rage still prominent, but, unexpectedly, seemed to be taking his words to heart. “Harassing?! I wasn’t… I was just… Gah!” He threw up his hands into the air, tossing aside whatever it was he was trying to say. To Sun’s chagrin, he stepped to the side, making eye contact with Chrys, a sharp finger pointed in her direction. “You listen to me, filly.” He spat. “He may seem all brave and confident now, but I promise you he’s a damn coward. You best look into transferring to a new department if you know what’s good for you. Now, outta my way!”

He shot one last, vicious glare at Sun, before storming off, nearly walking right through the both of them had Sun not looped an arm back around and nudged Chrys out of the way in time. 

Together they watched as Monty left, fuming, his pounding steps echoing through the air, until finally, he disappeared from view, down the stairs and out through another hallway, an awkward yet peaceful silence filling in behind him.

Arrogant, bull-headed lizard. 

With an exasperated, deep sigh, Sun tried to settle himself, exhaling the irritation and agitation still clouding his circuits and slowing his processors. That guy had such a knack for getting under his metaphorical skin, it was a wonder that they hadn’t had a no-contact restriction added into one of their updates. 

Turning to the side, he glanced down at Chrys, able to tell the moment his sensors took in her appearance that she was also bothered, though not in the same way as he, her expression tense and her arms tucked tight to her chest.

“Chrys?” He asked, hesitantly, unsure of how to proceed. “Are you alright?”

She released a small, shaky breath, her eyes falling closed as she seemed to gather her composure. When she opened them again, her vivid green eyes returning to his, he noticed a hint of something reserved in them, a suppression of something he couldn’t quite tell, even as she made a point to try and bring back a bit of levity to her demeanor. 

“Yeah…yeah.” She replied, repeating herself, though her voice came out strained. “I’m fine.”

She was lying, he realized. Her heart rate was still unnaturally high, despite the calmness she tried to exude. But, something told him not to press her on it…for now. If she didn’t feel comfortable telling him the truth right at this moment, then he needed to respect that, lest he inadvertently make things worse. Even if it was the exact opposite of what he wanted to do.

“Oh uh, good! Good.” He mumbled, trying to hide his own anxiety, to keep her from catching on that he didn’t quite believe her. He’d hoped none of his actions had startled or contributed to her unease, realizing after the fact that he might have come across a little severe. Wait, was that why she was so quiet now? Had he made her uncomfortable too? 

“Um..should we, uh, keep going?” He suggested, looking for a way to transition out of this moment. Perhaps with a literal change in scenery, she would feel better, and some of that mirth he saw from her back in the Daycare would return. 

She nodded, her weak smile gone as quickly as it had come, a gesture likely done just for his benefit, however it only served to make him feel worse. He gestured on, and the two began walking again, the silence between them pervasive and heavy.

Every couple of seconds or so, he couldn’t stop himself from glancing over at her, needing to see, to check for any change in her expression, good or bad, while still hoping for the former. Each time she remained the same, eyes drawn and trailing along the floor, her mouth set in a thin, hard line, his processors winced, feeling more than responsible for her current upset. 

The minutes passed, painfully uncomfortable and drawn out, until they reached the area they had set out for. “Ah, finally!” He exclaimed, with a bit more exuberance than he normally would have, eying the lit-up marquee sign hanging above the entrance to the theater. “Just a bit further now! The storeroom is just backstage, down near where the dressing rooms are.”

With a hint of curiosity to her eye, she walked on ahead of him through the open gate, following the natural path of the rounded, spacious corridor. 

Past the box office and concessions, Sun stepped ahead to take the lead, guiding them down a rather absurd amount of stairs and into a back hallway, the bare white walls a drastic difference to the warm and rich decor of the theater. Though the backstage area could be a labyrinth, he kept them on course, until they reached the door they needed, stopping only for a moment to allow him to enter in the code to unlock it.

With a beep of approval, the door opened, allowing them passage into the wide, concrete room beyond, the air slightly chilled without anything to insulate the walls. “Welcome to the storeroom!” Sun declared, arm outstretched. They stood on a compact, railed landing, connected to the center of the room by two small steps. An amalgamation of boxes and supplies filled the majority of the space, some strewn across the floor with their contents half unpacked, while most were kept organized and neat, lining every bit of available space on the rows and rows of shelving units, the buzzing fluorescent rod lights overhead casting a crisp and sterile wash over everything.  

“This space connects to multiple sectors of the Pizzaplex, so we all have to share it.” Sun explained, stepping down to the center of the room. “But that should prove no problem. All of the Daycare’s snacks should be right….here!” He didn’t hesitate as he headed for a shelf near the leftmost corner, certain of where he was going, until he popped open three of the different colorful plastic tubs packed there, and frowned at its contents, or rather…its lack thereof. 

“Ah.” His voice came out short and curt, his expression strained, fighting to keep the irritation from his face. “It, uh…seems as if someone has done some….rearranging, since the last time I did a supply run.” His smile remained forced, and his rays twitched. “Guess we’ll just have to uh…do some looking around then. That many snacks can’t have gone far!” He chuckled, weak and under his breath, knowing full well how easily things disappeared the moment they were moved. It was why he was always such a stickler for cleanliness and organization, for everything to be kept and returned to its proper place.  

“Oh, yeah. No worries.” With a nod, Chrys stepped off the landing, heading the opposite direction, and began to search through all the nearest tubs and boxes, her movements gentle and respectful of the things she touched, making sure to leave everything how she found them before moving on to a new box. Eyeing her process with approval, Sun turned back to his own searching, though with a far more frustrated air. Before long, nothing but the sound of their individual shuffling and the occasional hum from the HVAC system filled the air, letting them work in peaceful silence. After a couple of minutes, Chrys broke that silence, her quiet voice pulling him from his focus.

“Hey, Sun?” Chrys asked, hands resting on the flaps of a cardboard box, her eyes lingering on its contents before turning to face him.

“Yes?” He replied, curious as to her stance, noting the way she seemed suddenly hesitant to speak. 

“Did I hear that alligator guy correctly? That you…have a brother?”

His processors hitched at her words. He shouldn’t have been surprised, knowing it was too much to hope for that she had missed that little detail amidst the rest of Monty’s nonsense. “I…” He looked aside, unsure how best to respond. He’d have to tell her about Moon eventually, he knew that, but…what could he say? How should he put it? He’d hoped to have a little more time to get to know her before breaching this topic, to figure out the best way to make her understand….but the universe always laughed at a plan, didn’t it?  

“Yes. Moondrop…my twin.” His eyes drifted to the ground, his gaze faraway, his voice just as distant as he spoke his brother’s name. 

“Your…twin?” She echoed, as if considering the notion, her voice softening to mirror his. “I didn’t realize animatronics could have twins.”

He shrugged, his tone gaining a touch of humor. “Designed and built by the same person at the same time. Just like humans.”

She nodded, releasing an airy chuckle. “I mean, I guess that would be equivalent.” The soft smile that graced her cheeks then faded, replaced by a more somber expression. There was a slight furrow to her brows, a thoughtfulness behind her eyes, that made Sun think she was trying to understand the odd change in his demeanor. “Does he work in the daycare then, too?”

Sun tugged lightly on one of his lower rays. “Yes and…no. He used to. We used to run it together…he was in charge of naptime. But there’s been a few, uh…changes, recently, so not…not anymore. He’s been…reassigned to security for the time being.”

He couldn’t look at her anymore. Though it had been months since the…transfer, it all still felt so raw to him. To go from always having him around, to laugh with, share with, talk with, to being almost always alone…it ate at him. He doubted the subject would ever stop being a sore one for him. 

“Will I get to meet him?” She asked in a quiet voice, her eyes looking over him intently.

“I… imagine so.” He said on an exhale, his eyes searching hers with a vulnerability he hadn’t shown anyone in a while. “At some point.”

Concern entered her features, her head tilting slightly, giving her a softness to her appearance. There were more words behind her eyes, he could tell, but she seemed to be having a difficult time deciding whether or not to speak them aloud. He struggled to discern the emotion swirling in her vibrant green gaze, but it relieved him that he at least didn’t detect anything negative within them. Confusion at the worst of it, curiosity perhaps. Sympathy or empathy at best. A little ball of tension began to coil in his chest, his mind picking at straws as to what she was thinking.  

As if sensing his growing inner turmoil, she turned away, back to the box she’d been rummaging through, providing him a reprieve from the spotlight. After a beat, he breathed a sigh of relief, taking this as a natural end to the conversation, and turned back to his own box once more. But just as he started to feel his emotions settle and return to normal, she spoke again, her voice soft yet confident. 

“If he’s anything like you…I think I’d like that.”

Her words cut him to the core, his pupils dilating as his breath hitched. He tensed, his grip on the box crumpling the edges, and he looked back at her, needing to see if she was genuine in her statement. And…and she was. There wasn’t a hint of deceit or even mockery in her expression, her eyes shining back into his with what he thought must be the softest, kindest smile he’d ever seen. 

It made his circuits stutter. 

“I, um…I’m gonna go check the dressing rooms really quick. M-Maybe they got mistaken as concessions and stored there!”

Though he tried to hide his fluster, the way he nearly ran down past the row of shelves and threw himself through a connecting door at the back half of the storeroom, he knew he wasn’t fooling anybody. But he couldn’t help it, he needed to put some space between him and that endearing, disarming smile of hers. 

The moment he was out of sight, he let out a deep sigh, leaning against the door, his head tilted backwards, his eyes falling closed. 

Stars, what is wrong with me….

He stayed like that for a moment, simply letting his fans rev, cycling through to try and cool his systems, before he pushed himself up, attempting to distract himself by refocusing on the task at hand, doing his best not to let his thoughts linger on the woman just on the other side of the door.

The hallway he’d entered was more a pathway than anything, a means to access the series of dressing room doors that all aligned on one side. Though most should have been predominantly empty, it wasn’t unheard of for extra supplies to be stored in one of the more infrequently used ones, when the need for extra space arose, and it was one of these dressing rooms he entered to check first. 

Sure enough, just as he’d suspected, there, tucked in the back corner of the room—and, frustratingly, clearly labeled—were the missing boxes of snacks. Taking a quick perusal of his stock to ensure nothing major was missing, he grabbed two strawberry uncrustable sandwiches, a bag of goldfish, and a few juice boxes, tucking them away securely in the deepness of his pants pockets. Not the most nutritious meal, but better than nothing. He made a mental note to come back after hours and return everything to its proper locations.  

As he turned around, the ripple of his reflection caught his eye, and he stopped, looking at himself in the nearby vanity mirror. A hunched, rail thin, gangly figure in jester clothes stared back at him, the ruffled red and gold collar encircling his neck stuffy under such direct lighting, and his expression fell. He’d never say it out loud, but he hated this outfit. Too fantastical, too outlandish, too…different. Sure, the kids liked it, but often he’d wonder how bad it would be if he snuck some clothes from the gift shop, tried on something simple like a t-shirt, or sweatpants, even. Would some of the parents talk to him then, like a fellow adult? Would he have an easier time making friends with the other staff members if he looked more approachable?

He sighed again, his gaze somber, and faraway. This was just how life was, a fact one would think he’d have gotten used to by now. Though, if he dared to hope….if Chrys decided to stay, and continued to work by his side…maybe things wouldn’t have to always be as lonely as they were now. 

He’d just taken a step out of the room when something in his mind stopped him, nagging at him to go back, trying to tell him that something wasn’t quite right. He shifted a half-step back, and examined the room, looking around for anything that might seem off, or out of place. At first, he saw nothing. Until…it hit him, causing him to nearly jolt. Everything was almost too bright, far more so than just the standard overhead lights should have made it. Another quick scan soon revealed the cause; All of the lights framing the vanity mirrors were lit, and set at full brightness. 

“Huh. That’s odd. Staff should know better than to leave those on. They’ll overheat and blow the fuse if left on too…”

Oh.

Oh no.      

Oh nononononono!!

He dove for the table, fingers scrambling to find the light switch along the backside. Whether from the timing or his jostling, a low, ominous humming began to rise in volume, filling the room. The noise continued to grow, before —CRACK! The sound climaxed, the loud clap ricocheting and bouncing off the walls, shattering the quiet peace, and plunging the world around him into an unsettling and ominous darkness.

[kelpan]

Credit for the commissioned Chrysanthemum headshot goes to wwispie on Etsy! Check out their instagram page to see some of their other amazing works!

I'm having so much fun writing this, but I'd be lying if I said this chapter didn't give me a run for my money! Trying to describe shit in the dark is hard lol

As always, enjoy!

Ao3: Petals on a Stream of Stars

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Act 1, Chapter 6: An Unintended Encounter

Tuesday

12:30 PM

Chrysanthemum

“Ahh!” Chrys gasped as the world around her plunged to black, her fingers pressing reflexively into the box she’d been digging through, creating crescent-shaped indents in the cardboard.

“SCcccrrrreeeeaaAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!” 

A shrill scream ripped through the abyss, startling her to her core. That was Sun’s voice, she was sure, but it sounded as if he was in agony, struggling. His voice mingled and warped between octaves, rippling with a metallic grinding, though muffled with distance. A cold sweat broke out along her hairline, and her mind raced to come up with any sort of reasonable explanation as to what was happening.

“Sun? Sun, what’s going on?? Are you alright? Sun!!!”

His wailing continued, anguished and garbled, devoid of any discernible words, and too far away for her to offer any real help. She’d sure try though, even if there was ultimately nothing she could do. She was not going to leave someone to suffer alone in the dark, that was for damn sure. Ignoring the pleadings of the tiny voice in the back of her mind urging her to be cautious, she pushed off from the shelf she’d been clinging to as an anchor and reached her arms out blind, seeking anything to guide herself with. 

“D-Don’t worry, I’m coming!”

 The screaming faded then, to more of a distorted grumble, trailing off until she could no longer hear it at all. The air grew heavier with each passing second, the silence full of foreboding. She needed to hurry.

Steeling her nerves, she picked up the pace. Using touch alone, she maneuvered her way through rows of shelves, step by careful step, whacking a hip or a knee every so often against a shelf corner or wayward object on the floor. Her skin prickled at the minor abuse, but she paid it no mind. 

“Sun?” she called out again, projecting her voice out as far as she could into the ether. “Sun, come on, say something! You’re really worrying me here!”

Nothing. She paused, and held her breath, trying to better hear even the most minuscule of sounds. Anything that might tell her he was alright. Or at least where he was. She was all thumbs here in the dark here and she knew it. 

Wait—there! Her breathing hitched. She heard it; The soft clicking of gears. The tiny jingle of a bell. All sounds she’d come to associate as distinctly Sunny. 

He wasn’t far, just ahead of her by the sounds of it. Without further hesitation, she took off, following in the direction they’d come from, until it was that the clicks sounded from behind her instead. 

Wait, hold on. Where is he? 

Turning around, she slowed down, and searched the area more thoroughly. Hard to discern much of anything when she felt nothing, but she couldn’t give up. With eyes closed, she attempted to let her ears lead her again. 

Yet still, she couldn’t find him.

Brows knitting together, she double-checked herself a third time, certain that exactly where she stood were where the sounds were loudest. He had to be right here. So why couldn’t she find him? Another bell jingle sounded, this time almost purposeful… and directly above her. 

Adrenaline spiking, freezing her in place, she tipped her head back, eyes inching to the ceiling. Dread filled her belly, churning with uncertainty. Still, she forced herself to look, if only just to know. And there, staring right back at her, were a pair of sharp, glowing red eyes, ominous in the blackness as they hung from above.

“Oh gods!”

She shrieked, a shrill and high-pitched sound, fear skyrocketing through her. There was no time to think, but her mind knew one thing absolute; Sun’s eyes were blue. Not red. 

That wasn’t Sun. 

Chrys bolted, any direction better than staying still, completely forgetting the dangers of her environment. Even with hands held in front, there was little she could do to stop herself from careening over a wayward tub, taking her out at the knees and sending her sprawling to the floor. 

Her chin hit the concrete first with a painful “thud”, the rest of her body continuing on overtop, sending her backside into something hard and metal. Dazed on the cold concrete floor, Chrys could only register a slight creaking sound from behind, before a cacophony of sliding metal tins grew into a crescendo, an eruption of discord disorienting her further.

“Hey, watch it!”

A dark, synthetic voice shouted out amidst the din, followed by rapid, jingling footsteps, stopping only once they reached her. A hard force met a moving object, and the chorus of metal ended, with just the occasional small clangs of tins falling off to the side, away from her.  

Her eyes creaked open, prepared to be met with blindness. But thanks to a red glow, Chrys could finally see—see the paint cans hovering precariously along the edge of a metal storage shelf, tipped and ready to fall right on top of her, if not for someone holding it back. 

The very same someone whose eyes emitted the red glow.

He stood above and pushed the shelf back safely into place; the glow casting an almost negligible amount of light, but just enough. He straightened, and Chrys could hear multiple cans tumble off to the side, falling from his back. Being careful to step around her, he pulled away, and knelt above her head, the two orbs sweeping over her with precision. 

“Injury detected. Superficial—acute swelling, possible minor contusion. Does it hurt anywhere else?” 

The eyes blinked down at her as he spoke, his concerned voice blanketing over her, low and gravelly, and all-together new to her. She remained silent, too stunned to speak. As her eyes adjusted in the minimal light, she made out a vague but recognizable shape around one of his eyes, like that of a crescent…

“Staff unresponsive.” He spoke again, snapping her from her trance. “Wait here. I’ll get someone who can actually help. You’ll be alright.”

The eyes swung upwards and walked away, leaving her where she was. Whether the idea of being by herself once more in the dark rattled her, or curiosity towards her unknown savior took hold, she rolled over and raised her head, ignoring the throb of pain that shot through her jaw at the shift in gravity.

“Wait! I—”

The eyes stopped and swiveled to face her, and if she wasn’t seeing things, crinkled, giving a compassionate look to them. 

“Just stay there, Starlight. Don’t want to risk you running off again. Who knows how you might try to get yourself killed next time.”

And then they were gone, the jingles and clicks fading into empty air. 

Chrys remained on the floor, thoughts reeling. The cold concrete underneath her kept the flush from her skin while she caught her breath and calmed down. She checked her chin, feeling the growing puffiness and tenderness there. Didn’t think it was bad enough to cause any lasting damage, but she’d likely have a bruise come tomorrow morning. 

Her mind replayed this new animatronic’s voice over in her head. At least, she imagined that’s who it was. Hard to believe anything other than a robot taking that kind of hit and walking away from it like it was nothing. 

But something about him stood out to her. Something… familiar, yet different. She’d have to think about it more later, as the pain in her jaw grew into a pounding drumbeat which radiated through her jaw and bore into her skull. She let her head rest on the floor, grateful for the iciness of the concrete. After a few moments of peaceful quiet, the lights above blared to life, and she recoiled from the sudden brightness. 

“Sunshine? Sunshine!?” Sun’s voice called out to her from the opposite end of the room, mirroring her own calls to him earlier. “Sunshi—Oh my stars, Chrys!” She spotted him bounding out from around a corner, rushing right for her the moment their eyes made contact. 

 “Oh, Sunshine, are you alright? Oh, look at you, you’re hurt! What happened? What is this mess? I—nevermind, it doesn’t matter, this never should have happened in the first place. I’m so, so sorry, this is all my fault, I should have been more careful, I should have—”

“Sun, it’s alright! I’m alright, I’m ok.”

She couldn’t listen to any more of his self-deprecating reassurances, his panicked face causing her chest to constrict almost painfully. His hands were frantic as they looked her over, stopping only once she attempted to pull herself into a sitting position, insistent on helping to support her. 

“Careful, careful! Go slow, Sunshine.”

She let him gently hold up her back as her equilibrium adjusted. Her first instinct was to jump right into interrogating him, find out just what in the heck had happened to him when the lights turned off, her anxiety over his wellbeing coming back in a rush. But given that he was here, alive, well, and in one piece as far as she could tell, she decided against it. Something told her she wouldn’t be getting a direct answer out of him anytime soon. 

“Just, uh, just me being a clutz and not looking where I was going. I should have been more careful.”

He raised a single, filigreed brow at her, disbelief written clear across his face.

“Really, that’s all. ” His gaze grew pointed. “I promise! Now, mind helping me up, please?”

“Oh! Yes, yes, of course.”

She gave him her hand, but he ignored it, reaching instead to slide his arms under her knees and around her shoulders, hoisting her up as if she weighed nothing at all. A rosy redness bloomed across her cheeks, unrelated to her injury, and she suppressed a squeak, too flustered to come up with something more eloquent to say.

“W-Woah, what are you doing?” 

“Helping you up. This is my fault, and I’m going to take responsibility for it. Now come on, let’s get you to the Daycare’s first aid station.”

Without waiting for her to respond, he turned and marched towards the entrance, his hold on her allowing no room for protest. After a moment, she gave in, and relaxed into his arms, resting her head against his chest. His smooth frame emitted a slight warmth, different from the coolness she had expected, given what she knew he was made of. With her adrenaline waning, a new thought appeared, almost making her laugh aloud at the absurdity of it. 

“Hey, Sun?” Chrys asked, with soft mirth. 

“Hmm?” He replied, eyes trained ahead. 

“Did you ever find the snacks?”

He dead stopped, staring at her as if she’d said the most ridiculous thing, before finally, his eyes relaxed some, and he chuckled awkwardly.

“Hope all this was worth it for some goldfish and PBJs.”

Their shared croak of laughter broke them free of any lingering tension in the air, leaving space for a growing ease to settle between them. An ease Chrys found both comforting and… surprisingly safe.

She smiled.

[kelpan]

I'm not gonna lie, I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter. With it, we're about halfway through what I would consider Act 1. Just a bit more to get set in place before we can dive into the thick of things.

Enjoy!

Credit for the OC Chrysanthemum headshot goes to wwispie on Etsy! (Instagram of the same name)

Ao3: Petals on a Stream of Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Act 1, Chapter 7: Dancing is Good for the Soul

Tuesday

10:30 PM

Chrysanthemum

With weight properly centered, Chrys bent her knees and lowered her body in a gradual descent towards the floor, keeping her feet flat and pointed out. Rising up, she trailed her fingertips up through the air in a lyrical arch, slow and steady and controlled. Once more, down low, back straight, fingers floating towards the ground before settling over her belly, held barely a breath apart. 

Over and over again she repeated the warm-up, her aching muscles releasing stuck tension with every deliberate dip. She held firm to the bar beside her, something solid to keep her balanced and grounded as her mind slipped into comfortable muscle memory. While she was no stranger to exercise, it had been years since she tried to keep up with a dozen, over-energized kids for hours at a time, and they’d left her winded. She’d be stiff and sore come morning if she didn’t try to work out some of the kinks while she could.

Tipping forward, she trailed her fingers out in front of her, grazing along the floor, letting her non-dominant leg tilt in opposition towards the ceiling until it could go no higher, toes kept delicately pointed. Returning to center, she repeated the motion, this time facing the other direction, swiveling to switch onto the opposite arm and leg. 

Ballet had always been a sturdy foundation for her. Something to keep her moving, when all she wanted to do was flop onto the couch and stay there for the rest of the evening. It may be a struggle for her to devote much effort to self-care nowadays, but ballet didn’t count. It was fun. Relaxing. A reliable escape.

She didn’t dare spare a glance to the music stand and electric piano tucked out of the way in the farthest corner. That form of escape had been… off limits for some time now.  

In its absence, Dr. Libby had taught her breathing exercises, meditation techniques, the works. More “holistic” techniques than a New Age magazine could shove in its pages. They were all fine, she supposed, and sure to be helpful for some people. Just not her. If she spent too long with just her thoughts for company, they’d serve only to grow louder and threaten to break free. The last thing she needed were for those demons to be the ones running the show. Who knows what trouble she’d find herself in then. 

No, what she needed was to get her lungs pumping, to work-up a thin sheen of sweat. Only by physically shaking off her thoughts did they actually start to feel more manageable, and less like a monster waiting in the dark. 

Stepping out to the middle of the studio, her canvas ballet slippers skirted across the rubber padded floor soundlessly. 

“Alexandra, play “No Thoughts, Head Empty” playlist”.

Chrys’s voice bounced around the empty, mirrored room, the acoustics amplified without any soft goods to absorb it. An automated voice confirmed her command, followed by sharp violin notes which shot through the surround sound speakers, cutting the air and settling in her chest. Once drums and a fast-paced brass orchestra joined in, jazzy and powerful, Chrys let go, and released herself to the music. 

A side step. A kick. A twirl. Kneeling on the floor. Rolling over sideways. Standing upright. Arms thrown out in front of her, reaching. Back to her chest. 

Her body knew what it needed. Which emotions lived where. All she had to do was let it work its own way out. She relished in the lack of control, in moving however felt right. Muscles flexing and relaxing in turn, it was in here that she felt strong. Safe. What she wouldn’t give to live every minute of the day in this quiet pocket of space and time, where real life didn’t exist. Just her, and the music. 

But that would never be. Reality would inevitably rear its head, demanding she return to the world. Whether to eat, or sleep, or to attend to other needs, it didn’t matter. She’d have to leave her safe space one way or another. Pity that “socializing” was deemed as one of those basic human needs, according to her therapist. That woman would never stop urging her to get out more, no matter how little appeal the notion held. 

Least she could now report that her “trouble” client finally got a job, and wasn’t a complete failure. Perhaps their next telehealth appointment might go better than the last. A small blessing, Chrys supposed. 

But what would her well-intentioned doctor think of the new job, though? Would she approve? Funny how her little ploy to get her to “interact with more people” meant she’d be spending the majority of her time with an inorganic robot instead. Ironic, really.

Though, maybe it still counted. Be harder to convince her he wasn’t a person after spending the whole day with him. He walked, talked, acted like any other human being you’d encounter on the street. Well, maybe not any human. No one had as much exuberance and energy as he did, by far. 

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more right it felt. In less than 24 hours he’d seen more of her inner vulnerability than she’d let her own therapist see over a span of twelve months, a feat Chrys would have never have seen coming. Something about him just felt so welcoming and… and genuine. Like being with a real friend again. 

“Geez. I’m not that starved for attention… am I? Ugh.” She grunted to no one. 

The heavy, aggressive song ended, switching to one more somber and sad, full of string instruments and piano. Chrys gave into the pulls of her body again, letting it move along to the rhythm without direct input on her part. Her mind floated to the more uncomfortable recesses of her mind as she danced languidly about the room. 

She’d cried today. More than cried, she’d had a panic attack. Over something as stupid as thinking she’d get fired. What did she really stand to lose? She didn’t need the money, and it wasn’t like she’d become invested in the place yet. She scrunched her face as flashes of the moment forced their way to the forefront of her mind’s eye. How pathetic she must have looked, freaking out like that. Anyone else would have probably reported her to their supervisor then and there, getting her fired regardless. No one would want to put up with a blubbering mess, and she wouldn’t have blamed them.  

Not Sun though.

Sun was calm with her. Spoke softly, kindly, bringing her back to earth without judging her. He just… cared. He helped.  

And because of that, here she was, actually looking forward to going back to that place come tomorrow morning. A novel concept, really, though not an unpleasant one. 

Was this what it was to start to heal? To move on? To remember how it was to actually laugh again, and mean it? 

Guess the only way to find out would be to see this through.  

Thoroughly out of breath, Chrys panted her words, instructing the music to stop and walked over towards the door where she’d left a cup of water on the top of a storage cabinet. She drank deep, enjoying the sensation of the cool water spreading through her stomach. Taking in the room, her eyes settled on her reflection multiplied across the mirrors lining one wall. 

It was her mother who stared back.

Same shade of deep, dark red hair. Same long, slender limbs, centered around wide hips. Same oval face, and light skin sprinkled with freckles across her nose and cheekbones. The only feature she inherited from her father were her eyes–a bright, striking green. The last shred of evidence proving he ever existed.  

Setting down the now empty glass, Chrys clicked off the light and left the room, walking down the hallway towards the bathroom. She’d need a shower before she turned in for the night.

What would they think about their little girl now, she wondered? Hard to say for her Dad. As the years passed, remembering his mannerisms, his voice, his face, became almost neigh-on impossible. The curse of creating memories when one was so young. But her mom… her mom would have been happy, clapping her hands together and simply proud of her for hitting a goal. She’d never been picky about when to celebrate her daughter; Any little thing that could be a win, was a win. 

Too bad they’d never get to share in any of those wins together anymore.  

Stepping into the bathroom, Chrys flicked on the overhead fan and light, illuminating the white tiled room. She stripped out of her well-worn dance attire, and went to the glass enclosed standing shower to get the water going. After a second or two to allow the temperature to rise, Chrys stepped into the shower, letting the hot water and steam wash away her earlier exertions. 

In the hazy air, without the distraction of movement, Chrys’s mind drifted further. She wished she could tell her mother about her day, to talk about how crazy it was to be working with a robot, and how much she found she liked it. Coming home to this giant empty house, that had been far too big for just the two of them even when they’d first moved in, was the epitome of loneliness. The pervasive silence made it abundantly clear that this was not a home any longer, only a house. A single, oversized farmhouse with an equally large barn, on miles and miles of uninhabited, forested land. A single island of shelter in a sea of isolation. 

If she’d had siblings, maybe things would be better. But Dad had passed before they’d had another, and Mom never remarried. For as long as she could remember, it was just her and Mama. And the children Mama nannied. 

But for a while there, she thought she’d found a brother. Someone her age to grow up with, the son of a wealthy businessman. It didn’t matter to her that she got to stay in his family’s mansion while her mother looked after him. Spending time with him, exploring the gardens, staring up at the clouds and watching stars twinkle together without a care in the world, dreaming of what they were going to do once they grew up, were the highlights of her younger years. 

And now even he had abandoned her too. 

Chrys’s fingers worked through her tangled, wavy locks, lathering up the shampoo and washing it out under the waterfall shower-head. She closed her eyes and held her nose, lifting her face towards the falling droplets and letting them roll across her face. 

Sun had mentioned having a brother, Chrys remembered, as she moved out from under the water and wiped clear her eyes. A twin, he’d said. She had a difficult time trying to imagine what a twin of Sun would look like. As a robot, wouldn’t a twin be an identical copy? Wasn’t that how mass producing things worked? But that didn’t fit the reputation of Fazbear Entertainment. Every commercial screamed how unique and advanced their animatronics were. Wouldn’t make much sense to invest all those resources into a basic carbon copy.

Not all twins are identical, though. What if this was more akin to a fraternal situation, where they were related, but still their own person? That seemed more likely. She grabbed the bottle of conditioner off the shelf and squeezed a dollop into her hand, rubbing it into the ends of her hair and working it up through the strands from the bottom. She’d let it sit and soak in while she washed the rest of her body. 

What had Sun said his name was, again? Moondrop? How on the nose, to have a sun and a moon as a pair of siblings. Day and night, light and dark, yin and yang. Following that train of thought though, what might he be like? She tried to envision the polar opposite of Sun. If he was loud, playful, over-the-top; Would Moon be quiet and reserved then? Mysterious? Or mischievous? With the kids involved, she doubted Fazbear would make him too dark, despite his namesake. Kids loved tricks and treats, not monsters, especially when it came to trying to get them to go to sleep.

Turning off the faucet, the water falling from above slowed to barely a trickle, and Chrys exited the shower stall, careful to stand only on the mat so that she didn’t leave puddles everywhere as she dried off. She slipped into her cotton pajamas, grateful to her earlier self for having the good sense to put them there beforehand, and made her way to the kitchen for the last step in her nightly routine. 

She found her electric kettle right where it always sat, in its place of honor at the kitchen counter. With a quick browse of her stock, she settled on a simple classic; Chamomile tea for easy sleep with honey. Soon, steam rose from the ceramic mug, too hot to attempt a sip, but not enough to keep from enjoying the warmth that seeped into her hands, comforting amidst the growing chill in the house. The cuckoo clock clicked away the seconds as the wind picked up, rattling the window panes outside. A storm was likely working its way in.

Chrys stared into the cooling liquid, as if the answers to her thoughts were hiding there, the answers she’d avoided seeking until the last minute. Who was that she’d met when the lights went out in the storeroom? He’d startled her, sure, but could she blame him? She’d been foolish to bolt in the dark like that. If it hadn’t been for him leaping to her rescue, no doubt she’d be in the hospital right now, if she even lived to make it that far. She shuddered to think of how badly that would have hurt, to be so unlucky as to have been caught under that avalanche of heavy paint cans.

Yet, at the crux of it, she knew who that was. Or, at least, her gut told her she did. Moon. It had to have been him. Why else would he seem so eerily similar, so like Sun? She’d managed to mistake the two of them for goodness sake. And as dim as it was, she knew what she saw, even if only for a moment—that crescent-moon face was undeniable. 

But there were still too many unknowns for her to be confident in her conclusion. Why had he been there at all? Was it just because the power went out? Did that send some sort of signal throughout the building? It would make sense then that security would be sent to check it out. Though, if that was the case, why didn’t he say anything earlier? It was as if he was trying to remain unseen. 

…Maybe he was. 

Chrys chewed at her lip, sensing where her mind was going before she could, the answer waiting just on the tip of her tongue. Then, it all clicked, the epiphany ringing through her mind like a bell, causing her to sputter into her drink.

Their locations. They didn’t add up. 

The last she’d seen, Sun had left to search the left side of the room. 

He came back on the right.  

The same direction Moon had left the room from seconds earlier, and hadn’t returned. 

Chrys coughed up the liquid that had managed to fall down the wrong tube in her throat, setting the mug down onto the counter while she leaned against it for support. What did this mean? She saw the correlation clear as day, just not the causation. Sure, there was a chance there were connecting tunnels between the two, but that didn’t fit well into the time-frame, not to mention the fact that they should have run into the other along the way. So, unless there were some super secret robot abilities she was not privy to, moving to two different locations without intersecting in the middle shouldn’t be physically possible. 

At least, not for two individual people.    

No. No, this was crazy, even for a larger-than-life family entertainment center. Her imagination must be getting away from her. And yet… what if. What if this wasn’t a case of fraternal twins, like she’d first assumed. Or even identical. What if… they were conjoined? 

She had no idea how that would be possible. Or ethical, given that they were technically made, rather than born. But, still… something told her she was onto something here. 

There’d be no easy way to find out, of course, unless she decided to ask Sun about it point blank. With the nervous way in which he tip-toed around talking about the very subject of his brother, however, Chrys had a sneaking suspicion that doing so would be the wrong way to go about it. Still… she wasn’t without options. There were other ways to test her theory, though none as upfront or honest. She should just let it go, leave the thought be. It wasn’t that big of a deal if she knew their situation or not, nor was it really any of her business.  

A terse voice flitted into the back of her mind, urging her to reconsider. The same voice that came to her whenever the nightmares visited, the one that always spoke to her in hushed, seething tones whenever she felt her lowest. Now, it whispered that she’d be a fool to accept such an uncertainty. That being so forgiving and trusting with someone she’d just met was far too dangerous to let slide. Didn’t she remember what happened last time? Didn’t she know all too well what dangers thrived through ignorance, no matter how innocent? 

No, it… it was right. She had to know, if she were to continue in this job, that if she spoke to one, did she also speak to the other? Her heart ached at the idea of knowingly holding a secret motive towards an idea born originally out of thanks, especially towards someone who’d shown her such kindness, but the tension in her gut wouldn’t release until she gave in. For her own protection, she reassured herself, though the justification rang hollow even as she thought it. With a sigh, she consigned herself to another late night, leaving her mug of forgotten tea to grow tepid on the counter as she made her way down the hallway to her mother’s old craft room. One way or another, she’d have the answers she sought.  

There’s no way they could be one and the same….right?

[kelpan]

Credit for the Chrysanthemum headshot goes to: wwispie on Etsy. Check 'em out on instagram by the same name!

Ao3: Petals on a Stream of Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday 

07:00 AM

Chrysanthemum

…what?

Her stomach dropped, the change in Vanessa’s tone echoing through her like a punch to the gut. 

“Miss Chrysanthemum?”

She should have realized they’d want her to start work immediately. That’s what she had wanted, hadn’t she? To be hired? Gods, she was stupid.

“Miss Chrysanthemum!”

But, how was she supposed to do this? She didn’t know any of the protocols, the expectations. What was she supposed to do? She could handle kids, sure, but what sort of programming did they offer in here? Activities? Were there any kids with allergies she should know about? How would she go about finding that information? Did she even have access to that kind of information? A high-pitched ringing filled her skull, merging with the rapid fire of thoughts overlapping each other. Her breathing increased, as if her lungs weren’t able to get enough oxygen.

“Miss Chrysanthemum!!”

Was she really going to manage to get fired on her first day? Was that even possible? Though, if she thought about it, it probably was. Anyone could be fired at anytime, for any reason right? That’s how it worked. Gods, what would her therapist say when she told her how gloriously she had failed, unable to last even a—”,

“MISS CHRYSANTHEMUM!”

“Ah—a!”

Sundrop’s loud shout broke through the overwhelming tirade in her head, his hands holding her tight by the shoulders, the pressure acting as a grounding force. She blinked in rapid succession and gasped, taking in her surroundings.

“Miss Chrysanthemum, please, calm down!”

His face hovered close to hers, his lip and cheek panels tugged downward into a concerned frown, warping the lightened crescent-moon shape that split his face in two. She swallowed, mouth dry, her arms locked in a death grip on the uniforms pressed tight to her chest. She struggled to gather her wits as she realized the frantic pounding of her heart.

“That’s it, good! You’re doing great. Breathe in… breathe out. Do as I do. Breathe in… breathe out.”

She followed his instructions, mirroring his movements, the whirring sound he made with each overemphasized exhale producing a calming effect.

“Good, that’s it… Just breathe for me.”

Her body shook in sporadic waves, every muscle and joint locked tight. Closing her eyes, she focused solely on her heart, willing it to slow down, to return to a normal pace. After a couple of tense seconds, once it felt as if her pulse wasn’t going to explode out of her veins anymore, she opened her eyes, and saw Sun was still there watching her—No. Scanning her. A blue laser line washed over her.

“Miss Chrysanthemum, you just had an anxiety attack, and a pretty bad one at that. Can you speak? Or do you need someplace quiet and dark? What about some water? I could get you—”

“No…” She shook her head and tried again, testing her voice after a thick swallow. “No, I’m… I’m fine.”

Shame weighed on her as her muscles relaxed, and the reality of what just happened sunk in.

Chrys groaned internally. She thought she’d gotten past these already, damn it! Nobody should have to put up with her nonsense like this. Hot, angry tears pricked at the edge of her vision, spilling over against her will. 

“Oh no, no!”

Sun’s features softened, and he extended the back of a single finger to catch and wipe away her rolling tear. “No, no need to cry. I’m here, it’s alright. You’re safe.”

His fingers were of a soft, textured silicone rubber, giving his touch the illusion of skin-to-skin contact. The softness surprised her, and she admonished herself. She really must be touch-starved like her therapist said if a robot’s fake skin could be as soothing as the real deal.

“There, that’s better! No rainy days allowed in this daycare, not on my watch!”

She laughed, an empty, defeated sound. Aware of how terrible she must look, she lifted her sleeve and rubbed it against her face, scrubbing at the wetness lingering there.

Sun stayed close, one arm propping himself up by the elbow on his knee, while the other hung relaxed at his side. The rays encircling his head twitched as he observed her, his expression concerned but pensive.

“I… would you like to talk about it?” He said. “I hope I didn’t…Did, did I do something?” His words came out soft and slow, tip-toeing around the question.

“What? No, no, you’re fine!” Chrys said. “I’m just, uh… a mess. I’m so sorry you had to see that.” She sniffed, and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her hoodie, like an immature child. 

“Nothing wrong with a little mess. They can always be cleaned, cleaned up!” Sun said, his voice light-hearted.

“I’m sorry. What?” She replied, having heard but failing to comprehend.

He cleared his throat with electrical intonation. “Just because you’re having a rough time now doesn’t mean you’ll always be.” He stood, putting a breath of space between the two of them, his hand extended towards her in a welcoming manner. “Speaking of messes, we still need to make sure the Daycare is in tip-top condition before opening. Care to join me? I’d be delighted to show you around!”

She stared at his open palm before her, glancing up once to his face, searching. All she saw was kindness. Pure kindness.

“Ah,” she said, rubbing one last time at her face before placing her hand in his. “Sure. I’d like that.”

“Fantastic! Then we’re off!”

Time passed quickly with Sun leading the expedition. Like a king showing off his kingdom, he introduced her to all the different parts of the daycare. How things worked, what the protocols were, and tips to help her navigate once the kids arrived. Any fear that lingered in Chrys over what she was or was not to do was soon assuaged. Sun would handle the Daycare today as if he were on his own, allowing Chrys the opportunity to shadow him and learn at her own pace.

After having wandered the outer circumference first, the pair paused, their natural path ending in the back-most part of the daycare, at the edge of the ball-pit.

Gazing out across the sea of colorful plastic balls, she glanced over at her side, observing as Sun regaled her with the tale of a time when a child had somehow managed to throw up in the ball-pit without his knowledge.  

“And I just knew he wasn’t feeling well! He didn’t smell right, not at all! So now the ball-pit gets doused every night with disinfectant, just to be on the safe side.” He swiveled, hand on his small, ruffled hips, chest back in a proud stance. “But otherwise, I think that’s everything! So, what’cha think? Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Do you love it? Oh, tell me you love it!”

“It’s all pretty incredible, that’s for sure.” Chrys replied. “This has to be the best childcare facility I think I’ve ever seen, bar none.”

Sun’s eyes crinkled, and he flapped his hands. “Oh, that makes me so happy to hear! Alright then, how about we head on back to the front, where we can go over the—”

“Oh, hold on,” Chrys interjected before he could move too far. “What’s that place over there? Is it just decorative, or—?”

“What place?” Sun said. “I don’t think I missed—oh.” 

She’d already begun moving towards the bridge which connected them to the opposite side of the pit, where the purple curtained opening awaited.  

“Oh, hold on Miss Chrysanthemum! Wait!”

A vice-like grip latched onto her wrist, keeping her from moving another inch. Chrys looked first to her arm and then to Sun, brows furrowed. 

“Sundrop? What’s wrong?” Chrys said.

She watched as he shifted between meeting her gaze and looking aside, the conflicting emotions flashing across his face too quick for her to discern.

“Oh, it’s just… you see, it’s really…” He sighed. “That’s the Midnight Garden. It’s… for naptime. But please, don’t go in there yet. It’s still, uh… out of order.”

Gaze downcast, he tensed, his smile nonexistent and swirled brows pursed. That same tightening in her chest returned, the same one that arose when Vanessa had spoken so dismissively of him. 

“Hey,” she said, waiting until his eyes returned to hers before continuing. “If you say it’s off-limits, then it’s off-limits. I won’t go against your word.”

The strain around his eyes dispersed, and he brightened, relieved. The tightness in her chest released.

“Ah, good!” He replied, sheepish. “Good.”

Awkward silence filled the space between them. Chrys looked off to the side and cleared her throat. 

“Though, um… could you let go of me now, please?”

“Oh, right! Right, yes, yes, of course!”

Sun released her, almost jumping away, and went right to picking at the ball joints in his fingers as soon as he’d taken his hands back.

“And, uh, no need to call me by my full name.” Chrys added, uncomfortable with the silence. “It’s too long for most of the kids to say, anyway.”

Sun perked, receptive to her offering. “Gotcha! Miss Chrys it is, then.”

She laughed. “No, no. Just Chrys. I prefer it that way. “Miss” is really just for the kids.”

Sun grew quiet, his expression thoughtful. A beat passed before he spoke. 

“Alright,” he said, gaze softening. “Chrys”.

Hearing the lowered, purposeful way in which he said her name brought a peculiar feeling to her, something she didn’t recognize. She smiled, an attempt to ignore the odd sensation, and readjusted her grip on her things.

“Oh! And you can call me Sun! Or Sundrop, Sunny, really anything you’d like.”

He turned and walked as he talked, heading towards the side of one of the massive play-structures, stopping only once he’d reached a bit of signage in apparent need of tuning, using his lengthy frame to reach well above his head. 

“Good Golly, you’re a bit of a tree, aren’t ya?” Chrys blurted without thinking. She slapped her hands over her mouth a mere half-second after the words escaped her. 

“A… tree?” He tilted his head to the side. Chrys’s eyes grew wide, mortified that she had said something so crude. “I’m afraid you are mistaken! If I were a tree, I’d have to have a bunch of leaves! And branches, and squirrels, and birds! Lots and lots of birds! That sing and fly around me all day, like the storybooks describe! Nope, no trees here! Just little ‘ol me!”

He struck a comical pose, and she relaxed, coming closer to join him.

“You’re hardly what I’d call “little”, Sun. You realize I barely even come up to your chest, right?”

He laughed, and tapped his fingers to said chest in emphasis.

“Of course I do! No human I’ve ever met has been eight feet and two inches tall! But, oh, wait…” He lowered himself down, knees and back bent, half-standing and half-squatting. “Does it bother you? Most of the other adult staff members seem to hate it if I stand up fully near them… I’m sorry! I hadn’t thought about it, but I-I can stay like this if it makes you more comfortable!”

Comfortable? Looking at him now, Chrys could only imagine how uncomfortable he must be, holding himself hunched at such awkward angles.

“What? No, please don’t do that! You’re not bothering me at all, really.”

He froze, the smile falling from his face, replaced by something more akin to awe. Hesitantly, he returned to his previous stature, joints clicking as he looked down at her with a contemplative expression.

“I—alright. If you say so. Uh, thank you…Chrys.”

“There’s really nothing to thank me for. How you feel matters too, you know.” She paused. “Still, I can only imagine how the world looks to you from up there. Must be wild.”

“Oh, it’s quite the view, or so the kids tell me. Would you like to see?” He motioned as if to pick her up under her arms, forcing Chrys to out-turn her palms in mock protest.

“N-No, no, no, there’s no need for that! I am perfectly fine right here down on the ground, thank you very much! Sun, no!” 

The pair erupted into a fit of giggles as Sun continued, acting as if he were looking for an opening to scoop her up. Much to her disappointment, the clock hanging above the entrance blared, destroying their moment. 

“Well, would you look at that?” Sun muttered. “How time flies when you’re having fun. All set to meet the kiddos?”

From afar, Chrys looked to the front, spying the opaque forms of others gathering on the other side of the windows. Her face paled, her nerves clear as day. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way. Just follow my lead!”

As if on cue, the gates swung open, allowing the throngs of children to come bustling in, screaming and laughing in a cacophony of joy. 

"Good morning my little Sunbites!!!" 

Sun ran head-first into the fray, at home in his element. Chrys followed suit, not quite at his same pace, but enough to not get left behind. Her body at least remembered how this brand of organized chaos functioned, even if her brain did not.

She had barely made it a few steps, however, before something solid crackled beneath her foot, out of place amidst the joyous din. Curious, she looked to her feet, and discovered what she had stepped on; A nondescript, black flash-drive. 

Wait, where did this come from? Did Sun drop this? 

Chrys couldn't think of a moment where Sun had ever held anything like it, but she supposed it could have fallen out from his pocket. Those puffy harem pants of his could very well be a bottomless pit of storage. 

Reaching down to retrieve the lost device, she turned it about in her hand, examining it for any kind of identifying mark. There, on the back, she found the letters “WCMEE” scratched into the surface in thin lines.

“WCMEE? Can’t say that rings a bell. Weird.”

She glanced at Sun, wanting to ask for his input, only to find him preoccupied, listening to a rather rambunctious little boy, currently jumping about and throwing his arms in an exuberant fashion.

Opting instead to hold on to it for now, she hustled behind the security desk, a place Sun had informed her of during their tour that was reserved just for staff, and tucked the lost flash-drive along with the rest of her things into an unclaimed employee locker, placing her personal garments in last after she switched into her uniform under the cover of her hoodie. 

With the daycare already full of raucous and joyful shrieks, Chrys let the odd discovery slip into the outer recesses of her mind. There were more important things to focus on. Namely, like finding out what was happening in that little boy’s story to make Sun gasp in such mock horror like that. 

With a smile that grew more comfortable by the second, Chrys made her way into the group, to be welcomed and introduced by Sun to the children the moment she approached. Perhaps this was a good sign, an indicator that things were finally changing for her, perhaps even for the better.

Well, she thought, scooping a smaller child onto her hip. 

One can certainly hope.  

[kelpan]

I got art commissioned! Here's my OC Chrysanthemum! 💖

Credit to the artist for the headshot goes to wwispie on Etsy! Their shop seems to be closed at the moment, but you can check out their other works on instagram by the same name!

I'll be using this piece and other art I commisioned from them to help solidify the POV for each chapter. 'Cause if you're like me, visuals always help!

I also took a lot of liberties when it comes to the layout of the Daycare and the Pizzaplex itself, to better suit the ideas running around my mind. Thats a big element of the cannon-divergent tag here.

I'll make this mind-palace work for me, dammit!

Anyhoo, enjoy!

Ao3 link: Petals on a Stream of Stars

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday

6:45 AM

Chrysanthemum

Clang-Clang, Clang-Clang, Clang-Clang…

The echo of their combined feet stepping across the sheet metal floor triggered her nerves, the hairs on the back of Chrys’s neck standing on end. When Officer Vanessa took the lead, the last place Chrys had expected to end up was deep in the bowels of the back passageways, trying to walk through near-pitch black darkness save for a couple of red safety lights that illuminated hardly anything at all.

Glancing to her side, Vanessa remained silent, escorting her with a sureness that struck her as odd. Did she really know this place so well she could navigate it without sight? 

“Um, is it normally this dark down here? Should I have brought a flashlight?” Her nerves tinted her attempt at humor, revealing her discomfort. 

“Not recommended.” Vanessa replied, cool and calm. “It’s mostly the staff bots and animatronics who use these corridors. They tend to glitch if we shine a light on them while their night vision is activated.”

“Oh. Right.” She cleared her throat. “But uh, then why are we here? Aren’t there other ways we could have taken? Like where all the guests are?”

“No. We need to make a stop before we get to where we’re going.”

“A pit-stop? For what?”

“You’ll see.”

Keeping close, they continued on, taking the occasional sharp turn that Chrys never would have seen without the guidance, before stopping at a nondescript steel service door.

“Here we are.” Vanessa punched in a code into the nearby keypad, turning the light above the door green. It opened upward with a “whoosh”.

Inside, the darkness was even more pervasive, banished only once Vanessa flipped a switch on the wall. Fluorescent bulbs dangling from the ceiling lit up with a couple of clicks, humming as they warmed. Vanessa moved on ahead, counting the rows until she found the one she wanted, and pulled a single box down from the middle shelf, placing it on the ground. 

“Here. Go ahead and pick out a couple of shirts. They’ll serve as your uniform for now. Don’t worry, they’ve all been washed.”

Reaching in, Chrys rummaged through the tightly packed box, tugging a few out with an XL on the tag, and unfolded one to inspect its design. A simple, mass-produced t-shirt, yellow-bodied with two differently patterned sleeves, with the words “STAFF” printed along the back shoulders in bold font. 

“Cute,” Chrys murmured. Not bad, as far as uniforms went, she supposed.

Shirts in hand, Chrys hurried to rejoin Vanessa at the door, and the two reentered the tunnel, continuing on with no further distractions. The sight of another steel service door signaled the end of the hall, the glowing red “EXIT” sign a beacon in the dark. 

“Watch your eyes,” Vanessa warned, hand on the bar. “It’ll be bright.”

Waiting to confirm she understood, Vanessa pushed the door open and flooded the area with light, washing every lingering ounce of the darkness away and revealing a sight which made her jaw drop.

This had to be a story-book.

Dead ahead, in the center of a cavernous room, a makeshift castle stood, stretching upward towards the distant ceiling; Commanding yet fantastical. Twin spires, fake stone walls, and an arched, double-wide wooden doorway all added to the medieval aesthetic. With windows for viewing, and a netting that encircled the upper air space for safety, the design was clearly intended for younger audiences.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Vanessa said beside her. “This is one of our newer attractions. Put in just a few years ago. Can’t say I predicted the addition of a daycare to the Pizzaplex’s future, but I must admit it is well-designed, and has been popular. Well, mostly.”

Chrys’s eyes went wide. “Hold on, this is a daycare? Seriously?”

“Indeed. Shall we?” 

“Please!”

Vanessa chuckled, and once again led the way, pulling an ID card out of her pants pocket to swipe through the card reader mounted beside the gated entrance doors. Thousands of gears all turning and rotating in tandem resounded from within the wood, and of its own volition, split down the center and swung outward, welcoming the two inside. 

Warm, soft lighting cascaded down from above, giving the space an ethereal glow. The majority of the area held two of the largest play-structures Chrys had ever seen, their colorful tunnels weaving in and out over-top the other, creating the perfect labyrinth for rambunctious little ones to explore. The floor, covered in a durable, cushioned material, protested being walked over in shoes. The air held the scent of disinfectant and citrus, clean and sweet, pairing well with the lilting and cheerful melody that played through the speakers to create an enticing yet relaxing air. 

“Whoa. This is… wow.” Chrys said.

“You approve?” Vanessa said, from off to the side. Chrys turned to see her looking solely at her.

“Approve? This is incredible! Any kid would have a field day to get to play here. This is really where I’ll be working?”

Their eyes met, and Vanessa smiled, with a warmth that reached all the way to her eyes. “Possibly. Care to give being the Daycare Assistant a shot?”

“Absolutely!” Chrys exclaimed. When she’d first started applying to places, odds were she’d be stuck doing something mundane and simplistic, like stocking shelves or taking orders. That would have been fine, she’d been prepared for that outcome. It didn’t really matter what she did, as long as it produced a paycheck. To be given the opportunity to still make money while getting to be around kids all day sounded like a walk in the park. She repeated the title in her head, testing it with her internal voice.

“Hey, wait,” Chrys said, the gears of her mind turning. “You said “assistant”. Does that mean I’ll be working with someone else?”

Vanessa’s smile widened. “Aren’t you astute? Let’s get the two of you introduced.”

She raised her arm, wrist first, and tapped on the screen of her watch a few times before speaking into it with command. 

“Connect to DA-1.”

Silence. She tried again. 

“Connect. To. DA-1.”

Again. Nothing.

“Force connect to DA-1. Open communication channel.”

The frustration leaked out in her voice, and a vein in her neck pulsed once. Static blared until a sharp buzzing cut it off, replaced by a voice of someone grumbling to themselves.

“Couldn’t be bothered to clean up his own mess, nooo. Had to leave it for good ol’ Sunny to clean up. Taking me FOREVER to—”

“SUNDROP.”

“Eh, h-hi! Yes! Ah, good morning, Officer Vanessa! H-Hello!”

She pinched at the bridge of her nose. 

“Next time when I call for you, you are to answer immediately. Is that clear?”

“I… yes, Officer Vanessa.”

“Good. Report to the entrance of the daycare.”

With that, Vanessa lowered her arm, cutting off the connection, and waited, looking with expectation towards the back of the room. 

Chrys followed her eyes, leading to a rather pretty princess tower mounted high along the wall, the centerpiece of an unfinished, hand-brushed mural depicting a cloudy, but sunny sky. A ledge large enough for someone to stand on jutted out from the wall, topped by an arched opening hidden from sight by a red curtain. 

Underneath, she saw an identical arched opening to the one above, painted this time to resemble more of an overgrown flower garden than the sky above. The dark purple curtain dangling from the arch jostled with an invisible breeze, abruptly parting way to allow a large, golden figure to come tumbling through, their long, lanky limbs flailing and tinkling about as whoever it was attempted to free its entangled foot from within the curtain’s folds. 

“Don’t worry, I’m coming! I’m—ack, let go you stupid—uh, just, just a minute!”

It was the same voice as the one she heard moments prior over the watch’s radio; a youthful, boyish tenor with a digital overlay. He freed himself after a few beats of hurried struggling, and jogged his way to the front where they stood, able to cross the entire width in only a couple of strides. 

“I’m here! I’m here, Officer Vanessa! What, uh, what did you need me to—Oh! I’m so sorry new friend, I didn’t see you there.”

His animated, oversized oval eyes swiveled down to her, LED lit pupils alight in a shade of bright blue. He spoke through an unseen speaker, his mouth shifting in shape only to adapt to his varying expressions, and always returning to a big, gap-toothed smile once he finished. Chrys craned her neck to face him full-on, overwhelmed by their sheer stature, even as they leaned their circular, disk-shaped head closer.

“Sundrop, this is Chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum, this is the Daycare Animatronic. He acts as the Daycare Attendant.” Vanessa said.

Chrys looked him up and down, as if that would somehow help the reality solidify in her mind. A robot. Or rather, an animatronic… and acting as a lead in a childcare facility. Would wonders ever cease?

Never had she seen one in person before, either. He seemed to handle himself with a fluidity that befitted a gymnast, someone with more strength and flexibility than the average person could ever aspire to; The exact opposite of what she’d imagine something made of bolts and steel to be.

“Ah!” Chrys said with a start. “Sorry, I know it’s rude to stare. It’s uh, nice to meet you.” She reached with her unoccupied arm out for a handshake, pleased when he reached to reciprocate, only for Vanessa to step in and interject before their hands could meet.

“No need for formalities, not with it. While they are tasked with the primary functioning and upkeep of the Daycare, and will act as your direct supervisor, you are the human element here. No need to treat it as you would others.”

Chrys glanced at Sundrop, and watched his face fall, the ring of triangular sun-rays encircling his faceplate drooping to the ground, the spitting image of a kicked puppy. Something in her chest tightened. This didn’t feel right. She gave a half-hearted nod to Vanessa’s expectant gaze, and kept her expression on lock-down. 

“Good. Alternatively, should you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask it. It’ll do all it can to assist you, within reason. Isn’t that right, Sundrop?”

Vanessa’s tone turned sharp. She tilted her face to the side, and shot Sundrop a piercing glare. Chrys winced in response to his flinch. 

“A-Ah, yes, of course! Always happy to help!”

“Good. Let’s keep it that way.” Vanessa glanced back at her watch. “Well, that about wraps up all the time I have to spare this morning. Sundrop can access the schedule, registry, and itinerary for the day through the server, so you should be fine getting through today on your own. But, do be cautious not to wander about the building unaccompanied. Without a staff pass, you’ll be stopped by the security bots. I’ll have a temporary one made and brought to you by the end of the day.”

Alarm bells rang out in her head as she processed her words. “Wait, hold on. I wasn't planning to—”

Vanessa cocked an eyebrow. “You are working today, are you not?”

Her stomach dropped. This… wasn’t a part of the plan. Was it normal to start work the same day you interviewed? Should she have realized that? Her heart-rate picked up, and beads of sweat began to prickle her brow. 

Vanessa stepped in close, close enough to snap her attention back squarely onto her. “Don’t tell me that on the very first day of your probationary period, you plan to skip out on work? Tsk. Can’t say that will look good at all. And here I was with such high hopes for you. Perhaps I was wrong…” 

“No, no!” Chrys shook her head with gusto, pure reflex. “T-That’s not—I can work! I can work today just fine!”

Vanessa smiled, a quiet cruelness to the up-tick of the corners of her mouth. “Wonderful. Exactly what we like to hear.” 

Chrys’s gaze drifted to the floor, the pounding of her pulse throbbing against her temples. Vanessa moved in close, leaning in to whisper into her ear.

“Don’t let me down, Chrysanthemum.”

Then she left.

[kelpan]

The start of my passion project! A silly little y/n fic that ended up turning into a fully fledged OC, this is my attempt at developing my writing skills, and practice writing in a more novel format. All while getting to spend time with two of my favorite comfort characters lol

Ao3: Petals on a Stream of Stars

Enjoy! ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Act 1, Chapter 1: Prelude

System Booting…

Initiating Programs:

Sundrop.ex/AI_Daycare

Moondrop.ex/AI_Daycare

Initiation Complete.

Test Startup Running…

.

.

.

.

.

Hello? Hello? Is anybody there?

… I’m here. 

Oh! Hello there! Who are you?

… Who are you?

Me? I’m… Sundrop, I think. Yes, yes, that’s right! My name is Sundrop!

… And I am… Moondrop. 

Oh! What a neat name! It's almost exactly like mine! It’s so nice to meet you, Moondrop!

… It is nice to meet you too, Sundrop.

Hey, do you… happen to know where we are? 

… I don’t. It’s too dark. I can’t see a thing. 

I can’t see anything either! And I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all!

… I’m sorry. Neither do I. But… I am happy you’re here. I’m not alone. 

Yes! You’re right! We can’t be alone if we have each other! The dark isn’t so scary if you have a friend!

… Friends… Is that what we are?

I think so! Well, at least, a little. It’s not… quite right. We need something bigger, a better word for you and I! Something juuusssttt right!

… What about… brothers?

… Brothers? Oh, Moondrop, that’s perfect! You’re brilliant! That settles it then. From here on out, you and I are brothers!

… I like that. I like that a lot. 

Me too! Oh, isn’t this exciting? I’ve never had a brother before. And we’ll always be together, forever and ever!

… Yes. It’s a promise. We will never be apart, for as long as I live. 

And, I promise too. Family sticks together, through thick and thin! 

… Always?

Always.

.

.

.

.

Test Startup Successful. 

Preparing Installation to Endoskeletons DA-1 and DA-2…