Chapter Text
The door to the car opened as the lady inside stepped out of the driver's seat. She let out a heavy sigh and gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face, letting her look up at the giant building staring down at her. It was… kind of intimidating. Especially considering her car was basically the only one in the guest parking lot.
But she pushed those feelings aside and went to the back seat to get her things. Mostly her laptop bag and her regular bag with lunch and what not, since apparently Fazbear Entertainment didn't bother keeping the food facilities running, or at least up to service during the shut down.
Maybe that made more sense when she thought of it like that. But whatever. She had to go inside and meet with the head manager so he could further explain the details of the job.
Though she felt it wouldn't be necessary, as she had already had to do some extensive reading before even accepting the task. This wasn't any normal therapist appointment. She wouldn't be dealing with any ordinary bob who works at retail and is feeling unfulfilled in life. This was way beyond the standard experience of her profession.
After all, it's not everyday you get to psychoanalyze a pizzeria animatronic… or six.
"Dr. Ranma Kamal?"
She broke out of her focus as she heard her name being called. She looked up and saw a bald, muscular man in a suit standing in front of the entrance to the establishment. She sighed and sped up a bit, soon reaching him and getting under the roof of the door, shielding him from the rain.
"Mr. Witherbe?" She asked nervously.
"Stanley is fine. I'm so glad to see you, Dr. Kamal. We heard great things about you! We're so happy you accepted our offer, despite how surreal and ridiculous it may have sounded. It was hard finding a clinic that would take our request seriously."
"Well… I can kind of see why. I mean… It's not often people want to give therapy to an AI. Though it does sound very interesting, I have to admit."
"While your enthusiasm is appreciated, I would advise you to treat this matter with seriousness and professionalism. These robots, despite how quirky they may look, are not in a bright and happy mood. Especially not Sunny."
"My main patient?"
"Yes. But let's not stand out here and talk. I'll bring you to meet him quickly before I further explain what's going on. I would also like to discuss any possible accommodations you may need to provide the best possible service. Like a technician to be present or someone to watch over the sessions if you feel unsafe. He's not violent by any means, but he is… tall. That can be imposing to some."
He kept explaining everything as he led her inside and showed her around briefly.
Honestly, it was hard to keep from expressing her intrigue. This was so fascinating, as a hobby programmer. Nothing fancy, just some basic game stuff. But AI was always interesting! So she would never turn down an offer like this. Especially not with the insane pay she'd be getting from it.
"- over there. It's near the security station, in case you need to contact anyone here in the building. We can't give you a FazWatch as that's only for employees, so that's the best we can do. Now, this is Rockstar Row. Here is where you'll find the main four stars. And, for now, it's also where you'll find Sun. He has been staying with Montgomery for a while now. It wasn't until recently he started heading back to the daycare."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"I'm not sure. Sun really doesn't speak to the staff a lot as of late. And prying only brings us tears and an angry Monty."
"I see. Have you spoken to his counterpart at all? Or is that… not how it works? Sorry, the way your document explained it confused me a bit."
"No no. It's fine. They are two separate personalities and do speak to one another. It's not a split personality situation or anything of the sort. They are separate people.
And no, we haven't spoken to Moon. Frankly, he's completely closed himself off to all human interactions. He's actually become quite hostile towards us. Not physically, thankfully."
Ranma nodded as she looked around at the big windows around her. They were all covered with curtains so she couldn't glance inside. Only one was uncovered. Inside that room was a robot bear. She recognized him because, how couldn't she? His face was everywhere in the building!
Freddy Fazbear. He was just sitting on the couch and staring at something on the wall. But when he caught a glimpse of the two people outside, his demeanor changed and he jumped up off the couch and jogged over to the door. Ranma froze on the spot, not sure how to interpret his reaction.
The door quickly opened and he stepped out, looking between the two of them.
"Stanley! Hi! Is this the therapist that the higher-ups were talking about?"
"Yes, Freddy. This is Dr. Ranma Kamal. She will be assisting Sun and the rest of the animatronics."
She just darted her eyes back and forth, not sure what to say in this strange situation. When Freddy glanced over at her cautiously, she gulped and turned to Stanley.
"... Do I… can I talk to him directly or is there… some sort of rules I need to follow???"
"No. Just speak to him like any other patient. But… Please try to be careful, alright? They are all very wound up as I stated."
She nodded nervous and turned back to Freddy, trying to put on a professional face.
"Um… Hello. I'm Ranma Kamal. Nice to meet you, Mr. Fazbear."
He stood silent for a moment before he seemed to relax a bit and smile.
"Please, just Freddy will do. I prefer it that way. And the pleasure is all mine. You can't imagine how happy I am to meet an actual therapist right now. Knowing Sun, Moon and the rest are in the hands of a professional is beyond a relief."
As soon as he started speaking to her, she let her shoulders drop and let out a deep sigh. He seemed so sweet and friendly. And talkative at that. The eloquence he carried in his tone was very comforting, putting her right at ease. She could tell he'd be a pleasant patient to work with.
"Well I'm sure it's going to go well. I have worked with some really tough cases before, so I have quite a bit of experience. You don't have to worry at all."
"That's good. And I do hope you will treat my friends like you would anyone else under your care. Because I care very deeply for all of them and have seen all the struggles they are going through. I let myself be ignorant of their issues before, but now I will do whatever necessary to make sure they are treated kindly. By you as well, Ranma…"
Was that… a shiver going up her spine? He wasn't speaking any differently from before, yet something in what he was saying made it feel like a thinly veiled threat to her safety. Maybe it was just because he was a robot and she was being judgmental of that. Better to just ignore it and continue as she was.
"Of course. It's in my contact after all. I'd be held liable for it if I happened to break that stipulation. Though I feel it's necessary to point out that some things may have to be treated differently. B-by which I mean treated with more tact!"
He seemed happy with that response.
"Of course. Glad we are on the same page. Now, I should let you get back to your work. I'll see you later."
She waved him goodbye as he walked back into his room. She then looked over at Stanley, who seemed unfazed by the interaction and simply continued forward.
"Anyways. Over here is Monty's room. Let me check if he's in." He raised his hand and gave the door a knock. The response was a startled yelp, followed by a very low hush. Then a deep voice spoke up.
"Who is it and whad'ya want?"
"It's Stanley. I came here to introduce you both to the therapist who will be talking with you."
The room was quiet for a moment, until some low whispering could be heard. Ranma only caught a few words.
"... It's better to… won't have to wait…"
"If you're sure… try anything funny…"
Then some heavy footsteps were heard and the door opened. The tiny human woman's shoulders rose up to her ears as she was face-to-chest with a large, metallic, punk looking alligator. He glared down at her with this intensely intimidating gaze. He crossed his arms and sneered slightly as she just stood and stared.
"... … … Well lady? Ya ain't gonna introduce yerself?" His voice was so gruff and standoffish. But it did bring her back to reality enough to pull herself together. God. I have to get a hold of myself! Can't be this disorganized in front of my patients, despite them being robots.
"Hi. I'm Dr. Ranma Kamal. It's nice to meet-"
"Don't bullshit me. Just say ye're here to get yer check and get on with it."
Ok. So very standoffish. But she wasn't going to argue with him about her intentions right then. That could wait until their session.
"Um… would you mind if we talked with Sun? He's in there, right?"
He only stared in silence for a moment before grunting quietly and stepping out of the way. She walked inside and glanced over to the slender, bright, non-animal themed animatronic on the couch. He was huddled together and leaning against his knees in a manner she would describe as… tired.
"Hey. Are you Sun?"
"... … … … … Y… yes…"
"It's nice to meet you finally. I've been reading a lot about you lately to prepare for our sessions and you really seem like a fun, nice guy!"
Sun lifted his head slightly, revealing a little bit of his face. His eyes didn't seem to have any pupils. They were simply lights.
"I am looking forward to talking with you soon. If you want to talk about anything beforehand or need to set up some boundaries, then I'm ready to discuss that whenever. I really just want to make sure you feel safe talking to me. I promise."
He looked up more as he seemed a little less scared. His mouth was stationary, not a moving part like the rest of them. In fact, his entire face was static. That was an… odd design choice.
"... … … Really?" He spoke softly as he hugged his legs, his rays twitching a little. She assumed that was good.
"Mhm! Anything you need. Just get someone to relay it to me so I can do my best to accommodate."
He kept looking at her as she stood there, waiting for a response. He seemed to be thinking it over pretty hard. She wasn't sure what was going through his head right then, but she hoped that her more friendly and gentle attitude didn't come off as condescending. It seemed like the best approach based on what she read.
"... … … That… sounds good. Will Mont be able to be there?"
She gave him a polite smile and nodded. "Of course. If it helps."
He seemed pleased by the answer, from his slight shift in posture. One leg slid down to the floor and he straightened his back a bit.
"Can… Can I have a blanket?"
"Um… sure? I don't see a problem with that."
"... … … Thank you."
Ranma felt very pleased with that response. He sounded genuinely grateful and maybe a little optimistic in his tone, which was a great sign that things would go well for them.
She was also starting to feel hopeful.