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Your day had been terrible. Absolutely awful.
The day had started with you acting as a janitorial assistant in high-traffic areas of the Pizzaplex. You were required to cycle between the busiest spots of the Plex, picking up behind groups of customers and excited families. It wasn’t too bad - of course, you had the assistance of the cleaning bots, although they were simply delegated to patrolling a small area with a broom or a mop. Still, it was hard not to feel downtrodden after hours of seemingly endless cleaning, picking up litter and changing bins and wiping down counters.
Then, maybe halfway through the day, when you were sat in a dingy little break room on your meagre thirty minute break, your manager had tracked you down to tell you that you needed to cover for one of the general attendants. No, you would not be compensated, and you were still required to complete your janitorial duties alongside this.
The job of the general Plex attendants was to patrol areas where customers may require assistance that could not be handled by one of the STAFF bots. As well as being expected to pick up after them, you were now required to help guests find attractions, and listen to any complaints they may have.
And people were so rude. They were not happy when you could not simply snap your fingers and make their inane problems disappear. They were abrasive and arrogant and entitled and stupid, stupid, stupid. You could not voice any of this, however; you were expected to plaster on a nice friendly smile, and listen empathetically to their drivel, and to ignore it when they barged into you as if you weren’t even there, or as if you were just another dumb and thoughtless STAFF bot.
As the evening dragged on, and families slowly started to trickle from the Plex, your manager, once again, found you. You were sweeping up a large pile of litter and debris from near the front entrance when he had asked you to step with him into a staff-only storage cupboard. You don’t think you had ever seen him so angry - and all of his anger was pointed straight at you.
“What have you been doing all day? Didn’t I tell you to clean up around the main lobby and the surrounding shops and storefronts? Have you been doing nothing but standing around like a dolt the entire day? It’s fucking filthy! You better stay here until it’s completely clean, and do your damn job!”
With that he had strode from the storage cupboard, letting the door hit the wall with a resounding thump. You stared blankly at where he once stood for a moment, before heaving a shaky sigh. You glanced at your wristwatch - it was just past 10:00 in the evening. The Plex was closing down for the night, but the doors didn’t technically shut and lock until midnight. However, the last bus from the Plex was at 11:15, leaving you with a little over an hour to finish your duties.
You began to clean up around the main lobby of the Plex, eventually migrating away from the entrance and towards the upper floors. The work was tedious, and tiring, and you sighed to yourself at the prospect of having to spend the rest of your night picking up rubbish. The heavy weight of exhaustion and defeat had settled in the pit of your stomach, turning your limbs to stone and your mind to fog. Stupid, awful, horrible day. At least you had some time off after this - you could spend the next two days contemplating your life choices.
The dull and inoffensive music that played at all times over the Plex was only a light throb in your ears. You were so tired. You surveyed your progress so far, and realised with a sinking dread that you hadn’t even put a dent in the amount of work there was to do. You couldn’t even rely on anyone else to give you a hand - you doubted that any other (human) janitorial staff were here this late, as most human employees tended to leave as soon as the bustle had died down a bit. You may as well have been all alone in the giant Plex for all the good you could do.
You looked at your watch again - it was 11:18. You had missed your last bus home.
There was no other way for you to get home - it was dark now, and you were stranded. You took another look around you, the events of the day settling over your shoulders like a heavy, bone-numbing mist. The only sound now was the gentle thrumming of the overhead neon lights, and the sound of your uneven breathing. You were in a little nook in a corner of the Plex, a little bit away from the lobby, the opening to a dark maintenance tunnel that stretched into the bowels of the building just behind you. The place was still a mess, and you were so, so tired.
You dropped the broom you were holding with a clatter that echoed around the wide space of the Plex, the sting of tears in your eyes as you let out a pathetic sob. You curled in on yourself, letting yourself cry and sniffle like a child, kneeling now by the wall with your head in your arms.
You were so pathetic. You were glad that here, the glaring lights were at least a bit dimmer, and the music was a little quieter. You were less likely to be caught by some unsuspecting STAFF bot like this, and the thought of it made you cry harder. Today had been so unbearably terrible, and now you were stuck in the Plex with no way home, all alone. And your manager would be furious with you, still - you didn’t even want to think of the mess that you hadn’t managed to clean.
You didn’t hear the quiet chiming of bells until they were only a small distance away. You lifted your head, and jumped when you noticed the figure standing down the other end of the maintenance tunnel. You didn’t think there were any more human staff in the Plex; you didn’t recognise it at first, until it stepped a bit closer.
It was the Daycare Attendant - or at least, it was the nighttime counterpart. You knew that the Daycare Attendant would patrol the building after closing, and you realised with a new wave of apprehension that he might see you as an intruder, curled up in a corner after closing like you were.
The Attendant blinked his large red eyes at you. You had never really interacted with the two before, outside of a few times when you had been stationed around the daycare. Once, you had been asked to cover for an assistant that had needed to step out for an hour, sitting behind the security desk at the edge of the daycare. Even then, you didn’t get to speak to him, only observing from afar as he played with the children.
“I’m sorry,” you sniffled, and moved to stand. “I’ll get up, I don’t want to be in your way.”
The Attendant - Moon - moved a little bit closer. He didn’t seem to think you were an intruder, and was instead inspecting you with an almost apprehensive gaze.
“Are you alright?” His voice was gravelly and low, and you could hear the quiet creaking of his joints as he fidgeted from foot to foot. “What are you doing here?”
“I was …” you looked over your shoulder at the open Plex, and the urge to start bawling again crept up to settle thickly at the back of your throat. “I was cleaning, and I missed my bus home. I don’t have any other way home. I don’t want to be in your way - I’ll go find a security office or something, I’m sorry …”
Moon moved closer again, sidling up to you and reaching a gentle hand to wipe away at the remnant of a tear on your cheek.
“No tears,” he cooed. “And no need to sleep in a little office, no … won’t you come with me? I’ll find somewhere more comfortable for you.”
You blinked away more tears and took a shuddering breath. You really didn’t want to be a bother … you knew the Daycare Attendant spent all day taking care of children, and you didn’t want to intrude into what was, essentially, their time off. But it was hard not to cave when he was looking at you quite gently, wiping at your cheek with his cold hands.
“I shouldn’t,” you shook your head and stepped away from Moon. “I really don’t want to bother you, I’m sorry -“
He reached forward again to take hold of your hand, his fingers twining with your own, and tugged you back towards him.
“Don’t be so silly,” his wide grin held a certain softness to it, looking down at you in the darkness of the maintenance tunnel. “Come on - I’ll take care of you, keep you safe. Not a bother, not a bother at all.”
He began walking without waiting for your response, leading you further into the tunnel. You shuffled awkwardly after him, hand still holding his. He was tall, his head grazing the ceiling, the little stars on his costume trousers and the lights of his eyes vibrant in the shadow of the tunnel around you.
You took a few turns, walking in silence all the way. You wanted to say something to him - anything, really, to try to dispel the anxiety that roiled in the pit of your stomach - but you didn’t want to disturb or annoy him. You ascended a flight of stairs, then down more tunnels and dark hallways; soon enough, you saw the light of the open Plex ahead of you. Moon stopped abruptly, and you turned to look at him. He tapped a sharp finger against the side of his faceplate.
“I cannot accompany you into the daycare,” he said, and gave your hand a squeeze. “In the light, the Sun will shine. Will you be okay?”
You nodded. “Thank you, Moon,” you said quietly, and you could’ve cried again. He seemed to notice this as well, because he made a soft shushing sound and stroked your hair out of your face.
He didn’t move as you took a step away from him, and you realise that he probably wanted you to enter the daycare before he would let Sun join you. You smiled at him shakily, and let your hand drop from his.
You exited the hallway, and made your way over to the large daycare doors. The daycare was odd when it was not filled to the brim with loud, excited children - it was a plane of lonely colour and deceptive silence. You looked around nervously, not knowing where to go. You didn’t want to do something to offend the Daycare Attendant, not when he had been so kind to you. You stood awkwardly with your hands clasped in front of you as the doors behind you opened, and Sun came in after you.
During the day, when you had observed Sun in his silly costume of ruffles and ribbons and bells, everything about him was a display of energy and enthusiasm. He was high-strung, playful, curious; excitable, eager, uptight and loud. Here, however, when he stood swaying from foot to foot like Moon had done in the maintenance tunnel, he was calm, observing you with what was, almost, hesitancy.
“I’m sorry,” you blurted out. You had apologised to Moon, but not to him - you didn’t know if he even knew you’d be here, or if he had just entered his daycare to see you standing in the middle of it. “I don’t want to intrude. I can leave if you -“
“Silly,” he moved closer to you, and, like Moon had done, took your hand in his. He began to lead you across the daycare. “No, I would never make you leave! How rude would it be to kick out my new friend, hm? Not when you’re all on your lonesome! No, it’s all okay. We’ll keep you safe.”
You had reached a cosy little corner of the daycare, littered with cushions and blankets and stray toys. It was the nap-time corner, where all the children would come to be sung to sleep by Moon during the day. Sun urged you to sit down, and promptly knelt next to you, pulling a blanket about your shoulders.
“We’ll be back,” he said softly, his large hands resting carefully on your upper arms. “Make yourself comfortable, and I’ll see you in a minute. Okay?”
He waited for you to nod in confirmation before standing again. He left the daycare quickly, moving quite fast when he didn’t have to lead you by the hand. You wrapped the blanket around you tighter, and ducked your head into your arms.
You were embarrassed, foremost. You had never even really spoken to the Daycare Attendant before now, and your first proper conversation was him trying to quiet your snivelling. He probably thought you were absolutely pathetic, cowering in the dark. You would have to sneak out, at some point, to try to finish your cleaning, because you know if your manager came in tomorrow and saw it in the state it was still in, he would be livid.
It had been maybe fifteen minutes before Sun came back, carrying something in his arms. He made his way over to you, and knelt down again. Even when he was crouched like he was, you still had to crane your head to look him in the eyes.
“I brought you something to eat,” Sun said. “I don’t know when you last ate, and I can’t have you withering away on me, can I?” He set a little take-out box by your feet, and when you opened it, you saw he had brought you a meal of chicken, rice and veggies. You don’t know whereabouts in the Plex he had gotten it, but the thought of him rummaging through the kitchens or haggling with the STAFF bots that manned the restaurant counters made you smile.
He set down a pile of little bags and wrappers - he must have raided a vending machine, and it looked like he had gotten you one of everything. He also set down a styrofoam cup, a bottle of water, and three cans of what looked to be FizzyFaz.
You looked at it dumbly, and then back up at him. He paused, looking at you nervously.
“I didn’t know what you like,” he said slowly, and then began to fidget with his hands, the bells on his wrists ringing. “I can go and get you something else, if you don’t like -“
“It’s okay, Sun,” you felt bad interrupting him. “It’s lovely. Thank you, I - I don’t know what to say …”
His faceplate rolled from side to side happily. “It’s okay! Just eat up, before it gets cold.”
You did just that. You ate ravenously after the day you had just endured. The styrofoam cup contained watery hot chocolate - the type of bad that could only be accomplished by a cheap coffee machine. You drank all of it anyway, and finished your chicken and rice with vigour. It wasn’t great - it was greasy and a bit bland - but you knew that wasn’t Sun’s fault. Once you had finished, you set the empty cup and box aside, and looked up at Sun, who had been watching you happily the whole time.
“Thank you, Sun … I’m sorry.”
His faceplate swung to the side, his wide eyes gazing at you. “Why do you apologise?”
“I don’t know. I feel bad. I know you’ve been working all day and now I’m here taking up space and … and …”
Sun shushed you, his long arm sweeping away your empty food containers and shuffling himself closer to you. He brought his hand to rest gently under your chin, tilting your face up to look at him.
“Don’t feel bad. We couldn’t leave you in that filthy little tunnel, no? It is no trouble, no trouble at all, my darling … you are our friend, and we hate to see you upset. Besides,” he wriggled about a bit, before lowering his voice a tad, “it gets very quiet here at night. We are glad to have your company.”
You blinked at him slowly. You don’t know when you had graduated from nameless employee that sometimes works around the daycare to a friend, but the word sounded nice when he said it - happy and sincere, like he really meant it.
“What had you so upset, anyway?” He reached his hand up to tuck your hair behind your ear, grinning down at you.
You sighed, and it was your turn now to fidget where you sat. “I just had a bad … awful day.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?” He was so calm when he spoke, his voice fizzling slightly in the thin metal of his throat, and you realised you had never heard him so quiet before. From what you had seen, he usually had to keep his voice just above a yell at all times to be heard above the chaos of the daycare. He was so gentle now, sat with you like this, that it made your lip wobble a bit.
And so you told him. You had to stop a few times to breathe shakily, and Sun tutted and cooed and made soothing, staticky little noises in the back of his voice-box accordingly. When you had finished, he reached to wipe a few tears of frustration from your eyes before you could blink them away.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said so softly. “It sounds absolutely awful … oh, you don’t deserve any of that, no … not when you’re trying so hard. You can rest now, yes - sit back and relax, okay?”
He pressed gently at your shoulder until you fell on your back, and he took the chance to swaddle you again in another blanket, tucking a pillow under your head.
“I can’t,” you bemoaned. “I really wish I could … but I have to finish my cleaning. My manager will kill me if I don’t, Sun. I’m sorry.”
He shushed you. “Moon and I will take care of it, yes, please do not worry. You rest now, you deserve to rest … such a long day you’ve had.”
You didn’t know why the Daycare Attendant was being so lovely. Maybe he was just programmed to be as nice as could be; maybe he just felt pity for you. But you felt you had taken advantage of his kindness too much now, and you struggled to sit up. Sun would not allow this, however, and held you down with a stern hand and a steady smile.
“No, it’s okay -“ you tried to move against his hold, but you knew realistically that if he didn’t want you to move, you wouldn’t be going anywhere. “You’ve done too much for me already, I couldn’t possibly ask you to -“
“You didn’t ask,” he whispered now, cradling your head with a large hand and looking down at you with his kind smile. “Moon has to patrol his security route, anyway - where would the harm be in picking up a few bits of rubbish along the way?” He smoothed a hand over your hair. “Besides - we don’t have to rest, whereas you must be so exhausted, so very sleepy …”
He was right, of course. The day had drained you, and the softness of the blanket and the gentleness of his voice did nothing to help your weariness. You looked up at him, and reached up to hold his hand.
“I’m going to turn the light off now, alright? I hope you sleep well.”
Sun gently untangled his hand from your own, and made his way over to the light switch. He graced another smile your way before flicking the switch, the room darkening. You waited for a moment, your eyes trained on where Sun once stood. Around you, little glow-in-the-dark stickers and stars that adorned the walls and the ceiling of the daycare began to glow.
There was a gentle clicking as Sun and Moon swapped places, the components of their bodies shifting and creaking and rattling softly. Moon swivelled his head to look at you, and made his way over slowly, as if trying not to startle you. He settled down a little closer than Sun had been sitting, and immediately you reached your hand out to hold his as you had been holding Sun’s.
“Thank you, Moon,” you said quietly, “I know that you didn’t have to do this, but I really do appreciate it. Both of you have been so kind.”
Moon hummed happily, and there was a quiet grinding from deep within his chest.
“Not a problem, my dear. Do not fret. Drift away to sleep now, yes, so sleepy …”
The grinding came to a halt, and from within him came the tinkling of a music box, chiming softly and beautifully. You turned onto your side, facing Moon, your hand still holding his.
Your slumber was deep and peaceful, soft and lovely. If Moon snuck away to do some cleaning, you didn’t notice; all that mattered was that, when he came back, his hand found yours again, and he watched over you with a gentle and loving smile, his music box ringing out all the while.