Chapter Text
You were smoking and scrolling through hateful videos on your phone next to the door of the Pizzaplex. Nasty habit, but it was the fifth time you had tried quitting and something always came up. This time it had been you being demoted to the night shift to “keep you safe” from the asshole you had complained about to management.
Bastards.
The doors opened and you caught the tail end of a conversation. An argument. A tantrum. A tantrum was what it was. A parent was leaving, dragging a toddler, and a very worried daycare attendant with what was clearly a complaint form clutched in one hand followed. Whatever the parent was shouting, it ended with the animatronic waving and wishing them:
“Have a Faztastic day!”
The car pulled in reverse through half the parking lot and three-pointed to the exit. Once the car was out of sight the animatronic let his arms drop. His spine curved forward and his eyes dimmed a fraction.
“Rough night?” You called.
The robot turned, caught unaware, and straightened his posture, or the animatronic’s equivalent: hunching tense. He looked at your cigarette, but you knew you were at the exact distance from the doors where it was not against the rules. His hand twitched all the same. He didn’t dignify you with an answer, choosing instead to turn back towards the doors.
“Daycare,” was all he voiced.
“The idiot is gone, we are about to close. Come here.” He stopped. “Or do you have any more hellions in there?”
“Not tonight,” he finally answered.
“Then come for a moment! I don’t bite.”
He approached, and it was weird. There was some spring and gracefulness to his step, for such a bulky machine, but he wasn’t performing; there were no kids here and no parents. You weren’t talking to the Daycare work machine, just another tired coworker.
You took the box from your coat pocket and offered the animatronic a cigarette. He took a step back, looking from your hand to your face, either offended or thinking you were stupid.
“C’mon, you don’t have to smoke it,” you insisted. “Just hold it and take five during company time. Damn, at least I get paid and I get to leave. You don’t even get that. You deserve a break more than me.”
“I was made for this. I don’t need breaks.”
He still approached and took your cigarette experimentally. He stayed within the bounds where you couldn’t smoke. Hm. He probably had some range limit programmed in, then. He played tricks with the cigarette, twirling it on his fingers.
“You don’t ask?” He said, pointing with the cigarette to the absent car. For someone who had never smoked, he had the mannerisms of a seasoned chain smoker.
“No.” You shrugged. “It’s a parent, at a Pizzaplex. I’m sure the parent was late or whatever and tried to blame you.” You smiled a little, curious despite yourself. “Did I get close?”
“Surprisingly so.”
You took another drag and watched the smoke mixed with the vapor from your breath in the freezing air.
“Sorry, we don’t know each other and I didn’t introduce myself,” you suddenly realized.
“I know you; you worked mornings. And you know Sun.”
“Yes, but I don’t know you.”
“You... Don’t.” His cigarette tricks stopped.
“No. I try not to get too warped up in the company lore. I’d go insane if I did. So you are...”
“Moon.”
“C’mon! Moon? Give me something better.” You had seen that name in all the posters, you were expecting something a little more personal, not the stage name.
“I was the Blue Fool, way back. Moon was an improvement.” His voice was raspy, resigned and a little amused at himself.
“Ha! Moon then. Okay.” You inhaled mournfully the last drag of your free time and dropped the butt on the floor. Moon zeroed on it when you stepped on the ember. He didn’t move his faceplate from it. You rolled your eyes, took the butt from the floor and put it in the trash. You were such a softie sometimes... “Well, it has been a pleasure, Moon. Now back under the boot.”
Moon went to give the cigarette back.
“No, no, keep it!” You pushed his arm away.”Let’s do something. Do you have somewhere to hide it?”
He did a little magic trick and the cigarette was behind your ear, another gesture and it was nowhere.
“Nice! Keep it, and bring it tomorrow for five more minutes of break.”
Once inside your job didn't take you to the Daycare, so you went in different directions.
By the end of your shift you passed by the glass walls to say hi to your new kinda friend, but the lights were on, so you didn't bother taking more than a cursory glance at the yellow animatronic preparing to open. Sadly, Moon was out already.