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“Hello!”
Sun’s voice echoed across the play area as you entered the daycare. A wave of elation rolled through his chassis when you looked up and met his eyes. His rays spun involuntarily as a shiver rolled through his shoulders and ended at the tips of his fingers.
Joyous.
The wire brought him to the ground, where he picked up pace right beside you. “Good morning, Sunshine! How are you doing this wonderful morning?”
Wonderful because you were here.
You walked too slowly for him; or more accurately, he walked too fast for a human. So, he began to walk in circles around you as idle chit-chat began. His face always pointed in your direction even as the rest of his body continued to move.
At one time, his circling had felt like sharks before going in for the kill. Now, it resembled more of a dog whose owner had returned home.
“I’m good.” You replied simply as you placed your belongings on the security desk. “The coffee I made this morning was too bitter, though.” You stuck your tongue out and mimicked disgust.
He gasped, “Well, that’s no good!” He shook his head and tsked as he held his hands behind his back. “You should always start the day off right! I’m sorry your coffee was so unappealing. I could always request one for you?”
He looked at you expectantly, silently hoping you’d accept his offer.
“No, no,” you waved the idea off. “It just gets taken out of my paycheck and I need the money for groceries.”
Your dismissal meant little. He had another trick up his metaphorical sleeve.
“Worry not! I do believe I have the answer to your problem.” The confidence in his voice made you pause. You looked up at him as he stopped right in front of you, his torso repositioned to face you. “Watch my hands,” he instructed. “Nothing in them? Nothing up my sleeve?”
You crossed your arms and leaned against the side of the desk. “You don’t wear sleeves,” you pointed out with a lazy smirk.
“All the more impressive for what I’m about to do!”
He flicked his wrist and a card appeared seemingly out of thin air. Your eyebrows creased in confusion as your mouth opened into confused awe.
Oh, how he loved that reaction.
“For you,” he bowed and presented the card to you.
You accepted it skeptically and looked it over. “A free coffee?” you raised your eyebrow. “You didn’t steal this did you?”
“Steal?” He gasped, “You offend me! My crimes are much dastardlier than petty thievery.” You swore you could see the corners of his faceplate lift in amusement. “Moon did.”
You rolled your eyes but debated the offer. Surely, the multi-million-dollar company you worked for wouldn’t miss one lousy coffee that you gained by semi-unlawful means.
Sun waved the card in your face. “Eh, eh?” he nudged encouragingly.
You narrowed your eyes at him before accepting the card. “You promise I won’t get in trouble?”
“Absolutely! It’s a prize in one of the claw machines, anyone could have won it. Moon just…” His rays spun thoughtfully, “utilized his unique skill set to get it.”
You deadpanned, “Is there a broken machine somewhere?”
Sun shrugged innocently, “Honestly, who knows! Now, go, go!” he ushered. “Go get your coffee. I’ll take care of everything!”
“But- Sun, I just got here-”
He shook his head and clasped his hands on your shoulders. He easily turned you around, as he led you toward the door. “Your caffeine intake is concerning, but you’ll be a boring ol’ slug all day if you don’t get at least one cup in you. And that is ab-so-lute-ly unacceptable!”
“Ah, geez,” you sighed. It was obvious you weren’t being given a choice. You faced him once you reached the doors. “Okay, okay,” you said as his hands slid down your shoulders to hold your hands in his. “Thanks… and tell Moon I said thanks, too.”
“He already knows,” Sun replied wistfully.
It was only then that you noticed how his hands engulfed yours. Slowly, color began to paint your cheeks. Yet, you never attempted to reclaim your hands. Your blush sent a rush through his system. His internal fans whirred to life in an attempt to cool his core.
“I’m… uh,” you slowly, disappointingly, slipped your hands away. “I’m gonna go get that coffee now. I’ll see you in a bit.”
He waved you off, reminding you to hurry back before the children started to arrive.
The doors closed behind you and a long, sickening love-stricken sigh escaped him. Pride swelled in his chest as he turned and happily skipped off to tidy up.
“You act like a fool,” Moon spoke.
“As if you don’t feel the same.” Sun plucked up a toy plush of Chica. “I know you do,” he sang as he tucked the plush under his arm.
Moon did not respond, besides a low growl. Which was an admittance in and of itself.
Sun neatly placed the plush with the other stuffed Glamrocks. Without hesitation, he began doing the jobs that you usually did. He set up the art stations, humming the entire time as he neatly placed cups of crayons, colored pencils, and paper at each kiddy table. His next objective was to prepare the puppet show stage.
His non-existent heart fluttered as he remembered doing a show with you just the other day. You played the valiant knight who fell for the trapped princess.
“Oh, Princess,” the knight called up the tower. “Your father has trapped you in these walls, but I will take you away from these cold bricks and mortar!”
The princess fawned, swooning over the open window of her tower. “My knight!”
Children laughed at Sun’s high-pitched, shrill voice. Your smile as you sucked in your lips to stop from breaking character made him feel giddy.
“My knight!” the princess exclaimed. “Your words bring me hope! But, how will I escape these walls?”
You cleared your throat, still reeling from his unexpected voice.
“Princess, I will-” you snickered. “I will catch you! Jump into my arms, my love! So that we may run away!” The knight held a hand over his chest as the other gestured to his love.
The princess looked over the ledge, uncertain. “I’m frightened, Sir Knight! These walls are all I’ve ever known. What if the world outside is cruel?” Sun’s smile slacked. “What if I do not survive the fall?”
“Fear not, Princess!” The knight’s booming confidence made the princess cover her mouth in awe. “I will catch you! And should the world be cruel, we will face it together, in love!”
The crowd of children was torn between sounds of disgust and adoration.
The knight spread his arms wide, awaiting the princess’ embrace.
She stood on the ledge.
Sun looked at you, staring intensely. The moment your head turned, he looked away.
“I will catch you.” The knight said earnestly.
The princess nodded. “Whatever you say, dearest knight!” She jumped into the knight’s arms.
Sun held your hand, the only thing separating his segmented fingers from yours was fabric.
The princess clung tightly to the knight, before planting a big kiss on his cheek. “Muah!” she vocalized. “Muah, muah! My hero!” she rejoiced.
The puppets disappeared to the side of the wing. The show ended and you stood from behind the stage. “Okay, kiddos, snack time. Get in a row- Peanut allergies to the left, please!”
You were stepping away before Sun had even stood from his spot. He looked down at the puppets you tucked haphazardly into the lower shelf of the back of the stage. His eyes remained on the princess, noise falling away as he stared into the black, beady eyes and the golden-braided hair that draped over her shoulders.
“Sun!”
He jolted upright. “Coming! So sorry, Sunshine, just tidying up.”
Sun gazed longingly at the puppets, now neatly lying next to each other on the shelf. He briefly wondered if you would take them away from these walls one day. The thought wasn’t a new one, but it still made him feel odd to recognize his growing discomfort with the environment he found himself in.
He missed the theatre. He wished you had been hired before the transfer. Oh, how he would’ve loved to act beside you. Moon would’ve dressed you up in the best outfits, only the most flattering of colors- blues, yellows, and reds.
On a bigger stage, their plays would feel more tangible. If playing pretend was all they could achieve, they would do so. After all, even when the curtains closed, they would still have you.
When the daycare closed, they felt your absence.
He looked up from the puppets as you entered. His smile pulled up as he noted the still-warm cup of coffee in your hand.
You spotted him and raised your hand to wave, only to stop mid-way when your eyes caught sight of the art station. You left the coffee behind the desk; food wasn’t permitted past the desk unless it was snack time.
“I would’ve done those things,” you said to him.
He waved a hand, “Pssh.” He stepped behind you and crossed his arms before resting his head on top of yours. “There was no need!” he replied. “I said I’d take care of everything, didn’t I?”
“We talked about this,” you began. Your voice was somewhere between a groan and reprimand. You stepped out from under his arms and faced him, expression stern. “When you do my job for me it makes me feel like I’m not doing enough.”
Sun shook his head rapidly. “Oh, no, no! No, Sunshine, you do plenty! I just wanted to give you some more time to relax this morning.”
He knew you didn’t believe him.
The forced firmness on your face fell away. It was impossible to keep it up when you knew he was being sincere.
You sighed, relenting. Then you placed a comforting hand on his forearm. “I just don’t want you to feel overworked. Just because you’re an animatronic doesn’t mean you don’t need help now and again, alright?”
It felt like your hand was radiating some kind of energy that expanded over his entire body. A whine from his inner mechanisms released as his body deflated, all tension disappearing.
“Okay, Sunshine. Whatever you say.”
≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺
A tiny voice asked, “Who’s your favorite?”
Sun paused from his spot a few feet away. The boy he was playing hide and seek with ran off in the opposite direction. He made a show of searching around the outskirts of the play structures as he lingered nearby.
You tilted your head at the little superstar. “Favorite? What do you mean?” you asked.
You looked thoughtfully at the colored pencils in front of you. The drawing on your piece of paper was merely a quick doodle of a flower. You had drawn one about seven times now and each time, handed the uncolored version to a child who wished to color. There were coloring books, of course, but you didn’t mind the ego boost as children awed at your skills. But now, finally, it was your turn to color.
The child huffed, clearly frustrated that you didn’t automatically understand. “Your favorite animatronic! Mine’s Monty,” they said matter-of-factly.
“Oh, really? Monty is very cool. I like his hair.”
Suddenly Sun’s hand shot up to his head. “Do the rays count as hair?” he wondered.
“They don’t,” Moon replied.
Sun shushed him, not interested in the truth. His shoulders dropped as he took on a moping posture. He felt like kicking the ground but refrained. It would set a bad precedent for the nearby children! Your laugh brought him back to the present. You were laughing at something the child said. Sun wished he had heard what made you make such a nice noise.
“Tell you what,” you smiled and leaned in to whisper across the table.
He found himself leaning as well, but it was no use. He couldn’t hear you over the group of children running past him.
The child gasped and stared at you wide-eyed. “Really? You’ll do that for me?”
You nodded. The child squealed and the conversation shifted.
Then, Sun returned to his half-hearted game of hide and seek.
The truth was simple enough to admit.
Sun loved you.
He loved you entirely.
It ate at his insides and corroded his wires. It was the best-worst feeling he’d ever experienced. He wanted to be your favorite so desperately that he would do all he could to impress you. It plagued him.
Favorite… what?
He wasn’t sure.
Your favorite animatronic, your favorite friend, your favorite coworker, your favorite everything, anything.
Perhaps that was why a few minutes after finding his playmate, he busied himself with tidying up the toys. It was a never-ending chore, done repeatedly throughout the day. Part of him enjoyed the monotony.
He was precariously balancing three boxes of toys in one hand while carrying a child on his hip. To a human, the child alone would usually require both hands, but not for him! No, he could balance the heavy toy boxes and the little one just fine.
He glanced in your direction and briefly met your gaze. You waved and gave him a thumbs-up. His rays spun merrily once clockwise. It was as close to praise as he could hope to receive currently.
“Mr. Sun?” the little girl asked quietly.
He sang his response, “Yes?”
“Uhm…” She looked at the ground and back at him.
He paused, attention fully on her. His voice took a higher pitch and a touch of concern was in his tone. “Do you want down?”
She shook her head. “Nuh-uh. I just wondering… how you carry all that stuff when you’re so scrawny.”
His body jerked to a stop as the word bounced through his servos. Toy boxes fell in front of him due to his sudden stop. A few plushies hit his rays, squeaking comically as they bounced to the floor.
Scrawny?
Scrawny?!
His tone dropped as if he were gritting through his teeth. “Now, friend. That’s not very nice to say.” He squatted down to pick up the mess of toys now scattered across the floor. He looked toward you, thankfully you were busy helping a child make a Paper-Pal.
The little one’s face scrunched up in frustrated confusion. “Why not? You are! You are scrawny! Scrawny! Scrawny!”
If he could flush the way you did his face would be burning red. His embarrassment only worsened when he heard your boisterous laughter.
Of course you had heard her this time. He wouldn’t dare face you, though.
His internal fans clicked on, whirring to life loudly. His rays tucked in, slowly retracting as embarrassment froze his joints solid.
The child wiggled out of his arm, no longer content with being carried. Frankly, he wasn’t in the mood either. Grumbling in agitation, he picked up the toys and placed them in their respective boxes.
He carried the boxes toward the caddies in the corner of the Daycare, side-stepping children as need be.
Your laugh, harmless as it may have been, punctured his ego. It’d be an easy repair, nothing that time couldn’t heal. Still, your laugh left him feeling conflicted. He loved your laugh– oftentimes he sought it out. He sought it the way he assumed mortals sought food.
Yet, this time it made him wish to crawl into one of the play-tubes.
So distracted by his fumble, he didn’t notice when you stepped behind him.
A grin was on your face as you leaned forward, arms resting behind your back. “So,” your hip bumped against his, “scrawny, huh?”
He jumped and spun around. “I– I,” his rays shrunk the more they settled on your smug smile. You were so close, and that look in your eyes only made him stutter more. A moment later, he shook himself free from his stupor and crossed his arms. “I am not scrawny. Children say the darnedest things, you know! Can’t believe everything you hear!”
You laughed dryly. “Mhm, I see,” you replied, unconvinced. You stepped closer, nearly cornering the bot.
He stepped back, “It– It’s true! Children will just… say words sometimes, completely unrelated to any persons nearby!” He twirled his wrists as he tried desperately to avoid making eye contact. “B– Besides!” he straightened and newfound confidence found its way into his stature. “My design was created to be eye-catching and my physical prowess is top-notch!”
“Yes, yes,” you rolled your eyes. “You’re quite the handsome specimen.”
The smile on his face never seemed more fitting!
“I’m so glad you agree!” He flexed his arms, shifting into different poses as he spoke. “I always did think my build was quite spectacular!” He gestured to his upper arm, as if showing it off. “Just look at these muscles,” he joked.
You laughed.
And he thought about how this was how he preferred to hear it. Always in response to him.
But then you rested your hand on his shoulder, the distance between you nearly null, and looked up at him with a sympathetic gaze.
“Sorry, Sunny. I think Monty has you beat in the muscles department.”
Sun’s rays extended sharply. The sound made you step back and retract your hand. All playful sarcasm vanished instantly. Annoyance and irritation shot from his voice box. A few words even glitched as it struggled to contain the high-pitch whine in his voice.
“He only looks like he has muscles,” he retorted. “We’re just as strong if not stronger than the gator.”
You attempted to calm him, bringing back the playfulness in your tone. “Okay,” you shrugged and turned away. “Whatever you say, pretty boy.”
You didn’t see how your comment pierced him.
Pretty? You thought he was pretty?
Oh. Oh, oh.
What glory! He felt like doing a backflip! Suddenly, energy was surging through every molecule that made up his build! He needed to move, needed to run and jump! Such a compliment was hardly given to the attendant and it meant even more that it came from you!
“Speaking of Monty,” you continued. “Looks like he’s got an appearance planned for this afternoon.”
He stopped in his place. “Oh…” Sun deflated. “Joy.”
The emotional back and forth from the last few minutes was exhausting. He was glad when you announced your next words.
“Naptime,” you called. “Does everyone have their blankets and mats?”
At least he could take this time to think properly. Too often Moon made quips at his expense. He couldn’t wait to mock his counterpart for a change. After all, Moon was in a similar dilemma as himself! The lunar bot might not admit it, but Sun felt it all the same. It was hard to hide feelings when the other AI inside you could feel the same physical reactions their shared body experienced.
Sun helped get the mats, blankets, and pillows all ready for the horde of children. You flipped the light switch a moment later. For a brief second, it seemed like the attendant had disappeared.
Then you looked up, and Moon’s smile met yours. A small, quiet yelp escaped your lips which only made Moon’s chassis rattle triumphantly.
Moon landed by your side, balancing on a single hand as he feigned a yawn into the other.
“Show off,” Sun snickered.
Moon rolled his eyes as a lullaby began to play from his chest. He bent over himself and rolled into a cross-legged position. A few children snuggled more into the blankets. You stood by his side, overlooking the sea of sleeping children.
Toward the back, you noticed two younger boys whispering. You huffed and started to go investigate, but Moon’s gentle hold on your wrist stopped you.
He held a finger in front of his lips and pulled your arm down, making you sit next to him.
He walked on all fours toward the naughty kids, red eyes illuminating children’s faces. His mere presence was enough for the boys to hurriedly duck into their mats and throw the blankets over themselves. He stalked around the pair, watching as their faces contorted, holding back their laughter as he stared. Once satisfied, he walked back to you and sat by your side.
Comfortable silence rang out between you two. His lullaby continued as he scanned the resting children.
Your hand landed on his shoulder. “You’re doing great, by the way.”
Your compliments on his performance were always appreciated even though it had been months since his move from the theatre to the daycare.
“Mhm,” he hummed at your acknowledgment. He longed to lean into where your hand rested.
You took your hand back a second later and scooped your knees into your chest. “I think this is my favorite part of the shift,” you whispered.
Moon tilted his head, bells lightly jingling in the darkness.
You knew what he meant. “I like the quiet… and just sitting here with you.”
Moon could only watch as you slowly blinked through exhaustion. The red of his eyes perfectly captured the color in yours.
“It’s my favorite, too.”
The quiet fell upon you like a blanket, gentle and comforting. Moon’s lullaby did the job it was designed to, and he noticed immediately when your eyelids began to dip. He wanted to offer his shoulder to rest on. You just seemed so tired and he would personally ensure your slumber went unnoticed and uninterrupted.
“You should… take a nap,” he offered. “A small one. You deserve it,” he added.
You raised an eyebrow, “Deserve it? It’s only been about four hours. I’ll take a nap when I go on lunch.”
“You are tired now,” Moon replied.
You smiled lazily and rested your head on your knees. “I’m always tired,” you yawned.
A low grating noise sounded from his voice box. “Not good. You need more sleep. Less caffeine.”
“Hey,” you glared while sitting up. “That was Sun’s fault. He gave me the coupon that you stole.”
“I didn’t steal it,” he retorted. “I found it.”
“While it was still in the machine?”
“Maybe.”
You rolled your eyes and smirked, “You’re a goof.”
“I’m a fool, Starlight,” he corrected.
You raised your arms. “Hey, you said it, not me.”
He laughed as quietly as he could. “Cheeky, brat.”
“Awe, I love you, too,” you teased.
He wished your words were true. If they were, he wouldn’t feel so hopeless anymore. As it was now, that was all he felt. An all-consuming hopelessness as he and Sun both tried to greedily hold onto a fantasy- a dream of freedom beside you.
You were all the attendant thought about. To simply exist and be in your orbit was all he could ask for. And even that felt selfish of him. You were human, made of flesh and bone. You didn’t have invisible walls that blocked you from leaving the Pizza Plex.
He would keep you here if he could.
But to trap you would be cruel.
He wasn’t that selfish.
He mimicked clearing his throat. “By the way, you do a good job here, too,” he whispered. “In the daycare, I mean. You… You are great. Too kind for this place.”
Your smile twitched. Sure, the ‘Plex wasn’t the easiest place to work, but you’d never thought you were too kind for the job. If anything, you would think being kind would be necessary for your work in the daycare.
“I’m not that great, Moon. There’s plenty of people like me out there.” You knocked into his side and smiled, “I’m just lucky I got to meet you first.”
Before he could object, a noise shattered the conversation. A little girl sat up from her mat, rubbing her eyes, and looked in your direction.
“Oh, dear, what’s wrong?” You asked as you stood.
The little girl frowned, tears brimming in her eyes. “I had a nightmare… and gotta go to the potty.”
You offered a sympathetic gaze. “Oh, I see,” you rubbed her back. “Let’s go to the restroom and you can tell me about your nightmare.” You looked back at Moon, his eyes scanning you as ticks and whirs sounded from somewhere in his chest. You patted his shoulder as you walked past. “Be right back.”
“Mhm.”
He watched as the little girl clung to your hand while you led her out of the daycare. Your whispered words of comfort caused her to smile and wipe the tears from her cheeks. His attention returned to the rest of the sleeping children. He maneuvered himself to mirror the position you had been in. Arms locked around his legs, head resting atop his knees. He took note of the steady rise and fall of tiny chests.
Your words echoed across his mind.
I’m not that great.
He wondered who had made you think such a thing about yourself. His body tensed at the thought alone. One of his fingers drew self-soothing circles along his pants.
I’m just lucky I got to meet you first.
“No,” he thought.
They were the lucky ones.
≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺
Sun raised his fingers to his static smile, biting at non-existent nails. The way you laughed at whatever the gator was saying made him tremble with anxiety.
“Calm down,” Moon groaned. “You’re giving me a headache.”
He couldn’t possibly be calm! Not when you were outside the daycare, laughing like you had just heard the best joke of the century. His insides boiled with a feeling he hardly knew how to describe. It was painful and suffocating; it fed on his insecurities. Questions began to swarm in his mind.
“What if they like Monty more than us?”
“What if they think Monty’s funnier than we are?”
“We’re strong - We’re strong, we can do anything the gator can!”
Sun lowered his hands and picked at the silicone at his fingertips. It felt wrong, it all felt wrong. Then, you handed the gator a piece of paper. A gift, the attendant reasoned. His picking increased intensely, hardly aware of the damage he could be doing.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice when you and Monty entered the daycare. Monty was quickly bombarded by children racing to climb, hug, and ask questions. You stood by, watching as Monty lifted two children on his forearm, swinging them as they squealed in delight.
It was only then that you saw Sun, standing still as stone between the two play structures. His fingers moved rapidly, his rays ticking and jutting in and out at odd intervals. Concerned about a possibly pinched wire, you approached.
He didn’t hear you say his name the first time. So, you placed your hand over his fingers. He jumped at the sudden touch simultaneously as you yanked your hand back.
“O- Oh!” he stammered as he stepped back. “I’m so- so sorry, Sunshine. I- I-”
“Sun,” you said his name gently. Carefully taking his hands in yours. Your free hand ghosted over his fingertips. You studied the damage.
The look of worry on your face made him feel like a monster. He made a movement to pull his hands away, but you held on firmly.
“Sun, it’s okay. I’m not mad. What happened?”
His mechanisms whined as he made himself smaller. “Don’t know,” he lied. “Sorry, sorry,” he faced away. “I won’t do it again, promise.”
“Dude,” you squeezed his hand in between yours. “Don’t apologize. I’ll get you something to help.”
His faceplate ticked to the side, “Help?”
A nervous smile appeared on your face, “Yeah. I used to… uhm, pick at my skin when I felt anxious too. It’s not a fun habit. It can really hurt sometimes. But my therapist suggested I try distracting my fingers with other things. So, I carry these fidget… things…” You dug in your pocket and pulled out a tiny cube and a small chain-linked toy that flipped in on itself. “Pick one! I have three more at home.”
Sun looked at your hand and back at you. Neither he nor Moon had known that information about you. His optics jumped back to your hand as he gently picked up the chain-linked toy. He immediately began flipping it idly in his fingers.
“Thank you,” he nodded, gratefully.
You waved it off, “It’s no biggie! Anytime.”
It felt like a biggie, though. You cared enough to give him something of yours. Not to mention that something that held purpose, that he could hold onto and use every day. This was a much better gift than a lousy piece of paper.
“Depends on what was on that paper,” Moon reminded.
Sun tensed, “Be quiet!”
A tug on your sleeve brought your attention to the ground. The child you had been helping earlier that morning stood beneath you. His crossed arms and knitted eyebrows signaled a serious matter. “We’re gonna be playing cowboys and aliens. If you want to play you need to pick a team!”
“Oh, er… I guess I’ll be with the cowboys?”
The stern expression was immediately wiped away as the child clapped excitedly, “Monty! Looks like you’re not the only sheriff anymore!” The child turned back and pointed at Sun, “That means you’re on the alien side so we can have even teams. Get your army ready! The calvary is gonna trample you!”
Momentarily blown away by the sheer dedication to the bit, you quickly collected yourself and went to join your team. But then, you felt the poor attendant’s hold on your wrist. His other hand was already putting good use to your gift.
“You don’t have to play if you don’t want to! You must have so much to do, important things, I’m sure!”
Arguably, he didn’t mind that you would be on Monty’s team. He just minded that you wouldn’t be on his team.
“Awe, I appreciate that, Sunny.” You patted his hand and slowly pried it off. “But I don’t mind playing a round or two. See ya on the battlefield, pardner.” You winked and pretended to tip a hat.
The game started soon after you walked away. Truthfully, Sun wasn’t sure how he had became the leader of the alien invasion. All he knew was that he was handed a toy gun that shot styrofoam bullets and demanded to shoot anyone with a cowboy hat on. Perhaps it was luck that the birthday kid’s team was winning, or maybe it was because Monty was a dirty cheater.
Bullets flew through the air and Sun quickly ducked before crawling into a tube to hide in. He let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t like games like this one. Not only would this take forever to clean, but he simply couldn’t find enjoyment in being hit.
“Oh, hey.”
He blinked, looking to his side to see you scrunched up in the tube beside him. His optics moved to where your hand rested on the toy gun. He yelped, scrambling back before you raised a finger to your lips.
“Wait-” You offered your hand. “Shh, I won’t tell if you don’t.”
If he tried, he could see flower petals drifting by you. He went to accept your offer, but disaster struck immediately. He felt himself yanked backward, fingers grasping at the plastic of the tube in desperation. A firm grip was on his ankles and he was effectively wrenched out from the hiding place. He dangled uselessly in the air as Monty’s laugh rang out throughout the daycare.
“What are you doing?!” Sun yelled as he tried to wiggle out of the gator’s iron-clad claws. “Let me go! Or- or shoot me already!”
“Shoot you? I’m not gonna shoot you! The leader gets thrown in the pit!” Monty roared in laughter. Sun squeaked as Monty lifted him over his shoulders. It very much resembled a high school bully picking on the cliché nerd character.
“Put me down, down, down!” Sun screamed. “This is not how to play nice with friends!”
His pleas were ignored, though. Children yelled, “In the pit! In the pit!” Encouraging Monty to throw the leader of the alien invasion to his demise.
Sun could see the multi-colored balls getting closer. His doom was nearing with each heavy stomp his captor took.
Ker-chuk
Monty stopped at the sound of a cocking gun to his left. He turned and Sun saw you standing with the toy gun facing Monty.
“Drop the attendant, pardner. Nice an’ easy.”
The attendant’s fans whirred to life as he clasped his hands together. “Oh!” Sun squeaked, “My savior!” he cast a hand over his forehead dramatically.
Monty rolled his eyes and scowled. He threw Sun over his shoulder with little care. “I thought you were on my side.”
“I’m on the side of justice!” you exclaimed. “An’ my friend here doesn’t look like he’s havin’ fun anymo’. So, do us all a favor and drop ‘im.”
Your country accent could use some work, but that hardly mattered to Sun.
From over Monty’s shoulders, his rays spun wildly. His hands covered his cheeks as he felt his insides buzz. His fans had never ran so fast before. A love across battlefields! A love that transcended space and lassos! He would be rescued from the villainous cowboy and swept away into your arms!
Oh, he would combust if he thought much more about it!
He just had to wait for the script you had presented to play out. It was an easy, simple path to follow. Even Monty would be able to see what you wanted the ending to be.
A happy one, with him in your arms.
“Drop him?” Monty chuckled deeply. “Whatever you say!”
Sun’s eyes widened as he was brought further above Monty’s head. “Wait, wait! This isn’t supposed to happen! This isn’t–”
You raised the toy gun, “Montgomery Gator, don’t you-”
Sun went soaring through the air, landing in the ball pit with a loud, plasticky splash. Multi-colored balls flew out of the pit, decorating the sidelines in rainbow. A second later, he resurfaced, optics bouncing between you and Monty.
You had a hand over your mouth, covering your laugh. He sunk into the ball pit, rays shrinking inward. He couldn’t blame you for laughing. To you, it was all fun and games. You weren’t aware of the fantasy he lived in.
Embarrassment only lasted a moment before his eyes fell on Monty. His loud, boisterous, rude laughter held no remorse. He embarrassed them on purpose. A flicker of red consumed his optics as he stood and stomped right to the gator.
He jabbed a finger into the center of the gator's nose. “That was very, very rude!” How dare the gator get in the way of your performance! The hero always rescues the damsel! Monty didn’t follow the oldest, simplest script in the book!
Monty took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. When his eyes opened, they held barely contained fury directed at the animatronic in front of him. “Take your finger. Out my face,” his nostrils flared, “before I bite it off.”
Sun’s eyes were now blaring red, his head twitched, rays dipping inward. You could almost make out a low growl that sounded like Moon pushing through. Then you noted the subtle color changes in uniform.
“Oh, no,” You stepped between them, shoving Sun away from Monty’s flexing claws. “Alright, alright. Monty, go entertain the birthday kid.”
The last thing you needed was for the animatronics to start roughhousing in front of impressionable children. Upon turning to face Sun, you found him still fuming. His fingers clenched and unclenched, yellow and blue fighting back and forth over his forearms.
Sun’s hands shot up and tugged at the corners of his rays. He tried to cover his face, pulling his rays forward in clear panic. A mechanical whine escaped from his chassis as he pulled into himself.
Approaching slowly, you raised your hands. Words meant to calm began to scramble through your mind. However, nothing came out when it came time for your mouth to work. Feeling useless, all you could do was watch as the attendant’s body twitched and shifted into one you were only vaguely familiar with.
You made eye contact with Sun, and doing the only thing you could think of, began mimicking breathing exercises. You couldn’t stop the transition now, but you could at least make it less painful. Whenever something like this happened, it always caused some form of discomfort if it was being fought, sudden, or uncontrollable. This was the latter.
You looked over your shoulder, Monty was doing a good job keeping the children distracted. They were all situated on the far side of the ball pit and play areas. Still, you figured more privacy was needed for this special circumstance. So, you decided to usher the attendant toward the front, hoping to find a place near the security desk where children wouldn’t be running around as often.
When you turned back, your friend’s change was almost complete.
“Can you follow me?” The moment you spoke, their head snapped toward the sound. “I think it’d be a lot quieter over there,” you pointed as you took backward steps.
Twitching fingers reached for you as they continued to transition. Their steps were heavy, shaking the soft floor you stood on. They leaned forward, moving uncoordinated as if barely catching themself between movements.
“It can just be you and me,” you smiled encouragingly. “We can talk it out, just like we always do.”
Their chassis shivered, pace quickening just slightly. “Stop,” the voice sounded like their voices overlayed each other, “moving.” It was a demand and you felt yourself unconsciously obeying. They caught up surprisingly quickly, hands gently landed on your shoulder. “We know somewhere… quiet.”
Before you could reply, you heard the wire descending from the ceiling. “The balcony?” you questioned.
Eclipse nodded.
“Okay… just be careful, okay?”
“Always, with you.”
Ignoring that, you were swiftly plucked from the ground and brought to the balcony. Eclipse ducked behind the curtains and placed you down. The area below the platform was covered in extra toys. Your shoulders slumped at the sight. You’d have to remind your coworkers that their room was not supposed to be used as an extra closet space.
A click from behind their faceplate made you look back at them. Cautiously, gently, you cupped their face in your hands. They didn’t seem at all nervous about your touch. “Tell me what’s going on,” you stated.
Eclipse’s eyes darted around the room before landing back on you. “We… wanted to be your favorite.”
“My favorite?” you tilted your head. Then, realization struck. They must’ve overheard the conversation from earlier. “Oh, I see… Whoever said you guys weren’t my favorite?”
Eclipse paused, “We… we’re your favorite? What about Monty?” A low growl said the gator just under Monty’s name.
You shrugged, “What about him?”
“You gave him… a paper. What was on it?”
A confession?
Their hand went to brush the side of your face, silicone fingertips gliding over your cheeks. Their index finger followed the contour of your face over your ear. Their other hand never left your side, holding you in place.
“Oh! Is that what this is about? You remember the kid I was coloring with earlier?” you said pointedly. “He asked me to give Monty his drawing because he was too shy. That was all.” You brought them into a hug.
They had to kneel just to be in a comfortable position. The worries and insecurities from throughout the day began to melt away in your embrace.
“Besides,” you added. “Everyone knows my favorite animatronic is Comedy Bot.”
Their hold tightened, “Not funny.”
You laughed, trying hard not to linger too long in their arms. When they didn’t let go after a minute, you decided to push away. They didn’t fight it, but the tilt of their head and clenching of fingers on your shirt made you think they would’ve held you longer if you had let them.
“Do you feel like going back down? We can stay up here longer if you need.”
The few rays that stuck out of Eclipse’s head shrank in and out as they thought. “Yes, give us a moment, please. Sun will be down soon.”
You nodded and stepped away. “Okay, I’ll go out the back way. Take your time. I’m serious.”
They could only nod as you made your way out of their room. Gradually, their body shifted back to the sunny figurehead of the daycare. Exhausted and still quite embarrassed by losing his cool, he held back a moment more.
You were indeed too kind, he thought as he recalled Moon’s earlier conversation. You were understanding, caring, and gentle. His hand ghosted over the spot where you had held his faceplate.
Maybe one day you’d realize your worth and leave the ‘Plex.
The thought hurt.
But for now, at least he knew you thought he was pretty.