Freddy took slow steps through a place he knew like the back of his hand. He knew which doors he could access and which ones he could not. He knew hall from hall and corridor from corridor. He knew and remembered almost every frequent visitor by name. He knew almost all the employees by database.
He also knew that this place had a few... anomalies to it. Rumors and records dug up from deep inside dusty servos. All of which were classified as confidential information, and few people could ever set their eyes upon these documents and no one could say anything to anybody.
From simple lawsuits to missing children whose disappearances were linked to the Pizzaplex. There were unspoken whispers of older locations, older memories, and older pasts. He himself did not know what type of information was relevant or not, or its sources. But he knew that this place was no fairytale behind the thickly sealed walls.
But he chose to ignore it, it was hard to, but what could he possibly do or say? He's just a machine. An attraction for entertainment. They always had their eyes on him, and if he slipped up, he would disappear in Parts and Services and a replacement would be the new 'him.'
It was trivial to be afraid of being replaced. How are these emotions relevant? Why does he have thoughts and feelings about it at all? He knew he was different from the others. But it was infuriating to think of an answer to the reason why.
His thoughts... they were muddled somehow. Like some outside force was messing with him. Sometimes, it feels like his body is not his own. He has reactions that aren't his. He moves some way that isn't him. Something powerful has taken control of him, and he fears it's a presence he cannot shake off.
I'm not my own me, is what he knows. It's what he tells himself after every strange thought or feeling and occurrence that shouldn't happen.
I'm not my own me, but how can I be me again?
_____________
After what felt like hours in the bear animatronic's hatch, but was actually only a short while, the metal barrier shifted open. She blinked at the sudden bright light. Her whole body was stiff from being curled up and her heart was still pounding out of her chest.
Freddy tried to use reassuring words to comfort her, he obviously could feel her stress, but nothing seemed to work too well. He was reluctant to let her out, but he understood that she needed to. She stiffly crawled out of the metal cage that was his stomach, her little shoes clacked against the white tiled floors. She looked around, confused.
She was in a bathroom of sorts. The walls were painted a bright orange and it smelled like the sterile smell of cleaning supplies. A large sticker of Sun was plastered onto the brick. She flinched at the sight of it, thinking of the crazed animatronic jester.
Freddy was staring at her again, his bright yellow optics traveled up and down her body, searching for any injuries. She seemed fine other than the large, deep purple bruise on her ankle. He found his eyes intensely glaring at it, but he glanced away when the girl shuffled uncomfortably beneath his fiery gaze.
"You are... covered in a copious amount of blood," Freddy murmured while motioning towards her crimson painted shirt. "I want to help you get rid of it, so I have a little gift for you."
The girl stared up at him confusedly, tilting her head to the side. The bear spun around, and with resounding sounds of mechanic clicking, he turned to face her again. In between his claws was a small shirt, it was a nice shade of color and in large, bubbly font there were the simple words of 'superstar!'
The animatronic leaned down and gave it gently to the small girl. She had an adorable shine in her eyes at the sight of the gift, the dull fear in them had disappeared for a brief moment. She held the fabric tightly between her hands as she shakily smiled up at him. Freddy suppressed the urge to scoop her up and coo at her.
But he knew that she was still skittish to be around an AI, and that he should keep a close eye on her behavior and reactions before he does anything reckless. But still, the urge to usher the small thing into somewhere safe and sound and coddle her like she was a defenseless newborn, was strong.
He can indulge himself in just fantasies, for now.
The robot watched as the little girl shuffled into one of the orange stalls, before clicking it shut and locking it. He heard the sound of shuffling clothes as she removed her filthy, blood-stained upper garment and slipping on the new one that smelled like fresh laundry detergent and made of smooth polyester.
That's when he heard something swim quietly through his auditory system. It was humming, so shy and timid as it barely echoed throughout the bathroom walls. Freddy's ear twitched slightly at the melodic sound, a strange and thick sense of nostalgia tightened his chest a fraction.
A little girl humming a tune he didn't really recognize; what does it remind him of? A sentimental feeling drifted through his mechanical body. What does it mean to him? The bear shut his glowing optics as the feeling slowly drifted away, but the bittersweet emotion still clung to him stubbornly as an afterthought.
The stall dragged open with a quiet squeal as the girl stepped out, albeit a little bashful. In her arms were her previous stained clothes. The blood never darkened into a deeper color, it remained a bright red. Freddy stared quizzically at the abnormality of the liquid, doesn't blood dry out eventually?
The T-shirt was oversized on her, but it didn't seem uncomfortable. It suited her, Freddy came to the conclusion, it suited her perfectly, and she seemed to like it too. The small smile was still present on her face as a timid word of gratitude was uttered. A proud feeling bloomed in his chest at her words of thanks. He was like an adoring parent. Even his signature phrase 'superstar' printed on it was like the pretty bow tied on top.
He's seen many children, he's said the word 'superstar' countless times before, but it never felt as special and fitting as this. She really was a twinkling star in a massive night sky full of so many others, but to him, she was special.
Maybe she was not the brightest one in the atmosphere, but by far, she was the most precious.
Freddy is og fic robot dad 😩😩
"Mommy, there's a monster in the closet!"
"Oh sweety, don't be silly! There's no such thing as monsters. Even if they did exist, they would be more scared of you then you are of them."'
"Is that what they all would say?"
More art of GE! Gregory because he's fun to draw 😨😨