Mechanical Hearts- Chapter 4

***THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE A PAIRING CHAPTER, CHECK DESCRIPTION***


You stifled a yawn into your pizza as you listened to the animatronics discuss the finer points of their day with each other. It was funny the way they joked and goofed with one another. You and Foxy had taken to listening to the band's day while you dived into the pizza. You couldn't be sure if this was the best pizza you'd ever had, but you were certain it was in the top three. It was really good, even though you let it get a little cold.

The animatronics had been talking with you for quite a while, asking you about your favorite things and what you were like growing up. You had talked with them well into the night, laughing at their gestures. At first, it had been a little odd to consider these animatronics as co-workers. But watching them converse with each other, cracking silly jokes and asking for your input, it had all been like you were being accepted into a group of friends.

Chica was definitely the more bubbly of the animatronics, coaxing you into telling more about yourself cheerfully. She often would speak with a lilt to her voice and she explained that she was the back-up singer to their band. She asked for your opinion on the pizza once you'd actually tried it, which you reassured her that it was fantastic. It was much better than those ones that you get delivered to your door. She'd smiled big and been satisfied with that.

Bonnie was a bit more of a mystery, acting a bit more laid-back than the others. The bunny explained that the red guitar on the stage belonged to her/him, that Bonnie was the guitarist. You still weren't quite sure how to refer to the bunny, but luckily Bonnie had sensed your confusion. "Don't worry, I get that a lot," Bonnie had laughed it off, "You can refer to me as a boy or a girl, I don't mind either." Bonnie was extremely relaxed about a lot of things. So you decided to refer to Bonnie as whatever came to your mind first each time.

Freddy had been polite but a bit of a goof, often referring to you with terms like 'buddy', 'friend', and 'pal'. All you could figure was that it was just in his nature. Literally being the face of the company probably just made him more prone to being friendly with everyone. Every so often, he would turn to you to ask your opinion or see if you had something to say, making sure that you were a part of the conversation if you wanted to be. He'd even asked you at one point if they were bothering you, which you denied immediately.

Foxy leaned against the grey wall next to the lone chair, listening to the other three animatronics with a look of longing. It was becoming increasingly obvious that the fox was suffering from a form of withdrawal. It had only been a few days that he had not been able to perform, but it had taken its toll on the animatronic. He was fidgetting as the band spoke, he was anxious to get back into action tomorrow... And you could honestly say that you were just as anxious to see all of them in action.

Another yawn caught you off-guard and you quickly blocked it with a head-turn and a sniffle. Dang, was it really late enough to be yawning already? What time even WAS it? "Are ye gettin' tired there, [y/n]?" Foxy asked, looking over at you with his good eye. He was speaking in a low tone as to not disturb any of the other animatronics.

"I'm fine," you reassured him, "It's just a little late, that's all."

"Oh? Have we overstayed our welcome?" Freddy looked up, his blue eyes looking at you in concern.

"Nonono, nothing like that-" you tried to protest before the bear called out again.

"Oh bother, it's late!" he told Chica and Bonnie, "We've kept [y/n] up talking with us."

"I'm always up at this time," you told the bear, but you were interrupted by the bunny this time.

"Well, night owl or no, we all have a big day tomorrow," Bonnie pointed a finger to you as well, "You too. Being the techie isn't just for us, it's also for the game machines and sound equipment too."

You began to reply that you knew the job description, but stopped yourself when you realized it'd be a bit rude. The animatronics moved to stand, a whirr of servos faint in the quiet of the room. "Sounds like I don't have a say, then," you instead replied with humor, smiling at the four of them, "Thank you for coming to visit, though. It would've been kinda quiet if you hadn't."

"Aw, you're welcome~!" Chica cooed, then did something you weren't entirely expecting. The chick threw her arms wide and scooped you close in a hug, a bright smile curving her beak. Yellow dominated your vision as she pulled you tight to her, practically cuddling you. The fake fur that covered her body was thick and soft, the padding warm against your skin. Past the softness of her suit, you could feel the solid body of the animatronic beneath. It wasn't unpleasant, it was... It was more like having the roles reversed and for once the stuffed toy could cuddle the child. "You're so much nicer than our last techie!" she said as she let go, scooting back.

You were a little bit ruffled from the encounter and more than a bit flustered as well. Did she just- hug you? Er- The other three laughed at your sideswiped expression. "Chica is a hugger, you'll just have to get used to it," Bonnie replied, her ears twitching as she smirked.

"We all are," Foxy chimed in, "But Chica's always huggin' folks." He looked as if he were going to laugh again, the light of humor in his eyes. Thankfully, the fox held it back. You weren't sure if you could handle more laughter.

"You don't mind, do ya?" Chica asked, lifting a hand to her mouth, "'M sorry if you do..."

However, you brushed it off with ease. "No, no," you smiled as you attempted to be casual about it. "I just wasn't expecting it. I'm fine." You tamped down your embarassment with a cough, looking up at the animatronics once again. "I will see you in the morning then. I'm looking forward to seeing you all perform."

With a few more good-byes, the animatronics filed out of your room and closed the door behind them. Wow, that was a new experience. You struggled to get a good hold on your mind as you thought about the last few hours. Deciding to dwell on it later, you decided to just go ahead and put up the leftover pizza.

You went through the motions numbly, noting that there was nothing in the fridge at all but a few half-empty condiment bottles. You guessed that when you got the chance tomorrow, you needed to go grocery shopping. You ran your fingers through your [h/c] hair, sighing in the new quiet of your room. Tomorrow was the real start of your trial run, so you had to be focused. Despite the fact that you didn't really feel too tired, you had to try and sleep anyways.

After you had changed out of your clothes and into what you considered your nightclothes, you crawled into bed in order to attempt getting some sleep. Of course... With the lights out and the unfamiliarity of the bed beneath you, sleep was not coming too easily. Too many new sights to sift through in your mind...

It was mostly the animatronics that invaded your thoughts, though. They were the most advanced models that you'd ever gotten the chance to look at and you were going to be in charge of them! It was like a techie's dream come true! Wait, techie? You rolled over, placing a fist to your face. You were already talking like them. Techie... You supposed 'robotics technician' was a mouthful and when you're around children everyday, you tend to simplify terms and whatnot. The animatronics must have gotten it from Mr. Faz...

Walking and talking automatons were all over the place now, quite a few of them acting as user-friendly store encyclopedias. Some of them even had a limited range of emotional states and recognition of those emotions in a human. But sentience was something that robotics engineers had been working at for years now. Now it appeared that they had just recently perfected this program and apparently tested it. Here. Soon, you were going to see even more of them out in the market. It was right in front of you now, you were at the front of the advancements in your field. ...In a pizzeria.

It sounded a little bit bizarre to you, you had to reassure yourself that it wasn't just a dream or something. 'Hi, the most advanced robots yet on earth are about an hour from your house. In a restaurant. Singing upbeat tunes for children.' Another yawn escaped you as your mind finally started to wind down. Well, maybe you were here for a week, maybe you were here permanently... But one thing was for sure. This place was going to be forever in your memory.

-----

A sharp knock at your door woke you the next morning. You snapped up from a light sleep, blinking rapidly to get the sleep from your eyes. "Are you decent?" Mr. Faz's voice called from the door.

You groaned, lifting yourself heavily from your bed. It took you the few moments that you needed to get to the door to sort your mind out. Right, right. Freddy Fazbear's, the live-in job, the animatronics... You pulled the door open to find the older man looking way too chipper for this time of morning... Whenever that was. "Ah, I woke you?" he asked, "Sorry, [y/n]. But you have a big day ahead of you!"

He waved into your room. "I'll give you a few minutes to get yourself together. Just wear something casual for today. At the end of the week, we can give you a few uniforms if you're staying," he explained, "I'll meet you out in the main game floor." With that, the older man turned and walked away to the double doors that led out. How can that man be so chipper for- You shut the door and checked the time on your cell phone. 9:32 AM? Oops. Maybe you overslept a little...

You managed to get your mind into a working order after a moment. Not a fully-working order, but close enough. You pulled on a [f/c] shirt over a pair of blue jeans, slipping on your sneakers. After making a cup of coffee to your liking and making yourself look decent, you finally made your way to the main store area to meet up with the owner. As you pushed the door open, there was a clatter from the direction of the kitchen. You flinched, looking up in a daze. Sounds like the whole store was pulling itself together this morning.

Mr. Faz walked over to you and slung his arm over your shoulders, your mind a bit too tired to protest yet. "Good to see you up and about," he smiled to you in greeting, "Now that we have a fresh day, let me show you around the rest of the pizzeria before the children arrive." He removed his arm from your shoulders as you nodded to him with a smile. Words were not coming to you easily just yet. You wanted to give it another couple of minutes.

So you were aquainted with the kitchen and the dining area on the other side of the building finally. The restaurant area was a tastefully done diner-style space with booths set up for people to crowd around their signature pizzas. The kitchen was of the very up-scale degree, especially for a pizzeria. Staff hurried about between the stainless steel appliances, getting ready for the rush of children and adults alike that they knew were coming.

Mr. Faz explained to you as you walked along beside him that your job was a bit of the relaxed-pace sort. You were on call at all times in case one of the game machines decided to go down in the middle of the day, or one of the animatronics experienced a malfunction in the middle of the night. "We try to have as little downtime as possible at Freddy Fazbear's," the older man held up a finger, "But we encourage our techies to try and stick close to the restaurant, which is why I chose you from your particular area." He offered a smile as he readjusted his tie. Today, it was a red material with gold flecks scattered across it.

"Since you live about an hour away, I'd like to encourage you to visit your family after hours if you are hired but there are no real restrictions to that." You noticed children starting to fill the game floor out of the kitchen door's window. "You may leave at any time if you become permanent staff here, but until then you should stick to roaming during business hours." He smiled and patted your back. "Go get a few things from the store and bring it back for tonight. As much as I, and a lot of other people, would like it... One cannot exist on pizza alone." He laughed again and you rolled your eyes at his attempt at humor. Sometimes he was funny, sometimes his humor just fell flat. But hey if he found it funny, more power to him.

"Oh yes, before I forget," he stopped and rummaged in his pocket. "This is not a permanent pin, just the one during the trial." He pulled out a golden pin like the one he wore on his own shirt. This one, however, just read your title on the front. 'Lead Technician'. Really? You were the lead? Then... Where were the other techie- technicians? As if sensing your thoughts as you reached for the pin, Mr. Faz shrugged animatedly. "We get a lot of summer interns that like to come here for experience working with the game machines and sound equipment," he explained, "But you will be the only one allowed to work on the animatronics... And you'll be the interns' boss if you get the job."

You weren't sure what to think of that, already he was discussing becoming a sort of boss? Geez, this place sure put a lot of faith in their employees. Not one to disappoint, you pinned the tag close to your collar, reflecting back a smile to Mr. Faz. "I won't let you down, Mr. Faz," you nodded to him, "If I get the job, you can count on me." His smile widened into a grin, seeming thoroughly satisfied with your comment.

Your boss then left you to your own devices, telling you that you would be notified if some piece of equipment went down. So... this was it? This was the job that you had been so worried about? This... This was a breeze! You were just an on-call technician for a bunch of arcade games and the most advanced automatons this side of the Pacific. You always accused Japan of holding back tech from America. With a shrug, you decided to wander the game floor as you readjusted the new pin at your collar.

For a weekday, there were sure a lot of kids here already... Maybe in this town, the schools had already let the children out for summer break. They were playing the machines with excited giggles or begging their various guardian figures for token money. It was a little nostalgic, reminding you of how you had been at that age. The place you remembered wasn't nearly as big as this, but it was a decent-sized arcade... It still stood in the same place now and you often took Mitchell so that the two of you could play together. You showed him how to throw the special combos and how to time the bonus rounds just right. The smell of the kitchen had already started to drift over the game floor, the ovens in full swing.

You came to a halt as you realized that there was a small birthday party already setting up in front of the blue-curtained stage. The curtains had not been there yesterday evening, you guessed that they were only for the opening of the parties. The children all clamored excitably, the party easily fitting to one of the tables. The birthday girl was fidgetting in glee with a paper crown balanced on her head, her friends whisper-yelling in excitement.

"Hey-hey, everybody!" a voice called out as the curtain drew back, you instantly recognized it as Freddy, "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! Of course, I'm Freddy-" The bear lifted his hat as he had done with you, his ears wiggling as he replaced it to his head. A giggle rose from the children and you resisted the urge to join their laughter just barely. It was still a cute gesture. "And these are my buddies!" he continued as he gestured to the bunny beside him. "This is Bonnie the Bunny-"

"Hey everybunny!" Bonnie called out, waving a hand as he clutched his red guitar in his hand. He winked as his ears bobbed, more laughter bubbling up from the kids.

"And this is Chica the Chicken!" The bear gesture to his other side to indicate Chica. She waved enthusiastically with a bright and cheery, 'Hi there!' Freddy looked back to the group of children in front of the stage and smiled. "We heard it was someone's birthday today. Little Jenny-" The girl wearing the crown perked up even brighter than before, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Happiest of happy birthdays, from each of our hearts," Freddy smiled, the three animatronics gesturing to the little girl.

Jenny looked as if she were going to burst with joy. You chuckled quietly, wondering if that would've been yourself if this place had existed back when you'd been a young child. "Let's get this party jazzin'!" Freddy called out, gesturing to Bonnie to lay down a beat for them. Bonnie complied, finding a good upbeat chord with her paws gently. Vaguely, you were surprised that the rabbit could actually play the guitar... But perhaps it was specially modified for her? Freddy and Chica began to harmonize, her lilting voice complementing his deeper tone well.

"We heard it was your special day,
We're glad you stopped in here to play,
In your own unique and awesome way,
And here is what we have to saaay~"

All three of them joined in now, Bonnie's voice mixing with theirs impressively.

"Happy, Happy Birthday,
From us to little you~
Happy, Happy Birthday,
Sweet wishes to you, too~"

The animatronics continued singing a second verse, but it was then that you backed off. You smiled to yourself as you walked back behind the group of kids and parents. The three parents all held video cameras as they filmed the show and the starstruck expressions on their childrens' faces. You didn't blame them, this was one heck of a show. Some of the lyrics were a little cheesy, but what did you expect when you're playing to children? You slipped past unnoticed, leaving the little girl to enjoy her birthday party.

It was then that Foxy laughed from the pirate ship, you looked up to find the fox animatronic hanging from the rigging of the mock boat with his good hand. What the-?! He hopped down, landing on the upper deck of the boat with a grin. There were seven children all crowded around on the lower deck of the boat stage, two of them wearing- pirate bandanas on their heads? If you squinted, you could tell they were wearing eyepatches too.

"Ya-harrr, me 'earties!" Foxy called out as you drew close to the ship to investigate. "Mighty fine seein' ye t'day, maties! 'Ow ye be doin' t'day?" A chorus of shouts met his question, all in the affirmative. Foxy laughed, placing his good hand on his hip. "Great sound-off, pirates!" He grinned at them in response, his ears swivelling as he surveyed them. "I see me friends, Chris n' Christie, are 'ere t'day! Th' Terror Twins o' th' seven seas!"

The two children wearing the bandanas hopped up and down, gleeful that Foxy had called them out of the crowd. They were indeed a pair of twins, the similarities a bit striking between the two of them. It was a boy and girl pair, both of them dark-headed. "We're glad you're back, Cap'n Foxy!" the little girl twin called out happily.

"Glad t' be back, Christie!" he responded, "Arr, ol' Foxy was on a grand adventure, but got 'imself caught in a mess!" The fox then looked to you as he spoke. "But a good lubber 'elped me out so I could be 'ere wit' th' lot o' ye t'day!" You felt your cheeks heat up in mild embarrasment as he referred directly to you in the middle of a show. You smiled and gave a nod back to him as he stood up on the upper deck of the boat-stage.

The fox made a wide gesture to his young audience. "Well then, me 'earties!" He pulled the wooden sword from its holster at his hip and held it out dramatically. "'Ow's about I tell ye about another o' me adventures at sea?" Cheers met his words, the fox's grin widened even farther. It was then that the fox launched into a tale of fighting and wild times, the children looking up in awe at him.

As you listened idly to the fox's rambling tale, you glanced back to see that Freddy and his band had stepped from the stage to interact with the birthday party attendees. The birthday girl was hugging Chica tightly and Bonnie was holding one of the younger children in his arms. Freddy was currently being mobbed by three other children from the group. Between Foxy and the band, they were in their element. This was their spot in the world and they couldn't be happier.

You hoped that their spot in the world was yours as well. It seemed like great fun to work here and if you could become the techie- technician for Freddy's, you'd be happy to stay here. Cheesy lyrics and crazy pirates were still a plus.

-----

The days began to tick by in the week that you were here at Freddy Fazbear's as a trial, the animatronics dropping in on you frequently in your little back area bedroom. Sometimes it was just one animatronic and other times it was all of them, opting to keep you company together. It seemed that they were being friendly and supportive, trying to help you acclimate. You had to admit, it was a great relief to you that they were at least trying to make you feel more at home.

But tonight, you were not going to wait around for a visit. Tonight, you were going to visit them in their own habitat. Somewhere you had not gone yet. The pizzeria at nighttime. You smoothed the shirt you wore down as you headed out into the darkened game floor, your [e/c] eyes squinting a bit in the lowered lighting. It was not overly dark in the room, little floor-mounted lights casting a warm glow so that one could maneuver without shinning themselves on a game machine.

There was the sound of movement in the dimness, footsteps and shuffling as the resident animatronics went about their nightly routines undisturbed. You tilted your head as you heard soft footfalls up on the walkway leading up to the entrance. A distant rattle from the kitchen echoed in the large room and more movement came from the two stages near the double doors where you exited.

Now here was the question that you posed to yourself- Which direction should I go in?