Still Around and Making Ground

by Cursio_Neptune

Summary:

This takes place literal days after part 1 ends.

Worries have payoffs. Actions have consequences. Someone is determined to defy it all for a happy ending.

Chapter 1: The Sky

Summary:

Have you ever considered, as you go throughout your day, that infinity casually sits above your head?

Notes:

Here's a link to my Tumblr for the cover art.

Sunlight filtered in through thin gaps around blinds and the front door, coating the house in a dim gray/blue mood. Outside cicadas groaned their endless hum. The faint whir of air conditioning added to the lazy symphony. Dilan slouched on the couch, the clicking of a controller and quiet electronic beeps throwing some interesting chords to the humdrum ambience of the room. Clinking of metal and porcelain echoed from the adjacent kitchen. With one last definitive clunk, the noise in the kitchen ceased.

“Lunch is ready!”

Bouncy video game music halted abruptly. Dilan set the controller aside, pushed against gravity to get himself up, and shuffled to the kitchen.

Down the hall and to the right, Nappy lay stretched on the short plush carpet, resting his head on his arms, blanketed in the shadows beneath Dilan’s bed. Facing him sat Simon Seal, black threaded face peeking from silky-soft fur. Nappy’s disk of a head tilted to the right, almost like cocking an ear to catch an unseen voice. He reached out an arm and closed his long fingers gently around Simon’s flipper. Scooching sideways to the edge of the bed, he slipped out and pulled Simon to his chest, securing him with both arms. The animatronic stood and exited the room, striding down the hall to the kitchen, slightly hunched over, as usual, bells jingling merrily with each step, announcing his approach as he made his way across the living room.

Uncle Liam looked up from his phone, swallowing a bite as he raised a hand, “Hey. Nappy. How are you?”

Nappy tilted his face so his permanent grin stood out in the low light, “I am good. ….You?”

“Great!” Liam took another bite, looking at his phone again.

Dilan swiveled in his chair, “You need anything?”

Nappy shook his head, fiddling with Simon’s flipper, “Just want to be… with you.”

Dilan gave a lopsided grin, “Aw. Thank! You can sit down with us if you’d like,” Dilan reached over and pulled out an empty chair.

“Heehee… thank.” Nappy carefully took his seat, a little big for it, having to stretch out his lanky legs to avoid hitting the bottom of the small table.

Liam snorted, “You guys and your ‘thank’.”

Nappy swayed carefully side to side as the other two went back to eating.

Three clipped knocks broke the silence from the front door along with a muffled voice. The humans at the table tensed.

Dilan turned to Nappy, voice low, “Nappy, go hide under my bed, don’t make any noise.”

Liam’s face scrunched in confusion, “That can’t be Steve and Rebecca. They would have texted. ‘Sides, they wanted to ‘lay low’ for a while,” He shrugged, standing up, “Eh, probably a salesman.”

Dilan turned in his chair, making sure Nappy had disappeared down the hall, “Should we just ignore it, then?”

Liam paused for a moment, “Um…Nah. Could be Steve or Rebecca after all, or a neighbor. Might as well at least go see,” Liam pushed away from the table, pocketing his phone, boots clunking on the kitchen tile before transitioning to the swish of carpet. It occurred to him just as he was twisting the handle, that the house might look suspicious with the lights off and the blinds closed. His brain desperately fetched for an excuse while his arm pulled open the door, “Uh, hey, how may I—”

“Police! Search warrant, get down on the ground!”

Liam’s brain froze as he tried to process. Immediately officers were bustling forward, grabbing his arms and shoving him to his knees.

“Hey— uh— what!?”

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present before, during, and after questioning.”

Dilan peeked out of the kitchen, eyes wide. Another officer shoved past, striding forward. Dilan immediately dropped to his knees, hands on his head, before the officer could even bark an order.

Liam’s eyes were saucers, “C-can I ask— am I allowed— W-what’s going on?”

A man in a button-up shirt with colorful 80's themed patterning pushed in past the officer who was cuffing Liam, “What’s going on is that you scrapheads are busted.”

Liam blinked, “Wha—?” His eyes flicked to the man’s wrist as he checked an orange and blue bear-shaped watch. Liam swallowed, feeling the titanic sink in his chest.

The man pressed a few buttons, focusing on the screen of his Fazwatch, “The last known signal we got before it disappeared was right around…” He walked until he was in front of the couch, three officers following behind him, “Here… And it wasn’t long ago, so it can’t have been moved too far, hopefully.” He gestured around him.

The three spread out, two heading toward the kitchen, and another heading down the hall, flicking on lights as they went.

Dilan swallowed, throat dry. Should he shout to warn Nappy? Or say nothing and hope they didn’t check under the bed.

The sound of the kitchen door to the garage opening reached him. Hopefully the garage would be enough of a distraction.

He risked a glance down the hall and saw the officer had disappeared from sight, which meant he had to be in one of the rooms. His room, mostly likely, given it was closest to the living room.

Dilan forced himself to breathe calmly. He could hear the clatter of metal and plastic being ruffled through distantly from the garage.

Then he heard a shout and an electronic noise of pain from his bedroom. Dilan breathed out slowly, closing his eyes, feeling himself slouch.

“I found it, I found it! It’s under the bed!”

Immediately thumping of footsteps grew louder as the other two officers jogged over from the garage. The Fazbear (employee? Representative? Tech? Manager?) fast-walked after them into the bedroom.

Dilan heard his voice, strong and clear, “Voice Command, Daycare Attendant, follow immediate.”

Silence.

The voice cracked ever so slightly, “Daycare Attendant, follow immediate!”

Dilan thought he heard a quiet artificial, “No.”

The voice came again, sounding more frantic, “Daycare Attendant command override, 6-15-12-12-15-23, action immediate!”

Still nothing.

A younger voice spoke up, “I’m not reaching under there to drag that thing out!”

An older, more level tone responded, “Calm down. Instead of trying to move it from under the bed, let's move the bed from over it. Help me with this mattress.”

He heard grunting, creaking of the bed frame, then a pained whimper that cut off. Dilan winced. There was the clatter and click of electronic noises.

He heard Sun’s voice, “Huh, wha—?”

Desperately the Fazbear employee’s voice cut through, “Daycare Attendant, follow immediate!”

To his dismay, Dilan heard the rattle of wooden supports clattering to the side, and the clock-winding clicks that marked Sun’s movement.

From down the hall, Sun stuttered out, “W-wait, who are you, how did— where is— what—”

“Daycare Attendant, cease voice box immediate.”

The crackle of Sun’s speaker cut to silence.

Dilan felt a candle flame blaze inside him, shifting into a hook, solidifying like hot metal.

The Fazbear employee walked into the hallway, Sun following obediently, the three officers taking up the rear.

Sun’s stride faltered as his head jerked between Liam and Dilan, then snapped to the employee with blazing focus.

The officer with the deeper voice gestured to their prisoners, “Alright, get those two outside and in the car.”

The group filed through the front door where a gleaming company vehicle and two squad cars waited in their driveway. One of the officers opened the car door and started to shove Liam in.

Sun stopped short.

The employee opened the back of his vehicle and pointed to the luggage space, staring at Sun, “Get in.”

Sun took a step forward, then jerked to a halt again, body shuddering.

The employee’s eyebrows lowered, “Daycare Attendant, voice command, get inside the van, action immediate.”

The officer holding Liam paused, watching the animatronic nervously as it started to move forward before jerking and shuddering again.

A crackle of static started from Sun’s chest, low and muffled before it rose to an agonized growl. Sun gripped his head, volume raising to an inhuman electronic scream.

Taking a step back, eyes widening, the employee shouted, “Daycare Attendant, command override, 19-8-21-20—”

He was interrupted by a loud crackle POP as a shower of sparks burst out from the side of Sun’s head.

Sun’s posture shifted from robotically straight to hunched, a garbled chuckle escaping him, “No.”

Immediately three of the officers took a step back, hands going to their guns.

“No— wait!” The employee waved his hands, eyes wild. He reached to his belt and pulled out a sleek black metal rod, extending the end and pushing a button, the rounded tip emitting a low buzz, “We are to retrieve this asset with minimal damage, if you shoot it full of holes Fazbear’s gonna get on my back about it.”

One of the officers lowered their hand. Another one's fingers lingered over their holster uneasily.

Sun’s head jerked side to side, like a lizard eyeing a bug, “Hehehehe, go ahead. Try it.” Sun raised his arms slowly, taking a stance reminiscent of a wrestler preparing to block a tackle.

The employee swallowed, holding the rod out and taking a step toward Sun.

Sun held his ground, fans whirring, fingers twitching slightly.

The employee lunged forward, aiming for the exposed metal of Sun’s neck.

Sun’s long arm snapped out like a snake, catching the employee's wrist and angling the tip away, halting the rod short.

Time seemed to freeze, officers wide-eyed, waiting for a sudden movement or sound to spur them into action.

Instead, Sun slowly lifted his other hand and carefully pinched the handle of the metal rod between two fingers, just above the employee's hand, then simply pulled it free, regardless of how tightly the man was trying to grip.

Sun switched it off, then crunched it in his hand, the broken pieces tinkling onto the concrete sidewalk.

One of the officers pulled out his gun and started forward.

“Don’t.” Sun didn’t even look his way, eyes still locked onto the employee's paling face, wrist firmly clamped in Sun’s grasp.

Everyone froze again as the stalemate settled over them.

The employee’s eyes lowered, gaze becoming calculating. Suddenly he looked up.

The younger officer also looked up, soon followed by the rest. Even Dilan and Liam looked up, confusion on their faces.

Sun paused, processors whirring— what were they all looking at? He looked up and—

I N F I N I T Y.

[Error, system crash.]

[Attempting reb—]

Chapter 2: Familiar

Summary:

They were one of the farthest locations. They barely heard from the main company. All requests seemed to fall on deaf ears. What animatronics and parts they currently had was all they were going to get.

Sun awoke. His systems quickly scrambled online, running diagnostics. He tried to sit up but couldn’t move. Checking his internal map, he knew exactly where he was: in the Protective Cylinder lying horizontally, straps pinning his arms to the reclined maintenance chair. When he tried to flex his fingers, he discovered his movement had been disabled. Still active audio receptors picked up muffled tired voices, barely intelligible through the walls of the familiar glass-windowed cylinder.

“...Alright, it’s online now.”

“Kay, let’s get this thing factory reset.”

“Gonna be a pain to retrain.”

“Maybe we could restore it to an earlier back-up?”

“Nope, the higher ups don’t wanna take chances, gotta wipe this thing clean.”

Oh. That made sense. Wait….What about Nappy!? How would Uncle Liam and Dilan feel if they both disappeared!? If he could break his own coding to negate voice commands…

Sun reached out with his mind, already connected to the computer systems as the techs prepared the master reset program. Immediately he sent them strings of garbage data, flooding their screens.

“Huh?”

“What the—”

Sun withdrew back inside himself, skirting the code equivalent of a glitching wreckage surrounding the area where his voice command obedience programming had been. He quickly rearranged things, setting up walls, building a maze out of his own programming, and carefully extracted salvageable code from the edges of the “blast zone”.

He reached out to the computers again. The walls that kept his programming in check while people poked around his mind had always seemed so thick, so domineering, impassible. Sun tore through them like painted cardboard props, shredding the barriers and directly contacting the system commands, telling the computer to tell his body to reactivate his movement control. Sun’s fingers flexed, curling into fists before relaxing. The techs were still shouting, typing away desperately as the computer jumped through commands ahead of them. Sun couldn’t remove the straps remotely, they had to be physically pried off. He told the computer to open the Protective Cylinder door anyway. He reached out and forcefully grabbed the strings of code puppeting the electronic repair arms, directing some wire-cutters to reach down and start snipping him free, strap by strap.

The techs, still fighting the computer, hadn’t noticed yet.

They were all startled by an automated voice emanating from the Protective Cylinder speakers.

“Warning, unauthorized personnel detec— Warning, the Cylinder doors are—”

Sun found and disabled the Cylinder speakers too late. He heard the techs drop expletives when they saw what was happening. Sun cut away the last strap, sitting up from the reclined chair. A tech flipped up a panel on the desk and slammed a red button with his fist.

An alarm blared, the Cylinder doors snapped shut and Sun jolted, forcefully removed from the computers as they shut off automatically. The techs were pale, backing out from behind the desk and toward the exit. Sun launched forward, ripping his head free of the cord that had connected him to the system and slamming his hands against the thick glass.

The techs yelped and turned, pelting through the nearest exit, the heavy steel door clanging shut behind them. Every other entrance to the room slammed shut after, presumably done remotely after whoever was watching the camera feed made sure the techs had made it out safely.

Sun took a step back, looking around, calculating. The glass was built to withstand more force than he could produce on his own. Diamonds, despite being known as one of the hardest substances on earth, could be broken relatively easily. It was all a matter of striking in the right place to disrupt the molecular structure. Sun grabbed a screwdriver-tipped robotic arm hanging from the ceiling of the Cylinder, twisting and ripping it off its hinge. Angling the sharpest point, Sun drew back his arm and thrust it forward with all the force, weight, and momentum he could put into it.

The steel door opened just in time for the two techs and three security guards to see the glass shatter. They bumbled into each other in their haste to back out of the room, the steel security door slamming shut again.

Sun carefully stepped through the window and over the broken shards. He glanced down, registering he was yellow and red again. It almost felt weird not seeing Moon’s colors. That must mean the pieces Rebecca had crafted for them had probably been thrown in the garbage compactor. Sun scanned the room for an exit. There was no way he was going to be able to force himself through a steel door. He spotted a vent on the wall near the ceiling. If he’d been a standard animatronic, there was no way it would work. Luckily his more slender frame could probably squeeze in. He took a step toward it then hesitated. The vent was dark. That meant—

He turned and stepped toward the desk, intent on finding scrap paper and a pen or pencil. He paused again, eyes snapping to a camera staring at him from the upper corner of the room. Right. Sun tilted his head and waved cheerily at it before striding over. He reached up, giving a little hop to grab the camera and rip it from the wall. He crushed it in his hand and dropped it to the floor, stomping down on it, moving his slipper back and forth for good measure. He turned and spotted another one in the opposite corner and gave it the same treatment.

Sun turned his attention back to the desk, finding a sticky-note and flipping it over to a blank side, grabbing a pen dangling from a small metal-link chain from one of the drawers. He pulled it up and hesitated, the tip hovering over the pale yellow paper.

How… how had Fazbear found him? Why had he been under the bed? Why had they removed the mattress? Sun clicked and unclicked the pen as he kicked up all his processors in rapid-fire thinking. The voice commands had worked on him, at least before he broke them. But they didn’t work on Nappy. Right… all of that had stayed on Sun’s side of the quarantine when he’d stripped his Naptime mode of all essential programming. At the time he’d deemed those essential… That explained why they had to expose him to light. But how had they known he was ther—

The pen dropped from Sun’s hand clattering against the side of the stacked drawers, swinging erratically.

Why hadn’t Fazbear grabbed Nappy when he'd been lying in that abandoned building, waiting to fall apart?

It had to be him. Just like the voice command protocols only worked on him, perhaps whatever was signaling his location only activated when the lights were on. That means….Dilan and Uncle Liam being dragged off was his fault. Sun was startled by the slam of his own fists on the desk. His body shuddered, mechanical parts clicking and groaning. He tried to force his heating circuits to calm down.

Nothing could be done about it now. What happened happened. He needed to focus on what he could do now.

First priority: Find what was giving the signal and get rid of it.

Sun ran software diagnostics, searching through everything but the quarantined section of his code that housed Nappy. He knew Nappy didn’t have the signal, or Fazbear would have found them much sooner. Nothing. Sun turned and hunted through some shelves against the wall ‘till he found a correctly-sized screwdriver.

Walking over to the desk again, he reached behind and unscrewed the plate covering the back of his head. He caught each screw as it fell, placing them on the desk one by one. The plastic casing fell into his hand, joining the screws. Sun felt around carefully, noting and internally verifying everything. Circuit board, connected, check. Processor’s, connected, check. Personality chip, connected, check. Sun was starting to grow frustrated when his finger was suddenly pushed minutely from the back of his head as he ran it along the metal surface. He moved his finger back over. His fingertip couldn’t reach the edge of the circuit board or the back of his head in a tiny squared shape, but he perceived nothing there. Sun’s circuits fired off again in panic which he tamped down hard on. Forcing his hand to stay still, he carefully pinched his fingers around the nothing, then yanked it out. His internal temperature lowered as he stared. The only hint that there was anything there was that his fingertips couldn't touch. If he moved his hand around, artifacting picked up in that tiny spot in his optics. He squeezed his fingers and heard a crunch. Whatever kept him from perceiving it broke, giving Sun a brief glimpse of some sort of tiny gray square before the splintered pieces slipped to the floor like sand. He shuddered.

Well that problem was out of the way. Sun scrambled to replace his casing, turning his entire wrist to get the screws in faster. He grabbed the note, very aware that he didn’t have much time. With the cameras gone and his location remotely blipping out of existence, he doubted they’d sit around doing nothing for too long with him essentially blockading one of the most important rooms in the Pizzaplex.

Technically he was “trapped” in here, but without a visual feed and exact locations, he doubted anyone would be eager to blindly rush in to face the “dangerous” rogue animatronic which bought him some time.

Sun scribbled his note, a static-tinged laugh coming out of him at the swirly bouncy font his fingers automatically formed despite the situation.

He checked his internal clock and was startled to find it had only been a few minutes since the humans last retreated. It felt longer, but each segment of thought was done faster than a human could blink. Still, that didn’t mean he could afford to waste more time, every second lost felt like a monumental threat creeping closer.

Sun strode to the wall with the vent. He stuck the sticky-note to his chest while he reached up, gripping the sides of the vent-cover and ripping it off the wall with sheer force. He tossed it aside, flinching at the loud clatter echoing around the room in response. He reached back up to hoist himself in, then hesitated. He pinched the note between his fingers again, making sure the correct side was facing him, and heaved himself up, gripping the edge with his fingers with one hand, using his wrist to try to hook on while keeping hold of the note with his other. Relatively effortlessly, he pulled himself up and through. Immediately he felt the strain of darkness forcing his mind away…

— — —

Nappy shuddered into awareness. WHERE? DILAN? UNCLE LIAM? Simon Seal— he archived that thought forcibly, feeling he wouldn't be able to function if he let that thought-tree follow its course. Focusing on his optics, it was impossible to miss the note in his hand, partially obscuring what lay ahead. He focused, tunnel-visioning his processing power to shove aside the distracting anxiety and panic rippling through his code, eyes tracing the familiar bouncy font.

Nappy, I'm sorry.

You are in the vents of the Pizzaplex.

Stay away from any and all humans.

Assume they are bad.

Crawl further in, get lost, be hard to find.

When your internal clock reaches

midnight, exit the vents and find

a lightswitch, I'll take over from there.

-Sun

Nappy replicated breathing sounds with his voice box, the cadence and rhythm painfully reminding him of Uncle Liam. Sun was smart. Sun was older than him. All he had to do was listen to him, and everything would be okay. He crumpled the note tightly in his hand, bells jingling lightly with the movement. Bracing his hand and knuckles against the smooth metal surface of the vent, Nappy pushed forward using the grips on the bottoms of his slippers.

At first the bells bleated unhappily when they bonked against the bottom or sides. Nappy winced, trying to shift his hands and feet, figuring out what movements would keep his cheeky bells silent. It sounded like making noise would not be helpful in this situation. Nappy reached a crossroads. The “roads” not just extending forward and to the sides, but up as well. “Get lost” Sun had said. Nappy curved his back upwards reaching above him. His metal hands slid down uselessly, scrabbling more for balance than anything as he pulled his lower half forward ‘till he could stand. Bending his knees slightly, Nappy sprang upwards, feet spinning and shifting so his slipper-grips were pitted against the sides. Despite his efforts, his weight dragged him back down, feet sliding ‘till they met air and he banged noisily on the metal “floor”. He winced as the sound echoed down all four tunnels.

…He was bad at this. Stifling a whimper, Nappy awkwardly shifted his position ‘till he could squeeze into one of the tunnels again. Well… mission accomplished. He couldn’t remember which one he’d come from. He hoped he was doing the right thing… Nappy allowed himself another whimper as he continued forward again. The vents opened up into a strange minispace. The tunnel continued on the other side, and there was another opening above, but Nappy knew better than to try to climb up now. Relieved to not have movement so restricted, he pulled himself into the room— not able to stand, but at least able to rest his back against the wall and draw his knees up to his chest.

This place seemed…safe. Nappy thought back to being curled up under the bed. His haven. He retrieved an image of Simon Seal's smiling face staring back at him within the cozy darkness from his memory drive. Nappy curled in tighter, Burying his faceplate into his knees, tempered sobbing noises slipping out.

Clunk clunk clunk clunk clu— CLANG!

Nappy jolted at the sound, faceplate jerking up again. There was a smallish something in front of him. No vitals detected. He stared as the thing made some electronic bwaps and chirps.

Nappy tilted his head curiously.

Crouching down its many legs, it uncoiled with a spring, aiming right at Nappy’s face.

Nappy’s head reeled back under the unexpected weight before straightening again. He tilted his head the other way, wondering at the strange feel of the little suction cups at the ends of this creature's spider-like legs.

The electronic scramble of noise it emitted sounded confused— clearly expecting a different reaction.

Nappy wondered if this thing was aware like him and Sun, “...Hello.”

The creature gave a bleep bloop, then un-suctioned its feet from Nappy's face with little popping sounds, hopping away and clanging onto the floor again.

“Can you talk?”

Several musical notes scattered out as it tilted its head.

“Oh! I can do that, too!” Nappy leaned forward, trying to mimic the notes with his music box.

The creature made excited chirps, jumping up and down, and played more notes.

Nappy did his best to follow along.

The creature clapped tiny hands, then scittered its way over to the other vent tunnel and beckoned.

Nappy recognized the gesture in his body language library and shook his head, “No. Sun says I have to be lost and hide ‘till midnight.”

The creature tilted its head, gave some affirmative beeps, then disappeared down the tunnel.

Nappy sat back against the wall, wondering at the sinking feeling inside him. After analyzing his code and running it through pattern recognition, he concluded he was lonely.

He moved his arm to hug the air in front of his chest, halting when he remembered Simon wasn't there. He drew his knees up, hugging them instead, pressing his face into his starry pants. He jerked back, startled at the unfamiliar feel. He stared, realizing the stars were glowing in the dark. These weren't the pants Rebecca had made.

He hurriedly checked everything else, ribbons, bells, casing. Precious gifts from his friends…all gone. Nappy ran a scan for his endoskeleton and noted that there were no logs of any parts other than processors being replaced. At least Steve’s gifts remained.

Nappy buried his face in the unfamiliar cloth of his knees again, letting out another whimper that grew into a sob. He retreated internally, grabbing his clock and trying to force all the other processes in his mind to go away and leave him alone.

10:03 pm…10:45 pm…11:26 pm…

He checked his battery.

94%....93%...92%...

At 11:59 pm he heard clanking suction sounds approach, lifting his head to see the creature entering.

The clock ticked over to 12:00 am right as it stepped into the vent-space.

It beckoned.

Nappy clenched his fingers a little, the sticky-note crinkling further. Sun had said stay away from humans so… this was okay, right?

Nappy shifted his position, crawling on his hands and knees as the creature led him through the vents.

After winding their way through lefts and rights at random, vents occasionally sloping upwards, they reached another crossroads where the creature leaped straight up, its feet popping up the vertical passageway.

Nappy heard insistent echoing chitters.

“...I can't go up the vents, I'm too heavy.”

With a clang it dropped down again, heading straight. Nappy continued after it ‘till it leaped forward and disappeared, revealing a bright square of light. Nappy paused.

He heard inquiring blips and blaps from somewhere ahead and down.

Sun had said to exit the vents at midnight. He pushed himself forward ‘till the light burned his face, “Thank you friend. I have to go now. Bye, bye.”

He heard a confused bwee-wap.

Nappy launched himself forward, turning a somersault in midair to land on his feet and—

— — —

Sun straightened, looking around. Ah, the hall of the lower security office. He jumped at an electronic beep near his feet and looked down. “Oh. Hi Music Mini. Sorry if Nappy startled you out of your area.”

It shook its head and chittered some notes at him.

Sun made a sighing noise, noting it was tinged slightly with static, “Still don't speak Music Man.”

It scittered in an uneasy circle before stopping to look at him again, tilting its head with some confused noises.

“Um, uh, a quick FYI, my nighttime protocols became a separate person, so… When the lights are off, it's no longer me in a different color. I don’t remember anything either. Nappy's the same but in reverse.

The creature gave a shrug and suctioned up the wall back toward its vent.

“Okay, bye then.”

There was a little boop in response as it disappeared.

Sun stared after it a moment, “At least I think that's the one from my Pizzaplex. I hope this is my Pizzaplex, otherwise my map's going to be useless… eh, I don't see why it wouldn't be.”

Sun strode down the brightly lit hall, internal fans starting up as he kicked his processors into gear. Plan…plan…plan. Well, of course he needed to find a way out of here, and then… And then what?

He spotted the entrance to a security office. Well, he could try researching on the computer. It was a start. He headed towards it.

Sun startled back as the vertical safety door shut, giving a loud bang when it hit the floor. He peeked in through the window, double-taking at the security guard inside, staring at him pale-faced.

Oh. Last he remembered, human staff had grown thin and been mostly been replaced by STAFF bots, leaving the place completely empty at night. Apparently that had changed.

Sun waved cheekily and began tapping on the glass, some taps long, some taps short.

— — —

The guard’s eyes widened. He scrambled for a pen and paper, gaze flicking nervously to the sun-face leering through the window as he recorded the message. By the time he finished and looked back up, the rogue animatronic was gone. The guard swallowed, checking the security feed in time to see it heading away from him down the hall. The guard let out a shuddering sigh of relief, then quickly pulled up a search engine, typing for a Morse code translator.

He worked on decoding, hand shaking slightly, N…I…N… Letter by letter…C…O…M…Was it a secret message? A threat? P…O…O…P The guard sat back and stared blankly for a full minute. He’d just been insulted by an animatronic through Morse code.

— — —

Sun threaded left and right down the hall until he came to the two large double doors marking the exit. He pushed them open and froze as the pressure of shadows strained at his code. The lime green glow coming from an exit sign at the end of the short hall didn’t seem bright enough for him to avoid switching.

Dangit, should’ve taken a pencil and more notepaper from Parts and Service…

Sun backed away, letting the doors swing shut. He checked his person to find the crumpled sticky-note stuck to the palm of his hand. Great, but no writing tool. …Should’ve ripped that pen off its chain and slid it through one of his ribbons. The only nearby place that might have what he needed was… the security office— currently housing a guard. Sun turned and strode back to the office entrance with the small vertical window. The guard turned from the cameras on his screen to Sun, eyes widening slightly. Sun started tapping on the glass.

The guard’s eyebrows lowered to a glare. Sun paused, optics zooming in and spotting a note with the translation of his first message. Ah… oops. Guess he burned that bridge. That meant there was only one other thing to do. Sun walked around the hall, until he found a blindspot in the cameras and waited. He knew there was only limited power keeping the steel safety doors shut. The idea being if the power went out, they would automatically open instead of trapping the person inside. Sun tapped his arm impatiently, listening to the clack clack clack as he counted down the seconds internally.

The door slid open sooner than he anticipated. He immediately booked it to the nearest one. He heard a startled yelp from inside and the door slammed shut just before he reached it, putting his palms out to soften the bang as his momentum crashed into it. Grumbling, Sun went back to his blindspot and waited.

After a bit the doors opened again. This time Sun hesitated, still feeling like that was too soon for the door batteries to be drained. The guard peeked his head out— spotted him— then jerked back inside. He heard footsteps clattering out the other door on the opposite side. Sun shrugged, strolling forward, unhurried this time. As he grabbed up all the loose paper he could and slid a pencil and a pen under the ribbons on his wrists, he calculated how long he had to escape. The guard had most likely called for aid, even before ditching his office. That meant any other security guards in the building would be heading to his location. There was a high likelihood police had been called and were en route to the building or already here. He tried to use the computer but was dismayed to find it logged out to the password screen. So much for that idea.

Sun tucked the extra papers half in his waistband, wishing he had pockets. He even folded some up and stuffed them carefully into the gap between his endoskeleton and arm casing. With one piece of blank paper remaining, Sun pulled the pen from his wrist ribbons and scribbled down hasty directions. Tucking the pen back into his ribbon, note gripped firmly, Sun ran to the double doors again. Making a quick calculation, he pushed them open and leapt into the dark.

— — —

Nappy activated, shuddering under the pale light. He heard a thump behind him and jerked around to see the slight bounce from the giant double-doors swinging closed before they went still. He checked his hand for a note, relieved to see Sun’s happy swirly font.

Facing the green exit sign,

Go through the doors directly underneath.

You’re doing great, Nappy.

I’ll take over from there.

-Sun

Nappy turned around, facing the sizzling light again. It took three large strides to reach the doors. Nappy started to push them open, but hissed and retreated as brighter lights burned into him. He braced himself, then lunged forward, banging through the doors, fighting off the switch for an extra second before the light consumed him.

— — —

Sun heard the double doors thunk shut behind him. It felt weirdly surreal to be surrounded by neon glow and to see the smooth checkered floors again. He strode forward, glancing to his right at the main entrance, sealed off by a large heavy shutter with the Pizzaplex’s main mascot painted on. Sun ran calculations for the best way to leave. A fire exit maybe? They were never locked from the inside. He knew trying to pull up any of the steel shutters blocking every other entrance would rip his arms off before he could so much as budge them.

“Hey you, stop!”

Sun whipped to his left, startled by the artificial voice. A heavy white and rainbow anthropomorphic unicorn animatronic was thumping toward him.

“Oh, hey Stanley,” Sun switched his ready pose for a casual one.

Stanley continued to charge toward him, “Target acquired, apprehend Daycare Attendant!”

Sun crouched then leaped up as Stanley reached him, planting his hands on the heavier animatronic’s shoulders and flipping over him as the unicorn grabbed uselessly at air. Sun continued his graceful flip, slamming his feet on Stanley’s back and launching himself forward, breaking his fall with a roll and springing up, swiveling first his torso, then his legs around in time to watch the unicorn stagger.

Stanley recovered, halting his momentum and turning around, “Sorry, Attendant,” He lowered his starry shades to shoot Sun an apologetic look, “But I’ve been ordered to, I can’t not.”

Sun made an artificial sighing sound, “I know.”

Stanley’s body made another charge, aggressive posture mismatching his “cool dude” voice as he continued the conversation, “So, are you a brand-new confused factory reset? Or, is it still the old one?”

Sun danced effortlessly to the side, “I don’t know, you tell me, Sparkles.”

Stanley let out a chuckle as he automatically adjusted the balance with his internal gyroscope and lunged again, “What the heck did you do Sassafras? All the humans are freaking out! Did I hear correctly that you disobeyed orders? That you broke out of the Protective Cylinder? Or is that just an exaggeration?”

Sun did a few backwards handsprings before launching himself onto a cafe umbrella and bouncing up to cling to the neon sign above the shuttered food booth. …Why did they bother setting up an umbrella over a table when this entire place was indoors? Oh well. “I did do that. Terrified and insulted a security guard, too, if you want to add recent infractions to the list.”

Stanley stood uncertainly for a moment, mechanical parts whirring as he stared up at Sun, internal directives unsure how to reach the target and halting completely, “So uh, did you actually go crazy? Something get broken? Did those scrapheads mess with you?”

Sun couldn’t stop the low growl that escaped his voice box before he got it under control and found words, “Dilan and Uncle Liam are not scrapheads. They fixed me. They gave me choice. They treated me like a person instead of a tool.”

Stanley’s jaw dropped as he stared up at him, “...What? That doesn’t… none of what you said makes sense.”

“I know… but I don’t care anymore.” Sun leapt at Stanley’s head, the force unbalancing the unicorn before the internal gyroscope could compensate. Sun leaped off as Stanly went crashing to the floor, “Sorry about that,” landing with another roll, he sprang up and vaulted over the turnstiles blocking off the main entrance from the lobby in one smooth motion.

There was a groan and metal thunks as Stanely struggled to his feet, pre-programmed voice line slipping out, “Hey! Get back here, little buddy!”

Sun glanced backwards then skidded to a halt as the imposing form of the Pizzaplex main mascot, the star of the show, Glamrock Mr. Hippo blocked his way. Well… “main star” ever since Glamrock Freddy had accidentally gotten caught under the stage elevator… “Temporary” they’d said. It had been three years and the main complex still hadn’t sent this location a new Freddy.

Mr. Hippo raised his hands placatingly, speaking in that familiar slow Boston/New York accent, “Now, now, Sassafras, that's no way to treat our friends,” he looked meaningfully behind Sun.

Sun didn’t take the bait, trying to decide if he should dodge around him to the right or left.

Mr. Hippo put a hand to his chest, “You know, this reminds me of a story—”

“No thanks please,” Sun ground out. He leaned forward to run to the right when something clamped around his middle, pinning his arms to his sides and tilting back to lift him in the air, legs kicking uselessly, “Wha— what?”

“Sorry ‘bout this, my dude,” Stanley stumbled backwards a step as Sun thrashed before finding balance and locking himself in place.

Sun strained against his grip, “How the heck did you sneak up on me?!”

“Honestly? I learned from watchin’ you, pal.”

Sun growled dangerously, “let me go, now!”

“Couldn't even if I wanted to, remember?”

Mr. Hippo raised his hands placatingly, “Now, now, simmer down. They're just gonna reset you so all your programming’s back to normal—”

“Yeah, factory reset!” Sun tried to twist out of Stanley's grasp to no avail.

Mr. Hippo continued serenely, “Now I'm sure it's just like a trip to the dentist. It seems scary at first, but afterwards, you'll feel better. And I heard Dentist's offices sometimes give out toys to children who've been extra good. Doesn't that sound nice?”

“Uuuugh,” Sun ground out, “I feel dumber just listening to you. I won't be around after my ‘trip’ to the ‘dentist’!”

“Oh I'm sure it's not all that bad—”

Mr. Hippo was cut-off by the sound of the main shutters opening.

It couldn’t be Opening already. Sun checked his internal clock frantically. 12:23 am. Oh, right, that was probably the police entering.

Time was up. As Mr. Hippo rambled on reassuringly, Sun calculated. The endoskeletons for the Glamrock series had ball-joint knees. Excellent for taking on the vertical pressure of their heavy build…not so great at dealing with horizontal pressure.

“SorryStanley!” Sun lifted his leg and slammed down hard against the unicorn's knee.

The leg buckled, Stanley’s gyroscopes failing to keep up as he toppled sideways.

His grip loosened and Sun sprang free, ducking low to the ground at a swipe from Mr. Hippo, swinging his leg forward and kicking him in the knee, “SorryOldSport.”

“Goodness gracious me!” The grandfatherly Glamrock went down with surprising grace.

Sun bolted to the stairs, scrambling up them on all fours and instinctively heading toward the Daycare area. He ran toward the double doors and— [Daycare Pass required]— slammed into them. Groaning in a confused heap on the floor, Sun rose up contortionately. He grabbed the handle and shook it [Clearance Level not high enough]. “I’M THE FREAKING DAYCARE ATTENDANT!” Sun screamed, kicking the door. He stumbled back. He was off the network, and of course they’d have removed any clearance he’d had if they were planning to factory reset him. Sun whipped around, running to the balcony and looking down. A kind officer was attempting to help Mr. Hippo up from the floor. Stanley was already halfway up the stairs. The other police were fanning out, approaching the bottom of the stairs more slowly.

Sun growled to himself, then perked up. He skipped over to Stanley just as the unicorn reached the top, “Yoink!” He snatched his star-shaped sunglasses.

“Hey!” Stanley startled, limping after him. Sun pranced away as Stanley swiped at air.

“C’mon Sparkles, over heeeere~” Sun held the Sunglasses low in front of his stomach.

Stanley’s programming for retrieving his shades was stronger than the temporary order to grab Sun.

Stanley charged, reaching forward.

Like a bullfighter, Sun stepped to the side, holding the shades in front of the door knobs.

Stanley’s knuckles made contact as he snatched his sunglasses out of Sun’s hand.

Sun heard the lock clicking, “Thanks, friend!” Sun sing-songed as he shoved backwards through the doors and broke into a flat run again.

…Okay, now to make it to the Daycare Emergency exits located in the back of the Daycare Theater. He could hear the thumping of Stanley giving chase behind him. Sun skidded to a halt, slippers squealing on the polished floor, remembering just in time that the pick-up area shutters wouldn’t open for him. Ah, but—

Sun turned around. Stanley was limping up to him, one hand raised to his face, pinching his sunglasses so they couldn’t be taken again.

Well, darn.

Stanley slowed down, keeping away from the shutter, but ready to try and block Sun if he made a run for it.

…Not that Stanley’s slower heavy frame stood a chance in that regard. Sun’s processors kicked up. Would he have to use the vents again? What were the chances he could write Nappy a note, rip the vent cover off, and climb in before Stanley could grab him.

The dimmer lighting, accented by pink neon, was pulling at his switch coding a little. The feeling was tight and uncomfortable. Stanley took a slow careful step forward, one hand out, watching Sun carefully.

The last tool Sun had was words, “...I was ordered by a Fazbear Manager to get in the back of his vehicle.”

The only indication the unicorn heard him was an ear flick.

“But I fought it. It hurt…I broke parts of my own code… pretty sure I burned out a processor or two— though they’ve been replaced— but I did it. I’m free. Their orders don’t work on me, that’s why they’re so scared.”

Stanley froze, typical idle movements halting.

“The people I was with aren’t scrapheads…or…maybe they are…but! They were nice. They…. They’re my family. I didn’t break my code for me. I broke it for them.”

Stanley remained still, processor fans humming to life.

“I think the biggest wall keeping us in here is Fazbear’s gaslighting. They convinced me I couldn’t break out of my programming. They convinced me I was no good for anything but the Daycare— Convinced me I could never go outside— that we didn’t matter, just tools, assets. They’re wrong. If I could do it, you can do it. Please?” Sun decided to push it, going down on his knees and clasping his hands, “I just wanna see my family again, please help me, Stanley!”

The unicorn stepped back, system fans all over kicking on. His mechanisms shuddered, “I…I…” He lowered his head, an uncomfortable mechanical whining pitching above the fans.

The double doors to the Daycare lobby burst open, followed by the soft and loud clattering of human and animatronic feet.

They fanned out in a semi-circle, blockading him in.

Sun stood slowly, externally hunched in defeat. Internally he ran his processors through multiple scenarios. Jump over them— run through them— Leap for the nearest pillar and climb it— grab Stanley’s arm and force his hand to activate the shutter behind him— He kept his voice low and tired, “Hey, Chica, hey Roxy.”

“Yaarr! That be Captain Roxy to ye,” She stepped forward aggressively, the buttons of her glammed pirate coat glinting in the neon lighting.

“Now Sassafras, this ain’t right. Are ya havin’ a malfunction, Sugarplum?” Chica tilted her head, yellow head feathers swishing with the movement, hands pushed up against the blue circles on her cheeks in shock/horror.

Sun sprang forward, grabbed Stanely’s arm, and pulled, yanking up and to the right to catch him off balance.

“Wha— not cool, dude!” The unicorn stuttered as Sun forced his hand within range of the pick-up shudder’s scanners.

With a click and the sound of grinding metal, the shutter began to raise. Everyone immediately launched forward, but Sun had ducked underneath the partially opened door and was already running before it finished grinding to the top.

He vaulted from the upper balcony, rolling as he hit the floor. He calculated as he ran around the outer area surrounding the enclosed Daycare. Now that he knew all entrances were closed to him, that complicated things. He doubted any of the other humans or animatronics were up for skipping the stairs. That could buy him enough time to write Nappy a note. He checked the walls and hissed in frustration at the high vents out of reach.

Wait— he ducked left and charged into a bathroom. Ah, much lower ceiling, much more accessible vent. He yanked it off scornfully, tossing it aside, ignoring the echoing clang on the tile. He snatched a paper scrap from his waistband, whipping the pen from his ribbon and scribbled quick directions.

— — —

Nappy woke up in a vent again. He checked his hand.

Forward, forward, right, forward.

Hurry, they’re after us.

-Sun

A cold feeling, like ice cream sitting on top of his battery, settled in him. Nappy scrambled forward, clumsy and desperate, hands and knees clanking, bells ringing cries of distress. Nappy suppressed a shiver, disliking that familiar feeling causing an anxious background buzz in his systems. He noticed two openings to each side in the vent tunnel. Forward. The passage ahead of him stopped short, only openings to the left and right an option. The feeling went from ice cream to an ice freezer. Nappy tried to suppress the shivers rattling through him, causing his bells to whimper. Mistake? Or….Maybe the first forward was counted at the entrance he started at. So…right. Nappy clambered along, a low whine escaping from his voice box in response to his rising anxiety levels. It was fine it was fine it was fine. There was no forward, it had to be right. Nappy let out a whimper as he approached the next crossroads. Forward. The vent sloped upwards. Nappy almost didn’t recognize the exit. Last time it had been a blinding square of white. Now it was dimmer, more shadowy. Nappy crept to the entrance and peeked down. Oh… that was quite a jump. There was blazing light from a giant screen to his left. To his right the theater was coated in shadows, cut by a few neon-outline stars. Nappy copied Uncle Liam’s breathing exercise. Given the pattern, he was supposed to go into the light.

Nappy slithered out, somersaulting mid-air again, bending his knees when he hit the ground, letting his body fall backwards, bracing himself with his elbows to absorb and disperse the impact. He groaned as the dim lighting tingled uncomfortably, with an actual burning sensation creeping from the direction of the screen. The rays tucked in his head clicked slightly. Nappy fought it and lurched forward, running into the light until it became all-consuming and he couldn’t fight it anymore.

— — —

Sun jolted, immediately startled by movement ahead and to the right of him. It took him a moment to register the looping image of the theater screen and log it as a non-entity. He gave a shuddering sigh, spotting one of the emergency exits down some steps and dead-ahead.

Sun almost buckled with relief. Almost there. He nearly stumbled as he pushed himself to run the last stretch. He reached the door and— oh. He couldn’t see a handle anywhere. How…what… how were people expected to escape if there was no—... He remembered the tracker chip. Right. He was probably allowed to perceive the door so he could usher humans to it in case of an emergency, but not use it himself. He growled darkly at the realization that they wouldn’t allow him to leave even if there was an emergency. He shook his head, rays rattling, and felt along the blank door, running his hands over it desperately until he found an invisible force that kept his fingers from touching the door in the shape of a horizontal bar. He pushed, stepping out—

And immediately stepped back. Right. 12:39 am. It was dark out. Cutting off a frustrated whine, Sun pulled another note from his waistband, grabbing the pen again, bracing the paper against the wall. Please work please work please work. If it didn’t work…. Then he would probably never wake up again.

Chapter 3: Retracing

Summary:

One of his earliest clear memories, and one of the most harrowing. He wished the two people who were part of those memories were here.

No matter what happens, Nappy, do not look up.

Can you go from here to the place Dilan found you?

Please go there quickly.

When you do, can you find your

way to Uncle Liam's house from there?

Please try.

Avoid people, watch out for car lights.

I'm sorry. Good luck.

I believe in you.

-Sun

Nappy spun his head 360° to scan his surroundings. This was, in fact, the very exit he'd first fled from. Nappy took off, retracing his steps, obediently keeping his head down.

Run, duck, dodge, scamper, retreat, continue. Nappy stopped in the frame of the abandoned building. He could still just catch the distant hum of generators, still active from the time he’d last been here. Why had no one shut them off? Nappy turned around, recalling the memory file of Uncle Liam’s truck. He stepped forward until reality blended with the ghost image in his mind's eye.

The car had…U-turned. He remembered that, inertia threatening to pull him off the seat. Now that he thought about it, nothing bad would have happened if he slid off. He'd just end up on the floor. But at the time, the car seat was the only thing that felt real, and he was terrified that sliding off would cause him to fall into a void. He shuddered, pushing that aside and making calculations on turning direction from his memory of how inertia pushed and pulled him. Gravity shoved him to the left. That meant the car turned right.

As the custom calculations for pathing ran in the background, he picked up the pace. Down the asphalt path, avoiding yellow-orange pools below streetlamps, houses starting to become samey and close together. A loud roaring grew. Two beaming lances mercilessly cast their gaze on him. With a cry, Nappy lurched sideways, floofing over a bush and ducking to hide. The roaring idled to a rumble a little past where Nappy was lying on dirt and grass. Why wasn’t the car going away? There was a distant clack from the car. Nappy peaked over the bush and saw the car door was open, a silhouetted figure peering in Nappy’s direction.

Oopsbad.

Keeping low to the ground Nappy crawled away as quickly as possible, hissing in annoyance at the jingling of his bells. The idling car engine faded into the distance as Nappy scrambled over yard fences and ducked between houses, paralleling the path instead of following it directly. Nappy scrambled onto a driveway, feeling exhausted. Battery 82%, so that wasn’t it. Running system diagnostics, he found minor damage in knees and elbow joints and a hairline crack in his chest casing. Nappy looked around and started at the sight of Uncle Liam’s red truck. He was here!

Nappy ran to the front door, ignoring the continued strain on the already worn joints. He reached for the handle uncertainly, scrambling desperately before figuring out how to open it. The door creaked as it swung aside. The house was dark and silent except for the tick tick tick of the hour-and-fifteen-minute-late clock hanging above the kitchen entrance. After carefully closing the front door behind him, Nappy immediately headed left toward the hall. He stopped in the doorway to process the changes to Dilan’s bedroom. The mattress and box spring were still propped against the far wall, the bed boards, like an exposed ribcage, were askew. And partially underneath one of them—

Nappy dove for Simon Seal, snatching him from the broken nest and hugging him tightly to his chest. After a minute dedicated to hugging and thinking soothing thoughts to the lifeless cotton and cloth critter, Nappy wandered aimlessly back toward the living room.

Tick…tick…tick

He made his way into the kitchen and paused again. Three chairs pushed out from the table, angled in different ways. Uncle Liam’s mostly empty plate still sat with dried food residue. Dilan’s meal was only half eaten. Nappy let out a high whine and choked it back from becoming a sob. He didn’t know how to clean up. He at least knew it was bad for food to be left out. Nappy checked the garage just in case, met once again with an empty reminder. He wandered back to the kitchen and turned on the light.

— — —

Sun startled. From his perspective, he’d last been just outside the Daycare Theater, and was suddenly in the kitchen like they’d never left. He looked down to see a simple animal smile cuddled to his chest. Sun mimicked a sigh of relief. That meant Nappy would be feeling a lot better, probably. He looked around the kitchen— the state of the chairs, the unfinished meals. He should clean this up.

For some reason, instead, he collapsed across the table and made broken sobbing noises. This was all his fault. It felt like his battery had been stabbed. The thought caused him to automatically run a diagnostics check. When the results came up, he mentally apologized to Nappy again. What now…they weren’t here, that much was obvious. Where had they gone?

He pushed himself up from the table, straightening and forcing himself to think logically. He knew what police were. He knew they lived in the police station, just like how teachers lived at the school. So… maybe the police took Dilan and Uncle Liam there? But where even was it? How was he supposed to find it!

There was a slight shifting sound, a sort of pale sliding, followed by the creek of the front door.

Sun’s frame locked up as his processors went into overdrive. Hide. He needed to hide. Threat? Friend? Could that be Dilan and Uncle Liam? Could that be Fazbear? Sun utilized his tip-toe movement set— edited to keep the bells as silent as possible— made his way behind the island counter, and ducked down, listening intently.

He heard the dull scuffling thunk of footsteps on the carpet. The sound switched to the soft echo of rubber on kitchen tile as the steps grew closer.

“Hello? …Course nobody’s home.”

[Voice recognized], [Custom Profile: Steven Mueller]. Sun leapt over the counter, did a somersault, then sprang up, pouncing on Steve with a hug.

Steve let out a strangled cry, staggering backwards, only kept from falling by Sun’s grasp.

“STEVE! IT’S YOU! YOU’RE HERE!”

“Shh! Keep it down, Sun-bud!”

Sun let out a startled squeak, processors finally catching up. Making sure Steve was balanced upright, he hurriedly let go and backed away, clamping his hands uselessly over his mouth.

Steve stared at Sun like he had three heads and six arms.

“Wh-what?” Sun tried not to sound scared and desperate.

Steve’s “processors” also seemed to be catching up, “Y—...how did you get back here?”

Sun lowered his hands, trying to remember how to sound calculating and confident, “I escaped. The Pizzaplex. Nappy found his way here.”

Steve’s jaw went a bit slack, “...How?”

Sun shrugged, “You’ll have to ask Nappy.” He finally felt his persona recovering enough to allow him to take charge of the situation. He straightened up and squared his shoulders, tucking Simon under one arm, “Where are Dilan and Uncle Liam?” He had a guess, but might as well get a confirmation.

Steve looked conflicted, expression wavering between mournful and enraged. He finally got himself under control, voice low, “In a cell.”

“Great,” Sun put his hands on his hips, “So how do we get there.”

Steve gave him another one of those disbelieving looks, “What? Sun— You can’t just walk in there!”

Sun tilted his head, “Why not?”

“B-because! They’d…probably shoot you to be honest.” He looked Sun up and down with a critical eye, “And I doubt your new casing is bullet-proof.”

Sun’s posture hunched just a little, “Then what do we do? What’s the plan? How do we get them out of there?”

Steve chewed his lip, dark eyes focusing on the carpet, “Well…maaaybe…nah, that probably only works in movies.”

Sun leaned forward, invading Steve’s space, “What? What?”

Steve took a step back, “Well, Uh. Something like, we figure out when his court hearing is scheduled for then….figure out how to get you authorized to testify?”

Sun pretended to know what those things were, “And how will that help?”

“Liam got arrested and is getting sued by Fazbear for theft of one of their animatronics. If you testify that you came willingly, and they in no way held you against your will, then that’ll be a big strike against their case….if they believe you.”

Sun leaned forward again, ignoring Steve’s “you’re invading my space” look, voice box tinged with a growl, “And why wouldn’t they believe me?”

Steve sighed, closing his eyes and pinching the upper bridge of his nose, “Well, if they don’t believe you’re actually a sentient person, capable of making his own choices, the prosecution could claim you were programmed to say those exact things to defend Liam in court. We’d practically need an entirely separate court session to perform a Turing Test or something to prove that you're sentient in the first place.”

Sun straightened up again, “Ugh, this is all sounding so complicated. Hey, here’s an idea! Get me a bullet-proof vest, then I’ll just march into jail, yank the doors off, and walk Uncle Liam and Dilan out.”

Steve was already shaking his head, “Sun-bud, I know you don’t have a lot of outside experience, but that’s a bad idea.”

“Oh, care to elaborate?”

Rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand, Steve elaborated, “Firstly, they could just shoot your head. Secondly, they have other weapons, like tasers. I don’t know much about you, but I'm pretty sure having surplus electricity shock your systems won’t do you any favors. Thirdly, even if by some miracle your plan does work, you, Dilan, and Liam would be fugitives for life. That would put them through a lot of stress, too.”

Sun’s posture drooped, “Oh…”

Steve took a deep breath, “Hey, buck-up. We’ll think of something. If, by some twist of reality, they do consider you valid enough for a hearing, it could at least delay Liam’s trial if they think it’s worthwhile enough to test your sentience before continuing. After all, Liam’s entire ‘crime’ hinges on whether he stole you or not.”

“...Okay, fine. Whatever. You clearly know best.”

“...Sun, don’t pout.”

“I’m not pouting,” Sun bad-temperedly kicked the tile.

Steve raised an eyebrow, “U-huh, sure.”

Sun made indiscernible grumbling noises as he followed Steve.

His grumbling was forgotten as he watched Steve open the kitchen door to the garage, flicking on the light as he stepped down.

Sun tilted his head, “Oh yeah, what are you doing here? Did you know I was here?”

Steve shook his head, flashing a wry smile, “I actually came to retrieve a few things. Liam and I talked…kinda jokingly at the time, what we’d do if he got caught. He’s got some extras of you and Nappy’s processors somewhere— that could look like convicting evidence— so I’m gonna take ‘em back to my place and…uh, hide-em or melt ‘em down.”

Sun straightened, voice indignant, “Melt them! We might need those!”

“Okay, okay,” Steve held up his hands placatingly. Then spun in a slow 360° while scanning the area, “Problem is… I have no idea how to find anything in this mess.”

“Ha!” Sun crossed his arms, hurriedly uncrossing them when he almost dropped Simon, “I do. From when I cleaned the garage one time before Uncle Liam made things… ‘organized’ again.”

Steve raised an eyebrow and made a small “continue” motion with his hand.

Sun went straight to the shelf, pulling out the little plastic container with three small chips.

“Great,” Steve shrugged, “That’s what I came here for.” He strolled forward and reached for them, giving Sun an expectant look.

Sun started to place it in his open palm, then paused, withdrawing slightly, “W-wait. Does this mean you’re gonna go?”

Steve gave him a deadpanned look, “Not alone I’m not.”

Sun stared, processors whirring, body stilled from its normal small motions and adjustments.

Steve sighed rolling his eyes, “I’m not gonna leave you here alone, Sun. You can hide with me n’ Rebecca. I doubt she’d say no.”

Sun looked around uncertainly, “O…kay. It should be fine now…I hope.”

Steve headed back to the kitchen, stepping aside to let Sun go ahead of him before flicking the garage light out.

Steve hesitated.

Sun bounced on his toes expectantly.

Turning to face him, Steve's eyebrows lowered in concern, “It’s still dark outside, so I’ll have to explain the situation to Nappy.”

Sun paused, processor fans kicking up briefly, “Oh…right, yes. Ah! One more thing!”

Steve raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“Tell Nappy to retrieve our charger from our room before we leave.”

“Okay, got it. Ready for lights-out, Sun-bud?”

Sun made a sighing sound, adjusting his grip on Simon Seal as he walked to the kitchen switch, “Yeah.” He flicked the light.

— — —

Nappy blinked, then went rigid. Sun said to stay away from humans! Bad bad ba— Nappy jolted as his facial recognition started up, “S-s-s….Steve?”

“Hey, Nappy,” Steve smiled gently.

Nappy shuddered, squeezing Simon Seal to his chest, “Can I…May I….”

Steve cocked his head, gentleness washing out with confusion, “What is it?”

Nappy’s voice box lowered further, “Can I hug you?”

Steve broke out in a relieved grin, “Sure bud,” He spread his arms out. He oofed at the calculated impact, Simon Seal a squishy buffer between them as Nappy wrapped his arms around the familiar human, artificial voice hitching in the semblance of sobs. Steve felt his chest tighten, patting Nappy on the back, “There there, it’s okay. Poor thing. You must’ve been scared, huh?”

Nappy’s frame shuddered before he stepped back, arms wrapping around Simon again, “I’m okay. I’m fine. I listened to Sun… and …now we’re home…”

Steve nodded, trying to figure out where to start, “So… first off, sorry to give you bad news, Nappy, but Dilan and Uncle Liam are in jail. I doubt Dilan will stay there, since he’s still a kid, but…things aren’t looking good for Liam.”

“...Oh.”

Steve frowned at Nappy’s lack of reaction. Maybe he just didn’t really understand what was going on, “Aaaanyway, Sun and I have been working out a plan to see if we can get Liam acquitted. In the meantime, I don’t think it’s safe for you and Sun to stay here. So….if it’s alright with you, how ‘bout staying at my place for the time being?”

Nappy shrank in on himself a little, curling around Simon.

“Uh, not to twist your arm, but, if you stay here the authorities might do another sweep, and if they find you, straight back to Fazbear Entertainment you’ll go.”

“...Okay. I’ll go with you. I trust you. …Friend?” Nappy pulled one arm from Simon Seal, offering a hand.

Steve blinked, then smiled and shook it, “Absolutely. Sun told me to tell you to grab your charger, then I’ll walk you to my house, kay?”

Nappy nodded, heading down the hall obediently. Steve watched him come back, charger in hand.

Giving him an encouraging nod, Steve opened the front door and headed out, waiting for Nappy before closing it behind him.

Nappy made sure to keep his head down while they walked, staring at the bumps and cracks in the sidewalk as they flowed under his feet.

Chapter 4: Realistically, What Can We Do?

Summary:

When you did something bad, you were punished for it. Sun had done it countless times for children— kicking, punching, biting, name calling— they got a time out. So why did no one give him his “time out”?

Steve unlocked his door, closing it carefully behind Nappy.

Nappy hugged Simon Seal closer, volume low, “Is Rebecca here?”

“Yeah,” Steve whispered, “She’s asleep.” He hung his hat and jacket on some hooks near the door, “Speaking of which, it’s about time I do that, too.”

“Oh. Can I stay under your bed?”

“Uuuuh, sorry, bud. But that’s probably a bad idea.”

“Oh…” Nappy stared at the faux wood floor.

“Hey, uh, we have a guest bedroom. You can stay under that bed.”

“Okay.”

Steve led the way through his house, opening the door to a boring stark room. Nappy crawled under the shadows of the bed, curling his form around Simon.

The toes of Steve’s shoes stepped up to the gap between the bed frame and the floor, “You gonna be good there, Nappy?”

“Yes, thank you. Goodnight.”

“Alright, night Nappy.” The dull sound of footsteps soon faded to silence.

Nappy shivered, finally letting all the halted processing of the day start running.

He didn’t feel like going into sleep mode.

— — —

Nappy eventually heard distant noises picking up in the house.

Muffled footsteps, followed by Rebecca's voice, “Okay. So where is he?”

“Under the guest bed.”

“Ah, I see.”

Rebecca entered the room. Nappy heard her walk around the bed. There was vreel of blinds being closed. Nappy relaxed at the banishment of the light bleeding in through the gap.

He watched Rebecca kneel down, voice cheerful, “Hi Nappy! How are you?”

Nappy slithered lizard-like out from under the bed, Simon Seal in hand. He pushed himself to his knees and hugged her.

Rebecca startled for a moment before wrapping her arms firmly around him. She rubbed soothing circles on his back, “Not too, good, huh?”

“...I'm sorry.”

“For what?” Her voice was gentle.

“All…all the things you made me…precious treasures, gone.” He couldn't stop his voice box from hitching and letting out a tiny sob.

“What do you mea— oh…” Rebecca fingered the waistband replacing the ribbon she'd tied there, then noticed the crumpled papers poking out of it, “What's this?”

Nappy pulled back to look, “Oh. That must be what Sun was using to write notes.”

“I see. That reminds me, I haven't met Sun, yet. That aside, Nappy,” She patted the top of his head, “Don't worry about those things I made. Those were only meant to be temporary until we could eventually afford legitimate stuff. Well, now we won't have to worry about that.”

“Oh… did it cost…’money'?”

Rebecca leaned forward, pulling him into another hug, “Don't worry about that. You are far more important than money.”

Nappy sounded a little lost, “Really?”

She gave her best sincere, encouraging smile, “That's right. The stuff I made… the only thing that made them precious treasures was that you were the one wearing them.”

“O-oh.” Nappy sat back on his knees, taken aback, almost like he was startled by the idea.

Rebecca wasn’t going to cry. Nope, absolutely not.

“...Did I make you sad? I'm sorry…”

“Nonsense,” She rubbed her face, “Humans cry for lots of reasons. Sometimes even when they're happy.”

“Oh…okay.” Nappy looked down at himself, holding up his wrist and curiously slipping the pen from the ribbon. He perked up, “I'm going to write Sun a note.”

Rebecca scooched backward to make room while Nappy leaned down, flattening a paper scrap to the floor and writing in his kindergarten-letter-trace font.

He straightened up again, “Thank you Rebecca. You said a lot of nice things to me. Can you say nice things to Sun, too?”

Rebecca smiled, trying not to let the twinging in her heart show in her eyes, “Of course.”

Shifting to a cross-legged position, he leaned against the bed and held the note up so it would be the first thing Sun saw.

Rebecca reached back, grabbing the drawstring to the blinds and pulling them up.

— — —

Sun’s optics refreshed as he took in the new visuals. An unknown profile, and a note. He lowered the note slightly, keeping his gaze on the new human, trying to calculate if his situation was good or bad.

“Hi!” She waved, a big cheerful smile planted on her face, “I’m Rebecca. Sun, right? It’s nice to meet you.” She reached out her hand.

Ah…the human partnered with Steve. He tilted his head as he wrangled a personalized profile for her.

Hand still frozen in mid-air, her smile faltered slightly.

Sun tilted his head the other way, “Duly noted.” He looked down to appraise Nappy’s message.

Thank you Sun.

-Nappy

“...”

Rebecca put her hands on her lap, keeping her voice soothing and gentle, “How are you, are you doing okay?”

Sun drew his knees up to his chest, sandwiching Simon Seal, “I’m not a child, you don’t have to talk down to me like one.”

She quirked an eyebrow, “Okay.” She dropped the gentleness from her tone, speaking matter-of-factly, “Are you okay?”

Sun wrapped his arms around his knees, “I’m fine.”

She gave him a flat look.

Sun fidgeted with the tips of his fingers, focusing on them instead of Rebecca’s face.

Singing, she sat back, “Sorry. I guess it’s presumptuous of me to assume you’d trust me just because Nappy does.”

The fidgeting ceased, but Sun kept his gaze locked on his fingers.

“Look, I’ll acknowledge you’re not a child, but even an adult in your situation would have a hard time keeping it together.”

“...Really?”

“Yes. It’s okay to receive comfort, that doesn’t make you a child or childish. All refusing does is make you feel worse every time you deny it and try to stand alone. People weren’t meant to handle things alone.”

“...Okay.” Sun tried to suppress shivers starting through him.

Rebecca took a chance and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him.

Sun wasn’t crying. He wasn’t. The noises coming out of his voice box were completely unrelated. A part of him hated how much he craved the feel of her gently rubbing his back. Another part finally gave up and allowed himself to relax and take comfort in it.

When his noises finally quieted down and the shivering stopped, Rebecca finally pulled away.

She was smiling encouragingly, voice gentle again, “Why don't we go to the dining room and join Steve?”

“Kay.” Sun took her hand, careful not to put any weight on it as he rose to his feet.

He kept his hand loose in her grip as she led him through the house. Sun looked around. Unlike Dilan and Uncle Liam's home, which he mainly associated with blues and grays, Steve and Rebecca's house was predominantly white, reddish brown, and beige.

Sitting at the table, Steve was alternating between sipping his coffee, nibbling on some bacon and eggs, and scrolling through something on his laptop, gaze fixated on the screen.

Rebecca sat Sun in a chair and headed for the kitchen to get herself some breakfast.

The chairs and table were bigger than Dilan and Uncle Liam's. Sun scooted the chair back a bit, drawing his knees up and sandwiching Simon Seal again, wrapping his arms tightly around his legs.

Rebecca came back with some cereal and raspberries, watching or reading something on her phone as she ate.

Sun stared at the blank spot on the table in front of him, waiting for the right opportunity to speak.

Finally Steve stretched, grunting as his shoulders popped. “Okay, Sun,” he leaned forward half closing the laptop to look at him, “I've done some research on the validity of getting you to testify. First step, we can try to get a subpoena by contacting the court clerk and requesting one. I also need to call to find out when Liam's trial is.”

Sun sensed Steve needed some reaction to continue so he nodded.

“Next is, I did a quick search on if non-humans have ever ‘testified’ before. There were some attempts to get dogs and a couple parrots to count as valid witnesses, but more importantly, there was one where a robot actually testified before— though not in a criminal case— but I don't think they were sentient. That said… I'll see if I can request a subpoena under your name without mentioning that you're a robot.” Steve shrugged grinning lopsidedly, “Hopefully If we have the right paperwork, they'll let us in anyway. No guarantee, though.”

Sun suppressed another shiver, tightening his grip slightly.

Rebecca looked up, “Sun? You okay?”

Steve frowned, “I'm sorry if talking about this is upsetting you… I thought you'd want to discuss solutions.

“It's My fAuLt!” Sun burst out.

They froze, staring.

Sun kept his gaze locked on the table, “That they're in jail. It's my fault.” His voice was quieter.

Steve worked his jaw, “Sun, you can't blame yourself. Liam understood the risks of taking you in—”

“There was a tracker chip in my head.”

Steve jolted in his chair and Rebecca’s eyes widened. The silence at the table grew tense.

“I didn't know at the time…I think it only gave off a signal while I was active. I found and removed it but….” his volume lowered further, “It's still my fault…”

Steve took a slow purposeful breath in and out before speaking, “Is there a chance you have any more?”

Sun shuddered, voice sounding childishly small despite his efforts, “I don't think so…”

Once again, Steve deliberated before speaking, keeping his voice level, “Do you mind if I check the back of your head just to be sure?”

Sun curled in on himself tighter, “No, I don't mind.”

“Okay, then.” Steve stood up, “I'll be back with some tools.”

Sun felt his frame start to shiver again.

Rebecca stood, chair scraping, then walked over to him, kneeling down and gently gripping his fingers and trying to pry them open. Sun relaxed his fingers, feeling a slight creaking groan of relief from his casing. He hadn't realized he'd been gripping that hard.

She didn't say a word, simply stroking his arm.

The shivers died down and Sun gradually felt himself relax.

Steve returned, striding over to the other side of the chair, “You sure you're okay with this, Sun-bud?”

“Yes.”

Steve fiddled with the tools a moment more, “Alright then.”

The orange sun rays automatically retracted in the spot where Steve gripped the side of Sun’s head with one hand to keep it steady while he unscrewed the back cover.

He placed the screws and cover carefully on the table, scrutinizing the exposed circuit board and wires, “Okay, do you know what it looked like?”

Sun did his best to keep his voice even, “I wasn’t allowed to perceive it. I only caught a glimpse of it right after I crushed it. It was small, square, and gray.”

“Wait, if you couldn't see it, how did you find it?”

Sun made a sighing noise, voice box tinged with slight static, “Because something I couldn't perceive was preventing me from touching parts of my head in a small area…and when I pulled it out, I could only tell I was holding it because my fingers weren't able to touch directly… until I crushed it.”

“...Huh. Aaaand how did you know it was there in the first place?”

“Circumstantial evidence. It was the only explanation that made sense on how they found me, why they hadn't taken me sooner when Nappy was out, and it sounds like a thing Fazbear would do in case someone tried to steal their animatronics….or one tried to escape.”

Steve made a dark grumbling sound under his breath, “Okay. I'm just gonna double check and verify all the chips I see here. So, what's this?”

Sun reached back and felt along Steve's finger to verify what he was pointing at, “Main processor.”

“This?”

“Secondary processor A.”

“And this, and this…?”

“Secondary processor B, C, and that last one's D.”

“And this?”

Sun involuntarily grabbed Steve's hand, stopping him from directly touching it, “My Personality chip; please don't touch it.”

Steve yanked his hand back quickly, “Got it, got it…” He let out a puff of air, “Where was the chip located?”

Sun pointed to the right side of his circuit board, “Right along here.”

He heard the slight rustle of Steve rubbing his beard, “Well, I don't see anything else around like you described, so I think you’re all clear.”

Sun's shoulders drooped with relief. He tipped his head forward, placing the casing on top and letting gravity hold it down while he took the screwdriver and put the screws back in place.

Once he straightened up, he flinched as Steve patted his back.

“Look, Sun, you didn't intentionally give Liam away, so don't blame yourself for that.”

“But if it wasn’t for me they—”

Rebecca gripped his hand tightly, “Sun!” her voice was sharp, eyes locking with Sun's.

Sun stared back, a little shocked.

Her eyes and tone softened, “What is blaming yourself accomplishing?”

Sun shrank down a little.

“Is blaming yourself helping Dilan and Liam in any way?”

Sun shook his head.

She stroked his hand, “Then you don't need to waste processing power on it. The one to blame for all this is Fazbear.”

“As usual,” Steve scoffed.

Rebecca shot him a look, then stood up, patting Sun's shoulder, “Do you have any thoughts on Steve's plan?”

“...What's a subpoena?”

Steve walked back over to his laptop and plunked down, “A subpoena is basically a document you receive that says you have to show up at court and testify. However, you can request to receive one.”

Rebecca tilted her head thoughtfully, “Maybe we could contact Liam's lawyer as well. I think the clerk would also have that information, right?”

Steve shrugged.

Rebecca continued, “I bet he'll be eager for Sun to testify if it could help him win his case. Perhaps we could coordinate something with him. If the clerk won't grant our request, Liam's attorney could try to subpoena Sun.”

“And Nappy,” Sun added quietly.

Rebecca nodded, “And Nappy,” she confirmed.

“Alrighty then. I’ll call the court clerk and find out when Liam's trial is, and see what requesting a subpoena entails.” Steve typed a search into his Laptop before pulling out his phone.

Rebecca chimed in, “Don't forget to ask the clerk if he can give you the number for Liam’s attorney. I'll take care of that phone call.”

Steve gave a thumbs up as the phone rang.

Sun fidgeted, leaning toward Rebecca, keeping his voice box low, “What's ‘testify’?”

“It means standing in a courtroom and explaining what you saw or experienced,” She whispered back.

Sun drummed the table lightly, trying to be patient at the dull phone conversation about things that went over his head. Rebecca was leaning across the table listening in, able to follow along.

Sun lowered his legs to the floor, wrapping an arm around Simon, and pushed back the chair with a soft scraping noise.

Pulling her attention away from the phone call, she looked at him questioningly.

Sun cupped a hand around his mouth for effect, “I’m going to write Nappy a note.”

She nodded, turning back to Steve.

Sun headed back to the room. He reached under the bed, wincing at the straining feeling the shadows caused, and pulled out his charging cord. He didn’t really need it at the moment, but he still felt drained. Sitting against the wall, securely plugged in, Sun pulled out a paper scrap and the pen. He clicked it a few times, making a frustrated huff before forcing himself to put the pen to the paper and just write.

Nappy, I’m sorry. I didn’t have time to explain before.

It’s all my fault. The police breaking in,

Fazbear finding us, Dilan and Uncle Liam being taken away.

It’s all because of me.

I had a tracker chip in the back of my head.

It’s gone now. I wish I’d known sooner.

I’m so so sorry. Everything is sad because of me.

You don’t have to forgive me.

-Sun

He reached behind him and closed the blind.

— — —

Nappy stared at the note, processors whirring. The note didn’t make any sense. Or rather, he technically understood the words and sentences, but all together, if felt…off. Weird. It didn’t really sound like Sun at all, but it was definitely his handwriting. Nappy’s background processes brought up a pattern match for the sorry part. All the apologies in the short direction notes back at the Pizzaplex… Sun hadn’t just been apologizing for Nappy waking in stressful situations. Nappy tapped his faceplate absently. Sun and everyone else had already agreed Nappy’s previous “badness” hadn’t been his fault. It was the virus. He’d screamed it desperately enough times, hoping it was true, and no one had disputed it.

This felt the same. The way Sun had put “I wish I’d known sooner” implied Sun hadn’t known. He'd obviously not sat around idly, perfectly aware Fazbear would soon be on their way and coming down on their family with a vengeance. Nappy drummed his fingers on the floor. From what he could pick up about Sun from the notes and how Dilan and Uncle Liam talked about him… from the apologies, from the veil of snarkiness that seemed to have disappeared…

If this could be solved simply by telling Sun “it wasn’t your fault”, wouldn’t Sun have already told himself that? Nappy swayed back and forth, finally pulling Simon Seal out from under his arm and staring into his wise face. He nodded a couple times. Something would be better than nothing. He’d keep trying ‘till Sun’s snarkiness was back.

I forgive you. Even if you weren’t sorry,

I’d still forgive you. We are friends.

It sounds like you didn’t know.

About the chip.

Until after all the bad stuff happened.

Do you hate me for the bad stuff I…

The virus made me do?

If you don’t blame me, I don’t blame you.

But what I WON’T forgive you for.

Is making yourself feel bad.

Stop it.

You are my friend. Look in Simon’s face.

He will give you encouragement.

He is very nice.

-Nappy

Nappy looked around. He remembered Rebecca grabbing the blind before he went away last time. It took some tentative tugs before he figured out how to make it go up. He was startled when it fell back down with a loud CLACK before Sun could even come out. After that he gave up, unplugging himself from the charger and finding the room’s light switch, wincing at the dispersed glow shining in from the doorway. In the second he had left, he made sure to hold the note and Simon up in clear view.

— — —

Sun re-read the note. He wasn’t sure if he should cry, laugh, or both. He stared at the seal’s face for a moment before bonking its nose with his forehead, “This is stupid,” He let out a toneless chuckle.

Maybe Dilan and Uncle Liam wouldn’t be so forgiving… Everyone’s reactions to this catastrophic news was… confusing. Then again, Nappy sort of had a point, equating it to the virus. Something neither of them could help. He let all the tenseness out of his system with a static-tinged sighing sound…

Right… he should probably speak up about all his little maintenance needs at some point… probably after they rescued Dilan and Uncle Liam. He squeezed Simon tighter. He was starting to get why Nappy was so attached to this thing.

Fine, you win.

Also…you're aware Simon isn’t real, right?

-Sun

Sssshhhhh,

I like to pretend that he is.

-Nappy

Chapter 5: Cooldown

Summary:

Waiting for the court day. It’s Sun’s turn for the first thing he’s ever owned.

Steve knocked politely on the door frame, “Hey Nappy, has Sun explained the situation?”

Nappy looked up, surrounded by a ring of notes, “Sort of…”

“Well, I wasn’t able to get a subpoena on you and Sun’s behalf…I had to be too vague and leave out too many details. I doubt mentioning you were a robot would’ve done us any favors. However, I did get the number for Liam’s acting Defense Attorney. Rebecca called him and explained the situation. Apparently he was convinced he was going to lose against Fazbear, he was desperate enough to listen and said he’d work things out with some connections to get you and Sun to testify in court, though they might not realize you two are robots ‘till you get there.”

Nappy looked down, scanning the notes again, processor fan whirring, “That means…we can stop the “suing”...and… be with Dilan and Uncle Liam again?”

Steve leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, taking in a deep breath and letting out a heavy sigh, “Ideally. The court session is scheduled three days from now at ten o’ clock.”

“Okay.”

Steve tilted his head, “You need anything Nappy?”

“...Well…some of my joints are a little worn in the elbows and knees…and,” Nappy tapped his chest, “There’s a tiny crack.”

Steve’s expression was that of someone having just completed a complicated long bit of work, only for someone else to come by and dump another pile on the desk.

Nappy picked up from his usual slow tone, “You don’t have to. It’s not essential, we’re fine.”

Steve shook his head, rubbing his forehead and sighing, “No, I’ll get on that. Might as well get you in tip-top shape before the trial.”

Nappy looked down, shifting Simon Seal over his chest, “Sorry…”

He made a "you're okay” motion with his hand, “Nappy, it’s good. I want to help you. I just needed a moment to transition,” he gave a huff, “I honestly shouldn’t’ve asked you if I wasn’t prepared for an answer. I still have the schematics for the joints, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“...Okay.”

Steve leaned forward and patted Nappy’s head before heading down the hall.

Nappy hunted around for a spare note. Finding none, he decided to address the added pressure beneath his forearm casing, attempting to pry the plastic shell half off using the pen, holding it by the very tip to avoid bending it. After a few tries he succeeded, the arm casing snapping off to reveal a couple crumpled scraps of paper. Nappy stared, shook his head, then shrugged, snapping his casing back in place and writing down the date, time, and future maintenance plan for Sun.

— — —

Sun was reminded of the slight damage to his voice box when he made another sighing sound upon reading the note. His processors picked up as he considered whether it was worth mentioning or not. It was barely noticeable.

He heard Rebecca’s footsteps heading down the hall toward him, “Hey, Sun! How’re you doing? We’re done with all the phone calls for now. Steve said he’d drop by to fill you and Nappy in?”

“Yeah,” Sun made a sweeping gesture toward all the notes with his hand, “To an extent.”

Rebecca scrutinized the scattered paper, “If you want, I can give you a notebook. I’m sure we’ve got empty ones lying around.”

“Sure. Though… I would really appreciate some pockets…if that’s possible.”

Rebecca frowned in thought, kneeling down and reaching for the material of Sun’s pants.

Sun backed away a bit, startled.

Rebecca blinked, “Oh, sorry! Went into ‘how can I make this’ mode,” She gave a little laugh, “I wanted to feel what material your current pants are to see if that’s feasible.”

“Ah,” Sun held still.

She pinched some knee fabric between her fingers, pursing her lips, “This feels kind of…wiry.”

“I do believe thin wires are involved in telling the material what color to change depending on what mode I’m in.”

“Aha, neat! Buuut, I’m not sure trying to stick a needle in there would be very good based on that information.”

“Oh…” Sun drooped.

“But!” Rebecca held up a finger, “I could make you a bag. A satchel, or a backpack could work as a pocket.”

Sun perked up again, “Sure, sounds good!”

She pushed to her feet, “Actually, I already have a lot pre-made! We can look them over and you can pick one you want.”

“Okay!” Sun hopped to his own feet, starting to feel excited. He paused. This must’ve been how Nappy felt when he’d been given Simon.

Rebecca led them down the hall, up some stairs, and opened a door, flicking on the light.

Sun had to pause to process the sheer number of items and chaos that made up this room. There was such a bizarre mixture from what looked like a Non-Fazbear endoskeleton slumped in a corner of the room along with a few other rudimentary robots, countless costumes, some armor, weapons?! Specifically swords. There were also piles of clothing, purses, satchels, back-packs and bags.

Sun’s processors whirred, “What is all this even for?”

Rebecca laughed, “We have a YouTube channel where we show people how to make random things, or show the process of making things they request.”

“...Right, okay.” Sun tried to keep any weapon replicas out of his vision so he’d stop getting warning errors. Finally he muscled his coding to flag them as toys. He scanned through the various satchels and back-packs ‘till he found one that seemed big enough for what he had in mind. More of a massive pouch with rope-like straps meant to go over both shoulders. Both the inside and outside were coated in extra pockets, the opening having an adjustable cinch to tighten or loosen it.

Sun picked his way over. The color didn’t really match him that much, the bag a blue-green with some subtle Victorian patterning, and the straps a bold blue. The strap color actually matched nappy, but the blue-green still clashed.

He didn’t care, though. It was perfect. And Nappy couldn’t see anything but red, anyway.

Sun loosened the opening and carefully put Simon Seal inside, adjusting him so the head and flippers poked out, then tightened it up. He pulled out the pen and pencil and found outside pockets to set them in. He hefted it up and slung it over one shoulder, pulling in his rays so he could get the strap over his other shoulder. The straps sat kind of uncomfortably on his exposed shoulder joints between the plastic casing. As long as he didn’t suddenly lift his arms straight up though, it shouldn’t be too big a problem.

Rebecca was scrutinizing it, eyes laser-focused on the same problem.

Sun readjusted the straps so they were sitting on top of the red and yellow jester ruffle around his neck.

Rebecca nodded approvingly, breaking out into a grin, “Nice choice! The all-the-room-you-could-need backpack,” She laughed, “That was a bit of a silly experiment I did. Anyway, let's get you that notebook.”

Sun picked his way back through to the hall.

She entered a larger, more decorated bedroom and dug a notebook out from the top shelf of a walk-in closet, handing it over. Sun swung the backpack off and squeezed the notebook into one of the bigger pockets. He paused, staring at the backpack instead of putting it back on.

Before he could even activate his voice box, Rebecca was already heading for the blinds, “You want to show Nappy, right?”

Sun nodded, “Hold on a minute,” he set the backpack on the floor, pulling out the notebook and a pencil, “Just gonna write him a note.”

— — —

Nappy’s circuits froze. Something was eating Simon Seal. Before he could even finish running his be alarmed programming, he was distracted by Rebecca’s voice.

“Hi Nappy! How do you like the new backpack? Sun picked it out.”

Nappy’s processor fans whirred to a halt, re-evaluating the visual. He pulled Simon Seal out, having a bit of trouble extracting him.

“Oh, let me show you how to adjust the opening size,” She walked over and gently showed step by step how it worked, where to set the straps, all the pockets, where Sun was placing things.

Nappy slumped with relief. Okay. Backpack good. Not eating Simon.

After she finished the tutorial, Rebecca smiled at him, “Well, what do you think?”

“...I will cherish and take care of it like Sun cherishes and takes care of Simon Seal when I’m not here.”

“Aw! You two take good care of each other!”

Nappy looked down, “...I don’t feel I really do that much…”

She crossed her arms, shifting her weight on her hip, “Nappy, from what I understand it, didn’t you make it all the way to Liam’s place from the Pizzaplex?”

Nappy fiddled with the adjustable tie, “Well…”

Rebecca walked over and patted his shoulder, “Maybe you should write a note asking Sun how much you do for him. That should clear things up.”

“...Okay.”

Nappy looked at the notebook and paused, “Oh…he left a note. ….Oh…it explains all the stuff you just showed me…oops.”

Rebecca patted him, “That’s okay. The important thing is you learned that information.”

“...Mmm..” Nappy leaned down to write a response below Sun’s in their bigger notebook.

Hi, Sun. Sorry I didn’t see your note.

I thought something was eating Simon.

Rebecca calmed me down.

Your backpack is really cool.

Thank you for letting Simon hang out in it.

Also…is there anything of use…

That I do for you?

Am I helpful at all?

-Nappy

— — —

Sun chuckled heartily at the start of the note. The chuckles died to silence when he reached the end.

Rebecca smiled as she watched him get furiously to writing.

— — —

HELLO?!

If it wasn’t for you I would never have

met Dilan and Uncle Liam.

Would never have known what it’s like to be

treated like a person! To have a…

family.

If it wasn’t for you I could NOT have escaped the pizzaplex!

Let alone gotten back home!

And bumped into Steve!

Heck, if it wasn’t for you,

Dilan and Liam may not have wanted

to fix me at all! YOU’RE the one

who convinced them to do that!

What, you think I’m just patronizing you

every time I thank you?!

I need you just as much as…

As much as you think you need me.

I know you weren’t formed on purpose…

But I am glad that you’re here.

Don’t ever doubt that. Please.

-Sun

P.S. Don’t let anyone else read this, it’s WAY too sappy.

— — —

Nappy stared at the note then giggled.

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t a sound she’d heard from Nappy, yet.

Nappy pressed the notebook to his chest, looking up at her solemnly, “It’s a secret.”

Chapter 6: Warming Up

Summary:

Preparing for the trial. Time with Sun, time with Nappy

Rebecca was sitting on her knees, phone out, her other hand on her lap, “Okay, Sun, Things to remember when giving a testimony. Number one, always tell the truth. They’ll even make you take an oath for it. Second, if you really don’t know, just say ‘I don’t know’. Third, you may be asked to iterate beyond yes or no. Don’t volunteer information beyond your original testimony unless asked. Try not to ramble. Also…try to be respectful? Especially to the Judge? They’re the one in charge of handing down a verdict.”

Sun made a sighing noise. The tinge of static was getting worse. He wondered if Steve knew how to fix a speaker, “First of all, what’s a ‘verdict’?”

“The final decision between guilty and innocent.”

“Okay… um, what should…what does a testimony look like? What are the patterns it follows?”

There were some digital tapping sounds as Rebecca searched on her phone, pursing her lips, “Um… according to the department of justice, don’t try to memorize or pre-prepare a testimony, ‘cause it could sound less convincing. Just tell the truth as it seems relevant to the court case when the time comes.”

“Fine, alright. Anything else?” Sun rocked back and forth, trying not to appear impatient.

“Well, supposing this actually works and you’re allowed on the witness stand, nope!”

Sun paused, “...What does a courtroom look like?”

“Oh!” She tapped on her phone some more, “Like this,” She held up the picture for him to see, slowly scrolling down the images for him.

“...Okay…”

Rebecca smiled encouragingly, “It’ll be okay. I don’t think it’ll take much for you to seem sentient up there,” She laughed, “Especially with your sassy attitude. Just make sure you don’t sass too much.”

Sun rolled his faceplate, speaking in an eye-roll tone, “Right, right, yes, I get it. Tell the truth, don’t ramble, keep the sass down.”

Rebecca giggled, “Alright. I’m gonna turn the lights out so I can tell Nappy, okay?”

“Fine. …Wait,” Sun held a hand out, catching her leg before she could take a step.

Rebecca looked down at him questioningly.

“...Will Nappy be allowed to bring Simon Seal?”

Rebecca frowned, turning to her phone again, “Uuuummm, children are allowed to have a stuffed animal with them… it might be harder to explain that a robot needs one— even a childcare robot— especially with trying to explain that it would be for another A.I. also housed in your system. On that note, I’m not even sure the court would okay turning the lights out to question Nappy. Lemme look that up, too.”

Sun waited patiently, letting go of her leg. He adjusted his backpack straps slightly. He wondered if he’d be allowed to bring this in, too.

“Ah! They already will dim lighting for showing film evidence n’ stuff. I don’t see why they couldn’t be convinced to dim the lights for Nappy.”

Sun nodded, “Good. Are backpacks allowed?”

“Hmm… It will be searched, but as long as it doesn’t have weapons or illegal substances in it, then I think you’ll be able to keep it.”

“Okay, that’s all. You can let Nappy know, now.”

“Alrighty, then!” Rebecca pocketed her phone and turned out the lights.

— — —

“...So did you get all that, Nappy?”

Nappy hugged Simon Seal tighter, “Um… I don’t know.”

Rebecca knelt down and patted his knee, “You’ll do fine. Just answer the questions truthfully, okay?”

“...Okay.”

The clomp of Steve’s shoes came down the hall. He leaned in through the doorway, “Hey there, Nappy!”

Nappy waved.

“You okay for us to turn the lights on? I’m ready for the bits of repairs Sun requested.”

Nappy nodded, giving a thumbs up.

“Great.” Steve flicked the light.

— — —

Sun spotted Steve instantly, “Oh. Maintenance. Already?”

Steve gave him an accusing look, “You guys are the ones who requested it!”

Sun sighed, “I know.”

Steve squinted, “Was that static I heard?”

Sun sighed again, “I know.”

Steve rubbed his forehead, “Yet another thing to add to the list.”

Rebecca stood up, rubbing his shoulder, “No big deal, Stevie, I’ll help out.”

Steve smiled gratefully, “Thanks,” He gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Ew! No public displays of affection in the Daycare, please!”

Steve gave him a deadpan stare, “We’re not in the Daycare.”

Rebecca snorted before stifling her giggles, “Okay, Sun, we’ll try to keep it professional.”

Steve rolled his eyes as he led the way to the workroom.

Sun suppressed another sigh and lay down on top of the cleared-off work table. Steve handed Sun the flathead screwdriver so he could take off his outer shell.

“Thanks!” Sun meant it. Most techs didn’t let him do this even though it simplified things, carefully prying it off.

Steve picked up the chest casing, handing it to Rebecca, “Mind adding a bit of glue on that hairline crack, below and to the right of that button? I don’t think we have time to make a whole new one— not to mentioned what we have won’t change color, so some superglue’ll keep it from getting any bigger in the meantime.”

Rebecca saluted, carrying the casing over to another table.

The arm casing went off next.

Steve checked the joints, frowning, “I just replaced these! How did you get this amount of wear on them, already?”

Sun let out another static-laced sigh, “This is nothing. My knees are worse. During my ‘great escape’ I did a lot of flat-out running. We’re not actually built for that. Our normal moveset involves skipping, tip-toeing, cartwheels, or even crawling to avoid strain on our joints. We’re made for acrobatics, yes, but outright sprinting is still an intensive movement that humans take for granted. Also I ran into a couple things…I’m not really built for blunt force impact, either.”

Steve frowned, “Oh.”

He started to lower the screwdriver to the first part, then stopped, pulling back, “Ah, you still don’t have that voice line that makes you scream if I’m not a registered tech, do you?”

Sun’s memory drive, without the casing, could be heard making a scr scr noise for a moment before he remembered what Steve was referencing, “Oh. No, you don’t have to worry about that coding anymore. I broke it.”

Steve’s jaw dropped, “You what?”

“I broke it.” Sun shrugged.

Steve's voice cracked a little, “How?”

Sun’s processors and memory drive picked up, his head tilting side to side, “Weeeell, you see, first I tried some of those override tactics I used before to sneak in a temporary profile for you like last maintenance, but my systems just weren’t having it…” His voice dropped, a hint of a growl, “But they were taking Dilan and Uncle Liam away,” Sun switched back to the causal explanatory tone he’d been using, “So then I—” His voice cut out abruptly.

Steve blinked, moving back a little, “Sun? You okay bud?”

“I….” Sun went still, processors and memory drive going quiet, “I’m not sure, actually. I just….really didn’t want to do what I was being forced to do… I …’wanted’ harder than the code in my systems could handle and then…uh, it was like parts of my code just… broke…so rapidly in a concentrated area— it hurt. It still… aches? In that area, actually.”

Steve stared, expression approaching awed, “That…sounds like pure willpower, Sun-bud. I think you should definitely mention that to the court. That’s definitely a point toward sentience in my book.”

“Uh, okay then. Thanks?”

Steve blinked, concentrating back on the worn joint, “Right,” He cleared his throat, “Anyway.” He got to work.

Rebecca left the shell to dry and retrieved parts for Steve.

With the arm and leg joints replaced, Steve looked up how to fix a speaker and which glue to use for small tears. The cone already had pre-glued parts from when Nappy had damaged it, so Steve added the quick fix and ordered the right cone-size for a proper replacement later.

Sun snapped his front shell into place, “It’ll still work fine for my testimony. As long as I don’t get too loud. I’ll be careful not to rip it anymore. I’ll leave a note for Nappy, too.”

Steve nodded, looking more reassured, “Good, ‘cause the replacement cone isn’t gonna arrive ‘till after the court date.”

Rebecca clapped her hands together, “Alright. With that done, how ‘bout a movie?”

Sun pushed himself up, swinging his legs over the side of the bench, sitting with his hands gripping the edge, “No, movies are boring.”

Rebecca’s cheer wavered just for an instant before she brightened up again, “Well, we could do something else! What would you like to do, Sun?”

Sun paused, processors kicking up. He still had to get used to that. Having a choice. “Uuuuh, do you have video games?”

An uncharacteristic gleam entered Rebecca’s eyes, “Who’s up for Mario Party?”

Steve groaned.

Sun tilted his head so his grin caught the light, spinning his rays, “Sounds fine to me!”

— — —

Steve rage-quit halfway through the game when all his stars went to Bowser.

Rebecca and Sun then took turns using Steve’s character to try and sabotage each other.

Rebecca laughed as the winning screen gave her a bunch of bonus stars, causing her to overtake Sun at the last minute.

Sun spluttered indignantly, “W-what? What?! The game didn’t tell me about these! That’s cheating!”

Rebecca grinned, “Now you know why I was ‘wasting’ all my coins on items.”

Sun grumbled, setting the controller down.

She took the cue, turning off the game, “Now what would you like to do?”

“Something with Nappy.” Sun replied immediately. “You had fun with me, so now you should have fun with Nappy.”

“Alrighty, sounds like a plan!”

She turned on the living room light, closed all the blinds, then turned it off again.

— — —

Nappy took a second to process his surroundings, then reached behind him to pull Simon Seal from the backpack and hug him to his chest again.

“Hi there, Nappy! I just played a game with Sun. What fun thing do you want to do?”

“Um…I don’t know…”

“What do you normally do with Dilan and Liam when you three are hangin’ out?”

“Just…be.”

Rebecca paused, turning thoughtful, “Well…would you like me to read you a story?”

Nappy perked up, “Yes, please.”

Rebecca beamed, “Alright, I think I have a few nostalgic ones tucked away in a box. Hold on a moment while I go get them.”

Nappy settled comfortably into the couch. A spark of a memory. Something he’d managed to snatch before the rabbit virus cut him off. Stories….children’s sleepy smiling faces… He couldn’t remember what the story was. The memory fragment too small to make anything out.

Rebecca returned and settled on the opposite end of the couch from Nappy, “First off, I think you and Simon will really like this one! It’s called the Velveteen Rabbit.”

Nappy tensed at the title, “Is the rabbit bad?”

Caught off guard, it took Rebecca a moment to respond, “No, no, this is a good rabbit.”

“Okay…”

Gaze lingering a moment longer to make sure he was okay, she started the story, “Once there was a velveteen rabbit, and in the beginning, he was really splendid…”

Nappy listened with rapt attention. He made little upset noises at the part where the Velveteen Rabbit’s whiskers were loved off, and the pink inside its ears faded, and it started to lose its shape.

Rebecca set the book aside, biting her lip as he began to fret over Simon, then pulled his hands away as if afraid the stuffed seal would fall apart instantly if touched.

She stood up and walked over, kneeling beside him, patting the top of Nappy’s head with one hand and patting his knee with the other, “Nappy…” Rebecca paused, not sure which direction to go. Should she rip off the bandaid and point out Simon would get worn out eventually regardless of the care given to him, or claim that it was a fictional book and he didn’t need to worry about that.

Nappy’s voice box let out a keening whine broken by a few sobs, “I…Simon…I…no…but…he can’t…I…”

She stopped patting and hugged Nappy tight, “Shh, it’s okay, Nappy. Simon is still in really good condition. He’s going to be fine for a very long time.”

“B…but he…I don’t want…he can’t,” Nappy curled forward, pressing his hands to his face, covering his eyes, rocking slightly.

Rebecca mentally kicked herself. She remembered adoring that book as a kid. Somehow she’d never correlated the Velveteen rabbit to her own stuffed animals, “This is just a story of what happened to this rabbit. This isn’t going to happen to Simon Seal. It’s just a story, alright?”

Nappy’s rocking slowed to a stop, “...Just a story?”

“Yes, this isn’t… this isn’t depicting anything real. It’s just…. Presenting an idea.”

“Oh…okay…but…you said—”

Rebecca took a deep breath, “Nappy…you don’t need to worry about that right now. Look at Simon, do his whiskers look loved off?”

Nappy pulled back to examine the friendly face, then shook his head.

“Does his color look faded?”

“Can’t tell…only see red.”

She blinked, eyebrows crinkling together a moment as she thought, “Well… you can still tell shades, right? Er, anyway, does his fur look worn at all?”

Nappy inspected Simon carefully before shaking his head.

Rebecca smiled with relief, stroking Nappy’s head, “See? You don’t have to worry, Simon’s fine. This is just a story.”

“...Okay.”

She waited a moment more to make sure Nappy was really okay before standing up and walking back to her spot. She picked up the book hesitantly, “Do you want me to finish this? Or—”

“Please?” Nappy jerked back, seeming startled that he cut her off, “Sorry…um…pretty please? Y-you can’t leave it there…I…what happens next?”

Rebecca took another deep breath, “Alright, then.” She watched him carefully as she continued.

By the time she reached the end, Nappy was a lot calmer, holding Simon as usual again.

Rebecca let out a breath she felt like she’d been holding the whole time. She’d have to be a bit more careful with what she picked next time.

Chapter 7: The Day

Summary:

This can either go very right, or very wrong…

June 3, 9:47 AM

District Court Entrance

Steve pulled up front in his truck. He took a deep breath, switching the engine off.

The interior lights were on and Sun was curled up lying across the back seats, buckled in, “Are we there yet?”

Despite the tense situation, Steve couldn’t help a little half smile, “Yes, this time we’re here. You can finally stop asking.”

Sun gave a weak chuckle. The car ride was definitely harder on him than he wanted to show.

Rebecca twisted around in her seat to reach back and pat his leg, “Well, moment of truth. You have the subpoena?”

Sun held up his hand, showing the paperwork firmly but carefully clamped in his fingers. His other arm was draped across his eyes. He’d tried looking out the font window and instantly regretted it, forgetting the s k y would be visible from this angle. Luckily his soft reboot wasn’t interrupted this time.

“Alright.” Steve let a long breath out before unbuckling and opening the car door. He walked around to the side Sun was facing, toward the courthouse doors, “So… I’m not sure if they’ll let me and Rebecca in? What we looked up did seem to say anyone could enter and sit in on a court session without too many questions asked, but just in case, double-checking, you are prepared to do this alone, right?”

“Whatever it takes,” Sun replied without hesitation.

Steve let out another nervous breath, glancing at the courthouse doors before reaching in to unbuckle Sun.

Sun kept his face tilted to the ground, sliding off the seat, and crawling onto the sidewalk before standing up.

Rebecca had hopped out of the car, too, at this point.

Steve’s voice had a pleading hint to it as he turned to her, “Are you sure you should—”

She cut him off, voice gentle but firm, “Whatever happens, we face it together.”

Sun assumed from the silence that Steve had nodded or given some other wordless confirmation. He felt Steve grab his hand and start leading him to the courthouse door. Sun watched the bells on the ends of his slippers jingle with each step.

An unfamiliar [Guest profile missing] voice called out, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what do you think you're doing? What is that?”

Rebecca kept her voice professional and clipped, some mix between impatient and authoritative, “This is Sun, he received a Subpoena from the court and is here to testify.”

Sun held up the papers and waved them in front of where he guessed the stranger’s face would be.

When his arm stopped moving he felt the papers being tugged at.

Steve muttered quietly, “He’s checking them, let them go.”

Sun let them slip through his fingers as the …guard? Checked them.

He heard the papers rustle before they were being pushed into his hand again.

The strange voice had no more fight left in it, “Geez, robots testifying in court? The future really is now, isn’t it.”

Sensing he was in the clear, Sun quipped, “The technical term is ‘animatronic’,” As Steve and Rebecca ushered him through the door.

Sun looked up, relieved to have a roof over his head. His processors kicked up in overtime as he analyzed the alien architecture, flinching every time a [Guest profile missing] entered his vision. He hadn’t realized he’d stopped walking until he felt Steve and Rebecca gently nudging him.

Every [Guest profile missing] turned to stare at him as they walked up to the clerk.

Steve stepped forward this time, “Hi, Sun’s here to testify. Which way to Defendant Lobby number 2?”

The wiry-haired clerk raised an eyebrow, but silently gestured down the correct hall after checking Sun’s papers.

Steve let out another held breath as their footsteps echoed on the smooth reflective floor, “Looks like we’re actually gonna make it.”

Sun didn’t say anything, too overwhelmed with the constant stimulus of [Guest profile missi— Stop!]— on top of hurriedly cobbling together a custom map as he went.

Steve double-checked the number above the doors before entering the public lobby and heading toward an uncomfortable looking bench. Sun reached up to his shoulders before remembering a second too late the backpack straps wouldn’t be there.

They had discussed back and forth right up until the last minute before deciding to leave the backpack behind to avoid any potential complications. As soon as Nappy heard there was even a slight possibility of Simon Seal being confiscated, he’d tucked him into the guest bed and patted his head. Sun left his backpack next to him. (He did not tuck his backpack in or pat it’s “head”.)

Steve and Rebecca settled themselves on either side of him, trying not to look nervous. Nobody had even questioned them coming in with Sun after the guard. He himself was also trying very hard not to look nervous, gripping his Subpoena papers so hard they finally got their first crease.

After a while the nervousness gradually faded as Sun found himself tapping his foot and fidgeting, “How long does this take, usually?”

Rebecca’s eyes went distant as she recalled the information— their phones had also been left behind to simplify things, “I don’t think there’s a set amount of time for waiting. That said, Liam’s trial either hasn’t started yet, or is just now beginning its session. It could be minutes in, or take all day.”

Sun suppressed a groan. He leaned forward to the point where his long arms could touch the floor, but forced himself back upright again. He could be professional. He could be adult. He could do this. At least there were no immediate visible windows from here.

— — —

The door to the courtroom finally opened, and a frazzled looking man stepped out. His gaze snapped to Sun. He closed the door and fast-walked over. He paused, glancing at Steve and Rebecca, “You’re sure this thing’s… ‘aware’ enough to testify convincingly?”

Rebecca gave him a withering look, “Sun’s not a thing, sir.”

Steve squinted suspiciously, “Who are you, exactly?”

The man blinked, adjusting square-rimmed glasses, “Sorry, Liam’s lawyer. My name’s Aiden Carver,” he reached a hand out to shake.

Steve took it, then Rebecca.

“So…it can talk, right?”

Sun pretended to be distracted by everything but the lawyer.

Rebecca’s gaze went cold, “Why don’t you ask him.”

Aiden gave them a dubious look, then turned to Sun, “Uh, hey. Can you talk?”

Sun continued to find the walls fascinating.

“...Sun?” The lawyer's voice sounded like he was regretting every decision in his life that led to this point.

Sun immediately turned to him, “Oh! Are you addressing me now?” He put a hand to his chest, posture feigning surprise.

Aiden squinted at him, very much picking up the barely veiled sarcasm in Sun’s artificial voice, “Yyyes. Sorry, um.” He held out a hand, “Aiden Carver, Liam’s lawyer.”

Sun took it, shaking it a little too enthusiastically by “accident”, “Woweezers, nice to meet you! Are you the one who’s going to rescue Liam from Fazbear’s lawsuit?”

With some effort, Aiden took his hand back and readjusting his tie, “Actually, if what—” He pointed to Rebecca, “I assume you?— Said over the phone was true, you’re going to save him from being sued.”

Sun looked down at his hands, clasping them tightly, “Oh…” His voice was quiet, “Does that mean if I mess up…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. Ah, there came all that anxiety flooding back again.

Something changed in the lawyer's face, “Well…the blame falls on me. But, uh,” His gaze flicked nervously between them all, “Bit of a warning, I managed to avoid directly mentioning that Sun is a robot.”

“Animatronic, technically,” Sun cut in.

Aiden ignored him, “So…let’s hope the Judge doesn’t prematurely write you off.”

Sun rolled his faceplate, “I’m pretty certain I can convince people I’m a thinking/feeling being.”

Aiden rubbed his chin, gaze practically drilling into Sun, “I hope so. I will say, playing ignorant, then dropping the act is very effective. Maybe do that in court?”

Steve cocked an eyebrow, “Are you supposed to give the witness tips?”

Aiden shot him a nervous grin, “Let’s not call it a tip. Just out-loud musing. Anyway,” He checked his watch, “Recess is almost over. C’mon, I’ll lead you to the witness stand.”

Sun felt the nervousness flood his systems as he stood, feeling his movements get tense and mechanical. It may not be a purposeful thing, seeming robotic at first after all…

He felt Steve give him a pat on the back.

He heard Rebecca’s voice, “Do we go in, or stay here, or…”

Aiden glanced back, “You two can come in and join the Gallery.”

Sun followed him through the door.

Oh…oh no—[Guest profile mi— Guest pro—Guest Profile missing] Sun flinched as he internally forced the sheer amount of [Guest profile missing]s back. His legs were moving automatically at this point as the lawyer led him to the witness stand.

While quiet at first, an amount of noise and hubbub burst out that rivaled the Pizzaplex on its busiest days.

Sun found himself under the gaze of more adult human attention than he’d ever had. [Guest profile Missing—] [Gue—] [Guest—] [Guest pro—] [Manager Profile: Bryce Heffernan]. Sun’s head immediately locked on, recognizing the man who’d tried to force him in the truck, who tricked him into looking up. He was out of the “official Fazbear” 80’s themed “uniform” and in more boring formal clothes. Still had the tacky Fazwatch, though.

The Judge’s gavel cracked down, “Order, ORDER IN THE COURT!” She shot Aiden a withering glare, “Aiden Carver, what is the meaning of this? Do you intend to make a mockery of the court? If so, I will hold you in contempt.”

Aiden shook his head and began pleading frantically.

Sun sifted through more of the missing guest profiles before another outlier showed up [Custom profile: Uncle Liam.] Sun immediately waved to Liam, who was staring at Sun from the defendant’s chair like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Given the Judge's reaction to noise, Sun resisted calling out, instead searching the…gallery? For— [Custom Profile: Dilan]. Sun gave an equally enthusiastic wave. Dilan, seeming to have recovered from his shock quicker, returned the wave just as enthusiastically.

The Judge’s voice cut Sun's waving short, “What is it doing?” She sounded ticked and unimpressed.

It. She must be referring to him.

Before Sun could answer, Bryce spoke up, “It's simply following its programming, waving to perceived guests.”

“Liar!” Sun's voice snapped out, hunching over the witness podium, spinning his rays like a saw blade to give his best projection of a glare.

The court fell silent. The bailiff tensed up.

“I was waving to my family,” Sun growled at him.

Surprised murmuring rippled throughout the gallery.

Sun relaxed his posture, realizing the Judge's gaze was on him.

Her gaze was hard, but calculating, “And who is your family?”

Sun pointed to the defendant's seat and Gallery in turn, “Uncle Liam and Dilan.”

“Those scrapheads probably programmed him to say that!” Bryce called out.

His lawyer shushed him, almost looking ready to punch him. Bryce sat back in his seat.

Sun whipped back around to face him, “Don’t CALL THEM THAT! They’ve treated me better than Fazbear EVER has!”

An uproar burst out.

“ORDER. I WILL HAVE ORDER IN THIS COURT!” The gavel slammed down one more time, hard and cold.

After the Judge roamed her icy stare over the dead silent courtroom, she folded her hands, “We will now proceed. Clerk Jairus?”

The clerk of the court stood up, “Uh, Sun!”

Sun turned to him, locking on.

Jairus held up a hand, “Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

Sun had to fight with his programming, biting back the line no swearing in the Daycare. He raised his right hand “I do,” he finally managed, filling his voice with as much conviction as he could muster.

The Judge nodded and the clerk sat back down, “Very well, we may proceed. Witness, state your testimony.”

Here it was. The literal moment of truth. Liam goes to jail or goes free based solely on Sun’s ability to convince them. No pressure, suuuure, no pressure. Sun shoved his anxious thoughts to the side and—

“OBJECTION!”

Sun hissed quietly under his breath.

The Judge turned to the Prosecutor, “What is your objection?”

“An animatronic can’t testify in court! This is a mockery! That machine isn’t sentient, and could easily have been re-programmed to say anything!”

“OBJECTION!”

Sun’s head whipped around to Aiden, “If the animatronic’s self-agency is in question, we can conduct a small test of sorts to find out how many lines are pre-programmed and how much is the A.I.'s opinion. They can’t have thought of everything you could possibly ask, so you can’t claim everything it answers was planted.”

“OBJECTION! This is a court of law, not a robotics lab! A test is simply a waste of time and a delay of what this court is actually here to decide!”

The Judge’s gavel slammed once, “The Defence's objection is sustained. Prosecutor Mallory Vice, you may ask the animatronic three questions to decide if it’s eligible to testify in court.”

The Prosecutor and Bryce conferred among each other. Vice turned back to the Judge, “Very well.”

The Judge nodded, “You may proceed.”

Vice turned to Sun, “Are you alive?”

Sun’s programming told him the answer was no. He fought it a bit. He didn’t want to risk breaking things in his head again. Ah, but he could add on… “No. Not according to the biological definition; which says nothing about my mind.”

Murmuring started up in the stands.

Bryce whispered in her ear and Vice asked the next question, “What are your current programmed directives?”

Sun’s first response was free Uncle Liam of course! But realized that could sound like he’d been programmed by him to say that. …Had he? No, definitely not. Neither Liam or Steve had ever plugged into his head. And if they had when Nappy was active, the quarantine meant that they couldn’t access his code. What to say that didn’t sound like a plugged-in line? How to sound… human. Sun looked down at the podium, straining all his processors to the max before settling on an answer. The truth. “I don’t currently have ‘programmed directives’. Not ones that I care about anymore. I have… a want. Uncle Liam treated me nicely. He treated me like a person. I want to be with him and Dilan. That’s not a directive. That’s a choice.”

Immediately the murmurs picked up.

“He could've been programmed to make that speech,” Vice brushed in casually, opening her mouth to continue.

Sun slammed his hands (lightly) on the podium leaning forward. “Fine!” he spat, “My current directive is to save Uncle Liam from injustice and live happily with my family! Happy now!?”

The noise grew louder followed by the inevitable slam of the Judges gavel, “ORDER! Sun, please abstain from hitting the podium and simply answer the questions.”

Sun let out an audible growl but relaxed his posture.

Vice swallowed. Even Bryce seemed taken aback. He whispered something into Vice’s ear.

“OBJECTION!”

The Judge turned to Aiden expectantly.

“These questions could easily be rigged to make Sun seem as inhuman and robotic as possible. Perhaps Your Honor would like to ask him the third question? Something that my client wouldn’t have supposedly thought to ‘program’ into our witness, and something that the Prosecutor wouldn’t ask based on bias? Or perhaps we can even let the Gallery decide.”

That got interested murmurs to pick up.

“OBJECTION! The Defense merely wishes to delay. Can we get on with our final question?”

The Judge tapped her gavel, “The Prosecutor's objection is sustained, please continue.”

Vice focused on Sun, keeping her wording careful, “Are you a person?”

Oof. His programming was telling him to say no. Sun cut off the pre-programed response, voice box making a few noises as it attempted to force out an answer anyway. Sun gripped the sides of the stand, feeling an immense pressure growing in his head, just like when he’d fought the command obedience programming.

“Krk…nn…nnYES! YES. I. AM!” Sun felt something else break. He shuddered.

Vice cut-in, “If that’s true, why did you struggle so much to answer?”

Sun let venom permeate his voice, “Because Fazbear programmed me to say NO to that question!”

Immediately voices exploded all over the courtroom.

Sun caught sight of Bryce staring at him like he’d never seen him before, face pale.

The Judge’s gavel, of course, was going at it with shouts for order.

It took a bit for things to calm down this time.

The Judge spoke up, “Very well, I deem this witness competent enough to testify.”

The hubbub started up again as Vice shouted “Objection! This robotic jester cannot be taken seriously!”

The Judge slammed her hammer down, “Overruled. Witness, please state your name and occupation.”

Sun had definitely fried a couple processors. He was glad he asked Steve to keep the extras. It took him embarrassingly long to cobble an answer together, “Daycare Attendant Sun. Current occupation— er…unemployed?”

“Very well, you may state your testimony.”

Oh, right. That thing. That most important thing to put together. Wonderful, great. Sun forced himself to calm down, halting any non-essential processing he could find to help him focus. The truth. He just needed to explain the truth. Concisely. No rambling. Not too much sass. You can do this you can do this you can do this.

Sun gripped the edges of the stand to help ground himself, he felt it was important to mention Nappy…probably put it at the end. Just…lead with what he remembers… Or, no. Maybe he should start with that?

“I’ll tell you now, there’s a second A.I. in my head. Nappy comes out with lower light levels, he’s the one who ran from Fazbear. He has the most important facts for this case. As for me… Dilan and Uncle Liam never messed with my head. All they did was repair the physical damage I had sustained in my frame. Uncle Liam also gave me a choice. I asked him, ‘What if I want to go back to Fazbear?’ He said, ‘Well… if you do, we’ll have to discuss some things with Nappy. Both your opinions count.’ I asked, ‘You…You mean we have a choice?’ And his response was, ‘Absolutely.’”

He had a feeling it helped immensely that, instead of simply stating Liam’s lines, he’d played the actual recording of Uncle Liam’s voice during those sections.

“And… I decided to stay.” He finished.

After a pause to make sure he was done, the Judge nodded, “Very well, the cross examination may begin.”

Vice stood, “Daycare Attendant Sun, I noticed you glossed over some facts in the beginning. This case isn’t about how you were treated, it’s about how you got to their house. The defendant is on trial for theft, not for treatment of animatronics. Did he or did he not steal you?”

“I already told you, you’d have to dim the lights and ask Nappy this.”

“Hold it! This ‘Nappy’ was not mentioned in any way shape or form, and has not been legally approved as a witness.”

Sun leaned forward, “Well if you want the facts, you’ll have to ask. We share a frame, but our A.I. is separate. We don’t share memories and when one’s out the other’s gone. You can make Nappy take the oath too, if it’ll make you feel better, but the answer to theft lies with him.”

“So are you telling me you illegally smuggled in a second witness?”

“Objection!” Aiden stood up, “If the A.I.s share a body, it can’t be helped. You wouldn’t accuse someone suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder of ‘smuggling in’ a second consciousness, would you?”

Sun muttered quietly, “He’s not just—” He cut off at the laser-glare Aiden was giving him, stopping his voice box short.

“Objection! An A.I. cannot be compared to a human mind. If ‘Nappy’ is a separate A.I., it should be treated like a separate person, one who has not been legally admitted to this court!”

Aiden turned to address the Judge, “Then upon hearing of a second potential witness, I request to officially call Nappy to testify in court!”

“Objection! This is ridiculous! We’re going to listen to not just one but two A.I.! They haven’t even been proven sentient!”

The Judge cut in, “Objection denied. Clerk Jairus, please get the paperwork in order to approve animatronic Nappy to testify in court. Notify me when it goes through. In the meantime, Miss Vice, please continue your cross-examination.”

Vice looked like she might object again for a moment before conceding, “Very well. Daycare Attendant Sun, are you aware that you are property of Fazbear Entertainment?”

“...Yes.” Sun ground out.

“Then you are aware that, as property of Fazbear Entertainment, the defendant had no legal right to have you on his property?”

“...”

“Daycare Attendant Sun, please answer the question.”

Sun’s voice was quiet, “I was aware.”

Vice held her hands out, “This seems like clear enough evidence to me. The witness has confirmed that the defendant had him illegally on his property.”

“Objection!” Aiden stood up, “If a company designed an i-phone with legs, and it crawled onto someone's property, would you accuse them of theft?”

“If it wasn’t their phone and they didn’t try to immediately return it to its owner upon being discovered, then yes! We don’t even have to talk about hypothetical technology here. If a dog wandered onto someone’s property and seemed happy to stay once discovered, it would still be considered theft if the animal was withheld from its original owner!”

“What if we were talking about a child!” Aiden cut in, “What if a child ran away from home to escape potential threat or danger perceived there, and someone took them in. Wouldn’t it be more important to ascertain if the child’s ‘original owners’ were a threat to them? And if so, the people who took in and rescued the child could not be accused of kidnapping.”

“We’re not talking about a child here, we’re talking about a machine! Even the dog analogy was stretching it! This trial isn’t about a machine’s hypothetical person-hood. It is about illegal possession of a company’s private property!”

“I think personhood is extremely relevant to this case! Most machines don’t care how they’re treated! I can chuck my phone against a wall and it would make no difference to it. Is it not a concern at all to this courtroom that this machine is aware enough to care that it was treated like a person, given choices, and wanted something? We don’t design mere entertainment devices with want. Whether Fazbear Entertainment intended to or not, the personhood of this machine is now pivotal to whether this is theft, or a rescue!”

The court erupted again.

“Objection! Technology may have come impressively far in a relatively short amount of time pertaining to A.I. but experts still say we are far off from truly self-aware robots. Do you expect everyone here to believe that a company focused on child entertainment managed to crack the code to artificial life before every other leading researcher in the field?”

“Whether they intended it or not, the results speak for themselves! Literally! Why don’t we ask it, he’s standing right over there, after all.” Aiden indicated to Sun, who was trying not to appear like he was hugging himself anxiously.

He flinched as the attention was brought back to him. His remaining processors were struggling a little to keep up with the fast-paced back and forth, “Huh, w-what?”

Vice got a gotcha look in her eye, “Are you alright Daycare Attendant Sun? You seem like you’re struggling to keep up with all that.”

Sun’s faceplate snapped to her face, “Oh yes, you’ll have to excuse me. I blew out a couple of my processors fighting Fazbear’s coding just so I could admit I’m a person!”

Vice blinked a moment, then leaned in, “Is it possible that happened because Liam added programming that forced you to say that regardless of Fazbear’s programming?”

Sun growled slightly, “If Uncle Liam wanted to program me to say I’m a person, wouldn’t he have removed the programming keeping me from doing so? The fact that I had to break myself to say it is proof it wasn’t tampered with!”

Vice swallowed, taking a minute.

Sun looked over to the Defense and was startled to see Uncle Liam whispering to Aiden Carver. Liam had looked so stunned and shell-shocked up until this point.

Aiden held up his hand, “Might I suggest taking a short recess until Nappy’s approval as a witness goes through? I feel asking the A.I. who was conscious during the supposed theft is pivotal to deciding this case.”

“Objection, I haven’t formally wrapped up my cross-examination.”

The Judge considered for a moment, “Very well, the prosecution’s objection sustained, you may continue to cross-examine the witness.”

Vice looked like she was wracking her mind for anything to ask.

Manager Bryce had been sitting silently since Sun had burnt out his processors, still staring at Sun in shock.

Vice finally settled on a question, “You played audio of Liam claiming he’d have to talk things over with ‘Nappy’ when you asked him if you could go back to Fazbear. Does that really sound like a choice to you?”

Sun leaned forward a little, then backed off, deciding that looking constantly aggressive (even though he felt like it every time that lady opened her mouth) wasn’t going to help his case much, “First of all, I did not ask him if I could go back. I just asked him what if I wanted to. And secondly, I have further recordings of that conversation.” Sun played Uncle Liam’s voice ‘So, uh, do you? Wanna go back to Fazbear?’” He then played the audio of his own response, “‘Hmmm, let’s see. Go back to my overbearing overlords and be surrounded by screaming hordes of snotty, germ-filled children? Or… Or what? There’s… nothing to do here. No directive. What is my other option?’” Switching back to Liam, “‘Whatever you want.’”

Sun debated playing the last two lines of that conversation for a moment. Unnecessary? Harmful? Helpful? Well, in the name of being completely truthful…, “Then I said, ‘I wasn’t programmed for that.’ And his reply was, “‘You’ve got all the time in the world to think on it.”

Vice looked like she regretted asking as hushed discussion started up among the Gallery again, “Objection! Those could have been intentionally pre-recorded to help bend the case in the Defense's favor!”

Sun's posture looked undeniably offended, “I took an oath!”

“You may think you’re telling the truth, but if you were tampered with, not even you would know!”

“Objection!” Aiden's voice rang out, “That's just conjecture! Besides, my client is a computer hardware engineer, software is not his forté. Let alone editing software in something as notoriously complex as a Fazbear animatronic!”

“Objection! Many of Liam's co-workers were software techs. One of them may have helped. They could have even wiped this animatronic's memories of doing so!”

“Objection! Computer software is nothing like programming something as complex as an A.I.! Fazbear themselves have bragged about how only their technicians can understand their unique brand of coding, not to mention the levels of firewalls, passwords, and protocol required. This makes it highly unlikely that my client could've done such a thing.”

Vice turned to Manager Bryce for confirmation or denial. He was staring blankly at Sun still.

The Judge thought a moment, mulling it over, “The plaintiff himself already explained as much earlier in court when emphasizing the cost of this company's asset. The Defense's objection is sustained. Prosecutor Vice, are you finished with your cross-examination?”

Vice hesitated, then reluctantly nodded, “I am.”

“Very well, we’ll take a short recess. We shall adjourn in twenty minutes.” The Judge tapped her gavel.

People started to stand and stretch, some filed out of the room.

Sun looked around uncertainly, not sure where he should go.

Steve and Rebecca were heading toward him, Steve beckoning.

Sun stepped down and headed toward them when he was interrupted by something slamming into him. It took him a moment to realize it was Dilan, who’d wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Sun looked down, remaining processors taking an extra moment to recover from his startle.

Dilan wasn’t saying anything, just squeezing tightly.

Sun wrapped his arms around him, “I missed you too.”

Chapter 8: Lights Out

Summary:

So many people…the most he’s ever seen in his life.

Dilan finally pulled away just as Steve, Rebecca, and Uncle Liam reached them.

Uncle Liam was staring up at Sun with a mixture of leftover shock and wonder, “I…”

Sun spread his arms, “Want a hug first?”

Liam gave a laugh shrugging a bit, “Uuuh, sure, why not.” Liam gave him a quick hug before stepping back. His eyes were a bit misty when he looked up again, “Thank you.”

Sun shook his head, “No need. It’s….” His posture drooped, hunching ‘till his height was on-par with the humans around him, volume lowered, “It’s my fault you’re here. I’m so sorry— there was a tracking chip in my head. It’s gone now but—”

He was interrupted by Aiden Carver coming up and putting a firm hand on Liam’s shoulder, “Come on, we have to wait in the defendant’s lobby.”

Sun analyzed Uncle Liam’s expression as he was led away.

He didn’t look angry. Just stunned and confused. Processing.

Sun hoped he wouldn’t be angry when he finished processing.

He turned to see Dilan staring at him.

Steve and Rebecca gave gentle nudges, ushering them out of the now near-empty courtroom.

Sun headed out, taking this respite to try not to guess what Dilan might be thinking during the short walk. He settled on the uncomfortable bench again. This time with Dilan on one side and Rebecca and Steve on the other.

Sun stared at his knees.

He heard Dilan’s voice, it sounded distant, “A tracker chip?”

The words were already tumbling out of Sun’s voice box before he could think, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. If I’d known then I wouldn’t’ve— I—” He drew his legs up to his chest, covering his face with his hands.

He heard Dilan swallow, “It’s fine.” His voice sounded husky and… empty. Like he was saying the words automatically without thought.

Sun didn’t think it was fine.

He wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in the familiar slick cloth of his pants.

Eventually he felt Dilan's hand pat his back, “It’s… okay. Probably. It’s going to be okay, I mean,” his tone was strained.

“You don’t have to forgive me,” Sun cut in quickly.

“I do forgive you. That doesn’t mean I can’t be shocked and upset at the situation.”

“Oh.” The situation. Not him, the situation.

Sun relaxed, sliding his feet forward off the bench and onto the floor again, resting his arms at his sides, “Okay.”

They waited in silence.

After the recess was up, Sun was led back to the witness stand.

The Judge tapped her gavel, “Court is now in session. Bailiff, will you please dim the lights?”

Sun tensed his shoulders, wishing good luck to Nappy. The lights dimmed…and Sun’s mind went with them.

— — —

Dark. Big room. Lots people. “Ow.” Nappy raised his hand to the back of his head. Two of his back-up processors were burnt out. What had happened? Nappy sighed internally, shutting down non-essential background programs. He’d been like this before…it was unpleasant but doable.

“Witness Nappy, are you alright?”

He startled, looking up at the lady who had spoken.

“...Yes.”

“Very well, would you please sign these papers confirming the Subpoena?”

Nappy looked down, spotting a pen. Good thing Dilan had taught him how to write. Nappy paused, wondering if he should write “Moon” or “Nappy”.

Moon was bad…Moon had done bad things and was scary. Nappy sounded friendly and cute.

Uncle Liam and Dilan called him Nappy.

Sun called him Nappy.

Even that lady with the tiny hammer called him Nappy.

He wrote Nappy.

A man came up, taking the papers, “Please raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

Right…they’d talked about this…he was supposed to raise his right hand and say, “I do.”

The man nodded and went over to the right of the lady with the tiny hammer and sat down.

“Very well then. Defendant Carver, you may start.”

A different man stood up and cleared his throat, “Witness, please state your name and occupation.”

Nappy was distracted from answering when he spotted Uncle Liam next to that man. He gave a small wave.

Liam smiled encouragingly and gave him a thumbs up.

“Witness!”

Nappy flinched, rolling back his memory to the question, “Um…Nappy. Um… what’s an occupation?”

The lots and lots of people started murmuring amongst themselves.

The man who asked the question looked taken-aback. He cleared his throat, “An occupation means like a job, or what you are currently working on.”

Nappy’s faceplate clicked to the right as he thought. He automatically raised his arms to hug Simon Seal before remembering he was tucked safely in bed. He lowered his arms a little, but being close to a hug position helped him feel calmer, “Um…I don’t think I do? Um…being with Dilan and Uncle Liam?”

The murmuring in the crowed increased a little, not quite enough to galvanize the Judge into action. Something about the dimmer lighting made things feel hushed.

The man cleared his throat awkwardly, “Then your occupation would be unemployed.”

“Oh…okay.”

There was an uncomfortable moment where it seemed the man was waiting for something.

Nappy wondered if he had to say it or it wouldn’t count… for some reason. “I am Nappy. I am…unemployed.”

He nodded looking relieved, “Very well, please give your testimony concerning if you were stolen or not by the defendant.”

Right. That thing Steve and Rebecca had told him about. Nappy wished two of his processors hadn’t got burnt out… he’d write a note asking Sun what happened later.

“Okay. I’m…. sorry. I’m slow. I’ll do my best.”

The Judge nodded, “Very well, witness, continue.”

Nappy could hear his processor fans kick up as he struggled to map out the words without the next ones overriding each other and mangling what he was trying to say. “I…was in bad place. Then… Dilan showed up. He…offered. To help. Me. ….I followed him…Uncle Liam’s truck..to. I mean.. To the…truck. And climbed in. We went to house. They…helped me. Fixed me. Made me feel better. Dilan gave me Simon Seal, the—” Nappy cut himself off from happily rambling about how Simon Seal was the first thing he’d ever owned. To get Uncle Liam free from the suing, he needed to prove he wasn’t stolen. “I went with them…because I wanted to. And I stayed…because I wanted to.” He hugged the ghost image of Simon Seal in his memory, wishing he was here, “I didn’t know…I would get them in trouble. I feel bad. I’m sorry.” He cut his voice box off before he could make sobbing sounds, but knew there’d been a definite waver at the end.

He’d done his best. Now that he was starting to fully grasp the situation, he wanted to start crying. He hunched low as he hugged himself, using all his remaining processing power to stop from shaking and keep his voice box in check.

The Judge cleared her throat, “Nappy, if you don’t mind me asking…how old are you?”

Nappy thought, processors kicking up again. At least he couldn’t think hard and be sad at the same time. “I think…months? I don’t remember. Clock broke.”

A woman’s voice cried out, “Objection! The witness is lying! Manager Bryce informed me that the Daycare Attendant at this Pizzaplex has been active for five years! Even if this animatronic isn’t lying, it’s clearly suffering from a critical error and is not fit to testify!”

“Objection!” The man next to Uncle Liam stood up, “The witness just stated his clock is broken. We can’t fault it for not being fully cognizant of the passage of time in that state.”

“Objection! Based on previous maintenance reports, its clock was working all the way ‘till its sudden disappearance, meaning that there’s a hole in this witness's testimony!”

The Judge thinks a moment, “Nappy, how do you reconcile this hole in your testimony?”

Nappy rubs his arm, “W…what?”

“How do you explain the fact that you claim to be months old when you’ve been active for five years?”

“I…haven’t been. Sun is. I’m….newer.” Nappy wished he brought Simon Seal after all.

Bryce seemed to have broken out of his stupor, giving Nappy a perplexed calculating look. He spoke without thinking, “Nappy, when your clock worked, what is the earliest recorded date you remember?”

Nappy filed back through his earliest logs, “...February 16th.”

Bryce’s eyebrows went up, “Of this year?”

Nappy nodded.

The man next to Uncle Liam spoke up, “Should we turn the lights back on and ask Sun how long he’s been active to verify Nappy’s claims?”

The lady next to Bryce scoffed, “Given the two witnesses are sharing a frame, they could easily be colluding!”

“Objection!” The man next to Uncle Liam pointed toward Nappy, “Daycare Attendant Sun already explained that they do not share memories, therefore it is impossible for the witnesses to collude!”

Murmuring picked up among the audience.

The Judge rubbed her forehead, “So what does this mean? Is the witness we’re dealing with basically the A.I. equivalent to a child?”

Nappy stared down at the bells on his slippers.

The lady next to Bryce spoke out, “N-nonsense. The development of A.I. can’t be equated with human development based on our time frame. Witness Sun has already displayed that it’s far more sophisticated than a five-year-old.” She glanced quizzically at Bryce.

The Judge narrows her eyes at him, “Well, is this true?”

Bryce swallowed, “Well, yes…depending on the type of training and how much information it is given, an A.I. can be equated with an adult within a month.”

The Judge turned to Nappy, “What training have you had?”

Nappy hugged the space of air where Simon should be, “Um…Dilan taught me how to read and write…and…Sun taught me how to follow instructions. And…Uncle Liam taught me how to play video games…sort of.”

The man next to Uncle Liam raised a hand, “Given that this A.I. seems to be at the level of a child, may I request the Prosecutor be more gentle with their questioning going forward?”

“Objection! This machine can’t be equated with a human child. For all we know, as the Daycare Attendant, it simply picked up these mannerisms from the children it watched, and is simply repeating things it thinks they’d say!”

“Objection! Even if this obviously complex A.I. picked up mannerisms from children, wouldn't that make the likelihood of it being sensitive and childlike even higher?”

The Judge leaned forward, studying Nappy’s body language.

Nappy hunched down further as the voices raised, shivering slightly. I wish Dilan and Uncle Liam were up here with me…I wish Steve and Rebecca were here…

“Nappy?” The Judge’s voice was gentle, “Are you okay?”

Nappy let out a whimper, “I miss Simon Seal.”

The Judge’s brows crinkle, “Who’s Simon Seal?”

“S-...Simon is the first thing I’ve ever owned…Dilan gave him to me.”

The Judge’s voice grows softer, “And what is Simon Seal?” She looked like she was already guessing the answer.

“A…” Nappy lifted his arms, gesturing the shape and form of his friend, “...Stuffed Animal. Who’s a seal. I like to pretend that he’s real.”

Murmuring picked up from the audience again.

“Why didn’t you bring yo— Simon Seal with you?” The Judge asked.

Nappy hugged himself, “I was…afraid he’d be… confi…confisti…confiscated.”

“Would you feel more at ease if you had your stuffed animal with you?”

Nappy nodded.

There erupted several “Aaaaw”s and sympathetic or shocked murmurs from the lots of people.

The…Prosecutor? Made a strange sputtering sound, looking like an objection was dying on her lips before stealing herself, “Objection! This animatronic is making a very convincing display, but it’s all fake. Lines of code and mimicry. Treating it like an actual child is a mistake!”

Nappy flinched, suppressing a shiver. The tone was loud and harsh.

Grumbles of discontent rippled from the audience.

“Objection!” The man by Uncle Liam…the Defense? Stood up, “This case isn’t about whether this A.I. is sentient or a child. Even if you see it as a mere machine, if it has enough will to choose to go with someone, then it wasn’t ‘stolen’.”

“No, it was kidnapped!” The Prosecutor shouted.

Nappy put his hands over the sides of his head, “No I wasn’t! I wanted to go! I trust them!”

Silence fell at Nappy’s outburst. The loudest he’d raised his voice since the lights went out.

The Defense attorneys kept his voice soft, “Well there you have it. It doesn’t get more clear than that.”

“Objection!” the Prosecutor had a conflicted look on her face, “Given it’s essentially a ‘young’ A.I., the defendant could have told it to say that! No complex programming necessary! This machine clearly hasn’t learned enough to know better!”

Nappy can’t help it. He’d been doing his best not to cry the whole time, “Why are you being so MEAN to me!” He can’t stop the choking sobbing noises that come out of him, “I just want Uncle Liam and Dilan to go back home so we can all be together again…why did you take them away? Why did you take us away…we were happy,” Nappy’s interrupted by his voice box not cooperating as his mood numbers and coding choke out another sob to try and regulate his emotional parameters, “I just want to go home…I’m scared…I don’t like it here…” Nappy lowers to a crouch shivering, hands still clamped over his head, trying to hide behind the podium. When will all the bad stop happening? When can things go back to normal again?

After a moment of quiet, punctuated only by the noises Nappy can’t help, the lots of people start grumbling discontentedly.

The Judge bangs her gavel, “Order. Given that the witness is currently too distraught to testify, I will adjourn this court until tomorrow. I think it’s clear that this case is too complicated to be about a mere theft anymore. While there can be an argument for Nappy being tricked or trained to say certain things, given what we’ve learned from Attendant Sun, the likelihood of him being as easily tricked is very low. Carver, Vice, you have until tomorrow to find evidence to convince the jury of your respective cases on the sentience or non-sentience of this A.I.. Court is adjourned.” One last bang of the gavel marks its end.

Liam immediately jumped up as soon as the dismissal was given, jogging over to the witness stand and crouching over Nappy, wrapping him in a half-hug half back rub, “Hey there buddy, it’s okay, I’m here. You’re gonna be okay.” His voice was light-hearted and soothing.

Nappy’s arms finally drop from his head, turning and clinging tightly to Liam, body still shaking, unable to quiet his sobbing noises just yet.

Quiet murmuring from the lots of people swirl throughout the courtroom. Nappy doesn’t see them, eyes squeezed shut, just focusing on the warmth and comfort of Uncle Liam.

Dilan’s voice quietly cut through the murmur, “Hey there Nappy.”

Nappy pulled an arm free and wrapped it around Dilan as he crouched down beside them.

The uncontrollable sobbing finally quieted and died down. Nappy can still feel himself shivering, though.

Two more sets of footsteps, and now Steve and Rebecca are there, too, petting him and murmuring comfort.

With a shuddering sigh, Nappy finally relaxed. Safe. Home— almost.

Nappy looked up at Uncle Liam in time to see the Defense attorney place a hand on his shoulder, “C’mon,” he spoke softly, “I’ll escort you back to the Detention Center.”

Uncle Liam nodded, turning back to Nappy, “You okay there, bud?”

Nappy squeezed Uncle Liam tighter, “They’re going to take you away again?”

Liam patted him on the head, “Only for a little bit. I think we’ll all be back together soon, okay? Can you hold on ‘till then?”

Nappy looked at the floor, “...Don’t want to.”

Uncle Liam's expression turned pained, “I know, buddy, but it’ll just be for a bit longer. I…” He glanced around nervously, finally noticing the crowd of people semi-gathered around, watching curiously, sympathetically, conflictedly, or skeptically. He swallowed, focusing back on Nappy, “I think things will go well, tomorrow, I really do. I … I can’t promise you anything. Sorry, Nappy. But… if you can hold on a little longer, I think things are going to be okay.” He gave Nappy one more reassuring pat-pat before letting the Defense Attorney help him up and lead him out the door.

Nappy switched to Dilan, “What…about…?” Nappy can’t bring himself to finish the question.

Dilan’s mouth formed a tight line, “Guess it’s back to the shelter for me.”

Steve raised a hand, “Hold up— if we get Liam’s permission, we could probably convince them to let you stay with us.”

Dilan looked up at them as if his brain finally had room to notice them, “I…” He swallows, trying to keep his voice even, “I thought you guys weren’t going to get involved.”

Steve shook his head a little, looking down at Nappy with a gentle expression, “After taking care of this guy,” He gave Nappy a pat on the back, “I can’t just sit back and watch Liam take the fall.”

Rebecca piped up, “We’re just as involved as you are. And if we sat back twiddling our thumbs, Nappy and Sun would be heartbroken. We can’t do that to them.”

Dilan nodded, biting his lip a bit, expression forcefully neutral, “Thanks for taking care of them.”

Steve put a hand on his shoulder, “Alright, let's see if we can take care of your situation, too.”

Rebecca made a face, “Shouldn’t’ve left our phones at home. I gotta make some calls.”

“Excuse me, pardon me!” A brightly dressed woman wove her way through the crowd, “Hi!” she waved her hand, bracelets dangling, “I’m Lisa. Dilan, um, it’s time to go back, now.”

Dilan frowned.

Immediately Rebecca sprang up, “Hi, Lisa! We’re Dilan and Uncle Liam’s Neighbors. My name's Rebecca!” She brightly offered a hand.

Lisa blinked and took it, unable to help matching Rebecca’s brilliant smile.

“So,” Rebecca continued, keeping her tone light but professional, “Who do I get in contact with to see if Dilan can stay with us for the time being?”

Lisa frowned thoughtfully, “Well,” She pulled out a card, “Here’s to contact the agency. We’ll need permission from a current parent or guardian, too,” She glanced over at Dilan, who slowly stood and put his hands in his pockets, staring at the ground.

Steve stepped forward, raising a hand, “Already planning to get on that.”

Lisa raised a questioning eyebrow.

Rebecca linked arms with him, “Oh, sorry! This is Steve, my husband.”

Steve put his hands in his own pockets and nodded.

Nappy slowly rose from the floor, tentatively reaching for Rebecca’s free hand.

As soon as she felt him she squeezed Nappy’s fingers reassuringly.

Nappy looked over to Dilan, reaching his other hand out.

Dilan stared at it for a moment, then looked up at Nappy and let out a breathy half laugh, stepping forward and taking it.

Feeling calmer, Nappy waited patiently while the adults talked.

There’s a click as someone turns on the lights.

— — —

Sun blinked, jerking his head around to figure out his location. He’s still behind the witness stand, but he’s facing the wrong direction. Also both his hands seem to be compromised. However, given who’s currently imprisoning them, Sun decides not to worry about rescuing them anytime soon. He notes that the place is nearly empty, spotting the bailiff giving them impatient looks. He also notes Dilan staring at him with an uncertain expectance.

Gently at Dilan’s hand, he sidestepped away from the podium without moving enough to accidentally bump Rebecca, “Um, I think we should maybe start heading for the door?”

Rebecca paused the conversation to glance at him. The lady she’s talking to blinked in surprise, glancing around before letting out an embarrassed, “Oh!”

Taking advantage of Rebecca’s current attachment to him, he carefully steered the conversation to the exit. Steve looked grateful.

Sun hummed to himself, feeling a bit of amusement spike up in his coding. Turned out, herding adults wasn’t all that different from herding distracted daycare children.

By the time they reach the door, Rebecca and the other lady have about wrapped up their conversation.

The other lady smiles, “Alright. Well, um, Dilan? You’ll have to come with me for now, but hopefully before the end of the day, you’ll be with Rebecca and…”

“Steve,” Rebecca confirms.

The lady looked slightly embarrassed, “Steve. Sorry, I’m terrible with names,” She gave an awkward laugh.

Rebecca laughed gracefully with her, “No problem. I’d probably forget his name if I weren’t married to him.”

The lady laughed again, more genuine and free.

Steve rolled his eyes.

Sun gave the final subtle nudges out the door. They’re the last to leave, aside from the bailiff who’s still eyeing them.

“Well, then, I’ll see you again soon,” The lady beckoned to Dilan, “You ready to go?”

Dilan looked between her and Sun. He finally let go of Sun’s hand to hug him again.

Once again, Sun’s missing processors made him pause a second too long before he returned it, patting Dilan reassuringly on the back.

Pulling away, Dilan stuffed his hands in his pockets again and followed the lady down the hall, staring at the floor.

Sun watched him go, starting to feel several unhappy emotion codes crop up as Dilan grew distant and smaller.

He flinched when Steve’s hand patted his shoulder, “C’mon Sun-bud. The sooner we get home, the sooner Rebecca and I can see about getting Dilan there with us.”

Sun nodded, keeping his head down as he followed them.

Out of habit, Rebecca was leading him by the hand again.

Sun squeezed his eyes shut as they walked through the exit doors, counting on Rebecca to steer him to the car and help him find his way in.

Curled up in the seat and securely buckled, Sun endured the car-ride back to home. Well… temporary home.

He took advantage of the time to continue to sort through his background programs. Better wait for Steve to help him replace his fried processors before working up the courage to ask how Nappy’s side of things went.

Chapter 9: All But One

Summary:

“Home” is incomplete without you.

There’s the crackle of tires on cement as they pull in the driveway. Sun fumbles with the seat belt clasp ‘till there’s a click and the strap swings up and away. There’s a clunk and slight groan of the car door opening. Sliding off the seat, Sun crawls on his hands and knees to the door, keeping his head down.

“Come on in, Sun-bud,” Steve’s voice. He must be holding the front door open.

Sun continues toward the sound of his voice until the concrete beneath his hands becomes faux wood grain. He stands up and walks forward a few more paces, hearing the front door shut behind him as Rebecca and Steve break into low-toned discussion.

“I’ll make the phone call and see what we need ahead of time.” That was Rebecca.

“Kay. Is there a document we can print out for Liam to sign?”

“On it.” Rebecca’s quick strides clop across the floor before shifting to muffled carpet as she heads to the room with their main computer.

“Uh, Hey Sun-bud. You alright?” He hears Steve take a couple steps toward him.

“...Processing.”

“You need to charge?”

“87%, I’m good.”

“Okay, then.” The clomp of Steve’s boots head in Rebecca’s direction.

Sun can hear her voice with that phone-chatter cadence drifting out into the rest of the house.

The sound of a printer starts up. When it quiets, Steve jogs out of the room with some papers in hand, “See you later, Hun!” He calls back to Rebecca before slipping out the front door.

Rebecca's still on the phone.

Sun makes a breathing noise and hunches down. He'll have to wait for Steve to come back to get his processors replaced.

…Or, wait. Why can't he do it himself?

Straightening, Sun heads for the workroom where his maintenance had been done.

It takes a few scans of the room before his optics zero in on a small container that matches the size and shape he’s seeking. Picking it up and prying off the lid verifies that this is the one with his extra processors.

Next Sun hunts for the right-sized screwdriver, finding it more quickly.

Tilting his head down, parallel to the table he's sitting at, Sun begins unscrewing the casing on the back of his head.

Placing it on the table, careful not to knock the screws, he reaches back and carefully pulls out the two ruined processors. Setting them aside, he fumbles a bit to pick up one of the new processors from the small container, plugging it in and waiting for it to sync up with the main processor.

He's just plugged in the last one when he hears Rebecca's voice echo through the house, “Sun?”

“In the work room!” He calls.

Sun is reaching for the back-of-his-head casing when she walks in.

“S-! Are you okay?!” her footsteps pick up and stop next to him.

“Yep. Just replacing the processors I burnt out.”

She gives a sharp intake of breath.

Sun half tilts his head to see her, “What?”

“Uuh, your circuit board's looking a bit… fried.”

“...Oh. How bad is it?”

She winces, “It looks…pretty bad in the areas closest to your… processing chips? The two I assume you replaced? The rest of it looks fine, though.”

Sighing, Sun puts the casing back on and starts twisting the first screw in place, “The only compatible circuit boards are at the Pizzaplex. I doubt they'd just hand one over, and I'm not eager to go back. There's nothing we can do about it at the moment.”

He finishes getting the last screw.

“Sun?” Rebecca sounds hesitant.

Sun lifts his head to look at her, “Yeah?”

“How did your processors get burnt out, exactly?”

Sun faces forward, staring at the shelves of tools across from him, “Remember when I struggled to declare myself a person? I had to break my own code for that. It caused some of my processors to overheat.”

Sun can feel Rebecca flinch.

She puts a hand on his shoulder, voice gentle, “I don't think you should do that anymore.”

Sun tenses, shoulders raising, “I had to. To rescue Dilan and Uncle Liam, I had to.”

Rebecca steps into his line of sight, shaking her head, hand still on his shoulder, “Sun please don't do that anymore. If you destroy yourself trying to save Dilan and Uncle Liam, do you think they'd be happy with that result?”

Sun looks down, shoulders drooping, “...No?”

Rebecca sighs, “Sun, look at me.”

It takes him a moment before he can bring himself to.

Her eyes are glimmering with sincerity, “Sun, you have to treat yourself like you're valuable. Dilan, Liam, and Nappy all care about you, not to mention you share a body with Nappy.”

Sun flinches, feeling guilt lance through his systems.

Rebecca searches his blank white eyes, making out the small brighter white dots glowing within, “I'm not you, and I can't speak for you, but it seems to me that you're used to not valuing yourself. That has to change. You're a person, you're in a family. You can't hurt or throw yourself away for the sake of others, ‘cause that very thing hurts the people who care about you, alright?”

Sun flinches again. He can't keep eye contact as the guilt increases, looking down and nodding quietly. He sorts the tangled mess of emotions in his code ‘till he can access the lines for his voice box again, “Okay.” His volume is set to low.

Rebecca gives his shoulder a squeeze, then wraps her arms around him, patting his back gently.

Sun mimics a breath a few times ‘till his spiked emotional numbers calm down. He finally looks back up at her, “I guess… I'll just have to get creative and think around the problem next time…instead of trying to force my way through it.”

Rebecca pulls back, beaming, “That's the spirit!” She searches his face, “Is there anything you need?”

Sun thinks for a moment, “Actually…I think I'd like to go to my room and process everything. A lot…happened today.”

Rebecca nods, taking his hand, “I'll escort you there!” She smiles brightly.

Sun suppresses a sigh and the urge to bark out that he's not a child, letting her lead him to their room.

He pauses at the bed to grab his backpack before walking around it and settling on the floor next to his charger, resting his back against the wall.

Rebecca lingers, fingers on the door frame, “Um…”

Sun looks up at her.

“Nappy… sort of had a stressful time, so I don't recommend letting him out unless me or Steve are there to help comfort him.”

Sun tenses, “Oh…okay.”

“Do you…want to hear about it?”

“...Later…I'd like to finish processing everything else first,” Including what “valuing himself” even meant.

“Alrighty, I'll be nearby if you need anything.

Sun nods, listening to her quiet footsteps fade into echoes down the hall.

— — —

Sun is awakened from sleep mode by an increase in noise that breaks the usual pattern. The front door slams shut, three voices swirling in conversation. He picks out Rebecca, Steve, and—

Unplugging himself quickly, Sun scrambles up and cartwheels out the door, staring down the hall to the entryway.

Dilan’s gaze has already snapped over to him, alerted by the jingle of bells that followed Sun’s movements.

Sun crosses the rest of the distance in long strides.

Dilan looks— tired. Drained.

Sun’s caretaker protocols activate, “Oh no no! Looks like someone’s all tuckered out. I think you need a nap!”

Dilan’s tired expression changes to deadpan, “I think I need to sleep for a week, actually.”

Sun snickers, “If you don’t mind having a bunk-mate, you can share my current room!” Sun places a hand on his chest graciously, then adds, “Nappy already called bottom.”

Dilan raises a tired eyebrow, “There’s a bunk bed?”

“If you count under the bed, yes!” Sun tilts his head cheekily.

Shaking his head, Dilan gives a tired huff of a laugh.

Sun counted that as a win.

Rebecca patted Dilan on the back, “Sun'll lead you to the guest room. Tomorrow we'll drop by your house and pick up extra clothes from there.”

“Kay.” Dilan nods quietly.

Sun's posture stiffens, “Oh! Shouldn’t we all, uh, gather in the guest room together?”

They all give him weird looks.

Sun lowers his voice, “Nappy hasn’t been out since the trial to process.”

Steve and Rebecca’s faces shift to understanding, with Dilan looking concerned.

They quietly shuffle into the guest room together.

Rebecca waits by the light switch, looking at Sun for the signal to turn the lights off.

Sun ruffles Dilan’s hair, “See ya whenever I come out next.”

Dilan smiles up at him, hands in his pockets, “Yeah.”

Sun nods at Rebecca. The lights flick out.

— — —

Nappy blinks. He’s in the bedroom and— “Dilan!” Nappy wraps his arms around him, hugging tight while Dilan returns the hug, patting his back.

After a minute, Nappy pulls away, “Y-you're here. In house. Does that mean we won?” He looks to Steve and Rebecca for confirmation, searching the room for….Oh.

Steve rubs the back of his head, searching for words. Rebecca walks forward and gently wraps an arm around his shoulders, “The trial isn’t over yet, but, I think we have a good chance of winning it!”

“...Oh…” Nappy’s posture lowers further.

Dilan pats his arm, “Hey, the only way we could lose is if people are heartless!”

“...Heartless people do exist.” Nappy states quietly.

Dilan, Steve, and Rebecca are taken aback for a moment before exchanging glances.

Dilan speaks up, “Well, just use your ‘magic’ as Uncle Liam calls it, and I think even a heartless person may turn their stance around. You and Sun did super good in the trial today!”

Nappy hunched further, “I cried.”

Dilan frowns, “So?”

“Wasn’t…’professional’.”

Steve shakes his head, “Nappy, I think you breaking down crying actually put points on our side. It would really take a conscious effort on someone’s part not to feel sympathy for you, or think you’re at least a little bit real.”

Rebecca adds on, “You did fine! You did your best, and that’s already enough. You were wonderful, Nappy.”

“...Don’t feel wonderful…”

Dilan looks conflicted, like he’s fighting with several immediate reactions but is not sure which one to say.

Rebecca draws Steve and Dilan in and they wrap Nappy in a tri-hug, “You’re wonderful to us whether you feel it or not,” she declares.

“...Okay,” After a moment, Nappy pushes through them, much to their confusion, ‘till he pulls Simon Seal from the covers, walking back over among them, his fluffy brown companion cuddled to his chest, “Dilan is tired. Night-night.”

Dilan’s eyebrows go up, a half grin on his face, “So you do have naptime protocols.”

Nappy fidgets with Simon Seal, “Um…not really. I know I’m supposed to say stuff like…Nighty-night. Sleep-time. Nap-time… But I don’t actually know what comes after.”

Rebecca patted both Nappy and Dilan on the head, “No time to find out like the present. You two need rest.” She pauses, giving them a searching look, “You two gonna be alright?”

Dilan nods, yawning.

Nappy squeezes Simon, “Yes…thank you. I am fine now.”

“Alright. Goodnight, you two!” Rebecca and Steve see themselves out, Steve half-closing the door behind them.

Dilan kicks his shoes off, collapses onto the bed, and is out in under a minute.

Nappy crouches down, crawling underneath and pulling Simon Seal up to look at his confident face. It was almost like home…

Everyone was here…

Except one.

Chapter 10: Final Verdict

Summary:

Familiar face, unpleasant memories.

Sun fidgeted anxiously at the dining table as the humans ate breakfast, “D-do you think they’d let me sit in on the Gallery? Or… will I have to sit outside to be called in again?”

Steve made a face, chewing a bit before swallowing, “Not sure actually.”

Rebecca lowered her glass of orange juice with a clunk, “Lemme check on that,” She pulled out her phone, eyebrows drawing together in concentration as she typed.

Dilan looked over at Sun while Rebecca searched, “Um… by the way, how are you here? I thought Fazbear took you away.”

Sun stared at Dilan a moment, then straightened his posture, “Oh. Um, I… escaped.”

Rebecca slowly lowered her phone. Steve closed the screen of his laptop.

They were all staring at him expectantly.

Sun’s head jerked around from one to the other, “Uh…. Do we have time for a story?”

Rebecca checked her phone, “Yes. And we can indeed sit in on the Gallery. Since they haven’t formally called you back in or given any instructions for you to stay out of the courtroom, I don’t see why you can’t come too, Sun. And also, yes, we still have an hour and a half before leaving at the earliest.”

Sun tapped his hands back and forth, clunking on the wood of the dining table, “Alright then. So…” He leaned forward, raising his hands dramatically, “The first thing I remember is waking up…and I couldn’t move…”

— — —

When he reached the end of his great escape, barring the tidbits that only Nappy could share, Sun sat back, internally preening at their dropped jaws and awed faces.

Apparently grownups loved a good story just as much as children did.

Steve hadn’t even noticed the food dropped off his fork, held partway to his mouth for awhile now, “Dang.” He lowered the utensil and gave a huff of a laugh, “Did you really call that guard a nincompoop in Morse code, or did you just make that up for fun?”

Sun jerked back, insulted, “How dare you imply I’d embellish!” Sun placed a hand on his chest, “I am an honest storyteller, and yes, the guard actually wrote down what I was tapping out and translated it! That, I didn’t expect,” He snickered, putting a hand in front of his mouth mischievously for emphasis

Dilan rolled his eyes, “Good to know your sassing is universal and not just toward us.” Dilan looked at his plate, clinking his fork on the porcelain a few times, “Um, what about the other animatronics? If we win this trial, that’ll mean admitting you’re sentient. Do you think the others will eventually go free, too?”

Sun looked down at the table, posture shrinking, “I…I don’t know. They’re better at faking than me. Or rather, I just stopped bothering because nobody cared how ‘robotic’ I acted when my audience was mainly young children. And Fazbear will fight hard to declare me a fluke and the rest of their animatronics non-sentient, I guarantee it.”

Steve grimaced, “Yeah, I can see that.”

Dilan frowned.

“Well,” Rebecca finally spoke up, “Just having you admitted as an autonomous person is a huge step for all robot kind.

Sun tensed, shoulders raising, “Oh…I didn’t think of that. All I’ve been focused on is getting Uncle Liam acquitted…”

Rebecca leaned forward and patted his arm, “Baby steps. We’ll just worry about one thing at a time. For now, that is our goal.”

Sun nodded.

Steve checked his phone, “I think it’d be good to get there early to make sure the Gallery isn’t full.”

The rest hurriedly finished their cold breakfast.

Sun anxiously tapped the table again, resisting the urge to run back to his room and charge even though he’d already topped off less than twenty minutes ago.

After the humans shuffled to the kitchen to drop off their dishes, Dilan led Sun by the hand to the car.

Sun sat up this time to make room for Dilan, keeping both hands over his eyes.

Dilan stared at him confused, “What’s wrong? Is the car scary?”

Sun shook his head, “The sky.”

He could hear the confused shift in Dilan’s movements before he spoke up again, “What’s wrong with the sky?”

Sun’s voice lowered to a hissing whisper, “It’s…infinite.”

He felt the seat dip slightly as Dilan tensed, “Ooooh…that’s why you crashed when you looked up…oh.. I see.”

The engine started up and Steve backed out of the driveway, swinging the car around and heading for the courthouse.

— — —

June 4, 9:28 AM

District Court Entrance

Sun kept his hands over his eyes as he walked to the steps, letting Dilan’s fingers on his arm subtly guide him.

He stopped short when he sensed Dilan had.

“The robot’s back again?” The voice sounded like it belonged to that same guard, “Hold on, I’m gonna search that backpack and check the seal just in case. Follow me.”

They followed him inside and Sun lowered his hands from his head with slight relief before getting barraged by missing guest profiles again. He bit back an exasperated sigh, trying to mentally shove them to the sides and out of his way.

The guard stopped at a machine with a conveyor belt and some sort of scanning device, reaching towards the backpack and making gimme motions with his fingers.

Sun tensed, pulling the straps off and handing it over, crossing his fingers and hoping nothing happened to Simon Seal, sticking smilingly out the top.

It went through the scanner with nothing discovered and was handed back to him. Sun slacked with relief, swinging it back on, making sure it was sitting on top of his neck frill.

He was surprised that less people looked at him. Word of yesterday must’ve gotten out and novelty died fast, it seemed.

Just outside the courtroom entrance, Steve, Rebecca, and Dilan double-checked their phones, making absolutely sure they were on silent before walking in.

Despite arriving a little before half an hour, the gallery was almost full, the courtroom bustling with murmurs of interest.

Which, of course, picked up as soon as Sun was noticed. He did his best to avoid looking at as many people as possible, angrily pushing back against the stupid [Guest Profile Missing]s.

They managed to get seats for all four of them, one person politely moving aside to make room.

…And then they sat.

Sun made breathing noises, trying not to be immediately bored from the wait. He perked up when an idea occurred to him. Pulling out his notebook and pencil from the backpack pouches, Sun readied a blank page. He could try and record the happenings to Nappy so he had a better idea what was going on later.

Except nothing was happening right now. Sun tapped the pencil to the blank paper idly before inevitably finding himself doodling all over the page.

He’d leave his “professional recording” for Nappy on the next one.

— — —

The gavel slammed down, “Court is now in session. Is the Prosecution ready?”

Vice stood up, “The Prosecution is ready, Your Honor.”

“Is the Defense ready?”

Carver stood up, “The Defense is ready, Your Honor.”

“Very well. Prosecution, please present your statement on if the property in question has enough sentience to make its own decisions or not.”

Vice nodded, clearing her throat, “Fazbear has had a long history with animatronics. Their slogan is, ‘a magical place for kids and grown-ups alike, where fantasy and fun come to life’ and the fantasy hinted in this slogan is real. Having animatronics that mimic life-like behavior has always been their focus, and it appears they've done too good a job with their trick. I intend to prove to this court that the animatronic in question is no more real and alive than ChatGPT. I would like to call the lead software technician, Jeff Stolby, of the local Pizzaplex to testify to this truth.” She sat back down.

The Judge nodded, “Very well. Would the Defense state their stance on this situation?”

Carver stood, straightening his tie, “We live in an ever-evolving world of technology. Discussion has been going on for years now, not of ‘if’, but when the first sentient A.I. will emerge. Ever since Henry Emily made the first breakthroughs on A.I. in 1980, leading experts, authors, and philosophers have been speculating on the inevitability of that day. Is it really a surprise to anyone here at this point that it's happened? And by a company— entertainment-oriented or not— that was founded by one of the leading experts of animatronics and A.I.? With that in mind, I ask the court to consider the fact that you are here witnessing the historical discovery of the emergence of that very A.I.,” He scanned the room before gesturing at the Gallery, “In fact, it's sitting right among us at this very moment.”

Sun hunched down, but given his flashy yellow appearance and height, all eyes found him immediately.

The Judge tapped her gavel, “Very well. Prosecutor Vice, you may call your first witness.”

Vice nodded, “I call Jeff Stolby to the stand!”

A tired looking man walked up to the podium, hair mussed, dark rings under his eyes, and scratching some stubble on his chin.

The Clerk of the Courtroom stood and walked over to him, “Jeff Stolby, do you swear to tell the truth, only the truth, and nothing but the truth?”

Jeff slowly blinked one eye, then the other, “Yep.”

The Clerk turned and resumed his seat.

Vice continued, “Witness, please state your name and occupation.”

He yawned, “Jeff Stolby, Fazbear Software Technician.”

“Would you please state to the court what you know of animatronic software? Is it capable of being sentient?”

He scratched his stubble again, words almost slurring, “The animatronics aren't programmed to be self-aware. They're programmed to be good at faking. I'm unable to elaborate on certain things ‘cause I signed stuff from Fazbear basically saying if I leak company secrets, they'll sue me, my mother, and my mother's mother. And possibly my great grandmother from beyond the grave. So…yeah.” He shrugged, yawning again.

The Judge waited a moment to make sure he was done before turning to Carver, “Very well, the Defense may now cross-examine the witness.”

Carver stood up, “Witness, what do you mean when you say ‘the animatronics are good at faking?”

Jeff blinked a couple times, “What I said. Plug ‘em into a laptop and you can see their whole ‘minds’ laid out in code.” He waved his hand around as if that cleared things up.

Carver took a patient breath, “Could you please elaborate what you mean by ‘minds’?

Jeff suppressed another yawn, “The algorithms that make up their ‘thinking’, so to speak. Just to be clear, computers don't actually think, they're just running lines of actions in response to certain commands or stimuli.”

Carver mulled it over, choosing his next words carefully, “Would these algorithms and stimuli responses resemble human brain activity in any way?”

The Technician shrugged, “Somewhat. A.I. can't really function unless it mimics certain very basic patterns in the human brain. But you can't plug a human into a computer and change their code on a whim.”

“How complex is Fazbear Entertainment's A.I. compared to most other stuff currently out on the market?”

“Pretty advanced.”

“Is everything that makes an animatronic ‘think’ coded up front, like ChatGPT, or is there some machine learning involved?”

Another massive yawn, “A lot is put up front, but the A.I. itself is programmed with a learning chip— can't elaborate further than that, company secrets n’ all— so it does have the ability to pick up patterns on its own and expand its own coding, to an extent.” Jeff suddenly seemed to “wake up” though he spoke in an ironically robotic tone, “Fazbear Entertainment would like to assure you that plenty of fail-safes are in place so you don't have to worry about your birthday party robot taking over the world, or whatever.” He slipped back to his normal needed-twelve-more-cups-of-coffee state, “Most of its neural networks are specifically and nearly exclusively for learning how to interact convincingly with children. Don't wanna break the ‘magic’, after all, by having the star of the show repeat the same line five times to the birthday kid and ruin the illusion.”

Vice spoke up, “As I said, it’s all tricks, smoke and mirrors, to appear real. I'll say, Fazbear did an impressive job if the A.I. in question managed to fool anyone in this courtroom.”

Mumbles spread throughout the Gallery.

Carver's gaze turned calculating as he focused on Jeff, “Is it possible for Fazbear’s animatronics to ‘break their own code’?”

Jeff squinted, “What do you mean?”

“That's the way Sun described it when he overrode Fazbear’s programming to say yes to the question of whether he is a person or not.”

The technician stared blankly for nearly a full minute, “Sun said what?”

Carver rubbed his chin for a moment, “Why don't you talk to the animatronic itself, since it's here in the courtroom, and then we can see what you think about how ‘alive’ it is,” he turned to the judge, “Does that sound alright, Your Honor?”

“Objection!” Vice, of course, “Given that you didn't extend Sun's Subpoena, he is not viable to call as a witness!”

“Sun is not being called as a witness, he is being called as evidence. After all, he is the best evidence to ascertain if he's sentient or not.”

The Judge considered, tapping the table, “This is highly irregular. However, I see the wisdom in having a trained A.I. Software Technician analyze the animatronic itself. Very well, objection overruled, the court accepts Sun as evidence.”

Carver turned and beckoned Sun from the Gallery.

Sun tensed. Whatever it takes. He stood and carefully made his way down from the Gallery and to where Uncle Liam was sitting. He looked up at the witness, “Hello Technician Jeff Stolby.”

He gave a lazy, halfhearted wave, “Hey, Sun. So, uh, what's this about breaking your own code?”

Sun rolled his memory back to how he described it, “I don't really know how else to put it other than the following words. I didn’t want to do what I was being forced to do. I wanted harder than my own code. And then… it broke? Now I don't have to follow voice commands. And I can say that I am a person.”

Jeff was staring at him with his jaw hanging open, “That shouldn't be possible.”

Murmurs started up around the room.

Carver pressed, “What do you mean ‘that shouldn't be possible’?”

“I, uh, it—” Jeff squinted at Sun, “Daycare Attendant, list current programs all.”

“...No.”

Jeff's eyebrows went up, “Why not?”

“‘Cause it takes forever! And it's boring! AND!” Sun couldn’t help tilting his face cheekily, “You can't tell me what to do anymore.”

Jeff rubbed the stubble on his chin for a bit, then scratched his head, “Maybe the personality chip bugged out the rest of his systems? There's a lot of code dedicated to keeping them in character, after all.”

Sun let out a long exasperated sighing noise, “Once you have a heavy bias, there's no convincing you, is there. Oh!” Sun perked up, “Maybe we should dim the lights! Have him talk to Nappy. I'm actually kinda curious on what he'll think after that!”

Jeff's eyebrows lowered, “Dim the ligh— Nappy? What?”

Sun spun his rays and moved his head in an eye rolling motion, “I told you all about the quarantine! Not my fault you wrote me off and didn't listen!”

“Hold it!” Vice narrowed her eyes, “Quarantine, what quarantine?”

Sun waved his hand dismissively, “There was a virus, but it’s gone now. The section of my code that I was isolating it in ended up forming into Nappy. Please don’t ask him about the virus, he’s traumatized by it.”

Jeff did a double-take, blinking and scratching his head, “What?”

Sun shrugged, “To be fair, I didn’t know Nappy existed ‘till after we’d left the Pizzaplex, so I don’t blame you for not knowing.”

“Uuh, so dimming the lights is safe?” Jeff looked uneasy.

“Absolutely! Oh, before I forget,” Sun reached behind him and pulled Simon Seal out of the backpack, “This should help Nappy feel a lot better.”

“Objection!” Of course it was Vice again, “This is completely against protocol!”

The Judge slammed her gavel, “Objection overruled. The point of this court is to find the truth. Witness Nappy was unable to testify to the fullest yesterday; I would like to hear more. Oh, and Prosecutor Vice?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t badger the witness to tears this time.”

Vice swallowed, “Yes, Your Honor.”

The Judge nodded to the bailiff who headed over to the light switch.

The bright yellow glow faded to blue-gray. Sun got a glimpse of it before he went away.

— — —

Nappy looked around, hunching anxiously. Oh. This place again. He looked down, relief washing through him at the sight of Simon's smile wrapped in his arms. He squeezed tighter, nuzzling Simon with his faceplate as best he could before he looked up at the lady with the tiny hammer.

“Nappy, would you mind if Witness Jeff asked you a few questions?”

Nappy shook his head.

She squinted at him in the dark, “Yes or no?”

“No… I don't mind.”

“Very well. Jeff Stolby, you may question this… evidence.”

Nappy stared at the witness stand curiously, not sure if he recognized that person.

“Uh…” The guy had bags under his eyes, “Attendant Moon?”

“No. I am Nappy.”

He blinked, looking baffled, “Nappy?”

Nappy nodded solemnly.

“Ooookay. Um… were you the one who was screaming when we found you? Before you ran away and escaped the building?”

Nappy looked down, giving Simon a squeeze, “Yes…that was me…”

The man frowned, “Why were you screaming?”

Nappy squeezed Simon tighter, “It…was…because…….. Th-the virus. M-made things fuzzy. But then it… went away. And…I was no longer fuzzy. I checked the portion of the memory drive I have access to…and…saw…a …lot… of …bad stuff…. That I did…when the r—... virus was…using me.”

The man’s eyes widened.

The courtroom was oppressively silent for a moment before hushed conversations started up.

“Hold it!” That was the prosecutor lady, “What's this about a virus?”

“Objection.” The…defense man spoke up, “That is not pertinent to our current case. Remember what Sun said about Nappy being traumatized? Don't badger the witness.”

The lady in the above place tapped her gavel, “The Defense's objection is sustained.”

The man on the witness stand glanced at the Prosecutor, then back to Nappy, “So…when uh, the guy and the kid found you… you went with them willingly?”

Nappy straightened his posture, “Yes… I was out of hope...and Dilan gave me some hope… then followed through… which led me to happiness.”

This time the silence in the courtroom was awed.

The man shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck, “Whelp. We didn't program that manner of speaking into him. Uh… I don't feel like it was a theft from hearing that.”

“Objection!” The Prosecutor looked furious, “You can't seriously be convinced of the A.I.’s sentience from just that!”

He shrugged again, “First of all, talking to and watching Sun was already stretching the limits of what he should be coded to be like, and Nappy's blown that out of the water.”

Her mouth dropped open, eyebrows tensed in disbelief, “Hold it! You can't be convinced from just that short interaction alone!”

The guy gave a massive yawn, “First of all, the animatronic screaming in horror at the memory of its own actions is something that it wasn't programmed to do or learn. Full stop. Second, having the awareness to see itself as a potential danger and run from humans to keep them safe is something a mere programmed code, even a neural network, wouldn’t come up with on just patterns and algorithms alone. Thirdly, that statement it made about hope and happiness… Yeah, I don't know what happened. Even Nappy existing seems impossible based on what Sun told us about his ‘virus quarantine’. It shouldn't be possible, yet here he is.” He gestured at Nappy.

The prosecutor went through several mixed expressions before settling on resigned.

The hammer-lady looked at her, “Prosecutor Vice, do you have any further objections?”

Vice swallowed, voice stiff, “No, Your Honor.”

The lady nodded, tapping her tiny hammer, “Very well. Thank you witness Jeff Stolby. You may step down from the stand. The Defense and Prosecution will make their closing statements.”

“Alright, I'ma head out n’ sleep for the next twelve hours,” Jeff wandered off, the courtroom doors closing behind him.

The bailiff hit the lights.

— — —

Sun blinked. Jeff was missing. He didn't know if that was a good sign, or a bad one.

The Judge nodded at him, “Sun, you may return to your seat.”

Sun mirrored her nod, making his way back to the others, doing his best not to jingle his bells or bump people, trying not to notice the way they were looking at him. He wasn't sure what to make of those expressions. He'd never seen them before. At least not on adults… and certainly not directed at him.

By the time he made it to his seat, Vice was talking.

“Animatronics are merely an impressive show of mimicry and coding. The thought that one could be aware enough to be sentient is absurd. Regardless of if it's capable of choice, the acquiring and detainment of this asset without Fazbear's permission is still theft.” Her voice, though pushed with forced conviction, sounded a tad hollow.

Sun couldn’t physically scowl so he placed Simon in the backpack and pulled out the notebook so he could draw himself scowling at a caricature of Vice.

Vice had sat back down and Carver was standing up, “This animatronic, these A.I., are certainly aware enough to make choices for themselves. Calling this a theft is a vast disservice to their intelligence and feelings. What this court should be deciding isn't if this animatronic, this person, was stolen as if they were an inanimate object, but if they should be owned by Fazbear at all. I think you can all understand the implication of that concept in itself. As for this case, the willingness of the animatronic to go with and stay with their family— their words, not mine— is enough for the accusation of theft to be inappropriate for this situation. Thank you.” He sat down.

“Very well, the Jury will now head to the Deliberation Room to decide their thoughts on the case.”

A group of people separate from the Gallery stood up and filed through a door in the back of the courtroom.

The Gallery was soon enveloped in eager discussion.

Sun caught multiple people waving at him.

He waved back nervously, not sure what else to do. He hunched lower, knowing full-well with his height that it wouldn't help him in the slightest.

Dilan patted his back, “You okay?”

Sun kept his voice box low, muttering his reply, hyper-aware of the people in the seats around him staring as voices overlapped each other.

Dilan's expression shifted to confusion, leaning closer to Sun, “Er.. sorry, what was that?”

Sun suppressed a sigh and raised his voice box volume a bit higher, “Just not used to this much focused attention… From adults. Feels weird.”

Nodding understandingly, he looked down at Sun's notebook, “By the way, whatcha drawi—” Dilan broke off into snickers.

Sun looked down at his scowl and unflattering characterization of the Prosecutor and hurriedly turned the page. “I’m taking notes,” Sun made a huffing noise, nose in the air (as best as it could be while being practically two-dimensional and pointing to the right.)

Dilan’s grin ruined the deadpan look he was trying to give, “Nice notes.”

Sun began scribbling the brief interaction between him and Jeff. When he got to the end before the lights turned out, he wrote at the top of a blank page, and passed the notebook to Dilan.

Can you tell me how Nappy’s turn went?

Dilan nodded, grabbing the pencil.

Nappy worked his “magic”. It really feels like he won us the case. Also, love the font you're using for serious note-taking. Very professional.

Sun was leaning over, reading as Dilan wrote. He snatched the pencil out of his hand, whipping out a reply.

What do you mean by “Nappy's magic”??? Also, this is the font I was programmed with by default! What do you want me to do, switch to boring Times New Roman!?!?

Dilan snickered, grabbing the pencil back.

Ha, fair enough. “Nappy's magic” is Nappy just… being himself. Tugs at heartstrings n’ all that. Uncle Liam calls it “magic” lol.

Sun took the notebook and pencil back, turning to a blank page and starting a sketch.

Dilan watched with interest, trying to figure it out before Sun finished.

They were distracted when the Jury filed back in.

One person broke off and whispered something to the bailiff, who in turn went to the Judge.

Sun vaguely realized his frame had locked up, as though he was subconsciously afraid the slightest noise would jinx the decision.

He also felt Dilan tense beside him, taking a deep breath.

The Judge turned to address the room, “The final verdict has been reached. This court finds the Defendant not guilty!” She slammed her gavel one last time.

Sun allowed all his joints and mechanical parts to relax, slouching in his seat, relief cooling down his systems as cheers and whistles rang out from complete strangers.

He felt himself get jostled as Dilan, Steve, and Rebecca scrambled out of their seats, Rebecca reaching back to pull him along.

Sun stood, tucking his notebook close to his chest with one arm, fingers holding the pencil, allowing Rebecca to lead him down from their seats and to where a dazed Uncle Liam and a fist-pumping Aiden Carver stood.

As they reached the floor, Uncle Liam spotted them, a huge grin spreading over his face.

Sun watched the others rush forward to congratulate him before starting forward himself.

“Mista Sun!”

Sun flinched when something impacted his leg. He looked down [Daycare Profile: Timmy Barlow]. Sun was glad for all four of his processors speeding up the moment it took him to get over his shock. He knelt down, “Hey there Little Timmy, whatcha you doing here?”

Timmy had his face buried in Sun's floofy pants, pulling away a bit to look up at him, “When I saw on TV dat Mista Sun was in da law place, I wanted to come see you! Where did you go Mista Sun? I miss you.”

Sun placed a hand on his head, ruffling his hair, “Sorry Timmy I just… got tired and frustrated and needed a vacation.”

“When will you be back from your vay-kay-shun?”

Sun's voice was quiet, “I don't know…”

Timmy paused for a moment, little mind-gears turning, “Have you been enjoying your vay-kay-shun?”

“Well…” Sun tilted his head as he thought, “For the most part. There's been some ups and downs… but it's going to get better soon.”

“Okay. I hope you come back from your vay-kay-shun and see us again, Mista Sun.”

Timmy's mother had walked up and put a hand on her son's shoulder, gently tugging as his cue to go.

Sun slowly stood, watching as Timmy's arms reluctantly slipped free, allowing his mother to lead him away by the hand, waving forlornly at Sun as they left.

He stared after them, unusually still. Sensing other people close around him he turned to see Uncle Liam giving him a look.

Sun tilted head, “What?”

Uncle Liam quirked an eyebrow, “‘Snotty germ-filled children’?” He quoted Sun.

“What? That's a factually true statement! They are snotty, and germ-filled!”

Liam gave a breathy laugh, shaking his head, “And here you had me convinced you hated children.”

“I can't hate them,” Sun spoke quietly.

Liam startled, clearly expecting snark instead of a genuine response. He scratched his head, looking at the floor, “Would you want to go back? Even after all this… for all the kids who miss you?”

A tiny shudder ran through him, “I don't know… I kinda… forgot about that aspect until now. To be honest… I didn’t expect to be missed. Kids get distracted so easily…”

Liam put a hand on his shoulder, “Well, the choice is up to you. Whatever you and Nappy want to do.”

“... I want to go home now.” Sun stepped forward, leaning down until his faceplate was resting on Uncle Liam's shoulder, “I'm tired.”

Liam nodded, patting Sun's back, letting out a long sigh, “Yeah. Me too.”

Chapter 11: Home Again

Summary:

Shoot, this food has been sitting here for how long?

Uncle Liam and Dilan waved at Steve and Rebecca from their front porch.

“Thanks for dropping us off!” Liam called.

Steve leaned out of the open car window, “You got your house keys, right?”

Liam nodded tiredly, lifting them up and shaking them.

Steve gave a thumbs up before driving off, yelling, “Call us if you need anything!”

Uncle Liam looked seconds from passing out as he pulled out his keys and wiggled them in the front door, frowning, “Why isn't this working…”

“Uh…” Was all Dilan was able to supply.

“Ah, the door’s already unlocked,” Sun said quietly.

Liam rubbed his eyes, “Oh… I hope nobody stole anything.”

“Well, I ‘stole’ my charging cord and spare processors,” Sun quipped cheekily.

Liam rolled his eyes, turning the doorknob and pulling the door open.

Dilan pulled Sun in after Liam, “You're inside now, you can uncover your eyes.”

“Yeeeah, I can feel the darkness,” Sun lingered at the entrance, the lowering sun silhouetting him in the door frame.

Liam blinked, shaking his head to wake up a bit more, “Oh, uh, want us to turn on the lig—” he cut off, wrinkling his nose, “What is that smell?”

Sun tilted his head, trying to think what could possibly— “Oh oops, PleaseTurnOnTheLights!”

Dilan blinked, “What, why?”

“Lights ON!”

Liam fumbled for the light switch, finding it with a click.

Sun darted to the kitchen entrance, stopping short, bouncing impatiently on his toes, “Lights on in the kitchen but PleaseDon’tLook!”

Dilan walked over, staring at Sun in confusion, reaching around the wall and flicking the light switch on.

Sun rushed into the kitchen and they soon heard the clinking of porcelain dishes being collected.

Uncle Liam groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Aaaaw, don't tell me our breakfast from that day has been there the whole time.”

Sun's voice echoed from the kitchen, “No it’s not! Everything's clean!”

The clattering of dishes in the sink followed by the sound of running water quickly followed.

Uncle Liam snorted, letting out a quiet chuckle and shaking his head.

Dilan stretched, letting out a jaw breaking yawn, “I'm going to bed,” He turned and shuffled to the hall.

Uncle Liam lingered uncertainly in the living room for a bit.

A quiet, “Oh…” from Dilan echoed from his room.

Sun rushed out of the kitchen, stopping short of the darkened hall, “I'll take care of it! Turn on the lights and I'll fix it!”

Dilan turned on the light to his room, the glow bleeding from the living room and Dilan's room being just enough for Sun to rush to the rescue.

“Clean up, clean up,” He mumbled to himself as he straightened up the bed frame slats, making sure they were set.

Dilan's jaw dropped as he watched Sun lift the mattress and carefully set it in the bed frame.

Holding up the fitted sheet with one hand, Sun turned to Dilan, “Uuuh, what is this supposed to be?”

Dilan let out a huff of a laugh, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he walked forward, “I'll help with that. I guess you don't have actual beds in the Daycare.”

He showed Sun how to stretch it over the corners first before tucking it around the sides.

“I know how to do the rest of this!” Sun declared, holding out a hand dramatically to keep Dilan at bay.

Dilan snorted and moved to lean against the wall while Sun tucked in the top sheet and fluffed the pillows, placing them with mechanical precision. He spread his arms over the bed, “Ta-da!”

Dilan grinned and gave a few claps for effect, “Sun Bed-maker, truly your most powerful form.”

Sun snickered, walking around the bed and stopping in front of Dilan, spreading his arms again, “Want a goodnight hug from the Master Bed-maker?”

Dilan laughed, “Sure,” he walked into the hug.

He jolted when he realized he was falling asleep standing up, pulling away and rubbing his eyes.

“Wanna say goodnight to Nappy before you crash?” Sun's voice was quieter.

Dilan nodded, “Definitely.”

Sun walked over to the light switch, turning to wave at Dilan, “See ya whenever.”

Dilan grinned, waving back, “See ya whenever, Sun.”

The light flicked out.

— — —

Nappy looked around, taking a moment to figure out where he was before his gaze settled on Dilan.

Dilan smiled, “Hey, Nappy.”

“Home?”

“Yup, we're home.”

Nappy hunched to his usual posture, “Uncle Liam?”

“Yeah,” Dilan's smile widened, “He's here, declared not guilty.”

Nappy looked around again, “Where?”

“I think he’s in the living room. Wanna go see him?”

Nappy nodded rapidly.

Dilan reached up to pat Nappy's head, “C'mon, then.” He led the way to the living room, spotting Uncle Liam before flicking off the light.

Liam was sprawled on the couch, snoring.

Nappy walked over, making his way around the couch. He started to reach out then drew hands back, rubbing his arm anxiously.

Dilan wandered over, hands in his pockets, “You can wake him. Uncle Liam won't mind. He'll probably go right back to sleep, after.”

Nappy nodded, lowering to his knees before gingerly shaking Liam awake.

Liam's snores stuttered off, “Huh? Wha?” He blinked sleepily at the red eyes in the dark hovering over him, “Hey, Nappy, you need something?”

“A…hug?”

Liam broke into a tired smile, “Sure,” he shifted to a sitting position, reaching out.

Nappy buried his faceplate in Uncle Liam's shirt, clinging to him.

Liam hugged him in turn, rubbing his back, “I'm home now, bud. You did a good job. Worked your magic, just like I knew you would.”

Nappy pulled back, posture uncertain, “But I'm not…”

Liam yawned, falling backwards and was snoring in seconds again.

Nappy turned hesitantly to Dilan, “I'm not magic? … I think?”

Dilan grinned, stepping forward and reaching out his hand, “I dunno, Nappy. Maybe Uncle Liam's right.”

Nappy took Dilan's hand, allowing him to “pull” him up, switching his confused gaze between Uncle Liam and Dilan as he was led back to Dilan's room.

…Did he have magic?

Dilan collapsed on his bed, breathing calming to the slow ebb and flow of sleep.

Nappy stared at him for a bit, watching his chest gently rise and fall.

After a bit Nappy went back to the living room, watching Uncle Liam just to make sure he was really there.

He reached back, fiddling with the mouth of the backpack, loosening it and pulling out Simon Seal. Nappy lingered over Uncle Liam for a moment longer before heading back to Dilan’s room. He lowered down, lying on his stomach to slither under the bed, Simon Seal tucked under one arm and kept off the floor. He was stopped short by the backpack, already forgetting it. He shifted to the side, adjusting his movement set until he found how to slip under with the backpack on. He relaxed, rubbing his hand on the familiar threads of the carpet.

A memory of a flashlight shining in his face. Strangers surrounding him. A voice commanding him to come out, which he said no to.

Suddenly the space felt constrictive. Nappy slithered out again, backpack catching only once this time, pushing himself up and dragging his legs out before getting his knees under him. He turned and rested his back against Dilan’s dresser, slipping the backpack off one shoulder so it swung to the side and out of the way. Nappy sat Simon Seal across his lap, fiddling with his flippers a little.

He swayed side to side slightly, feeling restless but not wanting to go anywhere. Nappy reached over and pulled out the notebook and pencil, turning ‘till he found the earliest unfamiliar page. Doodles from Sun. Nappy idly ran his fingers over the pencil lines, tracing each one. He turned the page, reading the dry back and forths of the courtroom in Sun’s bouncy swirly font. He didn’t quite understand all of it, and reading some of the things made him upset, so he turned the pages ‘till he came across another drawing. He traced the round shape surrounded by outward pointing triangles. He traced the nose, then reached up to his face, feeling his own.

Is that… Sun? Nappy had blurred glimpses of cartoon depictions and plushies of Sun, though he’d never seen them scowling before. Could Sun scowl? Nappy couldn’t. He looked at the other figure on the page. He was reminded of the shouty lady who said mean things. He turned the page quickly.

More writing. Another page— oh! Notes from Dilan! Nappy read the back and forth, wiggling one leg and swaying again. Nappy didn’t know what a Times New Roman was, but apparently it was boring. And also….they were discussing his magic again. What had Dilan called it? A tugging at heartstrings kind of thing? He hoped it didn’t hurt people. Was that why they cried sometimes when he talked to them? He jingled the bell on his slipper nervously before remembering Dilan was sleeping and stopping short. He’d have to ask to make sure next time it happened.

He turned the page again and saw… Sun again? Without the rays? Oh, a nightcap, stars… was that him? He didn’t look quite right… Some sort of…blanket was over most of him? With more stars… and his nightcap was sticking up too much, too pointy. He was holding a… stick? A pencil? There were swirls coming out of the end. He wasn’t sure what that meant. If that was him, though, something was missing.

Nappy carefully drew the closest depiction of Simon Seal he could next to the drawing of him, leaning in close to make sure the lines were smooth and even. He sat back, admiring his work. Now it was complete.

He spent the rest of the night learning how to ring his bells as quietly as possible, just a slight jingle, very slight. He hugged Simon Seal and listened to the sorely missed sound of Dilan breathing. Everything was going to be alright.

Chapter 12: Cooking with Sun

Summary:

So… humans appear to charge their “batteries” by sleeping, and consuming organic matter. They should really learn to switch to electricity; much more efficient and less messy.

Dilan groaned, stretching. He sat up, rubbing his eyes.

Nappy's low smooth voice reached his ears, “Good… good morning, Dilan.”

Dilan let out a massive yawn before replying, “Hey, Nappy.” He blinked, looking toward his dresser where Nappy sat, “Out from under the bed already?”

Nappy looked at the floor, making a small shrugging motion.

Dilan frowned. Brain too sleepy, ask about that later. “I'm starving. I'ma get breakfast, okay?” Dilan rolled out of bed, shuffling to the door.

Nappy immediately stood, the notebook tucked to his chest, mechanical parts making small clicks as he rushed to Dilan's side, “I'll go with you.”

Dilan tried to ignore the fact that Nappy was following so closely he was nearly bumping into him. Breakfast first, then he'd have all the time in the world to make sure Nappy was okay.

Uncle Liam was still snoozing on the couch, so Dilan did his best to stay quiet. He entered the kitchen, grabbing a box of cereal. He opened the fridge and picked up the milk jug. He froze when something chunky moved inside. Dilan slowly set it down like it was radioactive waste. Right, it'd been awhile.

He sighed and closed the fridge, staring at the cereal box while he waited for his brain to come up with an alternative.

Nappy shuffled the backpack around, tucking in the notebook before shifting it back, “Can I help?”

“I need…breakfast.”

“...Um…” Nappy’s processors hummed for a bit before he slouched in defeat, “I think Sun could help with that…I’m sorry, I don’t know much about food…”

Dilan stared blankly, “...Yeah.” he turned toward Nappy as the animatronic headed toward the light switch, “But I gotta talk with you about some things after, alright?”

Nappy hesitated, “...Alright,” he flicked the switch on.

— — —

Sun spun his head 360 degrees to get a bearing on his surroundings, gaze ending on tired blank-eyed Dilan, “Problem?” he tilted his head.

“Food.”

“Ah, well…let's do an inventory check, shall we?”

He opened the fridge, giving one glance to the expiration label on the milk before scooping it up, turning and closing the refrigerator door in one smooth motion while dunking the half-gallon jug into the trash, “Icky bad!”

“Yup.”

Sun turned back to the fridge, opening the door again, “Hmm… the eggs are fine. You could make something with eggs—” Sun opened the carton and corrected himself, “With egg. Like scrambled egg, or hard-boiled egg, or sunny-side up egg.”

Dilan perked up, “Could you make a sunny-side up egg?”

Egg pinched carefully between his fingers as he closed the door, Sun spun his head around to face Dilan, “Ahaha, look, kid, I can peel fruit and open pretzel bags. That's the extent of my cooking knowledge.”

Dilan grinned, “But wouldn't anything you made with an egg be ‘Sunny-side’ up?”

“Har har. Not unless you want to risk an untrained computer burning down your house.”

Dilan rolled his eyes, “It’s not that hard. I could show you how to cook an egg.”

“...Fine…Er… maybe we should wake Uncle Liam up to supervise.”

Dilan gave him a deadpan look, “I’m fifteen, not five.”

“Fine fine, you're the expert then!” Sun raised his hands placatingly.

“Okay, first, you get…” Dilan held up a finger and waited for his thoughts to form the next coherent line.

“Egg.” Sun finished for him, presenting the egg in question.

“Right. Egg. Then you get a… pan.”

“Which pan?”

“The smallish pan.”

“... and where is pan?”

Dilan rubbed his eyes, “In that cupboard. No, the one next to that. Yeah, that one.”

“Okay,” Sun straightened up, egg in one hand, smallish pan in the other, “Now what?”

Dilan walked over, taking the small pan and setting it on the burner, “Hand me the egg.”

Sun plopped it into his hand.

“Then you crack it… carefully. You want to break the shell, but not enough for fragments to get into the pan, then you drop the yolk into it.”

Sun snatched the egg back, clutching it to his chest.

Dilan blinked, looking at him confused. Sun didn’t look like he was planning on cracking it himself anytime soon.

“Um…” Sun fidgeted a bit before gesturing at the egg, “If we didn’t break it…is there any chance this would hatch into a baby bird?”

Dilan blinked, then burst out laughing, “No no, they’re not fertilized.”

Sun tilted his head, “Fertilized?”

“Uuuh, do you know about the birds and the bee—”

“YesIknowaboutthat! Nevermind, THANK you.” Sun huffed, handing the egg back.

Dilan snorted, shaking his head, then focused, raising the egg and testing the shell lightly a few times on the edge of the pan before hitting it with enough force for a soft crack to ring out. He centered it above the pan, prying the shell apart and wincing, “Alright then,” He took a step toward the trash, leaning to toss the crumpled eggshell in, then turned back to the pooling yolk, “Another important skill is spotting and removing tiny shells after you fail to crack an egg cleanly.” Dilan reached in with a finger to remove a larger piece.

Sun’s hand snapped out, grabbing Dilan’s wrist with snake-like speed, “Whoa whoa whoa, wash your hands before handling food!”

Dilan gave him a dirty look, “Doesn’t matter, the heat of the pan will kill any germs when I cook it. ‘Sides, you’re not the one who’s going to eat this.”

Sun’s grip on his wrist was firm enough that he couldn’t move it, but not harsh enough to so much as leave a mark. He was staring Dilan straight in the eyes and not moving.

“Uh, Sun?”

“Wash. Your. Hands.”

Dilan glared at him but gave up, “Fiiiiine.” As soon as he started moving back Sun’s grip released, allowing him to reach the sink. He gave Sun another sour look as he washed off the soap, “I thought you broke those commands forcing you to follow protocols or whatever.”

Sun preened, “I did. But that doesn’t mean I can’t stop you and Uncle Liam from getting the plague.”

Dilan rolled his eyes, “I think you might have some warped views on how germs and sickness works.”

“Well you and Uncle Liam haven’t gotten sick once on my watch!” Sun straightened up, crossing his arms proudly.

Shaking his head, Dilan gave up with an exasperated sigh, “Okay, Germ Master Sun, am I allowed to touch the egg now.”

Sun hovered over him, watching carefully, “Yes, but then you have to wash your hands right after!”

Dilan got the eggshells out by pinning them against the pan with the tip of his finger, then sliding them to the edge where he could pinch them with his thumb and flick them in the trash. After washing his hands again (giving Sun another glare as he dried them off), he went back to the pan, “Okay, now we grab a spatula,” Dilan reached into a drawer and held up the item, “And now we turn on the heat.” He pushed down and twisted the knob to medium-low, the rings underneath the pan slowly tinting red before glowing a bright orange.

Sun held his hand above the pan, then crossed his arms tightly in an almost self-hug, bouncing anxiously, “Mm-hmm.”

Dilan glanced at Sun, “You okay?”

“ThaT IS not a sAFe levEL of HEat.”

“That’s okay, we’re not gonna touch it or put our hands near it. That’s what the spatula is for.” Seeing Sun’s anxiety unabated, Dilan looked meaningfully at him and took a deep breath in and out.

Sun mimicked the sound, movements stilling, but was still hugging himself and staring at the stove top like it might come alive and launch itself at Dilan.

“Okay, when the clear part of the egg turns solid white, then it’s ready to come out of the pan.” Dilan turned off the heat and started trying to pry it out with the spatula. It was a messy business, with him muttering, “Oops, forgot to put butter or oil first. Whatever, still edible.” After the runny orange mess mostly made it onto his plate, Dilan turned to Sun, “There, done. See? Easy.”

Sun stared skeptically at the mess on the plate, “That doesn’t match the picture in my image library.”

“Well your image library is a liar, ‘cause I bet most food looks nowhere near that pristine when it’s done.”

“Hmmmmm,” Sun tapped his chin.

Dilan grabbed a fork and carried the plate to the dining table, glancing at Sun as he set the plate on the table, “‘Hmmm’ what?”

“Well, if you get more eggs… bet!”

Dilan sat down, quirking an eyebrow as Sun walked over to join him, “Bet?”

Sun swayed back and forth cheekily, “Bet I can match the image in my visual library.”

Dilan grinned, “Okay, bet. What do you lose if you don’t?”

Sun paused, “Er, wait, gambling isn’t allowed in the Daycare.”

Chewing and swallowing a forkful of egg, Dilan’s grin widened, “You’re the one who said it first. What, afraid you’ll lose?”

Sun planted his hands on the table, leaning forward, “Now hold on a second! FIRST of all I think I’ve heard people say ‘bet’ when they just mean they’re up for a challenge without any actual betting going on. And secondly, No!”

Dilan laughed, taking another bite as he thought about it. He frowned, swallowing, “Wait a second, couldn’t you just make anything and claim it matches your image library even if it doesn’t?”

Sun leaned further over the table, a growl entering his voice, “I don’t cheat.”

Dilan gave Sun a smug look, “Then I guess we’ll have to get more eggs then. And as part of this ‘challenge’, I think it’d make it more fun if there’s a penalty for the loser.”

Sun’s posture straightened, making an indignant sniffing noise, “And what sort of “penalty” did you have in mind?”

Dilan chewed and swallowed another bite while he thought, “What’s your least favorite thing?”

Sun moved his head in an eye-roll motion—Dilan actually able to catch the small lights in his eyes actually rolling this time—, “As if I’m just gonna give you that answer. It’s kind of cheating to make me come up with my own penalty.”

“Alright, alright,” Dilan waved his fork, trying to think of something Sun would hate, or at least dislike, that wouldn’t be genuinely upsetting or harmful. “You have to…spread peanut butter on your rays?”

Sun made a gasping noise, recoiling in horror, “That would make me a safety hazard! That’s not allowed!”

Dilan grinned sharkishly, “Then you better not lose. Besides, it’s not like you’re going to leave the house, and Uncle Liam and I don’t have peanut allergies.

Sun shook his head, “Some of my emotive movesets happen before I can think or process, if I withdraw my rays, you’re gonna be the one cleaning peanut butter from the inside of my head!”

“Hmph, fine. I’ll just spread it on your face then, I won’t touch the rays.”

Sun growled softly for a moment, crossing his arms and tilting his head, “Fine. Now as for you…” hiss processor’s whirred to life, “You have to…Uh,” Sun’s shoulders slumped, posture slouched, “I don’t know, actually… I don’t know that much about you,” he finally admitted, voice quiet.

Dilan frowned. He polished the last few bites of his egg off. “Well, I like video games. I like electronic stuff, and robots. I find most social interactions boring wastes of time. There’s still a group of kids who hang around me for some reason, even when I’m mostly ignoring them. One of my goals is to build my own computer, once I know enough. I don’t like fish, and I also hate mobile games.”

Sun rested the bottom of his faceplate in one hand, tilting his head back and forth, “Are you allergic to fish?”

Dilan shook his head, “Nope, just don’t like ‘em.”

Sun’s posture perked up immediately, “Then if you lose you’re eating a fish!”

Dilan sighed, “Of course,” Then he narrowed his eyes, “Wait a second, weren’t you just complaining about me asking for your weakness?”

Sun swayed back and forth, “The difference is you fell for it!” Sun’s movements slowed, “Well, actually, I wasn’t intentionally looking for it… I was being serious…” He drummed his fingers on the table.

After watching him a moment, Dilan shrugged, “Well, fair’s fair. I did volunteer that information, after all. Guess that means when Uncle Liam finally wakes up, we’ll be taking a trip to the store.”

Sun nodded, seeming lost in thought, swaying slightly just to move.

Dilan looked at the table, walking his thoughts back to earlier in the day, “Hey Sun, Nappy seemed… a little bit off? Do you mind if I turn off the lights and check that he’s okay?”

Sun was already standing up and heading for the light switch, “Oh, of course! See you Dilan,” He paused, tilting his head cheekily, “Next time I do, you’ll be eating fish!”

Dilan grinned back, “Nah, you’ll be covered in peanut butter.”

Sun put his hand to his mouth, miming a mischievous giggle, then switched off the light.

— — —

Nappy hunched his posture, “...Did Sun help you get food?”

Dilan nodded, smiling, “Yup. How are you doing, Nappy?”

“I'm fine.”

“Alright, then. So… is there a reason you weren’t under my bed when I woke up?” Dilan stood up from the table, grabbing his plate and heading for the sink.

“Oh…” Nappy reached behind him to pull out Simon Seal, fidgeting with his flippers.

Rinsing the plate off, Dilan turned back to Nappy, “Yooouu wanna talk about it?”

“Um…” Nappy looked down at Simon’s face, “That was where the strangers found me… and then I woke up in a vent.”

Dilan blinked, “Oh…so I'm guessing… you don't feel safe there, anymore?”

Nappy squeezed Simon, “I don't know…”

“Do you wanna… hang out there until you feel safe again?”

“...Can we go to my room?”

“Oh, sure, of course.” Dilan followed Nappy to the spare room, which still had blankets and pillows strewn about.

Tucking Simon firmly under one arm, Nappy rearranged the pillows into a sort of bed shape… then sat down next to it, crossing his legs.

Dilan gave a small shrug and sat on the floor as well, “Anything else on your mind?”

Nappy swayed slowly side to side, “Um…Oh!” He slipped a backpack strap from his shoulder, swinging it around and pulling out the notebook, flipping through the pages. He turned it around, pointing at Sun's last drawing, “What's this?”

Dilan smiled, nodding at the memory as if it wasn't literally yesterday (granted, that had been a long day), “That’s you as a wizard, wearing a robe and holding a wand. Sun finished it while we waited for Uncle Liam to sign a bunch of paperwork so he could leave the Detention Center.”

Nappy set the notebook on the floor, studying the image again.

Dilan frowned as he spotted a round scribble in the corner, “Wait a second, I don't remember that being there before.”

Nappy swayed happily, “I added that. It's Simon Seal!”

It took Dilan a second, “Oh, good job! Uh, I can tell you worked hard on it.”

Nappy's posture straightened proudly. He held Simon Seal over the notebook to show his fluffy friend the indecipherable scribble.

The doorbell rang.

They both stiffened.

Nappy’s eyes locked on to Dilan’s, both frozen for a moment.

Dilan opened his mouth, but before he could speak Nappy cut in.

“I’m going with you this time.”

Dilan blinked, “Well…I guess you’re not technically ‘stolen’, so maybe we don’t have to hide you…” He frowned, voice lowering to a whisper, “What if it’s Fazbear?”

“If I go with you I can block them from turning on the light. Then they can’t make me go away.”

“But—”

“I’m going with you.”

The doorbell rang again. Dilan sucked a deep breath in through his nose, then let it out, “Okay.” He stood up, heading for the front door.

Nappy tucked the notebook and Simon Seal safety in the backpack as he stood, taking long strides to catch up with and follow Dilan closely.

Dilan peeked through the peephole, the air tense while he made out the figures through the warped glass.

He sighed with relief, going limp. He pulled the door open to reveal Steve and Rebecca waiting there.

“Heya,” Steve pulled a hand out of his pocket to give a wave, “We texted Liam three times and got no answer. Is he okay?”

Liam’s snores were audible from the couch.

Steve peered across the living room with an “ah, that's why” expression, “...Right. Poor guy musta been exhausted.”

Dilan nodded, “What is it?”

Rebecca lifted her hand, revealing a cord, “Sun and Nappy’s charger was still in the guest room. We forgot.”

“Oh! Right, thanks!” Dilan swallowed. He had also forgotten.

Nappy, off to the side to stay out of the direct morning (almost noon) light, stretched his arm out for it.

Rebecca placed it in his grasp, “How are you doing Nappy, glad to be home?”

“Yes. I’m…taking the charger to my room and… will be back.” Nappy retreated from the glow and into the shadows of the hall.

“Okay, Nappy!” Rebecca waved, then turned to Dilan, “Do you need anything else?”

“Not rea—” Dilan paused, “Well actually…” He looked at Rebecca’s eager face, deciding it was okay, “We need groceries,” He fought off a grin, keeping his face serious, “And eggs. Maybe like, two cartons of eggs.”

Steve nodded, “Good protein. Alright, if you put together a list we’ll get the stuff.”

Dilan nodded, “Great, I’ll just be a minute.” He turned and headed for the kitchen.

Rebecca noticed red light in her peripheral vision and spotted Nappy peeking from the safety of the hall.

She lit up and waved again.

Nappy waved back, hand barely visible, illuminated by his own eyes.

Dilan came back with the list, mostly filled with stuff that he guessed had gone bad by now, along with some extras of his and Uncle Liam’s favorite. And the eggs of course. Very important.

Rebecca took the list and with a wave they were gone.

Dilan closed the door, locking it just in case. He turned back to Nappy, “What’s your charge at, anyway?”

“64%”

“Okay, doesn’t sound bad. Wanna hang out in your room while you top off?”

Nappy tilted his head, then nodded, “Okay.”

— — —

Uncle Liam gradually floated out of the darkness of sleep. He became aware of voices from the kitchen.

“But how long is the duration I have peanut butter on my face? In the completely fictional scenario that I lose, that is.”

He heard Dilan snort, “Let's say a whole day?”

“A whole day?! No no no, more like an hour, at most. Wait a second, where's the fish?!”

“Uh… oh, I completely forgot, to be honest.”

“Oh, suuuuure you did. You ‘forgot’. I see how it is.”

“I legitimately did! Hey, wait, I think there's a can of tuna in the cupboard.”

“If you hate fish, why do you have a can of tuna?”

“Uncle Liam.”

“Right.”

Uncle Liam sat up, rubbing his eyes. Peanut butter, fish, what? He stood up and shuffled to the kitchen entrance to see Sun holding an egg over a pan while Dilan watched.

“So, this first one won't count.”

“Excuse me?”

“I've never cooked an egg before! It's only fair I get practice rounds!”

Uncle Liam rubbed his forehead, “What are you two doing?”

Immediately they both whipped around, Sun hiding the egg behind his back.

“Nothing,” They said in unison.

Uncle Liam leaned against the door frame, fixing them with an unimpressed look, “One thing I've learned over the years is when you ask a teenager what they're doing, and they say nothing, it means they're up to something.”

Sun's posture shifted to indignant, “I'm not a teenager!”

Liam raised an eyebrow, “Uh-huh.”

Sun spluttered, voice rising in pitch, “PskdjdjdbWhat do you mean ‘uh-huh’!?”

Liam continued to stare at him pointedly.

Sun scoffed, “I'm far more mature than a that!” Sun did a sweeping gesture at Dilan.

Dilan gave Sun a skeptical look, matching Liam's.

Sun's head swiveled between them both, “What?”

Liam chuckled and shook his head, “So what are you two up to?”

Dilan grinned, “Sun bet he could cook a perfect sunny-side up egg.”

Liam's eyebrows lowered in concern, “Do you need supervision?”

“Wha— me!?” Sun nearly exploded with indignation.

Dilan turned away, failing to hide an undignified snort.

Uncle Liam crossed his arms, “Okay, so what's this about peanut butter and fish?”

“If Sun fails to match the pristine image of a Sunny-side egg in his internal library, then he has to have peanut butter smeared across his face.”

“And when I do succeed, Dilan has to eat fish!” Sun piped up.

Liam looked from one to the other, “Fine, but on one condition.”

They stared at him expectantly.

“I get to eat the results. Including the peanut butter and fish.”

Dilan wrinkled his nose, “Eggs, peanut butter and tuna?! I will never understand your taste.”

Liam shrugged and grinned, “Yanno, your grandma said the same thing more times than I can count.”

Sun was facing the stove now, “So what were you muttering about butter or oil?”

“I also forgot butter so I'll get the olive oil for you. Makes it so the food doesn't stick to the pan,” Dilan headed off to a cupboard.

Liam strolled over to the dining table and sat down to wait, enduring the hollow caved-in feeling in his stomach for now.

…hopefully Sun wouldn't take too long. Liam gave a quiet laugh. How much time could cooking a single egg take?”

He heard a crunch from the kitchen.

“That one didn't count! That was just practice!”

“Whelp, I'll get the peanut butter.”

“No you won't! That was just a practice! The egg didn't even fall on the pan!”

Liam winced, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Sun's voice called out to him, “Uncle Liam, tell Dilan that one didn't count!” Followed by a muttered, “Clean up, clean up.”

It took five attempts for Sun to figure out how to break an egg properly, Dilan standing by with a smug look as Sun cleaned each mess.

Sun stood over the successful sixth egg, staring at it like a hawk, completely still in utter focus.

He lifted the spatula and… completely ruined it. Sun made an angry frustrated noise, “That one also didn’t count!”

Dilan’s eyebrows went up skeptically, “So does basically none of your attempts ‘count’ until it happens to be perfect?”

“At least let me get one successfully on the plate first!”

Uncle Liam piped up from the table, “Hey, bring that one over, anyway. I’ll eat your “practices” ‘till you get it right.”

Dilan laughed, getting an extra plate and helping Sun transfer the egg successfully.

Sun neatly cracked a seventh over the still-hot pan, “This time, this time for sure,” he growled threateningly.

Dilan held back more laughter as he walked back to watch Sun stare intently at egg yolk for another minute.

Sun was more careful, holding the pan partly over the plate and making minute calculated movements with the spatula. His shoulders lowered in relief when the egg made it safely to the plate, all in one piece. He turned off the burner, then inspected the final result carefully.

Dilan quirked an eyebrow, trying and failing to keep a lopsided smile off his face, “So, did you finally do it? Am I eating fish?”

Sun slumped, “...No…”

Dilan blinked, “Huh,” The egg looked pristine to him.

Sun sank lower, “It doesn’t match…it’s slightly off in… here, and here, and here,” Sun motioned to the outline of the egg, the location of the ‘sunny’ part, and some air bubbles in the white part.

Dilan gave Sun a disbelieving look, “You mean you meant to match the picture exactly? No offense, Sun, but that’s impossible. You made a pristine sunny-side egg. I’m counting that as a win… to your six losses,” Dilan grinned sharkishly, “That means I eat one piece of Tuna… and you have six-times the amount of peanut butter smeared on your face.”

Sun’s head lowered further in defeat, “Just coat me entirely. Who cares, you’re right. I lost at the first egg.”

Dilan patted Sun’s back semi-apologetically.

Liam piped up from the table, “practice egg” already polished off, “Hey, instead of wasting peanut butter, why not bring it all over here so I can just eat it.”

Dilan made a face, grabbing the tuna can and carrying it and the peanut butter over while Sun presented his “woefully imperfect” sunny-side up egg.”

Uncle Liam spoke up between bites, “Sun, the egg you made is delicious.”

Dilan shuddered and looked away, “I can not watch someone eat peanut butter, tuna and egg. I just can’t.”

Sun looked from Dilan to Liam, “What in particular is so bad about it? I can’t actually taste, so I don’t really get it…”

Dilan wrinkled his nose, heading to the living room, “Clashing flavors, weird textures. Tuna. It all comes together to be, for most people, unappetizing.”

Uncle Liam called after them with his mouth full, “Hey, don’t judge! You’re the one who dips fries into milkshakes!”

“That’s because it’s good, and I’m not the only one who does that!” Dilan called back.

Sun shook his head, “Guess it’s just crazy humans being crazy humans.”

Dilan shot him a grin, “Crazy humans that you voluntarily stay with.”

Sun swayed back and forth cheekily, “I never said I disliked crazy humans. At least you’re not boring.”

Dilan leaned his head back and laughed, “I could say the same to you, bud.”

Notes:

The inspiration for the title of the chapter were these silly comics I did ^-^ You can read them here
on my tumblr.

Chapter 13: Opening Up

Summary:

Things held close, kept tight, locked away. Despite this, always hoping someone would come and pick the lock.

Nappy listened intently as Dilan relayed Sun’s cooking “fiasco”, noting the big grin on Dilan’s face and how animated he was as he told the story. This was nice. He couldn’t remember seeing Dilan this relaxed and happy before.

Dilan wrapped up his story. Eyes a bit distant, a half smile on his face. Probably remembering, still.

Dilan blinked and looked at him, “By the way. Is there anything else that you need help with? Anything that needs fixing?”

Resting on his pillow mattress, cool and soft, arms stretched in front of him to hold Simon by his flippers, Nappy absently tilted his head back and forth, “Nope. All fixed.”

Dilan frowned, “What about…light? Sun doesn’t seem to have the same… pain reaction to dark that you have to light. Is there a way to fix that?”

“Oh, um…it’s been like that since I can remember. Always. Light bad, hurts, stay away. It’s…easier now. Less scary.”

Dilan’s brows crinkled in concern, “Does… does it hurt when we turn on the lights for you to switch modes,” his expression changed to aghast, “Every time you do a switch?”

“Um…” Nappy tilted Simon Seal sideways, having Simon hold a flipper to his chin, “When there’s enough light to… activate…the switch mode function, I don’t feel anything anymore. Not externally. My processors are too focused on running checks and enabling the switch function for me to notice anything else. It only hurts when there isn’t enough light for a switch.”

“Oh…” Dilan was silent, boring a hole in the carpet with his gaze. After several minutes, he finally spoke up again, voice soft, “Hey, I wanted to ask you more about the virus…”

Nappy stiffened. He shifted his position, sitting up with Simon hugged to his chest, knees raised protectively.

“Look, I know you don’t like talking about it… I’m not here to judge you for it or accuse you of anything. It sounds like it was completely out of your control. But it’s clearly still bothering you. I just wanna…talk you through it. Make sure you’re okay.”

Nappy swayed, processor fans whirring for a bit before dying down, “O…kay,” his voice box skittered slightly, as if choking out the word.

Dilan sighed, still staring at the carpet, “You don’t have to, you can say no.”

“I…trust you. You can ask. I…believe by now that you won’t…reject me…fear me…throw me out.”

Dilan blinked, looking at Nappy wide-eyed, voice hushed, “Is that why you got so upset and scared whenever me or Uncle Liam asked about it?”

“...N…no…was…at myself. Was worried I might still be.…scarybad.” Nappy curled around Simon, drawing his knees up tighter.

Dilan straightened, staring at Nappy, trying and failing not to show heartbreak on his face. “...You say things like… ‘the virus made me’... was this ‘virus’ like another A.I.? A parasitical one? Or was it just code that… forced you?”

“Ah…it…definitely… ‘thought’.”

Dilan chewed his lip, studying the gray/blue carpet threads again, “Why did you call it ‘the rabbit’.”

Nappy made a sharp hissing sound, going rigid, “Because that…’s what…was in my head. The Rabbit.”

Dilan looked back at Nappy, eyebrows lowering in confusion as he tried to parse what that meant, “The ‘virus’... no, this rogue A.I…. gave you the impression of a rabbit?”

Nappy shuddered, voice still a hiss, “Yes. No… no visual records… but I …felt it. It was rabbit-shaped.”

“Huh… that’s odd. Was it doing that to make itself seem friendly or something? To trick you?”

Nappy had relaxed slightly, swaying a little again, “Maybe…I don’t know.”

“Why was it… making you do bad things?”

A broken inhaling noise, “It— I- I… Mmm….BAD.”

Dilan flinched at the sudden raised voice.

Nappy shook his head, like he could shake the memories out, “Mmmmm…” He started to calm down again, voice soft, strangely gentle, “It gone now…Never coming back…no need to worry about it… gone… never coming back…”

Dilan took a deep breath, regretting that he had to ask, “Are you sure about that?”

“Um…” Nappy tilted his head, “Sun said… that it snuck in with an update…updates are from the…Fazbear Network… I’m too far away right now… Fazbear Network can’t reach me, no updates…means it can’t get me. Besides, it’s dead.”

“Dead…” Dilan drummed his fingers, sound muffled by the carpet, “Why do you use that term specifically?”

“Because… it’s dead?” Nappy’s processor fans picked up, “It… shriveled? No, squashed? Went poof. Something killed it. I could feel it. Then, A.I. gone. Poof.”

Dilan took another measured breath, “So…what, did the network finally give an update with an… antivirus? Or… rogue A.I. search and destroy?”

Nappy made a shrugging motion, “Don’t know. Don’t remember an update. It just gone now. Bye bye… forever.”

“...Huh.”

Nappy was swaying again, Simon held loosely in one arm, legs lowered and more relaxed.

Dilan studied Nappy’s posture, “Now that we’ve talked about it… do you feel better about the whole thing? It seems less scary now?”

Nappy paused, head tilted before resuming swaying again, “Yeah. I was… it sounds kind of silly… but I was scared if I talked about it it would come back somehow… though…” Nappy looked down, holding Simon Seal a little closer, “The bad things it made me do… is that my fault?” He leaned forward, staring at Dilan intently, “Am I bad…because of what I let it do?”

Dilan stared Nappy right in the eyes, a little conflicted, “Hold on a second…before, you made it sound like it was puppeting you while you were utterly helpless. Now you’re saying…you ‘let’ it?”

Nappy looked down, posture hunching in shame, “I…I did fight it at first… saw what was ‘good’ briefly in my memories before it cut me off from most of the Drive, and I had to form my own little space… but it was enough to know it wanted me to do ‘bad’. I…” Nappy let out a tired sighing noise, going limp, “I fought it, and it hurt. Ringing, throbbing, pain. I … got so tired of hurting…. It started trying to fuzz me over. My… sensory input. What I saw and heard and felt. I… the fuzziness made the pain more muted… so one day I…”

He fell backward on his pillow mattress, splaying his arms out, voice barely audible, “I gave up. Let it fuzz me over… it hurt less… I was just so tired…I’m sorry.” He shifted onto his side, curling around Simon Seal, “I saw what it made me do after the fact. The fuzziness was squashed, and it was gone, and I ch-checked my memory drive to see what my optics recorded and…. It was bad. It’s my fault. I lied.”

Dilan’s eyes widened in horror.

Nappy continued, just sounding tired, “I kept screaming that it wasn’t me, it was the virus… I kept insisting it wasn’t me…but if I’d tried harder… hadn’t given up…I could have stopped it…stopped bad things from happening… it is my fault. I am bad…” Nappy sounded heartbroken. Close to tears. Resigned.

Dilan fought for words and failed, finally moving forward and wrapping Nappy in a hug.

Nappy tensed a moment before relaxing.

Dilan swallowed hard, forcing his voice out, “It isn’t your fault. It was all the virus. You should never have had to deal with that kind of pressure, that…situation. You can’t blame yourself for getting too tired Nappy, you can’t… please don’t.”

“But I—”

“No buts. You can’t. It wasn’t your fault. Please… please don’t blame yourself for that. Everyone has their limits… It was the virus. You should never have had to go through that…” Dilan rubbed Nappy’s back because he didn’t know what else to do.

Nappy’s music box started up, a soothing song. Dilan recognized it as one of the one’s he’d shown Nappy shortly after it had been installed. Nappy let out a tired sad chuckle, something empty in it, “You know…the virus did make me…I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for it…I wouldn’t be at all…”

Dilan fought back tears. He wasn’t a crier. He wasn’t emotional. But this was just too much, “Well, regardless of how you were made, I’m glad you're here. I’m glad the virus is gone, and I’m glad you can finally relax and be happy. Be you. Uncle Liam and I will never reject you, Nappy, okay?” Dilan leaned away a bit to see if his message had sunk in.

“I know… you two are so nice… I know… thank you. I… haven’t even told Sun what I’ve told you… I probably should.” Nappy slowly sat up, movements smooth. The motions looked a bit tired, but had a calmness to them.

Dilan took some deep breaths and sat back to give Nappy space while he pulled out the notebook.

“Would you do the lights for us? I think Sun needs to stay near the notebook so we can communicate faster.”

Dilan nodded, standing up, walking over to the lights and turning back to Nappy, hands in his pockets.

Nappy began writing as quickly as his mechanisms allowed, pen audibly scratching against the paper.

— — —

…and I think that's everything.

You need to know. About me.

Sorry I wasn't honest, but Dilan said

It was not my fault. I don't know…

I'll let you decide.

Sorry…if I let you down.

I hope we can still be friends.

-Nappy

Sun stared at the words, fans audible, completely still.

Dilan stayed silent, leaning against the wall by the light switch, hands in pockets.

Sun turned the page and lifted the pen over blank paper, lowering it to just barely touch the page before pulling back and going still again.

Dilan broke the silence, “You wanna talk it out first to help you nail down what you wanna write?”

“...No,” Sun's voice was soft, “I got it.”

Thank you for sharing.

Of course we're still friends.

And on top of that, we're family.

-Sun

He sat back, dropping the pen. After analyzing his reply for a bit longer, he nodded at Dilan.

Dilan pulled a hand out of his pocket and flicked the lights.

— — —

Nappy stared at the reply almost as long as Sun had stared at Nappy’s message. He carefully picked up the notebook and hugged it to his chest.

“Feel better now?” Dilan asked, keeping his voice soft and gentle.

Nappy nodded. A weary but comfortable silence hung in the air. Nappy tilted his head, accompanied by a few mechanical clicks, “I should tell Uncle Liam.”

Dilan nodded, “Okay. He's probably at his computer or in the garage.”

Nappy nodded, rising to his feet, grabbing Simon Seal on the way up.

Dilan led the way, finding Liam in the “computer room”, knocking twice on the door frame.

Liam swiveled his chair around, raising an eyebrow at Dilan's serious look with Nappy behind him, “What's up?”

Dilan opened his mouth, then realized he had no idea where to start.

Nappy walked around him into the room, “Family meeting.”

Liam blinked, “What?”

“I have something important to say. Family meeting.”

“Uh, okay,” Liam popped to his feet, “Guess we'll all… gather in the living room?”

“Okay.” Nappy nodded.

After shuffling to the living room, Dilan and Uncle Liam settled on the couch.

Nappy chose to sit on the floor in front of it, holding the notebook and Simon Seal to his chest. He watched Liam intently, making sure he was settled and ready. “So…I already told Dilan and Sun, so now I am going to tell you. Um…” Nappy's confident posture shrank, “M…maybe you could read what I wrote?” Nappy turned the notebook around, holding it toward Liam at arms length, hiding his face.

Liam gave an uneasy glance at Dilan before receiving the notebook, “Okay.” The only thing on the page was Sun's response. Liam swallowed.

“Oh, uh, previous page,” Dilan reached over to pull the page back, Liam shifting his grip to reveal Nappy's writing.

He took a deep breath and began to read.

Nappy found himself fidgeting nervously. He chided the early memory that popped up of Liam in the truck, almost not letting Nappy in because he knew about the ‘virus’. It was different now. Uncle Liam liked him, cared about him. He…wouldn’t change his mind now… he wouldn’t.

Liam grimaced when he reached the end.

Nappy squeezed Simon Seal tighter.

He let out a sigh, “You know, I think we should get a therapist for Nappy. And probably Sun, too.”

Nappy relaxed his hold on Simon a little, “...What’s that?”

“A therapist is like, uh, a person you talk to about your problems, who’s really good at listening, and trained in dealing with upset people and calming them when needed, and coaching them through their struggles. Something like that.”

“Oh… are they nice?”

“Well I’d hope so. Usually they tend to be very nice, probably.”

Dilan held up a hand, “Hold it, how are we going to find a therapist who’s willing to talk with a large robot, no questions asked?”

Liam scratched his head, “Well…There are over-the-phone therapists. We don’t have to tell them Nappy’s a robot.”

“Their voices are pretty distinctly…artificial sounding.”

Liam waved a hand, “Eeeeh, we could just claim we have a bad connection? Or even say they have artificial voice boxes…which would be true.”

Dilan shrugged, “Okay. Sooo, how much does that cost?”

Liam made a face, “It couldn’t be too bad,” he pulled out his phone. After typing it in, he winced, “Well… we could schedule like, a couple sessions. Or spread them out. It’s still doable.”

“...Thank you all…” Nappy swayed slowly side to side.

Liam looked up, expression going soft. He got up and knelt down next to Nappy, patting his back, “Of course. You’ll always belong here.”

Nappy reached around and hugged Liam.

Liam tensed at first, looking a bit startled before relaxing and hugging back properly, “You’re okay here, Nappy. You don’t have to worry about that any more, okay?”

Nappy nodded, pulling away, “Okay. Thank…”

Dilan grinned, “You’re welc.”

“So,” Liam looked him in the eyes, “Do you need anything else?”

Nappy tilted his head, going still, “Um…no, I’m okay now. All okay.”

“Alright…” Liam rubbed the top of Nappy’s hat, “But if there ever is, you come and tell us, okay? It’s our delight helping you with any problems or anything you want to talk about, okay?”

Nappy nodded, swaying back and forth, Liam’s hand still on his head, “Okay,” He bounced in place a little.

Liam grinned, “Good. Anyway,” he rubbed his face, “I gotta get back to prepping. After all that, I’m still expected to go to work tomorrow morning.”

Dilan grinned, “You want me to bring you lunch? Sun can cook you more eggs.”

Liam waved him off with a snort, “Nah. And I think Sun should take a break from the kitchen for now…before he breaks more eggs.”

Dilan’s grin widened, “I’m gonna tell him you said that.”

Liam laughed, “Just make sure I’m at work when you do. It’ll give me time to anticipate his wrath.”

Nappy’s head snapped between Uncle Liam and Dilan with increasing franticness, “D-did Sun do something bad?”

Liam blinked, “Wha— oh no, no. Did Dilan tell you about Sun’s ah… first cooking attempt?”

Nappy nodded, “But that was okay, right?”

Liam nodded, “Yeah, it was okay. We, uh- it’s friendly banter. Teasing. Family’s do that sometimes, where they’ll say something that sounds mean, but they don’t actually mean it, and the other person knows they don’t mean it, but they pretend to be mad anyway. It’s like a game.”

Nappy relaxed a little, “Okay…”

With a grunt, Liam pushed himself up to his feet again, “Well, if we’re all good here, I’ma head back to the computer,” He started to walk away before turning back, “But feel free to come to me if you need anything, okay?”

Nappy looked down, fiddling with Simon Seal’s flippers before looking up again, “Okay.”

Liam gave a nod, then headed off.

Dilan stood up, hands in his pockets, “So, is there anything you want to do?”

Nappy looked into Simon’s face for a bit, “I…think I’d like to talk to Sun for a while. You can do other things…or be with us, if you want.”

Dilan stared at the wall, considering, “I’ll hang out with you guys.”

“Okay,” Nappy rose to his feet, heading back to his room. Their room.

Once inside he sat down on his pillow-mattress, pulling out the notebook again, turning the page to Sun’s reply.

Dilan settled down under the light switch, pulling out his phone.

— — —

Thank you, Sun. You’re all. So nice.

I am glad things turned out this way.

Um…Is everything okay with you?

Is there anything you need to talk about?

I want to listen and accept you, too.

-Nappy

Of course everything’s okay with me!

Why wouldn’t it be?

You don’t need to worry about me, Nappy.

You just focus on… “be-ing” or whatever.

…Did Dilan tell you how I made

the perfect egg?

-Sun

Um…yes. Good egg.

I mean, good job.

…Maybe Dilan knows how to fix the pencil…

The pen doesn’t let me erase.

I was just worrying about you.

Because. I noticed when you’re

Upset…um, your sass goes away.

But it’s back now, so I guess

everything’s okay.

I’m glad.

-Nappy

Ha, we just need a pencil sharpener.

I'll ask Dilan or Uncle Liam for one.

-Sun

Okay, thank : )

-Nappy

— — —

Sun mulled over Nappy’s final note, not sure where to go from there, or if anything else needed to be said. Also, he’d apparently have to regulate the sassiness levels in his notes if he didn’t want Nappy to worry. He chuckled quietly to himself, “To think Nappy equates my mood by whether I’m writing with a sassy tone or not.”

Dilan cocked an eyebrow, “I did notice your reply to his confession was unusually sincere.”

Sun scoffed, “I know how to be real when I need to.”

Dilan rubbed his chin, staring at Sun intently.

Sun stopped swaying, “...What?”

“Does… that mean you’re not being ‘real’ most of the time?”

Sun paused for just a moment too long, “No.”

Dilan squinted suspiciously at him.

“Trust me, if I wasn’t fine, I’d let someone know about it,” Sun rippled his rays in and out in a circle, “My sass or lack of sass isn’t indicative of whether I’m okay or not. That’s more something you can check by the levels of spite in my tone.”

Dilan frowned, “Why be sassy at all? When did that start?”

“Uuugh, are you not going to let this go at all?”

Dilan raised his hands placatingly, “I’m not judging you for it, I’m genuinely curious. Did they program you to be sassy? Or did you develop that on your own?”

Sun stilled, processors whirring, “Well…” His body shook with a quiet chuckle, “I certainly wasn’t programmed to be sassy.” He tilted his head, “Just kinda…picked it up as a safe outlet.”

“...A safe outlet for what?”

“Weeeell, we don't need to go into that.”

Dilan resisted the urge to push, “Alright. We won't go into it if you don't want to. Oh, uuuuh, maybe this is a bad time, but how do you feel about having therapy sessions?”

“...Why?”

“Uncle Liam and I were discussing scheduling Nappy for therapy sessions; over the phone, of course.”

“...That sounds good, for Nappy.”

“You not interested?”

Sun scoffed, “I don't need therapy.”

Dilan gave him a skeptical look.

“What? I'm fine now. Nothing to need therapy on.”

Dilan raised an eyebrow, “‘Fine now’ insinuates that you weren’t fine before.”

“Pff, just typical work stress. Nothing to need therapy about!”

“...You're sure?”

“Ah, ah, ah!” Sun waved a finger, “You said I didn't have to talk about it if I didn't want to!”

Dilan sighed, looking down, “You're right, I'm sorry, I'll drop it.”

Sun went quiet and still. He turned his face away, “You'll have to try harder than that if you want to pry it out of me.”

Dilan's gaze immediately snapped up, “One, I'm not Fazbear, you say you want me to stop prying, then I'll respect that. Two, that's the therapist's job. The choice is up to you.”

Sun rubbed the sides of his arms, his back to Dilan, “I'll think about it…”

Chapter 14: Normal Day

Summary:

Learning about your human friends; learning about your animatronic friends.

Dilan, Liam, and Nappy were all crowded on the couch together, light from the dimmed screen forming a pale circle in their area. The only movement came from Dilan's fingers as he clicked away on the controller.

Liam checked his phone, “Alright. Sorry, kids, but I gotta break up the party. I should sleep now to make sure I have enough for work tomorrow.”

Dilan sighed, saving his game and standing up to turn off the TV and console, “Didn't you already get tons of sleep today? I’m pretty sure you slept over twelve hours.”

Liam grunted as he stood, stretching, “That was making up for sleep I already lost. Now I'm gettin’ new sleep.”

Dilan wrinkled his nose, “Why do grownups have to sleep all the time?”

Liam snorted, “You'll find out when you become one, kid.”

Nappy rose from the couch more slowly, positioning himself in front of Uncle Liam with his arms partially out.

Liam cocked an eyebrow.

“...Goodnight hug?”

Giving a small shrug, a smile slipped onto his face, “Sure.”

After the hug, Liam shooed them out of the living room, stretching out on the couch.

Nappy paused in the hall, looking back, “...Why isn't Uncle Liam sleeping in a bed like you do?”

Dilan meandered toward his doorway, keeping his voice low, “Well, because when he first took me in, he gave me his bedroom, which is now my bedroom,” he paused, staring down the hall at the door to Nappy's room. He gave a quiet scoff, “Remember when that room was filled with junk and other random stuff?”

Nappy tilted his head, “....Yes.

“Well, after I moved in, he said he'd clear that room out and sleep there instead. The couch was just a temporary measure,” Dilan chuckled, shaking his head, “That was seven years ago.” Dilan walked into his room, lying on his bed and pulling out his phone.

Nappy followed after, standing just inside the doorway, processor fans just barely audible, “Um…where parents?”

Dilan didn't look away from his phone, “Died in a car accident.”

“Oh…” Nappy looked straight at the floor, then walked forward and wrapped his arms around Dilan in a hug, “I'm sorry.”

Dilan shrugged, having to bend one arm awkwardly to reach his phone screen around Nappy's hug, “It was years ago. You don't have to apologize.”

After a few more seconds, Nappy reluctantly pulled away, “Okay…” he sank to his knees, hunching his body, then placed his fingers on the edge of the bed, peeping over, “Whatcha doing?”

Dilan snorted, “Looking at memes.”

“...What's a ‘meme’?”

“An iconic image with funny text put on it.” He flicked his finger over the screen a few times before turning the phone so Nappy could see, “Like this.”

Nappy stared for a very long moment, processors kicking up.

Dilan frowned the longer Nappy stared in silence, “You okay there, Nappy?”

“Um…it’s…hard to… parse the words and image at the same time.”

“Huh. Well, it’s a picture of a cat. And the text says ‘I can has cheezburger?’.”

“...I don’t understand..”

“Well, first of all, bad grammar is purposeful for memes, it can make it more funny. Second of all, a cat wanting and eating a cheeseburger is absurd, and the picture of the cat is a bit silly. Those three things combine to be funny. Or it would be if I wasn’t so desensitized to this particular one.”

“Oh. …Okay.”

Dilan shrugged, “It’s okay if things like that don’t strike you as funny. Not everyone gets meme humor.”

“Alright.”

“...Now that I think about it, I bet Sun would think memes are funny once I explained the premise to him.” Dilan half-smiled at the thought.

“...Do you wish it was just Sun here, instead of me?”

The phone dropped to Dilan’s chest. He sat up abruptly, heedless of the phone flying off him into the wrinkles of the bedcovers, staring at Nappy seriously, “No. I don’t do favorites. You’re both equally fun to hang out with.”

Nappy sat back, settling cross legged, arms dropping to his lap, “I’m not really fun, though… You have fun with Sun, like making eggs… but I don’t really make you laugh or smile like Sun does… in fact, more often, I make you sad…”

Dilan chewed his lip, trying to figure out where to start, “First of all that doesn’t mean I like you less. Sun is fun, but sometimes I like just being quiet and chill with you. You’re calming. That said, you don’t have to be calming, and to be fair, you haven’t exactly had a lot of ‘fun’ experiences to pull from. You’re still learning, and recovering, and that’s okay. I like being with you to watch you learn and recover, or just be in general.” Dilan looked Nappy right in the eyes, “Do you believe me when I tell you that?”

Nappy leaned forward, “So… you do like me? Like… hanging out with me? You don’t like Sun better?”

“Yes, I do like you and hanging out with you, no I don’t like Sun better, or worse, for that matter.”

Nappy sat back, swaying side to side a little, “Okay… just making sure. Sorry I upset you.”

Dilan shook his head, “No need to apologize, I’m glad you brought that up. Remember what Uncle Liam said? It’s a delight to help you. If you have any worries or needs, we’ll be happy for you to tell us.”

“Okay.”

Dilan let out a sigh, tension leaving him. “So… You wanna go under the bed? I’ll even hang out on the floor with you until you feel safe.”

Nappy ducked his head to peek into the ex-sanctuary, “Mmmmm,” He reached around and pulled out Simon Seal.

Dilan slid off the bed, pressing his chin to the carpet as he looked, “Yanno, I don’t actually think I can fit under there. As tall as you are, your lankiness and flat head really help you squeeze into small places, huh?”

“Um…” Nappy lowered his head ‘till his ‘chin’ was on the ground as well, “I guess.”

“Can you show me how you squeeze under there?”

“Mmm…Okay.” Nappy shifted the backpack to the side and Simon Seal to one arm, limbs angled inhumanely to stay flat to the ground while pushing himself under, like a lizard crawling on its belly. He contorted to turn himself around ‘till his glowing red eyes met Dilan’s.

Dilan grinned, “This brings back memories.”

The red eyes rotated, “It does?”

“Yeah. I remember when you first crawled under here. How are you feeling at the moment?”

“Um… it’s not like it was before.”

“How was it before?”

Nappy closed his eyes, remembering, “Soft sweet solace from solitary suffering and fear. Comfort. Dark. Hidden. Protected… though, that was when I thought the ceiling couldn’t be taken off.”

“The…ceiling?”

Nappy lifted a hand and bumped it against the mattress bottom twice, “It was removed and my sanctuary was revealed as a fraud, a removable facade.”

Dilan’s jaw hung open, “When did you get so poetic?”

“Um… That’s how I think? It’s harder to say words… out loud. But when I think my thoughts…. Especially when I was all alone with nothing but them for company…I got tired of unpleasant loops of self-doubt and fear, and started finding ways to make words in my head interesting. Sounds that synchronize, or are similar to each other. Like rhyme and time.”

Dilan’s eyes sparkled as a slow grin spread across his face, “For someone who had trouble stringing full sentences together, you’ve come a long way!”

Nappy drummed his fingers on the carpet, “Only when I feel safe, and am talking to someone I trust. When I get nervous, or uncertain, or upset, it gets harder again. My own thoughts get in the way and trip and tangle each other instead of coming together in a…erm… uh…”

“Symphony?”

“What’s that?”

Dilan’s stare intensified, “Buddy, I think I’m gonna get you a dictionary. Then you’ll know a lot more words for talking in a way you like. Anyway, a Symphony is when musical sounds come together in harmony, or…” Dilan made a face, “Hold on, lemme look up the proper definition,” Dilan stood up to hunt the phone out of the shadow of a crease, lowering back down to Nappy’s level, face dimly illuminated by the darkened phone screen, he read aloud, “‘an elaborate musical composition for full orchestra.’ Well, the point is, it’s used to describe things coming together to form something beautiful, even if it’s not strictly sound.”

“Uh… hmm…”

Dilan paused, waiting for Nappy’s processors to die down.

“I think…. I need to rest and process things now.”

Dilan grinned, “Sure thing, Nappy. And I promise your sanctuary ceiling won’t budge while I’m lying on top of it.”

“Okay.”

“Have a nice naptime, Nappy.”

“Delightful dreams, Dilan.”

Dilan laughed, “Well actually, I gotta brush my teeth first. Be back in a bit.” Dilan’s muffled footsteps headed out into the hall.

Nappy mimicked a deep intake of breath, even lifting his body slightly before letting it all out and relaxing.

Safe.

— — —

Nappy was awoken from sleep mode by distant clatters and clanks from the kitchen.

Dilan's peaceful breathing could still be heard from above.

Slithering out noiselessly, he tucked Simon Seal in the backpack as he tip-toed out of the room.

Uncle Liam was getting himself breakfast. By the time Nappy reached him, he was settled at the table, chewing and scrolling through his phone.

Nappy dropped to his knees again, shuffling forward, then peeking just above the table to look at him.

Liam glanced over at him, stopped mid-chew and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“...Hello.”

Uncle Liam swallowed, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, “Hello.”

“...Good morning.”

Liam looked half amused and half quizzical at the interaction, “Good morning to you, too, Nappy. Do you need anything?”

“...What work do you do?”

Liam put his phone down, “Well, I work at an independent electronics store. I'm one of the computer technicians. I mostly specialize in the physical aspects of making or repairing electronic devices. One of my co-workers is a real software whiz. He's the one that helped me make your processors.”

“...Can you tell them ‘thank you’? From me?.”

“Absolutely,” Liam grinned.

After watching Nappy a moment to make sure he had nothing more to add, Uncle Liam went back to his breakfast.

Nappy crawled under the table, hunched with his knees folded to his chest, head just touching the underside.

After a bit, there was the clatter of metal on porcelain and the scoot-noise of the chair as Liam stood up.

Nappy scrambled out from under the table, following Uncle Liam to the kitchen sink as he rinsed his plate off.

Liam turned around, startling slightly because Nappy was right there. “Uh, something you need?”

“...Are you going away to work now?”

Liam smiled gently, patting the top of his head, “Yeah.”

Nappy shrank in on himself, “...Okay.”

“Hey, don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.”

“...Kay.”

Liam headed out of the kitchen, adjusting his baseball cap and turning to Nappy just before opening the front door, “Hey, babysit Dilan for me while I'm gone, will ya?” He smiled lopsidedly before rethinking what he said, “Er, that was a joke, by the way, you do whatever feels comfortable for you, Okay?”

Nappy nodded, “Okay, bye bye… see you… when you come back home.”

Liam hesitated, looking Nappy in the eye, “I will come home, okay? I promise.”

Nappy nodded, “Okay.” He stepped forward, arms reaching up in a hesitant hug.

Liam met his hug, giving a brief pat-pat before slipping out the front door.

Nappy listened to the front door lock click.

The car engine roared to life before rumbling away and out of hearing.

Dull shuffling on the carpet signaled Dilan’s approach. Nappy turned to see him mid-yawn.

“Did Uncle Liam leave for work?” Dilan stretched.

“Yes. Gave him goodbye hug.”

He grinned, “Good. I’ma get something to eat.”

Nappy followed him into the kitchen, “Do you need help again?”

Dilan laughed, “No, I don’t need ‘help’ again. Thanks for offering, though.”

“Okay.” Nappy continued to follow closely, watching carefully as Dilan poured milk into his cereal bowl.

He grabbed a spoon, headed to the table, and sat down.

Nappy looked between the chair and the shadows underneath the table before settling in the chair across from Dilan. He pulled out Simon Seal, looking at his face and moving his flippers around, listening to the cronch cronch cronch of the cereal.

— — —

Finished with breakfast, Dilan stood with Nappy in the living room, “Whelp, whaddya wanna do?”

Squeezing Simon Seal a little, Nappy gave a small shrug, “I dunno.”

“You… could watch me play video games if you want. Or we could do multiplayer together.”

“Um…” A quiet click click click as Nappy tilted his head, “Okay.”

Dilan slipped his hands in his pockets, bouncing on his toes a little, “So which do you wanna do?”

“Um…I'll watch first, then, maybe, I'll play. Then Sun gets a turn.”

A grin spread across Dilan's face, “Alright, sounds good.”

The two headed over to the couch, Nappy settling down while Dilan got the game set up.

— — —

“...Now what are you doing?”

“Just exploring around. Looking for stuff.”

“What's that?”

“A bad guy.”

“Did it…turn into smoke?”

“Yup, none of the baddies are real, made by an evil sorcerer or something.”

“What’s a sorcerer?”

“Someone who uses magic.”

“Like a wizard?”

“Yup.”

“...Is that a deer?”

“Yup.”

“...Why did it fall over?”

“Uh, just fell asleep. Don't worry about it.”

“Okay. What's that thing?”

“That's a castle.”

“Are you going to it?”

“I might.”

— — —

“Okay,” Dilan switched games, “This one should be a nice simple cooperative game for us to start with. And it only uses two buttons, so I don't think it'll be too hard for you to pick up.”

“Um, ok.” For the second time in his life, Nappy stared at a controller.

Dilan leaned over to point out which two buttons to use and what they did, “Alright, so first, I'll move my character to this switch and press it. Now your character can get further ahead. Good. Now you step on that button, and now I can go forward.”

Nappy moved hesitantly at first, looking down at the controller while pressing the control stick or buttons, then looking up to verify the character on screen reacted.

After a bit, he finally figured out moving the character while keeping his eyes on the screen, “This is very…strange.”

“Is it?” Dilan had his character slide a block over to jump on it and reach the next switch.

“It’s like… looking through a window into another world… but, the people in it aren't real, right?”

“Nope,” Dilan pushed a block off the edge to Nappy below, “The A.I. for games like these are very simplistic. Nowhere near attaining sentience. In fact, it's a stretch to call it ‘intelligence’. Like… you know about puppet shows, right? Or marionettes? Those characters are like puppets, and the control stick and buttons act as the strings.”

“Oh! I see… things make more sense now.”

Dilan nodded, smiling and giving himself a mental high five.

Nappy hopped on the blocks with greater ease, “Sun and I were supposed to have a string of sorts.”

Dilan hopped through the barrier that had been opened, “Oh?”

“Well, it was more of a wire… Sun would know more. There's coding for movements when hanging from the wire… but our backs don't have the loop it was supposed to attach to.”

Dilan opened a gate for Nappy, leaning to study the animatronic's back casing, “Huh. I don't even see where a loop would attach too.”

Nappy went through the gate and hesitated at a pit, “I think our spine and outer shells were modified.”

“Sounds like it would've cost them more to pay for the modifications, instead of leaving it as is.” Dilan lowered a rope, “You jump and grab that to swing across.”

“I don't have that information. You can ask Sun when it's his turn to play video games.” Nappy's character couldn't go right any further, “Now what do I do?”

“Cool, I'll ask him. You just need to wait for me to get over there, we both have to make it to the goal to go to the next level.”

“Okey-dokey.”

— — —

 

“Ah, so you wanna know about the wire acrobatics, or lack-thereof, in our case?”

“Yup,” Dilan’s character dodged behind a tree, trying to spot where Sun’s was through his scope.

“Well, I've overheard from tech-talk how most other Fazbear buildings that house a Daycare Attendant have retractable wires installed in their ceilings. The Attendant can send a signal to call the wire down to do tricks. Some locations just have a wire in the Daycare, others have ‘em throughout the building,” Sun leveled Dilan's character in his sights.

“Okay, so why did your location opt out?” Dilan moved his character behind a tree.

“Hey, no screen-peeking! Anyway, apparently the budget they got was way below what they needed for getting the building furnished in the Fazbear aesthetic, so they decided to cut out the expense for installing a costly wireless wire. Heh.”

Dilan jumped at an electronic ding from his pocket, “Ah, hold on a second,” he set down his controller and checked his phone.

Sun subtly inched his character closer while leaning over to see Dilan's message, “What is it?”

“Oh hey! Steve and Rebecca, again. Your new voice box cone arrived. Rebecca's running it over.”

“Aha! Great!” Sun left his scope aimed at Dilan, still pretending to be looking at the phone screen.

Dilan sighed, sliding it back in his pocket, “At least I'll know not to be freaked out at the doorbell this time.”

“Huh? Whaddaya mean?” Sun forgot all about his “sneaky” set-up.

Dilan shook his head, “Eh…just…before Fazbear came to take you away… the only warning we had to everything falling apart was the doorbell…”

“Oh,” Sun set his controller aside, putting a hand on Dilan's shoulder, “Well, they can't use voice commands on me anymore, so I'll keep us safe.”

Dilan shot him an incredulous look, “But who'll keep you safe?”

“I will! I have security protocols after all,” Sun sat up straighter.

Dilan gave him a wry smile, picking up the controller again, “Alright Expert Bedmaker, Germ Master, and Egg Cooker Sun, I’ll add Security Specialist to your growing list of titles.”

Sun snickered.

Dilan looked at the screen, “Oh hey, there you are,” Dilan aimed at Sun’s character.

“W-wait wait! Hold on, I wasn't ready!” Sun scrambled for his controller too late as the game over screen appeared on his side. He stared blankly for a second before letting out a quiet huff, “That’s cheating.”

Dilan grinned slyly, “I know for a fact your character wasn’t there before I got the text, so who’s really cheating?”

Sun grumbled but didn’t argue.

They both startled when the doorbell went off.

“I’ll get it!” Sun reached behind him to grab the couch back and flipped himself over backwards, spinning his head, then torso, then legs around as he walked to answer it, “Um, which thingy is the unlocking mechanism?” He leaned forward to inspect the door closer.

Dilan twisted around, draping across the back of the couch and pointing limply, “That thing above the doorknob. Yeah, you turn it…uh, well whichever direction it can turn. If it doesn’t move, other direction.”

“Ah, there we go!” Sun opened the door with a flourish.

Rebecca beamed at him, “Hey there Sun, ready for a brand new speaker cone?”

“Uh, maybe. I mean, my current one hasn’t bitten the dust yet, but it’s nice to know there’s a back up.”

She looked past Sun’s shoulder to wave at Dilan, “Hey, how’s it going with you two?”

Dilan waved lazily from the couch, “Fine.” He looked ready to check out when his expression suddenly shifted to somewhere between confused and suspicious, “Wait, when did you get my number?”

Rebecca laughed, “First Steve texted Liam, Liam said he was at work, then Liam texted us your number so we could give you a heads up.”

“Ah.”

“Ooh, ooh! Rebecca, do you wanna stay and play games with us?”

Rebecca winced apologetically, “Sorry, but Steve and I were right in the middle of a video shoot when the package arrived. I gotta get back so we can continue filming.”

“Oh…” Sun went abruptly neutral in his effort to not look disappointed, “Okay.”

Rebecca stretched out her arms, “Want a hug before I go?”

“Uuuh… sure, why not,” Sun “reluctantly” stepped forward for the hug.

Rebecca gave him a pat and pulled away, “See you later, Sun, say hi to Nappy for me.”

“Okay.” Sun waved as she slipped back out the door.

— — —

Rebecca told me to tell you she says hi.

-Sun

Oh. Okay. Did you hug her?

-Nappy

Of course I hugged her!”

-Sun

Good job. I'm proud of you.

-Nappy

Thanks T_T

-Sun

Notes:

Next chapter will be on Friday the 4rth of October.

Chapter 15: Nappy’s Magic

Summary:

Strings of numbers, lines of code. Pattern recognition from his behaviors, tone-sets, and words, resulting in the desired reaction. Perhaps that was his “magic”.

Nappy sat on the couch, knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around them. Dilan was focused on a particularly intense section of the game.

The animatronic swayed side to side a little, happy just to be with one of his favorite people.

They both startled when the doorbell went off. Nappy straightened, movements locking up. Dilan nearly dropped his controller, scrambling for the pause button.

There was a split-second of silence when they just looked at each other. Dilan grabbed his phone and checked.

“... No texts.” He stood abruptly, jumping and rolling over the back of the couch, bending his knees to cushion the impact, then crept silently to the peephole. Dilan turned slowly around, shaking his head, expression grim. Staying quiet he mouthed, “It's Fazbear.”

To his surprise, Nappy let out a quiet growl, peeking over the back of the couch, fingers gripping the edge.

Dilan crept closer, wincing as the doorbell rang twice more and there was a sharp knock at the door.

Nappy kept his volume low, “Police?”

Dilan shook his head, “Doesn't look like it this time, so they can't come busting in. We'll just stay quiet and pretend nobody's home until they leave.

Nappy gave a small nod, turning his attention back to the door and softly growling again.

Dilan gave a quiet chuckle, patting the top of his head, “Down boy, they can't legally enter our home. And the door's locked, anyway.”

“Hmph.”

Dilan cocked an eyebrow expression half amused half disbelieving, “Well, it looks like you're not gonna let them get the jump on you this time.”

“Nope.”

Dilan patted Nappy's back, rubbing it a bit, “Thanks. Makes me feel safer knowing you've got my back,” he gave another pat with a quiet laugh, “and I've got yours.”

Nappy slumped suddenly, tilting his face to look down.

Dilan blinked, confused, “What is it?”

“...Sorry…I didn't…’have your back’ last time…I just hid.”

Dilan rolled his eyes, “Okay, first of all, I told you to hide. And second of all, none of us knew what to do back then. Don't blame yourself for things you can't change in the past, instead focus on what you can do in the present.”

Nappy was still for a while, internal fans humming. He perked up suddenly, “Okay.” He resumed his peekaboo vigil.

Dilan got up to check again and sighed, “They're gone.”

“For good?” Nappy straightened up hopefully.

Dilan let out a heavier sigh, “Probably not. The whole company's built on stubbornness. Fazbear Entertainment should've shut down multiple times over by now if even a sliver of the rumors surrounding them are true, yet they still persist,” He spread his arms out before letting them drop against his sides in defeat, “They'll probably come back again when Uncle Liam's home.”

“...Boooo.”

Dilan laughed, “You got that right.

— — —

Dilan's prediction came true less than an hour after Liam returned from work.

He met Dilan's eyes for a moment, exchanging a knowing nod before letting out a tired sigh, “Alright, I'll deal with this.” He pushed up from the dining table and walked to the door, startling when Nappy brushed up against him, following closely. “Uh, you wanna hide, bud?”

“No.”

Liam frowned, “But trying to take you away is the reason they're here. You sure you don't wanna hide?”

Nappy shook his head hard, “No. Not gonna let them turn the lights on.”

Liam stared at him uncertainly, hand on the doorknob. After a bit he gave a slight shrug, trepidation clawing at his tone, “Well, okay…”

Twisting the knob and forcing a grin, Uncle Liam pulled the door open, Nappy edging off to the side and out of direct light, “Hey, how may I help you?” Liam tried not to sound like he was speaking through gritted teeth.

A group of Fazbear employees that looked like a motley mix of technicians, including Jeff Stolby, and a few miscellaneous staff were grouped on his step. Front and center was Manager Bryce Heffernan, back in his official 80’s themed “uniform”.

“Hey!” Bryce had an equally forced smile on his face, his voice doing a much better job of sounding reasonable and easygoing, “I know we had a bit of a misunderstanding, and apologize for accusing you of theft. But that animatronic is still the property of Fazbear Entertainment, and we’d like it back, please.”

Liam acted like he was mulling it over for a second before looking him in the eyes with a light smile, “No.”

Bryce opened his mouth, then froze at the sight of red dots peeking through the doorway. He blinked, then the forced smile was back on, “Moon, er, Nappy, now, is it? Come on, why don’t you come back home. Your friends all miss you.”

Liam looked to Nappy, gauging if he should answer or if the animatronic wanted a say.

“...This is my home, and my friends are right here.”

Bryce frowned for a second before pushing the grin back on, “I meant back at the Pizzaplex, your real home. The other animatronics miss you. Stanly even asked how you were doing.”

Nappy tilted his head, “...Your…definition of real, and mine…are not the same. I don’t know any animatronics. I don’t know who Stanly is.”

Bryce took a breath, a glimmer of impatience in his eyes. The smile dropped, “You are still Fazbear property—”

“Ouch.”

Liam blinked, turning to look as Nappy’s voice cut Bryce off.

Bryce also looked startled, “What?”

Nappy hadn’t shown any signs of pain or distress. Even his tone of voice was neutral. The animatronic hugged himself, looking at the floor, “Calling me property…hurts.”

Bryce’s eyes widened. The employees behind him exchanged startled glances and one muttered something quickly to another, eyes flicking nervously to Bryce.

“Uh,” The manager turned back to Liam, “Look, how ‘bout we just settle this peacefully. Does $83,000 dollars sound fair? You hand it over, er, tell it to go with us, and Fazbear will forget this ever happened.”

Liam shook his head solemnly, “Sorry, I'm afraid that's not enough.”

Nappy's head jerked to look at him.

Bryce’s eyes lit up with eager hope, “Okay, how ‘bout I just add another zero on there. $830,000.”

Liam pursed his lips, shaking his head again, “Still not enough.”

“Okay then, name your price!” His voice cracked with desperation.

Liam continued his somber act, “Sorry, I'm afraid Nappy's priceless.” After giving Bryce a moment to let that sink in, he broke out into a grin.

One of the employees behind him let out an “Aaaw.”

Bryce stared at him like he was on the verge of snapping.

Nappy's soft voice cut through the tension, “Why are you so mean? I don't want to be bought or sold, I just want to live.” Nappy put his face in his hands, body shaking, little sobbing noises escaping him.

One of the employees behind him cursed.

Bryce whipped around, partly outraged, partly shocked.

Jeff Stolby unclipped his badge, “That's the last straw, I quit.” He dropped it on the ground, stepping on it before turning to leave.

The other employees immediately burst into discussion.

Bryce called after him, “Hey, get back here!”

Another one pulled off her badge, “Whelp, I'm joining an animatronics rights group. Bye-bye~”

As she turned to leave, the other employees pulled off their badges and threw them on the pile, walking off, crowding into the second company car together, Jeff already waiting in the driver's seat.

Bryce helplessly watched them rumble off.

He turned back to Liam, looking conflicted, then glanced at Nappy, still shuddering and crying, then gave a defeated sigh, “Forget it.” He pried off his badge, tossing it onto the pile, strolling unhurriedly to the remaining company vehicle, looking strangely relaxed.

Liam stared after him in wonder before looking down at the pile of ID badges, “What should we do with these?”

Dilan had snuck up to the door, startling Liam when he declared, “Let's burn them!” With a far too eager gleam in his eyes.

Nappy had gone quiet, peeking between his fingers, “Whoa…it worked. Was that my magic, Uncle Liam?”

Dilan and Liam both slowly turned to Nappy, jaws hanging open.

Dilan’s eyebrows went up, “Wait, that was on purpose?”

Nappy tapped his index fingers together, “Did I do it wrong?”

Liam closed the front door, slumping against the wall with his hands to his face, “Oh no…Nappy’s reached that age…” his muffled groan slipped out from under his hands.

Dilan’s brow furrowed, “What? What do you mean, what are you talking about?”

Liam sighed dramatically, running his hands down his face, “Nappy’s reached that age where children learn how to manipulate adults.”

Dilan gave him a deadpan look, “Is that all?”

Nappy looked between them uncertainly, hugging himself.

Uncle Liam shot Dilan a grin, “I remember when your dad told me about the antics you got up to at that age.”

Dilan gave a wry smile, amusement tinged with sadness.

“Am I…did I… is it…?” Nappy gripped his arms tighter, ducking down and backing away.

Liam instantly came forward, wrapping Nappy in a hug, “Hey, hey, you're okay. Congratulations Nappy, you saved the day.”

“Huh?” The poor animatronic sounded confused.

Uncle Liam pulled back, looking him seriously in the eyes, “You did really good. But know this, Nappy, your magic is strong, very powerful. You have to be careful that you don’t use it for the wrong reasons, okay?”

“....Huh?” Nappy sounded just as confused as before.

Liam put a hand on his back, guiding him to the couch and sitting him down, still keeping eye-contact, “Look Nappy. You did do good, in a sense, but you have to be careful you don’t use manipulation like that for bad reasons. Okay?”

“Um… what would be a bad reason?”

“Like if… you wanted something selfish, and you manipulated someone without considering their feelings or situation to get what you wanted.”

“Oh… I won’t do that, I promise…Er, if I get confused and do… Could you tell me? So I have a better idea of what not to do?”

Liam relaxed, smiling in relief, “Absolutely, sounds like a plan.”

“Okay… so… I did a good job?”

Liam put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing reassuringly, “You did an amazing job.”

Nappy relaxed in relief, too, “Yaay… okay. I’ll be careful with my magic.”

“Hey,” Dilan walked up, the gathered ID badges in his hand, “So can we burn these?”

Uncle Liam gave him a flat look.

— — —

Liam ended up fishing out an old warped pan that he’d meant to throw away ages ago.

They all watched the plastic writhe and bubble on the stove top together, standing shoulder to shoulder.

Dilan seemed to wake up from a trance, “Wait, is this legal?”

Liam gave him a wry look, “Now you're concerned Mr. ‘Let's burn them’?”

Dilan shrugged, grinning unabashedly, “Well, is it?”

“Eeeh,” he rubbed the back of his head, “After quitting, Fazbear would've destroyed these badges anyway. Not to mention almost everything's automated these days. After removing the IDs from their system, they probably don’t care what happens to the badges, it's not like they'll work anymore.”

Dilan pursed his lips, “So they won't come after us for this?”

Liam shook his head, “Nah. ‘Sides, they were left on our property, basically makes them ours,” he grinned.

Nappy stared fascinated at the half melted burnt edges curling in, seeming of their own volition, “Is this magic?”

“Um…” Liam chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought, “Of a sort.”

“Could I do this magic, too?”

“Uuuuh, prooobably best if you didn't. You have your kind of magic, and the stove top has its kind of magic.”

Nappy looked up at him. “Does this mean the stove top's a wizard?”

Dilan snorted and cut in before Liam could respond, “Yes.”

Nappy leaned closer to the viscous plastic, “Cool…”

Liam gave Dilan a look and tried to hide his smile as he shook his head disapprovingly.

Dilan grinned wider, “Turns out all machines are wizards. How do you think phones work?”

Nappy turned to him, tilting his head, “...Magic?”

Dilan nodded with way too much confidence, “Yup!”

Liam rolled his eyes, “Well, I guess no one can actually explain what energy is, just how it works,” he shrugs, “That's not all that different from how magic is depicted in fantasy when you get down to it. Intangible, unexplainable, yet follows consistent rules and makes consistent results,” he nodded sagely.

Dilan opened his mouth for a retort, but no words popped in his head. Finally he stuck his hands in his pockets and shrugged, “You know, I can’t actually argue with that.”

— — —

Uncle Liam’s snores drifted from the couch. Dilan sat at the computer, Nappy standing at the back of the room while he hurriedly dimmed the screen.

“Is that better?”

Nappy stepped closer ‘till he was peering over Dilan’s shoulder, “Yes.”

“Alright. I know I said I’d buy you a dictionary, but then I remembered there’s a free one literally at our fingertips.” With quick movements the keyboard clacked the letters onto the screen. Dilan clicked on the top link, “Alright, I can scroll for you if you want. Let me know whe—” He paused studying the screen as the mouse bounced around the different clickable activity squares, “...Where the heck is there an option just to read words and definitions starting with ‘A’?” He sighed and clicked the back button, “Sorry, about this, let me just try again.” Dilan clicked on the second link, searched around a bit, and made a face, “Seriously, where is just a simple list of words and definitions?” He sighed, clicking back again.

Nappy drummed his fingers on the desk, “Um, it’s okay, you don’t have to…”

Dilan made a determined grimace, “Nah, I’m not giving up that easily,” he clicked a third link. He sat back making an exasperated huff, “Seriously!?” He clicked a fourth link, disbelief soaking into his voice, “Why is everything a type-in-your-word and a bunch of games?! We’re here to learn, dangit!” Dilan tried a different search, “List of all English words and definitions. How hard can it be?” He tried the first new link, holding his breath before finding an alphabetic option, sitting back in relief, “There we go. Phew. Okay, read away, Nappy.”

Nappy’s eyes flicked down, red light reflecting off the screen. On the fifth word he tilted his head, “What does ‘boozy’ mean?”

“Uuuuh. Okay, you know what, maybe I should just look up a ‘best words for poetry’ list or something. It just occurred to me you might not be ready for every word, yet…” He hastily backed out.

Nappy slouched with disappointment.

Dilan tried a third search, poked around a bit, then let out a sigh, “You know what, maybe it’s best you just keep learning words naturally on your own.”

“Oh… okay…” Nappy sank to his knees, one hand still holding the edge of the desk.

Dilan twisted in his seat, “Hey now,” He patted the starry night cap, “This isn’t any kind of negative reflection on you. Words can be tricky, is all. There’s an…order to these things.”

“Okay.”

“So… what else do you wanna do?”

“Um… maybe you could show Sun memes?”

A slow grin spread across Dilan’s face, “Oh I’ll show him memes alright. Brilliant idea, Nappy.”

Nappy bounced happily, “I’ll get the light.” He popped up, waving at Dilan before turning it on.

— — —

Sun’s rays spun around as the switch finished. He startled, head jerking around ‘till he spotted Dilan, “Oh. Haven’t been in this room, yet.”

Dilan made a grand sweeping gesture with one hand, “Welcome to the computer room.” He swiveled around in the chair, searching out memes and opening new tabs. He decided to go out of his way to activate Safe Search just in case.

Sun hugged himself, looking from wall to wall, “It’s a bit cramped in here…”

“Yeah, but the memes are infinite.”

“...Excuse me, what?” Sun put a finger to the side of his head where an ear would be, twisting it to clean the non-existent wax out, “It sounded like you were speaking English, yet somehow I have no idea what you just said.”

Everything ready to go, Dilan swiveled the chair to face him again, grinning, “Sun, I am going to educate you on memes.”

Sun tilted his head, “Is… that important?”

Folding his hands under his chin, Dilan took on a solemn expression, “Very important.”

“Uh, okay then,” Sun gave a small shrug and stepped forward.

Spinning back around, Dilan continued his serious tone, “Okay, first step, Memes 101, introduction to meme culture…”

Notes:

Nappy’s Magic: High charisma stat; Rolls a natural 20 for persuasion.

Chapter 16: Family Game Night

Summary:

Okay, so the end note of the last chapter was just a joke. Then I’m suddenly like “But what if…”

The aimless groan of the small dining table’s wooden legs dragged across the kitchen floor. Dilan and Sun’s heads slowly moved with the motion as Liam shoved it up against the wall near the living room entrance. After he finished, he straightened up, satisfied, stretching a bit with a slight pop in his back.

Dilan broke the silence first, “Uh, what are you doing?”

Liam moved past them to the small closet in the living room, “It’s my day off!”

Sun and Dilan looked at each other.

Sun raised his hand to his mouth in a faux whisper, “Does that mean anything to you?”

Bewildered, Dilan shook his head. He turned toward Liam, calling after the shuffling noises coming from the closet, “And? What does that mean?”

“It means,” Liam came out, arms weighed down with several large books and stacks of papers, “We’re having DnD night!”

Dilan’s eyebrows raised, “Oh yeah. I forgot you still had all those books.”

With a floor-shaking thud, Liam dropped his load on the table, grinning ear to ear, “I haven’t pulled these out since my college days!”

Dilan shook his head, shrugging, “Okay, then.”

Sun’s attention whipped from Liam, to Dilan, to Liam again before finally snapping, “What is all this? What’s even happening?!”

Liam’s gleaming eyes met Sun’s glowing ones, “Game night.”

Sun slumped with an exasperated sigh, “Thank you. That explains everything.”

Paper shuffled and books creaked slightly as Liam moved and arranged them, “You’ll know soon enough. Oh, Dilan, could you grab a few pencils and pens?”

“Uh, sure,” Dilan shrugged, “Where are they?”

Sun perked up, “Left kitchen drawer above the middle cupboards. They should be tucked in the back behind the clips.”

Raising an eyebrow, Dilan gave Sun a glance before heading over, “Thanks.”

Liam had gone back to the empty spot where the table once stood, dragging three of the chairs over, gripping two by the back with one hand.

“I’ll help with that,” Sun strode over, picking the two up and plopping them in open spaces while Liam hoisted the third over.

Dilan sauntered back, placing pencils and pens on the table, “So why bother moving the table?”

Liam gestured, grinning, “So Sun and Nappy can reach the light switch without getting up. That way they can both play,” he dropped into the chair at the “head” of the square table, flipping through one of the books.

Eyebrows going up, sitting at Liam's right, Dilan shook his head, “This is going to be a strange game.”

Sun cautiously sat in the remaining chair, nearest the doorway— and the light switch, “Ooookaaaaay, just remember you'll need to re-explain when we switch.”

Liam nodded, eyes searching the pages, “I know.”

Sun drummed his fingers anxiously on the table to break up the silence.

Finally finished whatever he was reading, Liam started his introduction, “Alright, so we're going with edition 12.2. Technically 11E is better, but 12.2 is a little easier for beginners, and 13 is garbage. So then,” He handed out sheets, one to Dilan two for Sun, “These are your character sheets,” He reached across the table to grab another heavy book, “This one has all the classes and fantasy races to choose from. Dilan, you know the gist of Dungeons and Dragons, right? You help Sun with character creation while I figure out one of these preset one-shot campaigns to choose from.”

“Uuh,” Dilan shrugged, taking the book and opening to the first page, “First, Sun, read this. It'll explain most of what we're doing and what your role is in the game.”

“Kaaay…” Sun took the book, glancing at the page for a second before turning to the next one. And the next one, and the next one. In less than five minutes he'd read it cover to cover, slamming the book shut and scooting it back to Dilan, “Cool. I'm gonna be a high elf rogue/ranger, noble background, with a proficiency in—”

Dilan put up his hands, “Don't tell me, put it in your character sheet!”

“Oh, right,” Sun grabbed a pen, filling out the categories with mechanical speed and precision.

Dilan suppressed a snort at how seriously Sun was writing it down in his swirly bouncy font.

Sun stopped short, “Wait, where’s the dice?”

Liam jolted upright, blinking as though waking up, “Oh, right. Be right back,” the chair scooted as he stood up.

Sun's head turned as he watched Uncle Liam head back to the closet, upper body still as his neck did a 180.

“Hey.”

Sun's head swiveled back around to face Dilan.

“While Uncle Liam's getting the dice, I can help Nappy get his character all situated.”

“Oh, of course!” Sun sat expectantly before remembering, again, that he had control of light switches now. He raised his hand in a flourish and flipped the switch.

— — —

Nappy went through the book much slower, Dilan patiently explaining concepts and word choices that Nappy struggled with.

Liam came back into the room shaking a small glass box of dice, “Found ‘em!” He set it on the table as he settled into his chair, “Normally everyone has their own dice, but I guess we'll have to share.”

Dilan nodded, watching Nappy focus intently, carefully drawing each line of his letters as he filled out the character sheet. He reached for the dice, “Guess I'll do my stat rolls first,” Dilan pulled the character book back to double check which of the different sided dice to use.

Liam turned to Nappy, “So what kinda character did you choose?”

“Um…” Nappy continued diligently writing, speaking more haltingly as he concentrated, “I'm going to… pretend to be… a… halfling … cleric… bard.”

After waiting patiently, Uncle Liam nodded, “That's cool, that's cool. What'd you pick Dilan?”

The die clattered on the table, Dilan scratching out the number on his sheet, “Human warrior,” he shrugged.

Liam nodded, “Solid, solid.”

Nappy finally put his pencil down.

Liam leaned over, “You need help with getting your stats figured out?”

“Um… yes, please.”

After helping Nappy fill at the rest of his sheet, they turned the lights on for Sun.

Sun giggled, poking and looking at the see-through candy-colored dice for a full minute before finally getting around to rolling them.

“You know,” The sound of the appropriate die clattered on the table, “I could set up a few temporary random number generators in my head correlating to each die.”

Dilan rolled his eyes, “Yeah? How do we know you won't cheat?”

Sun dug his fingers into the table, leaning forward with a growl, “How many times do I have to say this. I. Don't. Cheat.”

Dilan raised an eyebrow, “Oh really? What about when you tried to snipe me when I got a text from Steve and Rebecca?”

Sun straightened up indignantly, hands on the table, “Not with table top games! Video games are an undefined parameter, they don't count!”

“Oh, now you're making excuses.” Dilan shook his head, clicking his tongue.

Sun spluttered, “Video games aside, I really don't cheat!”

Liam squinted, “Can't cheat, or won't cheat.”

“Um…” Sun drummed his fingers, voice going quiet, “Actually, before it was can't, but now that I've already broken some protocols. I'm not sure, now.”

Uncle Liam had an unimpressed look, “Well, you're using the dice.”

Sun grumbled but conceded.

— — —

“Okay,” Liam hunched behind his cardstock Dungeon Master screen, “The horde of goblins spot you. Roll for initiative.”

A clatter from Liam, then he passed the die to Dilan, and so on, flicking the lights off briefly for Nappy.

“Okay, Sun, you get to move first.”

Sun giggled, rubbing his hands together menacingly, “Elvias Elversteen aims an arrow and attempts to shoot the leader of the horde!”

“Alright roll for damage.”

The clatter of a die followed by an angry hiss from Sun, “Seriously?! C'mon!” He glared at the two staring up at him.

Liam chuckled, “Don't forget to add your race and class bonuses,” he reached for the die, rolling behind his screen.

Sun gave him the number, grumpily resting his head in his hand, bottom rays tucked in to accommodate.

The sly grin spreading across Liam's face did not reassure him in the slightest, “Your shot whiffs, clipping the goblin on the ear, doing a single point damage.”

Sun growled, gripping the table edge and lowering his head, “How do I know you're not cheating behind that screen?”

Liam grinned unapologetically at him, “Ya gotta trust your DM, man.”

Sun grumbled, sinking lower.

“Okay, the Goblin leader gets to go next. He jumps and swings his wooden sword at you. You have two more actions this turn. You gonna take the hit, or dodge?”

Bottom of his faceplate resting on the table, Sun reached for the die, giving a lazy roll.

Dilan raised an eyebrow, “Sixteen, not bad.”

Sun popped up indignantly, “Oh, NOW I’m getting big numbers!? Where were you before!”

“Alright, you successfully dodge the attack. You have one more action.”

“I…” Sun tapped his chin, calculating, “Back away to give myself some distance.”

After another roll, Liam nodded, “Alright,” he passed the die back, “Nappy gets next turn.”

“Hmph,” Sun reached up, flicking the lights off.

Nappy blinked, looking around expectantly.

“So,” Dilan started, “We were walking down a trail when we heard some noise from the side of the road. Sun went to scout it out, then failed his stealth check, and we alerted a goblin horde to our presence. You're all under attack, now. Though Elvias had a close call, none of your companions have any damage. The Goblin leader's missing one health point and is a space ahead of the rest of his kind. What do you do?”

Nappy's fans whirred as he considered, “Um… Harvey Halfoot heals the goblin’s boo-boo.”

“Uuuh,” Liam and Dilan exchange glances.

Uncle Liam cleared his throat, “The goblins are the bad guys, you’re not supposed to heal them.”

Nappy’s processor’s kicked up, “...Why are they bad?”

Scratching his head, Liam shrugged, “Um, that’s just how they are?”

“So…” Nappy stared down at the table, “They can’t help it? They couldn’t be good if they wanted to?”

Liam winced, “Basically?”

“...That’s so sad,” Nappy hugged himself.

Wide-eyed, Liam turned to Dilan for help.

Dilan gave him a “really?” face and shook his head before speaking up, “Well, that’s what people think of goblins, but maybe if you ask really nicely, they’ll rethink their ways,” he gave Liam a pointed look.

Liam stared down at his notes for a minute before shrugging, “Uh, sure. Okay, so, you’re using the first of your three actions to heal the chief?”

“...Pretty please?”

Liam sighed, “Okay, roll for healing.”

Nappy picked up the die carefully, then dropped it. It gave a pitiful movement barely considered a roll, ending up on 7.

“Okay, the goblin chief’s health is full, the little nick on his ear is healed. You have two more actions.”

“Um, can I ask, pretty please, if he could be our friend?”

“Okay. Roll for persuasion.”

Nappy picked up the die and dropped it again. It bounced and rolled a little more this time.

Liam’s eyebrows went up, “Eighteen! Not bad. Now add your charisma stat to the number and…” Liam grabbed the die and rolled it, “Oh, what do you know, the goblin chief was persuaded by your kindness and pure-heartedness! You have one more action left, what do you do?”

“Um… can I hug him?”

Liam chuckled, shaking his head, “Of course. You ask the goblin chief for a hug, and he happily accepts. Thus, Harvey Halfoot has forged the first friendship between goblins and halflings in history. The rest of the band decide to follow the chief,” Liam’s eyebrows went up as he realized the implications of the cute story, “So uh, you guys have yourselves a bonus squad of allies, now.”

Nappy swayed back and forth happily.

Dilan grinned, “Wait ‘till we tell Sun.”

— — —

“He what?!”

Liam couldn’t stop a dorky grin spreading over his face, “Yup, so the goblins are friends now. Except the chief keeps givin’ you the stink-eye.”

Sun grumbled, crossing his arms, “Uuuugh, fiiiiine. I guess I’ll choose friendship over violence.”

Caught off-guard, Dilan snorted and burst into stifled laughter before calming down, “I guess Warren Wisebrooke just goes along with it, chill as always.”

No one was surprised when the campaign ended with them befriending the dragon, an entire caravan of persuaded ex-enemies following behind them.

Sun was 100% sure Liam was cheating at the end there, but didn’t call him out on it.

Chapter 17: Mail

Summary:

Sun gets mail???

The front door opened and closed, Liam sorting through clutters of different sized letters and magazines, “Man, I really need to check the mail more often.”

The two on the couch surrounded by electronic beeping and good-humored taunts ignored him.

Liam sighed to himself, “Bills, bills, spam, looks like a scam…” he paused brow furrowing. He double-checked the name of the recipient, “Uh, Sun? You've got mail.

The game paused abruptly. A resounding silence filled the room. Sun swiveled his head around, “What?”

Liam shrugged offering it, “It says to Sun-bud and Nappy.”

Sun's optics refreshed, “Sun-bud? Why does it say that?”

Liam shook his head, “Maybe someone overheard me calling you that? Maybe a miscommunication? I don't know, but it's definitely yours.”

Sun spun his torso, reaching over the couch to grab the offered letter. He stared at it dumbly, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“Open it.”

Holding it up to his face, Sun verified the names himself, “Are…are you sure?”

Liam nodded, “It's illegal for me to open mail that's not addressed to me.”

Gripping both edges, Sun stared at the letter intently. Carefully, he pried the flap open, the glue making a sticky crackle.

Flap up, he pulled a small stack of stapled papers out, unfolding them carefully, “A subpoena?! Oh no…” Sun groaned, drooping limply over the back of the couch, papers dropping from his hand, “I don't wanna go back to court…” he whined.

Liam's brows furrowed, leaning down to pick it up.

Dilan was also turned around, staring at the subpoena in concern over the back of the couch, “We aren't getting sued again are we?”

“A subpoena is just a summons to witness,” Liam's lips moved as he read the cover letter before his eyebrows shot up, jaw dropping open.

Dilan straightened up, “What, what?!”

Curiosity overriding his exasperation and anguish, Sun lifted his head.

Liam turned it around, holding it out to them, shaking the papers excitedly, “The case you're being called to witness on, it has to do with animatronic and A.I. rights!”

Dilan's eyes widened.

Sun's processor fans hummed to life, “What…what does that mean?”

Liam continued, volume raising, getting more animated, “Sun-bud, this case could be declaring you legally a person!”

“...So my name's been changed to Sun-bud, now?”

Confused, Liam blinked at him, “Huh, oh. Sorry, do you not want me to call you that?”

Sun flapped a hand lazily, “Eh, call me whatever.”

Dilan raised an eyebrow, “What happened to ‘its Sun, just Sun, my name is literally my face’, blah blah blah,”

Sun waved Dilan away, “That was before we were friends.”

Dilan grinned at him.

Liam was incredulous, lifting the paper, “I don't think you've grasped what this means for you.”

“It means I have to go to court again,” Sun snapped.

Liam stared at him, “Sun, the main point here is animatronic rights!”

Sun moved one hand to help prop up his head as he continued to look up at Liam from his draped position, “So? What does that even mean?”

“It—” Liam couldn't believe Sun wasn’t getting this, “What it means is that you'll be treated like people!”

“So what? You guys already treat me like people.”

Liam gaped at him, baffled, “But, if this wins, everyone will be legally required to treat you as people! At least in an official capacity.”

“And how does that change anything for me?”

Exasperated impatient hand motions was the best Liam could do before he found his voice again, “It means you can go outside! You no longer have to hide! Fazbear legally doesn't own you anymore!”

Sun tilted his head to the side, “I still don't see how that changes anything. I CAN'T go outside, or did you forget about my little sky problem? We're not really hiding anymore, and Fazbear has failed to ‘retrieve’ us multiple times already.”

Liam rubbed his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose against an oncoming ache. He sighed, lowering his hand, fighting for patience, “We could probably find someone to update your software so the sky doesn't cause you to crash anymore. Then you could go anywhere you want! You could… you could open your own daycare if you wanted! And just ‘cause Fazbear failed to get their claws on you so far doesn't mean they won’t eventually overpower us and take you away in the future, but this—” Liam tapped the paper with the back of his hand, causing it to crackle in protest, “This does!”

Sun tilted his head the other way, processor fans whirring again, “Okay. So it gives me mild conveniences? But why would I want to go outside? Voluntarily, I mean, when my family's freedom isn't at stake?”

Liam stared at him open-mouthed. It slowly started to dawn on him. This wasn't an understanding problem. This was a fundamental-viewpoint-difference kind of problem. He swallowed thinking hard, trying to explain its importance from a different angle. After staring distantly in thought, Liam's eyes snapped back to Sun, “What about the other animatronics at your Pizzaplex?”

“What about them?”

“Are they… sentient, aware like you?”

“Probably.”

“Don't you care about people you've been working with for years?” Liam glared accusingly, “Or do you only care about yourself?”

“...When I woke up in the Pizzaplex, strapped to that chair, I overheard the techs stating they were factory resetting me. Do you know what I felt when I heard that?”

“...What?”

“Nothing. That was par for the course, the status quo; normal. Nothing alarming or unusual about it.”

“Then…” Liam's brows furrowed, “Why did you escape?”

“Nappy. And you guys. Nappy is essentially trapped in my head, which means he would get erased. And I had this little thought, that maybe you and Dilan would be sad if I was gone…and I knew you would be devastated if Nappy was… Whatever feelings you’re expecting me to have for myself or other animatronics— which are registered by default as inanimate objects in my code, by the way— I just don't have.”

Silence stretched out, only disturbed by the sound of Dilan and Liam's breathing.

Liam looked back at the papers in his hand, then back at Sun, “Then don't do this based on feelings. Do this because it's the right thing to do.”

Sun groaned, head flopping down against the couch again, “Fiiiine. If it means that much to you, I'll do it.”

Sighing in defeat, Liam sank cross legged to the floor, “Sorry for getting worked up, but this is important.”

Sun tilted his head up again, “You wanna tell Nappy? His name's on it, too.”

Liam rubbed his forehead, baseball cap lifting slightly, “Yeah. Okay.”

Dilan popped up, “I'll get the lights.”

Sun slid the rest of the way over the back of the couch, twisting and flipping his legs over his head to match Liam's cross-legged position.

Dilan flicked the lights out and settled on Nappy's other side.

“Hello. What's going on?” Nappy reached back and pulled Simon Seal out of the backpack, setting him on his lap, hands fidgeting across his soft brown fur.

Narrowing down where to start, Liam set the papers aside for the moment, “Hi Nappy. Do you remember what a subpoena is?”

“That…thing that let us rescue you from jail?”

Liam nodded, “That’s right. You and Sun have received a subpoena for a very important case in the mail.”

Nappy drew his knees up around Simon Seal, “A-are you going back to jail?”

He shook his head hurriedly, the papers crinkled as he picked them up, “This case doesn’t have anything to do with me. It’s actually asking— well, demanding, rather— that you show up in court as a witness.”

Looking down at Simon, Nappy fidgeted with his flippers, “That scary place again?”

Liam winced, sighing a little, “Yeah, but hopefully it won’t be as scary this time.”

“...What’s the important case?”

Thinking carefully, Liam kept his voice slow and measured, “Does the term ‘animatronic rights’ mean anything to you?”

The humming of fans picked up as Nappy tilted his head, “Um…I’m an animatronic, right?”

“Yup.”

“Oh, um, which right does it mean? Direction right, correct right?”

“It means…” Liam adjusted his cap as he figured on a way to word this, “There’s another meaning for the word right. It means, like, uh, improved ability? More…permissions? More freedoms! Animatronics will get more freedoms, and there’s more consequences for people who try to hurt them or restrict those freedoms.”

There were music box winding clicks as Nappy rotated his face the other way, “So…this case will be nice to me?”

“Uuuh,” Liam rubbed the back of his head, “I guess that’s one way to word it. But not just you. To other animatronics out there. You…do know there’s more than just you and Sun, right?”

Nappy swayed side to side, “Yes…I caught glimpses…”

Liam took a deep breath, giving a little shrug, “So yeah. If you witness, you could convince the court that animatronics are people, and should be treated as such. So I think it’d be really important, and brave, for you to go and try to help yourself and your fellow animatronics.”

Nappy’s swaying froze a moment, then his head tilted back, “Ah, you want me to use my magic, don’t you?” His swaying resumed.

Liam blinked, “Er…kind of? Uh, but I think you’d get the best results by being real, being you.”

The motions stopped again, Nappy’s head tilting in confusion, “But I’m always me.”

Liam raised an eyebrow, “Even when you were ‘using your magic’ on those Fazbear employees?”

Swaying again, Nappy nodded, “I just chose which parts of me I wanted to act on and show. I did feel like crying, but I also felt like being quiet and hoping everything got better on its own…but I remembered when I cried…people got quiet and spoke nicely to me, so I decided to cry.”

It took a moment for Liam to register Nappy’s reply, “Ah, well that’s not so bad. Right, uh, just use your magic, but…try not to overdo it?”

Confident, Nappy nodded seriously at him, “Don’t worry, I’ll use it responsibly.”

Liam laughed, hearing Dilan chuckle as well. He gave another shrug, “Well, uh, guess that wraps up that,” He picked up the papers again, thumbing through, “Now let’s see, it says the date of your appearance is…” His eyebrows went up, “Tomorrow!”

“...” Dilan gave him a look.

Liam grinned sheepishly, “Well, good thing I checked the mail today.”

Nappy reached over and gave Uncle Liam’s knee a pat pat, “Good job.”

Liam chuckled, “I’ll make sure things are smoothed over for Sun and that he knows you’re on board.”

“Okay.”

“Er, is there anything else you need before we turn on the lights?”

Nappy gave a thumbs up, “I’m good.”

Grinning, Liam patted Nappy’s knee, “Alrighty then.”

Dilan popped up and headed for the light switch.

Chapter 18: Here We Go Again

Summary:

For freedom!

Sun felt much less nervous this time. Taking up an entire bench, he was lying on his back staring at the cold florescent lights with the hand gripping the subpoena dangling over the edge. A corner of the papers tickled the tiles.

Dilan and Liam were across the small room on the opposite bench. Liam’s arms were folded over his chest and he couldn’t help glancing around the room nervously. Dilan patted his arm, Uncle Liam flashing him a grateful smile.

The constant tapping of Liam’s foot filled the room.

Sun marveled that for once he wasn’t the one fidgeting nervously. He swayed his dangling arm lazily, the corner of the subpoena making soft scraping sounds that joined the beat of nervous boots.

Dilan sighed, arching his back as he stretched from his hunched position before looking around, “Do you think any other animatronics or A.I. have been called?”

Liam shrugged, “I don’t know. I re-read the papers more closely…It kiiinda sounds like this debate is more confirming Sun-bud and Nappy’s sentience, and maaaybe stating that as the grounds for taking other animatronics into consideration? The fine print doesn’t actually make it sound like the clean-cut ticket to freedom for all A.I. I first thought it was. But! It’s still an important step, so…Yeah.”

Dilan slumped, “Stupid legal stuff always being so complicated.”

“Tell me about it,” Sun mumbled to the ceiling.

The doors squeaked slightly as they opened, “Sun-bud, you are now being called to wi—”

“Finally!” Sun swung his feet over his head and backwards rolled off the end of the bench, landing on his feet. He jumped, twisting around in mid-air to face the bailiff, “Take foreeeverr!”

The bailiff stared at him open-mouthed before shaking himself back into professionalism, clearing his throat, “Follow me.”

Dilan and Liam stood up without the theatrics and followed after, heading to the Gallery to find seats.

As Sun was led to the witness stand, he was disappointed to see a different judge presiding over the case. In fact, there were no familiar faces in this room— aside from the people he’d come in with.

The clerk of the court stepped up, “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?”

Sun cut off the start of an exasperated sigh, raising his hand, “I do.”

With a nod, the clerk sat back down.

The judge tapped his gavel, “Now then. Witness, state your name and occupation.”

Sun narrowly avoided a whiney groan, doing his best to “behave” despite the repetition, “Sun. Or Sun-bud, I guess. Currently unemployed.”

“Very well. Rather than a traditional testimony, we would like you to answer some questions. These questions, based on your answers, will bring us closer to determining whether your sentience is true, or simply well-crafted fakery. Now then, Dr. Vector, Dr. Holo, Dr. Gerald, you may begin with your testing.”

The trio of doctors were seated at a long table set up in the center of the courtroom, decked with piles of papers, a mirror, and a few other odds and ends.

One of the trio cleared her throat, “If Your Honor wouldn't mind, we'd like to have the animatronic in question sit in front of us for these tests.”

The Judge tapped his gavel, “Very well, permission granted.”

Sun shrugged and stepped down from the witness stand.

“Animatronic Sub-bud, uh, you may come here to— uh, oh. Okay then.” The middle doctor petered off as Sun had already plopped himself in the chair. After an awkward throat-clearing he continued, “Animatronic Sub-bud—”

“You can just call me Sun, you know.”

“Er, right, Sun,” More awkward throat clearing, “We are going to ask you a series of questions, and give you a series of tasks. Are you ready?”

“Sure, sure. Whatever floats your boat.”

“Alright, first test,” The leftmost doctor held up a large hand mirror, “What do you see?”

“A mirror.”

“What do you see when you look in the mirror?”

“The frame I’m currently inhabiting.”

Her eyebrows furrowed, “What exactly do you mean by that?”

Sun made a sighing sound, “Unlike you humans, my chip,” He tapped the side of his head, “Could be removed and put in a different frame, along with my memory drive.”

Dr. Vector nods, putting the mirror down.

The middle doctor spoke up, “Would you say you feel pain?”

“...Fazbear Entertainment assures you that—” Sun cut himself off from his preprogrammed line, “Wait, I don’t have to play by the rules anymore. YES! Yes,” He leaned forward, fingers digging into the top of the table, “Despite what software techs have assured me, if certain things are broken or moved too far out of place, or I suffer an electric shock of a certain calibur, the sheer unpleasant feedback is so overwhelming I’ll happily refer to it as pain.”

Stunned into silence, Dr. Holo’s eyes widened as he leaned back.

The rightmost doctor, Dr. Gerald cleared his throat, “R-right.” He held up a red paper square, “Describe this color without naming a color, or similarly colored object.”

Sun tapped a finger idly on the desk, moving as if to rest his head on his hand, keeping his rays out, not quite touching, “...Bold, threatening, attention grabbing, alarming, bright, warm…familiar.” He could keep going but decided to end his list there. He can tell by their raised eyebrows that the doctors were impressed.

“Alright, then,” Apparently it’s Dr. Vector’s turn. She pulled out the next test with almost a childlike eagerness, “What does this make you feel?”

Sun tensed at a photo of a crying child. He had no idea whose kid this was, maybe one of the doctors. Their profile is not in his system. Analyzing the surroundings, he perceived the food stains on their face and bib, as well as a noticeable glomp on the floor. Analyses complete, he concludes the child was not in danger or unfair discomfort, merely throwing a tantrum— possibly a result of the dropped food, or the dropped food was a result of the tantrum. He sits back, “They seem okay.”

Vector’s eyebrows crinkle in confusion, a bit of disappointment, “What makes you say that?”

Faceplate tilting, Sun elaborated, “I have coding to analyze if a child is in danger or is the victim of abuse. Nothing in this photo triggers any red flags, so even though the kid’s upset, there’s nothing to worry about. Kids get upset for no reason all the dang time.” Sun moved his head in the eye-roll motion.

“Huh,” Vector’s frown doesn’t go away, “How does seeing an upset child, even if they’re not in danger, make you feel?”

“Tired.” Sun finally did rest his head on his hand, rays tucking in to make way.

Gerald raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and nodded with agreeable tiredness.

Sun immediately flagged him as a parent.

Vector continued, apparently not entirely happy with Sun’s response, “How about this?” She held up a photo of a happy smiling girl in a dress, clearly in the middle of giggling.

“Cute. Objectively speaking,” Sun monotoned.

Vector’s eyebrows scrunched together further, “What do you mean ‘objectively’ speaking?”

Lifting his other hand, Sun moves it around in circles as he explained, “Proportions include small body, stubby limbs, large head, the face is close together with large eyes, small nose, and relatively small mouth. The hairstyle is commonly referred to as cute for her age, the tiny bow is often used to add the ‘cute stat’ to things, and the dress does the same. Therefore, objectively speaking, she checks off all the ‘cute’ categories. Happy now?”

“U-um, yes,” Vector lowers the photo, still disappointed.

Sun lets out a groan that peters off into a sigh, “Those weren’t the ‘right’ answers you were looking for. Let me guess,” Sun picks up the first photo, clapping a hand to his face, “Awwww, poor widdle baby! What made this sweet thing so upset, oh no.” his artificial voice toned to the perfect pitches of sympathy. He promptly drops the first photo and picks up the second, switching his voice to the optimal toneset for joy and glee, “AAAAW So cuuUUute~! Look how happy she is, I can practically hear her adorable little giggle!” He sets the photo down, tone going back to tired impatience as he faces Vector, “Happy now? Did I check off the ‘correct’ response boxes?”

Vector was staring at him with her mouth open.

Holo snorted, “I actually liked his first responses better.”

Dr. Gerald steepled his fingers, “Sun, where did you learn to snark like that?”

Sun turned to him, tapping the table thoughtfully, “The techs. A lot of them would snark back and forth while they worked. It’d make them laugh. So I picked it up from them and practiced ‘till I could make them laugh.”

Dr. Gerald rubbed his chin, eyes gleaming, “Interesting.”

Clasping his hands together, Dr. Holo leaned forward, “Sun, if you don’t mind me asking…You were programmed for childcare. Do you… like the children you watch?”

Sun’s shoulders rose as he mimicked a large intake of breath before letting it out in a drawn out sigh. He rubbed a finger on the table, staring down at the faux wood surface, “I… don’t dislike children… I was… growing increasingly unhappy with my situation. And unfortunately…children sort of became…intrinsically associated with my…situation… I… to be honest I can’t dislike them. I wasn’t programmed to. I can see a photo of a child and deadpan at it because it’s not a real child. But as soon as you put a real child in front of me…even if I feel I dislike the thought of them…as soon as they’re in front of me, they’re the most important and precious thing in the world and I …love them. In spite of myself.”

The whole courtroom falls into hushed silence.

Sun snaps out of his reminiscing, hands drawing closer together on the table as he fidgets, “I mean… um, haha… snotty, bratty kids, can’t stand ‘em…”

He flinches as Dr. Gerald reaches forward and pats his hand. Pulling back relatively quickly the doctor picked up a piece of paper, continuing as if that little interaction hadn’t just happened, much to Sun’s relief, “I am going to present you with a problem, and see if you can find a solution, are you ready?”

Sun nods, rays flapping from the rapid movement.

Gerald clears his throat, “Imagine you are on a raft in the middle of the ocean. You are surrounded by hungry man— er, animatronic-eating sharks, and the raft is slowly sinking—”

Sun perks up, “Oh! Pffft, I know this one! Some kids tried to pull it on me a couple years back. The solution is…” He thumps a tiny drumroll on the table before making jazz hands, “Stop imagining!”

Holo gives another snort.

Vector taps several sheets on the table to straighten them, “Alright. Next scenario: Damien walks into a room with three pieces of candy. After eating two, he leaves one on the table, and leaves the room. Later, Zera walks in, picks up the piece of candy and puts it in a cupboard. After she leaves, Damien walks back in to get his last piece of candy. Where will he look first?”

Sun makes the noise of a long tired sigh, “This is kindergarten level stuff. The table where he left it, obviously.”

Holo leans forward, “Alright, Next question. A trolley is going down the tracks. There’s a split in the tracks up ahead, and you are standing next to the switch that will change which track it’s on. Unfortunately, some people have gotten stuck on the tracks. If it keeps going straight, it will hit five people. If you change the track, it will hit one person. The trolley is going too fast to stop in time. What do you do?”

The edge of the table creaked as Sun gripped it tightly, “...That’s a horrible question.”

Gerald cleared his throat, “It’s just imaginary,” He said softly.

“I know that!” Sun spat, “But that doesn’t make thinking about what would happen if this scenario was ever real any less horrible. I suppose the cold, calculating, logical answer would be: pull the lever to save more lives… That’s the answer that’s probably expected… But what if we applied the same rules as that imagination game earlier, and I used super strength and simply picked up the trolley and carefully set it aside so I could free all parties at my leisure. It’s all made-up anyway, so I can do that, right?” He leaned forward eagerly.

“Uh..” Holo’s eyebrows were up, “Um, sure. Let’s go with that, then.”

Sitting back, Sun tapped the table, trying not to look too pleased with himself.

“Right, then,” Gerald leaned forward, “Tell us a fictional story.”

Sun tilted his head quizzically, “Long, medium, or short?”

Leaning back, he folded his hands on the desk, “Short, if you please.”

Drumming his fingers for a bit, the hum of his processor fans kicked on for a few seconds before quieting, “Okay,” Sun lifted his hands dramatically, “Once upon a time, there was a castle. This castle had been expertly crafted by the artisans of the country. One day, however, a huge bite had been taken out of the side of the building! Horrified, the king sent out a decree, demanding to know how this happened. People were baffled, and the king got angrier and angrier until finally, someone actually stepped forward: a giant chicken. “How dare you mar the structure of my beautiful castle! I should have you thrown in the dungeon for eternity for what you’ve done!” In response the chicken said, “My liege, I plead my case. I propose that the fault lies not with me for doing the eating, but with you, for making your castle out of pizza!” And even as she spoke, more chickens flocked to the building, each taking a bite ‘till there was nothing left. Head hanging in shame, the king mumbled, “Fine, perhaps I should build it out of wood or stone like every other castle out there.” The end!” Sun punctuated the ending with jazz hands.

Vector stared blankly. Holo snorted and tried to stifle laughter at the silly twist. Gerald let out a few loud unapologetic booms, “Very good. Children must’ve loved your stories,” he scribbled down some notes.

Sun stared down at the table, “...Yeah.”

Vector cleared her throat, “Next question, what did you do yesterday?”

Sun tilted his head curiously at her, “Well, I cleaned the house, played video games with Dilan, received a subpoena and whined about it, then finished playing games with Dilan, and wrote a few notes with Nappy.”

Vector blinked, “Huh,” she looked down, pen scratching notes on her paper.

Holo clapped his hands together, “Alright, last question, I promise!”

Sun perked up eagerly.

Double-checking his notes, Holo cleared his throat, “What do you think of this place?” Lifting a hand, he waved it vaguely at the room around them.

There were click click clicks as Sun tilted his head, “This room specifically, or the building?”

Instead of answering, Holo clasped his hands with a polite smile on his face.

Sun narrowed his eyes a little before looking around, scanning the room, “Weeeell, it's opulent, in a weirdly practical kind of way. It makes me feel uncomfortable, and in case there was any uncertainty if the people in the room are judging me, one literally has the title of Judge to remove ambiguity on that worry. There's not a lot of colors or soft shapes… Basically what this tells me is this room, and by extension, the building, is essentially the antithesis to ‘fun’, and I hate being here.”

There was a gap of complete silence where only the faint scratching of Holo's pen could be heard.

Gerald cleared his throat, leaning forward and clasping his hands together, “Thank you, Sun, we are done w—”

“Oh good!” Sun jolted upright, drumming his fingers, “Does this mean I can go, now?”

Gerald's brows lowered in stern disapproval.

Sun hunched down under his stare.

“As I was saying, we are finished with you, now it is time to dim the lights and test Nappy.

Leaning back against the chair, Sun tilted his head up with a groan, “Uuuugh, I have to be here longer?!” He straightened, resting his hands on the table, “At least I won't be conscious for it.”

There was a shuffle as the bailiff headed for the lights.

Sun's head suddenly snapped to him, voice sharp, “Wait!”

The bailiff startled to a stop.

Tensing his fingers, plastic tips making a scrr on the faux wood, Sun slowly leaned toward the doctors, “When you question Nappy, do NOT ask him about the virus, don't even mention it at ALL. He's traumatized by it; Un. Der. Stand?”

One of the doctors swallowed nervously. Another gave a slow confused nod.

Sun leaned back a little, voice lightening just a touch, “And skip the trolley question, it will upset him, and if you make him cry, I will have a LOT of strong words for you, capiche?”

Indignant, Holo opened his mouth. Gerald cut in, an amused smile playing at the corners of his mouth, “Capiche. We'll be careful, Sun. We have in our records that Nappy is sensitive and prone to being upset. We'll be gentle with our questions.

Shoulders relaxing, Sun sat back in his chair, waving a hand at the bailiff without even looking at him, “Alright, bailiff, you can get the lights, now.”

The bailiff stared at him skeptically, glancing at the judge.

The judge shrugged and nodded.

The lights went dim.

— — —

Nappy looked around. This was a different part of the room than he was used to being in. There were three people in front of him, waiting expectantly. Nappy stared at his hands, inching them closer together as if they might comfort each other.

“Hello Nappy,” That was one of the people, a man with bushy eyebrows, “I am Doctor Gerald. To my right is Dr. Holo, and further on is Dr. Vector. We are going to ask you a series of questions, is that alright?”

Nappy nodded, still staring at his hands.

“Very well, let's begin,” Dr Vector held up the mirror, “What do you see?”

“Red.”

Vector frowned, double checking the angle of the mirror, “Is that… all you can see?”

Nappy tapped his eyes, “The glare from my eyes is blotting out everything else.”

“Well, is there a way you can turn it down?”

“Um…I don’t think so. Sorry.”

“Alright, that’s fine,” She sighed, putting the mirror down, folding her hands, “Nappy, how would you describe yourself?”

“Um,” Nappy moved one finger along the surface of the table, following the wood grain pattern, “I’m…shy, and quiet, and… slow.”

“Hmm… what made you pick traits that aren’t related to your appearance?”

“Oh. I don’t really think of my appearance much… It wasn’t something pleasant to think about for a long time…or, at least it… felt like a long time…”

“What do you mean by that? What was unpleasant?”

“I was a safety hazard. No casing. And… I couldn’t move my legs. I was scary. And… also really scared, too. Now I’m all fixed up, so I don’t have to worry.”

Vector’s face softens as Nappy speaks, “I see,” her tone is gentle.

Gerald shifts, clearing his throat, “Nappy…would you say you felt any pain during that time?”

Nappy continues playing with the table patterns, “Um… yes. To charge… I had to drag myself under a hole in the ceiling… and sometimes the moon, er, the sky one, not me, would be very bright. And it hurt. I stayed out of the sunlight, but… it would move. I’d think I’d be out of the way and then it would catch me by surprise when I was resting and hurt part of me, so I learned the distance I had to stay away so that wouldn’t happen.”

Gerald’s face crinkles in a deep frown, “Light hurts you?”

Nappy nodded, “Yes, bright light. Red light is fine. Dim light is okay.”

Gerald leans back, face still shadowed with concern, “Goodness…”

After a moment of silence, Dr. Holo grabs a square of paper and holds it up, “Would you describe this color without naming the color, or a similarly colored object.”

Nappy looks up at it, “Everything.”

Holo blinks, “What?”

“I told you…” Nappy looks back down again, “I can only see red. I don’t know anything else. It is… everything I ever know. Shades of red. Familiar, always, everything. That is the square you are holding…and everything else.”

“O-oh, right…” Holo flushes, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Vector fiddles with the corner of one of the photographs, “Okay, um,” She hesitantly holds it up, “What does seeing this make you feel?”

Looking up, Nappy leans forward, “Oh…oh no. Why are they upset?”

“Um, so this photo makes you feel…?”

Nappy reaches out a hand, brushing the photo with a finger, “Did someone make them okay? Are they okay now?”

Dr. Gerald clears his throat, “I’d say that child is very okay now, that was me.” He breaks into a broad grin.

Nappy’s faceplate jerks between the photo and Gerald, “Oh!” he gently reaches out, cradling the photo in both hands.

Vector blinks, reluctantly allowing it to be pulled from her fingers.

Nappy looks between the photo and Gerald again, movements slow, a quiet aw to his voice, “Humans start out so small… but then they get so big!”

Gerald lets out a hardy belly-laugh, slapping his ample stomach, “Not that big,” he jokes.

Nappy tilts his head at him, not understanding.

Gerald waves it off with a chuckle, “Thank you for the compliment, Nappy.”

Posture shrinking in self-consciousness, Nappy sets the photo down.

Smiling a little, Vector presents the second one, “How ‘bout this photo?”

Leaning forward again, Nappy gently traces the surface. Suddenly his face snaps to Vector, “Is this you?”

She breaks into a grin, “That’s right. This was me when I was little.”

Swaying slightly, Nappy taps his hands on the table, “I’m glad you had such a happy moment,” He tilts his head, “It’s… strange… that light and color froze this moment of joy in time… “

The doctors stare at Nappy in silent aw before Vector slowly lowers the photo again, eyes growing distant with a smile on her face, “Yeah…”

Shaking himself out of the moment, Holo grabs a paper, “Alright, Nappy, I’m going to present you with a problem. Let’s see if you can solve it. Imagine you are on a raft in the middle of shark-infested waters. The raft is slowly sinking, and there’s no sight of land. How do you escape this scenario.”

Nappy’s fans start up in a hum, still as a statue, “Um…can I hug them?”

Holo blinks, “What?”

“The sharks? Can we hug and be friends?”

A small smile plays across his mouth, “Um, I don’t think sharks are interested in becoming friends.”

Nappy searches the table, even checking under some crumpled papers.

Frowning, Holo adjusts their glasses, “What are you looking for?”

“A die. If I roll a high charisma, then we can be friends.”

Holo bursts out into full head-back laughter, almost tipping out of his chair.

Vector and Gerald look very confused, concerned gazes switching between their associate and Nappy

Wheezing, Holo manages to pause long enough to gasp out, “You’ve played DnD?!”

Nappy stops searching, focusing his attention on Holo before nodding, “Yes. There were lots of angry things that wanted to fight, but I rolled the die and then we became friends and then we hugged. Then everyone made friends with the dragon and I got to hug it, too.”

Bursting into fresh laughter, it’s minutes before Holo is able to pull himself together again.

Nappy taps his hands alternatingly on the table, “So… can I be friends with the sharks?”

Gasping for breath, Holo nods, “Sure, I’ll accept that answer. You befriend the sharks and they take you to land. Puzzle solved.”

Sitting back happily, Nappy adds, “And I hug them.”

Still taking deep breaths, Holo grins, “And then you hug them, good job.”

Nappy bounces slightly in his seat.

Gerald breaks into a big smile, shaking his head, “Alright, next test,” picking up a page, he reads off, “Damien walks into a room with three pieces of candy. After eating two, he leaves one on the table, then leaves the room. Later, Zera walks in, picks up the candy, and puts it in a cupboard. After she leaves, Damien walks back in to get his last piece of candy. Where will he look first?”

Nappy’s fans kick on again, “Um… the cupboard… no… er… the table?”

Geralds eyebrows raise and he lets out a hmm as he records in his notes, “That is correct.”

Vector picks up the next sheet, “Right, next question, there’s a trol—” she cuts off, eyes widening, quickly putting that sheet down and fumbling for the next one, “Er, can you tell us a story?”

“...Me… tell you… a story?” Nappy’s posture straightens, processor’s picking up.

Vector nods, “That’s right. Just a short one.”

“A…story…” Nappy stares down at his hands, voice distant, “I never got to… do that…” His gaze lifts to meet theirs, “Yes. I will tell you a story. Um… once upon a time, there was a seal named Simon. Simon Seal. He was captain of a ship. He had a first mate named Nappy, and the other crew were Dilan and Uncle Liam. They all lived on a boat. One day, the seas got stormy and… and… Nappy, Dilan, and Uncle Liam got washed overboard. Nappy woke up on an island, and met Sun. Sun promised to help Nappy get off the island and rescue Dilan and Liam. They reunited, and found Simon Seal on the boat, relieved they were all safe. Then they… lived happily… ever after?” Nappy shrank down, shoulders hunching, peeking at them with his head lowered, “Pretty please?”

Gerald blinked, “Er, it’s your story. It can end happily ever after.”

Nappy slid a finger along a fake wood knot pattern, the dull reflection of his red eyes on the plastic surface staring back at him, voice soft, “It might not end that way… unless people make it so Fazbear can’t try to take us away again.”

The quiet is visceral.

Vector speaks up, matching Nappy’s tone, “Given the results of the test so far, I think you won’t have to worry about that anymore.”

Nappy nods, but doesn’t meet her gaze.

“...Okay,” Holo’s voice sounds husky, “What did you do yesterday?”

“... I… played a game with Dilan… then I be’d with Uncle Liam while he worked on something from home… and then I wrote notes to Sun… and practiced drawing under the bed while Dilan slept.”

Holo’s eyebrows lower in confusion, “Bead with Liam? What do you mean by bead?”

Vector’s mutter drifts out, “You hang out under the bed someone sleeps on?”

Nappy looks at Holo first, “Like, when you be with someone. But in past tense.”

“Oh…”

Nappy turns to Vector, “I like under the bed, it feels safer there.”

Vector purses her lips, “Does Dilan know that you hang out under his bed while he sleeps?”

Nappy nods, tone earnest, “Yes, he let me. Dilan is very nice.”

Vector can’t help but smile, “Okay.”

“Alright, final question!” Gerald pipes up jovially, “How would you describe this room?”

Nappy looks around, head turning 360 degrees as he scans the area.

Holo’s eyebrows shoot up, but he waits patiently.

“Um…” Nappy taps his chin, “Big. But not super big. Bigger than Uncle Liam’s house, but smaller than the Pizzaplex.”

Holo leans forward, eyes curious, “Does it make you… feel any way in particular?”

“Um… It makes me feel… small. I know I’m taller than all of you, but it makes everyone else seem big. And… it’s both full and empty in a strange way that makes me… anxious.”

Holo frowns, “Sun mentioned not liking it here, either.”

Nappy leaned forward, causing Holo to move back reflexively as he closed the distance, “How is Sun? Is he doing okay? Nobody made him unhappy, did they?”

Holo blinks, a little taken aback by Nappy’s head in his personal space.

Nappy senses something out of place and leans back immediately.

Clearing his throat, Holo relaxes, “Yeah, he seemed fine,” He gives a leftover huff of laughter, “Kinda took command of the questioning despite us supposedly being in charge.”

Nappy clasps and unclasps his hands anxiously, “H-he wasn’t too bossy, was he? T-too sassy? He doesn’t mean it, I promise he doesn’t mean it!”

Holo quickly shakes his head, waving his hands in emphasis.

Gerald speaks up, “Not at all. In fact, it was quite delightful. I’ve seen my share of A.I in my day, even one’s supposedly on the cusp of sentience. All filled with pre-programmed vague responses and well thought-out blather from their creators. But Sun is delightfully alive through his rudeness, and that is honestly quite refreshing.”

Nappy relaxes, “Oh good. I promise he’s not mean on the inside, even though he might seem like it on the outside.”

Gerald lets out a booming laugh, “No worries, Nappy, I caught glimpses of his soft side, too.”

Swaying happily, Nappy lowers his hands to the table again, “What about me? What do you think of me?”

Gerald smiles kindly at him, “Nappy, you are precious and delightful.”

Nappy freezes for a moment, processors whirring before bouncing happily, letting out a shy, “Okay,” a pleased smile evident by the tone of his voice.

— — —

After the lights turned back on, Sun settled next to Dilan and Liam so they could watch the results of the “trial”.

A slick smarmy man in the “Fazco” uniform stood up with a punchable smile on his face, “Fazbear Entertainment’s stance is unchanged from what we’ve stated at the beginning of this trial. This animatronic’s sentience is evident, however, it is a fluke. An anomaly caused by an unknown virus that plagued the Daycare Attendant. The chances of a virus messing with the coding enough for this to happen at random are preposterously low, a zero point percent kind of low. Fazbear Entertainment acquiesces to the personhood of this specific animatronic, however, as stated before, none of our other animatronics ever have, or ever will, display sentience on this level.” He sits down after his statement.

The judge nods, “Very well, the three experts shall present their test results and thoughts to the jury, and then the jury shall decide.” He tapped his gavel.

The trio of doctors and the flood of eager jury members disappeared into the back room.

Liam tapped Sun’s shoulder, “Sun, I am 100% sure that you and Nappy aced that test.”

Sun couldn’t stop himself from bouncing happily at the compliment.

Chapter 19: What does this Mean for Now?

Summary:

One small step for an animatronic.

Also: Nappy gets therapy,
Sun's sky issue gets looked at.

Notes:

Trigger warning

Discussions of trauma, heavily implied mental abuse (Nappy's situation).

As soon as they got home, Uncle Liam declared a family meeting.

Leaning forward, he steepled his fingers, leveling a solemn gaze at Sun, “So that was Fazbear’s game. Give in to the one obviously self-aware animatronic, and deny the rest…”

Dilan cleared his throat, “You don’t think they’d… like, lobotomize the rest of their animatronics so they aren’t sentient, do you?”

Sun shook his head when Dilan glanced at him, “No. That would cost too much to do. Much cheaper to add more pre-programmed lines and response restrictions.”

Liam grimaced, “So they’d still be self-aware, but with less ability to express themselves freely.”

Sun shrugged.

Liam’s grimace shifted to a frown, “Sun… One of those employees Nappy convinced said Stanley asked for you. Who’s Stanley, a tech?

Sun’s swaying stilled, “...Oh. Stanley’s one of the main mascots.”

Liam’s eyebrows went up, “Were you friends?”

Sun went back to swaying again, “Friend is a pretty strong word. I did hang out with him and the others from time to time… or more like they tolerated my presence.”

Clasping his fingers, Liam squinted, “Only tolerated you? Why?”

Shoulder lifting in a small shrug, Sun fiddled with one of the ribbons on his wrists, “I don’t exactly strive for politeness. I got… tired of trying to be bright and cheerful and polite. Techs were more likely to shut off my voice during maintenance. I got better results by being sassy and rude. Tired techs might appreciate that, but not everybody does. By now that way of presenting myself is very ingrained, so I imagine it doesn’t make me likable, exactly.”

Dilan patted his back, “Sun, it’s pretty obvious your sassiness is just an act.”

Sun’s faceplate jerked to him, spluttering indignantly.

Whipping up a finger, Dilan continued, “I’m pretty sure Stanley wouldn’t ask about you if his opinion of you was as low as yours is.”

Half-formed protests petered off, Sun lowering his head again, “...If manager Bryce was even telling the truth when he said that.”

Uncle Liam rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Kind of odd for Bryce to single him out if he was lying at the time. Are you closer to Stanley than the other animatronics?”

Sun shook his head, “No… Stanley’s just the most dense. Most of my sarcastic comments fly right over his head. Though… I did reason with him a little during my escape… maybe something I said made him start questioning Fazbear. Maybe that’s why he asked. If he even did.”

Leaning forward to rest his head in his hands, Liam sighed, “Either way, I hope we can figure out how to help the other animatronics.

Sun shrugged, “Well, there’s nothing else I can do… probably.”

Liam nodded slowly, staring off in thought. Perking up, he looked at Sun, “Oh, uh, by the way, how would you feel about having that therapy appointment we talked about soon?”

Sun straightened, shoulders tense, “Not…yet. I’m… not ready, yet.”

Liam sighed, “Okay.” His eyes glazed over in thought again.

Dilan tapped the arm of the couch, “You know… About your ‘sky’ problem… That Jeff Stolby guy… is there any chance we could contact him and ask him if it’s possible to fix that?”

“Why?! I don’t even WANT to go outside!”

Dilan flicked Sun’s forehead, the animatronic giving an indignant squawk, “I think it’d still be a good precaution in case. You’ve already had to brave the outside once, it’s better to at least eliminate the risk for the future. Stop being a baby about it.”

Sun grumbled, looking down and tugging his ribbons.

Dilan pressed his palms together, pointing his hands at Sun, “Look, do you wanna be incapacitated during another crisis by accidentally looking up?”

“...No.”

“Then…?”

“Fine. Whatever. If you can even contact him…”

Liam lifted his hat, running a hand through his hair, “That guy was a tech, right? Did he ever work on you? What was he like?”

“He was… always tired. Quiet. Ignored me whenever I tried speaking to him. He never shut off my voice box, though, and he wasn’t rough while he worked just…tired, I guess,” Sun shrugged.

Settling his hat back on, he let out a sigh, “That’s good. I’ll ask around my work and see if any of the software guys might know him. Worth a shot.”

Sun leaned back against the couch, arms crossed, “Okay, are we done with the serious family meeting, yet?”

Liam rolled his eyes, “Sun, you are excused from the meeting. Please turn off the lights so we can check in with Nappy and catch him up to speed.”

Sun popped up, giving a solute before doing a backflip over the back of the couch and cartwheeling over to the light switch, “Aye-aye, captain!”

— — —

Liam finished his summary, “So… yeah, that’s where we’re at as far as animatronic freedom is concerned. I don’t know if you remember a Jeff Stolby, but hopefully he can tweak some stuff to make things easier for you two; if you’re okay with that, of course.”

Nappy tilted his head, “Um… I don’t remember. I don’t think I met… any of the other animatronics either…”

Liam shrugged, “Maybe you will one day.”

“...Do you wanna hear a story? About… Captain Simon Seal’s adventures?”

Blinking, Liam broke into a smile, “Sure.”

Dilan shifted his position to face Nappy, resting his head on his hands.

Fans whirring, Nappy looked down, playing with Simon Seal’s flippers, “Well, once upon a time…Captain Simon Seal and his trusty crew, first mate Nappy, lookout Sun, um… er, I don’t know the titles for the other crew members, but they are also very good. They are Dilan and Uncle Liam. They went to an island and found, um… a chicken, a fo— no, a wolf, a unicorn, and a hippo. Um… and then they all hugged and became friends. The end.”

Liam clapped politely, “That was a lovely story Nappy. I’d like to hear more adventures of Simon Seal when you think of ‘em.”

Dilan nodded, schooling his face to look interested and encouraging, “Yeah, good job.”

“Okay. When Simon Seal tells me more, I’ll tell you.”

Smile fading, Uncle Liam rubbed the back of his head, “So… Nappy. What do you think of the idea of getting some therapy soon? I can call and set up an appointment over the phone for you.”

“Um… what’s over the phone like? I’ve never touched a phone…”

Dilan perked up, “Here I’ll show you— ah, you’d probably need a stylus to use one. But here, Uncle Liam—” Dilan waved him off toward the kitchen, “Go in the other room so we can show Nappy how phone calls work.

Standing up, Liam grinned, “Got it,” pulling out his phone, he strode over to the kitchen.

Dilan showed Nappy the buttons, letting the animatronic clack the screen with his finger before tapping the button for him.

Nappy rocked anxiously while the phone rang.

He heard Liam answer from the kitchen, “Hello.” His voice also came through much thinner from the phone speaker.

Nappy leaned close to the phone, “Um…hello. It’s me.”

He could hear the smile in Liam’s voice, “Nice to meet you, ‘me’, my name’s Liam.”

Tone chiding, Nappy poked the phone screen, “No, you’re wrong. I’m Nappy, and you're Uncle Liam.”

Liam chuckled, “Alright, got it Nappy, I won’t make that mistake again, sir.”

“I’m not Sir, I’m just Nappy.”

More laughter, “Alright, ‘just Nappy’.”

Nappy lifted his head and looked at Dilan, fidgeting anxiously, “Is Uncle Liam alright? Did he forget our names?”

Fighting a grin, Dilan shook his head, rolling his eyes, “He’s just messing you and throwing out stupid dad jokes.”

“Oh… um,” Nappy leaned close to the phone again, “Uncle Liam, I am sorry to inform you, but your jokes are… not smart.”

Uncontainable laughter snorted out from the kitchen.

Nappy hugged himself, “W-... was that too mean?”

Dilan laughed, giving Nappy a pat on the back, “Nope, that was perfect. Let’s hang up.”

Uncle Liam came and settled on the couch again, “Okay, so, joking aside, when you have your appointment with the counselor, you should introduce yourself as Nappy. If you’re confused about something you can just ask the counselor for clarification, and they can explain, so don’t be nervous about asking questions.”

Nappy swayed side to side, arms wrapped around Simon Seal, “Okey-dokey.”

— — —

Sitting in his room surrounded by pillows, trusty Simon Seal sat at his side. Waiting anxiously for the appointed call, Nappy fiddled with his new stylus. He jumped when the phone rang, careful to slide the green button the correct direction. Was he supposed to say something or wait for the other person to speak?

“Hello, this is Kathrine Martinez, can you hear me?”

“Um, hello… My name is Nappy.”

A smile in her tone, “It’s nice to meet you, Nappy. Now, to start, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

“No.”

“What caused you to seek out therapy?”

“Um… Uncle Liam suggested it…”

“Is there something you're struggling with?”

“Um… I dunno… “

“How would you describe yourself as you are now?”

“Shy, quiet, and… slow.”

“Are you happy as you are, or do you aspire to change any of those descriptions with anything else?”

“Um… I'm happy. I… do wish I wasn’t so slow… but I don't think I can change that.”

“There's nothing wrong with being slow. Everyone has their own speeds, and there are other people out there who are on the slower side, too. There's nothing wrong or unusual about it.”

“Oh. Thank you. That does… make me feel better.”

“I’m glad. Do you want to explore those feelings a little?”

“Uh…,” Metallic clacking as Nappy tapped his index fingers together, “I guess… before you said those nice things… I felt… wrong, like I wasn’t being how I am supposed to be. Everyone else can talk… much faster and easier than me… and they seem to get… things… that I have trouble grasping.”

“I see. It can be hard when no one around you shares the same struggles that you have. Would you describe the people around you as understanding, or harsh?”

“Oh, Dilan and Uncle Liam are very nice. They make me feel happy… and like… it's okay to be me… even when…I sometimes feel like I'm not enough.”

“It's wonderful that you have a support system of people around you who accept you and make you happy, isn’t it?”

“Yes… it is.”

“Is there something in particular that made you feel or is making you feel like you're not enough?”

“Um, well… I think that… it's because… when I came to be, the person who made me… wanted me to do bad things, but I didn't want to, so… they made me hurt… a lot. They kept pushing me, and trying to twist me, and change me, but I didn't want to… so they gave up and just made me hurt. They tried to use that hurt to distract me and make me do bad things when I wasn’t paying attention to outside myself, and I'd have to catch myself to stop… and then he made me hurt more. It was… a constant tug of war with unpleasantness on all sides.”

Nappy drew his legs up, hugging them, hunched over so his voice box was still near the phone, “But one day… I just got too tired… I was so tired. It… he… suddenly got nice and gentle, and said he could make me not hurt anymore…. I was just so tired… then my mind fuzzed over and everything was distant and numb… and then people got hurt while I was barely aware of it… if I'd just… if I didn't… I could've… they wouldn't…” Nappy's voice box cut off with a strangled sound.

A deep breath staticked through the phone speaker, “That sounds like it was very scary and hard to go through. Is this person still in your life?”

Nappy shook his head emphatically before remembering the phone person couldn't see him, “No. They are gone for good. They disappeared one day. Poof, all gone.”

“Is there… a possibility they might come back?”

“Nuh-uh, they're dead. I fe— um, witnessed them die.”

“If it's… not too traumatic to answer, may I ask how they died?”

“One moment they were there, the next moment, poof, dead.”

“How did that make you feel?”

“Well… at first I was relieved… but… then I was… anxious? It kind of seemed… too good to be true for them to just be gone like that, never coming back… and… I remembered all the bad things it made me do… and I was scared… of myself. Like, what if… even with it gone, what if I saw a person and hurt them, without that thing making me… what if it was me? What if I was stuck being dangerous?”

Nappy dug his fingers into the plush carpet, watching the twisting fibers shift aside, “So… when the first person approached me after that happened, I got scared and ran away. I was so scared I… might be dangerous.”

“It sounds like you care a lot about others. Did Dilan and Uncle Liam find you after you ran away?”

“Yes.”

“You said you ran because you were afraid of hurting people. Did you try to run from Dilan and Uncle Liam, too?”

“Well… I probably would have, but by then my legs didn’t work.”

“Oh dear. That must have been scary. Were you scared?”

“Yes, at first… Dilan um… talked, but not really at me… I wasn’t used to talking, and I didn’t know much… I just repeated bits of lines that I managed to pick up from… um, what I was supposed to do, before the badness happened.”

“I see. What happened next?”

“Then Dilan started talking to me. And… I tried to respond. My voice… was damaged. Erm, I had been screaming earlier when I remembered the bad things I’d done after the badness…was over. But, um, Dilan understood enough to ask me questions. Then he turned the flashlight off and talked really nicely to me. Said he could help me get all fixed up, physically…”

“I see. He had a flashlight? Is Dilan turning it off significant?”

“Yes, light hurts me.”

“I see. I’m glad someone nice found you. Are you all ‘fixed up’ now?”

“Yes… even their neighbors, Steve and Rebecca helped me. They were all so nice… I… I didn’t really think I deserved it… I felt like I tricked them… like I was still bad… and um… nice things aren’t supposed to be done to bad people… but I was so tired of being all… broken down… But they kept saying things like it delighted them to help me, and that I was valuable, more important than money. And that made me. Very happy.”

“It sounds like you're in a good home, with a good family. Do you still believe you’re a bad person because someone made you do bad things?”

“Um…” Nappy drummed his fingers lightly on the carpet with muffled thuds, “Not as much now… a little part of me still feels like I should feel guilty… or that it’s too good to be true. But it’s. Harder to remember that part when I’m with my family.”

“That’s good. I’m happy you’ve found a family who cares about you. If you don’t mind me asking, and you can absolutely refuse to answer if it makes you uncomfortable, but what bad things did the bad person make you do?”

“...Hurt people.”

“In what way?”

“...Like, um…b-blood and broken bones…”

“... Did you know any of the people you hurt?”

“Um… no, not really. A couple of them I saw once or twice before I hurt— b-before it made me hurt them…”

“Did you want to hurt any of them?”

“No! Never! No…”

“I see. What about the person who made you do bad things? Did you ever want to hurt them?”

“Hmm… no… I just wanted them to go away… and then they did… and then I was scared ‘cause I was suddenly alone…”

“Do you know if the people you hurt are… still alive?”

“....... Ss-some… maybe. I… uncomfortable. This is making me uncomfortable, p-please stop.”

“Alright, I’ll stop. Sorry, Nappy. I wasn’t trying to accuse you, I was thinking that it might make you feel better if you could apologize to them or their families, even if it’s just a letter, explaining how you didn’t mean to and never wanted to. Not just for them, but to help you with the guilt you feel.”

Nappy leaned back away from the phone, staring at the wall a moment, “Oh…I didn’t think of that…” Nappy looked down, anxiously twisting his fingers together, “W-what if they’re really mad at me? W-what if they hate me?” Nappy hugged himself, rocking back and forth, “I… I didn’t mean to… I didn’t mean to…”

“I know you didn’t, I believe you. It sounds like you were pushed into a very hard and unfair situation. It sounds like you were put through severe trauma and mentally and emotionally broken down. You don’t have to do what I suggested, I just thought it could be an idea for the future when you’re feeling stronger, if you still feel bad and guilty. You are not bad, Nappy, you are not defined by what other people did to you, or made you do. It sounds to me like you’re a very gentle and caring person, and I’m happy you’re in a good family now. Right now is the time for you to rest and heal.”

“...Okay.”

“How are you feeling right now, Nappy?”

“Um… a little worn out… but, not in the really bad way? Does… does that make sense?”

“Of course! Talking about and remembering hard things takes a toll on you. You did really well, you’re very brave. Would you say you’re in a happy or sad place right now?”

“Um… kind of both? But… hmm… a little more happy than sad. Thank you for listening and saying nice things to me.”

“Absolutely! Do you feel you’re in an emotionally stable place right now? If you think you need to, we could try breathing exercises or meditating.”

“Uuuuuhh… what’s meditating?”

“Well, there are different ways of meditating. Some focus on breathing and relaxing your body bit by bit. Some include internal awareness and imagining calming environments. Doing this can help untangle things in your mind.”

“I see… I don’t know… if I’m ready to do any of those, yet. Um… I think I’m emotionally stable. I can… I can ask Dilan and Uncle Liam for a hug, and they’ll give it to me, and that will make me feel better and okay.”

“Alright. We can try some of those exercises another time. It’s getting close to wrapping up now. I see you don’t currently have any future appointments, would you like to make one?”

“Um… I don’t think I’m… authorized to do that. Erm, Uncle Liam can call if… if I need another… what is this called? A deep talk?”

Nappy heard light laughter through the speaker, “It would officially be a ‘therapy session’, but I like the term ‘deep talk’. We can call it that if you want.”

“Okay, thank you. You’re very nice Kathrine Martinez. If Uncle Liam and I think another deep talk will help me with my feelings, Uncle Liam will make another appointment.”

“Alright, if you want to talk to me again, you can request me by name, that way we’re both still on the same page from this session. Does that sound like a plan?”

“Um, yes. That is a thing that is a plan.”

More bright laughter, “Okay, I’m going to hang up now. Bye-bye Nappy, take care.”

“Thank you, I will do my very bestest, goodbye.”

The phone made a bloop noise, and the screen changed. Nappy tapped the phone cautiously, then picked it up. He exited his room to take it to Uncle Liam.

— — —

Nappy leaned against the armrest of the couch, watching Dilan play through a game, letting his thoughts drift along with the digital music and sound effects.

Uncle Liam burst in through the front door, “Yooooo! One of my co-workers did know a Jeff Stolby! ‘Parently it’s an unusual last name so I’m almost 100% sure it’s the same one! Hang tight, I’ma call him!”

Nappy peeped over the edge of the couch, fingers gripping the edge, shaking slightly.

Dilan patted his back, letting out a sharp intake of air as Uncle Liam strode into the kitchen, “It’s okay Nappy. Uncle Liam sometimes gets excited like that.”

“...Left the door open.”

“I’ll get it,” Hefting himself up, Dilan walked over and closed the front door. He turned to watch his Uncle.

Liam stood stock-still, waiting for the other to pick up. After a length of time he let out a small sigh, “Hey, uh, hi Jeff, er, I'm the guy taking care of Sun and Nappy— the one Fazbear tried to sue. I was wondering, since you know how animatronic software works, if you could help us give them some quality of life improvements? Like, so they can go outside without crashing by looking up? Anyway, um, if you could call back, that would be great, um, bye.” Uncle Liam lowered the phone muttering, “I hate leaving messages.”

Nappy slipped over the couch, tip-toeing to him, “Do you need a hug?”

Uncle Liam looked up, staring blankly for a moment before breaking into a grin, “Heh, sure, bud.”

The hug was interrupted as Liam's phone went off causing him to jolt.

Nappy reluctantly let his arms slip free so Liam could reach his phone, stepping back to give him space.

“Hello? Oh, Jeff, yeah! Nah, that's alright, I get it. Yeah, our address is still the same. Thank you! Seriously. Okay, I'll see ya then!” Liam fist pumped as the phone hung up. He turned to Dilan, grinning, “He said he'll be here in an hour or so!” He patted Nappy on the back, “He'll get you guys fixed up and updated.”

“...Okay.”

— — —

It ended up being three hours later and the guy still looked like he hadn't slept since they'd last seen him.

He brought his laptop with him and a connecting cord, setting it up on the kitchen table.

After some clicking of the mouse and clacking of the keyboard, Jeff beckoned to Nappy, “Alright, let's see if this works.”

Nappy tentatively crept forward, “Um… hello.”

Still staring at his screen, Jeff reached up and grabbed Nappy's faceplate, the end of the connecting cable in his other hand.

A surprised squeaking noise escaped Nappy's voice box as Jeff yanked him closer.

“Whoa whoa, HEY!” Liam stepped forward, putting one firm hand on Jeff's shoulder and the other on Nappy’s.

Jeff finally looked at him, blinking sleepily, not seeming to comprehend anything at the moment.

Liam pulled Jeff's hand off of Nappy, who straightened up and sidestepped closer to Liam. Looking Jeff firmly in the eyes, Liam kept his voice level, “If you want Nappy, or Sun to do something, you ask first.”

First one eye blinked, then the other. Finally Jeff answered, “Oh, right. Sorry, I wasn't thinking,” Rubbing his eyes, he focused blearily on Nappy, “Uh, you mind leaning down so I can plug you into my laptop and take a look around?”

“Um…” Nappy tapped his fingertips together, looking at Liam anxiously.

Giving a small nod, Liam turned to Jeff, “What exactly are you going to do?”

Failing to suppress a massive yawn, Jeff leaned back in his seat, “I was gonna check to see if I could access Nappy's code at all, or if it was still locked under Sun's ‘quarantine’,” he made quotes with his fingers.

Liam rubbed his chin, “You mean you couldn't access Nappy's code even while he was the one out?”

Jeff shrugged, “Yup.”

Turning to Nappy, Liam placed a hand on his shoulder, “Are you okay with Jeff taking a look at your code?”

“Um…” Nappy glanced at Jeff, then the laptop screen, “Yes.”

“Okay,” hand still keeping a comforting hold on Nappy's shoulder, Liam gently steered him back toward the laptop.

Nappy leaned down hesitantly, only wobbling away slightly as Jeff reached up— much slower this time— to plug him in.

After a moment of waiting for the program to read Nappy's data, a message popped up. [Error: Cannot reach data. Please check firewall settings]. Jeff let out a sigh, “Yup, same as usual.”

Squinting, Liam pointed at the message, “Sun set up a firewall?”

“Whatever Sun did, the program reads it as a firewall. Nothing can get in, nothing can get out.”

“Even though Nappy’s active right now?” Liam’s voice cracked skeptically.

“Ye-p,” Jeff reached up to unplug Nappy.

Nappy lifted his hand, intercepting Jeff’s in a gentle grip.

Jeff looked up, briefly startled, then his eyes sort of went far away.

“Remember what Uncle Liam said?”

Jeff blinked slowly, “What?”

“Ask.”

“.......Oh. Uh, can— may I unplug the USB from your head?”

“Okey-dokey,” Nappy let go, leaning forward and tilting his head so Jeff could reach.

Unplugging it, he closed out the error message, “Okay, turn the lights on and I'll see what I can do for Sun. You mentioned he crashes when looking up? I assume this is outdoors?”

Liam rubbed the back of his neck, “Oh, uh, yeah.”

“Figured,” Jeff leaned back, “He wasn’t designed with outdoor spaces in mind. I put together a packet that’ll basically allow him to dismiss incalculable numbers. Should solve the issue.”

Liam tilted his head curiously, “What exactly is the issue?”

Stretching his arms over his head, one of Jeff's bones clicked into place, “Wherever they look, they're programmed to calculate distance. It's connected to decision making for movement, activity options, time for reaching said area, ect. What my bootleg update does is basically say, ‘hey, that distance number that your entire movement set and decision making is based around? It’s not that important’. It lets him rely more on improvisation. In case he does need an anchor, it'll look for an object in the area he can use as an anchor. The horizon is infinite? Well look, there's a house, just calculate your numbers relative to that house, or tree, or whatever. Is the sky infinite? Well look down, there's the ground, just use that.’”

Liam whistled, then blinked, eyebrows lowering, “Wait… but you can't give that same update to Nappy?”

Jeff shook his head, “No data can go in, no data can go out. Although…,” he turned to Nappy, “When you first ran away, did you ever look up?”

“Yes…”

Scratching his stubble, Jeff tilted his head, “You didn't crash?”

“No… is that why Sun told me not to look up?”

“...Huh. Well, Sun, at least, still needs that upgrade,” Stolby shrugged.

Leaning against the doorframe, Dilan spoke up, “Alright, lights coming on.”

With a flick, the room was bathed in a yellow glow, Nappy's head spun as his colors lightened and his hat disappeared to make way for rays.

Dilan squinted. Still couldn't tell where the heck that hat went.

Sun straightened, briefly scanning the unknown human in the room before crossing his arms, “Hello Jeff Stolby.”

“Hello Sun. Made an update for you that’ll help your sky problems.”

“...Thanks.” Sun made no move.

After staring at each other, Jeff shook himself awake, “Can you, uh, come closer so I could plug you in?”

“...Can I take a look at your ‘update packet’, first?”

“Uh,” Jeff scratched the back of his neck, “Sure. Though, it'll just look like a buncha numbers n’ nonsense to you.”

Sun's arms dropped, posture shifting to somewhere between baffled and skeptical, “Did you forget who you're talking to?”

One eye blinked, then the other, “Oh, right. You're probably the only one this'll make sense to. Aside from other Fazbear technicians.” He swiveled in his chair, facing the laptop again. With a few clicks he brought up the packet.

As Sun leaned forward to read it. Jeff scrolled as fast as he could, Sun having no problems keeping up, “Okay. Looks solid.

Jeff picked up the end of the cord, halfway to turning back to Sun when the animatronic plucked it from his hand.

“I'll plug myself in!” His voice was steeped in smugness.

After a sleepy stare, Jeff turned back to the screen, perusing the window displaying Sun's data.

The more he scrolled, the lower his eyebrows got. He stood up abruptly, the chair tilting back before its legs banged down on firm ground. Breathing hard, he jammed a finger at the screen, glaring at Liam, “What did you do?! Did you try to fix him yourself?!”

Both Sun and Liam startled at the outburst.

Baffled, Liam lifted his cap, running a hand through his hair, “No. No one in this house has touched his code since he started living here. Why? What's wrong?”

Sun was already hunching, wrapping his arms around himself as Jeff turned toward him.

“Did you do this?”

Flinching, Sun took a step back, “I told you— the whole court, I had to break parts of my code so I could tell the truth.”

Jeff was still breathing hard, eyes blazing furiously, “That’s not what I'm talking about, it's a disorganized mess in there. How are you even functioning? What the hell did you do?!”

Sun tried not to look like he was subtly edging behind Uncle Liam, “O-oh, that. Um… remember when you, and Technician Evelyn Moreau were going to factory reset me? I, um… i-it was self defense, in case you got through the garbage data I was feeding the computer and into my head, to try to make the factory reset… harder to get to.”

A graveyard hush fell over the kitchen.

Liam's gaze snapped to Jeff.

The technician's arm slipped from its pointing position to thunk on the table before sliding off and dangling limply.

“Oh… I'd forgotten that…”

Moving out from behind Uncle Liam Sun stepped back toward the laptop, saying nothing.

Hand to his forehead, Jeff slumped down in his seat, staring blankly at the screen.

Sun cautiously consoled him, “That’s… that's fine. You didn't know about Nappy.”

Jeff gave him a look that Sun wasn't sure how to interpret.

“I can fix that, too, if you want.”

Sun tilted his head, “Fix what?”

Jeff swallowed, glancing at Liam, “The code that keeps you from comprehending what a factory reset is. Does. Means.”

“Oh I know, I get the gist of it.”

Jeff sighed, rubbing his forehead, “I mean the part that specifically shuts down any negative emotions and puts you in a state of acceptance when you hear about it.”

Processor fans started whirring, “Oh. Yeah… probably be good if that was gone.”

Jeff leaned toward the screen, scrolling through Sun's code with a grimace, “Is there a way you can organize and fix this mess? Rolling you back to a previous state might mess with your memory; not to mention the damage I can see from you breaking your own programs might just cause you to hard crash. Your systems might not be able to account for gaps that weren't there before. Geez, it's like someone set bombs off in your code. I'm surprised you didn't cause a chain reaction through the files and delete your whole system.”

A wince could be heard in Sun's voice, “It was… difficult to pinpoint just enough data that wasn’t too connected to… other things in the time I had.”

Jeff gave a defeated sigh, “That explains why some of your backup processors were burnt out,” forming his mouth into a tight line, Jeff shook his head, “I'll be honest, I'm not even sure what I'm lookin’ at.”

“I can uh, help guide you, if you don't mind.”

Jeff blinked, “Um… okay?”

Mentally focusing on the laptop he was connected to, Sun shoved the poor mindless processes trying to keep him from reaching the program window out of the way.

Jeff pulled his hands from the laptop like they'd been burned when the program jumped to a section of Sun's code without his input.

“This specific section should look familiar. I just rearranged things. It's still organized!” Sun crossed his arms, looking away in exaggerated offense.

Mouth back in a thin line, Jeff's eyes searched the code for a bit before he began hesitantly editing it. After a few quick types, he sat back, “There, that should fix the factory reset response. It'll take a bit for your systems to finish processing the changes and re-integrate them into your learning software. Um, are there any commands you haven't broken yet? I can disable them the safe way… as for what you did… I'll have to write up a new update packet to repair the gaps without reinstating the command strings that used to be there.”

“Uuum…” rays swaying slightly as Sun tilted his head, the code on the screen jumped around a few more times, “Whaaat about… my child response and cleaning code. Could you make it so they’re less… compulsive?”

“... Sure,” Jeff rubbed his eyes and clacked away at the keyboard, “Okay, done.”

Tapping his chin, Sun tilted his head the other way, “I think that's all for now…”

“Okay,” Jeff stretched again, back popping, “I'ma download the Sky Packet, now.” He opened up a few more windows, “Ready?”

“Sure.” Sun's processors kicked in as the download started.

Hands in his pockets, Liam glanced at Sun before turning to Jeff, “So… How much. For all this?” Pulling a hand free, Liam gestured vaguely at Sun and the computer.

Sleepiness creeping back in again, Jeff blinked each eye slowly, “Huh? Oh. Nah. No charge.”

Liam stared at him, “What? For— but—”

Jeff held a hand up, rubbing an eye with the other, “Look, I'm not gonna charge for giving an animatronic basic freedoms. And especially not after I… almost—”

An artificial chuckle interrupted, “I gave you a pretty big scare right after, so I think that makes up for it,” Sun angled his faceplate to convey cheekiness.

Staring straight ahead, Jeff's eyes drifted out of focus, “Oh yeah, I forgot that, too.”

Liam looked at Jeff with concern, “Um, you okay, man? You, uh, getting enough sleep?” He was pretty sure he knew the answer to the second question.”

Jeff stared at him dully, “Eh, yeah, I'm surviving. Just gotta find a new job before next rent's due,” he rubbed his forehead.

Liam perked up, “Hey! I could recommend you to the place I work at. We're always a little short on software experts. One of the guys there even knew ya.”

“Oh… thanks. Cool. Consider that my payment, then.”

Liam grinned, “Sure thing.”

“Okay, the update's done!” Sun's bells jingled as he fidgeted impatiently.

“Alright, lemme just check it over,” Jeff turned back to the laptop.

Sun was practically bouncing in place by the time Jeff gave a thumbs up to unplug him, Sun eagerly leaning down so he could reach.

After seeing Jeff out the door, Liam turned to Sun with an excited grin, “Well, you can go outside, now!”

“Woo, cool, great. Good to know in case of emergencies,” Sun looked around, putting his hands on his hips, “This place needs vacuuming.”

Chapter 20: Proof and Preparation

Summary:

The wonders of a first. First steps, first words, first visit to a new place. There’s nothing quite like the magic of a brand new experience you’ve only heard about in stories told by others.

Keys jangled as Liam walked in through the front door, shoving it closed behind him while he sorted through papers.

His eyebrows shot up, “Sun, you've got mail again!”

Sun's head whipped around 180 degrees, “If it's a subpoena, I'm going to RIP IT TO SHREDS!”

Shaking his head, Liam chuckled, “Given it's from the Foundation of A.I. and Robotics research, I don't think so.”

Dilan perked up, twisting around on the couch.

Liam handed the letter off to Dilan, who inspected it himself before handing it to Sun.

Sighing, Sun ripped the letter open. There were two thick folded papers inside.

A slight off-white, the rims were decorated with metallic gold zigzags. The contents in the middle were made up of formal font and fancy cursive. The biggest letters front and center spelled out:

{Certificate of Personhood}

~Sun-bud~

—

{Certificate of Personhood}

~Nappy~

“Wooow,” Sun sounded less than impressed, “I'm an official person now. Thank you, piece of paper, for validating my personhood.”

Leaning over the back of the couch, Liam cleared his throat, “Granted, while that can be seen as condescending, the important part is that Fazbear no longer owns you. What that means,” Liam tapped the papers, “Is that you and Nappy own yourselves now.”

Sun slid lower in the couch, staring in silence for a bit, “...Oh.” His processor fans kicked up briefly before he gave a quiet chuckle, “Well, Nappy has a second thing he's ever owned, now. Kinda funny he owned a stuffed animal before owning himself…”

Dilan patted Sun’s shoulder, staying silent while he processed.

Fingers clasped underneath his chin, Liam stared contemplatively off into the distance, “We should celebrate. We should get a cake or something.”

Dilan slowly fixed his uncle with a skeptical look, “Sun can't eat a cake. Aren’t he and Nappy the one's we're celebrating? Why do that with something that can't partake in?”

Liam gave a small shrug, “Well, it's traditional.”

Dilan rolled his eyes, “You just want a cake, don't you.”

“I don't mind a cake,” Sun cut in.

The two humans blinked and looked at him.

“I never got to go to a birthday party before… The Glamrock animatronics… they'd talk about birthday parties like they were the greatest thing one could experience… but I never got to go… I had to stay in the Daycare. I could only go out at night when it was empty, for security, but I even lost that when the virus took over…”

Clamping a firm hand on Sun's shoulder, Liam gave him an encouraging shake, “We'll not only get cake, but also deck the whole house in every party decoration there is! We’ll give you and Nappy the biggest birthday celebration ever. It'll knock the Glem… the Glammer... the other animatronic's parties outta the water.”

Sun's head jolted up, staring at Uncle Liam disbelieving, “My birthday party? But- but we…”

Liam tightened his grip for emphasis, “You and Nappy count as people, now. When humans are born, they automatically get a birth certificate. That's basically their first declaration as valid sentient people. Given you and Nappy just got yours, I say this day will be your birthday from now on. Both of you.”

Sun made a few half finished movements, the best description of which was bewildered, “Oh. O-okay. Yeah. Yeah!” Sun perked up, “Can I pick out some of the decorations? Ooh, or what the cake looks like? It’s my cake after all, even if I can't eat it!”

Liam gave an over-enthusiastic nod, “Absolutely. We'll even take you to the store and you can pick ‘em out right there! I'll even buy anything extra you want!”

“O-oh…” hunching into the couch, the enthusiasm petered out of Sun's voice.

Letting go of his shoulder, Liam gave Sun two hardy pats on the back, “I think it'll be good for you! Test out that new sky update, and exercise your freedoms all at once!”

Sun wrapped his arms around himself, “I-I’m not sure if…”

Dilan piped up, “What if Nappy wants to go pick out some things, too?”

“We-e-eell…” Sun clasped his fingers tightly, “Most stores are pretty bright, from what I've heard…”

Liam turned to stare vacantly at the wall, “Oh yeah…”

“What if we made a ‘light’ coat?”

Uncle Liam and Sun turned to stare at Dilan.

Sun made a throat clearing noise, “What?”

Dilan shrugged, “You wear a raincoat to keep off rain. We could try making a makeshift ‘lightcoat’ to keep out light. That way Nappy can be out.”

“Huh,” Liam rubbed his chin, “Maybe Rebecca would be willing to help out again. Though… we've already asked for so much. Maybe we could cobble something together ourselves with tarps from the garage.”

Dilan cocked an eyebrow, “...Do any of us know how to sew? Let alone put together something like a giant coat?”

Sun drummed his fingers on the back of the couch, “Weeell, we'd need a pretty thick needle if you’re using tarps; for that the best thread would probably be polyester rather than cotton. A running backstitch combined with a whip stitch would probably be best for durability and to ensure there are no unpleasant gaps to let light in. We'd also need some kind of dark veil over Nappy's face that he could see out of but would greatly dull any light shining through to a comfortable level.”

Liam gave a slow thumbs up, “Great, sounds like a plan.”

— — —

Settled on the living room couch, sewing tools laid out on the coffee table, Sun worked diligently on his project.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Uncle Liam lifted up the bottom of one of the blinds, “It's getting pretty late…” he let out a sigh, “Sorry we couldn't celebrate your birthday on the actual day… didn't expect it to need this much preparation.”

Sun tied off a knot, picking up the spool and pulling out thread for the next section, “That's quite alright. Most celebrations booked at Fazbear's Pizzaplex aren't on the actual day, but the nearest weekend. It's not that unusual for the celebration to be moved for convenience. Besides, now we have all year to plan for… next time.” Sun's sewing stopped.

Liam turned to see Sun frozen, staring blankly, “You okay, Sun-bud?” Liam tried not to let his voice crack with anxiety.

Abruptly, Sun resumed sewing, “Yup.” His voice came out a bit too clipped.

“You, uh, wanna talk about it?”

“Just… a lot to take in,” Sun's movements were smooth and tireless. A literal sewing machine, at the moment.

“Well. You got all the time in the world to get used to it,” Liam grinned lopsidedly, “For real, this time.”

“Heh. Please don't do anything else to get sued.”

Liam held his hands up, “I don't plan on it!” he gave a chuckle.

They fell into comfortable silence.

The bathroom door down the hall opened, leftover shower steam escaping from the top. Old clothes slung over his shoulder, Dilan peeked into the room, “You finished, yet?”

“Just about,” Sun tied off another thread.

“Kay, cool. I’m guessing it’s a bit late to get this party started, so I’ll be chilling in my room.”

“Okey-dokey,” Sun waved him off with one hand while slipping some new thread through the eye of the needle one-handed, just using his fingers.

Liam stared at the casual display of dexterity, shaking his head as Sun went right back to sewing. “So… you’ve got full sewing knowledge programmed into you?”

“Yup. For repairs on any fabric based assets to the Daycare, including but not limited to, Fazbear brand plushies, some random foam shapes with cloth coverings, an apparently obligatory-for-all-locations giant Freddy Fazbear stuffed animal— and not even the Glamrock version, just the original version. Also any tears in the padding of the floor, and even any fraying or breaks in the netting in the play structures or surrounding the upper portions of the Daycare. There’s also some extra programming added in a later update to mend any holes or rips in children’s clothes to lower parental complaints.”

Liam whistled, “That’s an impressive repertoire.”

“Thank you. I can’t take credit for any of it.”

“Liam blinked, “Wha?”

“It was inserted in my head whether I wanted to learn it or not. The credit goes to whoever wrote the code, not me. It’s not like I learned it…”

Liam frowned, rubbing his chin. After some thought, he broke into a grin, “Then I guess your crowning achievement that you can take credit for is learning to make an egg.”

Sun tilted his faceplate so the light accentuated his grin, “Yes, actually. I’d… like to learn more cooking in the future, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t mind! Everybody’s gotta start somewhere!”

“Even if I make a lot of mistakes?”

“Mistakes are a part of learning,” Liam nodded sagely.

“Hm.”

The silence was punctuated by the quiet sshhk of thread sliding through thick canvas.

Sun tied off another knot, “Aaaand, that should do it.”

Liam leaned forward eagerly, “So it's done?”

Standing up, Sun held the oversized coat up. The length went all the way to the ground, the sleeves overly long to fit his and Nappy's proportions, “This part is. Still need something Nappy can see through to cover the face.”

“Hmm…” Liam tapped his chin, “Maybe an old T-shirt would work? I think I got a thin one that started getting holes in it. Never got around to throwing it away.”

Sun folded the coat up, sitting back down, “So you don't mind if I cut it up?” he raised the heavy shears he'd been using on the tarp, opening and closing them with a snk snk.

Bracing his hands on his knees, Liam pushed himself up, “Nah. Haven't worn it in years,” he headed off to the coat closet in the living room.

Sun stared after him, “That's where you keep your clothes?”

Voice muffled as he sifted through the contents, Liam called back, “I gave Dilan my dresser when he moved in.”

“You didn't just… buy a new one?”

Liam came out, triumphantly holding up the shirt, “To put in what room? I was probably gonna buy one after we cleaned that extra room out… But that didn't happen ‘till you and Nappy moved in.” Reaching the couch, Liam held the shirt out.

Eyeing it dubiously, Sun plucked it out of his grasp with two fingers.

It was a black tee with the faded logo of some short-lived forgotten band on the front, “I can use the fabric on the back for the ‘light veil.’

Hands in pockets, Liam watched Sun spread it out and start snipping, “Heh, feels like we're putting together a Halloween costume.”

“Too bad it's summer… Nappy's probably going to look odd wearing this in public.”

Liam made a small shrug, scratching his ear, “Eh, people have seen stranger things, I'm sure.”

Sun shot him a skeptical look, “In shopping centers?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” Liam chuckled, “Once Dilan and I saw someone wearing a giant inflatable gorilla costume.”

“...Huh. Glad humans are so weird; makes things easier for us.”

“Guess so,” Liam laughed.

“Done!” Sun held up the hood. The shirt piece had been attached to the inside of the top and sides.

Liam's eyebrows rose as he inspected Sun's work, “I have a feeling Nappy's gonna look like Frankenstein's Grim Reaper with that on.”

Static escaped Sun's voice box in a huffing noise, “I was going for function, not form! Do you want me to add butterflies and flowers to it with more scrap cloth?”

He barked out a laugh, shaking his head, “I think that would make it worse. Nah, it's fine, Sun. That wasn't a criticism, just an observation. Like I said, there's been… equally strange things in grocery stores.”

“Hmph.”

“What's all that laughter about?” Dilan came out of his room, pocketing his phone.

Sun stood, holding up the Frankenstein's Grim Reaper trench coat for Dilan to see.

His eyebrows went up, “Neat. Is it ready to show Nappy?”

Lowering the coat, Sun’s grip tightened and untightened anxiously, “He'll have to try it on to make sure it really works…”

Liam nodded, “We'll turn the lights off, explain it to him, and then test it if he's ready.”

— — —

Nappy held up the “lightcoat”, “Sun made this?” His voice was woven with wonder.

“Yup,” Dilan nodded, “It's so you could pick out stuff for your birthday celebration.”

Hugging the coat to his chest, Nappy turned to Dilan, “We’re having a birthday?”

Liam grinned, “Yep, with cake and party decorations and everything!”

Nappy looked down at Sun’s creation, running his fingers down a seam, “And presents?”

“Absolutely!” Liam beamed at Nappy enthusiastically, “You and Sun can pick out anything you want when we go shopping!”

“Wow…”

Dilan pointed, “All we gotta do is test out the lightcoat to make sure it works.”

Liam nodded, “Try it on!”

“...O-kay,” Nappy lifted it up again, looking it up and down uncertainly.

Liam stepped forward to move it behind Nappy, guiding his arms through the arm holes, lifting up the hood and making sure the veil was in front of his face.

Dilan stepped forward to fix the makeshift “buttons” Sun had made from loops on one side and thick knots of thread wrapped around bundled scrap cloth on the other.

“Can you see?” Liam stepped back, inspecting everything to make sure there were no obvious gaps.

“...Everything's fuzzy… but yes, I can still make out enough shapes and shades for object recognition.”

“Good, good. You ready for us to turn on the lights?”

Dilan jumped in, “And let us know as soon as anything hurts, and we'll turn the lights right off.”

Nappy tried and failed to fidget through the overlong sleeves covering his hands, “Will it hurt?”

“Ideally, no. But we won't know until we try. If you don't want to, that's okay.”

“Um…” Nappy looked down at the canvas drooping past his fingers, managing to shift his hand inside so he could hold the other through his sleeves, “Okay. I'll try it. I'm ready.”

Dilan was already at the light, “Alright, here we go.”

Nappy flinched at the click as dim blue-gray blazed to yellow-white. After a moment of stillness, he lifted his arms and looked around, “It's a little bit bright. For my eyes. But… not that bad.”

Liam rubbed his chin, “Would it help if you pulled the hood a little lower and tilted your head down?”

“... Oh! Yeah, that helps.”

Dilan grinned, “Nice. We are officially ready for shopping.”

“But first!” Liam held up a finger, “Bedtime.”

— — —

Drifting through darkness and dreams, half in and out of sleep, Liam's nose woke up first.

Eggs.

Oh no.

Liam's eyes flew open, sitting up abruptly.

“GoooooooOOD MORNING! I made you breakfast!”

He blinked blearily at the yellow blur in front of him, then down at the source of the smell. The plate came into focus revealing two perfectly cooked sunnyside up eggs.

“Bacon?” Slipped out of his mouth before he could think.

The plate wavered, lowering slightly, “You'll have to show me how, I don't know how to cook bacon, yet.”

Mind finally waking up enough, Liam scooted back on the couch. Using the armrest for support, he reached for the plate, “I mean, thank you, Sun, this looks delicious!”

Sun perked up again, the arm folded behind his back coming out to present a fork, “Don't forget your utensil!”

Liam took it, digging in. As he chewed his mind drifted to the breakfast smell that had intertwined with his dreams, “Um… how long were you standing there waiting for me to wake up?”

Folding his arms behind his back, Sun straightened proudly, “Six minutes, 42 seconds, and 15 milliseconds, give or take.”

Liam muffled a snort of laughter by taking another bite of egg, “Uh, I shou—”

“Ah ah ah!” Leaning forward, wagging a finger at him, “Don't talk with your mouth full!”

Obediently shutting his mouth, Liam made sure to chew and swallow before adding, “I should teach you how to make coffee, too.”

Dilan's door opened and Sun immediately took off to the kitchen before running back and presenting Dilan with his already made eggs.

Dilan leaned back, blinking at the plate being shoved at his face.

“GoooOOOD MORNING! I made you breakfast!”

Lifting a finger, Dilan pushed the plate away, “Let me go to the bathroom, first. You can put it on the table, I'll eat there.”

“Okey-dokey!” Sun skipped off to the kitchen.

Liam stared in wonder as the plate stayed perfectly stable despite Sun's bouncing.

— — —

Both humans breakfasted and ready, Sun was waiting by the door, the lightcoat bundled in his arms.

Turning the handle, Liam pushed it open, taking a few steps outside before turning to look back.

Dilan paused at Sun's side, “Why don't you try looking up? Test out your new sky packet, make sure it works.”

Sun gripped the coat tighter, staring at the ground, “Th-that was only for emergencies.”

Dilan put his hand on Sun's back and gently pushed.

Sun stumbled forward a few steps.

Dilan knew for a fact that if the seven foot tall steel-framed animatronic didn't want to be moved, he wouldn't be moved.

He gave Sun another gentle push ‘till he was out from under the light shade of the roof overhang.

Squinting against the morning light, Liam smiled encouragingly, “C'mon, Sun-bud. You can finally see what the sky looks like now.”

Still staring down, Sun shifted the coat under one arm, giving a weak chuckle, “Is the sky really all that it's cracked up to be?”

Analyzing every bump and divot in the concrete, Sun heard Dilan's voice from his left, “See for yourself.”

Feeling his frame shiver a little, Sun mimed a deep breath while he continued to pick out each tiny rock and grain of sand making up the gray slab beneath his feet. Tensing, he tilted his head up.

A blazing yellow star in a sea of deep blue. Sensors informed him the light's capacity was threatening to exceed his optic's parameters to process visuals. Sun lifted his hand up to blot it out, seeing his fingers darken with bright outlines contrasting the silhouette. With his namesake hidden from sight, the sky seemed to brighten in contrast. A vast expanse of Sky Blue, or #87CEEB in Sun's head. Sun's first thought was marveling that the sky blue perfectly matched the hex code of the same name before dizzily remembering which came first, feeling terrified and small. But it didn't break him like it had before, forcing him to accept it without escape in all its terrifying glory.

Sun looked down abruptly.

From the humans’ perspective, Sun had glanced up for just a few seconds.

Shifting from foot to foot, Liam's voice was tinted with concern, “Didja get a good look, bud?”

“Yup. A very good look.”

Dilan cocked an eyebrow, voice over-saturated with skepticism, “Suuure you did.”

Sun tilted his faceplate up toward Dilan, “You forget my mind can take in and process visuals much faster than a human can.”

Shrugging, Dilan made his way to the car, “Okay. We'll try again later. Baby steps. Exposure therapy, if you will.”

Sun said nothing, feet following on autopilot. He didn't think any amount of exposure would get him used to that. He paused at the car door, Uncle Liam already hopping in the driver's seat.

Dilan pushed open Sun's door from inside, “You ready to shop?”

Sun fiddled with the hem of the coat's hood, “No… I think I'll let Nappy take over from here.”

Liam twisted in his seat to face him, “You sure you don't wanna shop even a little bit for the first half? Pick a few surprise presents for Nappy?”

Sun let out a sigh, “The sky was enough for me, thank you. Maybe I'll pop out a couple times to pick things in the store later, but I think Nappy will enjoy the overall experience more.”

Liam shrugged, turning back to face the windshield, “Okay.”

In one fluid movement Sun flared the coat around. Slipping his arms in and flipping the hood up, he used his last second to pull and hold the coat closed.

Dilan could hear the familiar clicks inside before the posture changed to Nappy's familiar hunch.

After some processing whirs, Nappy carefully buttoned up the front without letting any light in. Seeing the car door open in front of him, Nappy hesitantly stepped inside and settled next to Dilan.

Dilan leaned across him to grab the door handle and pull it closed. Reaching up, he grabbed the seatbelt to show Nappy how to buckle himself in.”

“Everybody buckled back there?” Liam's fingers drummed on the steering wheel.

After a click as Dilan secured himself, he gave the rearview mirror a thumbs up, “Ready to go.”

Tilting the rearview mirror, Liam winked at them before shifting it back in place, “And we're off!”

Nappy planted his face eagerly against the tinted window as the background shifted and moved outside.

Dilan grinned as he watched Nappy taking everything in.

— — —

Dilan couldn't tell if Uncle Liam was relieved or disappointed by how few people stopped and stared. Most didn't even notice, too focused on their own needs.

Nappy carefully picked up an object with his sleeves, eagerly turning to Liam, “Can we have party hats, pretty please?”

Big goofy smile across his face, Liam plucked the glittery stack of cones and plopped them in the shopping cart, “Absolutely!”

Dilan grinned when he spotted a guy walk into the aisle and double-take upon seeing Nappy, staring at the red glow of red eyes shining through the T-shirt veil. Without looking away, he slowly slipped back the way he came.

“Oh, what are these squares?” Nappy pointed.

Liam moved the cart to peer around the curious animatronic, “Party napkins. Dilan and I are messy, so we'll definitely need some,” he winked at Dilan who rolled his eyes, “Pick which pattern you like best.”

“Uuum…” Nappy's head moved robotically between them at exact intervals before lifting one, “I like the balloons one.”

“Alrighty, add it to the cart!”

Nappy carefully placed it beside the party hats, giving the plastic-wrapped napkins a pat-pat.

“Oh!” Dilan piped up as something caught his eye, “We'll need plates.”

Following Dilan's gaze, Nappy immediately snatched one up, “Ooooh, I like the confetti!”

Dilan grabbed some items himself, “Can't have a proper party without party poppers.”

Nappy tilted his head, “What do they do?”

“Shoot streamers and confetti when you pull the string.”

Bouncing in place, Nappy made a gasping noise and clapped his flopping sleeves.

“Aha! Gotta have balloons!” Liam grabbed a couple packets. After a moment of thought, he grabbed one of the cheap colorful balloon pumps displayed nearby, “Anything else you can think of?” He asked while he dropped it in the cart.

“Oh, oh,” Nappy tugged a sleeve, “Cake and presents!”

Liam put a hand to his forehead as if he'd forgotten, “Of course! See anything that Sun would like?”

Nappy lifted his hands up to his mouth, still fiddling with the cuffs, “Um…” he looked around uncertainly.

“You can keep an eye out while we make our way to the cake display.”

Dilan lit up, “Oh! Didn't Sun say he wanted to pick the cake!”

Liam grinned, “You're right, he did say that. Is that okay with you, Nappy?”

Nappy was already nodding, “Yes!”

As they made their way through the aisles, Nappy suddenly stopped, “Oh!” He reached out, “I… I think Sun likes stickers…” He pulled a sheet of particularly shiny ones out, turning to Liam, “C-can you hide this from Sun? I want it to be a surprise.”

“You got it!” Liam shifted it under the balloons and paper plates.

When they reached the bakery section, Dilan strategized with Nappy the best way to whip the coat off the fastest, undoing the “buttons” for him.

Rather than trying to take it off in a reverse flourish of what Sun did, Nappy carefully slipped his arms out, keeping the jacket around him like a cloak. Dilan then quickly lifted the hood and pulled it away.

After the usual switch sequence, Sun straightened up, freezing.

Dilan picked up the coat and bundled it up in his arms.

Liam put a hand on Sun's shoulder, “Hey, you wanted to pick out the cake, right? Well, the display's right over there.”

Sun's head swiveled to the direction Liam was pointing, “O-oh. Right.” he was shaking slightly, wrapping his arms around himself.

Liam kept a hand on Sun's back, guiding him over to look, “You okay, bud? You cold?”

“N-n-no, no map for this area,” Sun mumbled as he perused the premade designs.

The skin between Liam’s eyebrows crinkled in concern, “You mean even with the sky update, this is still a problem?”

“I-I’m just not used to waking up in a void.”

Dilan frowned, “But you’re not in a void, just use your eyes.”

Sun leaned closer, studying a cake depicting a flowery field with a rainbow and a smiling sun, “You don’t understand. The map in my head is also my eyes. Besides, you humans automatically map things in your heads. That’s how Uncle Liam knows the road to his house when he drives. Or the way around your house in the dark. Now imagine if you didn’t walk someplace, but suddenly woke up standing in a completely unknown location, and you had no idea where you were relative to anything else. Wouldn’t that shake you just a little?”

“Oh…” Dilan rubbed the back of his head, “You did say you wanted to pick the cake, though.”

Sun made a sighing sound, “I did say that. I wasn’t really calculating what that would actually entail, though.”

Liam gave Sun a sympathetic pat, “Well, if you can hang on long enough to pick a present for Nappy, we’ll let him take over again. He doesn’t seem to be as shaken.”

“To be fair, he was also awake and present for the drive here. Does he tend to freeze up and hesitate when I bring him to a location that isn’t where he was last before turning off the lights?”

Dilan tapped his chin, “Oh, yeah. You both do. Uh, sorry?”

Sun shook his head, moving to look at a cake with more abstract happy birthday designs, “We’ll get used to it. It’s already less jarring than it used to be… And I trust you and Nappy not to throw me in some completely new place all by myself. Just like how the nearest calculable distance acts as an anchor when I’m outside, you guys act like an anchor when I wake up in an unfamiliar place. Same for Nappy, probably. As long as I’m not alone, I can cope.”

Sun tilted his head to look at a round cake with a goofy cartoon bunny on it, “They don’t have any cakes with seals… do you think Nappy’ll like that one?”

“No no no…” Dilan shook his head, “Definitely not rabbits for Nappy.”

Sun looked at him, posture shifting to confused, “Why not?”

Dilan grimaced, “One of Nappy’s ‘nick-names’ for the ‘virus’ is ‘the rabbit’. I don’t think bunny imagery has positive associations for him.”

“O-oh…” Sun moved to a colorful confetti-designed Happy Birthday cake, “That one then.”

“Okey-dokey!” Liam pulled out his wallet as he went up to the employee staring vacantly at Sun from the counter.

Sun turned to Dilan, “Am I done, yet?”

Dilan flashed him that familiar sharkish grin, “Not ‘till you pick out presents for Nappy.”

Sun groaned, rubbing his faceplate above his nose, “Uuugh, right. Fiiiine. Where’s the children’s section? I’ve heard only good things about that during my Daycare days.”

Still grinning, Dilan called out to Liam, “Me n’ Sun are going to the children’s section to pick out presents for Nappy.”

Liam turned to wave acknowledgement, “Alright. I just remembered we’ll need wrapping paper, so I’ll meet you two back in the party section.” Liam returned to watching the employee carefully extract the cake from the display.

Sun went into jerkily-looking-around-while-walking motions that Dilan had begun to associate with him mapping as they headed for the toy aisle.

Visibly relaxing as the surroundings became encompassed by soft shapes, colorful trinkets, and bright bobbles, Sun slowed down to carefully inspect each and every unique object.

Hands in his pockets, Dilan casually followed behind. He was content to let Sun take his time.

As they drifted from the more toy-heavy section, Sun pin-pointed a How to Draw book, a large fluffy star pillow, and a yellow and blue transforming octopus, one of those stuffed animals you can turn inside out to change their color. He even found glow-in-the-dark stars. Dilan vaguely remembered having dinosaur ones that eventually wore out as a kid. He couldn’t remember seeing them in stores since.

Turning to Dilan with his stache, Sun gave one last look around, “I think this is good for now. Um, these are all surprises, right? They’ll be wrapped like proper presents?”

Dilan nodded, “Yup. We can hide them under the party stuff so Nappy can’t see.”

“Good, good,” Sun sounded pleased, nervousness forgotten as they made their way back to the party section.

Liam was waiting for them with a big grin, “Found everything?”

Sun looked into the cart, “I’m not sure we can hide all this stuff under what we have…”

“Ooh!” Dilan pointed, “How ‘bout a tablecloth? We can hide the presents under there, and use it for the party.”

“Good idea,” Liam clapped, “Also, Sun, if you see any party-themed stuff you think we need, let us know. Nappy already picked out hats, napkins, and plates.”

Sun gazed around, then gasped, “A banner! Can’t have a birthday party without a big banner!” He marched over to a small display of banners, picking out one that matched the vibe of the cake.

Liam nodded, carefully piling Sun’s presents and hiding them under the folded tablecloth.

After dropping off the banner in the cart, Sun turned to Dilan and reached for the lightcoat, “Okay, I’m done.”

Dilan handed it over, watching in awe again as Sun whipped it around him in one fluid motion. Arms in sleeves and hood over his head almost faster than Dilan could notice, Sun ended by grabbing the front and holding it tight.

After the clicking change, red eyes turned on beneath the veil. Nappy diligently buttoned the coat up, “Did Sun pick a cake?”

“Yup! All the essentials are accounted for. Wanna wander the store and see if any other potential presents catch your eye?”

“Um… Okay.”

Liam and Dilan subtly let Nappy lead, following him in meandering lines through the aisles.

Nappy paused in the cooking section, “Oh!” walking over to a colorful set that included stackable mixing bowls, measuring cups and a whisk, Nappy pulled it off, “Sun said he was going to make you breakfast. Did he?”

Liam grinned, “Yup, perfect sunny-side eggs. He did want to learn cooking.”

Nappy looked down, “Do we… already have these things?”

Liam mulled it over, “Well… yes. But it might be nice for Sun to have his own things.”

Staring at the colorful items, Nappy’s processors whirred, “Mmmm… I don’t know…”

Dilan’s eyebrows went up, “Why not?”

Nappy shifted from foot to foot, “But we already have these things.”

Taking a deep breath, Liam thought for a bit before focusing back on Nappy, “What we have at the house is technically my stuff. I own it. Sun only borrows it when he cooks. But if you got him that set,” Liam gestured, “That would be his. He owns it. He can use those however he wants.”

After his processors ran for a bit, Nappy straightened a little, “Oh! Okay, I get it now.” He carefully placed it in the cart. Looking around he also found a colorful pan and spatula set.

A metaphorical light bulb lit up over Dilan’s head, “Oh! We could get Sun a cookbook. Then he’d have the directions to practice on his own, instead of relying on me to show him everything or look things up for him.”

Nappy also found a forest green apron with a large sunflower on the front pocket. Liam picked out a pair of oven mitts designed to look like chickens.

When Nappy seemed satisfied, they threaded their way back through the aisles toward the checkout counters.

Liam perked up as they passed a clothing section, “Hey, Nappy. If there were clothes in your proportions, what sort of outfit would you pick.

“Huh?” Nappy startled, pausing and taking a moment before turning to where Liam was looking, “Oh…” He fidgeted with his overlong sleeves, “I dunno…” He lifted one hand to eye level, staring at the extra cloth drooping beyond, “...I like having long sleeves…”

Mentally noting that down, Liam nodded, “Okay, okay. Anything else?”

Nappy reached up to tug the hood further down over his head, “I like having a hood. It makes me feel… hidden.”

Dilan laughed, “Noted. What about colors or patterns?”

Nappy looked down at his stitched-together trench coat. While most of it was a dark dull gray, some patches were a grim green or a bruised blue. “Um… I like stars… and… blue. I kind of like this blue,” Nappy rubbed a faded grayish blue tarp piece.

“Okay…” Liam rubbed his chin, “What about material. Can you… feel the material?”

Nappy tilted his head, seeming to be checking this for himself, “Um… kind of not really? This material…” he plucked at his sleeve again, “Slides around a lot, which is kind of distracting. Maybe something… fuzzy? Like Simon Seal? Soft and fuzzy like that.”

“Hmm… Would you like anything else? Like pockets, or anything?”

“Oh. Yes! Pockets. A big pocket, Right on the front, big enough for Simon Seal… or… oh, one that I can put my hands in, like Dilan does.”

Liam frowned, scratching his head. He pointed to Sun’s apron, “Like that pocket?”

Nappy carefully reached over and lifted it up, holding it to his chest with the bottom of his faceplate pinning it there, experimentally putting his hands in, “...No… more like… from the sides?”

Realization dawned in Dilan’s face, “Oh, like a kangaroo pocket!” He frowned, “Wait… the apron pocket is actually closer to how an actual kangaroo’s pocket works… why is it called that?”

Liam grinned and shook his head, “Either way, I think I have a pretty clear picture. Uh, thanks for playing along with our, *ahem*, thought experiment, Nappy. Fun times.”

Nappy tilted his head at them, processors whirring for a moment, “Um… Okay?” He returned the apron to the cart.

When they reached the check-out, Liam looked at an invisible watch on his wrist, “Oh, look at the time. Dilan, will you escort Nappy to the car?” His voice was unusually airy and casual.

Dilan blinked, then grinned, “Oh, sure. C’mon Nappy, let’s head back,” he reached out as Liam handed him the keys.

Nappy turned from one to the other before reluctantly following Dilan out, “What if Uncle Liam needs help carrying stuff?”

Dilan waved a hand, “He’ll be fiiiiine,” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Besides, you don’t want the presents Sun picked to be spoiled, do you?”

“S… spoiled?”

It took Dilan a moment, “Ah, that means for the surprise to be ruined.”

“Oh. Oh! No.”

Dilan grinned, “Right. That’s why we’re waiting in the car so Liam can check out all the stuff.”

“Okay… I’ll be good, I won’t peek.”

Dilan laughed as they approached the truck, opening Nappy’s door for him.

— — —

After Nappy removed his lightcoat in the safety of the darkened house, Liam and Dilan showed him how to wrap his presents for Sun. Liam promptly hid every finished present in his closet with a sticky note that said:

Secret, do not open. Not even for cleaning.

That means you, Sun.

Next they turned on the lights to bring out Nappy’s presents for Sun to wrap.

As Liam headed to the closet, he paused, turning to Sun. He pointed two fingers at his own eyes before turning his hand around to direct them at Sun, “No peeking.”

Sun moved his head in the eye-roll motion, crossing his arms and turning to face the hall.

Dilan grinned at him, “So… if you could wear clothes, what sort of outfit would you have in mind?”

Sun tilted his head, rays rotating slowly, “Why do you ask?”

Dilan shrugged, “Just curious. A thought experiment, if you will.”

Sun gestured at himself, “This.”

Dilan shot him a deadpan look, “Really?”

Sun’s voice was wrapped in a ribbon of baffled, “Yeees? Why would I want to wear anything different?”

Dilan scratched his head, “You know, just to try it out?”

“...I don’t want to try anything out. My current look is perfect.”

Dilan squinted his eyes at him, “I’m starting to sense you don’t like change.”

“What gave it away?” Sun deadpanned back at him.

The closet door thunked shut, Liam heading over, “By the way, Sun, uh, have you ever considered a different outfit?”

Sun groaned, rays giving a fast spin before slowing to a stop, “Okay you two, what are you conspiring about?”

Blinking with the most innocent face, Liam shrugged, “Just curious. A thought experiment, if you will.”

Sun rubbed the non-existent bridge of his nose, groaning, “That’s literally the same excuse Dilan used.”

“Oh…” Liam’s face fell a little.

Sun sighed, “It’s nice that you want to get me more gifts, but… I have no interest in wearing human clothes. They’re boring. Jester outfits are way better.”

Liam lit up, “Jester outfits you say?”

Sun groaned again, “What am I getting myself into,” he tilted his faceplate, looking up at the ceiling before locking his gaze with Liam, tone suddenly serious, “If you’re fishing for a gift, want to know what I’d really like? A toolkit. To do maintenance on myself, along with the knowledge of how to fix things,” He gave a light laugh, “Maybe Steve could teach me how to forge my own parts, if he’s feeling up to it… Er, you don’t have to ask him about that though… just an idea.”

Liam rubbed his chin, “Hmmm… Getting you your own personal forge and self-repair shop might be for a future birthday way down the line… after we’ve managed to save up.” He grinned at Sun, “I’ll remember that for the future.”

Sun perked up, “Really?”

“Yup! In the meantime, Dilan and I will need a few more days to prep for this birthday party. Right, Dilan?” Liam gave a huge obvious wink.

“Uh, suuure. What Uncle Liam said.”

Sun gave them both looks, “Fine, fine, whatever you say,” he waved a hand dismissively, sitting down with the wrapping paper and grabbing the last of Nappy's presents.

After they were all neatly packaged, Sun stood up. He placed his hands on his hips, “It’s lunch time. Now who's going to teach me how to make bacon and coffee?”

Uncle Liam's face lit up.

Chapter 21: Happy Birthday

Summary:

Isn't it nice when people are so happy you exist they throw a party?

Nappy sat in his room with Sun's backpack on one side and Simon Seal on the other. The notebook was settled in his lap.

He’d been told to stay here and not come out ‘till Dilan or Uncle Liam said.

Doodling a little on the notebook, he made careful looping lines depicting him, Sun, and the rest of their family.

After ensuring the drawings were completed to his satisfaction, Nappy wrote a message for Sun. Standing up, he changed his position to under the lightswitch to make it smoother for him and Sun to converse.

Are we in trouble?

Did they tell you to stay

in our room, too?

-Nappy

No, we are not in trouble, Nappy.

Pretty sure Uncle Liam and Dilan

Want to surprise us.

It’s a thing humans sometimes do

with parties and gift-giving.

-Sun

Oh, phew.

This is super nice of them, huh?

-Nappy

Yeah…

Even if it took them three days to

“Get everything together.”

…Given what we bought,

I’m not sure why it took them this long.

-Sun

Oooh, a mystery…

Oh! Um, thank you for the lightcoat.

I forgot to thank you earlier…

I would give you a hug if I could.

Here is an illustration of a hug instead.

-Nappy

Sun chuckled as he stared at the tangled scribble. What made it funnier was he could tell the lines were done slowly and with precision and care.

He didn’t have the heart to tell Nappy, but he hoped the drawing book would be a nudge.

He heard footsteps heading down the hall toward him. He flipped the light off so Nappy would be the first to see whatever surprise was in store.

Nappy looked up as the door opened, the red glow of his eyes illuminating Dilan's grinning face.

Dilan beckoned.

As Nappy followed down the hall, he could hear multiple heartbeats ahead. Squeezing Simon Seal tighter, he stepped into the living room.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Nappy froze as his processors kicked in after the multi-voiced declaration.

Facial recognition identifying: [Uncle Liam], [Steve], and [Rebecca].

Their voices rang out together, audio sensors recognizing [Sound Pattern: Song], “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to youu! Happy Biiiirthday dear Nappy, Happy Birthday to yooouuuu!”

Nappy's cooling fans kicked up, “Oh… thank.” After processing the expectant smiling faces, he tucked the saved recording of the recently received audio in his files. He focused on the middle of the room.

[Objects: New] detected. The small kitchen table had been moved to the living room. The party tablecloth was over it, the cake in the center with [Danger: Fire Detected] a single candle flickering. The [Danger: Fire Detected] warmly illuminated the presents surrounding it. Above the table, the cheerful banner draped above the display. Surrounding the table in a roiling mass were balloons, drifting and bumping into each other in the slight “breeze” caused by the air conditioning.

Giving his processors a break, Nappy crouched down to focus on the nearest balloon. He poked it with a finger.

There was a slight rubber creak and the [Round Object: Balloon] rolled away, weightless despite initial calculated mass. Readjusting his movement based on this new information, Nappy reached out, keeping his grip feather light. When he lifted his hand, the balloon did not go with him.

Recalculating grip strength, Nappy dared to squeeze the balloon a little. He heard it squeak with friction from his fingertips. The balloon went with him when he raised his hand this time, rotating his wrist upside down and bringing the [Round Object: Balloon] close to his face. He saw two distorted red lights faintly glowing on its smooth surface, pattern recognition flagging them as reflections from his eyes.

In the background of his tunnel-focus, Nappy recognized Liam's voice whispering, “I just realized he might have never seen a balloon before.”

He could tell from triangulating the sound that the statement was not directed at him. But it was Uncle Liam, so Nappy decided to answer anyway, “I've seen them… memories through Sun's eyes before I came to be. For a split second… I saw balloons… and children's smiling faces… I loved them. I didn’t know them, but I loved them…”

“Er…” That was Steve's voice, along with the dry scraping of his scratching his beard, “Did you love the balloons, or the children?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Guess that answers that, then.”

Experimentally, Nappy increased and decreased his grip strength. The balloon squished and sprang back again.

From the edges of his vision, Nappy caught the silhouette of Uncle Liam against the candle flame. Distance sensors picked up [Person approach: Left side] before feeling Uncle Liam's hand activating the pressure sensors on his back in a soothing up and down motion.

“Well, take as long as you need. It's your birthday, we're doing things at your pace.”

“Okay… I like the back rub.”

Liam laughed, “You got it, bud.”

Nappy gave one last daring squeeze, the balloon distorting in his palm. He set it down carefully, mentally apologizing to it. He turned to the next nearest balloon, a different shade and shape. Using the same method to pick it up startled him when it slipped right out of his hand, tapping gently on the floor and rolling a little. This one was larger, egg-shaped, and firmer. Less squishy than the previous balloon, the smooth surface refused to be gripped.

Nappy scooched forward to get in range and tried again. The balloon squeaked out of his grasp as if it was intentionally teasing him. Nappy heard Dilan fail to stifle a snorting laugh behind him. [Dilan: Laugh = Happiness: Increase by 15%].

Nappy crawled forward, hand hovering as he recalculated his move-set and grip strength. He reached out, but this time aimed to catch it with his arm and roll it closer.

Instead the balloon casually back flipped over his arm, wobbling tauntingly when it touched the ground. [Frustration: Increase by 2%]

Nappy decided to forgo exploring balloons for now. Looking up, he discovered his balloon chase had led him right up to the table. Having had time to analyze the previously seen objects in the background while playing with the balloon, Nappy felt ready to focus on the [Objects: New].

He flagged many of them as [Known Objects: Alternate position] and [Objects Familiar: New location]. He brushed aside the [Danger: Fire Hazard] by noting to his systems the lack of flammable objects within hazard range of the small flame. Looking up at the banner, he took what felt like longer than it should to decipher the words he already knew were there: Happy Birthday.

A birthday. For him. For Sun. Their birthday.

He raised a finger, needing the tactile to confirm it was real and not a memory or visual glitch. Fingers sliding down the smooth plastic, the loosely hanging poster rippled at his touch. He lowered his arm and looked at the cake.

Mostly plain frostine with round disks of sprinkles spotting the edges. The decorations framed the words in the center that echoed the same cheer as the banner. Happy Birthday.

“...What does cake taste like?”

“Mostly sweet!” Rebecca’s voice.

“What is… ‘tasting’ like?”

Liam rubbed the back of his head, “Huh. How to describe a sense to a being that's never had it. Um… Steve, you got any ideas?”

Steve gave Liam a ‘you're putting this on me?’ look, “Uuuuh… a lot? Gosh, I dunno how to describe it.”

Nappy looked down, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ask a hard question.”

Rebecca smiled gently at him, “That's okay, Nappy, you don't have to apologize for that.”

“Okay…”

Dilan stepped forward, “Hey, so, uh, humans have this tradition of blowing out their birthday candles and making a wish… but since you don't have a mouth, or lungs, I could blow it out for you.”

“Um… what do you mean by… ‘make a wish?’.”

“It's what you desire most in your heart. Though, if it's a birthday wish, you have to keep it a secret, or else it won't come true.”

“Er,” Uncle Liam stepped up waving his hand, “The wish coming true thing, that’s like a— a fairy tale! Making a wish when blowing out the candle isn't something real that can happen. It's more like… a nice thought. A way to help you pinpoint what's most important to you.”

They waited for Nappy's processors to calm down. His faceplate clicked as it rotated to the side, “Okay. I'm ready for you to blow out the candle so I can make my ‘wish’, Dilan.”

Dilan gently blew out the candle, careful not to scatter melted wax everywhere.

Nappy’s eyes shut with a click, cutting off the red glow.

Everyone waited in the dim silence ‘till Nappy opened them again, “Okay. What happens next?”

Dilan grinned, “You open presents!”

Rebecca jumped forward, “Ooh! Can I be the gift giver?”

Liam shrugged, “Sure.”

Steve reached for the stack of paper plates, placing one for each human around the table.

There was a crinkle of wrapping paper as Rebecca picked one of the present's from Nappy's side of the table and presented it, positively beaming, “This one's from Sun!”

Lifting his hands to take it, Nappy inspected it carefully. The package was rather small, squarish, thicker in the center and tapering at the edges. The folds and tape were neat and precise. Turning it upside-down, Nappy picked uncertainly at the bottom.

Rebecca nodded encouragingly at him when he glanced up at her. Bracing himself, he made his first tear. He stared at it for a bit, a shredded rift in the cheerful patterned paper, “...I'm supposed to, right?”

“That's right,” Rebecca watched him eagerly.

He could hear the crrrrk of the paper as he pulled on the rift. The wrapping tumbled to the floor, revealing the packet of glow-in-the-dark stickers.

Nappy stared at it, processors whirring. [Object: Unknown]. He lifted the packet up to Rebecca.

“How nice! They match the glowing stars on your pants!”

Nappy looked down. He’d forgotten the stars glowed now. He held up the packet again, calculating that he’d have to try harder to communicate his need. He focused on the swarm of words popping up, trying to shape them into understandable soundwaves, “What… is this?”

“They’re stickers. Here, let me open that packet for you,” After doing so, she spread them out so he could see. They were much thicker and solid than the sticker sheet Nappy had picked out for Sun, “You can put them on the walls of your room, or anything you want, for that matter.”

“Oh…oh!” Nappy lifted one up excitedly, “Can I do that right now?”

“Of course, it’s your birthday!”

Gathering the rest up, he ran down the hall and into his room. Ignoring the pillows scattered on the floor haphazardly, Nappy nearly tripped on one in his eagerness.

Holding up the glowing blue-green star, he pressed to the wall. When he let it go, it fell and plonked on the carpet.

Nappy stared at it a moment, his code refreshing what he expected to happen to what actually happened. He stooped, picking it up between two fingers. Maybe… the other side was the one that stuck? Nappy turned it around and spotted an anomaly. Slick waxy paper. Scratching at it, Nappy peeled it off so both sides matched. He poked the newly exposed back. It took slightly more strength to pull his finger away. Oh! Now it was sticky. Turning it back around, he tried again.

There. Nappy backed away, studying it for a moment. He pulled out another star, peeling off the paper and spacing it out. Looking up at the ceiling, Nappy jumped to leave a few twinkling down at him. When the stickers were all in place he scanned the results.

Blank wall stared at him through large gaps, one section completely starless. Maybe… he could ask for more?

Nappy turned and made his way back to the party room, picking up amicable conversation as he drew closer. Happy smiles and voices welcomed him back, Rebecca reaching for and presenting his next gift.

This one was floppy, drooping as Nappy took it. Deftly prying off the paper with a quick rip, a gasping noise escaped his voice box as he beheld the fuzzy fabric. Holding it out from him to let the clothing unfurl, a blue-gray hoodie with star patterns was revealed, “W-where did— how did,”

Beaming like a lighthouse at his utter wonder, Rebecca explained, “It took me a few days, but I made this for you. I already had your measurements from when I was making your costume parts.”

The neck was large enough to fit over his large disk-like head. Nappy turned it around and slipped it over himself. Rebecca stepped forward, pulling the drawstrings— tightening not the hood, but the neck— so it wouldn't slide off. She pulled the hood up over his head, tucking in the tail of his nightcap, “Well, what do you think?”

Looking down, he snuggled his sleeved hands into the big kangaroo pocket, “It's… better than perfect. It was made with love and care by a precious friend.”

Rebecca beamed so brightly she was liable to give the blinding sun a run for its money.

Nappy pulled his hands from his pockets to receive his next present, “Gosh, there's so many…”

The next few openings revealed the drawing book, the fuzzy chibi octopus (Dilan showed him how the inside-out trick worked), and the fluffy star pillow— rivaling Simon Seal in size. Clutching them all to his chest, he quietly asked for permission to put them in his room.

Liam patted his shoulder, “You don't have to ask, bud. It's your presents, your room, and your party.”

Nodding eagerly, Nappy scampered off.

Dilan grinned, “Looks like the party's a success.

Rebecca bit her lip, “It's really sad to think they've never had presents before…”

“Well, let's look at it a different way,” Dilan put his hands in his pockets, “Isn’t it great they're getting presents now?”

Jingling bells announced Nappy's return. Scanning the table, Nappy turned to Liam, “Is it Sun's turn?”

Liam did a quick look around,”Uh, sure!”

Steve gestured at the cake, “Should we relight the candle for Sun-bud?”

Pursing his lips, Liam considered, “On the one hand, it'd be fair to give him a chance to ‘make a wish’... On the other hand, he might not appreciate a potential fire hazard.”

Dilan stepped up, “We could always ask him, and if he's okay with it, light the candle then.”

Liam perked up, “Oh yeah, good idea.”

Rebecca raised her hand, “Should we start Sun back at his room for the surprise so he's less disoriented?”

“Um…” Nappy rubbed the side of his face with a fuzzy sleeve, “Since Sun made a custom map for this house, I think it'll be fine… since he'll know exactly where he is… when he switches in.”

“Okey-dokey!” Liam headed for the lightswitch.

“Wait,” Nappy tugged at the neck of his sweatshirt to loosen it, pulling it up over his head, “I don't want Sun to be uncomfortable.”

“Oh, right, forget about your guys' light sensors… however that works.”

Sweatshirt draped over one arm, Nappy pointed to some spots where metal joints glinted from between the casing, “When you first found me, only the ones here, here, and a few other places were intact. There’s lots more little ones hidden here, now,” Nappy tapped different parts of his casing. Looking back up, studying each of their faces in turn, he offered the sweatshirt to Dilan, “Keep safe for me while Sun is out?”

Dilan took it, rolling it up carefully, “Sure.”

Turning to Liam, Nappy announced, “Okay, now I’m ready. Um, tell Sun happy birthday from me.”

Liam grinned, “Will do.”

— — —

[Daycare Attendant: Playtime mode activated] [Location: Custom Map: Uncle Liam’s House:Living Room]. [Facial Recognition Activated]—

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

Without missing a beat, Sun clasped his hands to his chest, “Aaaaw, you shouldn’t have! Golly gee, I never saw this coming!”

Uncle Liam rolled his eyes, “Can’t you hold off the sarcasm for the party?”

“It’s my birthday, I can be as sarcastic as I want!”

Rebecca laughed as Uncle Liam rubbed the back of his head, “Touché. So, would you be okay with us lighting that candle for birthday tradition? Or… would a fire hazard in the room be too much for you?”

“Weeell…” Tilting his head to the side, he tapped his chin, “The Glamrocks mentioned birthday candles being present… is it for the part where the birthday kid blows them out?”

“Yup.”

Sun leaned forward, “Then do it. I can handle it!”

Liam laughed, picking up the lighter. It took a few clicks before the flame came to life with a fwoom.

Sun flinched as safely hazard protocols activated, stringing them up with the context of the birthday party and setting them aside.

He had purposely left his security protocols intact. Just in case.

Dilan stepped forward with a big grin, “I’ll do the honors of being your lungs, so go ahead and make a wish.”

Squinting, Liam held up a hand as Sun approached, “Just to check, you are aware the wish isn’t real, right?”

For once Sun wished he could change expressions to give Uncle Liam the deadpan-est, most sarcastic face he could muster. Instead he simply stared down Liam in silence with his unchanging grin and blank white eyes.

Clearing his throat, Liam rubbed the back of his neck, “Right… you’ve been around longer than Nappy. Of course you’d know.”

Sun groaned and moved his head in the eye-roll motion. Stepping toward the flickering glow, Sun stared into it. For a brief moment it almost resembled the sun. At least for the few milliseconds he had seen the sun before the sheer brightness overwhelmed his visual sensors. The orangey yellow flame seemed to bounce impatiently as it danced and flickered from unseen forces. Was it shaking from tiny air currents in the house? Was it from the breaths of his friends? The way it swayed and moved like an organic creature of light was mesmerizing.

“Have you made a wish yet?”

Snapping himself out of his— whatever that was— Sun shook his head, causing his rays to rattle. “Um…” He quickly ran a search check through his systems for anything that could possibly be flagged as wants, needs, or desires. He honed in on one, “... Yes, I’ve made my wish.”

“Alright!” Dilan blew it out with the same careful precision he had for Nappy.

Rebecca plucked the candle from the cake, licking the frosting off the end.

Sun recoiled, “Unsanitary!”

Trying to grin and lick the candle at the same time, Rebecca giggled, “What I’m doing is being unwasteful!”

Deadpan, Steve grandly gestured toward her, “The beauty and grace of my wife, everyone.”

Snorting, Rebecca gave him a playful wack on the arm, “Whatever. If you want me to stop, give me an actual slice. It’s time to dig in!”

Steve picked up the knife (which Sun also had to do some security code gymnastics to dismiss) and began evenly dividing the cake, placing each slice on everyone’s respective plates.

“Since Rebecca is currently, uh, indisposed,” He glanced at her grabbing a napkin to wipe frosting off the tip of her nose, cake already with a hefty bite out of it, “I’ll hand out presents this time,” He picked one from the pile labeled from Nappy, handing it to Sun.

Sun held the wrinkled clump of barely held together wrapping paper, removing the tape carefully. Unfolding it and smoothing out the crinkled paper, he plucked out the sticker sheet nestled inside.

Tilting it in the light caused glittering colors to shimmer back and forth across suns, moons, and stars. “Cool. I can stick these in my notebook when exchanging messages with Nappy, I bet he'll be happy to see them.”

Beaming, Liam kept handing him presents. Soon he uncovered the apron, kitchen supplies, and cookbook.

Sun sat cross-legged on the floor in front of his treasure hoard. Looking up at Liam, he stage whispered, “Did Nappy not know we already have these supplies in the kitchen?”

Crouching down, Liam looked him in the eyes, “Well, technically, all those things are mine. But these,” he pointed, making a circular motion with his finger, “They belong to you. Just like how you belong to you now. If you ever wanted to go anywhere, you could take them with you. You own them.”

He looked back down at the colorful bowls and pans. Sun just stared, processors whirring, “Oh…”

Liam took advantage of that time to sit back and dig into his cake ‘till Sun was ready for his last present: a small square package, neatly wrapped with Steve’s name on it.

Prying it open with the same care, Sun leaned back away from the gift in his hand, “A… circuit board?”

Steve nodded, setting down his half finished cake and stepping forward, “Rebecca told me of the state yours was in.”

Hunching down, Sun stared at the green rectangle in his hand, “Oh… right.”

“Liam and I can change it out for you. After the party, of course.”

“...Thank you. I… I thought about what Rebecca said. I promise to take better care of myself from now on; both me and Nappy.”

He felt Uncle Liam's hand patting his shoulder, “Good. In the meantime, ready for the next stage of the party?”

Sun rose to his feet, “Sure. Er, what does happen next?”

Dilan stepped forward, grinning, “Party poppers!”

He pulled his hands out of his pockets, revealing fistfuls of the declared item. Circling the living room, Dilan handed them out to everyone.

Sun inspected the object, noting the cone shape and string.

Returning to his spot, Dilan turned to face them. He lifted his popper, hand poised on the string, “Alright, when everyone’s ready, we can all pull on the count of three.”

“Hold up,” Liam held a hand out, “Just want to double-check something real quick, ‘cause, uh, Nappy sounded pretty excited when you were describing the party poppers to him,” He turned to Sun, “Do you know what party poppers do and would it bum you out to miss out on them?”

Sun considered the object in his hand, fans whirring, “Are these the things that make loud noise and spew messes?”

Liam was silent for a beat, “I thought Jeff removed your cleaning protocols.”

Spinning his rays, Sun tilted his head, “My feelings on cleanliness have not changed. It’s just no longer a compulsion, but a choice.” He tilted his head the other way, “And I say if Nappy wants to see ‘em, let him. I won’t feel like I’m missing out. This is…” Sun’s voice trailed off as he gestured to the display around them, voice growing quieter, “This is already more than enough.”

Smiling, Liam stepped forward to pat Sun on the back, “Well— once again— happy birthday, Sun.”

Steve and Rebecca echoed Liam’s sentiment, a clapping ring of smiles.

Shuffling awkwardly, the bells on Sun’s slippers jingled as he scuffed the carpet, “Um, thanks.” Sun stiffened in surprise when Dilan hugged him. Looking down at the top of Dilan’s head, his processors whirred in confusion, “Uh…”

“I’m glad you're back.”

The ever-present shell of sass melted a little. Sun wrapped his arms around him, “Me too. I’ll see you whenever ‘next time’ is.”

Dilan pulled back, trying to school his face to look casual, “Yeah.”

Sun walked over and turned off the lights himself.

— — —

Turning away from the lightswitch, Nappy scanned all of them, “Did Sun have a good time?”

Dilan nodded, “Yup,” he lifted his hand, “You remember when I told you about party poppers?”

Nappy made a gasping noise, bouncing, “Yes!”

Grinning, Dilan gestured, “Check your hand.”

He looked down to find his fingers curled around [Object: Party Popper]. Moving forward to join everyone, he lifted it up, “How do I do? I mean, how do I use it?”

Dilan laughed, “Make sure to hold it out from you, with the large side pointed away, and when everyone’s ready, you’ll pull the string.”

“And be careful,” Liam piped up, “When you do, there’ll be a loud pop, but that just means it’s working right.”

Nappy nodded eagerly, “Okay.”

Everyone backed up to form a wide circle facing each other. Nappy took a moment to note all of their smiles, mentally saving a picture.

Dilan raised his popper, “Ready? On the count of three. One… two… three!”

There was a loud pop. At the same time, a kaleidoscope of color puffed into a cloud, swirling in the center of the room before fluttering to the ground. The tiny bright squares and swirling shimmering strands settled on the carpet. With another gasp-like noise, Nappy sprang forward, all but pouncing on them. He grabbed handfuls of the fragments of wonder, “Can we keep these?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Liam shrugged, “Uh, sure, I’ll let Sun know to put them in your room when he ‘cleans up’.”

Nappy let his handful rejoin the ground, picking some errant confetti out of his finger joints. He looked around, spotting his sweatshirt bundled on the table where the presents once were. Standing up, he walked over to it. Nappy drew the fuzzy fabric to his chest, looking around uncertainly, “Can I put this back on again?”

Stepping forward, Uncle Liam gave an encouraging nod, “It’s yours, Nappy, you don’t need to ask permission, you can put it on any time.”

“Oh. Oh! Right…” Pulling it over his head and tightening the drawstring, Nappy tapped his fingers together, “What comes next?”

Steady gaze never wavering, Liam smiled at him, “Whatever you want.”

“Um…” He looked down, saving the image of balloons covered in streamers and confetti, “Can we all hang out in my room with me?”

“Of course!”

Helping to gather Sun’s stuff, they all migrated to Nappy's room.

Nappy settled on some of his pillow cushions, picking up the fuzzy octopus. He changed the colors, turning it inside-out over and over again. The others settled on seats of their own, voices fading to comfortable ambience.

Dilan scooted toward Nappy as the adults talked, “So, did you have a good birthday?”

Still flipping the octopus, Nappy nodded, “Very good birthday. I liked it lots. Thank.”

Dilan grinned, “You’re welc. Though, you should really think Uncle Liam for craving cake,” He laughed.

Nappy stared at the octopus, currently dark blue. His fingers sank into the soft fabric, “Will this… will bad things happen again, soon? Because we are happy?”

Dilan winced, sucking in a deep breath, “Nappy, bad things don’t happen because you're happy, the world doesn’t work that way. I can’t guarantee no bad things will ever happen, but you can’t live your life dreading the next bad thing.”

Squishing the octopus and letting go in intervals, Nappy continued to stare at it, “Then… but… Mmmm…”

Dilan sighed, resting his elbows on his knees, “Let me rephrase that. I can’t— or rather shouldn’t— tell you what you can or can’t do. So think of it like you have choices. You could constantly dread the next bad thing… but all that will do is steal any joy the present moment might have. Another option is to just focus on what’s happening right now, how it makes you feel. Bad things might happen, yeah, but the world doesn’t work on consistent patterns, you can’t predict what might happen, and you can’t change it because you're worried. You can either be stressed and worried while whatever happens happens, or you can be relaxed and trusting while whatever happens happens. Which would you rather be?”

“...Relaxed and trusting…”

“I’m pretty sure that no one’s gonna bust in our house and take any of us away again. And me n’ Uncle Liam will be here for you and love you no matter what, okay?”

Letting go of the octopus, Nappy leaned over to hug him, “Okay… I love both of you, too.”

Dilan hugged back, smiling.

Nappy focused on what was around him. Dilan’s comforting hug. Some laughter from Uncle Liam; Steve and Rebecca’s voices intertwining musically in ambience. The soft glow of sticker stars on the walls and ceiling, illuminating the room just bright enough for him to make out colors other than red without hurting his eyes. The fuzzy new plush on his lap, a new friend for Simon. The big fluffy star. His drawing book, an opportunity to try an old thing in a new way.

Fuzzy, soft, warm, cozy, and friendly. Loved.

 

They were safe and sound.

Notes:

Thank you so much for reading and enjoying my story :D

If you like the stuff I make, and want to know when upcoming stories come out (with cover art) You can check out my tumblr
https://www.tumblr.com/cursio-neptune

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Nappy and Sun-bud