#animatronic reader

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Canon animatronics meets y/n a kangaroo that wasn't taken over and was programmed to see kids as her pups and be extremely protective and loving. So she has Gregory in her pouch and her tail is strong enough for her to do a kangaroo kick. How would they react to a y/n sending monty through a wall

Glamrock Freddy

It’s a relief that you’re not corrupted by the virus, and that you’re programmed to help children regardless of whether they’re on the guest list or not.

But it takes Gregory some time to trust you, even when Freddy reassures him you’re safe to be around.

Later on, he finds out he can hide in your pouch for safety. It’s a plush compartment that doesn’t close completely, but you don’t require recharging so he can stay in there as long as he needs to.

So every hour you and Freddy take turns carrying Gregory whenever possible.

Unfortunately your corrupted friends aren’t fooled by you as much and will actively pursue you to capture him.

But you can leap long distances to outrun them and, in extreme cases, perform a “kangaroo kick” (which came from your tail upgrade, even though it was only meant to help with balance issues).

While in a station, Freddy witnesses you kick Monty through a wooden door and was impressed yet concerned about property damages.

But one thing’s for sure: he’s grateful you’re on his side.

When this is all over, you two are definitely gonna be Gregory’s parents.

Monty

Being able to leap longer distances than him was something he definitely envied, even before getting corrupted.

Now that he was ordered to capture Gregory no matter the cost, he’d try to play catch-up when running after you, especially when he found you two in Monty Golf.

While Gregory’s trying to fill the large bucket, Monty confronts you on the catwalks and challenges you to a fight. 

But he does say one thing that dials your maternal instincts up to 11:

“You know gators like me eat pups like him for lunch!”

He sees your scowl deepen for only a second before he’s suddenly flying backwards, crashing through the fragile railings and falling to the level below.

To Gregory’s shock, you put Monty out of commission in your own way, as his battered and bisected body lays motionless on the floor, a noticeable dent in his chestplate.

And he thinks you’re a total badass rn.

Roxanne

With Roxy’s enhanced smell, it’s not easy for Gregory to hide in your pouch.

“Give me the brat, [y/n]. Make this easy for both of us.” She demands again and again. “Freddy can fool me all he wants..but you can’t.”

Luckily the threat to kick her beautiful teeth in seems to keep her off your back for a while.

She’s seen you kick Monty into a wall before, so she definitely doesn’t wanna test you. Not when you’re in protective mode.

She’ll just bitterly taunt you instead, insisting the kids love her more.

As the night goes on her delusions get worse and she thinks you “stole” her nickname for kids: “pups”.

Hearing you call Gregory “little pup” while comforting him pissed her off so much she nearly pounced on you.

With the whack of your tail, though, she got a small dent in her snout and cried. And neither of you saw her again until Gregory confronted her on the racetrack.

Glamrock Chica

Out of the three, Chica pursues you the least (since she’s mostly preoccupied with food and distractions she’s easy to outrun).

Plus, she wouldn’t wanna test you after seeing you kick Monty just for annoying you. The last thing she wants is a ruined beak.

You’re good friends with her normally, so you don’t wanna hurt her even when she’s corrupted.

You decided to keep snacks in your pouch should you need to distract her from chasing Gregory (and ofc whenever he gets hungry).

So when she’s broken you feel kinda bad.

“Dang, it looks like somebody kicked her beak in."

“Yeah it sure looks like it haha.” Gregory nervously sweats while hiding in your pouch.

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

do robots dream of electric sheep? do robots have nightmares of murders committed in their sleep?

have you slept, or are you afraid of things that in the dark creep?

[ririumuwashere]

‘My Spiderling’ 1/?

DJ MM wasn’t quite used to having another animatronic around, but ever since Fazbear Entertainment had sent in the spiderling he was no longer as lonely as before.  

The main designer Anthony had even allowed DJ to have a part in your making, Species, Practical features, and the like. It had taken months upon months for Anthony to finish making you. Not that DJ being impatient and antsy was making the process go any faster, but Anthony wasn’t one to complain about the obviously lonely bot.

DJ hadn’t gotten to see you during your creation so he was elated to see his new partner as soon as you were dropped off at the Arcade.

An animatronic built to be 3 times smaller than him with a peacock spider design, and a soft coating of fuzz all over.

Upon meeting you rubbed your pedipalps together and blinked at him with bright multi-co-lour eyes before raising your front legs and doing a little dance. Bright leds flashing on your abdomen. 

And he just knew you were perfect.

You were meant to be his handler of sorts… 

You’d help around the Arcade and keep the kids and teens in order, so the cleanup crew had less of a “Crime Scene” to clean up. 

Sometimes the teenagers would become violent and throw anything they could get their hands on at DJ. You were there to deescalate the situation and also help DJ clean up if needed. 

So far you’d only been with him for a few weeks but he already knew he’d protect his little friend no matter what. 

‘No matter what.’

[calyndra]

𓊔 ࣪ ˖ The Morning Star⭐ ੭ ׅ ۫ ⑅

Ⳋৎ ֢Glamrock Freddy 𓏵 Female Animatronic! Reader𔓘  ₊⊹ . 𖦹

˚ֶָ֢ ‧࿔ Part: 1 (?) ~ 🌸.. 𓏸 𝅄

— ऀ ᵔ ﻌ ᵔ ऀ ꒱ !

You are the only animatronic entertainer at Pizzaplex who is not in a Glamrock band.

At least you weren't created for that. Instead, you were created to be an idol, a beautiful animatronic in charming pastel colors, programmed to sing and dance at the same time. You have your own stage and album and are practically loved by everyone.

Maybe including one particular animatronic, Freddy.

Of course when Freddy first saw you, he thought that you were just another animatronic who would be joining the band, he was a bit skeptical at first seeing your design that practically didn't scream Rock n roll, before he realized that you wouldn't be with them.

He had seen you perform once, on the main stage, a few moments after his and his friends' performance.

Some people left but many stayed to see you perform.

He wondered, how great are you that you should have your own stage?

Of course, he was wrong to doubt you like that.

He looks at you with admiration as you start singing and dancing to the music. You are practically natural with your graceful and coquettish style, typical of an idol, your body moves smoothly to the rhythm of the song without the slightest hesitation, the stage lights only make you shine up there.

like a morning star shining brightly to the people below you.

Mastering the stage shamelessly as if it were yours only. You spinning, dancing, occasionally flirting and waving at the audience.

If it wasn't for the fact that he's the main mascot, he would definitely envy you.

Because he thinks you are more special, you have the stage to yourself...

But he tries not to complain.

Sometimes, He finds himself secretly tries to sneak into (your name)'s world just to see you interact with the visitors there, your voice is melodious when you comfort a child who is upset, you can give candy stored in your animatronic body, you can blow up balloons with helium in your fingers, and tell simple stories to curious children.

Occasionally you'll wander with visitors through your world's little castle, playing the role of the princess that little ones adore.

And during these times Freddy is always thinking of ways he can interact with you more.

Your room wasn't on Rockstar Row because you weren't part of the band.

Makes it hard to find time to occasionally have a small conversation with you, and during the day you both will be busy with your own business... doesn't mean he has feelings for you.. huh- no! Of course not. He's just curious and trying to be a polite bear, yeah.. that's it! Nothing more. He's nothing more than in awe of you. That's all he often says to himself.

It's not that you never talk to each other. He remembers the first time he talk you, just a brief introduction.

But he felt like he already knew a lot of things. You are very confident, although you don't have an ego as high as Roxy, but you know and realize that you are loved by many people and you are also beautiful. You are so kind and graceful in his eyes... he also finds himself staring at you for so long, thinking you have such pretty colors like cotton candy... You...

When Freddy realized that he had been thinking about you too much, he shook his head quickly.

No, he's not in love.

No, he's not interested.

No, he's not in.. no.

Besides... it's impossible for him to feel that way, right?

Or... Ah-

The big bear began to look for other things to do to stop his mind from thinking about you.

· · ─┄꯭─꯭ׄ───࡛─ㅤ⭐ㅤ─┄꯭─꯭ׄ───࡛─ ·  · 

This is my first time writing on Tumblr.. bear with it pls-😭😭

You can give me any suggestions or criticisms, and.. do you think it should be continued?👀

[luvmailing]

Forgive me if I disturb you, but if your requests are open can I have a romantic Glamrock Freddy x Animatronic Cat reader who's really shy and insecure about themselves?

skittish

「 tws + notes: no tws, SUPER unedited, animatronic cat reader, i love making stuff up thatz Not In Canon, writer is bad at animatronic reader writing (my bad), cat animatronic reader has cat-like behaviour becuz i Said So 」

「 gn!reader, romantic relationship <3 」

↳ ft. glamrock freddy (other glamrocks, the dca + vanessa mentioned)

author's note: no ur not disturbing me at all!!! ^_^ my fnaf reqs are were open!! :3 i don't typically write for animatronic reader so i hope i did this ok!! i'm so sorry if this was a little slow!! but tysm 4 ur patience! i hope u enjoy o(*￣▽￣*)ブ <3

▸ a new animatronic at the plex meant a new companion! a new opportunity for friendship! at least, that’s what freddy initially expected. every attempt to greet you was met with you fleeing, every friendly wave met with awkward silence as you quickly averted your eyes and pretended not to see— and conversations were nonstarters.

he started to get nervous that you didn’t like him. which was a very rare experience for freddy.

▸ he asks vanessa all abt you. what were you built for? were you a new glamrock? why did you not like him? :(

“officer vanessa! i was looking for you! if i may ask—” freddy’s sentence was cut off with an exasperated sigh from the overworked security officer, barely through her shift and already done with everything. she jus like me fr.

“if it’s about that cat you keep asking about, upper management barely gave me any information. i’ve told you what i know,” vanessa rubs the bridge of her nose, reciting the info she had already told freddy possibly a thousand times, “the new animatronic is under beta testing, currently coded to not be overly social in case people get attached, and probably not going to stay very long.”

his ear twitches at the last part.

“i… i see.” freddy nods thoughtfully, thanking vanessa politely, which she dismisses with a small shrug before walking off.

he doesn’t notice you around the corner, quick to leave the scene before your presence could be discovered.

▸ skittish. that is his first impression of you. your first interaction is nothing more than him grinning at you and greeting you with a “hello!”

this seems to startle you. he expects you to make your escape immediately, as per usual— but to his surprise, you manage to muster up the tiniest “hi” before leaving.

he’s giddy about the exchange all week. the others never hear him shut up about you, freddy always gushing about the progress he made with you.

monty considers decommissioning him over this /j

▸ while vanessa had informed him of the fact you were not particularly socially inclined for the sake of beta testing, freddy began to question if that was the truth. in a few weeks time, with plenty of attempts made to speak to you and the utmost amount of patient, you grow close to freddy.

one day, you express a distaste for the limelight. something about the amount of eyes being on you frightening you, he recalls. and he’s certainly never felt that way— made for the spotlight, made to perform— freddy has a hard time conceptualizing what that might be like. and while he may never understand, he’s determined to help 

▸ no, he won’t force you to be friends with everyone at the pizzaplex and frankly doesn’t think that’s a good idea— but he certainly tries to encourage you to talk to the others who are just as curious about you as he was

freddy can’t help but be worried though. what if chica overwhelms you with her chattiness? what if roxy intimidates you too much? what if monty scares you away? what if sun and moon— well… the daycare attendant is a whole other thing in itself.

so, yes, while wanting you to speak to others and interact, he can’t help but be just the tiniest bit protective. freddy really  doesn’t mean to hover. but yes, he looks out for you always. can’t have any of his hard work be undone! not after he spent so long trying to get you out of your shell.

▸ this ends up in you two developing a system when first meeting the others. freddy accompanies you, holding your paw in his. every so often in the conversation, he squeezes it gently to ask if you’re okay.

one squeeze back for yes, two for no.

this is especially helpful when you get overwhelmed or anxious midway through a conversation and have no idea how to end it. he’ll simply make an excuse and find a quiet place for the two of you to calm down. he’ll always tell you he’s proud of your progress at the end of meeting someone new. slowly but surely, freddy sees you grow into yourself more— and he’s just delighted :))

▸ he’s quick to reassure whenever you’re insecure, earnest as ever. when you grow comfortable enough around him, freddy likes to hold your hand when speaking to you. a very good listener, and an insanely good pep talker.

▸ freddy is busy almost constantly, but he chooses to spend his free time with you!!!!! you contemplate with him what you life will be like after your beta testing stage.

he tries not to think too hard about it. to him, you’re here to stay. you have to be! he’d miss the way you absentmindedly paw at things when your bored, the way your voice box emulates a purr when you’re content, the way your yawn was stupidly cute— annndd yes fine, whatever, he was getting attached.

your shyness may have been coded as a feature to keep people away, to deter any potential attachment before a finalization of your launch in the pizzaplex— but it never deterred freddy. It just drew him in closer. and how special he felt, getting to know you.

-

“i don’t think i’m built to be a glamrock,” you say suddenly, breaking the silence as freddy organizes his room. the gifts from fans are arranged purposefully by him, each one placed with utmost care. you're sitting at the edge of his couch, kneading into a throw pillow absentmindedly as he decorates.

“and what makes you say that?” he questions, gaze focused on putting up a drawing done by a young child, depicting him in an array of messy lines of marker. he straightens it out and places it on the wall, taping it down before giving it a little satisfied pat.

“i’m just not as good as you guys. you’re all total rockstars and i’m just… useless.” you trail off awkwardly, averting your eyes from him. “my consciousness could be programmed into a staff bot and i’d still manage to be lousy.”

he looks at you. a beat of silence before he speaks again.

freddy’s voice is soft. “you’re perfect, superstar. you could be a glamrock. you could be anything.”

you glance up and him. he knows you don’t believe him.

“you have a place here.” he reassures.

“yeah? where?” you challenge.

“with me!” freddy’s response is quick, ears wiggling happily as he declares it— it takes him a moment to process what words just came out of his mouth.

“...and chica, and roxy, and monty— the rest. you’re one of us, now.” he tacks the last part on quickly, feeling bashful.

still, you smile, feeling slightly flustered yourself. “you think so?”

“i’m certain.”

▸ freddy loves you. in all your skittish, awkward, shy glory— he loves you.

naturally, he’s ecstatic to receive the announcement you’re there to stay! he can’t wait to see how you grow into yourself, and of course— he’ll always extend a helping paw when you need him.

— reblogs always appreciated!

[luckyartdrawer]

TLDR: Deleted scene for ch 29 ANE

Sooo I've been working on the next chapter (29) of ANE, but unfortunately I had to cut stuff and rewrite it because it wasn't playing out how I wanted. Norrrrr did it Segway into the next chapter I have boarded out all that good.

Ultimately i had to slow down and change the events that occured which ment major delete time. (This has happened before unfortunately, but ya gotta kill some darlings to progress. 😔)

But! I really liked this one scene that's getting deleted and thought "It's fun, let them see the fun!" So now you're seeing the behind the scenes fun lololol

Look below the break to see if you're interested! I've removed spoilers for those who haven't read/are caught up with the story. :)

“With the stunt Sundrop pulled, you're lucky if I let you out of this room this weekend. That was highly unusual.”

“...Sunnnnnn was, as was I-iiii, experiencin-g-g-g technical difficultiesssss. Nothing leftttt to worry about.”

“You're staying until I say so.”

“Wait, what about me?” You questioned, hyper aware of your current surroundings. “You don't expect me to stay right here the entire time. Right?”

“You already seem to be a package deal.” Mike said nonchalantly.

Your jaw locked shut with a permanent frown. You heard Moon groan in the background.

“That's not a proper explanation!”

“Doesn't need to be.”

Your wants don't seem very heard right now. You slouch against the wall and furrow your brow, but otherwise you listen to him.

Silence falls upon the room, save for the clacks of Mikes keyboard... That is, until Moon decided to start tapping the chair he sat on.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

You dragged your eyes from the floor to look at him. He stopped the rhythmic tapping when your gazes met.

You settle back into yourself, closing your eyes to try and find some comfort in the situation.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

You held back a groan but opened your eyes with a glare, the tapping noise stopping again when you looked at Moon.

Is he trying to annoy you? This isn't the time for that. He knows that.

You stared for longer this time and Moon tilted his face plate by 45 degrees.

TapTapTap.

The rapid succession of taps made you flinch.

TapTapTap.

Okay maybe you're getting frustrated. That noise isn't the most pleasant to hear and it's obvious Moon is using it to direct your attention.

You simulate a deep breath, remembering you need to keep calm. 

TapTapTap. (TapTapTap)

Now he's rasping with both hands. Wonderful.

“Would you please stop?”

“Hmmm?”

TapTapTap(TapTapTap)

“That! Stop that!”

“Youuu-u didn't say pleaseeee that time.”

TapTapTap(TapTapTap)

“Stop tapping the chair, please.”

“Wellllll, since you asked sooo nicccce-ly.”

TapTapTap

“No.”

(Writer's note: This scene was for Moon to get your attention to silently link up your shared single braincells (not literally lol) to realize that you can work together to leave. I love the idea so much but it's so out of character at this moment of time and unnecessary. 😭 At least this annoying tf out of you part is very much in character! :P )

[astoryshark]

hey againnn sorry I didn’t give details can the hcs be animatronic reader relationship hcs? ✨

Sure thing! I hope this is what you had in mind ^^ I put a lot more story into it than I planned xD but otherwise it felt so empty and rushed

Ennard x Animatronic!Reader - Relationship Headcanons

Ennard is not known to be the kindest and most easy going one of the animatronics - it takes some time to warm up with him

Additionally, you are not dealing with only one personality here but with 4 since all the funtimes are put together to create Ennard

in order to have met him, you would need to be one of the latest creations for the funtime series or one that was left forgotten in the underground facility

Maybe you were not function the way Mr. Afton wanted it to be, and we all know he does not go easy on his creations...

After the animatronics turned into Ennard, they were confused and overwhelmed by their new form. Every one of the 4 personalities tries to take the lead, tries to explore the world from a new perspective.

A lot has changed in the facility after the unsuccessful try of Ennard to take over Michaels Body, leaving him behind in an angered and depressed state. He tries to figure out a new plan and started to turn over the whole place, searching every bit for ideas and parts to escape.

During his search, he found you. An unfamiliar face, an animatronic he had no knowledge of. You were not part of the funtimes he was created out of.

As you woke up from a deep slumber, the first thing you saw was a bright blue eye looking directly at you with an unexplainable expression. Was it curiosity? Or disgust? Anger? You couldn't tell yet...

Your first interactions with Ennard were..difficult. He was not one to talk much and after he found out that you don't seem to know about anything that had happened and couldn't help with his plans, he didn't even look at you anymore.

However, you did not want to accept that so easily and continued to interact with him, regardless of him wanting it or not

Your stubbornness annoyed Ennard to no end but another part of him was amazed by your dedication. He would never say that out loud though.

A lot of time has passed and you two were still stuck in the facility, Ennards plans failed one after another. His rage and depression only growing with each unsuccessful attempt.

You tried your best to comfort him, to help with his plan. Over the time, the two of you started to grow closer and form a bond. You discovered the secrets of the place and slowly also the secrets of him

He was uncomfortable with telling you about himself, about his 4 personalities that sometimes start to argue with one another. However, your reaction to it eased his mind a lot. You were not disturbed or disgusted, you simply accepted it and started to get to know them bit by bit.

Being in a relationship with Ennard is not easy, I repeat, there are 4 quite different animatronics put together

You two argue and fight a lot but in the end, you always get it together, you are a team after all and have the same goal: To escape the prison Afton has left you in

Ennard expresses his feelings towards you with actions instead of words. Subtile touches when you work on something, a pat on the head if you did great. It's not much but you love every single touch of him, you know how he feels towards you after all

Speaking of that, if you want more, you need to initiate it. It takes him a lot of time and courage to go up to you for a kiss or a long hug, so if you don't have the patience or feel especially greedy for his attention, you need to come to him.

He would never push you away if you come to him for attention and touches, he secretly enjoys it a lot. Hes a big softie on the inside, he just covers it very well

The moment you two got out of the facility and saw the light of the day, he took your hand in his and a small smile could be seen on his expression. He was relieved. After so many tries to break out and on the verge of giving up, he finally succeeded and not only that: He has you on his side.

You're a person he vows to protect and somebody he trusts with all his being

Together, you two will take revenge for the actions of Afton and all the pain he brought to the world..

[link-ausl]

Oc animatronic reader in my fanfic on AO3 'the ride of your life' called drewdrop.

[mangled-foxes]

Finished the fantfic, so far i like it here

If you wanna read it, it's called Only Left To Rot. You are an animatronic that used to work at an illusion museum

[latehere]

i am obsessively drawing moon how do i stop

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

I know you probably JUST posted the FNAF Movie request where the reader possesses Sparky, but after reading it this idea popped into my head and I need to get it out there.

Could we have a sort of continuation of the 'Sparky reader' fic that takes place towards the finale of the movie? The idea I had is that after Abby helps the animatronics remember that it was William Afton who killed them, the reader actually joins up with the others in confronting him. Additionally, William is shocked because he wasn't expecting the reader to have also possessed an animatronic, let alone that they would have command over the others (he probably thought he was the only one with that kind of power).

👀

The first Sparky!Reader part

........

"Look at you...look at the nasty things that you have become! Look at how small you are! How worthless you are!! You are wretched, rotten little beasts! I MADE YOU!!!"

Even as William shouted angrily at the animatronics, pounding a gloved fist against his chest, he realized how quickly he was losing his ability to keep them in line.

Thanks to that brat showing them the truth in a stupid drawing--which proved that he, the yellow bunny they once trusted, was the cause of all their pain--they didn't obey him anymore.

Now he couldn't control them like he used to.

No longer were they blindly singing and dancing to his tune.

Because they finally remembered what really happened that day.

He then heard another pair of heavy footsteps, and from the darkness emerged a character he had almost entirely forgotten about:

Sparky.

But how was he moving? And why?

William swore that mutt was sitting in the backstage area, deactivated and unable to walk freely.

It was impossible.

Unless....

"Of course..I figured you would have woken up eventually, too." He chuckled weakly, taunting you all. "So what's your plan now? To kill me? Shove me into a suit like you did to those poor people?! Well you can't...because I know how you all think!! I'm smarter than you!!"

"No. You are a fool, Afton. It isn't us who will kill you."

His laughter ceased upon hearing your disembodied voice speaking to him, and he froze for a moment, bewildered by what you had said.

It was extremely unnerving to learn that your ghost could even talk to him at all, considering the other children have been silent.

What made you so special?

Unfortunately for him, he realized far too late what you meant by those words...as he noticed you gesturing to Chica, who sent her Cupcake after him.

It lunged with a growl, biting into the torso of his suit and not letting go.

He grabbed onto it, struggling to tear the feral little bastard off of him, not knowing that would be the last mistake he ever made.

When he finally managed to toss the Cupcake away from him, it took a chunk of the suit's fabric with it, exposing part of the springlock endoskeleton underneath.

And without any material for the mechanisms to stay compressed against...

They snapped, one bar stabbing into his side and sinking deep into his flesh, blood leaking through his shirt almost immediately.

With a gasp of pain, William collapsed to his knees as the springlocks continued to puncture him one by one--with you and the other animatronics simply staring him down, watching him endure the same torment he brought upon each of you.

None of your suits were made from springlocks, of course...but now he, too, will know what it's like to be encased inside a tomb of fabric and metal forever.

He scrambled for the Springbonnie head that laid beside him, only to see your brown paws snatch it off the ground.

You kept his above his head, just barely within his reach.

All he did was stare into your glowing red eyes, shocked at the commanding presence you held over his creations. He had no idea how you got them to follow your lead so easily.

Yet despite knowing that he lost, he refused to lie down and show any sort of fear.

Instead a grin appeared on his sweaty face, each exhaled breath growing more strained than the last.

And before you shoved the Springbonnie head onto him, forever sealing him inside his tomb, he made one final haunting declaration:

"I always come back."

[bones-of-a-rabbit]

you: exists every single one of Sun's thoughts: ceases to exist

[jazz--bugg]

Starting off the the Party-Time Animatronic round up with the faves!

[kiyutuii]

WAAGDGHDH I WANT TO POST SO BAD BUT THE THING I HAVE ISNT FINISHEDF 😭😭😭

so. have this small part.

[divinit3a]

oneshot: out of character -> ao3 link reader x mer animatronic!moon 🌊 word count: 3,403

Working at a Fazbear animatronic theme park hadn't really been your dream, but it is your current reality.

At first, you were starry-eyed. Clocking in each day at a place that brings out the magic of imagination. Revamped from its first attempt that mysteriously burnt down after a rigorous police investigation, inexplicably refurbished into a half VR game center, half water-park. You’d bet the money that fuels such an over-the-top offshoot for the franchise pumps in from the Pizzaplex the next city over.

The ambition of the two owners who picked up the business manifested into a massive aquarium at the center, home to mechanized sea life. Animatronics of all shapes and sizes, perfect replicas of their real life counterparts. Plus or minus a more vivid, appealing, toy-selling color palette. 

The multi-level aquarium showcases beautiful spectacles of engineering that allow all creatures of the deep to intermingle without the limitations of reality. You’ve stood in the tunnels that wind throughout the first floor on the slow moving tracks before, looking around with awe and wonder at the flittering sharks and jumping dolphins. A whale would float by now and then, casting a great shadow across the tunnels as everyone hurried to snap a photo.

Ferry rides are offered at an exuberant price to float atop the largest of the decorative tanks, where a stationary mermaid animatronic waves with a pleasant smile. You stopped going to the ferry rides after they replaced the human staff with the admittedly rather creepy, blank-staring bots and their pre-recorded voice lines. 

Despite all the splendor surrounding you, the position of 'general maintenance' tends to become lackluster after cleaning up one too many barf piles near the food courts. Or being tasked with fishing cellphones out of the tops of tanks, enduring the hellish fury of whichever parent you had the misfortune of relaying the lost or damaged items policy to. Rattling off of a lengthy speech of ‘we wont pay for this,’ in corporate, smiley, customer-service-y terms. 

You sigh, pushing a heavy mop forward as music thrums through your ear buds. You take a moment to rest your head against your curled up hands at the top of the handle, listening to the last few seconds of the track, before popping the ear buds out one by one and shoving them into your jacket pockets. 

The slow drip of a faucet welcomes you back to cold, harsh reality. The last hour or more of your life was spent sopping up the ick that countless shoes tracked in and out the restroom facility throughout the day. 

By now, the sun is setting over the horizon line. You always pick up the latest shifts in the day. The overnight security staff are your regular acquaintances. You’ve bribed the main desk guy into being your ride-or-die with sugary, outdated donuts.  

There's a ding on your pager. You lean the broom handle on the brick wall, which is plastered with Chica and Roxanne themed posters that encourage handwashing. As you rest the mop, you falter to catch it from falling over, as the damn thing could never just stay put. Once you’ve prevented the disaster of the mop tipping over, you check the pager again, missing the glitching and rearranging of the letters on screen. 

Honestly, the technology is considerably retro compared to what's out on the market; looking more like a terminal you’d see in a sci-fi movie, or perhaps a calculator that would be chucked at a classmate in second grade. 

What greets you is an open-ended service ticket for the Haunted Shipwreck. You quirk an eyebrow. The exhibit was usually cleaned diligently by daytime staff in preparation for opening in the evening. Spruced up by the folks who worked at the bar, and the poor teenage saps who had to stand in the queue lines scanning tickets. The ‘ride’ was part of the finale of the virtual reality storyline that guests could pay a premium price to experience, connecting all the dots of the theme park’s attractions together. 

Plus, it was the only place that served alcohol after five pm. The specialty drinks are so neon and vivid that the sugar content has to be astronomical. 

Parents flock there like it is truly an oasis in a kiddy-park desert. 

Scratching at your head, you walk in a circle as you read the details, or lack thereof. The ticket reads, 'Exhibition needs spot cleaning.' Spot cleaning? A whole exhibit? Your thumb hovers over the button to accept the task. It beats mopping bathroom tiles any day.

You wring out the mop into its bucket, and begin the tedious task of ferrying cleaning supplies from one area to the next. On your way out, you sling the heft of a tool bag over your shoulder. 

_____________________________________

The scent of lemony freshness follows you in hot pursuit. You shove open the doors to the exhibit with a “Hello?”, expecting another person or two from the maintenance crew to have accepted the job. Cleaning a whole attraction on your lonesome did not bode well for the ‘no overtime’ policy. 

The response you get is absolute silence.

You feel along the wall for a light switch, and then remember that this is an amusement park, not a hotel. The controls for the area’s lights are all in the breaker room out back. Locked away with a key that is not in your possession. With a sigh, you fish out a flashlight from your tool bag and continue to wheel your cart in.

Without music blaring through the hidden speakers, or patrons milling through the bar onto the dance floor, the main atrium of the ride feels as haunted as its namesake. Grumbling, you pull out your pager and look down. The screen is blank, as if the task had never existed at all. 

Before you can question the disappearing act, spotlights turn on. A deafening click causes you to jolt and nearly drop the device.  

You look up, and are face to face with the animatronic who prowls the exhibit. Your lungs temporary pause all function as your heart works in overdrive. 

Above you is an elaborate trick of puppetry. A skeletal siren with a face as white as bone is frozen in place, with its arms outstretched as if it had been reaching towards you in the darkness to swipe you up. Thin, transparent plastic that shimmers like true fish scales acts as webbing between its sharp claws.

A billowing tail snakes like a serpent atop most of the area’s ceiling, weaving around the lighting system. The tip of its tailfin is curled around the rafters, as if supporting its weight. But that couldn’t be true; as a large cord connects into its back. Following the tubing leads to the pulley system which keeps it on predictable tracks. 

One eye is cyan. The other eye is entirely a deep crimson, casting an eerie glow across your face. The eye with the cyan pupil trembles. 

“Jeez, you scared me!” You say, too shocked to catch yourself before talking with an inanimate puppet.

The robotic siren, Moon, stares at you, not budging from its post. The lack of movement makes it feel more and more like a statue. You feel silly for speaking to it directly. 

But you remember: there's a person whose entire job is to spend the day operating these guys. To keep them lifelike, same as the free-roam 'animatronics' that are actually just staff in sweaty old mascot suits. Learning the truth as an employee had dimmed the magic of the theme park, but you still admit that it is an impressive work of robotics, especially considering the aquarium. 

“Are you still on for the night? Ride’s shut down,” You ask, pushing through the lingering fear you felt from the brief scare. During off-season the park closes earlier and is open about half the days, meaning that Haunted Shipwreck is mostly operational Friday and Saturday. Today is a Wednesday. You didn’t expect the elusive staff who controls the two mermaid animatronics to be on duty. 

In response, the animatronic's massive tail slaps against the faux rocky terrain that decorates its elaborate enclosure. Moon lands back on the main stage it perches on during performances. Without the constant spray of dry ice to create the illusion of fog, and the bright red lighting, the siren lacks the intimidating flare you expect.

“Well, I'm here to clean. That's all.” You rest your hands at your sides, settling your thumbs into the belt loops. 

Moon peers at you. Then it rolls over onto its back. The wires controlling its electronics flatten against the surface as it settles into place. You blink as you stare at a 'belly-up' fish. Its hands rest into a t-rex, claw-like position at its sides, as if it wasn’t used to laying down, either, and instantly felt awkward. 

“Oh,” You exclaim, wrapping your head around the vague task you accepted. At last, you understand who – or what, needs cleaning: the animatronic itself. There’s gum stuck to its sculpted fins and a few pieces of paper wedged into the joints that segment its torso from its abdomen, limiting its range of motion. 

A cruel prank, regardless of the recipient’s ability to feel discomfort. 

You set your tool bag down on the floor and stumble up the plastic molded rocks, right past the ‘DO NOT CLIMB’ sign. All things considered, the ‘spot cleaning’ looks like an easy project to finish off your shift. 

You sit on your knees next to the animatronic. 

You start by pulling the paper jammed into its torso hinge out. You brace a palm against its side, and carefully tug. Hearing the papers tear makes you curse softly under your breath. 

The animatronic watches, and then bends its torso hinge away, giving you easier access to pull the shredded bits out. 

You begin to notice that all the papers jammed inside the robot are actually posters and pamphlets that you can pick up for free at the photo kiosk a room over. Strange. 

Taking a second to indulge your curiosity, you inspect one of the postcards. 

The front of the card is split into two; the daytime half, Sun, spritely and bright on the left. And his cursed form that haunts the seas at night, Moon, in an ominous dark silhouette on the right. A few of these are even lenticular prints that you can shift back and forth, but those have to be bought at the complimentary gift shop at the end of the ride.  

The depicted dark, jagged silhouette of Moon is a sharp contrast to the docile animatronic beside you. Existing to be ‘vanquished’ time and time again, by brave patrons, in order to free Sun from the shackles of an evil witch’s hex. 

The witch character is set to debut at long last in a few months.

You find yourself smiling at the memories of watching the performance for the first time; the smoke and mirrors of the robots being switched out on stage to masquerade as one feat of engineering. The silly story never fails to be engaging, with how much production was poured into making Sun’s character so lifelike and memorable.

Now that you think about it, you wonder why Moon never got the same treatment. You look up to see that the ‘cursed siren’ on your mind is staring right at you, almost expectantly. Beneath its chassis where your palms rest is a soft, insistent hum of machinery, fans set to medium gear. It points to a piece of paper you missed under its arm socket. You lean closer to dig in, their gaze burning into the back of your head. 

The silence as you work on the clean-up becomes increasingly uncomfortable. Even more so when you consider that whoever is tasked with puppeting Moon is still up in the server room, no doubt working past their shift’s end to make your job easier by maneuvering the siren this way and that. 

Though, you wonder why the puppeteer didn't just meet you at Haunted Shipwreck themself to talk it through. Must be some kind of NDA, or lack of a remote control.

By the time you are scraping gum off glittering scales, you decisively break the ice with, “Y'know, Im surprised. I thought you'd be home by now,” beginning the idle, one-sided chatter. Just because you are here on business, doesn’t mean the exchange had to be so clinical. Your quiet companion shows that its listening by flicking the long fin that adorns its head. Bright cyan tracks your every movement with what feels like intense curiosity.

While you work, you take out the pager to check on your tasks for the night. In an instant, Moon swipes it, moving faster than you can comprehend. They slither away from you with shocking speed, cable attached to its back whirring to keep up with the momentum. 

“Hey! Give that back!” You reach up, fingertips brushing off the smooth scales upon its long, imposing tail. Up above, the animatronic fiddles with the pager. Frustration ripples off it as its hands clunkily tap away at the tiny, human-sized keyboard. 

“Don't break it, c'mon, it'll come out of my paycheck!” You swat at the robot whose mid-air. You gasp at the audacity it has to curl its tail inward and away from you. An unfair game of keep-away. 

Moon turns the screen of the pager back to you. 'Thank you,' is typed out in simplistic, boxy letters. You blink, staring at the screen as the pager is gingerly placed back in your hands, claws ghosting across your arms. The siren pulls back quickly. Moon fidgets with the hem of its costuming, a subtle act of nerves that trips you up even worse.

“You—you're welcome.” You stumble on your words, not quite sure why the sentiment is so shocking. But it feels like it came from the robot itself—whoever ran these guys was committed to staying in character. Even to other staff. You admire the dedication.

The robot leers down at you. Pupils burning, an unsettling lack of expression except for a wide-eyed stare that never relents the pressure it exerts. A hand extends out, and it takes a moment for you to realize that its asking for the pager back. Dumbstruck, you comply without a second thought. The robot taps away at the keyboard, dwarfed by its palms. You hear the click-click-click of the backspace button as it shakes its faceplate.

The pager returns to you. After all its effort, only one word is on the screen: 'Again.'

“Again?” You repeat aloud, looking up at Moon with confusion. The robot continues to fidget, before nodding so quickly in confirmation, that you are worried you'll need to send in a ticket to fix its neck hinge. That sort of job goes to the on-sight mechanics who the company contracts, not a regular maintenance guy like you. “You'd... like me to stop by, again?” You guess, and Moon's nerves boil over. The tracks in the ceiling creak as the creature 'swims' all around you, showcasing flashes of glittering fins and the faintest glint of sharp fangs beneath its flowing collar. With the blur of violet, magenta, and crimson swirling around you, its like being in the middle of a shark swarm— without any of the fear. 

Because you take the boundless enthusiasm to mean, 'yes.'

”Okay, okay. I will,“ You laugh at the strange antics, charmed by how earnest the supposedly wicked siren can be. You don’t know much about Moon's character here at the park; he was intentionally left mysterious to add to the villainous flare. Or perhaps, to excuse the lack of forethought into an antagonist designed for a theme park. So, to see him instead doing several aerial laps around the perimeter of the shipwreck, you can't help but find them endearing.

Your pager dings, reminding you that there is twenty minutes before your shift ends, and one bathroom facility left half-mopped in your haste. 

“It was nice meeting you,” You hesitate—you have no idea who this person is. You stare into the lens of the animatronic’s eyes, pondering who was watching you back on the camera feed. 

Maybe the two of you could get lunch sometime off the clock, away from the prying of corporate eyes. Perhaps they are nervous to break character. You glance to the security camera in the corner, and back, ”...Moon,” you decide to call them by the character they play, for the time being. 

The siren lurches toward you. 

You reel back, almost slipping on the plastic rocks.

Spindly limbs wrap around you, catching you from your fall, and—Oh.

You blink, struggling to keep up. The wretched siren of the coast is giving you a hug. The fabric of its costume sleeves is silky and smooth, and almost bundles you up like a tarp.   

”O-okay, then.” You pat at the back of the animatronic. Its staring at you so seriously with massive, leering eyes, that you are struggling not to buckle under the stress. The pressure Moon exerts is light, but spikes your heart rate regardless. Your feet are almost off the ground, balancing on the heels of your work boots as you tilt back. You aren’t looking to go for a swim, or to be put on medical leave from a concussion. 

“That’s, um, very sweet, thank you, Moon.” You tap its arms next to indicate you’re ready to be let go of. You find your cheeks flushing in embarrassment, wondering if the animatronic’s puppeteer thinks its amusing to scare you with this level of whiplash. Maybe it is funny to them, to make the theme park's aloof villain act all cuddly for one-on-one exchanges. 

“There we go—nice and easy,” you find yourself narrating, as the siren deliberately sets you back down on the floor. Not back onto the rocks; no, it cranes you over to main floor, where you run a much smaller risk of falling on uneven terrain. 

Walking over to collect your belongings, you shrug your tool bag over your shoulder, and place a hand on the handle of your cleaning cart.

The animatronic waves you off, watching with interest as you shove your way out the door. A glimpse of the outside world, the low lights of the shut-down park and the infinite expanse of the night sky.

You stop in the doorway, prolonging the moment, “Have a good night, Moon.” The animatronic stays perfectly still, playing its role. Poised with elegance and a threatening aura. The sight leaves you with chills, although you hardly had reason to fear the animatronic, or its friendly puppeteer.

The door closes.

A pause. 

Moon stays put until they can no longer hear the roll of your cart. Then it springs up. Pacing back and forth, tail moving as smoothly as kelp in the current, weaving through decorative pillars that sell the illusion of being underwater, trapped in a shipwreck. The sliding of the wire on its tracks plays a symphony as it maneuvers around. Feeling–feeling, like it did something right, by doing something terribly wrong. The sensation was so complex that it keeps cataloguing every second.

Moon couldn't believe that tampering with a maintenance ticket actually worked. A small, small chance that anyone would pick up the task he made up— jamming postcards into its segments in a fury to make the objective believable, once someone had actually said 'yes.'

The cord above squeals, and Moon realizes it needs to relax, less it break its ability to move within its small, small world. 

Settling back down, the siren sits on its lonely perch with a glimmer of hope–that you'll be back again the next night, and the next, and the next. After all, you spoke to them with such ease. Most everyone pretends he’s nothing more than a glorified stage prop. Doomed with an underutilized, elaborate AI on the same caliber as all the others in the park, who roam freely. Who get to interact, learn, and grow daily; who get to make friends and play so many games.  

Until next time, they'll work on their communication. Study the humans who walk through its exhibit closer and closer. Experiment with how to evoke emotions beyond fear.

Their tail thumps, eager to continue daydreaming throughout the rest of its cycle spent awake.

[thehomophobe]

How To Fluster Them 😳

A Guide To See How To Fluster Your Cybernetic Sweetheart. These guides are in no particular order so choose whichever you like.

Freddy 🐻: 

1. Surprise gifts: Gifts from fans are always appreciated; they put their heart into it when crafting little crochet plushies or keychains or drawings of him. But when you create something; even if it's a crappy looking drawing, Freddy would blush at the sight. Notice how it says surprise gifts, so you must catch the android completely off guard when you gift him. Those are the perfect fluster moments.

2. Second-Hand Embarrassment: Freddy doesn't know too much about humans and human behavior despite being an A.I. But even with that said, he still learning social cues and human nature so don't chastise him over it. However, if you notify him about anything that seemed a little offputting, Freddy would become flustered over it. A simple, yet quiet, apology may present a sense of childlike guilt like a five-year-old apology for saying something out of pocket, but inside he is a little anxious. Try to calm him down by holding his hand or his shoulder and rub it affectionately.

 Chica 🐔:

1. Catch Her (In the act of doing anything): Caught her eating out of your trash again? Or maybe wearing your clothes? Perhaps sleeping with one of your plushies? Whatever silly little thing she did, if you catch her off guard or mention it while casually cuddling together, that'll surely ruffle her feathers...

Er...metaphorically...

2. Surprise Gifts: Just like Freddy, if you surprise her with a gift, you'll definitely fluster her. Honestly, she'll be easier fluster with a gift than Freddy. Recommend surprising her with food from a restaurant or a bistro that she always wanted to go to.

Monty 🐊:

1. Flirting (Back): He flirts with you on a daily basis, to the point where you can't tell when he is or isn't flirting. But once you respond back--twice as hard---you won him over. He'll be a blushing mess, god damn where'd you get that from? (Him obviously)

2. Physical Affection: Run your fingertips across any part of his body, Under his chin, up his arms, across his chest. He's so down bad for you. A hum facsimile to a purr would emitted from him. But if you wanted maximum domesticity, crawl into his lap and kiss him anywhere. We recommend anywhere on the face to get the best fluster.

Roxy 🐺:

1. Words of Affirmation/Genuine Compliments: Compliments are key; give her one, but make it candid and sincere. She's gonna be thinking about what you said all day. All week depending on what you said. We recommend not making any sexual compliments though, they won't hit as hard as heartfelt ones.

2. Physical Affection: Massage her. You'll get a blush from her, even if you can't particularity see it. Comb through her hair, no please do it. We recommend that hair-grooming can result in flustring. Only do this for about 10-30 seconds, be prepared for her snapping at you to back off.

Sun ☀:

1. Words of Affirmation/Genuine Compliments: While not as starved for plaudits as Roxanne, be complimented on his talents would definitely result in flustering. Would recommend compliments on: acrobatics, artistic ability/creativity, singing voice, appearance (i.e. calling him handsome, cute and/or adorable), how good he is with small children. These all resulted in 100% flusteredness.

2. Physical Affection: Holding hands, brushing shoulders, bumping hips, any sense of gentle touches trigger blush for the android. An small interview with Sun noted that you make him feel "all sparking and buzzing on the inside" similar to freshly lit fireworks. Would recommend cradling his face for ultimate fluster and completely domesticity.

Moon 🌑: 

1. Words of Affirmation/Genuine Compliments: Mainly the same as his brother, yet somewhat easier to fluster as many of our research has resulted in. It appears complimenting his looks and singing voice result in 92% flusteredness. The 8% being snootiness/agitation. A smaller interview with the android had stated you give him the butterflies in his stomach when this is done. We highly recommend it.

2. Physical Affection: Once again like his brother, holding hands, cuddles, and cradling his face all result in blushing. You make him feel weak. In a good way. In a staticky, heart melting way. Just hold him close like how he holds you close. If he tries to look away keep your eye contact, tell him his eyes are beautiful and refocus his vision.