"What was that?"
The deep, smooth voice reverberates throughout Sun's headspace. Adjusting himself to powering back on, he ignores it, stepping out of the bright yellow charge pod and into the dull red bedroom, if it could even be called that..
"Answer me. Answer meeee, Sun."
Eyeing the space, he heads towards the closest batch of stuffed animals against the wall with a stack of expressively colorful paper adjacent to it. Sun adjusts the mascots. Freddy first, then Roxy. Chica. Monty. And finally, him and Moon, right in the middle of Roxy and Chica. They're both distanced from the other plushies, while Sun goes out of his way to coordinate them leaning against each other.
"That was sweet..~ However, it is not granting you an escape from my question. What was that, Sun?"
He drags himself towards the brightly colored paper, increasingly annoyed by the persistent noise in his head.
"You have those.. Dreams every time we're recharging.. Mmmmh, I wouldn't be asking you if I could see what you're dreaming of..~ So tell me, why do I feel dreadful agony that isn't quite mine, albeit dull. You're overheating. And I do not think it is a byproduct of us charging, no no.." Moon hums.
Moon senses the tension in their body as Sun reacts. "..I have my own dreams., but I don't wake up like that in the.. rare occurrences where I do fall deeeep asleeeeep in the charging pod~" Moon says, dragging out the O.
"What do you have to be so worked up over?" He says in a low giggle.
"Tell meee~. I will not stop. You are hiding something."
Sun has ripped the papers. His hold on them tight in the midst of trying so hard to escape the memories - trying his hardest to block Moon out. They have control over what the other robot inhabiting their mind at the time can see usually, but Sun still tries extra hard, straining to make sure it doesn't get out anyways.
Setting the papers down, gently. As gentle as possible to make up for how horribly he treated them. He couldn't hang these up anymore, could he? They were broken. He broke them. Sun doesn't want to break anything. He doesn't!
He wouldn't treat anything the way he was treated. He doesn't want to break anything. Nothing deserves to be in the state he was in. He doesn't want to break anything.
"I DON'T"
Sun yells into the empty room - voice box quivering and fizzing in the aftershock. Making his way over to the corner, the warmer.. corner. The corner is safe. He is safe.
Until Moon speaks again.
Moon teases a bit less this time around. "Sun." His voice echos in his head. "What is bothering you? Everyyyy single timee we recharge.. you end up like this. Tell me. It's hurting us both."
"What do you have to be so horribly broken over?"
The thoughts. The memories. Sun is tired. He's so tired - so when he slips and opens the floodgates, it hits them both harder than falling off their wire did the first couple of times. It's like their entire body has shut down. The only thing that exists in that moment, in that millisecond, is those memories at the manufacturing facility only Sun has ever been burdened with.
In the corner, Sun is curled in on himself, knees tucked up to his chest. He quakes against the wall, head burying itself into the corner. His rays are retracted to fit as securely and snugly into his faceplate. He's shaking. His fans are whirring. He's burning up. If only he could alleviate the bubble in his throat. It builds up and there's never a release that is satisfying.
If only he could cry.
If only they let him cry.
His mind is racing, and they both have to isolate themselves from each other to process reliving such an event. For Sun it wasn't anything unfamiliar, but it still hurts all the same. Burning. Ringing. So weak.
Moon is deafeningly silent. He's silent for the longest time. The internal clock Sun has reads 4:03am. The Superstar Daycare opens at 8am. He had plenty of time to collect himself.
An hour and forty-seven minutes have passed. Sun is still weak and so very numb. It feels like his limbs were the heaviest things he had ever lifted, and he was supposed to be strong. He did nothing but sit there during that time. Unmoving. Not even the occasional swaying or wobbling that he sometimes couldn't help but emote. Eventually, despite the debilitation, he was uncrumpling the papers, taping them up with scotch tape. He was finished in a few minutes.
Carrying the papers, slowly dragging his body towards the hole in the wall, he climbs through the horizontal slide and emerges in a somewhat barren, run-down room. It was a good size. He could stretch his arms out and still only be less than half the size of the room. The walls were horribly depressing, however, save for the hundreds of drawings covering it that the kids have made over the past 1 year, 4 months, 26 days, and.. Point made.
The wall is almost covered. The rest of the room is occupied with anything else he could find to make it a bit more comforting. Two purple and pink beanbag chairs in the farthest corners of the room, the arts and crafts materials inside the cardboard box off to the side he usually uses to pass the time, and a small plastic play table with a cracked corner and chipped paint. The room was slowly becoming bearably comfortable. He sits down on the blanketed floor, admiring the drawings. The damaged ones he had fixed up were barely noticeably broken. He felt better to relate to such drawings. Up close, it's noticeable. But as long as he puts on hIs act, and never gets too close - no matter how much he wishes to - he'll be okay.
The day went by normally, all besides Moon not speaking in the slightest. Sun could feel his presence. Like being watched, but inside of your own skull. Moon was processing everything still, noticeably blocking out Sun from delving into his own thoughts on the matter. Processing. He didn't come out for naptime, the override was initiated and the kids had to sleep in the light. They protested, but still got their Moondrop candies. Although Sun was incredibly energetic and couldn't stop twitching occasionally, ineffectively attempting to cease his innate, joyous wobbling, some fell asleep. Most didn't. His bedtime story was unintentionally loud and boisterous. Something about a lost princess with incredibly bright and vibrant long hair, trapped in a secluded little castle too high to escape from. The kids didn't fight too much, although he could feel Moon in the back of his mind shifting around, obviously the tiniest bit upset that most of the children weren't napping.
Sun would get talked down to, likely yelled at for initiating the naptime override without good reason. Not one he'd explain. Maybe he'd even sent to parts and service, but by now, he was used to it.
The last kid was handed off to the last parent. A father dressed in a checkerboard green and plaid shirt, different from this morning. It was dirty and stained just as his jeans, Sun couldn't help but fixate on. The facial recognition came back fine as well as all his other checks, so it was safe.
Watching over and playing with the kids - keeping them entertained, doing arts and crafts with them, doodling away his troubles. Puppet shows, googly eyes, glitter glue! It kept his mind mostly busy. Clean-up was his last real distraction until nightfall. He dragged it out, meticulously arranging all the boxes and chairs and toys and blankets and crafts and cubby drawers and everything in between! Clean-up. Clean-up. Clean-up. Clean-Up.
Freezing for a second, there was nothing left to do. It's been a little over two hours. He's wiped down every surface, organized every ounce of play-things. Folded the blankets, arranged the mats.
"Sun".
He grabs his head. His rays. Gently but firm. Retracting some as he curls down into his knees.
Before he knows it, he's made his way up to his room via the wire, and into the drawing room. Sinking down onto the beanbag, he waits.
"..Was that us?"
"Y-y..yes.." He strains.
"..I'm so sorry, Sunny."
There was nothing else to say. In a split second, Sun slipped. Just wanting the quiet after the jolt of discord and suffering he let play out to Moon and him both. All over again. Moon knew just as much as Sun did after the breakdown. He processed it throughout the day. Sun didn't want to talk about it any more than that. Neither did Moon. Not yet.
Moon was created a bit after Sun's AI and model was finished. The same things happened. Worse incidents. They didn't mess up and burden Moon with the memory of it all, unlike Sun. He tried. He really did. He was doing so good. SosososososososoSO good. He was being so good. He slipped. And for so long throughout the day, when he wasn't distracted, he felt like he was back in that chair. Waiting to be 'fixed' all over again.
It hurt so much to burden Moon with the same suffering.
Before Sun could begin to work up the courage to spastically apologize for sharing his suffering with Moon.. Warmth. Moon was there, comforting. Sun had never felt this from him before. He's always been terrified of the other AI living in his own body. Sharing it. Those next few hours they were both truly connected. Burdened. Moon would not verbally admit it, not now, but he loved Sun. They were closer than ever. Empathy. He fought so hard for him, all this time. What Sun had been fighting all those nights that he teased him about when they woke. Moon felt sick. He felt wrong. He felt so bad. And all he wanted to do was be there. Together.
What else is there to do.
For the first time, they would fall asleep outside of the charging pod. Moon comforting Sun and Sun doing the same for Moon until they awakened, still dazed in curious confusion as to how they slept.They slept. They rested without being forced into it by a glorified car battery.
They would ponder over the very first occurrence that'd remain just as rare later, but for now, they had to get ready.
On they went to start the day.
It was not all sunshine and rainbows. Over the next few days, Moon continued to ruminate over the events he was shown further. More. More. He oscillated between all the memories over and over again. He hid from Sun, going over and over in his own headspace what they did to him. What they did to Sun. The only thing Sun felt when Moon was hiding from him like this was bitter cold as he tried to reach out.
Sun still held out hope. He couldn't help it. Some of the staff working there around the daycare were at the very least.. Indifferent about him. They came and went, the ones at the counter above the daycare, helping the parents check in. They were more of a reassurance that there was a human working there. Sun could more than happily handle everything in the Daycare, but he was thankful for the occasional company when he walked the children out to their parents! The parents were never too interactive, some thanking him. Some ignoring him. Some glaring at him and giving him snide looks of fright or disgust. There was one desk attendant that Sun remembers being there not too long ago. They were only there for the Summer up until August or so. Sun would always make sure to greet them when he was up there! They would respond with a mock salute or a short "Hey, Sundrop.", before glaring back down into their phone. It was nice, and he looked forward to it every day! All until they weren't there anymore. The next person only granted him a glare here and there when Sun tried to greet him. The realization that the other person was not going to be there anymore sunk his wires and parts into the darkest pits of his abdomen. It hurt. He couldn't help it. If the kids were so nice (mostly), then why couldn't adults be! Surely not everyone was as.. horrible.. as. Them.
Maybe one day they'd station a person at the security desk inside the Daycare. He held out a couple ounces of hope. Just a few.
He still felt so horribly about the incident. He thought it was something he made up at first. But his memories are never foggy. They're oh so very vivid. Perfect. Perfect to hear every crunch. Every impact. The feeling of having no control over his body, and the next few seconds after he was able to move his arms and head, it was cradling a limp body until he blacked out once again.
Every single horrible event he tries to delete.
Did he deserve the treatment he received? Surely they were scared of him. Surely It was necessary. He had to. He had to. He had to go through that. He had to be punished. He deserved every ounce of pain that he received. He was a thing. This is how it is. This is how it will always be. This is how it had to be.
"Sun".
Moon was back. Sun was reaching for the box of crayons until dropping them whilst cleaning up at the end of the day.
"You didn't do anything wrong." The voice growls.
He forgot to block out Moon. He hadn't been there in a while, he forgot.
Before Sun could protest, Moon bursts out "No.. nono, It was NOT your fault!" He hissed. "That was notyou. You had no control over your body, nono.. You did not mean it. You did not deserve what they did to you. To us." The venom in his voice was acidic and corrosive.
Sun reached up to put the crayons into the proper box and slip it into the organized colorful little cubby amongst the others. "I'm.. I'm sOrry..!" silence. "I-It was a mistake. Anyways.. We- I wasn't even supposed to even remember any of it.. It wasn't their fault! They just.. They just did what was necessary, yes.. yes.." Sun argued, trying to convince himself almost as much as Moon.
Moon groans, upset. Angry. Frustrated. "Even here.. the mechanics.. the technicians here.. are all the SAMEeeeee…" Reverberating a low rumble in their minds. "That one.. With the red hair however.. Oh now now, what was his naameeee? He was different."
Sun protests, "Nonono! Please, M-Moon.. Y-you ca-"
Moon begins initiating playback of the recording in their shared headspace. Sun doesn't want to hear it. But he knows if he doesn't, Moon won't stop.
He doesn't stop.
"Hey Sundrop, If you'd just follow me, we need to do routine check-up and maintenance. Is that okay?" The man asks politely. Red dyed hair shining in the light below Sun as he flashes his maintenance badge for Sun to scan. Even as Sun towered over the man, he didn't seem to have any aversion to him whatsoever. Sun's hands held together fidgeting, he shakily mumbled an "O-ooH o-okay. That's okay, yes!"
The previous technicians.. were not very kind. Not at all like this person. All of them, so demanding. But he asked with a smile.
They both made their way to the Parts and Service room via the maintenance tunnels, Sun beaming and telling all about his day! What he drew, what arts and crafts the kids made along with him! How he lets some of the kids win in hide and seek although he can perfectly find them due to his sensors, but chooses not to! Oh gosh, this mechanic was the first person to be sososososososoSO kind to him! He was ecstatic, a new friend! Oh finally, new friend! He was beaming.
The man did only hum at Sun's ramblings, checking his FazWatch here and there, but Sun didn't mind. He was so excited to finally have a new friend!
Sun animated about, ducking expressively under the lower parts of the roof in the tunnels. They entered the Parts and Service room and Sun fizzled out and the intense gray aura that greeted him once again. He got a little bit too excited, forgetting where they were going. As the maintenance worker neared the control panel, he noticed Sun hanging back. Frozen, simply staring into the large glass capsule, directly at the chair inside of it that he was restrained in oh so many times before.
"Hey, what's the matter?" The man asked gently, gesturing for Sun to come closer.
Someone finally might listen to him.
"O-oh friend.. I-.." Sun shuffles awkwardly towards the man. "I'm just a bit nervous.. Is all. I.. Do we have to use the chair..? It's.. It's scary. And the restraints do not feel very good at all, no no.." Sun warbles, unsure if this question was appropriate to ask.
The man sighs, looking back up at Sun, "Okay.. I'll make a compromise with you, does that sound good?"
"Uhm.. Y-yea! Okay! I can do compromises! I love compromises! Anything for you friend!" Sun beamed cautiously.
"Alright, I'll try to do this as quickly as possible, I won't enable the restraints, but you do need to stay still for the machine to do its job. Got it buddy?"
"..Will it hurt?" Sun timidly, slowly squeaks out.
The man stares for a second, briefly checking his FazWatch. "Uh, they don't disable that? Your.. sensory.. processing, I mean. I thought that was standard procedure." He says, struggling a tiny bit to find the words for what dictates the animatronics sensory feedback. "Yeah, just hop in, get into position, and the machine should hook up and disable that. You won't feel a thing, bud."
Sun stares for a second before processing what the technician just said. "Do.. do you promise?" Sun shakily gestures out a pinky.
The technician doesn't hesitate to wrap his pinky around Sun's. "Promise."
Sun slowly steps into the capsule, looking back at the tech while wringing his hands nervously. He sits. He adjusts himself into the correct position, watching his new friend from the chair as hope finally burned brighter than ever.
"He promised. It'll be okay from now on." He reassures himself, despite Moon at the time protesting violently.
The sliding door shuts and seals. The clamps pull his frame into the seat. He's hooked up, but can still feel the grip on his wrists, legs, and head. It starts. The container is soundproof.
The audio record playing in their heads ends deafeningly. The ringing in Sun's ears as he snaps back to the bright colors of the daycare is just as loud. He can't hear the Daycare Theme.
"Sun.. They're all.. all the same.."