"Oh, there's a bird." Dollface lifted her borrowed dress's hem higher so she could see it better after a boring morning of church services, a knitting bag over her shoulder.

A Goldfinch.

A dead Goldfinch.

"Is it pretty?" Gramma asked.

Dollface lifted up a Victorian boot and nudged the bird with the pointed leather toe. The boots were also borrowed.

Both articles from Princess's girlfriend, who didn't approve of Dollface's Hawaiian shirts and billed caps that made her look like a boy.

Dollface put her hands on her slim waist, shifting her weight. She looked into the late May sky, tapping her foot on the concrete.

It was dead.

Very dead.

"It's dead, Gramma."

Extremely. Michael added.

Gramma didn't hear him.

"Oh dear." Gramma shook her head, "Must'a hitta window an'died."

That doesn't sound right, Michael said as Dollface looked up at the kitchen window high overhead. She stood at the bottom of the gravel driveway, basement partially unearthed.

"Could you move th'poor dear fer me?"

Dollface looked around for leaves or old paper litter around but couldn't find anything.

Just pick it up, babe'gurl.Okay.

Dollface dropped her skirt and carefully grabbed it, a straw hat also borrowed from Lily's closet falling over her eyes.

With her free hand, she pushed it back, eyes never leaving the bird.

It was surprisingly light and felt like a boney marshmallow.

Without thinking, she began petting it and inspecting the beak.

It still had seed, its beak, greasy from the homemade suet Gramma left out for the week.

How amazing was it that a bird could just…

….Fly.

They could just do that, and she found that enviable.

Dollface stroked the little yellow and black head, watching it's neck loosely shake around as she did.

Put it down, Dollie, let it be.Okay.

Dollface stumbled into the backyard, watching her shadow as she climbed down rocks and bumpy lawn, the bird cradled carefully in both hands. She supposed she looked like a gauzy butterfly because of the dress.

Or maybe a bird, like the one she was holding.

She looked around.

Other than more of Gramma's garden and the opened gate, there was nowhere to put it.

Maybe she could put it in the looser soil for fertilizer?

Dollface heard a shuffling and her ears perked up. She ran over to the little concrete blocks and climbed them to peer over the fence and see her neighbor, Tanaka puttering in his garden.

His garden was set up like something from a Japanese cartoon or a fairytale, full of manicured topiaries and blossoming trees, with stone fountains and everything else needed to be enchanting.

Tanaka ran a garden center across town and Gramma gushed about it often. She even bought a few of his more exotic edible plants, and was currently considering buying a set of Japanese Spider Lillies.

"Hi Mr. Tanaka!"

Good idea.

The shine grew a bit brighter as Tanaka turned and set his slim watering can down. He tottered to the fence with a chuckle.

"And what does the extraordinary child need this fine day?" He asked, voice rising in an accent.

"There's this bird an'Gramma wanted me t'put it somewhere." Dollface explained, "Can you find a place?"

"Why of course." Tanaka said as she lowered the bird into his dirty gardening gloves.

"Thank you!" Dollface nodded, smiling.

She jumped down from her concrete blocks and looked over Gramma's garden.

I think I'm gonna get that job, she said without talking. I think it'll be a nice change.I don't like that guy.

Confused, Dollface asked, Which one?

Michael clarified, The fat one.

Michael, that's mean!

She could feel Michael scowling. He added, Something's off about him, I know it.

Dollface put her hands on her hips, jutting her chin up insolently, "Well, Gruncle Barney ain't payin' me'r Izzy very good, so I say it's time t'move on."

She could hear Michael grumbling as she went inside through the backdoor, letting Courage out as she did.

Courage found one of the dwarf apple trees and lifted a leg, a look of doggy ecstasy on his face as he did so.

Dollface entered her room, getting ready to change into a polo and slacks for her interview, and Michael stopped her; Aren't you forgetting something?

"Oh shit!" Dollface said, "You're right! I forgot t'wash m'hands!"

"Sir?"

Dollface trailed behind the man in the purple polo shirt. She'd figured out quickly that he was the William Afton, one of the founders of Fazbear Entertainment.

He was her idol.

Just like Nolan Bushnell, the Atari employee who'd founded Pizza Time Theater was! She loved animatronics, ever since she saw a TV special on them a couple years back and was instantly mesmerized by the inner-workings of Disney's Undersea Voyage Serpent and ChuckE Cheese's.

Michael watched carefully. He'd reluctantly agreed to let her come here and get applications after she'd eaten lunch and made a few phone calls

"Fine. Whaddya want?" He turned around with an annoyed glare. It quickly softened, "Oh, it's you."

About time he turned around!

Dollface could sense Michael squinting suspiciously.

She scolded him.

Afton had just been caught off guard.

"Well um, sir..." Dollface rocked on her heels and tried not to stand on her tiptoes from nervousness. "My friends an' I were thinkin' maybe we could work here when it reopens."

He raised a bushy eyebrow and smiled. "Kid, how old are you?"

"F-fifteen. Most of m'friends are, too. Princess turned sixteen back in March, if it helps." Dollface added without having to think, "I'll be sixteen soon too!"

"Henry!" She jumped at William's sudden sharp yell.

The shorter man with his dopey gaze prairie dogged from behind a doorway. "Yes Will?"

"Get a couple'a job applications for the little lady here!"

"Yes sir!" Henry said with a goofy salute.

Dollface gasped. Henry Emily AND William Afton?

Here?

In this town?

Together?????

She felt like she'd just met Wilbur and Orville Wright! These men were like Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney! The creators of the Charles Entertainment Cheese!

Hold yer horses, Dollie-gurl, it's just a job.

Henry handed Will the applications, then said, "Not sure about that fox thing. I think I could get it up to speed. Just need to retrofit most of the-"

Henry cut himself off, saying, "Hey wait, how'd she even get in here?"

"Mike let me in." Dollface said, rocking on her heels and batting her eyes. Didn't everyone's favorite cousin's uncles let them into restaurants?

Will and Henry looked at Mike, who smiled and finger waved at them condescendingly.

"I'm always leavin' m'stuff here, so he lets me in a lot." She rocked in heels, unable to hold still any longer, letting the extra energy out by flapping her hands a little bit, "And since he's String Bean's uncle, it's okay!"

Calm down, yer talkin' too much now!

Mike raised his blond eyebrows and waggled them over his watery blue eyes. He always had a secret mischief streak, and it was coming back out now that he was beginning to move on.

Will glared at Mike, then ran an extended finger over his neck in the universal sign of 'don't test me'.

Dollface giggled. She'd missed that about him. She could feel the day's token, a Japanese coin, strung around her neck, that he'd sent over when stationed in the Okinawa prefecture.

"Okay, just fill 'em out and hand 'em to Jeremy, and thing's will set themselves out." Explained Henry who was pointing at the different lines, "This is just the basic stuff, put your-"

"Oh, we know how t'fill out applications!" Dollface said, grabbing the papers, "This'll be a secon' job fer most o'us."

Dollface smiled up at the two men, more than happy to start her new job as a member of the Fazbear Family. Henry picked his jaw up off the floor and smiled, waving as she skipped through the glass door.

Mike grinned, happy to help.