Hello!
I came up with a plan of sorts, it's probably not a good one, but I've never been one to have the best ideas.
I'm going to throw out a few new stories, ideas, possible beginnings.
Feedback is very much appreciated, depending on which stories get the most approval, ill continue with that style in the future.
With all that said, please enjoy!
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"Man…this place really is creepy at night" Ian spoke to himself, even though he's walked this hall countless times.
He turned the corner and entered the main party room, casually waving to the three robots on stage.
One of them waved back with a smile, the other two blew kisses at him with winks.
Ian chuckled and shook his head. 'Those girls, they just don't learn'
He continued to walk, passing by tables and chairs.
Soon he reached the prize corner, but that wasn't where he was heading.
He simply made a small detour for two things.
"Daddy!"
Ian sighed heavily.
"Please stop calling me that"
"But we're a family, right?"
Ian looked down at her, he had to remind himself time and time again, that she was a robot that looked like a young girl, and possessed the mentality of one.
"Yes, we're a family, but…"
Ian was having trouble just looking into her eyes.
How could he upset her?
"Never mind…"
The girl giggled and hugged his waist. "I love you daddy"
Ian patted her head. "I love you too"
She let him go and looked up at him. "You came here to wake mommy up, right?"
"Yeah, I did"
Ian stepped over and knocked on the box, overriding it's nighttime settings.
The music stopped, and the box opened.
"I was wondering what was taking you so long, darling"
"Sorry"
The tall woman stepped out of her box and pulled him into a hug.
"I'm happy you're still here"
"You say that every time, Mary"
"Because it's true"
"Can you let me go, please? I have a few other things I need to do"
"Fine"
Ian was let go, but not before being pulled into a kiss.
"Bye daddy"
Ian patted her head again as he walked away.
He entered a room not too far away, hearing a sound that always made him feel bad.
He walked over to the corner, and got down on a knee.
"Hey, I'm here"
"I-I-Ian?"
Her voice was warped and glitchy.
"Yeah, it's me" he gently laid a hand on one of her heads.
'The Mangle'
As management and employees refer to her, she used to be just like the three on stage.
But the children, the most rowdy and unruly ones, tore her apart every day.
He couldn't imagine what it felt like, being taken apart and put back together day after day.
They tried to fix her, but eventually gave up.
They left her like this, no preventative measures to ensure the children stop were taken.
She was never the same every night he visited her.
It upset him, but what could he do?
Ian was brought out of his thoughts by Foxy slowly and gently wrapping her body around him, the closest thing to a hug she could manage.
It surprised him a bit because she told him that it hurt to move.
The head that still held part of her face nuzzled against his.
"I'm ha-ha-happy that you ca-came back-ck-ck"
Nearly all of them say that when he visits them.
"I care for you, Foxy, I really do" he spoke softly to her. "It hurts me that they do this to you every day…to know you're always in pain"
"The pai-ai-ain isn't as-s bad when y-y-you are here"
"Foxy…"
She suddenly began to move off of him, back into the corner.
"You ha-ha-have other things to-to-to do"
Ian stood up. "I'll find a way to fix you, Foxy…I promise"
Ian walked out of the room, Mary and BG were silent as he passed.
They most likely watched from the doorway.
Ian walked back through the restaurant, past the stage, and down the hall.
He stopped outside of a door, one that read "Parts & Service"
Ian pushed open the door and stepped in, looking around at each figure in the room.
Slumped against a wall, or just laying sprawled on the floor.
He walked over to Freddy first, kneeling and clicking a button on his neck.
It always takes a second or two, but his eyes flickered with light, and they blinked a few times.
The bear's head turned slightly.
"Ian?" His voice was grating, but not glitchy.
"Hey"
His body twitched a few times, testing his own movements before sitting up.
Ian grabbed his hat and handed it to him.
"Thank you, for this, and for waking me up again"
"Don't worry about it, you guys deserve to freely walk around after all you've been through"
"I…say this a lot, but you are the only human to show us such kindness, to care for us this much"
"And I tell you that no one else knows the truth about you"
"Heh, that is true"
"Go ahead and join the others, I'll wake up your friends"
It took the bear a minute to stand up, Ian couldn't help because he was too heavy to lift.
Once Freddy was gone, Ian walked over to Bonnie.
Kneeling down and clicking a button.
Ian was almost excited to wake Bonnie up, because he had something for the bunny.
Just like Freddy, it took a second for the bunny's eyes to flicker on.
"Ian?"
"Yup, I'm back"
The faceless bunny looked in his direction, the lack of actual eyes made seeing difficult for him.
As Bonnie had described it: like looking through a thick red fog.
"I've got something for you"
"What?"
"I found something before my shift started" Ian held up the missing part of Bonnie's face, having found it in the hands of a child using it as a mask.
"Is that…?"
"It's your face" Ian took it and placed it back on the bunny's head, it clicked into place.
It wouldn't help him see any better, but it's better to have a face than to not.
His one arm raised up, using his broken hand to feel it.
"You are truly too kind to us, Ian"
His jaw still hung limply, and now only two red dots were visible where his eyes should be.
"I wish I could do more"
"I'm not sure you understand just how much your actions mean to us"
"Freddy is already out there, I'm sure you'd like to join him"
"Yes"
The bunny had an easier time standing up, having the wall to help him.
Once he was out of the room, Ian walked over to Chica.
She always had trouble getting up due to her lack of hands, but luckily she picked a spot where the wall could help.
He kneeled down, clicking a button and waiting a second.
Her eyes blinked a few times, then looked at him.
Her voice box was broken, which made her unable to speak.
The only sounds she could make were loud and screeching, like microphone feedback mixed with scraping metal.
She had no way to communicate anything, but Ian could tell by the look of happiness in her eyes, that if she could speak, she would say what all the others say.
Chica stood up and exited the room, Ian holding the door open for her.
Last but not least was Foxy.
Ian clicked the button, waiting a second for his one eye to open.
Once it did, he sat up.
"Arg! Thank all ye landlubbers fer comin to my show!"
Ian chuckled lightly, Foxy's only form of communication was picking pre-recorded voice lines that most closely related to what he wanted to say.
"You're welcome, I hope that one day I'll actually get to see one of your shows, along with the rest of your friends"
Now that the old ones were all active and freely doing what they pleased, his self-assigned duties were complete.
Now comes the most difficult decision, one he has to make every night after he finishes visiting and activating everyone.
He had to pick who he'd spend the rest of his shift with.
He had only two realistic choices: Toy Foxy, or Mary and BG.
He could hang out with everyone, but he felt it was better to pick one.
He made up his mind and began to walk through the building, passing a few of the old ones as he did.
They simply stood around here and there, not knowing what to do with themselves, they didn't have a purpose.
Their Toy counterparts mostly kept to themselves on their stage.
Though, every once in a while, Bonnie and Chica would find him and attempt to persuade him into…having fun, as they put it.
It never works, but they just don't give up.
He found Bonnie and Freddy standing together, just standing, not doing anything.
"Are you guys ok?"
"Oh, yes…we just…don't know what to do" Freddy responded.
There really isn't much to do around here, none of the games work because the place is shut down.
They can't do very much because of their old bodies.
They said it themselves, they're afraid that if they move around too much or too fast, they'll fall apart or break.
It was heart wrenching for Ian, they may not say it, but they're scared.
Scared to move, scared to touch or be touched.
Ian doesn't know how to fix robots, he doesn't have any sort of technological skills.
The engineers and technicians, people who are paid to fix them, won't fix them.
As far as management sees it, they're only good for parts.
As long as the Toys are functioning, they have no other reason to keep the old ones around.
If they ever tried to get rid of them, Ian would intervene, regardless of if it cost him his job.
No one would know…
No one would ever know the truth about them.
But if Ian ever found a way to fix them, he would give anything for it.
"I wish I had my other arm…at least then I could play my guitar" Bonnie's voice broke Ian from his thoughts.
The broken bunny's ears drooped.
"Hey, you guys didn't get to finish telling me about your days on stage, are you still willing to share?"
Ian used this as a way to help them keep their minds on happy memories instead of sad thoughts about themselves.
"Right, I don't mind at all, how about you, Bonnie?"
"I guess it's story time, just like those days"
The three of them sat down at a party table, Ian was genuinely interested in their history.
He sat and listened to their perspectives on their most memorable moments on stage.
The silliest parties, times when the children stole Freddy's hat, there were even a few times when they played a few pranks on the staff.
Soon, Ian's watch beeped.
The talking ceased, Freddy and Bonnie knowing what that beeping meant.
"I guess it's time…"
"It is, you guys go tell the others, I'll see you soon"
They both nodded and got up, along with Ian, then walked in separate directions.
The Toys were already on stage and frozen, Ian waved at them and kept moving.
He made it to the prize corner, then was hugged around his waist.
"Daddy…"
"I know, I'll see you tonight" Ian patted her head and looked at the box.
Closed and playing a soft melody.
BG got back into her spot and picked up her sign and balloon.
Ian walked into Kid's Cove, going right over to the corner.
"It's time, Foxy"
"A-already-y-y?"
"Yup, I'll see you again tonight" Ian laid a hand on one of her heads and rubbed it a bit.
That head would most likely be in a different place when he comes back.
He made his way to Parts & Service, finding the old animatronics in their spots.
They all looked at him as he entered, it always made him feel a bit awkward.
One by one, he shut them off, promising them that they'll wake up again tonight.
Once that was done, he walked down to the office and grabbed his bag.
Then he waited by the front door.
It wasn't long until the bell sounded, and Ian stepped out of the restaurant.