BLOODSTAINED * ROSE

A REASON. She was looking for a REASON the animatronics moved at night; a REASON that so many people had come up INJURED or MISSING. Why was it that nobody WANTED the night guard position…? Colton had an answer for every one of those questions, and even though she seemed like she could be TRUSTED, the pizzeria’s secret was something he guarded with his LIFE–

“Well, uh—”

“Y-A– AAAAR, m-m-mateyyyy… Wh-Why don’t ya t-t-t— TELL th-th lass wh– what sh-sh-sh— she WANTS t’knowwwwwww…”

Oh, he could’ve KILLED Ryan all over again. He cast a STERN glance at the pirate fox, whose glitchy, stuttering voice echoed through the empty pizzeria. TELL HER WHAT SHE WANTS TO KNOW. It seemed his brother had taken a liking to Selah; maybe she could help them in some way.

The night guard cleared his throat awkwardly before turning to face Selah. Now to figure out how to phrase the UNIQUE situation that he had found himself in. “S-So, uh… Th-The ‘rumors’ a-about the m-murdered k– kids? Th-They’re… NOT… rumors. A-And, um… s– same with the, uh…. th-the animatronics b-being, um… HAUNTED. Th– That’s… That’s true, t-too.”

she had not expected for foxy ,  or should she say ryan with what colton just revealed ,  was on her side .   he was actually happy to reveal this secret that would cause this place to shut down if it were to leave the building .   or her lips but she was trusted ,  trust was a big thing for her .   if the animatronics ,  the children  &&  colton trusted her ,  she would not break that trust .     ❛  that so. i had a feeling that was true, you’re not really good at hiding things colton. you slipped up a few times.  ❜

“T-TECHNICALLY…….” Colton cast a glance over his shoulder at the other stage. Bonnie and Chica had turned their heads towards Pirate’s Cove, though Freddy remained facing forward, slack-jawed and eyes still focusing on an imaginary crowd. He supposed it wouldn’t HURT to let her in on a few secrets. “S-Some of the rumors a-are… true. L-Like, uh… th-the animatronics DO m-move around a– at night, and…” His nerves were starting to GET TO HIM; his stutter became slightly more prevalent. 

“A-And they, uh… HAVE hurt s-some people… b-before.”

It took him a second to realize that that actually sounded HORRIBLE, and maybe this wasn’t the BEST way to present this information. “B-But, um… Th-They’ve never c– come after, uh… ME. Not m-me. F-For SOME r– reason.” Colton was happy to tell her that much, if only to keep her relatively CAUTIOUS while being in the pizzeria after midnight, but the MISSING CHILDREN and their SPIRITS where another story altogether. He had slipped up once; he wouldn’t do it again.

“Th-That’s why I-I’m the… m-main one on n– night sh-shift now. B-But I don’t m– mind.”

some rumors were true .   animatronics did move after hours ,  that was proven right before ,  from a glance towards the main stage ,  she had seen bonnie  &&  chica move their head towards them ,  or pirate’s cove really .   she wasn’t sure where their eyes were locked on .   but if that rumor was correct ,  what of the one where children inhabited the animatronics ??   if that were true ,  that would explain ‘how’ the animatronics were able to move ,  spirits possessing empty bodies.     ❛  this is their home now, of course they’d move once people are gone. and ... they must have their reasons for hurting others. there’s always a reason.  ❜

“Y-Yeah, Ryan k-kinda gets—” Oh, NO. He paused–possibly for a little TOO long–and then scrambled to fix his mistake. “F-FOXY. Foxy kinda g– gets… c-carried away s-sometimes. M-Might be the r-reason he’s BROKEN s-so often.” Hopefully she wouldn’t question his SLIP UP. It was incredibly difficult to discern the animatronics from the kids who had DIED inside of them; truthfully, the robots had somehow picked up little aspects of Becky, Ryan, Jeremy, and Gabriel, integrating them into their showtime personalities. 

Hands in his pockets, Colton shrugged his shoulders, turning to face the other three animatronics onstage as Foxy was finishing up his act. “I-I, uh… Not sure. Th-They might b-be,” he admitted, a little HESITANT to say too much about their BEHAVIORS. She had to have known about the rumors for her to say something like that… “I hope y-you’re not… afraid. P-People spread l-lots of… g-gossip about th-this place that… i-isn’t QUITE true.”

Well, MOST of it’s true, Colton. Why don’t you tell her THAT?

ryan ??   that name came out of the blue .   &&  from the context ,  that name belonged to foxy .   were the rumors of how the animatronics were haunted by the spirits of children ,  or the one where children were stuffed into the suits correct ??   colton seemed to know more then he had shown .   but if the latter rumor was correct ,  wouldn’t there still be parts inside the foxy suit ??   so many questions she wanted to ask but all she did ,  at the slipup was give him a look .   she’d ignore it for now but place a pin on it .   maybe later .     ❛  maybe. he seems the most exited of the bunch, right now anyway.  ❜

He was right– just a few disconnected wires tonight. Nothing that would take very long to fix, and certainly nothing that would have an effect on his show programming. Making some last tweaks, Colton tossed a glance over his shoulder. “Y– Yeah. All g-good. Thanks.” The night guard stepped back, closing Foxy’s chest cavity until he heard a sharp CLICK. It wasn’t exactly uncommon for him to have someone spend the night shift with him at Freddy’s, but it was very rare for them to actually want to get that CLOSE to the animatronics.

In one quick movement, Foxy blinked himself awake; the fox’s jaw began to open and close, his eyepatch fluttered, his foot started to TAP TAP TAP on the stage, the hook on his hand spun around in place. (Boy, Ryan sure was going to be a SHOW OFF tonight.) It was then the fox finally began to SING, and Colton moved over to stand by Selah and admire their handiwork.

“H-He’s quite… s– something when he’s w-working, huh?” There was a pause, his foot quietly tapped against the stage in time with Foxy. “I-I’m… surprised that th-the others haven’t, um… st-started to MOVE yet. M-Might be because… y-you’re here. I-I don’t mind them being… quiet, but– I-It IS a little odd.”

he sure knew his way around the wires  &&  animatronics .   it hadn’t even taken him long to fixing the insides ,  only a few minutes before he gave her the okay ,  prompting her to lower the flashlight .   he sure was skilled ,  she wondered why he was working here though .   with his skillset ,  he could be out there ,  fixing more important things .   perhaps whatever affection he held towards this place held him back .   she understood that notion .   but boy ,  was the click rather loud ,  emerald orbs blinking once before placing the flashlight back in its box .   here’s hoping foxy was fixed for the night .

The forest at night brought solace to the werewolf, her paws padding through the foliage as she kept her nose alert to any new smells.  She could hear rustling in the distance, some noises from small animals foraging for food or predators seeking out their next meal.  A wolf always felt home in the woods, but the times Vaidya would engross herself in Mother Nature itself, she sometimes forgot she could be humanoid.

A strange smell hit her nose, her entire body tensing up as she halted in her tracks.  She slowly shifted from the upright position of her werewolf to the form of a wolf, shaking out her coat as she scanned the horizon, exhaling a snort.  Brows furrowed as tried to pinpoint scent exactly.  

For now, she remained still, the small breeze ruffling her fur.

she had needed an out .   lopter had been breathing down her neck ever since that little misshap ,  where she had let someone live a little too long .   of course she had hunted them down the moment she realized her mistake but that was enough for him to be ‘ disappointed ’ at her .   so she had traveled just out of town ,  on her bike ,  where the woods started before going on foot .   while it was dangerous ,  the woods ,  she wasn’t worried .   she had a knife on hand in case anything were to jump her ,  humans especially ,  while wildlife normally stayed away .   as long as she was quiet ,  nothing could go wrong .

Colton drew the purple curtains back from Pirate’s Cove and carefully set his tools down at the edge of the stage, trying not to make too much noise. The band hadn’t started up and nobody was wandering around the main area of the pizzeria; the kids must’ve realized that there was somebody new in their midst. “F-Fredbear (y-y’know, the one you s-saw in the other r-room?) is my f– favorite. B-But…” He hopped up onto the stage, swiping a wrench and a pair of pliers from his stash. “Bonnie was a-always… a close s– second.”

“D-Don’t be, uh… a-afraid t’come up here, b– by the way. H-He’s a little g-glitchy, b-but you’ll be… f-fine.” A hand reached up to pat Foxy’s arm, and he moved around to the fox’s front, pressing a button on the animatronic’s side to pop open the chest cavity. What a relief there was no more bits of RYAN left inside of the creature… and that the smell had finally gone away. He couldn’t imagine having to explain that to Selah; that would be such a drag.

“I-I think some wires got d– disconnected. Easy fix. Y-You wanna, um… c-come hold the f-flashlight for me?”

❛  everyone loves fredbear. he’s the center of attention after all.  ❜     colton certainly was trusting .   he just opened up pirate’s cove for her without hesitation , even showing her how to open up the animatronic .   did he have no sense of suspicion ??   it was rather ... nice really , to meet someone without that innate wariness .   in a way ,  he reminded her of halvor ,  but not as much .   halvor would never work with things that had rumors tied to them .   he was suspicious of those after all .

“Th-These guys mean a– a lot to me.” His mouth quirked into a small smile. “I-It wouldn’t be right to just… l-let them get run down, y– y’know?” He stuffed a small variety of tools into his pockets and walked back towards the door, giving the Fredbear suit a soft pat on the shoulder as he passed. Hopefully being in the Service room for a while would keep Cassidy quiet; he tried to move the suit around on his shift so she wouldn’t get too riled up. 

Colton made sure to leave the door open a crack behind him, and motioned for his new companion to walk with him once again. “N– Nice to m-meet you, too.” The pizzeria was just about closed now, it appeared that his other co-workers on the day shift had finally cleared out and locked up, leaving him to do the dirty work, as usual. Only the main stage lights and the lights at Pirate’s Cove were still on when they returned, but those and a flashlight would be all he’d need.

“S-So, uh… why s-so interested in– in Foxy? N-Normally… i-it’s Freddy th-that everyone w– wants t’see. H-Him being the… ‘main man’ a-and all. A-And it’s not like Foxy is the, um… f-friendliest-looking of the b– bunch.

H– He was my brother’s f-favorite, too, though.”

it was more than just ‘ meaning a lot ’ to him .   she saw the affectionate smile he gave towards the suit ,  the touch .   there was a story behind this .   or perhaps he was a believer of the folklore ,  of when a child throws away a beloved toy ,  they would come back to haunt them .   or maybe he was paying respect to the children who died here ??   who knew really but he certainly piqued her interest .   so ,  just before the door closed ,  she would give the suit the slightest of nods ,  a greeting ,  a small sign of respect in response to the ‘ children ’ rumor .     ❛  understandable. they’re lovely animatronics that make children smile.  ❜

     ❝ Beats  me!   I  was  about  to  ask  you  the  same  thing——  so,  it  looks  like  we  BOTH  don’t  have  the  answers  for  that  one,  kid. ❞      Brown  eyes  were  wide  in  awe,  taking  the  whole  situation  in,  as  he  meets  eye  contact  with  the  human.   Pikachu  took  a  few  steps  forward  himself  with  a  tilt  of  his  head,  choosing  to  ignore  the  Purrloin.

     ❝ When  I  try  to  talk  to  anyone  else,  all  they  hear  is  “ PIKA  PIKA “ .   You’re  the  first  to  understand  me.   I  mean—  ACTUALLY  understand  me. ❞

strange .   really strange .   pokemon weren’t supposed to speak ,  not without telepathy  &&  a pikachu couldn’t learn that move .   lips were pursed ,  hand running through her burgundy locks .     ❛  what a weird day this is. okay then, let’s start from the top.  ❜   ignoring the whole understanding each other part ,  or trying to .     ❛  you’re a detective. or your partner is a detective, right?  ❜

“I– Uh… I try t-to go around at least… once. Per night. Ch– Check on everyone.” He tried to make it sound casual, choosing not to bring up the fact that he was still cleaning out decayed flesh and bone from a decade prior that had gummed up the inner workings of the beloved band of animatronics. “Th-These versions are a-a little… OLD. S-So they need e-extra care.”

Colton backtracked to the Parts and Service room, leaving the door open for his guest, should she choose to come in with him– he’d completely understand if she didn’t WANT to. The floor was cluttered with endoskeletons; one of the older Springlock Fredbear suits sat limp on a table in the middle of the room, empty eye sockets staring into space, its jaw open wide. Digging around in the cabinets, Colton pulled together a couple tools that he’d need to get Foxy up and running (and hopefully Ryan would cooperate, too.)

“S-So, uh… Wh-What’s… your name? I-I’m– I’m Colton.”

❛  quite diligent of you. not many people would actually do their job properly.  ❜     slackers ,  the lot of them .   but she supposed in this line of work ,  even the slightest mistake when it comes to checking up an automatic machine ,  could cause quite some legal problems for this place  &&  the person in charge of doing the checkup .     ❛  everything needs a little love and care to get them working again.  ❜

A little smile tugged at the corner of his mouth – a RARE thing for Colton. He shook his head at her question, brushing it off. “I-I’ll be fine, r– really. N-Nobody really… c– cares. What happens on th– the night sh-shift.”

Not to mention… My dad co-owns the place.

There were plenty of people who came into the pizzeria right before closing time, hoping to sneak a peek at the animatronics as the clock struck midnight. Usually, they weren’t allowed to stay, though there had been a few that… twisted his arm, so to speak. This one, however… Her interest in Foxy intrigued him; he was sure it had caught RYAN’S attention, as well.

“C-C’mon. I-I have to s– swing by the P-Parts and Service r– room and g-grab my tool kit. Th-Then we’ll see if we c-can’t get Foxy up a– and running.”

nobody really cared what happens on the night shift ??   now that didn’t sound right .   the rumors were different .   maybe she had missed something .   oh well ,  she was given the opportunity to see foxy moving again .   that was a one in a million chance  &&  she wasn’t going to waste it .   her gaze moved to foxy for a moment before turning to the security guard ,  smiling ever so slightly .

Foxy had never been his favorite; no, that was Ryan’s (both in life, and in DEATH.) Though, he couldn’t deny that he did have a bit of a soft spot for the fox due to his current circumstances, what with his brother’s BODY and SOUL inhabiting the brightly colored pirate. Colton cleared his throat softly and stepped up beside the young woman, looking up at the closed-off Pirate’s Cove stage, his arms folded across his chest.

“I– I-If you want… I can– t-take you, uh… b-backstage,” he offered, casting a quick glance down at his wristwatch. Ten minutes to midnight– there was time. And even if the clock struck twelve, he’d begun to trust the animatronics a bit more than he used to; now that the ghosts inside were able to communicate–had a guard they could TRUST–they were less… 

MALICIOUS.

“S-Sometimes, i-if I t– tweak the w-wiring… h-he WORKS for a l-little while. I-It wouldn’t t-take… much.”

oh ??   he was offering to take her backstage to see him fiddle with foxy .   that was quite an offer ,  going backstage especially .   from what she recalled ,  the security at the pizzaria was quite tight .   the rumors even stated how this place was haunted with the souls of children .   interesting ,  curious ,  perhaps this place was haunt ,  especially seeing how he gave a glance towards his watch .   something was going to happen ,  or supposed to happen at midnight .   let’s see if she can stay until then ,  to see if these rumors were true .

Hiding? Why would she be hiding from other students? Yusuke finished his brushstroke before responding to her. 

“Campus is hardly an appropriate place to be playing games. Unless… are they harassing you?”

Yusuke poked his head out around the canvas, that thought had caught his full attention. A student being harassed like that would be a completely unusual for Kosei’s student body. If that was the case Yusuke is concerned, the students would not be prepared if an outbreak of vile behavior started to spread. He turned and gave the woman his undivided attention.

 her  features  are  awash  with  relief,  shadow  of  uncertainty  finally  receding.  makoto  nods  with  an  affirmative  hum;  with  selah  there  to  ‘supervise’,  the  prospective  hot  chocolate  ought  to  be  perfect,  tailored  just  to  her  liking.  

 the  marshmallows  remain  where  they  are,  a  fate  not  at  all  shared  with  the  now  deposited  whipped  cream  —  back  into  the  bag  it  goes.  “  we  can  probably  get  away  with  roasting  them  too,  if  you’d  like.    ”  the  marshmallows  —  much  like  in  the  movies  or  stories  told  in  passing.  hopefully,  fellow  party  attendees  won’t  mind  the  scent  of  something  slightly  burnt  and  sweet  meandering  in  the  air.  “  if  we’re  feeling  adventurous,  we  can  even  make  a  separate  cup  that  isn’t  anything  like  the  traditional  recipe.  ”

      “I– I’d be… CAREFUL–”

It was closing time at Freddy Fazbear’s, and Colton was making his rounds, checking to make sure there was nobody left in the pizzeria besides himself; he was almost ready to lock up for the night shift. He’d found her at Pirate’s Cove, seemingly drawn to the red fox that peered out from behind his purple velvet curtain.

      “F-Foxy is– i-is TEMPERAMENTAL. H-He’s been, uh… out of order for a l-little while now. I-I’ve been… TRYING t-to fix him. S-So watch y– your FINGERS.”

the pizzeria was an interesting place for her .   she’s never been ,  of course ,  it wasn’t a luxury she had as a child .   but the animatronics ,  now those interested her .   more specifically ,  foxy ,  the pirate .   she had a soft spot for the vulpine family ,  possible on pare with the canine’s for her .   so ,  to find out that foxy was out of order ,  when she had come to visit it was a little sad .   so she sought him out herself ,  catching a glimpse of the fox through the curtain .   what a sight he was .   but a person ,  a security guard perhaps ,  stopped her from stepping closer ,  warned her about his  ...  traits.

｢ anon ｣  /  𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒕  /  accepting !

currant: what’s something that absolutely disgusts your muse (can be a person, place, thing, ect)?

anyone who harms their / her family. family is a big thing for her after all.

acacia: how much does it take for your muse to hate someone?