#puppllora

It's officially been five years since I began posting Freedom AU on the internet! (I say on the internet, because I published it first on Quotev, this day five years ago, but didn't actually bring it to Wattpad until like August 29th of 2021 sooo-)

Five years is kinda wild for a fanfic series. Five years of the same AU fan media that I've just been writing and drawing on my little corner of the internet. While sometimes I feel like I could've spent those five years making a fully original series, I quickly remind myself that these haven't been five years wasted. A lot has good has come about from Freedom AU, and not gonna lie, I wanna see what more can come of it if I give it another five years.

Y'all are hearing it here first, we're gonna get to "10 Years of Freedom AU" or my creativity will die trying! (Which if that happens that means something very wrong has happened to me, and you have my full permission to freak out UvU).

Buuuut for now, we're just celebratin' the milestone of five years. As always, with a fun portrait! (I swear I always feel like I'm excluding characters in these portraits, but when you've got like over 28 characters making up the main cast, y'a can't include everyoneee TvT)

Thought it'd be nice, this year, to pose us all somewhere that wasn't an unidentified room with a couch, or some pastel colored void where we all just stand. So, we're all up at the front of the Fazbear-Grant Freedom Sanctuary!

Lil detail to point out, Gus is on a stool behind me. He is, in fact, not that tall, but when I was sketching I didn't know where to squeeze him in. (The sides of the image cut off exactly where the page does lol). So he has a stool, if you look closely-

That's all for my yapping. It's been a great five years, and with every chapter I post, I just grow closer to this little AU I created and its characters—OC or not. And for as much fun as I have planning, and writing, and making art for this AU, I'm also happy it's got some readers who enjoy the series.

So, thank you for reading! Hope to see y'all follow along with where ever I take this AU in the future 💜

I'd also like to give a special thanks to le followin' peeps~~

✧ @kittytoasteere who I met through writing Freedom AU. She understands this AU as well as I do, and has gotten me to think more improv(?)/creatively/outside-the-box about the characters and the world building, over the last year especially, mostly via "what if" scenarios. Plus she's just fun to bounce ideas off of, and y'all can find some of her art sprinkled in various books ✨

✧ @sweetlilbirb who's a regular reader of Freedom AU. You're awesome, absolutely never change! ⭐

𝔸𝕟𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕒𝕥, 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖'𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝕪𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕠𝕗 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕕𝕠𝕞 𝔸𝕌! 🎉🎂🎈

✧ ✧ ✧

𝙁𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙢 𝘼𝙐 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩!

"Bal," Baby looked over her shoulder to give her older sister a small, pleading look. "Sorry," Ballora apologized, walking up to her younger sister's side. She placed her hands on her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I'm off to get some sleep. How about you?"

"Sounds nice, I'm tuckered out." Baby replied, getting up from her vanity's stool. Ballora wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they left the dressing room—now bound for their practice room.

While walking the halls of the facility, Baby took a glance up into the rafters. She saw no one, though she knew her voice would carry with an echo. "Thank you!" Ballora gave her sister a side glance. "Goodnight, Ennard!"

"Sleep tight, Ennard!" Funtime Freddy echoed in turn as Ballora and Baby passed their room. Ballora gave the Funtime brothers a smile and a passing "goodnight, you three." Her and Baby made it to their own room soon after.

Ballora made her way onto the makeshift cot she and Baby shared, allowing her sister to get settled at her side once she, herself, was comfortable.

"Was that another stick note?" Ballora wondered, giving her sister a small grin. Baby shook her head a little, sporting a smile of her own. "... Yeah."

"What'd he say?"

"Said my new party bit was fun." Baby answered. Ballora hummed. "Very nice of him." Her sister gave a shrug. "Yeah, he is nice." A yawn from Baby followed.

Ballora, brushing a few stray locks of bangs from her sister's face, said to her, "Sleep well. Love you, Ells."

"... Love you too, Bal'."

The two were off again to the building's roof acces, Baby watching them quietly as they left the hallway through an 'Employees ONLY' door. An uncertain expression had settled in her gaze. This developing situation bringing on her confusion.

After all, the new guy had only been here a handful of months. No one had ever heard of him before. But suddenly, Baby began catching on to their flirtful quips—even if they were subtle and cordial about it. But she didn't miss the way this stranger charmed her sister, and how Ballora showed no opposition to it.

Baby could also tell how the Marionette did seem to make Ballora smile. And the ballerina's extra joy in her disposition as of late likely wasn't a coincidence, either.

Sighing to herself, Baby quietly returned to her's and her sister's room.

Someone was there when she walked in. Baby held her tongue from ordering the person out when she quickly realized it to not be one of the Funtime Brothers. The green & yellow party hat wasn't hidden by a dark hood, while even if it had, Baby still would've recognized him.

"Ennard?" (keep reading)

"You do?" She looked him in the eye, her certainty clear as she said, "With all my SOUL."

Nat briefly set his partially woven flowers aside, reaching to wrap his arms around his mom in a hug. His younger brother did the same, and quickly, Sana had her arms wrapped around her sons—holding them closely in a reassuring hug.

A hug which Pyped watched from the treeline, a faint smile about him as he watched his family. Only glad he'd been able to help Sana arrange a night of flower weaving with their sons. Heaven knows how sorely needed the activity was needed, Py could tell in his wife's voice when she'd told him her idea.

The hug lasted several minutes. Until Sana knew she'd reassured her sons enough. After they slowly let go of her, the three carried on with their flower crowns.

To Puppet's surprise, Nat had finished his flower crown creation first. He quietly brought attention to it when he carefully placed it on his mother's head with a smile. Quiet laughs were shared between the two, before Nat offered the remaining flowers he'd picked to Puppet, who happily used them for his own flower creation.

Bracelets, which now matched the crown Nat had made. Soon enough, their mother was decorated with enough flowers to nearly match the way her sons saw her SOUL's nature. A beautifully gentle clement and kind SOUL, who both Puppet and Nat knew loved them always.

There was always an added difficulty whenever he tried making a bracelet with twigs. No matter how bendable the twig, it was never the same as weaving the stems of colorful flowers together. Nor did it really look as nice, though the point was more to distract himself from his own mind than it was to look nice.

The woods barely had flowers. Not that he could ever find, anyways.

And a twig-woven bracelet was uncomfortable on his wrist. Yet, he always pushed the discomfort down in favor of remembering when his mother first taught him how to weave flowers in a steady way, to make whatever creation his imagination could conjure up.

He didn't have as creative an imagination anymore, not now. And he found that his attempts at making anything only wound up working half as good, being easy to come apart entirely if he attached the ends the wrong way... something which only happened to his attempted creations more and more often.

At least he even could do bracelets. Bracelets made from twigs. Where the only thing which stayed the same being his mother's method.

The feeling of the folded quilt being hugged against his chest while he stood watching easily took away from the feeling of the twig-woven bracelet on his wrist. Even as he did idly fidget with it anyways.

A very gentle, cautious touch was used as he carefully plucked the brown and wilting leaves from the stem of the potted bluebell plants. He worked on the plant just as she'd shown him, gathering the leaves in the palm of his hand to dispose of afterwards.

Once finished, the bear gently prodded the flower plant's soil with one finger. He nodded to himself, satisfied by the soil's moisture.

Stepping back from the bluebells, he took one more look about the small flower shop, which he'd been trusted with running for the time being. All looked to be as it should, now that it was closed for the remainder of the evening.

From the wooden stool where he sat, the small bunny said, "We're set to go home for the night, Gus." His friend turned to look at him. "Perfect." He chirped. "I'll just make sure the door is locked," Gus continued, turning towards the shop's front entrance. "And then we-"

The door—mistakenly left unlocked—was pulled open. Gus' stride paused as the other bear entered. "Hi, Gold." Gus greeted with a smile. "Hello to you, Gus. How was my sister's shop today?"

"Really good!" Came Gus' glad reply. "Today had the most sales so far this week." Gold smiled subtly at that. "Happy to hear, Francine'll be glad when I tell her."

For a moment, Gold idly glanced around at the well kept flowers and plants—which left the quaint shop with a pleasant aroma. He had a tiredness in his dark eyes. (keep reading)

Scene III:

He retrieved his still-ablaze-candle from the end table, and made to leave the room for the rest of the night.

He hoped the walk back to their chambers... a walk he felt reluctant to make as he felt guilty not returning to sleep with his wife as he said he would... he hoped his thoughts would be cleared enough by the time he made it. So he could try well to sleep until sun rise.

On his way to their chambers, Puppet walked by several windows, which ran along the length of one hallway. The beams of moonlight shining onto the carpeted floor beneath his feet flickered. His stride paused.

He thought he'd seen shadowed movement from the corner of his eye.

Puppet looked out of the windows. Nothing but trees greeted him, none of which tall enough to obstruct the moonlight. His brow furrowed slightly.

The sleepless nights. He'd been experiencing too many, these days. And now his very eyes tiredly played tricks on him as a result.

Puppet physically jolted when a hand found his shoulder. Quickly directing the candle's light to the presence now beside him prompted the other to step back—avoiding the small, open flame. "Dad-!"

"Apologies," the elder Marionette said. "I just saw the passing light and wondered who was still about at this hour..." Puppet subtly shook his head, more to try further easing his own tension. "I was on my way to bed, is all." Pyped eyed his son with some doubt. "At this hour?" He questioned. Puppet, too, eyed his father as he answered, "You're still awake, aren't you?"

"Yes, well..." (keep reading)

Freddy had nearly forgotten about his fear when he saw how excited Chica was about their picnic. Instead of noticing how they were several stories above the ground, Freddy was too distracted by how the stars reflected in Chica's violet eyes as she looked upwards to the sky. The couple were on the roof for quite some time, simply laying on their picnic blanket and star gazing together. Both greatly enjoyed their Valentines date night. And when they finally took their leave, Mettaton was still hanging around the lobby—surprisingly. He merely wanted to wish the couple well in regards to the rest of their Valentine's evening—not resisting a suggestive smirk and nod, to which Freddy and Chica quietly laughed as they left.

Freddy is already making plans to maybe have another night like that Valentines. After all, being that high up wasn't all bad, he supposed!

◦♡◦ In the past, Puppet and Ballora would normally spend a simply Valentine's Day with one another. He would take her to dinner, then the two would have a romantic evening together afterwards after taking an evening stroll through town. But, ever since their quadruplet daughters—the 'Minireenas'—were old enough to understand the concept of Valentines Day, the four began making sure the holiday was extra "lovey" for their mom and dad.

Of course, being little as they are, they can't simply go about making little Valentines Day surprises for their parents alone. The girls need help with this. And who better to help than their Auntie Ella(Baby). Ella, along with Ennard, always help their nieces with their little "Valentines Day" operation each year. This usually consists of them going out to buy heart shaped chocolates for the girls to hide in places like atop their mom's music box and their dad's interior vest pocket. They even buy fake rose petals to decorate banisters and bedside tables with.

After a couple years of this new little tradition, Ballora couldn't help but ask her sister if she and Ennard maybe minded helping the girls out to make Valentine's Day special like they did. Ella assured her that they always had fun doing it, and it never did imped on their own plans for the holiday. Out of her own curiosity, Ballora did ask what kinds of things Ella and Ennard did for each other on Valentines, to which her sister simply answered with, "Oh, you know. Romantic things." She went on to assure her that yes, she always got a box of chocolates as a gift. And that Ella always got Ennard a box of caramels in return. Flowers were sometimes shared, but for the most part, they usually made it a point to get out and have some fun together before cozying up in the evening.