{ He's A Kid Tho Can You Blame Him........ } - Tumblr Posts

❝ Guess we're lucky that they don't walk around during the day anymore. ❞ [Nanashi smiled, simultaneously proving that he'd listened to Steven's message and that he didn't at all grasp the severity of it. It really was two steps forward and four steps back with this kid.]

[Again, Steven seemed to doubt him after his playful salute -- okay, maybe he shouldn't be acting silly or goofy around a superior ( especially one he respected and wanted to impress ), but he really did know what he was doing. Treating it like a game made it easier for him to process and anticipate the danger in a weird, counter-intuitive way.]

❝ I know, sir. I promise I'll take it seriously. ❞ [Maybe he shouldn't make promises he couldn't keep, but to some extent, he was being genuine. He might joke around to himself just to stay calm and unaffected, but he knew about the danger this job posed. He was prepared and excited for it.]

[Steven monitored him for a bit longer, but was ultimately satisfied by the kid's performance; Nanashi smiled to himself, feeling proud and ready. Steven offered to leave him some coffee ( the drink of sleep-deprived champions ), then joked around about Nanashi opting to take this position permanently. It obviously wasn't a genuine offer, but Nanashi still considered it -- if he did well enough, maybe they wouldn't even need to "sacrifice" a new hire. He loved his current position, and maybe he could still stay on for any troubleshooting this place might need, but...he might be able to help that way, like Steven said. He'd remember that.]

❝ Sounds like a plan, boss-man! ❞ [He really needed to stop goofing around in front of his boss, but he was comfortable enough around Steven not to worry about it. Hopefully that came across as "respectful" and not annoying or alarming.] ❝ No more questions from me, sir. I'm all set to go. ❞

. . .

[Maybe Steven had been right. Maybe in treating all of this like a game, Nanashi had been too forgiving or dismissive -- in all honesty, he was caught off-guard by how active the animatronics were tonight. Balancing his power had wound up being a struggle-and-a-half with the frequency of visits to his door. He couldn't help wondering if this was like some cosmic joke, like he was being punished for his hubris. Maybe the robots were angry that he'd wanted to tamper with them. Whatever the case...]

[Nanashi's night had ended abruptly. The power had gone out, Freddy played a song, and next thing he knew...he was being dragged down the hall to Parts & Service. There was a yellow suit there, one that he'd never seen or noticed before; he'd been shoved into it, but to his surprise, there were no "crossbeams or animatronic devices." The suit was clean, like a hollowed-out costume. And right when he'd thought he'd been saved by the skin of his teeth....he heard clicking. It was almost like a symphony of clocks counting down to his death. Just when they slowed, he could have sworn he'd seen a kid staring down at him -- the kid smiled, and the ticking stopped.]

[There was a terrifying lull, then a chorus of snaps. One by one, Nanashi was impaled by animatronic shrapnel. After just a few stabs, he blacked out.]

[He awoke, dazed and confused, to the sound of his alarm. The events of the night prior had seemed so real, but he no longer felt the pain or the fear -- just echoes of it. It was the same sensation he got when he'd been hurt in a dream. For that very reason, he attributed last night's events as a vivid nightmare -- how else could he be at home, safe and cozy in his bed?]

[Thinking nothing of it, Nanashi hurried through his morning routine, not once noticing his marred reflection in the mirror. He felt oddly lethargic and slow, and his body ached with every movement; even his vision was unusually blurred, his head perpetually dizzy. He silenced every sign that his body was lashing out because he'd actually been hurt; he didn't have time to think or listen to it. He'd be late for work if he didn't push himself, and he was not going to tarnish his neat and reliable reputation.]

[He felt unusually motion-sick as he drove that morning, nearly pulling over to throw up -- but he swallowed that feeling down, too. He arrived at work, bright and early ( in the afternoon ), looking worse for wear. He got a few horrified stares; if he'd known what he looked like, he might have known why.]

[As always, he checked in with his boss before clocking in; he tried greeting Steven as he normally would, with a bright smile and a cheery "hello!", but his body revolted against him. He hadn't noticed it until now, but his throat was so sore that he couldn't speak. He tried again, but was overwhelmed by a nasty coughing fit -- he covered his mouth, choking and sputtering until his arm was splattered with red. As he looked closer, he saw a line of scars and scabbed-over wounds down the length of his arm. Okay...let's not think about that. Maybe he'd just come down with something without even realizing. It'd explain his weird fever dream, and maybe even these "hallucinations."]

[No matter the case, he squirmed in his skin, intimidated more by how Steven would react than how ghastly he felt.]

❝ S...Sorry, sir. ❞ [His throat screamed with his attempted vocalization, his voice scratchy and raw. Just push through it.] ❝ Just...wanted...to say hi. I think I...came down with something, m-maybe. Is...it still okay if I- if I clock in? ❞ [Again, that should be the LEAST of his worries, but he didn't want to call out sick now. His work-life balance had always been terrible, but this was a new low.]

Steven exhales, allowing himself to be reassured by the skill with which Nanashi navigates the cameras. Quick, efficient, and practiced. That's all it takes to keep on top of things. Nanashi will be fine.

"Great! We'd be in trouble if they weren't, heh."

Maybe this will work out after all. Nanashi is young, but he's capable, and he's been around the animatronics enough to understand their capabilities and the true strength of their mechanical forms. He knows what he's getting into, even if that salute is anything but comforting.

Steven hesitates, squinting at the other employee. Every time he starts thinking Nanashi gets it, the kid does something like that.

"This isn't a game. Just... keep that in mind."

He watches Nanashi for another few seconds before turning away, adjusting his cap. Prepared or not, this is happening; it's best to just put it out of his mind and trust that the boy will figure things out.

"Alright, I think that's everything. I'll leave you some coffee, and, uh... yeah! Maybe you'll end up liking it so much you'll take over permanently!" That's a joke. No one has ever enjoyed the night shift (besides maybe Steven himself), and for good reason. If the animatronics don't drive them away, the low pay and awful hours do.

"...did you have any other questions?" Last chance to get out, Nanashi. It's now or never.