Chapter Text
Vanora, you idiot. You scolded yourself as you stumbled around the dimly lit Pizzaplex as your heart threatened to beat its way out of your chest. I’m going to get caught. I’m going to get caught and end up in jail or prison or somewhere that involves a concrete cell…
You technically didn’t have much of a choice. Your stupid broken brain fell for that creep on the Eden dating app that claimed to be your dream partner- a genderfluid androgynous blessing of a female that more often identified as male with feminine tendencies and was a caregiver for regressors. The profile perfectly contoured to all your neuroses and wildest dreams about a partner that fit with you the way two puzzle pieces fit together. While the person matched the picture, Emerson was not as forthcoming as the profile suggested. Emerson was actually male that did look like a twink in person and had made said account to try to find a one night stand or casual affair easier. He completely betrayed the community (he did get banned and deleted from the app and it required verification of identity going forward) and broke your heart. It was hard being intersex. Even harder being an intersex albino. Even more so when it came to finding a human being that didn’t want to collect you for some personal bucket list bullcrap or tally. So what did you do, even knowing all that (not his lies but your issues)? You let Emerson move you across the country and now that you had dumped him for his lies and surprising (you weren’t actually sure it shocked you) abusive actions (turned out he had an unsettling list of fetishes that never benefited you including a disturbing ‘daddy dom’ fetish that took advantage of your regressions), you had nowhere to go. It had only been a year and you had been sharing an apartment with him and his friend, but it didn’t feel safe anymore. Now, here you are, stumbling through a closed entertainment complex owned by the notorious Fazbear Entertainment company with a heavy rolling suitcase and an even heavier backpack. You had more things, but decided that escaping was the best thing and knew it couldn’t wait any longer. Your name wasn’t on the lease so you weren’t at risk of being held responsible for anything financially, you didn’t have a car, or really anything else that could financially destroy you. On the downside, you didn’t even have a car to crash in, hence hiding out in the Pizzaplex… None of the hotels in the area were cheap enough to be feasible while still allowing you enough leftover to get the essentials or even appeal to your former roommates, the twins, to see if they’d let you come back.
“Aaaahh!” You nearly shrieked as a robot insisting you take a map startled you from behind as you were waiting for the elevator. You hurriedly accepted the map in hopes that it would quiet down to prevent anyone or thing from discovering you. “Fine! Fine! Just please, shut up!”
“Thank you! Enjoy!” The map bot happily chirped even going so far as to give a pixelated closed eyed grin with it’s LED face, though you could see through the pale lights to the cameras that you hoped weren’t tied to the security system.
“Please shut up…” You pleaded, already on the brink of tears as the elevator dinged. “You’re going to alert something or someone and I’m going to be screwed.”
It was a pointless explanation and plea as the map bot was already wandering between elevators trying to find a new face to jumpscare into taking a map. You sighed, feeling your eyes burning and your throat tightening as the urge to cry grew exponentially. In the distance you heard keys jingling, but the echo from the high ceilings made it nearly impossible for your half deaf self to identify the source location. You rushed into the elevator and mashed the button for the groundfloor. Not only were you desperately wishing to regress, but you figured that no one would look for a 23 year old in a daycare. Thankfully, the doors closed relatively quickly and you breathed a sigh of relief. That was terrifyingly close and extremely unwelcome. You’d barely been locked in for an hour and were already close to being caught. Thankfully, you did your research and knew that only one human security guard ever worked the night shift at a time so you should be in the clear for a while. You thought that very statement as the elevator opened and left you in plain sight of one Freddy Fazbear. You swore under your breath and struggled to take deep breaths as the regressed side of you lamented all this scary sneaking around and the freakishly large animatronic before you that made eye contact, tilting his head in confusion.
“Scanning for guest profile,” Freddy stated as beams of red light scanned your face. “Searching the database now for guest information.”
You were afraid to speak up. You could give yourself away a lot sooner if you spoke before figuring out the protocols. At least if this happened again, you’d know how to trick any other animatronics if you succeeded in convincing Freddy you were allowed to be here after public hours were over.
“Your guest profile denotes an expired unlimited access pass,” Freddy informed. “Would you like to renew with the unlimited plan? Benefits include Backstage Access and Photoshoots with Freddy and Friends, discounts on food and beverages, and Overnight experiences. Renewal discount reduces the price to-”
“Yes, renew!!!” You frantically pleaded. You knew you had the money and would still be fine for a while until you could figure out your next move. If it would keep you from being reported and turned over to authorities for trespassing, it was worth it. “I would like to activate benefits immediately.”
“May Fazbear Entertainment charge the most recent card on file?” Freddy requested, following the prompts on renewing membership.
“Yes,” You nearly snapped, desperate to complete the transaction before anyone found the two of you.
“Please verify the first and last name, month and day of birth, and credit card zip code for the pass holder and card holder,” Freddy requested, making sure to record your responses.
“Vanora Thorn, July 12th, 30539!” You hurriedly provided, anxiously checking the surrounding area for any other possible hindrances.
“Profile verified. Processing payment and sending proof of purchase to the email on file,” Freddy assured as he seemed to stare blankly at you. “Transaction complete. Thank you. Enjoy your Superstar Benefits Package!”
“Awesome. I’ll be going now,” You stiffly responded, adjusting the strap of your backpack and yanking your suitcase along as you fast walked away from the animatronic bear.
“Enjoy your stay, Superstar!” Freddy waved before continuing to wander near the entrance.
“Actually screw this,” You sniffled, trying to pick up the pace as the giant doors to the Superstar Daycare Entrance came into view.
You felt the tell tale signs of an impending impure regression setting in. You were already wearing a pull-up that barely fit beneath your black sweatpants and your extra long ‘worship the dark lord’ black and white coffee pot tee helped hide the silhouette of the padding but you were more concerned that it would hold up once you slipped since you didn’t have anyone to look out for you. You should’ve stayed with Andrew and Penny- at least the fraternal twins knew how to care for you and were willing to, but you ran from the failed relationship with Andrew straight into the perverse nightmare that was Emerson and now you were stranded in the Pizzaplex three time zones away from them so you couldn’t even call without getting voicemail and there was no way you wanted to leave evidence of your regressing meltdown. Your anxiety didn’t even like letting them know you were struggling even though talking to them about everything would be so freeing. Finally, you made it into the check-in lobby of the Superstar Daycare. There was a giant statue of two jester looking animatronics, one was a sun theme and the other was a moon theme. Behind the statue was a slide that led to the play area. You were a bit off put by the statue as neither looked nearly as pleasant as they did on the posters and in the advertisements and promotional videos, but your regressive side was taking over and pleading to go hide in a comfy spot in the play area of the Daycare. Giving the statue a wide berth, you moved to the slide and shoved your suitcase down it with much effort. You hugged your backpack to your chest (since it held all your electronics and important items) and sat down at the top of the slide as the tears came faster. A small part of you (haha) felt comforted by the telltale crinkle of your pull-up and the feel of the pacifier in your pants pocket, but your anxiety was refusing to let up. This whole plan was way too risky but you didn’t have much of a choice. With a deep breath, you scooted forward and let yourself slip down the colorful tube. For a short lived moment, your regressed side was entranced and loving watching the colors slide by. Then you found the ball pit at the bottom and your all too solid suitcase. You fought back the urge to slip the rest of the way into your regressed mindset and instead slammed a hand on the suitcase in frustration and pain. Why did this have to happen? Your day was already bad enough without being subjected to blunt force trauma from your own suitcase. You jumped as you were putting your backpack on again when a sound came from above. As you looked up, you saw the sun themed jester from the statue in the Drop-off stretching and scanning the Daycare. Your breathing picked up and your heart was pounding so fast you couldn’t even tell it was beating outside of the pain it caused your chest. You scrambled to throw your suitcase out of the ball pit and climb out as the jester animatronic let out a jovial “hoooo hooooo hoooo!” and took a swan dive into the colorful pit below the impossibly high up stage.
“I should’ve known,” You grumbled as the tears fell faster, trying to heft your suitcase into a standing position. “Goddamn it! I hate everything!”
Before you could try to run for it, you were swept up by the sun faced jester that had to be nearly 9 feet tall. You completely froze aside from the impending hyperventilation as it turned you to face it.
“Hellooo! New Friend! You’re sure up late! Are we having a slumber party? Where are all of your friends?” It cheerily greeted. There was a pause as it took in your features- the white hair, eerily pale and heavily freckled skin, and red eyes in addition to the tattoos and piercings. “You don’t look well, New Friend… Do you need medical attention?”
‘Sunny, that isn’t a child and that person isn’t sick. That adult has a rare condition that makes them look like that- albinism,’ A seemingly disembodied voice spoke up. At least, you thought it was since it didn’t match that of the jester that held you under the arms. ‘That’s an adult human. Freddy confirmed their guest pass less than an hour ago, but there’s no overnight scheduled. We should call Joki. Security protocol says we have to call the night guard.’
“No! Please! Please, don’t! I’ll be good, I promise!” You burst into tears, far more afraid of what would happen if this guard named Joki found you than whatever this strange and excitable jester wanted. “Don’t make me go! I don’t have anyone! No home! I’m scared!”
“Moon… I don’t understand. This adult isn’t reacting like the adults or teens we usually kick out,” ‘Sunny’ verbalized, though you weren’t sure who he was talking to.
“I not big! I not!” You sobbed, gripping his surprisingly warm and softly padded arms. “ ‘m little! ‘M small!”
‘Sunny… I think they are regressing… Some humans get hurt in ways that make them act and think younger than they are when they’re stressed or afraid or something so they can feel better,’ The ‘Moon’ voice spoke up again, though you started to determine that the sound was coming from above. ‘Their name is Vanora.’
“Vanora! What a pretty name, New Friend!” Sunny beamed. “How old do you think you are, Vanora?”
Your brain froze, your big side trying to help your regressed self catch up and understand what was going on while you still had one foot dug into the big side in your mind.
You wiggled a little as the haze started to set in further. Sure, you were wearing your uppie but that didn’t feel right to you. Nothing about your attire felt correct when you felt so small, though your big side pointed out that it was hard to tell what was your regression and what was in response to the insanely large frame of the animatronic that held you in the air like a kitten on a clothesline. Talk about ‘hang in there, baby.’
‘Starshine?’ Moon spoke again, though you still didn’t know where exactly he was.
“Um,” You sniffled, flexing your fingers like a baby just realizing they had control over the digits. You held up two fingers then one then two, but couldn’t seem to agree with either one. “Dis? I dis manies?”
“So small!” Sunny gushed, shifting you closer to settle you against him like a toddler on their parent’s hip. You flinched as you saw his pointy rays coming closer to your face, but found that not only did they retract, but they were pliable, kinda crinkly sounding, and surprisingly soft. You found yourself reaching up and gripping one, giggling and humming with satisfaction as your headspace slowly started to solidify like a thick cotton blanket around your brain. “Aaawww~ So tiny! Teeny, tiny, baby… Um…”
‘Starshine identifies as female more often, but they’re both,’ Moon advised his counterpart. You huffed and wriggled in Sunny’s arms, trying to squirm to look behind him in an attempt to find Moon. ‘Heh heh. She’s trying to find me. She slipped before she figured it out.’
“Oooh! Just look up, up, up, Sunbeam!” Sunny chuckled, tilting his head back to spot his counterpart sitting on the crescent moon prop hanging from the ceiling. “There’s two moons up there!”
“Ah hehehe!” You giggled as your head bumped the crinkly triangles as you tried to copy Sunny.
“You know what this means, Moon!” Sunny cheered, bouncing you in his arms.
“Sunny, no, we’re not keeping them! They’re not a pet!” Moon shot down as he gracefully descended on the cord attached to the tether on his back and detached as he settled a couple feet away from the two of you. “We have to call Joki.”
You looked anxiously between them as Sunny stopped bouncing you, your breathing picking back up.
“I know…” Sunny admitted, staring at the ground. “But…”
“No, Sunny. I’m calling Joki.”
That did it. The waterworks started up all over again as you burst into sobs at the name your big self feared to meet.
“Oh, Sunspot, no, it’s okay! Joki is very nice and very helpful!” Sunny attempted to assure you. You didn’t have any coherent argument so you let your distressed cries and tears do all the talking. “Moon, please! She’s so distressed! We can’t just hand her off like this!”
“Sunny, I already called Joki. They’re on their way,” Moon sighed, crossing his arms.
“Tell them it was a false alarm! Make them stay away!” Sunny pleaded, attempting to rock you as you clung to him.
“I already told them why we needed them, Sunny,” Moon informed as he approached and slipped the pacifier from your pocket. It was black with a red handle and a little decorative chibi mothman on the center of it. He slipped the protective cover off and finagled it into your mouth, holding it in place. “Come on, Starlight, breathe with me before you make yourself sick.”
He could feel as you took to sucking on the soother since he still had a hold of the handle and he guided your breathing as you were forced to use your nasal airways instead. Soon enough, you were quieter with only the occasional hiccup and whine as the tears still trickled from your eyes. You desperately reached for Moon as soon as he let go of your pacifier. He was so soothing and he knew just what to do even though you hadn’t asked for your paci or even his help. Moon paused for a moment before he reciprocated and pulled you into his arms. Moon had the same kind of softness and soothing warmth, though parts of him were still a bit cooler. Honestly, both temperatures felt very comforting to you after that crying fit.
“There, there, Stardust,” Moon soothed, swaying with you in his arms. “We should get her dressed in something more appropriate. If she thinks she’s as young as she says, she might not be able to take care of her needs, including potty breaks.”
“I don’t think we have anything that would fit her!” Sunny worried.
“She probably has stuff in her bag,” Moon pointed out, nodding towards the tipped over suitcase. “She did say she didn’t have a home and no one to look out for her. That and the bag on her back is probably all she has left…”
Moon’s own words struck his core in an unpleasant way as he realized what he might have done to you by calling Joki to the Daycare. He would have to cover his tracks and explain that he hadn’t seen the update on your pass, therefore he wasn’t aware that you were supposed to be there overnight as a Superstar Benefits member. His own research and programming had informed him that there wasn’t a place for people like you- there were no shelters or resources for people with trauma responses like yours.
Sunny gasped, bringing Moon back from his internal pathing, “Look at these adorable clothes! Sunshine has such cute baby things! Oooh! Moon, what about this?!”
Sunny held up a onesie with a galaxy print, a space themed diaper with aliens on it, your favorite Mothman stuffie, and your black and purple ‘as above, so below’ wiccan themed blanket. Moon would have blushed if he could. The outfit was rather precious and he very much wanted to see you in it. He remembered the last regressor they had in the daycare, back before the company got weird about it even though there was documentation to prove Emmie’s need to be in a Daycare if their partner had to be away or at work. They had paid so much money for Emmie to be in the Daycare and even agreed to pay extra since she wasn’t a ‘traditional’ baby/toddler, but the company said no. Joki had actually been very upset about it since they were a caregiver for a regressor back when they first started working at the Pizzaplex as a Daycare helper. Joki had moved to security after their relationship with the regressor ended. It was just too painful for them to spend time around kids when they didn’t have their little anymore…
“Are you ready to get comfy, Sunshine?” Sunny cooed as he approached you and Moon.
“I’ll handle changing her, Sunny,” Moon shot down as he grabbed the items from his counterpart.
“But, Moon!” Sunny protested. “I wanna take care of the baby too!”
“You can- once she’s changed,” Moon dismissed, walking towards the large baby and toddler friendly bathrooms along the far wall near the theater entrance.
“Why can’t I change her?” Sunny questioned, rushing to catch up with the two of you.
“Sunny, she’s very special in very special places,” Moon hinted. “You don’t have the programming to help her.”
“Fine… I’ll go set up the baby toys and play mat,” Sunny admitted defeat, though he perked up realizing he could take over once it was time to play. Sunny took your backpack with him as he took off towards the play area.
“She’s not staying up all night, Sunny!” Moon reminded his overzealous other half. He shook his head as they made it to the bathroom and he sat you on the edge of a surprisingly large changing table. He began to slip your shirt off as he narrated each move he planned to do. “Shirt off and lay back, Stardust. Such a good little one… Say bye bye to these stuffy big kid pants. That’s right, kick ‘em right off!”
You giggled as Moon had his monolog about changing you, not even flinching as he tore the sides on your soaked pull-up. Huh. When did that happen? Probably after you fully slipped. Before you even realized what he was doing, Moon had you in the thick space themed diaper that thoroughly smelled like baby powder. The part of you that was clinging to being big was surprised that he hadn’t flinched, hesitated, or outright stared down your unique anatomy- you sort of had breasts and you definitely had both male and female features down below. None of that seemed to phase him and it made your little side ecstatic that you had a caregiver that was just okay with your parts and changing your diapers. He left your star print socks on but took away your slip on tennis shoes. He dressed you in the onesie before handing over Mothman and your blankie. You were so wrapped up in the excitement of getting your favorite soft things that you hadn’t realized he left you strapped to the padded changing table. You felt your breath pick up as you spit your paci out and let the whines flow freely before letting it all out. You were fully devolved into tears as you struggled against the safety straps, not able to see Moon from where you were laid.
“It’s okay, Starlight,” Moon hurriedly soothed as he appeared back by your side. In practically no time at all, you were freed and cradled in his arms with your soft things and your paci back in your mouth. You spit it out as you realized it lacked the comforting weight and pressure of his fingers holding it in place through the loop. “Ah, so you like that, huh?”
He finally got the message and held onto the loop of the pacifier as he rocked you into a peaceful lull before using a wipe to clean your face. Moon gathered your clothes and shoes and carried you back out to the play area. Sure enough there was a big interlocking puzzle piece smooth foam mat set up with various toys for ages 3 and under, but Sunny was nowhere near the play area he had set up. You looked to Moon with a pout as he released your paci loop. The comforting weight was gone and so was Sunny and you weren’t okay with that combination. However, Moon was scanning the Daycare for any sign of his counterpart, so your pout was unnoticed. You whined and gripped the fabric of his uniform, yanking it to get his attention.
“I know, Stardust,” Moon assured you as he pat your diapered rear with the hand supporting it. You felt yourself blush even though you very much enjoyed how the action further solidified your mind’s conviction that you were in fact a baby. “I’m not sure where that goofball ran off to…”
Moon closed the short distance between you two and the play mat that was covered in stuffed animals, rattles, musical toys and simple puzzles and sorting activities. Apparently, Moon had not quite learned that setting you down wasn’t an option. If he wasn’t holding you, then you wanted Sunny to hold you and if that couldn’t or didn’t happen… Tears. Sobs. Complete mini meltdown. That’s exactly how you handled being sat on the playmat without the comforting cushioned stiffness that was his frame supporting you. Once more your paci was dislodged and sat on top of your blankie.
“What’s wrong, Starshine?” Moon cooed, running a hand through the longer strands of your floofy undercut. You felt too small to explain that you were already developing separation anxiety on top of knowing you’d slipped into an impure regression due to stress so you cried harder hoping he would get it.
“Oh no! Baby girl!” Sunny’s voice appeared before he did.
He was carrying your bottle that was decorated with Cryptid stickers. It was hard to find prints you liked in the adult sized baby bottles so you had decorated your own with stickers and a finishing coat. You didn’t even have to ask or gesture for Sunny to fix anything. He just sat down and cradled you in his lap like a baby about to nurse. One arm supported your head and neck, one supported your back, another supported your diapered rear with soft reassuring pats and the last one held your bottle at an enticing angle.
“Aww, poor little Nora,” Sunny cooed as he gently and subtly rocked you. You were only half paying attention to his words as you realized he had two more arms than before. “Moon is still learning that you’re clingy and anxious. He doesn’t mean to upset you.”
“How did you…?” Moon trailed off, unsure how his insanely vast and detailed files on humans and conditions or ailments they may have failed to identify what Sun so easily diagnosed.
“Babies don’t like it when Mama or Dada or any other caregiver set them down and leave them to it,” Sunny cooed as he rocked you and attempted to slip the bottle in your mouth as one hand clung to his top and the other to Momo the Mothman. You turned away to try and see where the arms came from as you vocalized your confusion with an appropriately toned coo. “Is Baby Beam confused about my arms?”
“Look over here, Stardust,” Moon directed, waiting until you looked over to reveal how they went from two to four arms. He had unbuttoned his shirt to show the abdomen and chest beneath that was a deep night sky blue with silver and gold dots like little star freckles on it. A compartment on his body opened up and two more arms unfolded, shifted and locked into place below his original arms after slipping through the additional arm holes on the shirt. The compartment closed and he buttoned his shirt. “We have special hidden spaces for things like our extra set of hands. Since there’s usually a lot of kids here, sometimes we need the extra hands even if they’re not from an extra person.”
You cooed softly as you watched Moon stretch with all four arms. That was really cool! Your view was soon interrupted as your bottle came into view in response to your angrily rumbling stomach. You cried with a frustrated ‘neh,’ your instincts from when you were born reminding you that mommies and daddies knew the not so secret code of baby cries.
“It’s okay, Dewdrop,” Sunny reassured as he lifted the bottle to your mouth and slipped the mouthpiece in. You settled and took to nursing the incredible tasting formula. He must’ve used honey and maybe vanilla or lavender- maybe both? “Baby Bees need to drink up all they can so they can keep buzzing and making others happy.”
“She needs to go to bed soon, Sunny,” Moon reminded as he joined Sunny in sitting cross-legged on the mat right next to the two of you. “She’s probably worn down from everything and it might be easier on her if she wasn’t awake for Joki’s visit.”
“Where will she sleep?” Sunny prompted.
“She can sleep in my room or yours, but one of us has to stay with her while the other leads Joki to her,” Moon answered, situating your blanket over you and grabbing your pacifier to sanitize it with a wipe from the pocket of his poofy pants. In one of his hands, he held your phone and was in the process of unlocking and attempting to go through its contents to learn more about you.
“I wish you hadn’t called Joki,” Sunny sighed in a low tone. “Joki won’t risk us getting shut down again… It’s not fair. I just want a baby, Moon… Why couldn’t you let me have this? Even if you’re not keen on the idea, why couldn’t you leave me to it?”
“Because I care too much about you to let you get disassembled over wanting to keep a regressor,” Moon sighed in response. He pulled your bib- it was spooky themed and your size so you knew it to be yours- from Sunny’s pocket and deftly secured it around your neck with very little difficulty or interruption to you feeding. He then returned to reading through your messages and clicking through your social media. “You know the company wouldn’t allow it and we wouldn’t be able to keep her in our rooms and still take care of her when she does regress. There’s just no way to make it work, Sunny… My hope is that Joki will want to take her in to fill that hole in their heart where Adrianna once lived, even if it is short term until Vanora can find a home and job that suits her. Maybe she’ll be our new assistant on her big days if Joki helps her get a job here…”
“A part of me understands, but I want a baby of my own and I’m not allowed or able to make one,” Sunny elaborated, adjusting the angle of the bottle to reduce chances of you swallowing an air bubble. “Vanora doesn’t have someone to care for her… While I feel bad that her fellow humans haven’t sought her out, I feel like it’s perfect for me and maybe even meant to be… She sought us out and she’s a baby part time… How much more perfect can it be?”
“Sunny… I’m sorry they won’t let us adopt or have lives outside of being the Daycare Attendant,” Moon apologized, wishing the company would apologize to them and change their tune. “They made a mistake in giving us Artificial Intelligence this advanced without being willing to give us the autonomy we seek. I’m tired too, Sunny. I want us to settle in with a baby or two that we can raise and show off while we’re in the Daycare for our shifts. I do want that… But the reality is that we are just property to the company. They only care about numbers, especially when it comes to money. If we aren’t here and available all the time, the company would lose money since the Overnights would stop and we would likely have to cut a few hours out for time to take care of the baby or babies.”
“I know, but I’m okay with never having a baby that was just born,” Sunny qualified, looking down at you with murky eyes. You could only guess that some sort of oil or lubricant was their equivalent of tears. You reached a hand up and gently pat his cheek before carefully playing with his spiky rays. “I’d be happy if we had Vanora or maybe her and another regressor. It would work… I know it would…”
“Sunny, she has separation anxiety,” Moon pointed out, rubbing your legs as they stretched towards his lap. “Even if the company changed their mind about regressors, we would still have a rough time since she can’t be put down. One of us would always have to hold her and that would make it hard to do our jobs- even with four arms and an assistant.”
“Kids overcome separation anxiety all the time,” Sunny argued. “Remember Emmie? Or what about Charlotte or Nissa? All of them had it when they came here and they blossomed and were just fine after we taught them that everything was okay.”
“I see your point, but what about when Vanora is big? Assuming she wants a romantic partner, who is she going to be with if she never meets any adults because she’s always in the daycare?” Moon countered as you continued to move your gaze between them while Sunny fed you. “She’s probably not going to date any single parents because they already have kids and obligations. Just because they have kids, doesn’t mean they’re able and willing to be with a regressor. Plus she may not want kids either way. We didn’t exactly get to ask much about her before she regressed.”
“We could find out… it’s not like you aren’t already invading her privacy,” Sunny pressed. “Besides, she could meet the employees. We already know Joki is a caregiver that doesn’t mind their partner regressing… There’s always a way, Moon!”
There were distant footsteps that caught Sun and Moon’s attention that you didn’t quite catch onto with your hearing impairment. You were feeling lethargic as you came to the last few sips of the bottle. That’s when you noticed how periwinkle the formula looked. It was much more concentrated at the bottom.
“You put my candies in that…” Moon accused his counterpart as you finished the bottle and yawned deeply. “While I can appreciate the thought, you swore we would never touch each other’s candies. It’s too dangerous for us to guess the correct dose of each other’s candy…”
“We have to hide her, Moon,” Sunny worriedly stated as he wiped your face with the bib and removed it. You whined as he shifted you so you were chest to chest. “There, there, Sunshine. You’re okay, Sweetheart. I know, you’re very tired after that big bottle.”
“We won’t have time to hide her and with this spot all set up, Joki will be doubly suspicious and definitely agitated,” Moon disagreed, rubbing your back in a soothing figure eight pattern.
“I’ll be suspicious and agitated about what exactly?” Joki spoke up as they walked towards Sun and Moon as you fought to stay awake. “About the fact that an unscheduled overnight in the daycare is happening? About the fact that this one is a regressor which goes against the garbage company policy? Or maybe about the fact that at least one of you was going to lie to me about the whole thing and try to cover it all up?”
“J-J-Joki! I-I… W-we just…” Sunny stammered struggling to find a way to explain things without upsetting Joki further. His systems were nearing overdrive and his cooling was struggling to keep up as his anxiety spiked.
“Yes.” Was all Moon replied with as he stared grimly at the somewhat burly but still surprisingly thin security guard. Joki was certainly something to behold. His system once tried to identify them as either an Amazonian or a Viking, which put the fear of the creators into him. He never thought he’d meet a security guard that could even make him uncomfortable, let alone terrified. He saw Joki dismantle a corrupted bot with their bare hands and a crow bar before. Hell, Joki even took Monty on. They definitely didn’t make it out unscathed, but neither did Monty…
“At least one of you is willing to be honest,” Joki chided, arms crossed over their chest. “So, care to explain how this happened?”
“Moon… p-p-please?! I-I c-can’t…” Sunny pleaded, trying to calm himself as you began to show signs of distress despite the Moondrops in your system trying to drag you into dreamland. He focused on rocking and cooing at you as you glimpsed Moon nodding while he slipped your cleaned pacifier into your mouth.
“Her name is Vanora Thorn,” Moon began to explain. “She showed up in the daycare a little while ago. Before she slipped, she said she didn’t have anywhere to stay and there wasn’t anyone to take care of her. She begged us to let her stay before she slipped into her headspace. She tried to guess her age and couldn’t figure out whether she felt like she was one or two years old. Sunny and I decided to do what we could for her while I called you. Sunny didn’t want to call you because he was afraid you’d hand her over to the police or kick her out on the street.”
“Sunny…” Joki sighed, stepping closer so they could lean down and caress Sunny’s cheek. “There’s protocols to follow, but I wouldn’t go so far as to have her jailed or just sitting on the curb. There’s things to check and appropriate actions to take, Sweets. You know I’m not heartless, right?”
“You’re not…” Sunny sighed, meeting their gaze. “But you’re much more strict and distant after… Adrianna… and-and Emmie… After you left the Daycare, you stopped trying to be happy and make a difference in the Pizzaplex… You’ve been harder on all of us, but we’re programmed to care about the kids and people before the rules unless there’s a rule preventing something that would hurt them or give them a terrible experience.”
“I admit that Corporate definitely put the nail in the coffin, so to speak,” Joki admitted as you gripped Sunny’s shirt tighter. “And Adrianna definitely left some scars when they ended it… That doesn’t mean that I don’t care. I’m hard on everyone because I don’t want anything bad happening to any of you. Especially you two…”
“Joki, we’re already being quarantined outside of operational hours after the incident,” Sunny reminded them as he ran a hand through your unruly wavy hair. “They’ve been threatening to close the Daycare for months. If we get shut down… I want to know I still have a purpose. Vanora gives me hope that I will. If she grows to love us, then maybe we can find a home with her if this place isn’t an option…”
“Sunny, you know the company won’t let anyone keep us,” Moon sighed, a puff of air releasing from his mouth. “They see us as property. That’s not going to change. We’re either going to storage or being disassembled. There is no leaving the company.”
“I hate to admit it, but Moon is right,” Joki confirmed, kneeling down across from them beside the mat. “Unless someone is able and willing to lawyer up and find a way to prove that you are sentient and autonomous, you’ll never escape the company. Funding the research and paying for the legal help is far more expensive than most people can afford. That means that you’d have to make some very wealthy and powerful friends in order to escape and survive and they may try to treat you the way the company does.”
“If you two are gonna have this conversation, I’d rather take Starlight to bed,” Moon spoke up as Sunny held you a bit too tight which caused you to whine. Neither animatronic missed the brief look that passed over Joki’s face upon hearing your distress. “C’mere, Little Shooting Star. It’s nigh night time for you.”
You rubbed your eyes and hesitantly detached from Sunny. Out of both protest and desire for Moon to do what was quickly becoming a favorite small comfort, you let your paci fall out and onto your blanket. He made sure to snag it before it could hit the ground after sitting you in his lap the way Sunny had held you, chest to chest like a baby learning to sit up. He seemed to smirk as he put your paci back in and held the loop. You cooed happily and let yourself lean in until you were comfortably cuddled up to his chest. You felt the temperature of his body gradually changing until you hummed in contentment. You couldn’t choose a favorite between him and Sunny if you tried. They were two puzzle pieces that didn’t make sense until you put them together and you loved that already. You huffed as he jostled you a bit in his attempt to get up from the floor since he was switching between his two sets of arms for which held you while the other aided him. As Moon turned towards Sunny to receive your blanket and plushy, you finally saw Joki.
Joki’s body was a perfect mix between supermodel and superhuman. They looked to be as sturdy as a Viking, but still graceful and delicate as an above average height ballerina. They were pale but sun kissed in complexion, which was unmarred by scars though held a couple odd beauty marks and freckles. Their hair sported an undercut that was unnaturally black. There was a long braid that stopped being a French braid right behind their ear on the right side while the rest was pulled up into a messy bun on the top of their head. They sported the typical gender neutral security uniform with all the little pouches, tools, and keys. Their ears were sizably gauged but had flesh tone plugs, they had an eyebrow piercing, a medusa piercing and their septum was pierced. They sported tattoos on their neck, arms, and a couple dainty ones on their face that could’ve passed for eyeliner designs. Their eyes were a very pretty green and hazel mix. You felt as though those eyes were casting a spell over the last fraction of you that was still big. That fraction screamed that this person could be your dream partner. You’d already heard Sunny and Moon say they were a caregiver and the fact that their pronouns were potentially indicative of gender fluidity meant, at least in your experience, that they were very open minded and wouldn’t be immediately confused and repulsed by your own biology.
As Moon started moving away, you reached towards Joki and opened and closed your hand repeatedly to signal that you very much wanted them to come closer. Despite your drowsy haze, you managed to peel yourself away from Moon’s chest to get him to stop walking away from the person you were so very curious to meet. Joki, to their credit, rose to their feet and slowly approached the two of you as Moon started to piece together what was happening. Sunny joined your little trio with quick anxious movements. You could tell he was very protective of you with all he had said and his seemingly instinctual responses.
“It’s a wee bit late for someone so small to still be so awake,” Joki playfully cooed as they slowly reached out and paused to let you decide whether their hand came any closer. You slowly reached for it, though you sensed Sunny and Moon were anxious as hell, and toyed with the hands that were surprisingly soft for being so strong looking. Their nails were painted a chipping black and they wore some dainty stone rings. You very much liked the colors and shimmers dancing off of them in the dimly lit play area. “Such a tiny one, aren’t ya? I see you like spooky things and outer space. I once tried to chase what my brothers and I thought was Mothman through the forest on a camping trip. When we caught up to the thing we thought was makin’ noise, we found a bear instead! I think I would’ve liked Mothman more!”
You couldn’t help but gasp at the reveal of what they found. It was soon followed by a giggle as they tapped the image of the creature on your paci as they mentioned your favorite Cryptid. Joki wasn’t as scary to be around as you had expected and that alleviated a lot of weight from your tired body as your muscles unwound and you let out a yawn that left your paci to fall to the floor. Unfortunately, Moon hadn’t been holding it since he had his hands full of you and your comfort items. You looked at him with tired, grumpy eyes as your lip trembled. Your whine of displeasure led to a small crying fit that picked up momentum even with Sunny helping to soothe you since you also lost hold of Joki’s hand.
“Bear with me, mini mystery,” Joki soothed as they bent down and picked up your paci. You watched with hiccups, teary eyes, and scrunched eyebrows as they slipped the paci into their own mouth before slipping it into yours. It tasted a bit like mint and sugared fruit drops once you found a rhythm as Moon slipped his fingers around the loop. “There. That’s better, isn’t it, little creature?”
You nodded, rubbing your eyes as Moon guided your head back towards his chest. You quite agreed with the gesture and happily snuggled back up to him, humming as Sunny rubbed your back while Joki used their own handkerchief to gently wipe your face clean. It smelled like juniper berries, lavender, and the woods. You didn’t much care for the lack of the smell as it dissipated. You huffed at the lack of the soothing smell. Moon smelled like eucalyptus, lavender, rose and sage. It was nice but there was something about Joki’s smell that just screamed comfort. You supposed the eucalyptus was what made Moon’s smell less comforting than Joki’s since it was strong and not necessarily pleasant to you. Sunny smelled like fresh cotton sheets, warm vanilla, sugar, and fresh cut grass during the rain. Still nice, but also not what appealed to you most.
“I’d let you keep that if it weren’t covered in germs,” Joki qualified as the handkerchief was tucked in a pouch on their belt. “I’m glad you’ve taken a liking to me despite my job.”
That spiked your heart rate. That was less okay. That insinuated that Joki was still planning to take you from Sunny and Moon. You did not like that. Neither part of you liked that. Big or little, that was not the way this was supposed to go.
“Can’t we at least wait until morning?” Moon requested, holding you a bit tighter and closer. “Stardust has had a rough and long day and she really needs some rest while she can get it. She’s homeless and alone. This is all she has tonight…”
“Moon, I wasn’t trying to make it sound like I was about to kick her out or anything,” Joki reassured, running their fingers through your hair. “I meant that most little ones are afraid of security guards since we have to be big and tough around people they find scary.”
You relaxed once again. The fingers combing through your hair felt so nice and with no active threat to get rid of you, you finally felt ready to sleep. Despite that, you weren’t sure you could fall back asleep so soon.
“May I join you…?” Joki hesitated, looking between Sunny and Moon.
“Yes, that’s fine,” Sunny responded after visually checking with you and Moon to make sure there weren’t any protests.
Moon carried you with Joki and Sunny trailing behind. The two conversed quietly as you watched, yawning and rubbing your eyes. Every now and then Sunny or Joki would see and coo at you which made you hum and snuggle closer to Moon who would chuckle and pat your cushioned rear. You saw a little theater area that had a small stage, little climbing shapes made with the same material as old style nap mats, and tiny seats. There was a bot telling knock knock jokes and giggling at them standing on the stage as you passed. You came across a hallway with a bot patrolling that Joki waved their badge at as it started to panic upon seeing you. Sunny and Joki took the lead at that point and you ended up in a large room that was sectioned off by a large, velvety light cancelling curtain that was currently drawn back so you could see the difference in the two sides. One wall held a curtained arch that you guessed was the platform Sunny made his grand entrance from.
“Welcome to our room, Sunshine!” Sunny announced as he stood close to the middle of the room. “This is my side.”
The side Sunny gestured to looked like a collaboration between a fairy forest and Better Homes and Gardens. There were soft but warm colors, cottage core decor, children’s art pinned up on a cork board, a pop up closet with various varied versions of his outfit as well as some that you were surprised he owned- they looked like normal human clothes but sized for a nearly nine foot tall person, books (mostly young adult fantasy), and a few handmade plushies. In the middle of the room against the wall to the left was what looked like a California king sized square floor cushion with warm, light colored bedding decorated in suns, clouds, and various yellow flowers on one half. The other side was decorated in bedding that matched Moon’s aesthetic. It was darker cooler colors with stars, moons, and galaxy swirls. Moon’s side still had a touch of fae, but largely looked more like a Wiccan’s bedroom. There were dried flowers, various jars, practical books (herbology, entomology, anatomy, some actual Wiccan reads like herbal healing and lore), celestial themed decor, a cork board with more kids drawings, a pop up closet with a similar set up to Sunny’s, and a few sculptures and plushies that all looked handmade. Each side had a stereo or set of speakers for music and a door to a charging station that seemed to be in separate closet-like spaces. Both sides looked professionally decorated and quite refined, rather than the eclectic, childish kid core versions that you expected to see from animatronics that were dedicated to caring for kids.
“And the other side is mine,” Moon spoke up. “We have the curtain in place to keep the lighting comfortable for both of us. Sunny’s battery drains faster in the dark and mine drains faster in brighter lights. Keeping both sides dim reduces all that and allows us to spend time together when we’re not with the kids. It’s still harder on our systems than keeping to our own lighting defaults, but not nearly as much.”
“I’m glad you two finally cleaned up in here,” Joki teased as they appraised the room. “I’m doubly glad they finally put the extra money you two earned into decorating the room. It looks so much nicer.”
“It makes it far more comfortable to go through the simple maintenance routines to have this set up properly,” Moon admitted as he swayed with you in his arms. “Turns out the cushion is a nice way to make the techs more comfortable. They’re way more at ease and in a better mood when they do the care routines now.”
“That’s why we encouraged you to get it,” Joki teased. “Be careful who you invite though. Some of the employees have not so secret crushes on you two.”
“I’m aware,” Sunny and Moon spoke in unison as they both shuddered. Their synchronization made you giggle as you noted the frowns on their faces.
“And here I thought she’d be long gone by now,” Joki commented, approaching and running a soothing hand through your hair. “I think I know a good song to send you off to. It’s an old one that Moon enjoys and Sunny learned recently. You two know when to join. Settle in with her and we’ll send her off to sleep.”
Moon and Sunny took their respective places on the cushion and laid you between them. Sunny handed Momo off to you while Moon tucked in under your blanket and the stitched together comforter on the cushion. They scoot closer to you, not enough to be claustrophobic but just right so that they could both curl in around you. Joki sat crossed legged at the end of the cushion near your feet. Once they were settled, the guard patted a rhythm on their chest close to their shoulder. Sunny and Moon hummed softly and the lights dimmed further. A projector from Moon’s side started up and spread silvery stars across the room.
“I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot Cursing sharp stones. I am my mother's savage daughter. I will not cut my hair. I will not lower my voice,” Joki sang in a deep alto and that’s when you noticed their accent. It was so subtle when they spoke but it seemed much more plain as they sang. “My mother's child is a savage. She looks for her omens in the colors of stones, In the faces of cats, in the falling of feathers, In the dancing of fire, In the curve of old bones. I am my mother's savage daughter. The one who runs barefoot, Cursing sharp stones. I am my mother's savage daughter. I will not cut my hair. I will not lower my voice.”
You had heard this song a long time ago. You couldn’t remember who sang it to you or why you even forgot, but now that Joki was singing it, you were transported. You weren’t sure if you were regressed or an actual baby the first time, but you recalled feeling quite small and the song was so soothing. You had learned later that it was a song of empowerment but to you, it was a comfort.
“My mother's child dances in darkness. She sings heathen songs By the light of the moon And watches the stars and renames the planets. And dreams she can reach them With a song and a broom,” Joki continued on. They were smiling softly as you yawned and nudged Moon until he looped his fingers through your pacifier’s handle. “I am my mother's savage daughter. The one who runs barefoot Cursing sharp stones. I am my mother's savage daughter. I will not cut my hair. I will not lower my voice…”
“We are all brought forth out of darkness.
Into this world, through blood and through pain. And deep in our bones, the old songs are waking, So sing them with voices of thunder and rain,” Moon and Sunny joined Joki, which added layers of pitch and tone that made the song sound fuller and warmer. Your eyes felt heavier and heavier between the soothing song and the comforting temperature of Sunny and Moon and the vibrations they gave off as they sang along. “We are our mother's savage daughters. The ones who run barefoot Cursing sharp stones. We are our mother's savage daughters. We will not cut our hair. We will not lower our voice. We are our mother's savage daughters. The ones who run barefoot Cursing sharp stones. We are our mother's savage daughters. We will not cut our hair. We will not lower our voice…”
You fussed as it got quiet aside from the mechanical hum of the animatronics on either side of you. Forcing your eyes open, you looked between Sunny and Moon in the hope that they would sing to you some more. That was something you quite enjoyed and wished more people would do when you’re little. The two grinned to one another and nodded to Joki.
“You will fall asleep with your head on the grass. And your eyes so heavy, they'll weigh you down when you laugh. You ran to me and said baby I can't rest. I told you no one in this world has either, we're blessed,” Sunny sang, rubbing your left side with his hand.
“I know you struggle to see it sometimes And you struggle to sleep at night, But just know, that I'm watchin' over you, ooh-ooh. You lay and stare at the wall, Enough troubles to trouble us all, But just know, I'm feeling it too,” Moon and Sunny sang together.
“I was wonderin' if you'd like to come inside And sit with me so I don't die,” Moon sang as the other two hummed. “I love you so and I'll never let you go. And may the gods be with you no matter where you go.”
“I know you struggle to see it sometimes And you struggle to sleep at night, But just know, that I'm watchin' over you, ooh-ooh,” Sunny, Moon, and Joki sang together. “You lay and stare at the wall, Enough troubles to trouble us all, But just know, I'm watching over you. I'm feeling it too, ooh-ooh…”
That was what you needed to help you finally succumb to sleep. The comforting weight of Moon’s hand securing your paci, Sunny’s gentle pressure along your side, and the three of them singing soft, reassuring songs. You let your eyes slip shut and reveled in the comfort of knowing there were three people that were watching over you and happy to take care of you.