Chapter Text
Today's the day! God that interview was nerve wracking but! You blew that shit out of the water. Go you! The newest employee at faz whatever the heck! Look man the only important part is you can finally put that electricians license to good work at a whopping 40$ an hour. Got your outfit picked for that first fellow employee impression, your new name-tag, some "Faz-Friendly" light up shoes that TOTALLY aren't painted skechers that was the only part of the uniform in your size they had at the time, and the days "no you cant see my soulmark" skin tone makeup that covers the markings all over your cheeks.
Heading into the plex as an employee for the first time is. confusing to say the least. The lights are dim and flickering in several areas, the fluorescent bulbs looking like they aren't getting enough power to them but not quite dead, And animatronics guiding guests to where they need to go. You walked up to one and waved, opening your mouth but being cut off before a single word could get out.
“Hello, valued employee! Are you ready for a faz-tastic new day?
……They already know who you are. It's probably an automated response triggered by the name-tag? At least you hope so. Having them know you by face already is freaky as hell.
“Uh, Yeah! Yeah. Where do I clock in and all that? The schedule said staff tour and-”
The bot continues on without acknowledging you at all, Cutting off the nervous rambles before they start
“Here at Fazbear entertainment our job is entertainment and safety for all guests! They are the driving force of this business and as such all employees must be dressed in our friendly custom uniforms to label all staff! You will be working in parts and service for half of your week, the other half being spent as one of the faces of our company!”
Oh this things your orientation. In the middle of the walkway. Cool you wanted to be gawked at today anyways. The bot continues to rattle along on the companies pre recorded self important spiel, the damn thing even had a number for how many young couples had found their soulmates in the establishment as children.
You look around again at the lights, frowning. If you're working at parts and service most of the time, will you get time to replace the lights? Maybe get some new bulbs that have less stickers on them. Seriously, how did kids even get up there? The bot stops, tilting its head at you and waiting for a reply to something you absolutely didn't hear.
“Oh yeah! Yeah yeah definitely, whatever the boss thinks is best”
You shoot it a weak smile as it claps its hands together. Hopefully the thing didn't know you'd spaced out
“Excellent! We look forward to your excellent work over the next 20 years! Thank you for signing onto the best benefits package!”
The staffbot wheels itself around and gestures for you to follow it. It gets fairly far before turning around and staring at your frozen form, sufficiently shocked after what you had just agreed to, and gestures again more forcefully
“Please follow me, we need to familiarize you with the pizzaplex.”
You sigh and begin to step forward when a soft gasp catches your eye, a teenager stands up and lets his phone fall to the ground. He started wildly looking at the area around him before locking eyes with another young teen who flung his soda to the side and started running towards him. Ah. Soulmates. The rest of the crowd seems to realize this at the same time as you do, customers dragging their children out of the way as the two boys run at each other. They meet in the middle of you and the staffbot, The large one who looks to be here on some kinda celebration for his sports team picking up a more medium sized one dressed like…. Another sports team.
The staffbot wheels around them and hands you a map and your staff access lanyard
“This key card will get you around where you need to go in the plex, please take the hall on your right and explore until your scheduled clock out time. Today's plans have changed as we value guests above all else in our establishment. A bot will be here with your uniform and faz watch tomorrow, Welcome to the fazbear family!”
It turns again and begins to talk to the newly met soulmates who are already giving each other the sappiest looks already as you step away and continue on. You push the scene from your mind and instead busy yourself with trying to figure out this maze of a place out, considering asking the 80s themed bots who you kept seeing around but thinking better of it when people with staff uniforms based off the colorful cast themselves steered them towards their next event.
You stood by the stage near the middle of the day, watching the lights above. Good lord more than half of them are out, how did they think this was fine? Was this fine? Maybe they're just off and it's too early to judge the place you've agreed to spend the next twenty years of your life at. You'll probably find out at some point. Maybe it's why they decided to have you on the floor half the time? Maybe you're helping the mechanic down in parts and service with some new wiring? It makes sense, you were on the track to handle mechanical stuff before deciding to just focus on the wiring bits of it all. Less hassle that way.
“Hey new kid-”
A hand lands on your shoulder and you turn to look at who was addressing you
“Ok first off, not a kid. Second, who are you? And how exactly do you know who I am?”
She sighed and held out your faz watch, A deep purple color with dark gray accents, and motions for you to take it, which you do, Before she begins to speak again.
“Fazwatch came in early. Your name is on the back and it'll direct you to new tasks. Before you ask-” She narrows her eyes at you and you swallow the question immediately “Yes. the staffbot earlier said you'd get it tomorrow. Lucky you.”
She watches you put the watch securely onto your wrist and nods approvingly as she begins again “Names Vanessa, and my watch has the security camera live feed on it. I’m headed out for the day, I'm here much later than I should be anyways.” She turned to leave, waving “I'd say see you around newbie but here's hoping that you never get locked in at midnight”
You snorted, giving her your best shit eating grin “Oh? Not here's hoping you aren't held up again?”
“That's a given newbie. It's been like this for the last few months. Staffing issues.” She turned back to you, stopping her retreat “How long you sign on for?”
You groan dramatically, bringing your hands to your face
“Bring me to the nearest staff break room and I'll tell you how *excited*” you use air quotes for emphasis on the excited, getting a brow raise from Vanessa “I am to be a part of the faz-family for the next twenty god damn-”
Your watch goes off suddenly. A pop up reading to keep your language family friendly in the main areas of the plex and getting a laugh out of Vanessa as you stop waving your arms in the air and snap to attention at the noise
“You’ll get used to it. You've got a whole twenty years to sprout.” She nods again before getting back to making a quick getaway, the blond ponytail shifting slightly to reveal a completely white marking peeking up from her collar.
“I'm expecting an explanation for that name when I see you next time-” she cuts you off. Again. What is with people doing that today?
“Don't count on it sprout!” The crowd quickly filled up the space she had been taking, eager to be close to the stage as the announcer started introducing the bots and catching your attention as the show obviously got to the good part.
After the show was over you went back to wandering the plex, making a mental note of the many signs on doors showing that they’re either out of order or require a staff clearance. Odd. You start heading into a place called superstar daycare, a faint but chirpy tune coming from the entrance making you smile unconsciously as you approach.
Heading inside and nodding at a few parents in the lobby, who gave you an odd look until they spotted the staff lanyard around your neck and went back to whatever they were doing as you entered the actual waiting area and were met with some big statues of some animatronicsyou don't remember seeing on stage.
The parents who were coming through were dropping their kids off and making sure they went down a slide before turning right back the way they came, not giving you any attention as you checked out the statue a little more. The bots featured on the platform were themed after a sun and what looks like a moon, and you felt drawn to an engraved area on the hands that looked a little rushed. Little clusters of stars on both hands with thin lines attaching them. Cute.
You stepped away from the statue, hoping to find some sort of pickup area since you didn't see anything that would let the kids back up after they slid down *into fun* and ultimately decided that a bad map was better than nothing before checking the faz watch and walking out of the drop off zone.
After a little bit of pretending like you knew exactly where you were going you hear someone on the phone saying they’re picking some kid named….. Evac? Maybe its a nickname, who would name their kid that right? Either way you watch where they head and follow after a bit so they don't think you're some kinda creep as a voice in the back of your head starts to nag about why it would be important for you to go into the daycare at all. Honestly a good question since there's no real reason to be looking at any more of it than you have but…… there's something about it.
The daycare pickup has a few escaped plastic balls on the outer area, and the area inside is pitch black. The parent from earlier is leaning up against a wall as they check their phone every few seconds, obviously getting impatient. Nothing much to see with the lights out and since you're honestly pretty tired of aimlessly wandering you figure it’s probably a good time to head home and leave, not catching the glowing red eyes that narrowed as they watched you leave the area.
Throwing your keys into a little cauldron you got around Halloween a few years back you take some frozen food that you got when doing the traditional “Well I cant afford takeout quite yet” shopping trip on the way home out of the shopping bags you managed to bring inside in one trip and start heating it up in the microwave. The rest of the groceries (mostly snacks and food that required little to no prep for now) get put away quickly and you let your mind drift off after the foods done.
Obviously the first thought is about witnessing someone meeting their soulmate. It was a sweet scene! It was. Its just sad that you'd never know to look, always made to watch the crowd's reaction when you take the bus or wander around the store, or well, you did. Up until you started covering the mark with makeup meant to hide soul marks. Perfectly matched to your skin.
You grunt and stand with a bit of effort, gotta get some better furniture, and went to the bathroom where you wiped the makeup in question from your face and placed the now dirty removal rag in the trash, staring up at the stars that you could *swear* were twinkling, and traced the thin lines that connected them. They'd change colors when you were around your soulmate, or soulmates, shame you preferred to cover them ever since…. That whole issue.
People can be assholes sometimes.
You slap your cheeks lightly and shake your head, its in the past after all. No one knows you here, no one knows that happened. Nothing left to do but go to bed, pushing the thoughts of the scene from your first day at the plex from your mind as you tried desperately not to think of the old “friends” who had paid someone to fake a match to your mark for a “prank.” You don't miss them.
At the very least they sure as hell don't miss you.