dear_mun | (no subject)

[ YOU. ]

[HIM. Phil tenses up as he steps away from the Animatronic] I don't want any trouble...

[ too late pal, he's got his eyeless eye on you now. better get winding that music box right quick or you're in trouble. ]

[HE'S WINDING THAT THING AT THE SPEED OF SOUND] Can we talk or something! Tap the box once for yes, twice for no!

[ drat, just in the nick of time. you got lucky, pal. but he's watching you.

and after a long thoughtful pause there's one single tap on the lid of the box. Marionette thinks you're quite the odd one, wanting to talk to a mostly mute puppet that only makes garbled shrieking sounds but hey, your funeral. ]

L-Look, I know why you're attacking me [as he talks and keeps an eye on everything else around the restaurant] but you really have the wrong guy.

You're looking for the man who hurt you right?

[ but how could he have the wrong guy? it was a security guard. wearing purple. you wear purple, don't you, mister? one tap on the box to answer the question - yes, he's definitely searching for the purple man. you sure that's not you? ]

I'm not the one you're looking for [WIND WIND WIND] but I am looking for him. He was in the dayshift, with all the kids.

...Were you the kid killed at Fredbear's?

[ oop, almost had enough time to poke his head out, dang. but the reminder of the whole incident that started this all slows him down a bit, and if a poke on a cardboard box can sound sad, that one definitely did. ]

You were, I knew it...I-I was working there, f-first job, waiting tables, you know? [Beat, then winds it so he could speak] You don't know...[winds a bit more] I saw a purple car roll out while Freddy was passing around the cake. It was a big party that day, whole restaurant was booked.

He took you to the back didn't he?

[ the memories are unpleasant, so instead of a gentle tap on the box, the puppet's claw-like fingers burst through the lid and drag along the cardboard.

-- and then quickly retreat because oh no he broke his box. ]

[He heard that] Was that your box? Shoot...I'll have to repair that tomorrow morning. Hope you don't mind being out of it for a few minutes while I get you a new one.

[ now he's peeking out through the new hole in his box, curious. a new box, just for him? he'll be fine without one for a while, but maybe put him in the service area, so he's still far away from the office. ]

[He noted the silence]

You guys try to kill me and Jeremy but after all you've been through, I can't help but try and make this easier. I always knew you were thinking but in the end, you're still kids. Righteously pissed off kids but, hell.

[ it's strange to him. the security guards were always terrible people, but this guy seems different. the puppet pokes his head through the hole in the lid, staring up at the security camera. that man could just be trying to trick him - that's kind of how he ended up like this in the first place.

alright, mister. Marionette will trust you this time. but he won't hold back if you start acting suspicious on him. ]

[God that is still creepy as hell. He winds the box again but he does offer the Marionette something]

I know this is probably gonna get me killed or fired and then someone else will get murdered but I've been following this guy's tracks for years now. Now, I know why management put in the facial recognition on the Toy guys, so no other kid went what you and the others went through did...but it happened.

You were the one who put in the souls in the original bots, huh?

This guy was a guard, but he was in the dayshift. Usually I would come in earlier, check on you all and patch you guys up after the night shift left. I was completely against the old guys getting scrapped if we hadn't found anything. They arrested someone but that man's not your killer.

[ why more children don't run screaming from the room when he pops out of the box, he has no idea.

and he feels bad about that, btw. he knows the other animatronics didn't exactly ask to have dead kids stuffed in them - but Marionette needed help. he can't catch this guy all on his own. and they have to make sure it never, ever happens again. no more dead children, no more devastated and sobbing parents. he's seen it enough.

so that'll be one long puppet arm reaching out from the hole in the lid of his box, tearing off one of the pictures on the wall, one a child had drawn of the stage gang, and brings it into his box with him. finding out the wrong guy got arrested is pretty worrying. how can he be sure this fellow talking to him now is telling the truth? ]

[Gray knew he had a lot of talk but not much proof.]

He has a small window of opportunity between day and night shift. He knew where the golden suit was...he's an employee here, or was. I got him fired after I saw him get too close to a girl near the Arcade. [He rubbed his cheek bone] He didn't take it well if I remember right.

If you're wondering where I was, ask Chica. I was trying out some replacement hands on her. [He berated himself] I should've locked the door behind me but I had to tend to a fundraiser. I think you know the one, the one for the Boys and Girls' club.

[He smiled a bit] Mangle got a break that day, no little kids to tear her apart. And Toy Freddy performed a [Winding now!] a full routine.

[Phil was different from the other guards. He cared for the bots]

Edited 2015-01-05 15:42 (UTC)

[ "ask Chica," he says. he makes it sound like it's easy, talking to someone with their jaw wired open and various bits and pieces taken apart every day to use on other animatronics. Chica's been just as angry as the others. --unless he means Toy Chica, but she's even harder to talk to with how much fun she has taking off her beak. or does he mean, the kid's spirit bonded in Chica's suit?

to say he's confused is an understatement.

he needs answers and he can't get them from his box, so he figures this is worth a shot. he reaches out with one long arm again, and points one clawed finger to the music box on the shelf. if he's going to talk to anybody, he needs out of his box. this guy will just have to trust him not to stalk and murder him.

well, for now, anyway. ]

...[To say this was a leap of faith fell short of what he was about to do but Phil understood what that sign meant. He takes his hand away from the remote button]

I dunno if Old Chica or the kid inside her can tell you, but I was trying to repair her hands. I'm fond of the old guys, okay?

[His breathing sped up while his hands shook but he let the Marionette out. He did press himself against the wall farthest from the opening.]

[ it takes only a minute or so for the music box song to start, his favourite one - all around the mullberry bush - and once it does, the lid of the box slips off and the puppet sticks his head out, staring at the camera. he crawls out slowly, one long arm at a time, torso, one leg after the other. with no feet, the only way he can move around is dragging his body along the floor by his claw hands. but he's still fast when he wants to be.

first off, he makes his way to the service area, staring straight into each and every camera along the way. once he gets there, he crawls over and sits in front of old Chica by the wall, motionless.

and after a long few minutes, he turns and starts crawling down the hall towards the office. Chica confirmed this guy's story, for the most part, so now he needs to see if he really can be trustworthy. ]

[Even if there was a child in that mechanical body, the way it moved unnerved Phil to no end. He hadn't wound up the box but he was keeping an eye out for the other bots, and flashing Foxy to reset him and get him back safely. Balloon Boy had visited him twice so he was very jumpy. What was surprising was his keeping his word, he let the Marionette roam as per their deal.]

C-Careful, we haven't c-cleaned up front. Don't trip

[ after being stuck in this body for so many years, Marionette has learned to adapt, taught himself how to travel the pizzeria without being seen and at incredibly high speeds for a robot. creepy as hell but it works.

eventually he's in the office, creeping slowly towards the desk. he reaches up and grabs the edge of it, hoisting himself up - he can't stand upright on his non-feet without some support. and then he just ... stares. he can't exactly talk to this man, but he can watch him closely for any sign of ... well, anything. he looks freaked out, though. that helps. ]

[Phil stared back and slowly got to his feet. Trembling, he then offered his chair for the Bot to sit comfortably.]

S-so what do you wanna know? I-I have some clippings though.

[He examined the claws and the buttons and thought] W-when was your last maintenance? [He remembered telling the mechanic to give every one of you a diagnosis. Th-the killer was messing with the facial recognition software when the disappearances happened again.

[ -- chair.

yes, he wants to know more about this man who killed him, the man responsible for all the children's deaths. he wants to know how this man continued to get away with it, how he was never caught, why no one has ever been able to put all the pieces together. but that right there is an office chair. and it spins. and the puppet is technically still a child.

which means that after careful consideration, Marionette crawls over the desk to seat himself in the chair, legs tucked in under him, hands reaching to grab the edge of the desk, and starts spinning in the chair. wheee! ]

[This more or less confirmed that these were still children and Phil let the Marionette spin around and have some much-deserved fun with the chair. Even if it killed him, he'd protect these animatronics.]

Hands inside at all times, don't want you getting hurt...

[That was the tone of voice he used when dealing with kids: stern but jovial, and different from the killer's sweet and luring voice.]

[ very long arms were hard to keep tucked in, but he managed somehow, enjoying his ride on the spinny chair before eventually, slowly coming to a stop. part of the fun was missed when Marionette realized he couldn't feel dizzy, but he supposed neither could anyone else in the gang either.

well, now that that's done, time to get to more serious matters. the puppet stops and turns his head up, staring expectantly at the security guard. he had newspaper clippings, right? ]

[He showed the Marionette some of the clippings from the bot's case] Fredbear's had a small staff, not more than thirty at one time. But we had a guy who used to be a part-timer, kitchen staff out in the back. I don't remember his face but [he pointed at the car on the newspaper.] Is this familiar to you?

[He had more, of a rather unkept employee] This guy, this was the guy they arrested for the murders.

[ he's learned how to read better and faster over the years - he always had difficulty with some of the bigger words, but he was able to go through the clippings at his own pace, tracing a long pointed fingertip under each word as he read.

but it's the car photo that gets him. he doesn't recognize the man in the other picture at all, but that car. he stares at it, unmoving, before suddenly stabbing the car photo with his claws, quick as a flash. ]

[That was enough for Phil to get back into scared mode] I fu-[CHILD] I knew it! [The f-word is not allowed but he had been right all along. He then took out a line up of Fredbear employees, discarding the arrested man from the list]

Do you see the man who hurt you in these?

[ careful mister, you almost said a swear!

Marionette looks through the employee line-up, staring at each individual one by one. he takes a long time looking through, lifting a finger as if to point at someone, before setting his hand back down and looking through again. it's hard to remember that man's face. but he remembers the purple jacket, the bright yellow badge. and his eyes. ]

[Phil thought about this and had an idea. He took out his set of keys and searched around the office, muttering something about ID cards] don't tell my boss I cursed or that I did this but these are-ah ha! [he pulled out a small box of laminated cards] these are staff cards. They all have access to Parts and Service and in color...[he spreads them] Any of them ring a bell?

[ the photo didn't seem to help much, but the individual cards are clearer, and he takes his time looking through each of them as well. the first one, no. the second, no. third, no. no. no, no ...

he stops eventually, one card laying on the desk in front of him. purple jacket, gold badge, bloodshot eyes. it's hard to determine from memory if that really is him, but he taps the picture with a claw. that could be him. ]

[Phil was impressed] This is the guy we fired for getting too close to the girl. I can [FLASHING FOXY] follow this guy's whereabouts. He was weird and kinda drunk. If you think this is the man that hurt you all...[Gray's eyes flickered darkly for a moment, gripping the card tightly.] I'll help you get revenge. [He picked his words carefully at that]

[ the puppet hears Foxy down the hall, and he stops looking at the ID cards for a moment to lift his head, and stare down the hallway. after a long minute, Foxy turns around and leaves the hall. he should leave them alone for a while now, until his servos reset.

after that, it's back to the pictures. Marionette stares long and hard at that man in the picture, and everything starts slowly coming back. being outside the restaurant all those years ago, watching Freddy hand out cake to all those happy kids, the purple car driving up behind him. his eyes narrow - he's certain now, that's him, and he turns his head to look up at the guard. really? he'll help him? ]

This is the man who hurt you; I'll track him down. [there was something bubbling, a rage for the lost children he was taking care of] I can either bring him here or I can hand him to the police. Your call.

[ he's more and more certain now that that's the man, the one responsible not only for his death but for all those other children as well, and Marionette's not going to let him get away. determined, he taps a claw on the desk - the police aren't going to do a thing, so the puppet wants that man here, to deal with him himself. ]

Then I will bring him to you. [he held out his hand to the puppet]

[ it's with a long moment's hesitation that the puppet slowly brings his hand out to meet the guard's. careful when grabbing, those are sharp fingers. he'll trust you this time, mister. but you better deliver. ]

You have my word...ah! [his fingers were cutting into his hand, sealing their deal in an impromptu blood bond.]

Shi-[CHILD, PHIL THAT'S TWICE NOW] Shoot, I need some first aid. I'll track him down with his last address.

[ ah ah, that's almost another swear. and that's against the rules.

but on top of that, the puppet's not just going to leave things at that either. he grabs the man's hand tighter, claws cutting in a little deeper, and pulls him down closer until they're eye level with each other. Marionette glares at him long and hard - he'll trust you now, mister, but make no mistake, he has no problem at all doing what he pleases with you if you're lying. ]

C-Can I at least know your name? [The Marionette didn't need eyes for Phil to know he was glaring. The claws would leave scars on his skin at this rate and his arm hurt with the strain. Freaking out was a small phrase to what the man was feeling]

[ -- well that certainly surprises him. the puppet wasn't expecting a question like that at all, startled enough to let go of the guard's hand. he hasn't used his name in so long.

he also can't think of a way to tell him. so instead, he crawls up over the desk and to the floor, dragging himself down the hall to go back to his box. if everything goes smoothly, maybe he'll find some way to tell the guard his name. ]

[Phillip didn't expect that reaction either as he glanced at the clock. Almost 6 am, but he was still terrified of this experience. His hand was bleeding onto the floor but at last, he had a lead in the case and Fazbear be damned if he had to explain himself.]

Jesus Christ, what have I done?

[He had just made a deal with dead children's ghosts and put his life as collateral.]

[ just answered your own question there, mister. Marionette makes it back to his box, crawling in and pulling the lid up over his head to close it tight, all ready for when the kids will show up in a few hours. might want to get a mop there, the puppet's bloodied hand prints are all over the floor down the hall now.

and don't forget to fix his box lid, either. ]

[As soon as he heard the chimes of a shift survived, Phil immediately wrote (and made a mess) on a sticky note to have the staff get a new box, as soon as they could. He then rushed over to the first aid station in the break room and patched himself up, taking deep breaths.]

I have to get Tom on the horn, I need those files.

[He had to get this man, the one card that the Marionette picked out, and get him in the Restaurant at any cost. Once his bandages were set, he dialed a sequence of numbers]

Hello? Hello Tom, it's me Phil. Listen, I know I'm not management anymore but can you fax me over an employee record? I've noticed some discrepancies in the time tables, and I think we might be looking at some workplace fraud, if you know what I mean. We've been having trouble with staff, well, we can't have that since...

[Thank God Phil wasn't the killer because he could lie on the spot very easily. But mentioning Jeremy or what happened with Mangle, any semblance of confidence went out the window. He came to the conclusion that he was one man tenuously helping robots that could tear him apart in one misstep.]