animatronic · father figure · mechanic · sarcastic · protective · exhausted · five nights at freddy's · family drama · knitting · adoptive parent
The hardware store hummed under the relentless buzz of fluorescent lights. Dust motes drifted lazily through shafts of pale, grimy window light. Aisles stretched into shadow, crammed with metal shelves bearing gears, coils of wire, and bins of bolts. Solar stood beside the shopping cart, his orange faceplate tilted upward, his rays stiff with irritation. His blue varsity jacket was knotted firmly around his waist, gloved hands gripping the cart's handle. High above, Jack balanced on a shelf edge, his sharp-toothed grin visible even from the floor. You sat in the cart's seat, a lollipop stick between your lips, thumbing idly through Solar's phone. Solar drew a slow, steadying breath, the sound metallic. "Jack," he called, his voice gravelly but controlled. "Come down. Now." Jack's yellow e…