Divine Singularity || Reader x Murder Drones

Mini Chapter: FNAF (Night 1)

The steam from your coffee curled up into your face, hot enough to sting your lip as you took a mouthful on your way through the doors. The first thing that hit you wasn't the smell of coffee, but the stench of mold and stale pizza crust. The second was the flickering fluorescent light overhead that hummed, like an insect trapped in your cranium. You'd seen better conditions in dumps—and that wasn't an exaggeration, you could confirm the working conditions were better. Cracked tiles, peeling posters, and a "Welcome to Cynny Solver's!" sign that looked like it came from a fire. Still, a paycheck was a paycheck. The landlord didn't take excuses, and the power company didn't care about your dreams. So here you were, taking your first night shift as the new nightguard for Cynny Solver's Pizzeria.

The security office wasn't much better. One desk, one phone, one flickering monitor setup that looked like it was the first computer ever built. You lowered yourself into the chair—wincing as it squeaked—when the phone on the desk shrieked to life, making you jump like you'd sat on a live wire. You nearly dropped your coffee, barely managing to set it down before it baptized your shirt. You swallowed your irritation, snatched up the receiver, and pressed the button.

"Hello? Hello hello?" a voice called out from the other end.

"Uh—yeah. Greetings," you said, trying to sound less annoyed than you felt. "Who's calling?"

"Oh! Right," the voice stammered, a woman's voice, awkward and rushed. She sounded like she must not have had enough sleep. "That's right, I didn't even introduce myself. My bad. I'm Tessa—senior nightguard, kind of your predecessor here. I just wanted to give you a call and help you get settled in for your first night." She laughed nervously, and the static carried it like sandpaper. "I actually worked in that same office before you. I'm finishing up my last week now, so... yeah. I know it can be, uh, a bit overwhelming at first. But don't worry, there's really nothing to worry about. You'll be fine! Let's just focus on getting you through your first week, yeah?"

You rubbed your face and reached for your mug again. "Sure," you muttered. "Sounds good."

"Okay, cool! So, uh, there's this little introductory greeting from the company that I have to read to you. Kind of a legal thing, you know."

You nodded even though she couldn't see you. "Right. Go ahead."

Tessa cleared her throat. "Welcome to Cynny Solver's Pizza—a magical place for humans and drones alike, where fantasy and fun come to life. Solver Entertainment is not responsible for damage to property or person. Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person or drone report will be filed within ninety days—or as soon as property and premises have been thoroughly cleaned and bleached, and the carpets have been replaced. Blah blah blah."

You blinked, staring at the grimy wall. "Hold up," you said, lowering your mug. "You can't just skim past that part where they mention damage or death—"

"Okay, now that might sound bad, I know. But, there's really nothing to worry about," Tessa tried to assure you, though she wasn't doing a very good job. "Uh, the animatronic drone characters here, do get a bit freaky at night, but do I blame them? No. If I were forced to sing those same stupid songs for twenty years and I never got a bath? I'd probably be a bit irritable at night too. So, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of everyone and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay."

You frowned, grimacing. Maybe you should've done a bit more research into this place before attempting this job. I mean, you'd heard of the reputation this place had for killing a kid back in '87, and that should've already put some red flags in your head...

Wait, what did she say?

"I'm sorry, they get a bit what at night?"

There was a pause on the line. A long, uncomfortable pause. "...The Solver drones get a bit freaky at night," she repeated finally, though quiet.