After Billy exited the main room once more, the girls were left alone behind the stage curtain, the energy between them shifting the moment he was out of sight. A brief silence lingered before Bonfie, barely able to contain herself, was the first to break it.
Bonfie (excitedly, bouncing slightly): "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Did you see that?! He's soooo cute!~"
Frenni (grinning): "Yeah, that was kinda adorable. He looked like he had no idea what he was doing!~"
Chiku (flatly, arms crossed): "Obviously. He doesn't know what alcohol is. That means his programming is different from ours."
Fexa (leaning against the wall, smirking): "Hah, yeah. What kind of animatronic doesn't know what a bar is? What, was he programmed in some kind of kiddie restaurant or something?"
Golden Frenni, still slightly flustered, huffed and crossed her arms.
Golden Frenni (grumbling, avoiding eye contact): "Whø c@r3s @bøùt th@t?! Th3 r3@l qu3st!øn !s, why w@s h3 @ct!ng sø... !nnøc3nt @bøùt !t?"
Bonfie's ears perked up at that, and she gasped dramatically.
Bonfie: "Ooooh~! Goldie's interested!~"
Golden Frenni (flustered, snapping back): "I @m nøt !nt3r3st3d! I just th!nk !t's w31rd!"
Frenni giggled at her golden counterpart's reaction before tilting her head thoughtfully.
Frenni: "Honestly, though... I kinda like that about him~. He's different from other guys. You can tell just from the way he moves."
Marie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.
Marie (calmly, nodding): "You're right. His movements are too fluid, too natural. He's not just following a programmed routine—he's thinking for himself."
That made everyone pause.
Chiku (thoughtfully): "...Yeah. That's what I was wondering about. Most animatronics follow a set pattern, but he's actually observing things. Did you see how he was checking the tables earlier? That wasn't just routine maintenance—he was analyzing them."
Fexa (raising an eyebrow): "And the whole bar thing? You think that was him 'analyzing' too?"
Marie tapped a finger against her chin before nodding.
Marie: "In a way, yes. He didn't drink it because of some malfunction—he drank it out of curiosity."
That thought made Bonfie's excitement surge again, her tail flicking behind her.
Bonfie: "Ohhh~! So he's like a cute little lost bunny, huh?~ Learning how the world works!"
Golden Frenni (grumbling, looking away): "Tch... Dø3sn't m3@n @nyth!ng."
Frenni (teasing smirk): "Mmhmm, sure, Goldie~. You were totally staring at him the whole time~."
Golden Frenni's blush deepened, and she turned away with an annoyed huff, making the others giggle.
Their chat continued, with each girl sharing her thoughts and theories about Billy, debating whether he was an older model, a prototype, or something entirely new. Their curiosity only grew with each passing moment.
Then, after what felt like a long while, the sound of footsteps echoed once more through the hallway.
Billy had returned.
The girls quickly went quiet, peeking from behind the curtain as he walked straight to the bar counter. They watched as he carefully placed the glass back under the counter before turning his attention toward the main room.
Billy moved with the same analytical precision as before, scanning the area before his blue pupils flickered with purpose. His gaze shifted toward the stage.
Billy: "Well, I should prepare the stage for showtime."
With that, he began walking toward the main stage, unaware of the eager eyes still watching him from behind the curtain.
As Billy walked slowly toward the main stage, the girls behind the curtain exchanged glances, their curiosity and excitement bubbling over. They knew this was their chance—if they wanted to interact with him directly, now was the time.
Bonfie was already fidgeting, her hands clenched into excited fists as she bounced on her heels.
Bonfie (whispering, barely containing herself): "Ohhhh, I can't wait anymore! We have to go say hi!~"
Frenni smirked, nodding in agreement.
Frenni (grinning): "Yeah, I'm not just gonna stand here watching forever~. Let's make our entrance~."
Chiku, arms still crossed, glanced toward Billy, her neutral expression barely hiding her curiosity.
Chiku (calmly): "He's about to get on stage. If we step out now, it'll be an ambush."
Fexa (leaning against the wall, unimpressed): "Hah. And? You scared he's gonna jump or something? I say we just walk out like we own the place."
Golden Frenni, who had been oddly quiet, shifted on her feet. Her blush had mostly faded, but her eyes still lingered on Billy's form as he walked.
Golden Frenni (grumbling, but intrigued): "Tch… F!n3. But døn't m@k3 !t w31rd."
Marie, who had been watching everyone with a small smile, finally spoke.
Marie (softly, but knowingly): "We were going to meet him sooner or later. Why not now?"
The decision was made.
As Billy continued his slow approach to the stage, the curtain rustled.
Then, one by one, the girls stepped out.
As one by one, the girls stepped out from behind the curtains, Billy had just reached the stage. The moment his metallic feet touched the platform, he froze in place, his blue pupils flickering slightly in curiosity. His head tilted, processing the unexpected sight before him.
He had assumed he was alone in the building. Yet, here they were—six animatronics, all staring at him with varying degrees of excitement, curiosity, and unreadable expressions.
Billy: "Oh, hello. I thought there weren't any animatronics in this location. Why were you... Oh, you're six... Why were you six hiding in the stage?"
Bonfie was the first to react, practically bouncing in place as she threw her arms up.
Bonfie (grinning widely): "Surprise!!~ We were watching you!~"
Billy blinked, tilting his head slightly further.
Billy: "Watching me? Why?"
Frenni crossed her arms under her chest, giving him a playful smirk.
Frenni: "Well~ you're new here, and we wanted to see what you were like before saying hello~. You took your time, though. We were getting impatient~."
Billy slowly nodded, processing their words.
Billy: "I see... So, you all were just observing me?"
Chiku gave a small shrug, her expression calm.
Chiku: "Basically. You were taking your time checking everything, so we just… watched."
Fexa, standing off to the side, rolled her eyes but smirked slightly.
Fexa: "Yeah, and you messed with a table for no reason. That was weird."
Billy glanced at her, his head tilting again.
Billy: "I was testing if it was properly set. The objects on the table returned to their original places after I flipped it. That means the weight distribution is stable."
Fexa raised an eyebrow, but Bonfie cut in before she could say anything.
Bonfie (laughing): "That was so cool! I've never seen anyone do that before!~"
Golden Frenni, who had remained silent until now, looked at Billy with a slight blush, her arms crossed tightly.
Golden Frenni: "Hmph… W3 just w@nt3d tø s33 wh@t k!nd øf @n!m@trønic yøu @r3. Th@t's @ll. !t's nøt l!k3 w3 w3r3 spy!ng ør @nyth!ng…"
Marie, who had been the most composed, stepped forward with a gentle smile.
Marie: "But now that we're all out, we can introduce ourselves properly."
Billy hesitated, tilting his head.
Billy: "I think that would be what should be done. I'll try to see if I guess your names though... Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, Foxy, Puppet, and Golden?"
A dead silence followed. The girls exchanged glances, some blinking in confusion, others barely suppressing laughter. Not a single name was correct.
Bonfie was the first to react, her ears twitching as she let out a giggle.
Bonfie (laughing): "Pffft—Wroooong! Not even one was right!~"
Chiku let out a small sigh, rubbing her temple with one finger.
Chiku: "...Wow."
Fexa crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at Billy.
Fexa: "Seriously? That's the best guess you got?"
Golden Frenni—Type 0—tilted her head slightly, her blush deepening.
Golden Frenni (muttering): "H3 r3@lly c@ll3d m3 just… Gøld3n…?"
Frenni smirked, placing a hand on her hip.
Frenni: "Alright, let's fix that, shall we? Listen up, shiny, because you've got a lot to learn~."
She took a step forward, gesturing to herself with confidence.
Frenni: "The name's Frenni. Frenni Fazclaire~. I'm the star of this place, the one who keeps the energy up, and the best at making people feel… entertained~."
Billy hesitated, tilting his head.
Bonfie practically hopped closer, waving enthusiastically.
Bonfie: "I'm Bonfie! Bonfie the Bunny!~ I play bass, I love to have fun, and I'm super excited you're here!~"
Next, Chiku stepped forward, her arms crossed as she gave Billy a neutral stare.
Chiku: "Chiku. Chiku the Chicken. I handle the food. If you need something made, I'll think about it."
Billy stopped tilting his head and looked more directly at Chiku. As he replied, his pupils flickered—turning off momentarily as they changed colors. The faint glow shifted from blue to green, signaling a change in his focus.
Billy: "Oh, really? I also know how to cook. Maybe we could have a cooking lesson? I could teach you recipes I know, and you could show me how the menu here is."
His pupils finally settled, now glowing a soft green.
Chiku blinked, caught off guard by Billy's sudden shift in demeanor. She had expected indifference or maybe even a forced response, but not this—actual interest. She studied his glowing green pupils for a moment before exhaling a quiet breath.
Chiku: "...Huh. Didn't expect that."
She crossed her arms again, tilting her head slightly.
Chiku: "Cooking lessons, huh? I guess that's… fine. As long as you don't mess up my kitchen. And if you think you can outcook me, you're dreaming."
Despite her usual flat tone, a slight smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
Fexa let out a sigh and stepped forward with a lazy smirk.
Fexa: "Fexa. Fexa the Pirate Fox. I don't care about all this introduction stuff, just don't get in my way, and we won't have a problem."
Billy hesitated before nodding. He then adjusted his stance, pressing his legs together, standing more firmly, and lifting his right hand in a disciplined salute—a rigid, formal gesture akin to a military-style greeting.
Billy: "...Ahoy, Captain! Your path will be as shiny as the doubloons."
Fexa blinked, her ears twitching as she processed Billy's odd response. Then, after a brief pause, a short chuckle escaped her lips.
Fexa: "Heh. You're weird, but I kinda like that."
She gave him a subtle nod of approval, her tail swishing slightly behind her.
Golden Frenni—Type 0—tensed slightly when it was her turn. She averted her gaze, brushing her fingers through her hair as if hesitating. Finally, she huffed softly.
Golden Frenni: "Tch… My n@m3's Typ3 0. But yøu… yøu c@n c@ll m3 Gøld3n Fr3nn!, !f yøu w@nt…"
Billy hesitated again, tilting his head while looking at her.
Billy: "You remind me of Fredbear... But you look even more golden than him... I guess you may be a burnt star?... You still glow bright though."
Golden Frenni's blush deepened, and she quickly turned her head away, pretending to examine something in the distance.
Golden Frenni (muttering): "B-bùrnt st@r…? Tch... Wh@t k!nd@ th!ng !s th@t tø s@y?"
She crossed her arms, trying to suppress a flustered look, but her twitching ears betrayed her embarrassment.
Frenni smirked again, placing a hand on her hip.
Frenni: "Good. Now that we've got introductions out of the way, let's talk about something more interesting~."
The atmosphere shifted slightly, the tension of introductions fading as the girls now seemed more relaxed. All eyes remained on Billy, their curiosity about the golden animatronic far from satisfied.
Billy: "About what? What could be more interesting?... Do you have shows, songs, and dances that I could learn? Or is it something different?"
The girls exchanged glances, a few of them smirking at his question.