You step into the daycare for your second day of work, making sure to enter the play area through the doors and not the slide to avoid any further struggle. Or contact. You still aren't sure how you feel about Sundrop.

You leave your things on top of the cubbies you found in the rainbow-dino hall yesterday, just barely out of reach from kids. This area is off-limits anyways, but you could never be too sure.

You're immediately greeted by Sundrop as you step past the cream colored fence. Well, greeted might be an overstatement.

He's awkwardly standing by a purple slide, stiff as a board as he stares at you. 'What are you waiting for, a dog treat?' Your mind flares, 'A command? Maybe, "Go fetch this stick, Sunny! Good boy!"'

It takes all of your willpower to stop yourself from cackling at the image of Sundrop on all fours panting like a dog, his murderous face paired with his doormat personality staring up at you in all of his stupid innocence.

Then you feel an unexpected pang of guilt as he disowns his miserable demeanor and waves at you with one, then two hands. "Hello, Y/n!" He cries, his voice sounding strangely indecisive.

You manage a suffocating smile and wave back, but don't make your way over to him. Instead, you walk over to the security desk next to the light switch. You haven't gotten a chance to check it out, and now seems a good a time as any before the pack of killer baby hyenas arrive.

"Wait!" You hear a strained voice holler, "Where are you going?" You keep walking, and soon hear desperate footsteps rushing towards you.

"Hey hey hey, friend! Why don't we go back that way?" Sundrop gestures behind himself, "We can do important things! Like make sure the stacks of boxes are all in order! Though I checked at least eight times last night, maybe I missed one?" At this you catch his nervous glance over his shoulder as he scans the play area.

"We have an hour to waste," You say, "I want to check out the security desk. We can count boxes later."

"Oh no no no no no no no! But the security desk is " He frantically runs ahead of you when you don't stop your angry stomping, standing in your way and holding his hands out as if to push you back. "Stop! Please please please, you can't!"

You try to push past him and he picks you up by your waist area again, this time holding you by your arms and pressing them to your body to prevent struggle, carrying you a few feet away from him like you're a disease. You still have legs, though.

You kick at him with a simmering rage as he marches you back towards the front of the play area, ignoring your incandescent shrieks: "IT'S NOT EVEN OFF-LIMITS TO US! WE'RE ADUL- OW! PUT ME DOWN! I'M NOT A TOY!"

Sundrop stays silent as he brings you to a corner void of any objects of entertainment or colors; it doesn't even have that eerie, chipped paint covering most of the walls. He drops you without warning in the dead space, and you fall onto your back, muttering a quiet 'ouch'.

"You are in Time-Out." Sundrop says in a scolding voice, pointing at the corner as if you aren't already sitting in it. He looks like he means buisness, but you can't help yourself from giggling at him. At his dissappointed look you start kicking your feet in glee, cradling your stomach as you ugly-laugh at him.

He frowns. Before you know what's happening, Sundrop is squatting to be face-to-face with you, his elbows resting on his knees as his hands dangle in front of him. "Do I look like I'm messing around? The security desk and light switch are I told you that, friend."

A wave of cold fear digs down your back. "But I'm-"

"I don't care who you are," He says, "It's off-limits to everyone. Only Vanessa can go over there."

You make a face at this. "Vanessa?" You don't recognize the name.

"Our security guard," He says tastelessly.

'Ohhh', Your mind crones, flashing to the blonde-haired ponytail lady from yesterday. 'He's probably talking about Blondie!'

"Why her?" You can't help but ask, tilting your head and momentarily freaking out as his own slowly rotates on it's axis in response, following the direction of yours.

"Because," he says in the coldest tone you've ever heard his voice, which honestly just sounds like a skeptical child, "She's the only one I can trust not switch the lights off. Plus, she's a security guard. It's a security desk. I don't get much of a say in it."

You let out a mock-hurt gasp, "You don't trust me? But I woul-"

"No," He replies. "You wouldn't be the first assistant of mine to turn the lights off."

You pale at this. "Wha... what? Why would anyone-?"

"I don't know," He murmurs, "Which is why I can't trust you." He stands up suddenly, and you realize you can actually breath now that his face isn't right on top of yours.

"I'm serious about time out. Escape and you get banned." The ominous moment is broken by him scratching his neck and rambling, "Wait, no, first I think it's duct tape, and then you're banned. Yeah, that's it."

He stares at you, waiting for some sort of response, and you ask, "How long is my time-out?"

Sundrop pauses at this, and places a fist on each hip, like some sort of superhero. "Until I get lonely," He says with a triumphant finality in his tone, before skipping off to who knows where. Then you begin wondering. You hadn't even asked what happens when the lights go off. What could even be so bad?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your time-out lasts six minutes.

You honestly expected it to be a half hour at least, but, still laying on your back, you find Sundrop's sad-looking face pop back into view all-too-soon.

"H-h-hey, friend," He chokes out, his first word catching on a glitch. Probably.

"Miss me already?" You ask, unable to stop yourself from smiling up at him. But it isn't a mean smile, if anything, you think it's cute he wants to hang out with you so soon.

"Yeah," He admits, his arms drooping, "Crayons aren't as fun when you know there's a perfectly functional friend sitting in the corner waiting to play with you."

You giggle at this, and reach your arm up. He takes your hand and pulls you to your feet, squeaking as you fall back into his chest with all of the momentum. You look up and offer him a toothy grin, which you could say he returned, since his unmoving face has a permanently terrifying smile on it with permanently terrifying teeth in it.

"What time is it?" You ask, finally noticing no clocks in the room as you glance around. It's either for a completely terrifying, conspirtitorial reason, or maybe because babies can't read time. Probably the latter.

"Almost time for the hellspaw- w- w- w- children to arrive!" His voice glitches, and you wonder if it was completely coincidental that it did so on the word 'hellspawns'.

You also notice he didn't tell you the time. Clever bitch. Or just stupid. Again, probably the latter.

Sundrop turns to you with a sudden intensity, grabbing both of your hands and jumping on his feet. "Hey, I'm going up to the balcony today! Want to come?"

Your eyes nervously flick to the balcony looming above the ballpit. "Why? What are we doing in the balcony...?"

Sundrop just giggles, squeezing your hands. "Jumping, silly!"

You're stone-faced. "Uhmm... why, praytell, are we JUMPING? I don't know if you know, but I'm made of flesh and bones and am 100% probably more likely to take fall damage."

You can tell his smile is widening by his tone, despite his face staying the same. "You won't DIE, silly! It's fun! Plus, it's a ballpit, it won't KILL you."

"It might," You whisper onimously, "I mean, I don't like heights. Maybe one day. Not today."

His eyes seem to narrow. "Okay, fine. One day- you pinky promise?" You curse yourself under your breath as you lock pinkies with him, and he maniacally laughs to himself as he sprints for the balcony, the familiar sound of kids clamoring together emitting from the top of the slide.

You're making progress.