#eclipse headcanon

[mama-qwerty]

Why do you think Eclipse is so self-centered?

Simply put, it's because no one else cared enough to think about him before, so he had to do all the work himself.

He's had to spend his whole life watching out for himself, doing everything he can to keep himself safe. When your abusive father can read your mind, knows your every thought, and uses everything he can against you under the guise of 'making you strong', you start to focus inward and do anything and everything within your power to keep yourself safe.

Once he's out from under Black Doom's control, that focus turns more selfish, because now no one can read his mind. Now he can do things that he'd never dreamed of before. No one can tell him what to do, how to think, how to behave. He's his own person now, and he's gonna grab life by the gonads and do whatever the hell he pleases.

The fact that there are still consequences to those actions seems to continue to surprise him, however.

[fnafwritings]

Okay that’s it time for some headcanons to get these blorbos under control, and also bc it might help with writing them in the future:

Sun

Sun is the featured personality when the ambient light around him is over a certain threshold for at least a few seconds. He is very aware of Moon, and while management often categorizes them as one animatronic, most employees and customers instead refer to them as two distinct characters. Sun also shares a memory with Moon, though he describes it less as being out of control of his body and more like watching a summary of events when he eventually takes control back, sometimes forcibly.

Though Sun adores kids, he can and does get severely anxious and overstimulated by them; this happens rarely, though multiple animatronic software engineers have yet to find a reason why—if he’s programmed to be a caretaker, how can he get overwhelmed by his primary duty? Regardless, Sun is often able to get through a full day of glitter glue and screaming by retreating to his room above the daycare, or if he’s particularly desperate he will try to let Moon take control, though this is even rarer still.

Sun is extremely expressive and bouncy, and several people have joked that if he was tied to a chair then he wouldn’t be able to talk at all; he makes large gestures with his hands almost constantly, though nobody is certain if that’s simply a happy accident of his childcare programming or if he’s just like that—the kids love him regardless. He’ll often jump about or the sunray spines on his head will spin about when he’s excited about something. Because of this, Sun is an atrocious liar (not that he likes lying in the first place)

Both Sun and Moon are incredibly flexible and acrobatic, but Sun does his best to keep any ‘unnatural’ motion or twisting around to a minimum—it frightens the children, or so he has decided, so most of his body language is relatively natural.

Moon

Similar to Sun, Moon is given control over their body when the ambient light is very low for at least several seconds, though the shift can sometimes take up to a full minute. Single points of light—such as a flashlight—does not inherently make him change back into Sun. It is painful however, as his eyes are carefully attuned to seeing in the darkness when he is physically switched over, perhaps even having a form of heat-sensitive vision that his maintenance workers have alluded to a few times.

In very rare circumstances Moon can be out when the space around him is fully lit; this however requires Sun to willingly allow him control and for Moon to focus very hard on not letting his body automatically shift back. This has only occurred on one occasion and is considered a bug in their system.

While often characterized as ‘evil’ or ‘mean’, Moon genuinely cares for his wards and for Sun as well—he is simply less bright and outspoken than his sunny counterpart. He loves to play jokes and cause various sorts of trouble that rarely bring harm to anyone. His most favorite activity is chasing the children around the daycare like a monster, but recent complaints by parents have restricted the time that the daycare isn’t lit during business hours. (The kids themselves love him though, several calling him endearing nicknames despite Moon’s grumbling)

Hilariously, Moon is incredibly good with neurodivergent children. Whether this is a purposeful part of his subroutines or not is anyone’s guess, but he does know when to draw a line with his shenanigans and is often a huge comfort to kids who are overstimulated, overwhelmed or needing comfort some someone who isn’t as high-energy as Sun is.

Moon, just like Sun, has the flexibility to contort his animatronic body into very unnatural angles, and he often uses this to his delight when scaring the kids (or the daycare employees on occasion). He is quite fond of scaling the jungle gyms like a spider, and is more than capable of twisting his body through openings that seem way too small for a seven-odd foot tall animatronic like himself.

Eclipse

Technically, Eclipse is not normally supposed to be encountered in day-to-day activities. He is first and foremost a subsystem safe mode, either in times of extreme danger towards himself or his wards in the daycare, or if he is suffering a system meltdown in some way and needs to do a hard reboot to fix it. He is so internalized in fact that Sun and Moon aren’t even aware that he is part of them—maybe deep down they can guess that there’s something else between their two personality matrices, but they wouldn’t be able to say much for sure.

On the flip side, Eclipse is aware of Sun and Moon’s presence, but he doesn’t share their memories or knowledge outside what is strictly allowed in his coding.

Since he is a designated safe mode and the combination of Sun and Moon’s code playing out in tandem, Eclipse is very sweet and soft-spoken; this is reportedly to help with keeping those around him calm, namely the children that would be nearby in the case of a crisis. But do not for a moment mistake that gentle demeanor as weakness—if he registers a threat within a certain range, he can and will remove it by any means necessary.

Any. Means. Necessary. There is a reason why most employees consider the daycare to be one of the safest places within the Pizzaplex, though management won’t comment either way in order to avoid misunderstood fear from parents that use the childcare service.

When in Eclipse mode, light and darkness don’t really have an effect on him, though he has described that there is a slight internal shifting within his chassis that is vaguely uncomfortable, though he doesn’t quite know why.

[head-empty-only-sunshine]

Headcanoning that Eclipse would call you his little galaxy or nebula.

Need I say more?

[mama-qwerty]

You've comments on it, but in my fics, I think Eclipse is struggling with in this new home, he doesn't know where the limit is. Back on the comet, he knew EXACTLY what he had to do for his father and what would upset him and would what please him.

Here he wonders what will make someone snap and attack me in a fit of rage? Can I be thrown out of the house if I do something wrong? and that stresses him out.

At least he knew what to expect back on the comet. Here it's anyone's guess

Long term abuse rewrites your brain. You develop coping mechanisms for dealing with it, learning the triggers and warning signs. Your stomach is in a nearly constant state of clench. Senses on high alert. You're hyperaware of every move you make, and run every thought, every action, every word through a dozen mental filters to determine if anything will set your abuser off. And even then you could be wrong.

Eclipse had the additional stress that Black Doom could read his mind. So he had to develop even more filters and ways of coping.

There are times Black Doom would yell at Eclipse. Sending the sound of screams into his head for hours. Those were bad.

But the times he was silent were worse.

The leader of the Black Arms could block his mind from being probed by the lesser members, including Eclipse, and if BD was silent, that was bad. Those were the times Eclipse tried to be extra obedient, extra vigilant. He didn't know what his father was thinking. He didn't know if punishment was coming. He didn't know what he had done--or hadn't done--to incur his wrath this time.

It was almost a relief when the other shoe dropped and Eclipse felt the pain of whatever punishment his father handed down.

But even after the abuse ends, that mindset doesn't.

You flinch when someone talks too loud. You steel yourself if someone moves too quickly. You're still examining everything you say, often staying silent out of habit. You're still hyperaware of your surroundings, keeping an eye on the exit, not letting yourself get pushed into a corner.

And you're always waiting for that other shoe to drop. No matter how long it's been. No matter how safe you feel.

There'll come a time when Eclipse pushes too far, steps over the line too often. And he'll make others mad at him. And all those fears will rush forward, but it will feel comfortable, because this is what he knows. This is normal. Not the kindness. Not the caring. Not the gentle touches, or the soft voices, or the promises that he'll never be hurt.

Talk is cheap.

But when the harsh punishment doesn't come, when he isn't beaten or starved or screamed at or threatened with being eaten alive by the scavengers, that will be even scarier. Because he doesn't understand it. Why aren't they hurting him? There's a routine--he does something bad, he gets punished, life goes on. But without punishment, it's like an open wound (ironically). He has no closure, no sense of end to this situation.

The stress and fear and confusion and anxiety continue to grow, and he can't help but act out more. Testing, pushing the boundaries. Where's the line? Where's the moment that they snap and lash out at him? He can't keep himself safe if he doesn't know how far to go, how to recognize when they're going to hurt him.

He's on edge, even worse than he was on the Comet. He can't read their minds, he can't understand their actions. Their words are weak and teasing and he won't be fooled. But no matter what he does, they don't retaliate. They don't snap and hurt him.

And the thought that maybe they're telling the truth starts to whisper to him.

And it scares the hell out of him.

Because this is new. This is strange. This is uncharted territory and not only removes the threat of corporal punishment, but also gives him the option of not having to live worried about the next bout of pain. They don't expect anything from him.

So . . . now what? How does he behave? What's his purpose? He's supposed to just live?? HOW??

I have a lot of these thoughts for my verse's Eclipse. He's very much like a wild animal that's been beaten and abused, and needs to feel safe and comfortable before he can be 'domesticated'. Well, as much as Eclipse can be domesticated.

[mama-qwerty]

I LOVE your lore of the Scavenger pits on the comet. It's SO GOOD

You think Eclipse found out about them because he was having a bad training day once and he was scruffed and dragged off to watch what happens to warriors that fail his father?

Thanks! It just stood to reason they'd have to have something that got rid of fallen soldiers and the like. You know me, I think too much on that kinda thing.

~~~

Eclipse struggled in his father's grip. The leader of the Black Arms dragged him to the lower caverns of the Black Comet, where there was always the smell of death and blood and decay.

Another warrior followed close behind. The young darkling had been sparring with this warrior, training to be stronger. But his strikes never seemed to land properly. The warrior was easily three times Eclipse's size, and had blocked or deflected every hit the boy tried to land.

Where are we going? he asked, risking a glance up to his father. He'd never been to this part of the Comet, and couldn't remember his father venturing down here before, either.

You need to see what awaits if you fail me.

Eclipse flinched. Even though the words were spoken in his head, he detected the quite obvious inflection of disappointment. Anger. Disgust.

Black Doom came to a stop before a large hole, and the stench that floated out of it made Eclipse recoil. It was a combination of many odors--waste and blood and decayed organic material.

And there was a sound. Mindless whimpers. Scratching. Crunching.

This is the scavenger pit. This is the final place for all who have displeased me.

He motioned for the warrior to step forward, and without a pause, Black Doom shoved the large soldier into the pit.

The leader of the Black Arms then took Eclipse by the arm, and pulled him forward, pushing him down to gaze into the pit below.

Watch. Learn.

The sounds below became more aggressive. The warrior bellowed out a war cry, attempting to fight its way out. But the scavengers, the lowest of the Black Arms castes--were numerous. And hungry.

Eclipse tried to close his eyes, but his father refused to let him. So he watched. As the warrior bravely tried to protect itself. As the scavengers closed in around it. As they pounced, clawing and biting and eating.

The warrior growled. Roared. Screamed. Was silent.

And then there was only crunching and slurping and tearing.

Eclipse gazed into the pit, frozen, horrified. Those sounds would follow him into his dreams. These visions would haunt him every time he closed his eyes.

Am I understood?

The boy nodded, wanting to tear his eyes away but transfixed by the gore.

Yes, Father.

Good. Black Doom turned and headed back the way they'd come. It would be a pity to waste all the work our scientists had put into you.

Eclipse stared down into the dark pit. He swallowed hard.

He would not fail. Could not fail.

[mama-qwerty]

Sometimes Eclipse repeats things he shouldn't (Maybe he says something he heard on the comet)

The boys stood at the edge of a large hole. Dirt littered the edges, framing the space in little mounds. Silver kicked a little bit back in, but didn't want to get too close.

"Think they'll have kids? Maybe some new friends?"

He turned to look at the big machine behind them, the one that had scooped the dirt from the hole. His mom said some people were building a new house. They'd watched them clear trees over the past few weeks, and the excavation began a week ago.

Eclipse didn't respond. He was standing at the edge of the hole, staring down into it. His eyes seemed far away, as though he were lost in memory.

"Scavenger pit."

His voice was soft, as though talking to himself.

"What?"

The darkling's brow furrowed, his eyes glued to the hole before him. "Scavenger pit. Are . . . are there more of these?"

Silver walked closer, his own brow pinching in confusion. "What's a scavenger pit?"

Eclipse didn't respond for a long moment, his eyes still far away.

"It's where the failed Black Arms were tossed. The Scavengers ate them."

Silver stared, his eyes wide. "A-ate them?"

"Father always threatened to toss me in if I failed him."

Eclipse's voice was soft, almost emotionless. As though he were simply talking about the weather and not some mind-bogglingly horrifying idea as being eaten alive for making a mistake.

Silence descended and Silver tried to think of something to say. He wasn't good with heavy subjects--especially when it came to his brother's past. Silver had had a tough go of things in his world, but based on the few things Eclipse said about how he'd grown up, it was a walk in the park.

"Mom says they dig a hole for houses for basements." In the end, Silver decided to just go with what he knew. "Or sometimes just to make sure the house is level and won't sink into the ground later."

The silence was back, and Eclipse backed away from the hole. He lowered himself to all fours--something he did when he was scared--and scurried away.

"C'mon, let's get out of here."

Silver spared one more look back at the hole before following his darkling brother.

~X~X~X~

That evening, after supper, Eclipse retreated to his room. The sight of that deep pit had brought back memories he wished he could simply pull out of his head and throw away.

He'd spent time around the Scavenger pit on the Black Comet. His father had made him, as a way of reinforcing the ever-present threat of what would happen should he continue failing him. He would watch as they would toss other warriors in. Warriors who had failed to train as hard as Black Doom wished. Who had fallen in battle. Who had simply slipped to their leader's disfavor.

Most were dead. But some were still alive, and they would beg and scream as they were tossed down to the lowest caste of Black Arms. The Scavengers, who removed waste from the Comet. Who ensured nothing but the strongest remained. Who crunched and slurped and tore their prey to bits, usually as the unfortunate soul was screaming and trying to claw their way back out.

Eclipse remembered the smell of blood and decay. He remembered the claw marks on the walls of the pit, long and deep and always dragged downward. He remembered the sounds. They followed him, haunted him in his sleep.

Now he sat in his hammock, running his thumbs across Dorothy's soft back. He hugged the plush to him, draping her long neck over his shoulder.

His father would have hated Dorothy. A toy was for children. Weak children, at that. Eclipse wasn't a child. He was a weapon. A warrior. The finest pinnacle of Black Arms bio-engineering. He'd been trained since he hatched to be the fiercest, strongest, best warrior the Black Arms had ever had.

And he had failed them time and time again.

The one thing he was created for, and he had failed it.

Maybe he deserved to be fed to the Scavengers. Maybe he deserved to be banished or exiled or whatever reason he'd been sent here.

Maybe he was a waste of organic matter.

A soft knock pulled him from his thoughts, and he tucked Dorothy next to him.

"What?"

The door opened a crack and his mother poked her head in. She wore a soft smile, and held a plate with a few chicken nuggets.

"Hey, Monkey. You didn't eat much supper. Just checking in with you to make sure you were okay."

He didn't look at her. "Fine."

A knowing look crossed her face, and she nodded as she closed the door behind her. "Ah. 'Fine.' Wanna talk about it?"

Eclipse pulled his lips tight.

She came closer, placing the plate on his belly. "Silver told me about what you said today. Based on some of the things you yell in your night terrors, that seems to be the heart of them."

He picked up a nugget and chewed slowly, keeping his eyes away from hers. He saw her in his peripheral vision, and she reached forward to give his muzzle a gentle caress with her knuckle.

"You don't have to talk about it. I can't take those memories and fears away, as much as I wish I could. But I will be here to tell you you're safe, over and over, a million billion times if I have to. I will hold you if you want, and let you be if you like. Just know that I'm here, I love you, and I would never let anything bad happen to you if I could possibly help it."

Eclipse flicked his eyes to hers, swallowing the nugget with a loud gulp. He'd had to adjust to a lot of things since coming to this planet--the weather, the large amount of humans, the lack of hivemind link and the unnerving quiet in his head.

But the hardest thing he'd had to get used to was having a home. A family. People who actually cared about him. Who didn't yell at him or threaten him or punish him just for making a mistake. People who wanted him around and were gentle with him when he did screw up. Which seemed to be a lot.

"Can you swing me?"

His voice was soft, almost embarrassed. It was something she did after he had nightmares about the Black Comet, about Black Doom. He'd wake up screaming and she'd rush into his room, talking him down and giving him little caresses on his muzzle or the top of his head. And then she'd swing his hammock back and forth, rocking him as though he were a little baby in the arms of his mother.

It usually helped to calm him enough to fall asleep again.

She smiled, running her thumb up over his head spikes.

"Sure, sweetie. Finish your nuggets."

He nodded, a little smile on his face as she took hold of the side of the hammock, and gently pushed and pulled him. She rocked him just right--not too hard, not too light--and he could never figure out how she knew just the right speed. But she did, and he lay back, working through the nuggets on the plate.

He didn't care why he was on Earth. He didn't care why his father had cast him out. He only cared about feeling safe and warm and loved.

Because right now, he was.

[mama-qwerty]

Your line from Eclipse about how Black Doom dangled him over the scavenger pits and laughed as he cried and begged and then beat and cast him out anyway.. because he was probably disgusted by his tears... devastating.

Eclipse's life is nothing but failed expectations, and constant pressure and abuse. His father didn't care for or about him, and treated him as what he was created as - a thing. A weapon. An object to use and control as he saw fit.

Trouble was, Eclipse turned out to have this pesky thing called free will. It was never intended for that to happen, he was just supposed to be the best bits of the Black Arms, all pieced together in an intelligent--but obedient--little super soldier. Something to counter Shadow, the other weapon created through a deal that went south with the human doctor Gerald Robotnik.

Black Doom doesn't seem to have the best luck with genetically engineered weapons.

But Eclipse was still supposed to be different. He wasn't created by some lowly human, using inferior life form DNA. Eclipse was developed by the greatest scientific minds of the Black Arms themselves. He was supposed to be perfect. The pinnacle of the Black Arms' cunning and cruelty and unrivaled fighting ability. The Black Arms are conquerors. They are fighters. They are warriors.

And Eclipse simply refuses to live up to his potential.

This fact infuriates Black Doom. All that time, all that effort, all those resources, wasted.

But Black Doom isn't one to simply give up. No, great weapons are forged in fire, and he intends just that. He will remove the boy's weaknesses, even if he has to beat, torture, starve, manipulate, and isolate Eclipse to do it. The more the boy cries, the harder Black Doom will push. There will be a breaking point, one in which Eclipse will abandon all weaknesses, all semblance of free will and fear, and he will finally do as he was destined to--bring victory to the Black Arms, against any and all who would stand against them.

One day, Eclipse will make Black Doom proud.

Until then, Black Doom will make Eclipse suffer.

[mama-qwerty]

You made a comment in the server about how with a living family to temper and draw the line for him, Eclipse might not go as bad as he could have gone if completely alone

Just for fun, want to explore a bad ending where Eclipse gets away from Black Doom but is alone and isn't loved and cared for, but he's going absolutely crazy from freedom anyway?

Hmmmmm . . .

Okay, so let's say in one scenario, the Black Arms are still around. Eclipse failed BD one time too many, and he just left the boy on a dead asteroid or something as punishment. At first Eclipse is all "OMG WHAT AM I GONNA DO I HAVE TO GET BACK INTO DAD'S GOOD GRACES" and it's hard going.

But then something happens. Eclipse survives. His instincts kick in, and he not only survives, he thrives. The asteroid isn't as barren as originally thought, and maybe he somehow finds a way to get to another planet, one that has a civilization on it.

Maybe this civilization isn't advanced. They have rudimentary weapons and such, maybe a bit of technology, but not much. So Eclipse does the thing he knows to do - he takes the lead. He becomes their leader, and lifts them to higher stages of advancement. Without BD looming over him, Eclipse is free to trust himself, to let his own instincts take over, and he's doing what he was created to do. Lead an army.

So he militarizes this civilization, and they are eager to follow him because maybe he's helped them defeat their enemies already, and they're loyal to him and try so so hard to be the best army they can be for him. And because he was on the receiving end of harsh punishments and constant criticism, he's actually encouraging to them, and finds they react so much better to that than threats and violence.

And maybe it's not just this army. Maybe he reaches out to the defeated enemies, offering strength and protection if they join him. And he's actually good at being a leader. His people love him.

But he's still harboring a pain from being abandoned in the first place. He's not simply doing this of his good will, he's amassing an army that will help him take down Black Doom, and defeat the Black Arms.

He's teaching them the tactics of his former hive. Their weak spots. How to defeat the warriors with very little loss of life on their side. And they learn quickly, and become quite formidable.

And then the Black Comet shows up.

Black Doom is surprised to find his failure of a patchwork experiment leading this pathetic batch of inferior creatures against him, but it is amusing in a way. The last in a long line of failures for this waste of organic life.

He sends the warriors down to defeat this pitiful resistance. And at first the Black Arms have the upper hand. Some of Eclipse's army fall. And Black Doom looks on in superior smugness.

But then something happens.

In moments the tide turns. Eclipse's army is taking out Black Doom's warriors as though they had been doing so all their lives. Eclipse is right on the front lines, leading his men, slashing and gutting those who were his brothers not long before. He fights with a ferocity Black Doom had never seen.

His strikes are precise. Clean. Effective.

Black Doom is no longer amused.

He sends more of his warriors out, the larger, fiercer ones, who all but guarantee a victory. Utter decimation of all living creatures who dare oppose him.

But it was as if Eclipse's army were waiting for them.

They are taken down in short order, with strategic tactics that rivaled Black Doom's himself. Eclipse's army moved like a well-oiled machine. The Black Arms warriors never stood a chance.

Black Doom tired of this.

He was about to order an aerial attack, when Eclipse teleported before him. The boy had grown larger in the short timespan that had passed since he was banished. His claws almost as sharp as his gaze.

He said not a word, and just as Black Doom addressed him, Eclipse shot forward, putting his arm through the leader of the Black Arms' chest.

Black Doom stood stunned. His mind blank. All the remaining warriors paused, as the death rattle of their leader echoed through their minds.

They were easy to pick off at that point.

Eclipse withdrew his arm as the body of his former father slumped to the floor. Black ichor dripped from his claws, and he moved to look out over his army as they finished off the last of the Black Arms warriors.

He was stronger than his father ever expected. And he was indeed leader of the strongest, fiercest, most dangerous army known to the galaxy.

A smile curled his muzzle as his army celebrated their victory below.

Now . . .

Oh now he was unstoppable.

. . . .

Okay, I think I veered WAY into left field with this and probably didn't even answer your question. 😆 Sorry Ames!