Poppy Playtime Truce!AU rambles!
(its been on my mind for awhile)
The biggest takeaway here is that the AU takes place after Chapter 5 (no I'm not theorizing on what chapter 6 will look like, this is just a silly spinoff au idea to give me an excuse to self indulge). I'm maintaining the end of chapter events;, after the train incident, the Player almost succumbs to their newest and most vital injury, a clean puncture wound from the Prototype's needle-like claws. After Giblet miraculously resurrects the Player and saves them from the Poppy gel, they journey into the Data Center and discover the Doctor's (presumably) many, many backups. So he's alive! Wonderful. But what about Poppy? There's definitely a lot of plot holes but bear with me. While the Prototype had the upper hand all throughout the chapters, the gradual loss of his followers had taken a toll on his confidence. Catnap, Mommy, Huggy, and now the Doctor (it would do the Player good if the Prototype is aware of the Doctor's continued survival and that he'd switched sides). All the Prototype has left are his own twisted experimental amalgamations and the Nightmare Critters that roam the depths surrounding the Player's temporary refuge. Oh and don't get me started on his physical conditions. Burned, caught in a train crash, he's likely just as exhausted as the Player. Remember this info because it influences the Prototype's decision for the truce.
In this AU, Huggy and Kissy don't actually die. The Doctor reveals their location and their condition. It's vital that the Player reaches their hideout as soon as possible to assist and prevent them from actually dying. The Player is given a walkie talkie so Giblet can communicate with them (the Doctor doesn't need one. He's can tune in whenever he wants). Luckily they reach the location the Doctor provided and, upon following the trail of blood, find that Huggy had dragged Kissy into the storage area near the surgical rooms. While it's not ideal, there was nowhere else to go. Huggy is, albeit unwilling, receptive to their help after motivation from Kissy, but it's too dangerous to bring them back so the Player uses resources from the surgical rooms to stitch the bigger bodies' back up. There's definitely a lack of trust between the Player and Huggy, but in the quiet? Where nothing is coming for them? The toy allows it (but is practically breathing down Player's neck when they bandage Kissy up).
The Player reports the successful mission back to Giblet and the Doctor, the former of the two deciding to join the three in the storage rooms. When the silence on the walkie indicates the toy's departure, a new voice breaks through the quiet. Static filling their every word, tones shifting, breaker box glitching.
The Prototype.
How he managed to snag the radio frequency and tune in is unknown, the fact that he'd attempted to use Ollie's voice as a little "surprise!!" throws the Player off completely. Huggy almost loses his shit (yea no because that spider/jester mess of a toy almost killed him), but his focus shifts from getting agitated to comforting Kissy. Recovering from their wounds, they huddle close to eachother while the Player addresses the Prototype.
Calls him out on the act, demands that he drop it. If the Prototype is so adamant about not being perceived as Ollie, then why adopt the traitorous tone especially now?
Before the Player could really get into it, a new voice chimes in. Poppy- stressed as always, but surprisingly resilient considering the situation they'd last seen her in. Captured by the Prototype, separated from the only people she could trust- and she's asking the Player to calm down? She's alive? The Prototype is letting her communicate with them??
They're quiet as Poppy explains in a rush. The two immortals have agreed on a.... truce, of a sort. The Prototype and Poppy are caught in a cycle of losing battles and further damage, and the Player ties it all together. Poppy was able to get the Prototype to 'see reason' for at least a week. Seven days to gather his strength (and you, yours), seven days of peace to recuperate. The Prototype had lost his most valuable cards in the game, and while unwilling to admit that he does need this time to heal from his injuries, agreed to the terms.
The Player will not be harmed. Poppy will not run from him. Seven days to heal from their respective wounds. Seven days where no one attacks eachother, and this includes the Prototype's remaining followers.
(Seven days are up to interpretation bc it's hard to tell time down here)
The Player, of course, is skeptical. How can we trust the jester? Especially now that he has Poppy in his clutches? The Prototype could very well be mimicking Poppy's voice to gain the Player's trust.
So they agree to meet eachother. The Player will bring any necessary equipment with them from the surgical rooms to repair Poppy's injuries and solidify the truce in person. Everyone thinks it's a horrible idea but we have leverage and the Prototype is weakened. So they meet up at the train station where we last saw Poppy. The wreckage is still smoldering gently at the end of the tunnel as the three of them eventually meet up. What happens during those precious moments will seal a seven day truce that wasn't supposed to last longer than that. But some things just can't be helped, huh.