NOT just A ROBOT
shipping meme
There's always a right tool for the job, be it as simple as a hammer for a nail or on up to the much, much more complex. In this, the near future, the new tool for the abstract, post-modern job is no longer from the humble tool box - it's robots. Robots have taken over most sectors, such as assembly, law enforcement, and even health care. Things run so much smoother when they're automated. Yet the most impressive factor is that robots have just recently begun to enter a sector previously believed to require human touch: the personal sector. From personal assistants to robo bodyguards to pleasurebots, most anyone who's anyone has a personal robot these days. Of course, humanity being the narcissistic charmers we are, all "companion" sector robots are made in our own beautiful image, or close to it.
But you know this. You have a personal robot, after all...or you are one.
Whether owner or robot, it's important to remember one key rule: robots, no matter how human they appear, cannot feel emotions. Any appearances thereof are programming in the AI.
Robots certainly, absolutely, cannot fall in love. Again, any appearances thereof are programming in the AI. If that's not the case, and "love" still seems present...
...well, a toll that no longer functions correctly may not be right for the job.
HOW TO PLAY ➟
- Comment with your character, preference, and whether you want to play a human or a robot.
- Reply to others.
- Use the RNG to choose a prompt or pick one yourself.
OWNER ➟
- Long Time Owner → You and your robot are a well-oiled machine, no pun intended.
- New Purchase → Congratulations, you have your brand new personal bot!
- Second Hand → Someone else owned this robot before you, but it can't be too damaged. There's no way you could afford a brand new one, anyway.
- For Science! → Your interests in robots are purely scientific. No matter how yours begins to act towards you, honest!
- Rescue → Whether you took them from the dump or from a bad owner, you brought this robot from the jaws of deletion.
- Reluctant → You never wanted a robot, but you've got one thrust on you anyway.
- Cruel → They're just a fancy computer, so you'll treat them however you like.
- See the Humanity → Even if you know it's all machinery and programming, you can't help but see the human side of your robot. They shouldn't have to be a servant.
- What's Real and What's Not → The lines are beginning to blur between real people and their emotions and your robot.
- Incompatible → You can't be with a machine, either romantically or sexually. You're simply not compatible.
- Too Engrossed → They say you've created a fantasy world. You're forgetting reality, or choosing to ignore it.
- Don't Care → You won't listen to what the others say; you know how you feel.
- Have to Pull Away → The close relationship you had with your robot has to be put aside for your own good.
- Live a Normal Life → As much as you can, you and your robot live like a normal couple.
- Bad End → Your robot is taken away, reprogrammed, or destroyed.
ROBOT ➟
- The Perfect Robot → You know what you and exactly what you were made to do. You will not stray.
- More Human than Human → Whoever programmed you made you to be just like a human.
- Conflicted → There is no way you could have what they call "feelings." But what is this stirring in your circuitry?
- Confused → Why do people treat you like a robot? You're a living thing, damn it!
- Damaged → Somehow, you've been corrupted. You're a blank slate and have to be cared for, though it should be the opposite. Or it could be that you're showing erratic behavior that no robot should...
- Shown Kindness → When you're treated kindly by a human, you are unsure how to process it. It makes you feel - content.
- No Longer Just a Program → Your "love" and "affection" may have been shades and imitations at first, but that's not the case any longer.
- Obsolete Model → You know you're old. Will you be forced to leave your master's side?
- Jealousy → A robot should not feel jealous. Still, you envy those close to your master.
- Job is Personal → You were programmed to protect or to serve, though you also do it because you...care
- Second Chance → Your old master tossed you aside and now you are wary. But you've been given another chance instead of being used for scrap.
- Rogue → There is no way you will be tied to the oppressive system. You refuse to serve the Living Things. Somehow, though, you've become aligned with one.
- One of a Kind → There are no other robots like you, and perhaps you are intended for a sinister fate. Rather than face your true duty, you have escaped to take refuge with a human.
- Specialty → You were created specifically for this one special person.
- Reprogrammed → Because of previous defects, you were taken back to factory settings before. However, that treacherous virus, "love," is bubbling back up.
- Android → You can't just forget the part of you that was - still is - organic.
- Learn to Be Human → Despite the odds and the prejudices you both will face, you have decided to live as a free, living person with the one you care for most.
- Bad End → You're to be junked, impacted, wiped clean, or taken away from your owner.
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bakerstreet2018-12-25 12:57 pm
Lawrence "Lawr" Hill || Boys Next Door
Kara | Detroit: Become Human
OTA]
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He'd like to keep his head buried about that, and honestly, he tries, but it inevitably comes up as he works on a cratered piece of casing, or ruptured tubes, dislodged wires. What caused the impacts? Too narrow for a fall, too targeted to be random, that kind of thing. Everybody had an excuse for their android being that way, and about 75% of the time it was hiding some bullshit they wouldn't even tell a deep web basement-dweller fuckhead about.
Hey, but it paid the bills and kept him in this low market value house, so it's not like he's going to ruin it all by asking.
Asking the people, that is, because he has the good fortune to be a repairman working on a machine that can talk. As soon as enough of the android's important chips and wires and whatever are put back in place, he turns her on. Fuck, boots her up, goddamn androids making everything sound creepy.
She's mostly together on his worktable. It's not like she was hit by a train or anything. Her chest is just open and there's cables in her neck and arms and head, and her skin's shut off everywhere but her head and arms. She doesn't have access to those arms and legs, however. The arms, because there's still some mechanical damage keeping them from moving on command, the legs, because he just disabled access to that.
Remy rolls his office chair over to his diagnostics setup, one monitor dedicated to repair notes and references, one monitor displaying the numbers coming from the android, and a third just running a playlist of some old bland anime he left on.
He doesn't say anything, of course, because this is a user-friendly android that probably has a user-friendly greeting she's supposed to give when she comes online successfully. It works as a way of telling how functional she is, but honestly, it's just convenient laziness on his part.]
nyx ulric | kingsglaive: ffxv | ota
that costs like a year's worth of payor a rogue FIGHTING FOR ANDROID FREEDOM!!! ]ralph | detroit: become human | ota
Minato Arisato | Persona 3 | OTA
[ Working five part-time jobs for the better part of the last three years out of college, Minato could barely pay back his student loans, let alone one of the robots he sees all around town, running errands and tending to business and- there's that uncomfortable tightness in his chest every time he hears this, with how thin the apartment walls are- welcoming their owner home after a long day.
"It's an investment," he tells himself. "I might not have hot water for a month," he also tells himself. But weighing the pros and cons, it really would help in the long run having somebody else there to help him back on his feet, and it's not like he needs one with a bunch of fancy features anyways. A base model is all he needs, and he likes to think he can Google well enough to fix any small problems himself, and so...
Yard sales. Craigslist. Dumpster diving in the dead of night, dressed head to toe in black and looking more like a burglar than a scavenger, but who cares, because nothing is cheaper than free. ]
r.3/5/9/18
[ He'd always been content like this: being issued orders, following them to the letter, doing a good job and- while he wouldn't always get praised- there's some satisfaction in a job well done. There's contentment, but... This isn't a term a robot would use to describe themselves, Minato's aware, but the term he would nonetheless use is "unfulfilled." Routine days, year after year, that's fine. He would be content. But there's something more than that, isn't there? "Curiosity" is another word that wouldn't be used, but it's the only word that fits, Minato on standby in the corner of the room awaiting his next instructions, allowed to observe his owner, and wonder.
Hm... "yearning"...?
Ah, there's also "fear." ]
wc.
[ pitch any combination to me! ]
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But it's a 4700SER, just old enough that the internet is full of tutorials on how to take them apart, how to reassemble them, and how to reset them. It's clear this model has been reset many times before, judging by the version number on the interface. And it seems that someone paid the extra money at some point to have a personality matrix installed, as the device boots into it instead of the default personality most 4700SERs come with.
The man has light blue eyes once they've powered on, and he smiles pleasantly at his new master.]
Good morning sir. Would you like to finish setting up your preferences or would you rather go with defaults? You can adjust my settings at any time.
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Um, [ his voice is no more than a mumble, a stalling tactic while he weighs the decisions. He'd never had a robot, finds it difficult to distinguish them from their owners unless he stares long and hard enough, and even then he gets it wrong at times.
The one in front of him, Minato had played surgeon for, so he knows, but... It's hard. ]
Good morning. [ More stalling, but an appropriate, albeit overdue, response. ] Just how you are is fine. You don't have to change anything for me... Did you have a name before? Mine is Minato.
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My name is Sean. It's good to meet you Minato, I've been waiting a long time for this moment. I'm here to make your life easier, and most importantly, I'm here to make your life happier in any way I can.
And to do that, I have a few more questions for you. If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me what your perfect day would involve? Start from the moment you wake up, to the moment you fall asleep.
[And while he waits for an answer, he quickly takes in the surroundings. Dusty but uncluttered. He'll take care of the dust soon enough and be sure to keep things to his user's preferred level of cleanliness.]
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I'd wake up, have dinner, and go back to sleep.
[ ...It's an unattainable fantasy, obviously. A perfect perfect day would be to just sleep and never wake up, but that's something Minato keeps to himself, instead choosing to drag himself over to perch on the arm of the couch, bare feet planted on the seat cushion, and motions for Sean to take a seat on the length of it, if he'd like. ]
A perfect day's sort of something I've never thought about... Not waking up tired, maybe. Uh.... Having somebody to say "welcome home" when I get home. [ ...It sounds so stupid when he says it out loud. ]
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To Minato's admission that what he wants more than anything is companionship, he gives his user a soft smile.]
From now on, you'll have me to greet you when you come home. And I'll make sure you'll have plenty of time to rest. If you ever need anything from me, just ask. Nothing would make me happier than helping you.
[His tone is casual, meant to make the user forget that these are orders he'll be giving Sean. It's very clear that what Minato wants is something invisible and seamless: a machine that behaves like a person and doesn't remind the user that they aren't real. So Sean's body language is friendly and comfortable, and he smiles like they're old friends.]
I don't want to take up too much time, I know how busy life can be. So, one last thing... what do you want to eat for dinner tonight?
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He lets out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and tells himself to shake off those thoughts and try to live up a little to Sean's expectations, as if Minato were the robot here wanting to please his owner. ]
Soup is fine- [ A pause, wherein he glances over to the calendar hung up on the wall beside his desk, squinting to make out the last date he crossed out. Almost the end of the month, but not yet. He'll still have water. ]
Some sort of soup, I guess. Easy to make and eat and clean up after. ...The apartment's kind of small, but I can show you around?
[ It's a studio apartment. The only wall that exists is the one separating the bathroom from the rest of the collective bedroom/living room/dining room/kitchen space. Sean would be able to things out in less than fifteen minutes, but it still feels weird just expecting him to do his thing. ]
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Soup sounds like a wonderful choice. And yes, I'd love it if you showed me around. Please, tell me everything.
[It's small-
smaller than the old place that was a two bedroom apartment
-but perfect for a man and his machine. Sean has already picked out the outlet he'll charge beside during the day while Minato is out. He lets himself be lead around, eager to memorize anything he learns and figure out how to better serve Minato, who is clearly very badly in need of proper care and affection. But that's what Sean does best.
As part of the evaluation, he reaches out to set a hand on Minato's back as they walk, noting how he reacts to the physical contact.]
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...No matter how much he turns, though, there's no way he can see anything flush on his back, so Minato redirects his attention back to the matter of hand, opening up both doors of the fridge and freezer so Sean can take stock at one glance. A quart of orange juice. A dozen eggs, half the carton empty. There are only popsicles in the freezer, a cheap brand that's nothing more than water, sugar, and artificial coloring. It's otherwise empty, but the rest of the cabinets Minato opens one by one are more promising: there's bread, rice, dried seaweed, a spice rack that looks like it's never been touched but is nevertheless there, about two dozen containers of ground coffee, among other dry non-perishables.
He keeps moving in this silent manner, allowing the items he points out to speak for themselves, and trying his best to always stay one step ahead of Sean, physically, to maintain the space. He gets to his desk and straightens up the stack of paper next to his laptop before moving on, rounds back to the couch which can fold out like a futon if one gives the lever on the side a good hard yank, points out the bathroom ...nothing really special to say about it... and finishes off at the front door, two sets of keys hanging on the wall above his shoes. ]
...Spare keys that came with the apartment. I'll give them to you. [ One set- the newer one, not attached to the ring with his car keys and library pass, he lifts off the hook and holds out. ]
You live here now, I guess. Do you have any questions? ...And maybe I can ask you a kind of personal one.
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Food is cataloged and quickly cross-referenced with recipes to help Sean decide on the most delicious and nutritionally appropriate meal he can make. The rest of the room is also logged in Sean's memory so he can ensure this layout is always returned to even after deep-cleaning, which will be the first thing he does once Minato leaves the apartment.
The keys are taken with a grateful smile.]
Thank you, I'll take very good care of 'em. As for me, I have no questions at all. Please, feel free to ask me anything at any time. Nothing is too personal.
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[ "Nothing is too persona," Sean says, but that could easily be interpreted as being because he's a robot, which aren't supposed to have secrets or feelings or things of that nature which makes asking this hard for Minato, who finds it easier to shove those sorts of considerations aside and talk if he's staring down at his feet. ]
I was wondering why-
[ No, maybe he should back up. ]
Do you know how you came to be here? Uh- In my apartment, I mean. [ He does not need shoehorn Sean into an existential crisis, that's not what he meant. ] Do you know what you did before?
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Ah, sorry but... I'm afraid that isn't something I'm supposed to know about myself. Maybe whoever you bought me from can tell you a little about my history? But, for my user's privacy, that chunk of my memory is wiped clean when I'm recoded or reset. That way, no one can ever breach your privacy if or when you decide to upgrade to a newer model.
[Sean's voice shifts slowly, becoming more reassuring as he delivers the news, doing his best not to let his user become too bothered by the answer. The manual says that some users may find the idea of this entirely sensible solution to be upsetting, especially if they view their servants as human instead of machine. So, he's quick to make sure that Minato doesn't have any reason to feel upset.]
But don't you worry about it. I'm yours now, and I'm just happy to be here, and to be helping you in anyway that I can. Oh! Actually, I do have a question for you. Around what time do you think you'll be home?
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Alright. I won't pry into any more of that, then. Tonight... mm... I'll probably run some errands before coming back, so I'll be a bit later than usual. Around nine, maybe?
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[It looks like a cellphone number and functionally, it acts like one. Of course, since Sean's a machine, it just sends the text to him directly, but he doesn't need to explain that to Minato.]
I think I'll clean the house, and I might go out for a walk to learn the neighborhood if I have time.
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[ He's obviously unused to bidding somebody goodbye when he leaves home, but whatever; it's something he can work on in the days to come, so Minato busies himself with grabbing his own set of keys off the hanger, swinging back to his desk to find his coat, and heads out the door, trying to shake off the thought that he's essentially left a stranger to full access of his home. Robots aren't infallible; they can lie and cheat and steal, and the ones that go rogue are more often than not scrapped and thrown away than reprogrammed and sold second-hand for cheap. But it's not like Minato has any valuables lying around the apartment- just the bare necessities, no cash, a laptop with his email always logged in for ease but nothing embarrassing in its contents.
Nothing to worry about, he tells himself as he heads out to face yet another day, set himself to autopilot and get through his job, and then after work, he sets out to a mechanics to see if he can get a deal on synthetic skin, maybe an external battery for longer trips outside or if his paycheck fails to cover the electricity bill- it'll be a little higher now, with a robot to charge.
...Huh. What else goes into owning a robot? Come to think of it, he probably needs registration papers or something like that, but Minato knows nothing about those, so he pretends the thought never crossed his mind, and instead pulls out his phone and sends a message to that number Sean provided. ]
It's Minato. Doing alright? Anything I can pick up for you while I'm out?
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Everything's fine! We could use some more cleaner if you have a chance to grab any, but that can wait until tomorrow too. I've got just enough to finish the job.
A few seconds later, a photo comes in. It's a shot of the apartment. Sean's moved the furniture and started cleaning. There's a bucket of foamy water and a few rags, and the windows have been opened up to air it out.
Another text comes in shortly after that.
Do you have any allergies?
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Robots, on the other hand, are safe. Loyal. Dependable and predictable. Edgeworth should know; after over a decade of growing up surrounded by his teacher's robotic servants, he's finally been gifted with one of his own. Minato has been his companion ever since he's started his own career in the prosecutor's office and moved into his own flat (still paid for by von Karma, for the time being), taking care of all the day to day tasks he simply doesn't have the time for. He does the cooking and the cleaning, he takes care of the shopping and whatever other little errands that have slipped his mind, he both makes appointments and reminds Edgeworth of them, and he even walks the dog when he's unable to. For the past few months he's served him reliably and without judgment, regardless of Edgeworth's own personal failings. The botched trials that nearly derailed his career, the fears and anxieties that still leave him paralyzed, the childish shows he watches when he needs a break from reality... if Minato has any questions or criticisms, he keeps them to himself, unlike any human companion.
Oh, says a snide voice in his head. Is that why you don't have any? Pathetic.
He winces as he reaches for his keys, before he takes a deep breath and corrects himself. It's not pathetic, it's... practical. Yes, practical. After all, he's a busy man. Besides, people are just another distraction he doesn't need right now. So he opens the door to his home, ready for some rest and relaxation before he returns to his work.]
Minato? I'm home.
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Welcome home.
[ Unvoiced, but easily discerned is the smell of dinner ready on the stove, either to be served or kept hot depending on whether Edgeworth prefers to eat or unwind first. Eat while unwinding? Eat while working... The latter-most isn't preferred, but in Minato's time walking the dog around the neighborhood, he observes other people too, quick glances stolen through fluttering curtains. Curious things, mostly. A robot and his owner, lips sealed on both visages the entire time Minato stood at the crosswalk waiting for the light to change, another scene through another window with an entire staff taking care of the house, owner at his desk, nobody talking. Minato too, remains silent unless spoken to, making it all the more noticeable— concerning— when the questions keep arising in the silence. ]
...How was your day?
[ It's a rare pleasantry, an attempt at conversation as Minato studies Edgeworth's face for a second before dipping his head and leading the way to the dining area. As good as the man's poker face is, he's still human, and there are still silent tells of agitation, frustration, things Minato might not readily understand, but addressing them is part of his job too. ]
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Second, von Karma's robots never spoke to him.
Edgeworth pauses, before he breathes in and stands back up.]
It was...
[A sigh]
It was straightforward.
[That sure is a euphemism. He speaks coolly and calmly, but there's a lingering tension in his muscles (then again, when wasn't he tense on some level?). However, there's still something about the case that bothers him. As he follows Minato to the dining room, he has a strange thought: rubber ducks. Some time ago, when he had woken up late at night and was unable to fall back asleep, he read an article about what computer programmers would do when they had a problem they couldn't solve. They would force themselves to explain the problem out loud to a rubber duck, and in doing so, they would come across a solution. It was silly, but apparently, effective.
He tilts his head and stares after Minato, thinking for a moment before clearing his throat]
Minato? Could you do me a favor?
[A favor. That's a strange way of wording a command. However, Edgeworth's request is a strange one, and even with a machine (or especially because he's a machine) Edgeworth isn't bold enough to dive headfirst into it; there needs to be some build-up first. These social niceties is just as much for Edgeworth's sake as it is Minato's.]
Hayden Young | Perfect Match
Todoroki Shouto | BnHA
Remy | OC | Gen
Chances are, if you're a robot, you're coming to him either because your owner doesn't reciprocate your feelings or they're done with you, and are taking the option with more finesse than just leaving you in a dumpster. Or maybe you're lucky, and your owner's legitimately just looking for something more affordable than the Genius Bar, and doesn't realize you're sentient - or, that is the reason you're here, because Remy isn't contractually obligated to report anything to the manufacturers, including sentience and complex emotions and other programming glitches like that. Remy promises discretion after all, and swears he doesn't go snooping (which is a lie, he snoops about half the time, with the probability going up the richer the client is... and going down the scarier they are).
He also deals in second-hand items. Mostly parts, but, if you ask (and pay) nicely, he can look around for any affordable robots coming through. Or give you a tip, if there's one in particular you're looking for. If it involves robots, and is the kind of thing the companies would void your warranty for, he probably does it.
His attitude leaves a lot to be desired, but his work is good
enough.][[tl;dr: human, runs unofficial repair business, likely meeting a robot he's fixing or is in need of repairs, or talking to a human looking to buy secondhand/find a lost robot/get their robot partner fixed discreetly. 👍]]