bakerstreet | He's more human than you'll ever be

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[[Physically/Mentally mid to late teens. Part robot, part Green Lantern energy. Actually alive. ~~Long story~~]]

[[She's the robot, duh. A surprisingly dangerous one with a lot of undocumented features. Ex-military, maybe? IDK, willing to roll with anything!]]

[New continent, new challenges. For one, the wilds that stretched out to form the new bulk of Alrest need to be explored, preferably by Drivers capable of handling the risks and dangers of the new land, whatever they might be. For another, enough artificial Blades still lingered after the final battle at the World Tree that their presence can neither be ignored nor overlooked, and their relationship to the citizens of Alrest needs a closer examination.]

[So let's consider our heroes. Rex and Nia had a lot to do coming to terms with everything that had happened. Mòrag is neck deep in aiding the people of Ardain and pretty much everyone as a whole. And no other artificial Blade, not even Lila, is as familiar with battle and working with a Driver as Poppi. With Pandaria tied up as the only Blade Genbu would listen to, Tora not exactly useful for the experiment, and Zeke unnecessary with his father still in power... that leaves just one pair to go out and try out this whole Artificial Blade thing to see how it might change Alrest and the concept of Drivers while doing the necessary exploration.]

[And though Zeke is hardly a bad Driver, Poppi's weapons are pretty out there for even a good one. The one most suited to his hand is, then, the Variable Saber...]

[So that's how come Zeke and Poppi are setting up camp out in the wilds, far from civilization; why her weapon is on his back, and why she's been the Quantum Technochampion around him for some time. And that experience is the one that leads Zeke, through the process, to keep glancing her way, as if some thought is nagging at him the whole time.]

[The need to examine the practicality of artificial Blades was immediate and obvious. For one, with the Architect gone and a new world created, there was no guarantee any new Core Crystals would be created. For two, those that remained could no longer be "purified", reducing the pool of potential Drivers and possibly disqualifying existing ones from resonating further. Artificial Blades did not require aptitude, could be built to specification, and transferring one was as simple as handing the weapon over - no need to hunt down the incredibly rare and expensive Overdrive Protocol.]

[There was the case of the Blades themselves, though. It seemed to go without saying that they'd continue to be treated as people, which complicated the affair by giving them a say in the matter. This test case, at least, had gone smoothly. In fact Poppi had been the one to convince Tora that between his engineering brilliance and non-existent legs, he would be infinitely more useful in deigning and building new infrastructure instead of struggling to chart out rough terrain. She'd promised to come back in one piece, and Tora had threatened Zeke to make sure she did. Well, tried to. Any Nopon trying to threaten another race tended to be more comical than anything else.]

[But so far, things had progressed smoothly. There had been some transitional learning, as Poppi was effectively stuck in one mode and couldn't transform - even ignoring that her α and QT forms' weapons were unconventional, they were also unapologetically designed for a Nopon driver, and awkward for a Tantalise to hold. Fortunately Zeke was accustomed to edged weapons so the Variable Sabre, itself modelled after the Aegis Blade, was a comfortable fit. With that in mind, what threats had presented themselves posed no actual danger.]

[Though Poppi was learning it wasn't as simple as that, especially when travelling in such a small group. She always paid attention to her driver, and she'd formed benchmarks of Zeke's biometrics accordingly. So when something was nagging at him, she knew.]

Something is bothering Zekeinator?

[That is so much better than 'Masterpon', which he'd feared she'd pick up for him. But whether it's because Tora is the only Masterpon she knows, or simply because he's just a different person... either way, what a relief.]

Not bothering. [Straightening up, he folds one arm across his chest and curls his other fingers around his chin.] But you know, if you don't count the Aegises, you're the most jolly human-looking Blade I've ever seen, let alone worked with. Tora really did a fantastic job on your upgrade... and I'm wondering what to make of that. You know, for our mission and all.

[The reason behind the name was simple. She may have a different Driver right now, but she would only ever have one Masterpon. Which at least made it easy to know who she was referring to.]

Masterpon designed Poppi's body to ease interaction with objects designed for taller people. That what's written in Poppi's design notes. [She paused, as if weighing up whether she should continued, but decided it could do no harm.] Considering wardrobe options and special protocols, Poppi think design notes not tell whole story.

Er. Yeah. Don't think you need a navel for that purpose. [Really, the only possible justification for that was to accentuate the human appearance... and let's not think about any specifics that apply to that general conclusion. Tora's one strangle little Nopon. Ahem. Erm.] Ah, more to the point, I was thinking that just a couple clothing differences and no one could tell you're not human. Except for the voice, and even then that's more because you talk like a Nopon than because you sound any different.

[Especially in this form.]

That's the sort of thing that gets a man wondering about the future of artificial Blades. The sort of thing we're thinking about out here, right?

[Spoilers but, they're robot in the sense they're made to be a vessel of void energy with no will of their own. ~~Except oops parental issues happened.~~ Down for any prompts.]

[ooc: I mean ... ]

[Will we ever find love? Probably not. Available individually or as a team.]

[ OOC: He's an android. ]

He's more human than you'll ever be

Aya | Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Poppi QTπ | Xenoblade Chronicles 2 | OTA

!!!!

!!!! yourself! Pleasant surprises all around.

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The Hollow Knight | Hollow Knight | OTA

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KD6-3.7 | Blade Runner 2049