010

[tickingheart]

[The robot had been oddly quiet for a few days, even avoiding his family as much as possible during the Thanksgiving dinner. But now the phone in his room was knocked off the hook, and if you're listening carefully, you can hear him muttering to himself. There's something off about the words, slow and buzzing.]

Shouldn't have listen...ed to her... liar... don't hurt me again, no... one hurts me again... can't trust... them.... should have remembered that...



[Family members are free to notice that he has claimed possession of the house's sharpest kitchen knife, and a tool box. The knife was used to cut open the covering on his right arm, and the tools are being used in an attempt to one-handedly install a gun there.]

Comments

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

[he's asking against his better judgement]

What happened?

[tickingheart]

's not your business.

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

...

Fine.

[tickingheart]

...

thought I could trust her...

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

Is this about Aigis-san?

[tickingheart]

...

[silence]

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

[it's enough. he knows]

[tickingheart]

[He flickers to defensive.]

What. Gonna laugh at me now? Karma and stuff like that?

[His voice buzzes slightly.]

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

I don't believe in karma. Or fate.

[tickingheart]

I know.

... but the... analogy works.

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

[... he's not actually feeling sympathy for this guy, is he?

But he doesn't know what else to say, so have more silence]

[tickingheart]

[The robot can't think of anything to say any more than you can, Kuroba. He's exhausted and worried and scared and hurt.]

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

[He gets the feeling he knows exactly how the robot feels right now. He is him, after all]

... just don't do anything stupid. [because he knows he would]

[tickingheart]

[A harsh laugh]

Define "stupid".

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

You know exactly what I mean. Don't pretend you don't.

[tickingheart]

Why would you care, Kuroba?

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

I don't want to get starved for your dumb mistakes. [Which is a cover up for the fact that he really has no answer]

[tickingheart]

Nobo...dy'd know I did it.

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

[he picks up on the odd pause]

Nobody? You sure about that? [though he knows it's possible. He's done it before, after all]

[tickingheart]

You... did it before. Nobody knew.

[he still sounds slightly off, his words buzzing on occasion, with strange pauses.]

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

[he's picking up on all of it]

Oi. What's wrong with you?

[tickingheart]

'm tired. Told you already.

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

You're a robot. Do you even get tired?

[tickingheart]

Wind down sometimes. Like now.

[kaitopants.livejournal.com]

Then wind yourself ba-- [he stops short. Since when did he actually start empathizing with this guy...?]