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space3cho​:

Cygnus nodded at the proposed idea of going to one of the empty suites. Even if they shouldn’t it was the best option. His mom wouldn’t be there and neither would Cygnus’ parents…or the android. 

~

Max lead the way to his family’s suite, grabbing the keycard he’d stolen a while ago for one of the empty suites on Ring 1. He gestured for Cygnus to follow them as he snuck back out and made his way down to the suite at the very end of the hall, letting them in and locking the door behind them.

“Make yourself at home,” he said, stepping over to the synthesizer to order some various bottles of alcohol. While they waited for those to be made, he turned and leaned against the counter, watching Cygnus for a moment. “Truth or Dare,” he said after a moment with a faint smirk.

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unchartedstarmaps​:

“Well that’s certainly interesting.” Zephyr tilted her head. “Does the ship have female energy?” She chuckled and stroked one of the panels. “I’ve heard men talk about machines like they were a she but I assumed that was something demeaning. It doesn’t feel that way from you.”

~

“That’s probably because they tend to talk about their machines like they’re their girlfriends. I see her more like a daughter,” Ari admitted, patting the wall gently. “I take care of her, make sure she runs smoothly and is able to do what she was made to do. I feel protective over her like a mother would be. I’m assuming. I’ve never been an actual mother.”

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The girl looked from the screwdriver in her hand to the person standing in front of her. She held it out to him slowly. “What kind of work do you do?” she asked curiously, tilting her head and glancing around him to try and see what was behind him.

Eliot was working frantically in his shop, no other reason than his own personal deadline that he makes for himself so he stays on top of everything. Wheeling around on his chair without a care of his surroundings since they typically worked alone. It wasn’t until he dropped his screwdriver and watched it roll under the door. With a sigh and a deep breath to ground himself he got up from his chair and headed to the door. When he opened it he was surprised to see someone in the doorway already holding it. “Oh sorry about that, I was a little too into my work.” They gave a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of their neck.

@theamitystarters 

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space3cho​:

“Well, you never know, right” he shrugged as they plucked another item out of the box and bit into half of it as he walked over to the couch to flop down on it. “You heard anything about the disturbances or whatever? I’ve heard some strange noises, but honestly, I’d kind of chalked it up to some sort of new kink the neighbors are in to”

~

Blue turned in his seat to face Finch, looking over at him on the couch. “Yeah, I’ve heard them too. But I hear a lot of shit. It honestly just kinda . . . fades in with the rest of the chaos.” He gestured toward his head.

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space3cho​:

“Just trying to avoid home.” Cygnus had thought being home at Lyra had been unbearable, but it had come to be even more-so ever since his parents had had the android built. 

~

“I’d say we could hang out in my suite, but my mom will be breathing down our necks . . . maybe we can check out one of the empty suites on One. I know how to break in,” Max said with a faint grin. “Come on, we’ll grab a couple bottles and just chill.”

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space3cho​:

“Why not? Why can’t you just leave? I’m telling you to go. You have to listen to me, right? This is how it works, isn’t it?” Would it be considered going against her programming if he was telling her to stop and to leave? What would even happen if she did? “Renaming you doesn’t change anything. You would still look like her. I would still be forced to look at my dead sister. Ask my parents to turn you off and have your parts destroyed. That’s what I want from you.”

~

Lyra inhaled sharply at Cygnus’s words, trying not to show how deeply they hurt. Then again, maybe it would be good for Cygnus to see the expression, to know that she did have emotions and feelings. “I’m sorry you despise me so much, but I can’t decommission myself, and you know your parents won’t approve of a decommission when they made me for you.” She bit her lip. “I’m supposed to protect you. I can’t leave.”

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Max started as the android appeared in front of him out of nowhere. “Geez fuck, how many times have I told you not to do that?” they asked, annoyed. Frowning, he listened to Teenie complain about how dirty they were before asking their question.

“Sex, drugs, and rock and roll, obviously,” he said, holding up his hand in a sarcastic “rock and roll” gesture. “You know you don’t actually have to follow me everywhere, right? I mean, what’s going to happen if you don’t? Am I going to fall off the space station?”

Max thought he was sneaky. To be fair, he was a clever child. Perhaps far too clever for his own good. That was what 13 was there for: to be smarter. Better.

The ones before 13 were inadequate and thus obsolete. Her objective was to keep watch over young Maxine. To do anything less would mean reducing herself to redundancy. 13 was not scrap metal.

She stepped in front of Max without warning.

“Max.”

Succeeding in her task would win her the favor of Madame President who 13 was programed to respect and was meant to serve dutifully. Watching over Max would please Madame President and win her favor and maybe one day 13 would serve the president instead of patrolling up and down the streets of the lower rings. Sometimes she imagined herself a fly on the wall during important meetings or fetching the president’s coffee… She’d do so happily. She shouldn’t day dream, 13 knew this, but she couldn’t help it sometimes.

She parted her lips then closed them again, pressing them into a flat, unamused line as she eyed her ward.

“You are filthy, Max. Why?”

13 had been practicing her ‘disappointed’ face. She hoped Max noticed; it was meant to be starkly different from her default expression. (It wasn’t).

“What have you been up to?”

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space3cho​:

“That’s not what I mean” Cygnus shook his head. Of course she was real in the sense that she was physically there and taking up space and being a constant reminder that he’d survived and Lyra hadn’t and that maybe it was all his fault because he’d gotten it first. “Don’t say her name like it’s yours. My mother and father might want to pretend like she’s not dead by having you built, but I’m not them. I don’t feel you. I can’t find you in my dreams. You’re a fake,”

~

“I’m not . . . I know my existence hurts you,” Lyra said softly. “But I’m trying to be a good . . . whatever I am. What do you want me to do? I can’t leave, I’m supposed to protect you, but I also want you to be happy and not hurt, so what can I do?” She took a step forward before stopping, not approaching him further. “I’m not trying to be her. I have her memories, but I know they’re not mine. But I don’t have any other name. Would you like to rename me?”

[polariscalling]

space3cho​:

“Yeah I can do that. Would you want to do a couple of two or three hour sessions? Time actually goes pretty quickly with those.” 

~

“I think I can handle three hours. How many sessions do you think it’ll take?” Ari asked curiously.

[polariscalling]

space3cho​:

“All that because of ELs?” Reece didn’t understand what the big deal was. Why people hated them. They’d never done anything to them before. All the things that Reece had heard people say ELs could do and they’d never had once use it on them. “That kind of sounds like overdoing it.” 

~

“Have you seen the way people act around here and in general? They always overdo it. Humans like to be overdramatic. It makes them feel important because everyone pays attention to them when they make a big stink over things,” Max said.

[polariscalling]

space3cho​:

Cygnus shook his head as he mentioned that it was a euphemism…an innuendo. Cygnus didn’t get either. He did, however, understand what he meant when he said it in a much more blunt manner. “Could we go to a quiet place and drink ourselves stupid?”

~

“Yeah, yeah we can do that,” Max said, tilting their head. “You okay?” they asked, normally not really caring but Cygnus was the closest thing he had to a friend other than Zarina. So maybe he cared a little bit.

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justzarina​:

“Oh, don’t worry,” Zarina quipped back while sliding off the counter and pointedly walking across the room to lean against the wall next to the panel, throwing in a cheeky wink for good measure. “I’m into everyone.” She kept her gaze focused on the mechanic, only taking a break to glance around the room as her A/C unit practically roared to life, before looking back at Ari. “You are a literal lifesaver. How ever shall I repay you?” 

~

“I’m paid by the station, but . . . I do accept tips,” Ari said with a faint smirk, knowing exactly what Zarina meant by that and playing along willingly. It wasn’t like she hadn’t made house calls like this before.