#th writing turned out slightly different in tone compared to the lil comic thing but thats mostly bc i was kinda doin whatever in the comic

[nightseeye]

Teehee, OC stuffs mainly, but lotsa Fresh in there too. Even did a lil writing based off the middle comic (fresh and HCT (square robo), put it in a readmore

Its set after game events, and also my undrawn comic events regarding my two ocs, just a lil convo between an protective guard robo and the guy who caused them to almost kill their boss

Lel had swept out like a whirlwind, leaving the two in silence, studiously ignoring one another as they waited for the scientist to return. Fresh fidled with their headset, while the robot simply stared straight at the empty doorway Lel had disappeared through.

"STATEMENT: Clear dislike of subject." Cut through the silence, leaving the beat surprised it was broken at all.

Fresh couldn't help but roll their eye once they actually registered the obvious understatement. Anytime they came to talk to Lel, the robot was never too far away, hovering in a corner somewhere like the obnoxiously overprotective guard dog it was built to be. Not the worst reaction they've gotten from someone, but after enough time it became... grating.

"Unsurprising." The beat couldn't help the disdain and dismissal that dripped off the single word, cutting their gaze away from the robot.

"EXPOUND: Subject is the cause of PRIMARY OBJECTIVE failure."

That alone brought their attention back to the conversation. It wasn't rare that Fresh learned whatever particular reason a person had for hating them, but they haven't yet heard one from the robot. Usually it was something along the lines of tearing apart the Treeangle, or turning the seas pink. Nothing ever personal enough that they actually cared - beyond those flowers they beat up during their freedom-induced rampage, - but the beat was curious to hear whatever reason had taken it so long to spit out.

"Yeah? And what's that?"

The robot gazed up ever so slightly, as if reading it out from thin air: "PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Keep USER Lel safe, hale, and happy."

Fresh couldn't help but flinch back as the robot slowly turned to face them, a single glowing pupil growing to encompass its entire eye in an admittedly very unnerving display. They could almost imagine how threatening the machine had looked when corrupted with the single spark of pink flickering in its eye, sharp claws pointing at the beat.

"STATEMENT: Cause of PRIMARY OBJECTIVE failure."

That simple sentence was just the truth, but nothing had ever felt more like an accusation, judgement, and condemnation than that. It struck true like an execution, guilt tying a noose around their neck and rendering them silent. There was nothing Fresh could say to to defend themself, no excuses to give, and none that they'd want to try. Maybe if they hadn't grown so close to the scientist these past few weeks, that single sentence wouldn't feel so bad, but... the knowledge that they had a hand in Lel's pain, in that kind scientist's fear...

Maybe they could understand HCT's hatred a little better.

"VEXATION: Subject is.-"  The fragmented sentence was was enough to pull their thoughts out of the spiral they were going down, and Fresh couldn't almost help but feel grateful towards the robot, even as it turned back away from them. With its pupil returned to normal size, they were able to see its expression change from angry, to fustrated, and settle on annoyed as it found a way to complete its sentence, "..tolerated, by USER Lel."

Fresh snorted.

"I think they do more than tolerate me." They replied, mind drifting back to all the times they've poked around the lab, only to be caught by Lel, and not scolded, but taught about how whatever equipment they were poking at worked.

How, even as the scientist threw a million questions their way, they were kind enough to notice the ones the beat shied away from, and not ask anymore. The snacks, the smiles, the simple greetings and waves if they ever passed one another elsewhere in Paradise. They wouldn't be surpised if Lel counted them as an friend.

The beat knew they counted them as one.

There was a sound Fresh could almost describe as a prim sniff, if it hadn't come from the robot bigger than they were, "EXPOUND: Lethal force distinctly unauthorized."

Lel rushed back into the room to see Fresh in tears on the floor, gasping for air as they cackled, while HCT stood, seemingly unmoved as it glared off to the side.