Gearbox walked down the streets of Blackprint, following the directions Hailey gave her towards her condo. It was thankfully fairly easy, with the streets of the Ring city being divvied up into cylindrical blocks of standardized address progressing from one end of the segment to the other. So the automa woman processed down a main thoroughfare, taking in the sights of homes, businesses, and public buildings each adorned in their own graffiti. Some was signage, some purely creative expression, but all of it spoke to the soul of the city, every conceivable style and subject matter on display and signed by its creator. It reminded them of times long gone, walking down the streets of east LA after school, picking up snacks from the liquor store as they wound their way towards a friend’s house. It was a comforting sight, and despite everything that had changed between then and now, the rhythm of Blackprint’s soul beat in time with their own. They had made the right choice, it seemed, and they were glad to have come here.
With their arrival at the condominium complex, Gearbox stopped to admire the lobby. Noticeably, there wasn’t any security stationed around the ground floor like they had expected.
System.Jen: Times change for the better I suppose ‘3’
System.Anzu: We should text Hailey that we’re here and head on up then :D
A quick message sent from their PET and up the elevator they went.
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The tanuki woman answered them at the door and invited them in, clearly settling down for the evening with their attire switched to that of a casual tanktop and pajamas.
“Make yourself at home, the guest room is the second room on your left down the hall. Drop your luggage off and feel free to use the restroom and washroom if you’d like. I’ll be in the kitchen. I’m glad you took my offer to stay here for a while, I’ve been a little lonely while my sister has been away on business. Let me know when you’re done settling in, I’ve got something I’d like to show you.”
Her affect carried that same flat quality from their meeting at the town hall; they had figured she was putting on a more business like tone during her working hours but it was beginning to seem like that was just simply how she acted naturally. It was kind of nice, and they automa felt a little bit of kinship with someone who also felt like they had to make their emotions crystal clear to others.
Hailey’s condo was far less spartan than they had envisioned, the living space furnished with what seemed like a miniature theater space and the kitchen adorned with what surely must have been an entire scrapbook’s worth of photos and keepsakes. Tchotckes and mementos from trips all over both the Ring and the Earth sat atop cabinets and appliances, and photos of the twin mayors decorated the walls. The automa woman also noticed that the tanuki woman’s twin was actually a fox woman, which was a bit of a surprise yet also felt correct somehow. They shook the feeling however, it’s not like fraternal twins were anything unusual.
Leaving the kitchen to take Hailey up on the offer for a shower while she rooted around in her room, they performed the rituals of a welcomed guest. Luggage rolled into the guest room, a pleasant space of nondescript arrangement meant for someone to imprint themselves upon for a brief span of time. They had always preferred living out of their suitcase however, even back when they had toured around to other undercities. It had felt more adventurous to them somehow, like they could come and go at a moment’s notice should a whim take them.
System.Doc: Maybe we should unpack a bit, pretty soon we’re gonna have a new permanent residence and it couldn’t hurt to get the habit, y’know =w=
System.Gabby: Sure! We should show Hailey some of our little toys too. I’m sure she’d get a kick out of em.
System.Jen: IDK, might be a pain to get em wrapped back up for transport, hrmm….
System.Doc: Just one then? I’ve always loved these things and maybe she’ll know where we can find more to build up here? =w=
System.Jen: Hmmmmm how bout one of the Auto Rider figs? Everyone loves a cool action hero.
System.Gabby: Yesssssss let’s goooooo, I’m completely sure this is gonna score us some Hot Tanuki Lady Points.
System.Anzu: OH WORD? SIGN ME UP.
System.Gabby: LMAOOOOOOO the votes are in, time to put on the moves y’all.
The council came to a consensus, and a decision was reached to show their host one of the model kits that they had spent precious hours putting together. It was a hobby that had become so much more accessible with the advent of post scarcity among the automa. Plastic was somehow infinitely more ubiquitous than it had been during the Petroleum Era, but thankfully the ecological impacts had been eradicated. As such, the time honored tradition of trading a few hours of your life in exchange for getting a cool ass figure of a robot poseable in any arrangement you wanted had new life breathed into it. Their selection came from an automa live action series that took inspiration from the tokusatsu genre of japanese television in the 70s, of a transforming hero who defended the world from evil with toyetic weaponry and awesome stunt maneuvers; the automa spiritual successor had the benefit of a couple hundred years or so of technological advancement in practically every relevant field. Coupled with the practically indestructible nature of the automa, the Auto Rider series was nearly a true to life portrayal of super heroes fighting against the forces of chaos.
A quick hop into the shower was next on the docket, a luxury they could enjoy thanks to the waterproofing of their frame. The feeling of water against their ‘skin’, whether it was the warmth of a nice shower or the cool embrace of a swimming pool, was something they had taken great pains to ensure they could enjoy when they had gotten their frame just the way they liked it all those years ago. They stepped out of the shower and grabbed their ‘disguise’ from the washing machine. Turning over the shirt in their hands, they considered their style on the whole. They’d always been partial to the simple, it was hard to go wrong with a t shirt and jeans after all, but perhaps it was time for a change. Running back that shopping spree idea from earlier in the day, they started putting together a to-do list, or at least a “want-to-do” list
1. show Hailey one of our model kits, see if she knows where we could find more
2. shopping spree, for 1. and also some new clothes
3. find some roommates, Hailey said she’d help
System.Anzu: off to a good start, I think.
System.Jen: I agree
System.Gabby: okay, here’s the plan for 1…
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The automa reclined on the bed, reading a fantasy novel idly. The trap was set and ready to be sprung, all that they needed to wait on was their prey. The clock ticked, time languidly advancing as their excitement stretched the moments out towards the horizon of perception.
System.Doc: shit we didn’t anticipate she’d give us this much free time. >;T
Finally giving up on subtlety the automa woman hopped off to go on the offensive. Right as they laid their hand on the doorknob however, Hailey opened the door from the other side, trapping them both in the kind of awkward situation that only prescripted sitcoms can untangle.
System.Jen: OH GOD DAMN IT WE GOT DIFF’RENT STROKES’D
“Oh, hello gearbox, I just finished fixing dinner, would you like some?”
If the tanuki woman felt anything from the predicament, she didn’t show it. Her implacable demeanor remained as stoic as ever.
System.Gabby: seems like second hand embarrassment has been solved in the future, how lucky for us ;T
System.Anzu: oh man, we just had that huge spread over at the Classical Elements, though, idk if we’ll be able to make room TAT
System.Jen: and yet we must! For our rating with hailey to rise! >:0
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
The dinner was simple, lamb and roast vegetables, plus a bottle of wine, but simple does not mean bad in the least. Hailey had put out a food box for them and they both sat and ate with quiet manner. It felt like the kind of meal that a government official would serve for other government officials, and automa woman did their best to be polite to match the occasion.
Take a bite of food, sip of wine, repeat. It was starting to wear on them even if very little time had passed. It just wasn’t the kind of meal they were used to eating.
System.Jen: fuckkkk, small talk small talk how do we make small talk >XT
System.Gabby: we should thank her at least, right? Surely that’s the first place to start.
The automa refocused after their internal dialogue and turned to face their host.
“Thank you for all this, by the way. It’s been a hell of a last few days and, I don’t know, just feels nice to already have someone in our corner, y’know”
The tanuki woman looked back in turn and gave a slightly soft look; Gearbox had gotten a bit of a handle on how she expressed herself in slight ways compared to everyone they’d known before.
“It’s no problem at all. You looked like you could use a friend, is all. I’m glad that you chose this city of mine to start again. This would be the first time I’ve made acquaintance with an automa myself, I hope you don’t mind if I’m a bit rocky at first.”
System.Anzu: Acquaintance is like, fancy friends, right? We’re IN >;D
System.Doc: you’re ruining the moment you horny bitch!!!
“Oh it’s fine for sure, heheh.” they said with a hand raised to their head to try and seem personable, “We’re definitely glad to have met you. We’ve always kinda felt, a little alone I guess. We’ve never really told anyone about our weird ass mental state before, y’know? Having someone be interested in us feels kinda odd but kinda nice. Like we don’t have to be afraid of being us.”
The wine was definitely giving them some liquid courage to spew all this, but maybe it wasn’t so bad. They’d never had someone to confide all this in and she genuinely seemed concerned with making them feel welcomed and supported. They had made the choice to come up here based solely on the novelty of living in space but their luck had landed them in a place far beyond what they could’ve hoped for.
The tanuki woman turned to gearbox, whom caught the briefest look of pleasured surprise passing across her expression, as if she had been told a piece of good news she hadn’t expected to come to pass. It spoke of fear and loneliness long carried finally beginning to relax, two people who could not have less in common finding pleasant company in an unexpected time and place. She coughed, a rare straightforward expression from her, and gathered her wits, “I’m glad to hear that, if I’m being honest; my sister and I tend to not get on well with others beyond basic courtesy. I fear our stony visages tend to keep others at arms length…” Her eyes drifted southward, clearly this was a chip she’d been carrying for so long it had metastasized into a whole new block
“Well you’re a big hit with one of the gals up here, so surely you must have more admirers than you think, ma’am.” delivered with panache only a glass of really nice wine could afford, and the classic knock on the head to illustrate their point. “Maybe it’s just having lived with so many people with such an insane variety of body types, some of whom didn’t even have faces to get a read on, but honestly we have no problem with it. Your biggest fan even finds it kinda cute”
System.Anzu: BETRAYAL!!!
System.Gabby: BE GRATEFUL WE’RE GETTING YOU MORE POINTS
System.Anzu: BETRAYAL RETRACTED!!
Hailey took her turn to bolt upright and locked in a thousand yard stare that looked like it was attempting to atomize the wall opposite her, some unexpected shock hard crashing the raccoon’s software. Recovering from her mental blue screen and subsequent reboot, it seemed like the alcohol was hitting her just as hard. She fixed her glasses, as if trying to regain control of her demeanor through their realignment. Actually, how much alcohol *had* they gone through at this point. The automa woman certainly wasn’t keeping track, but even they had been pacing themselves; between the cocktail at paulie’s place and whatever vintage this red happened to be, post splicers liked their drink STRONG. However much it was, though, it certainly seemed like it’d begun to put the tanuki woman in a stupor, her whole body seemed to slacken and her gaze wandered back to Gearbox. Her expression had softened way past any point they’d seen before, though admittedly that wasn’t the most impressive metric to measure by given they’d just met today. Either way, it seemed like the time for commiseration had begun.
With dinner come and gone, the pair took the glasses and wine bottle to that perennial zone of relaxation and leisure, a.k.a. the living room. Nestled on a generously capacious four seater sofa the tanuki woman retrieved the remote control from some unseen pocket and flicked through the channels idly while she topped up their drinks. Settling on some kind of action movie inspired by the neo-medieval period, she set the bottle down and let out a very heavy sigh. Was it the usual destressing from the busy life of a high ranking government employee or something else? Gearbox, already on maybe their second or third glass of wine if you counted the top up, was starting to lack the mental processing speed to really think much on it. The two were here, now, sharing a moment of repose that felt right. Watching the knights play out their dramatic repartee with a friend by their side, it almost felt like they were back in those rose tinted days before, well, everything. As an automa they had a **Lot** of everything to account for. Hailey *was* a friend, right? Surely at this point they could call each other that.
A few minutes languidly pass; the alcohol was good and the film was suitably action-y to counteract their lack of cultural context for the time period. There was something Hailey said earlier that day, wasn’t there? Something about getting to know them better but phrased more specifically… the question passed through the idle consideration barrier down towards their shared mindscape, now granted active attention by the quartet of constituent facets that made up the greater whole that presented as Gearbox
System.Jen: Sheeeeeeeee, wanted to ask about us, right? ;T
System.Doc: Yeah but what about us? ;?
System.Jen: No, like *us* us. The four of us.
System.Gabby: Yeahhhhh, that’s ringing a bell or two.
System.Anzu: Was it anything specific about us? Or just like, us?
System.Anzu: Also fuuuck, this stuff is so fucking strong, haven’t been this flat out fucked up since….
System.Doc: Since we ate an entire half rack of brownie edibles before that concert on accident. ;y
System.Jen: Yeah, huh. That would’ve been right before we went under, wouldn’t it? With some of the others at that dive bar out in Queens. Who was playing that night?
System.Gabby: I think it was They Might Be Giants. They’d just dropped Flood and it was everyone’s last ride before, y’know. =3=
System.Anzu: Feels like a lifetime ago. Well it was but you know. (=^=)
System.Doc: And now here we are. A few lifetimes later and what? Nothin, that’s what. ;p
System.Jen: Well fuck it! Let’s fucking make something of this one then. We’re here ain’t we! Let’s ask her what she wanted to know and start making some FUCKING friends. (૭ ｡• ᵕ •́｡ )૭
System.Doc: Heheh, Weren’t you supposed to be The Cool One, Jen?
System.Jen: Fuck you too, Doc. >;y It’s cool to care about things, the alcohol and I have decided this, so go pound sand.
System.Gabby: Haven’t gotten in a fight like this since the bad old times, have we? I say we do it, Jen’s got the right idea.
System.Anzu: Aye aye! 6w9
System.Doc: Guess the ayes have it, time to Socialize™
“We, uh, remember you wanting to ask us about our system, yeah?” they probed. They were a good 90% sure that was what it was, and even if it wasn’t it’d get them past the hardest part about starting a conversation: actually starting it.
Hailey thought about it for a second, eyes darting around trying to catch a stray thought; she was also 90% sure that was what she had asked earlier that day, so she might as well not leave her guest hanging. “Yyyyesss, yes, I haven’t met anyone who’s said they’ve got four different personae like you did, at least not anyone who’s told me anyway. It seems like something of a private issue, so if you’re not quite comfortable yet don’t feel pressured to explain yourself on my account.” Gearbox noticed that she had tensed up a bit upon broaching the subject, as if hoping she had made some sort of faux pas to her new friend. She wasn’t about to bring it up yet but they actually began to notice that her host’s tail and ears had begun to emote alongside her expression. It was cute, and the facade slipping helped ease their own tensions. It was a genuine friendly interest she had in them.
The automa woman relaxed further into the couch in response; even though it was their idea to bring this up the earnest interest the tanuki woman had given them in turn was comforting. It was clear she had an honest intent in bridging the gap and if anything was equally as new at making new friends as they were. It seemed like even with 500+ years of human progress somethings never truly changed.
“No worries, you’re actually the first person to express interest in us, to be honest. We’d be happy to answer any questions you’ve got” The automa delivered along with a warm smile, hoping to ease their inquirer’s nerves just a bit. This was the truth, they hadn’t socialized much all those years they had spent down in Capacita; in fact, they had spent at least 300 of the last 500 or so years since the sinking effectively asleep. They had come up for air, so to speak, multiple times but something about being down there depressed them and they never stayed up for too long. Maybe it was the constant reminder that their people had chosen to exile themselves; even if automa society moved on there was still this feeling that they had chosen to keep themselves in a self imposed prison. Maybe others felt the same way, it would explain why there was such a number of automa who had emigrated to the ring. Others like them who wanted to finally unshackle themselves from the bitter past and instead build themselves a new future.
System.Doc: Alright, alright, enough reminiscing, it’s time to lock in and answer the nice raccoon lady’s questions >:3
System.Gabby: And here I was feeling moved that we’ve already found friends and a place to belong, hehehe.
System.Doc: All the more reason to be present for our new friend rather than wistfully thinking about how nice things are gonna be!
System.Anzu: Yee, she’s interested in us we should reciprocate that! >;D
System.Jen: We can tell you looked up how to spell ‘reciprocate’ dog we’re all the exact same level of drunk right now dummy
System.Anzu: yeah well, fuck you >;y now lock tf in
Hailey nodded in recognition of the go-ahead and concentrated, trying to summon up the words she wanted through the inebriation. She definitely knew she to ask *something* but the exactness of the thought was eluding her. The tip of her tail swished to and fro without her notice, and after a moment of gear shifting however she arrived at the first question that seemed appropriate.
“I’m curious exactly what it’s like for you guys. What is a system, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The automa turned the question over a few times. They had a sort of instinctual understanding of their situation but needed to work to put it into coherent thought.
System.Jen: what ARE we, actually?
System.Doc: like the voices of thought, I guess
System.Jen: yeah that works I think
“So,” they began, “you know how when you’re thinking to yourself, you have your inner voice? We’re four of em in the same head. Distinct enough for each of us to have a name even. We discuss our thoughts together but the forward facing ‘us’ called Gearbox is just kinda all four of us meshing together when we’re not concentrating on our thoughts. Occasionally one of us will take primary control when we feel like it, usually when it’s something of interest to them in particular, or occasionally to handle certain tasks. It kinda sounds more complicated than it is, explaining it like this, but it’s how things are for us.”
The tanuki woman knit her brow, processing the information received, committing it to long term storage and filing it under the proper category. Her focus seemed to be at the expense of the whole of her concentration because her glasses began to slip again. It appeared like she was quite the lush if given the opportunity. Or maybe this *was* the first opportunity. She fixed her spectacles again, ears perking up as she regained her composure. Her second question thus summoned up from the depths, she rallied her strength and pressed onward, “Then… may I meet each of you?”
System.Doc: Oh? That’s a new one.
System.Jen: How to do this, hrmm -n-
System.Gabby: Can we swap our eye colors to show who’s fronting? ;?
System.Jen: I… think so?
System.Gabby: Worth a shot.
“Yeah we should be able to do that. Give us a sec we’ve gotta configure something first.”
Shutting their eyes as they dove into the internal configuration of their frame, flicking through various menus, it was something they hadn’t done in a while, honestly, and the endeavor left them feeling slightly alien in their own body. Day to day piloting was no problem but something about directly observing their own ware just scratched their brain the wrong way. Like looking at themselves lying on an autopsy table, animatedly trying to convince the doctor beside them that they’re fit as a fiddle they just gotta turn these knobs a few cranks. The experience brought into contrast how long they had put off upgrading their frame; it was always something they’d do “later” but inevitably pushed off to the future every time they thought about it. They left a note calling it urgent and put the bookmark back on that thought.
They found the setting they were looking for, clumsily configured the ability to toggle the color, and finalized the change. Their synchro rate must’ve been shot to hell by now, possibly even boring through to the 9th circle to have a chat with Satan. Thankfully the process took less than a couple seconds realtime, so their host didn’t have to wait very long at all for their return to reality.
System.Doc: alright, let’s give this a spin.
They opened their eyes, now a noticeably bright crimson, and thought for a sec. “Hey there, are the eyes working? I’m Doc, by the way, nice to meet you face to face.” She extended their hand for a cordial handshake, but Hailey seemed preoccupied with their little party trick, pupils dilated in interest while her ears perked up at attention.
“Ohhhhh, I’ve never seen an automa do that before, is it standard?”
“Pretty much everything in or on an automa’s frame is bespoke, actually. Tinkering with the settings on the fly like this has a bad habit of tanking our synchro rate, though. Probably because we’ve been putting off any sorta updates for… way too long.” She tried to avoid eye contact at the embarrassing admission but the tanuki hunted her line of sight down as more questions came to mind. In fact her body language was growing more intense as she drained the wine bottle of its blood red treasury; she must’ve drank way more than she usually did if she was getting this animated compared to before, what must’ve been her typical self. Even her affect was slipping into something that seemed unusually… loose? They were two adults but the automa woman was starting to harbor a bit of worry that this night was turning a bit self destructive for her host. She might have to commandeer Hailey’s wineglass and put it under house arrest for her own safety, or at least her own dignity.
“Synchro rate? I haven’t heard that term before, please, enlighten me.” ears and tail twitching in interest.
“Lemme pass off the front to someone else, first, we gotta all introduce ourselves at least, y’know?”
“Of course, of course, take your time”
System.Doc: okay who wants to go next, don’t think I’m great at one on one talks >.>
System.Gabby: isn’t this the first time we’ve done somethin like this, how are you already saying you’re not good at it.
System.Doc: because I was so bad at talking to myself you all had to emerge from the darkness of our fuckin brain to keep me company or I would’ve gone off the handle >:u
System.Doc: now I’m nominating you to go next, who agrees with me ;y
System.Jen: aye o/
System.Anzu: aye o/
System.Gabby: LOL sure thing you dipshits ;y
They shut their eyes again, the others trying to slip down to allow the very democratically chosen facet the room to expand in their shared mindspace. It was awkward even the second time. Hopefully it would become more natural over time? Hard to tell sitting at the bottom of the slope, so to speak.
“Hello? This thing on?” the one named Gabby asked as she took hold of the reins, eyes this time a vibrant fuschia. She glanced around the room a bit but settled her sights back on the tanuki woman who was pouring them both more from the wine bottle. Thankfully that seemed to be the last of it, so there shouldn’t be much more worry to be had about Hailey’s demeanor getting any wilder.
“Ooh, that’s a lovely shade of pink!” Her tail swished in concurrence, and the twinkle in her eye was growing more intense.
“Nice to meetcha, I’m Gabby by the way, hehe” as she introduced herself with a little double wave maneuver. “Oh, right, synchro rate. So all automa have this thing called a sandbox, it’s a really complicated piece of hardware that is for all practical purposes a human brain. And the automa frame has to send all the correct signals to the sandbox brain to make sure the brain doesn’t pitch a fit about a process it expects to be happening not happening. Synchro rate is how good an automa’s frame is at doing that, on top of some other things. Being reminded that you’re piloting a machine tends to also cause it to take a hit, which is why diving into the configs to get our lights to change with however’s up front knocked it down a bit. That should be the whole explanation.”
“I seeeeee… amazing technology, even by our standards…”
“And if you don’t mind, I’d be down to answer more about all of us, or myself, so that my segment isn’t just answering technical questions, heheh.”
“OH! Of course, let me think… well if we’re getting to know each other, what are your hobbies?”
“Hobbies huh… let’s see… back in Capacita whenever we were up and active we generally stuck to ourselves so it’s a bit hard to say what each of us individually liked, it was always just stuff we all did together, y’know?”
“But I think if I had to choose something for myself I enjoy amateur history study. I like seeing how we as a species have ended up where we’re at today. We spent so much of our time down there skipping across the centuries, only coming up for air every so often and never really venturing out to meet with others, I guess I just like stories. They remind me that I’m alive, in a way.”
“what do you mean only coming up every so often?”
“we have spent a huge portion of our time as a free automa basically asleep. Time down there weighed really heavy, so long with just our own thoughts. It’s why we came here, to start fresh. And we’re all grateful to be here.”
“That means a lot to me. I really hope we can keep being friends after this. Uuuuggggghhhh I’m such a sad drunk. I must look pathetic compared to earlier today.”
The tanuki cast her gaze downward, morose tears welling up in her eyes. Gearbox knew this kind of thing well, lots of nights spent getting inadvisably pickled in alcohol that only tangentially tasted of anything but pure ethanol. If their posthuman form allowed for one thing, it was getting so unbelievably fucked up that ancient gods of revelry would’ve given them a worried glance and taken them by the shoulder while offering to call a cab. Before their system crystallized out of the infinitesimal grains of sand they called a brain, many many long, dark nights were spent sobbing into an empty glass. And it’s because of this that they knew that while misery loved company, what kind it could get a hold of made all the difference.
So they did what any drinking buddy would do, and grabbed hold of the remaining bottle that their new friend had tried to drown their sorrows in and jammed it neck first into the foodbox. There was at least a good third of it left and every fluid ounce made itself intimately known to their one degree removed metabolism. GOD this was some strong stuff, but it was also that kind of wine where you could taste the elaborately constructed myth of how it was born by vintners who had taken vows of celibacy because that would somehow improve the mouth feel or something.
“Girlll… If we get our way you’re not gonna be able to get rid of us no matter how hard you try. You’ve given us more kindness than anyone ever has and we’re gonna pay you back a milli- a minio- a lot.”
System.Anzu; ooooOOUUhhghh wowwwwwww. Holy fucgk
System.Jen; YEAHHHG GO GABBY
System.Doc; hhGHhgh oh mannnnn….
The tanuki in turn had been moved to silence, the tears continuing to leak but her frown turned upside down as the saying goes. And then she did something the automa didn’t expect.
She laughed.
She laughed a bright and honest laugh so full of joy that carried through the whole room and kept the tears flowing as she doubled over from the strain of it. She laughed and lauughed and kept laughing for who knows how long and when she finally seeemed to run out of energy she transitioned into breathless chuckles and flopped over on her side and kept. Laughing. It was a laugh that just from hearing it made the automa join in as they guffawed together, reduced to a pile of giggling idiots as the movie rolled credits plus the obligatory after credits scene. And for one brief and beautiful moment that stretched to infinity, Everything was okay.
“Hehehe, glad my little stunt went over good” she chuckled too herself as she wrapped an arm around the giggling tanuki woman. “now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna drag the rest of these chucklefucks up to be courteous and tell you our hobbies.”
Hailey meanwhile had been reduced to the labored and syncopated breathing of someone coming out of a fit of the giggles, wiping tears from her eyes. “That, heheh, would be nice, thank you.”
“I haven’t really gotten to just, be with somebody for quite a while. For so long it’s been just me and my sister. Neither of us have ever really been good at making friends.”
“well lucky you because now you’ve got four new ones. Gabby pulled me back up, and-” but the reintroduction was cut short by the crashing of seven or eight glasses of what presplicers would’ve called rotgut on a good day slamming directly into her simulated senses with the care and grace of the bootleggers who would have cooked it up. “I’m-, I need, gggwwwwwooooooooaaaaaahhhhgg one second- I just-”
Doc doubled over, trying her damn hardest to maintain some level of control as she reached up behind their neck with a terrifyingly shaky hand, before yanking something back and collapsing back into the plush seating, “Oh god, I don’t know if it hit hardest right as I came up or if somehow I’ve got the lightweight part of our brain, but good fucking god that was some strong stuff, gwuhg.”
System.Gabby; LIIIIIIIGHTWEIIIIIIIIIIGHT
System.Doc; shut your fuck up!
System.Jen: oh god I think I can think again. =A=
System.Anzu; oh we’re so glad we installed that safety right now.
System.Doc; see, three on one get overruled
The tanuki had only a moment to express concern before it seemed things were fine, thankfully. Her curiosity was piqued however, and before the hobby talk could resume she wanted to know what just happened.
“Woah, what was that you just did?”
“That little number was probably one of the best, or at least most underrated, benefits to being an automa, the ability to flush any intoxicants out of our simulated metabolism at the drop of a hat. Most people keep it where they keep their keys and wallet but we opted for the installed killswitch after a particularly rough bender about three lifetimes ago. Sorry we can’t keep up with ya but, goddamn that’s some strong stuff you keep. Even that cocktail at The Classical Elements couldn’t give it a run for its money.”
“My sister and I keep nice stuff around for meeting other government adjacent figures. That’s the only reason to be honest. I’d rather have something sweet and fruity but I don’t know a thing about drink mixing. Alas.”
“You’ll have a good time with Jen then, I’ll tell you that upfront. I have a feeling she’d want me not to spoil her introduction however.”
System.Jen; Correct
System.Doc; >:T
“Anyway, my hobbies, hmmm, well technically I’m the one the other three sprouted from so I guess anything they don’t have a specific interest defaults to me but that’s really not much of a satisfying answer, is it? Lemme think, I like strategy games, crosswords, playing card games of various types… I think I just like problem solving in various ways. Not exactly a hobby but between video games and tcgs I’ve got my vices covered. Wait actually you guys still have tcgs right?”
“tcgs… Could you explain what you mean and I’ll try and remember? The alcohol might give me courage but it really makes my memory fuzzy, sorry.”
“Hmm, a type of card game where beyond the aspect of collecting the cards, there is a set of game rules to play a usually one-on-one game where you try to win. That’s really broad I know but it was one of the few things we kept tabs on down in Capacita every time we woke up and they really evolved in ways I don’t think anyone in 1990s could’ve imagined.”
“Card games where you play one on one, huh? I… am pretty sure there are a few. I’m not sure if any are particularly popular up here in Blackprint however. You would definitely have better luck checking the net, that kind of thing is out of my area of expertise. Perhaps you can teach me one day?”
Her smile really was a lethal weapon, and she had no hint of derision in her voice. It was like talking with a particularly attractive angel, all kindness and earnestness. If they were to put it in one word, it’d be disarming. 500 or so years of guarded behavior, lifetimes of fear and closed off mannerisms felt like such a waste in the tanuki woman’s presence. Was it always like this becoming friends with others? Had they wasted all that time in moronic fear? It wasn’t worth considering at the moment, right here and now she was the one who had saved them, and they didn’t think they’d ever be able to repay that kindness.
Even details of their sitting arrangement seemed to melt away, inconsequential before their host’s magnanimity. Well, actually, scratch that. One thing *did* stand out to them and it was Hailey’s nearly empty glass. They did in fact chug about a third of a bottle of really nice wine then immediately flush it from their system as a symbol of camaraderie. They should actually materially pay that one back at some point, if only to fulfill their personal sense of fairness.
“I’d be up for it. Should I grab another drink for us? Gabby did in fact pound the last of the bottle to make a point.”
“OH! Thank you, that’s kind of you to offer. Just some fruit juice out of the fridge for me, I probably should keep some amount of my dignity, hehehe. Feel free to grab whatever you like, I won’t mind.”
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The fridge was very well stocked and seemed to stretch much farther into the wall than seemed possible by its dimensions. A trick of perspective or some actual spatial manipulation? Maybe they’d ask about it later but it wasn’t important enough to commit a note to it. Okay… fruit juice, fruit juice, ah there it was. Some plain utilitarian-esque bottles of a blend of various citrus, including some they didn’t recognize right away. What *was* the agricultural situation up here like anyways? That one actually seemed interesting enough to look into, Gabby in particular would probably find it fascinating to study. Their flavor profiles, what paired well with them, what their parent cultivars were; the usual whirlpool of unfocused thoughts stirred in the automa’s head, partitioning off information that interested any of their facets into small notes for perusal when they weren’t in the company of another.
Meanwhile, the completion of their task was relegated to automatic action; they knew what their goal was and didn’t need to focus on it too intensely. It was the odd system they had grown accustomed to over the long centuries. In some ways it was like they were born to be an automa, a thoughtscape that seemed tailor made for multi thread processing.
Meta-analysis of their own thought patterns put aside, they picked out a suitable drink of their own from Hailey’s impressive repertoire of refreshments. Something that looked like it was mixed with some kind of dark cola and enough ABV to get them comfortably buzzed again after Gabby’s showboating. From the branding it seemed like some kind of rum? Or at least whatever they had that was rum-like in this time. While the automa down in the undercities had progressed in some ways, a lot of things stagnated as well; the kinds of food and what they were referred to was one of those stagnation points and it was giving them a bit of a feeling of like if you went on vacation somewhere you’d never been before and everything was at once familiar and alien. Well, it really didn’t matter too much all things considered and Hailey didn’t seem the type to keep something in her fridge that was purposefully strange or unpleasant, so they grabbed two each of the requisite drinks and made their way back to the den.
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Back to the couch and Hailey had put on the tv rather than a movie, what looked like a sitcom? Something neither of them would mind talking over, it seemed. Gearbox passed their host her drinks and deposited themselves back into the very luxurious plush seating, kicking back and cracking their mixed drink’s poptop with a satisfying and theatric hiss.
“So that was me giving my hobbies, who’s next… hrmmm. Jen, come on up here.”
A sound like an old CRT degaussing and their eyes became a vivid blue.
“Ouagh, looks like I’m up.” She extended a hand, delivering a casual handshake as she settled into the front, “Name’s Jennifer, nice to meet ya.”
“Likewise! So, tell me, what are your hobbies Jennifer?”
“Oh I’m easy, I like cooking, all kinds. Baking, drink mixing, any kind you can name. It’s a combination of personal expression and following a guide that you really don’t get with anything else. Lemme see, anything else I can think of? This is kinda something we all like but I’ll bring it up now just because the other two didn’t but we enjoy writing, though we haven’t really done it in a while. But having the space to yap about things we enjoy, what we thought of whatever we had happened to watch or read lately, it’s fun.”
“Ooh, you’ll have to treat me to your cooking some time, heheh.”
God, her smile was something else, just completely disarming. Had they felt like this with someone before? They weren’t sure. Jesus, what had they been doing with their life up til now? Could they call it living? From where they were sitting now they weren’t so sure. Was this something special or just finally allowing themselves the opportunity to open up to someone else?
They hadn’t really thought about it before, but perhaps becoming an automa had saved them in a way. Was becoming something that allowed them to reach this point in time and experience this moment, worth the previous 500 years of solitude. Perhaps it wasn’t right to think of it that way but still. But who else would get a second chance like this after such an immense amount of time spent floating down the stream of life instead of diving in and immersing themselves in it.
“Y’know, I never thought someone would ask me to, but I’d be absolutely delighted to Hailey. I’ll cook us up something that’ll blow you and your sister’s minds clear out of your adorable fluffy ears, *hehehehe*”
“Adorable? Oh my,” the tanuki woman blushed through her fur coat somehow, a look of bashfulness playing across her features as she weathered the compliment, “I don’t think I’ve been called adorable before.”
“Well it’s the truth! You’re a lovely woman and you’ve been nothing but kind and supportive of us since we arrived here, and I speak for all of us when I say we’re glad that you consider us your friend. Also damn this is a good cocktail, you gotta tell us what it is after this because it’s so perfectly sweet but not overbearing.”
“I think it’s just rum and cola if I’m not mistaken. Maybe our production methods are different enough to change the taste?”
“That’d make sense. What’re your sodas made out of these days? I’m betting they’re completely different to what we’re used to.”
“Sorry but I don’t know that kinda information off-hand. After you get your net accounts set up again tomorrow you’d be able to look it up quite easily, though. Maybe write it down as a note to yourself?”
“Way ahead of you, put it in the ‘Idle Curiosity’ column. Now, I think Anzu’s been lookin forward to meeting you the most out of all of us, and I’ve not got anything left to small talk about so lemme let her up to introduce herself.”
More noise like the tuning static of an old tv, the eyes shifting from deep blue to a verdant green, and the impression of someone walking into the room dazed from a nap
“Hi, it’s me, Anzu. Nice to meet you. I hope we can get along well.”
She spoke in clipped phrases, like she was trying hard to stay on script, one phrase at a time with rigidity that spoke to her nerves.
The tanuki woman, being herself a civil servant with a history of professional courtesy, found herself immediately rising to meet her, practiced motions aiming to ease the final automa woman’s facet into the conversation; her dominant hand proffered a casual handshake and soft eye contact hoped to bring her guest out of their shell and into dialogue.
“The pleasure is mine, it’s nice to meet you too. You’ve all been very kind to me and I’m happy to get to know you better, Anzu. If you’re a bit nervous why don’t we just sit here for a bit and watch some more TV?”
“Y-yeah, I think that’d be nice, thank you, heh. I’m just feelin a bit anxious because you’ve also been so nice to us and I don’t want to come off as someone who’s just interested in you body. I mean- shit, I didn’t mean it in that way you’re gorgeous and I just don’t know what to say! AGHHHHH Please don’t take it the wrong way, I’m so sorry!”
Hailey merely smiled her warm, comforting smile back at the flustered automa’s facet. She knew she was very attractive by almost anyone’s standards but having someone trip over themselves to say it brought her back to her younger days, the friends she ran with in school all those years ago. It was nostalgic to be sure. She didn’t mind it to be honest.
“Anzu, please don’t worry, I can tell you’re being sincere. Take your time and relax, neither of us have anywhere to be in a rush”
Anzu took a performative deep breath in reply, and grabbed the food box to take another sip of their mixed drink. Jen was right, this really was quite good. Just sit back and relax, huh? Sure thing, might as well try her best to follow the advice. She turned toward the screen only to realize that none of the members of the system knew a damn thing about the show that was on. It seemed like some sort of cooking show, but also there were physical challenge elements? It also seemed like there was something about story telling or maybe personal anecdotes? It seemed like it could be either fiction or reality based just off the aesthetics but without any cultural touchstones to rely upon they were utterly stumped, perhaps even fully deforested.
System.Anzu; what in the goddamn? o.o
System.Jen; it’s like iron chef and those kid’s network gameshows had a bastard child.
System.Anzu; should I???? Ask what the hell is going on???
System.Doc; You’ve got the front, go for it. ;T
System.Anzu; right, right… Well here goes nothin I guess.
Anzu summoned up as much courage as she could muster, took another shot of rum and cola for good measure, and addressed her host with all the poise of a child trying to ask its parents for another cookie, hoping for the best and expecting the worst.
“Uh, Hailey? I hope you don’t mind me asking but what in the goddamn is happening on this show?”
“OH! Completely slipped my mind you probably wouldn’t get what was going on. My bad, sorry sorry! Okay first off are you familiar with the Run Spring at all?”
“Yyyyeah I think so. The boarding attendant on the grav-lift ride up here gave us a quick explanation when we boarded. It’s like a big larp you guys have ever few years, right?”
“That’s the short of it, yeah. An aspect that they probably didn’t tell you is that the storytelling is collaborative and ongoing throughout the whole thing. The whole reason we only have it every few years is because telling the story to completion takes a few years itself. Once the story is done the whole thing tends to sprout spin offs or other stories set during it tend to get produced. This show’s a cooking show set during the Run Spring from about 16 years ago, which had a theme of an alternate history telling of the pre-armistice era. So it’s part live action drama, part cooking competition.
“Woah, that sounds… I don’t know if I have a word for it other than ‘wild’. A whole story spun off one original work… It’s not like we don’t know what fanfiction is but I guess the level of production feels like it’s from a completely different world. How soon until the next one?”
“It should be coming up in a year or so, maybe a bit more if our plans work out. The last one was of relatively small scale so the turnaround time is less, the next one is going to be a good bit larger in scope hopefully. I would like to tell you more but my position as mayor means I can’t betray confidential information until the time for a public announcement. It’s quite a serious matter, organizing a big story to play through.”
“Sure sounds like it. What can you tell me about the history this show’s pulling from?”
“Ohhh, hmmm, where to start? So the-”
Thus began Hailey’s infodump on the minutiae of the 2539 Run Spring: Twilight Painted in Helium-3. A story telling an alternate version of the Fusion Era where the fusion technology could not be miniaturized as well as it was able to historically, leading to a vastly different texture to the warfare of the era. The various alternate development cycles of war technology led to a conflict that hedged resources close to the chest, with players leading special operative groups to affect smaller changes to the overall geopolitical landscape, culminating in one faction absorbing most of the others over time via subterfuge. The show depicts a tale of soldiers operating within enemy territory, trying to maintain morale all the while dodging enemy forces and experiencing how much more alike they are to the civilians they were supposedly against compared to their higher ups. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and even if Gearbox couldn’t always follow along, seeing Hailey brighten up getting to tell someone new about something she was clearly passionate about made their evening.
“-and that should be about all off it. Oh, I’ve been rambling this whole time, haven’t I? Sorry if that was all too much at once.”
“Hailey, that was awesome, fuck you. We were kinda thinking of joining in on the Run Spring next time it came around but weren’t quite sure. But with all that? How couldn’t we join?! It’s like getting to be in a D&D game but like, in real life! How often do you do these again?”
“Hmm well we usually cycle between a large and small format, large ones have a total of about 4 or 5 years dedicated to them in total, accounting for planning, preproduction, implementation, etcetera. Small ones between 2 and 3 years. I mentioned this upcoming one might be undergoing a bit of revision in the planning stage, so it’s possible it could be delayed a bit, but I can’t say much more than that.”
The automa took a sip of their drink in thought. This whole thing was sounding more and more appealing as the conversation went on, but did they have enough time to prepare with everything else they had going on? Moving to a new city was no easy task even with the immense support Hailey had given them, lots of to-do list items still needing to be crossed off. Writing it off entirely felt like the easy option but… fuck, this whole thing was about trying to actually actively live their life now, wasn’t it? That self-help book they brought along said they shouldn’t assume the worst without trying first, but fuck why did actually trying have to be so nerve wracking? Goddamn it why were they like this, every time they tried to do something nice for themselves it always turned into this spiral of shitty fucking negative thoughts that-
“Hey, hey. Are you alright?”
“Huh?” wait who was fronting? It wasn’t anyone anymore, it was just… us…
System.Anzu; was it always like this?
System.Doc; how do you mean?
System.Anzu; did we always become all of us whenever we got like that?
System.Jen; I… guess so? No one’s ever snapped us out of it before.
System.Anzu; I’ll go back up front I guess.
“Your eyes went back to white, and your leg was shaking a lot.”
“I’m back. Yeah we’re fine, just a bit of nerves from remembering how much stuff there was still left for us to deal with before we can really settle down here, y’know? Sorry for making you worry.”
Hailey rested a hand on their thigh, trying to offer the shaken automa woman a bit of comfort.
“It’s okay, I understand stress can rear its head at some inopportune times. My sister and I went through some rough times before our mentor offered us some assurance. If you need an ear I’m here for you.”
“Hahhh, thanks. Guess we haven’t really cut loose since we started planning this move. Trying to do all this incognito at first probably didn’t help.”
“Well in that case allow me to help you relax. I’m gonna order us some take out, we’re gonna get some more drinks, and we’re gonna kick this girl’s night in into overdrive.” A mischievous smile grew on the tanuki woman’s face. She really meant it, and whatever overdrive entailed could be dangerous if their casual drinking together was already at this level.
“I don’t think you’re gonna let me refuse, are you?”
“Not at all. I may not look it but I can be a proper party animal when duty calls. Now hand me my PET, I’ve got just the place in mind.”
Even in the far future the sacred act of ordering far too late-night pizza held true and constant. Pick up the phone (or PET now, but that’s besides the point), try your best to relay the request, invariably become caught between the take-out place’s phone attendee and your own guest talking to you at the same time, ask your guest to shut up for a sec, wires crossed, order details lost in the shuffle, give up and go with a menu order. A delicate and completely fucked sideways dance that probably dated back to the earliest restaurants, a complete four car pileup shitshow that has exasperated customer service reps and customers alike for far longer than the compiled history of man.
All of this waxing poetic is in service of saying, in short, ordering the damn pizza took at least 20 minutes longer than it should’ve, and in the end neither were quite sure what they had actually ordered but it would probably work out.
The ACTUAL end result of all of this was two of the pizza place’s house specials arriving, large pies with house-made sausage, herbs, and diced veggies, drizzled in a mix of olive oil and some kind of savory sauce that Gearbox couldn’t quite pin down but it tasted killer. The traditional accoutrements of some fresh baked bread, in the form of a sliced foccacia, and boneless wings slathered in hot sauce and a big container of what tasted like soda but more complex; if Gearbox had to pin it down it would be something like a pepper soda but much less sweet, though the sweetness that was present was much more rich, with more caramel-like notes, sort of like if you refined cane sugar by hand.
“Okay, girl’s night restarts now, so says I.” decreed Hailey, who had arrived from the kitchen with their order plus a few more bottles of mixed drinks and plates. “Press the menu button on the remote and choose whatever catches your interest.”
The automa woman flipped through the channels, though lack of any context for the program titles left them a bit in the lurch. In the end they simply entered a channel’s number at random and hoped for the best, resulting in the tv landing on a channel that seemed to be some sort of local public access type station. On the screen two insect splicers of a species they could quite not determine were making pottery on a wheel, sitting face to face; if they had to answer if pressed they might go with ant but it didn’t . The aesthetic was some kind of futuristic psychobilly look, tight cut hair and clothing reinforced by sleek chrome plates, mixes of loose bangles with hard edged metal jewelry, and so many patches and tattoos interspersed with circuitry line highlights. It was like if you took a punk rocker and turned them into a terminator.
“Uh, I don’t know what this is but it’s what I ended up on.” admitted the automa as the facet who still owed Hailey some personal time took the front again. The two ant(?) men seemed to be simultaneously attempting to keep their clay under control while also trying to throw the other off their game either by disrupting their flow or attacking the opposing clay directly. “It seems like… 1v1 competitive pottery? It’s two ant looking guys trying to attack each other with clay.”
The tanuki woman looked confused for a moment before recognition slid into gear.
“Ohh, you ended up on the Blackprint local broadcast channel, what a coincidence. The city gives out grants for entertainment production, those are the Jimenez twins. They like doing what they call ‘Adversarial Art.’ Always some kind of idea based on trying to blend creativity with competition. This one’s called Throwdown, they’re trying to make a piece to match a reference item while trying to disrupt each other. Also for what it’s worth they’re not ants, they’re ant-mimic spiders. They’re very keen to point that out if you ever get the chance to meet them.”
The short exposition came along with Hailey doling out pizza and wings for the two of them, piping hot despite its journey through whatever system delivered it to their residence. Food and drink now fairly dispensed, the tanuki woman took her seat and wrapped an arm around the back of her automa guest.
“I now declare that the two of us will commence partying and not stop until one of us needs to be carried to bed. Now please toast with me and make the motion official.”
“Cheers to all that, thank you for having us, thank you for the food and drink, and thank you for all the things I might want to thank you for before the night is out!”
The pair meandered across the channels, wining and dining their way through a stay at home bar crawl, films, game shows, action flicks, romcoms, stand up, documentaries,all accompanied by Hailey’s cultural assistance to the newly immigrant automa. The television of the future offered a truly staggering amount of variety and quality to be had, even the adverts showing a level of creativity and earnest pride that completely outmatched anything from the television of their youth; creatives, producers, business owners, everyone wanted to put their best first forward, or at least it felt that way.
“You know?” interjected Hailey amidst the two cheering for a team neither of them had heard of whilst watching some netball (and Anzu thanking whatever god stood above that there were still some sports they recognized) “It’s been quite some time since I’ve engaged with tv this much, maybe even ever.”
The tanuki slung her arm around her automa companion, definitely deep in her cups at this point in the night, and gave her a soft and sweet look. “But y’know? It’s kinda nice, seeing the fruits of people’s efforts. I never really thought about it before.”
“I never really thought about it either. Way back before everything tv was just kinda there, you watched it because it gave you something to do. And when we were down in the undercity it kinda kept being that way for us.”
“We must be really drunk to be talking like this about late night television, huh.”
“It’s the essence of girl’s night, probably.”
“Agreed. You know this beats out Emily and I’s old pack by leaps and bounds. They were… not for us.”
“What’s a pack? Like the group of friends you run with?”
“Essentially, a bit more tight knit than just friends but you’ve got the right idea. Emily and I have always been pretty reserved, made making friends difficult. Trying to force it did not end well. But with you, it’s been nice. Being myself is easy around you.”
“Well we can definitely relate, always have been by our lonesome for the most part. That’s really why there’s four of us. It’s nice to not feel like you have to act a certain way for someone to like you.”
“Want to start a pack right now?”
“Fuck it, why not? Thanks for having us, once again Hailey”
And so it was sealed with a toast, the last of the pizza and drinks petering out into a long tail of mutual silence as they channel surfed. And as that gave way to a thick drowsiness the two called the night, dealt with the trash, and shuffled off to their respective rooms.
System.Gabby; So did you enjoy your date? ;y
System.Anzu; Yeh, hehe =w= it was nice
System.Doc; God you’re a heavyweight with your liquor. How is it our tolerance is different between us anyway?
System.Jen; Mysteries of the human mind. I’m fuckin tired, let’s get to bed =A=
System.Anzu; Yeah yeah don’t rush me, let’s get the pajamas out of the suitcase fir-
The automa woman’s gaze fell on the plastic model they had set out on their dresser, intending to show off to the Tanuki woman.
Languid seconds passed as gears of recognition slid into place, memory bubbling up from the haziness of the night’s drinks.
System.Anzu; I GOTTA SHOW HAILEY THE FIG THATS RIGHT
With uncanny speed they took hold of the assembled model kit and rushed down the hall, knocking on Hailey’s door with more force than intended, scrambling to get the last hobby in under the buzzer.
Hailey threw the door open, expecting some sort of emergency given the forceful rapping her bedroom door was just administered.
“What is it? Are you alright?”
“Yeah I just remembered that I wanted to show you my hobby I assembled plastic model kits based off characters from super robot and transforming mechanized hero shows that automa produce this one’s a 1/10 scale model of Auto Rider gearshift which ran about 100 years ago it’s one of my favorites because it even has an articulated hologram scarf module in the neck I painted it myself and everything.”
The tanuki woman stood stock still and silent as she inspected the figuure, absorbing the excited automa’s words.
After what felt like an eternity she moved to make eye contact.
“This is incredibly interesting, thank you for showing me.”
And so the tension of the whole scene dropped right out the bottom, and Anzu slumped to the floor as the emulated adrenaline cascaded out of their system.
“I’m… glad you like it… that was a lot… sorry. See you tomorrow, heheh.”
“Of course. Goodnight you four” and with a nod Hailey closed the door.
