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Post by Ivan Braginsky on Feb 4, 2012 1:49:42 GMT -5
(( Post order: Ivan, Allison, Jin ))
Ivan hated shopping, but... sometimes it had to be done. Today, that was not the case. Today, Allison, his newly acquired bot at Yong Soo's request, had decided that... she wanted a new dress. Yong Soo was working and therefore could not take her, thus the job falling to Ivan. He didn't want to go. He didn't like shopping at all, but no... If she didn't do that... thing with her face that was all cute and pitiful, he wouldn't be out here, escorting her on the boulevard to look in the various stores.
The season in the biosphere was glitching today, snow falling in the Western Sector when it normally wouldn't have been the right "time of year" according to the calendar. Ivan had bundled himself up in a grey fur coat and hat, thus adding even more bulk. He wasn't happy being stuck out in the snow just so that Allison could have a new dress, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't say no to the... what was it called... the puppy face? Either way, it tugged at him in a way much like Yong Soo's begging did.
He crossed his arms behind his back as they walked, absently fidgeting with one of the scarf tails. At least she could do most of the talking and all he had to do was front the cash since he was the human. Hopefully she'd be happy though. Despite the fact that he was fully aware she was a bot, he still preferred it when bots were happy. Perhaps that was part of a subconscious need for penance. |
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Post by Allison Jones on Feb 4, 2012 2:02:44 GMT -5
Allie had been scanning a magazine that Yong Soo had given her. It was out of date but that was no problem. It still had lots of pictures in it. It was those pictures that gave Allie the idea that she wanted a new dress. And why not? Yong Soo got all the clothes he wanted but then again, it had been explained to her, repeatedly, that Yong Soo was a human who had needed a new body and was therefore given the body of a bot. So… Yong Soo was special.
But, Yong Soo always had a bunch of different clothes, so Allie decided to ask him to take her shopping, so she could get dresses and look just like a real human. However, Yong Soo was wrapped up with a big project and had told her to ask Ivan. Now, she knew that she belonged to both of them but Ivan seemed so… distant? Was that the right word? However, Allie tried her best, hoping that Ivan would listen to her.
It had taken her best pouting face to get Ivan to say yes and they were currently walking through the Western Sector to the shopping area. There was strange white stuff falling from the sky and her information database told her that it was called snow.
“Do you like snow, Mister Ivan?”
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Post by jin on Feb 4, 2012 2:17:16 GMT -5
Jin looked through his shopping list for the fifteenth time, making sure he had written down everything Arthur had told him. He had been sent out to restock on cooking ingredients for a butter cake, and while the bot believed his owner was a masterful chef deserving of endless Michelin Stars, other humans seemed to think the blonde’s culinary skills left a lot to be desired. So, as a rule of thumb, Jin always bought twice of what was needed, just in case he needed to whip up an emergency ‘Don’t Be Sad, Those Guys Are Just Stupid, Kay Daddy?’ cake.
He was very used to going out by himself, knowing which streets to avoid and which shortcuts to take. He’d risk the frost white snow if it meant allowing Arthur to stay safe and warm at home. Plus, he’d have more time to dedicate to his shipping duties, which, from what Jin had gathered, were the most important to thing his owner.
As he quietly calculated how many extra sticks of butter he would need, a strong gust of icy wind tore the small piece of paper from his gloved fingers, sending it twirling into the busy crowds. Panicking slightly, Jin pulled his hood over his head and attempted to follow it, mentally chastising himself for not being able to memorise such a simple list. |
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Post by Ivan Braginsky on Feb 4, 2012 2:36:11 GMT -5
Ivan paused in their walk when she asked him about the snow. He kind of stared off at the falling flakes with that weird little smile on his face for a moment as he thought about it. Snow had it's good qualities. It was beautiful and fell gently when the wind wasn't howling and throwing like knives. Unfortunately, sometimes he couldn't... handle the snow. Thinking of things best left forgotten, but today was a good day. Today he could handle most things. The fluffy whiteness was inviting today, as opposed to what it could be. He nodded slowly, without turning to look at her. "Да, I like snow."
It had been in Ivan's mind to walk again, but a piece of paper fluttered on the breeze past him. He reached out a gloved hand to snatch it from the somewhat lazy gust as it died. What... was this, he wondered, holding the paper up to his face. A list. Groceries. It seemed to things one might need to make a cake of some sort. Hmm.
He turned to look back over his shoulder where the paper had floated in from. A vaguely familiar shape caught his eye. Oh! That was Arthur's sweet little bot. Jin, that was his name right. He smiled a bit more broadly, but barely. He held up the list for the figure to see, as though asking if he'd dropped it. |
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Post by Allison Jones on Feb 4, 2012 2:47:57 GMT -5
Allie stopped walking when she noticed that Ivan had stopped and she turned to him, a curious look on her face. Ivan seemed to be staring at something but when she looked around, there was nothing that had caught his attention. What was he looking at? Was it the snow? But why would snow make Ivan have to think so much? Because that was what he was doing, wasn’t it? She had noticed him doing it before, watched him stare off at nothing before she interrupted him to remind him to sleep or eat. Allie had only been activated for a short time but she was quickly realizing that this was something her owner did a lot.
Once Ivan answered, Allie figured that they were going to keep walking, so she turned around and took a few steps in the direction they had been going. But the familiar crunch of Ivan’s boots on the snow did not follow her, so she turned back to her owner, who was now holding a piece of paper. Curious, she went over to him and stood on her toes, trying to see what was written on the small scrap.
That’s when she noticed it. A smile upward turn of Ivan’s lips, changing his normal smile into something… different. It was strange to her and she stared at his lips, wondering what could have made her owner’s smile change, when she, his companion bot, had been unable to do that yet. Granted, she had only been active for about a week but still! She was failing at what she was programmed to do!
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Post by jin on Feb 4, 2012 18:06:41 GMT -5
Jin worked his way through the crowded sidewalk, keeping his eyes peeled for the small list. Luckily he’d written on a rather decorative piece of stationary, so he was able to ignore the other scraps of unimportant paper. After ducking under a pair of workers transporting a gaudy looking couch, Jin caught sight of a familiar face holding up what looked like his missing grocery list. He shrank back slightly, never really feeling very comfortable around Ivan; there was a certain something about the man that made him feel very uneasy. Regardless, that was where his list had fallen, and he needed to suck up his (admittedly) irrational apprehensiveness to get it back. The small bot squeezed his way past a few more people before he was finally able to walk in a straight path.
“Good afternoon Mister Braginsky, I hope you’re well,” Jin nodded, though there was a sort of hollowness to his voice. He looked up at the tall Russian with blank eyes, holding a hand out. “Can I get my shopping list back? I know I should’ve had a better hold on it, and I promise it won’t happen again. Today’s snowfall was unexpected and I hadn’t taken the wind into account...”
Jin glanced over to the blonde beside Ivan, wondering if Yong Soo had gotten so good at developing bot prosthetics that he’d actually managed to turn himself into a pretty convincing woman. If that really was the case, he was relieved the Korean hadn’t asked him to serve as a guinea pig for the entire process.
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Post by Ivan Braginsky on Feb 4, 2012 18:54:51 GMT -5
Allison's slight discomfort went unnoticed beyond the fact that she'd come closer to him, apparently to see whatever was on the list Ivan had managed to catch off the breeze. He didn't mind exactly, considering he was getting used to her need to be around either him or Yong Soo. She was a nice girl, despite being a bit... would optimistic be the right word, he wondered. Besides, he and Yong Soo could have picked out far more annoying or infuriating bots, so Ivan counted himself somewhat lucky in that Allison was more than tolerable. At least neither of his bots had taken to crawling into his bed to stay near him at all times. That would have just been absurd amounts of bizarre.
He continued to smile as Jin hurried over to them, asking for his shopping list back. Ivan lowered his arm and handed the list back to the young bot. He was always a cute kid, especially given he would be perpetually young, so technically he always would a cute kid. Ivan was surprised that Arthur let him go off and do the shopping by himself, but maybe Arthur had downloaded some sort of self-defense programming for him onto one of his hard-drives. "'Allo, дорогуша, here you are~" he said, patting the young bot on the head, ignorant to the fact that his presence brought the poor thing such an unsettling feeling.
After a slight pause, he looked at Allison while gesturing to Jin, speaking quietly. "Солнышко, this is Jin. He is bot off my colleague, Arthur Kirklant." Ivan then reversed tactics and extended an arm towards his own bot. "Jin, this is Allison, new bot off mine." Having gotten the preliminary formalities out of the way, the aging veteran clasped one hand around his own wrist and held them in front of him. He merely allowed himself to remain smiling while he hoped the those would carry conversation themselves. It was more amusing to watch others interact and progress things as opposed to having to actually speak himself.
(( дорогуша = dearie || Солнышко = sunshine )) |
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Post by Allison Jones on Feb 4, 2012 19:32:30 GMT -5
Staying quiet, Allie watched as another bot approached them. The boy was obviously an older model but still rather adorable. His owner must take very good care of him, then. She silently hoped that her two owners would show the same amount of care for her, even if she became outdated.
Allie watched as Ivan spoke with the bot and it was clear to her that the two knew each other. Her curiosity was once again sparked and she turned her attention to the new bot, wondering how he knew Ivan. Thankfully, Ivan seemed to remember that she was there and introduced the two bots. Allie smiled softly and bowed slightly in the direction of the other bot, trying to be polite. Even if the bot looked younger than her, he was older and the bot of someone her owner worked with, so being overly polite probably wouldn’t hurt.
“Hello. I hope we get to know each other better!” Allie smiled at the shorter bot, still finding him adorable despite his blank stare. Hopefully they could become friends! Although she really wasn’t sure if bots were supposed to make friends with other bots… Maybe she should ask Ivan… “Mister Ivan? Are bots allowed to be friends?”
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Post by jin on Feb 4, 2012 21:28:53 GMT -5
Jin took the list back and looked over it again, resisting the urge to hide behind it when Ivan placed a large hand on his head. There was no reason to tarnish his owner’s reputation by acting like a total spaz in the middle of a busy shopping centre after all. After shivering a bit, he looked to where Ivan had gestured, blinking curiously at the other bot, who (thankfully) wasn’t just Yong Soo with breasts and a wig. He had always seen the Russian as a ‘one bot’ kind of guy, so he was genuinely surprised to find out he’d taken in another.
With all the newer models running around...he was starting to feel a bit outdated. It had only been a year after his activation though...bleh. Now he knew how those little mp3 players must have felt.
“It’s nice to meet you too, I guess,” Jin shrugged, tilting his head slightly. “Daddy and Mister Braginsky do lots of business together, so I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot of each other, or something. We’ll probably get tired of each other pretty soon, I think.”
He’d been told by others that his normal way of speaking to those who Arthur hadn’t yet deemed ‘important’ was somewhat rude, and it seemed to spike when his owner wasn’t around to correct him. Still, it wasn’t really something Jin was too worried about fixing anytime soon; they all knew he didn’t really mean it (even if sometimes, he did).
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Post by Ivan Braginsky on Feb 4, 2012 22:00:33 GMT -5
Ivan watched them for a moment before tilting his head at hearing the question from his new bot. Friends? Of course bots could have friends, why couldn't they? His smile went back to it's normal level as opposed to the slightly raised level when he'd greeted Jin. Allison hadn't done anything wrong, he was just thinking of how to answer her question properly.
He continued to look at her for another moment, before finally saying, "Why off course, Солнышко~" Honestly, he found her curiosity somewhat endearing. It was time like these though that he had to remember though... that she was an object now and not a person... That made him a bit sad inside, that sadness flavored with regret. Maybe if she had remained a human... It was his fault and now those facts could not be changed. She was an object, but maybe he could at least take good care of her and Yong Soo in his penance.
Turning his head back some, to look at Jin once more as the young bot spoke, he found himself comforted by the fact that now he didn't have to talk to fill any potential silence. Now Allison would at least be able to talk to Jin for a little while for a change of pace. |
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Post by Allison Jones on Feb 5, 2012 1:39:58 GMT -5
Allie blinked in confusion when Jin said “Daddy” until she realized that the bot must have been talking about his owner. It was cute and she hoped that he would be taken good care of, so his owner would not lose a child. She supposed that some bots could be used as substitute children, although she did not think that was why she had been bought. Hopefully, she would be able to fulfill her duties as a good companion to Ivan and Yong Soo.
When Jin said that they would probably get tired of each other, Allie pouted. Why would they get tired of each other? If their owners worked together, that means they could see each other often and be friends. Because Ivan said that they could be friends! “Thank you, Mister Ivan!” She smiled brightly at him, hiding her disappointment that he was no longer smiling differently. It had been so interesting to see…
Deciding to change the subject from friendship and whether or not the shorter bot would get tired of her, Allie glanced at the list in Jin’s hands. “Are you shopping by yourself? You should come with us! Ivan was taking me dress shopping!”
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Post by jin on Feb 5, 2012 1:49:32 GMT -5
“Dress shopping?” Jin blinked. “I dunno, they don’t usually sell milk and sugar at dress boutiques, do they?”
He shifted a bit, not really wanting to spend the rest of the day with Ivan, but also not wanting to seem rude. Arthur had mentioned needing a new pair of trousers after spilling some tea on his favourite pair, so there was always that excuse to go with them... Oh. And Jin had been eyeing that nice hoodie for a while...
“But I guess I can go with you; I’ve got nothing else to do this afternoon...after the list I mean.”
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Post by Ivan Braginsky on Feb 5, 2012 2:10:36 GMT -5
Allison's enthusiasm was at least uplifting. She seemed so happy to not only be outside but to be with her master. Then again... that was what she was programmed for, wasn't it? To enjoy being around the one whom she was supposed to serve. It wasn't a genuine like, was it? If only... He sighed slightly to himself as he watched them. At least she seemed happy, especially at hearing she could be friends. His smile strengthened again.
At the proposal of essentially escorting Jin to the get groceries along with going dress shopping, he... wasn't exactly sure what to say to that or how exactly he ought to feel. At least Allison was friendly, which again... was part of her programming. He didn't... mind exactly, since being around Jin wasn't unpleasant since he was a nice kid and since Ivan knew who he was, but... he wasn't sure if he wanted to be outside of his penthouse for that long. There was tea at home he'd like to drink and some socks he was knitting for Yong Soo and Allison that needed finishing. However, after a few moments of silence after the suggestion, he nodded.
"Is okey if you want to come with," he said with his usual cheerful blankness. |
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Post by Allison Jones on Feb 5, 2012 2:27:46 GMT -5
“W-Well, we can always get your groceries after getting my dress…” Allie laughed softly, deciding that she had not processed that completely before making the suggestion. Also, a glance at Ivan told her that maybe she should have asked him first. He seemed to be deep in thought again and it was making her a bit… worried. What if he hadn’t wanted to take Jin shopping with them? Was he mad at her? She couldn’t tell because Ivan still had that strange smile on his face but she really hoped that he was not upset. She really didn’t know what to do if that was the case.
She felt a little bit of relief when Ivan’s smile grew slightly and he agreed to let Jin come with them. Good, Ivan wasn’t mad! Grinning at Ivan, Allie went over to Jin and took his arm. “What are you buying, anyway? Yummy food for your owner?”
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Post by jin on Feb 5, 2012 2:42:18 GMT -5
“Much appreciated Mister Braginsk-whoa…!”
Jin stopped mid thanks and staggered forward, allowing himself to be pulled through the undulating crowd of strange faces. He was used to Ivan’s bots being a bit rough and wondered why such a quiet man would surround himself with lively companions. Perhaps he was trying to compensate for something...or something. He calmly wove around a group of screaming children and looked to Allison with an amused grin.
“No, not yummy food; ingredients for yummy food,” Jin corrected. “A butter cake, I think. Everyone says daddy can’t cook, but he says it’s because the have underdeveloped taste buds that are simply too archaic to comprehend his food’s complex flavour profile,” he said. “But, he also said it’s not their fault and I shouldn’t judge, but I do anyway.”
Not that he would know anything about Arthur’s cooking – his tastebuds were all but useless, and while he could produce tantilising meals, he honestly couldn’t tell the difference between a bowl of noodles and a wet sock.
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