voice ⚙Oct 19th

[missfunction]

Huh-za-what? What-what-what is this?

[The mechanical voice to stutter over the network is riddled with clicks and whirrrrs as the unseen automaton inspects her new device curiously. There's the briefest huff of steam hissing as it spills from her crooked mouth, but then she's continuing.]

Th'Spine? Is this some k-kinda joke, big guy? [Her voice drops down for an impossibly low and robotic HA. HA. before returning to normal.] I thought humor had been left outta yer programmin' co-completely. Pappy had to m-make room for that s-shinin' stick-in-da-mud personality of yers, didn't he?

...Spine? [Nope, if her brother were here, that would have gotten a response out of him for sure. Rabbit lets out an irritated huff at that realization.] Th' backbone on that guy...

Okay, so if it ain't you on th' other end of this t-t-telefone conversation, then just who is?

Comments

[forwearemany]

Relict: A surviving species of an otherwise extinct group of organisms. Alternately, a remnant of a formerly widespread species that persists in an isolated area.

(A moments pause. Then:)

You misunderstand: we speak of ourselves.

[missfunction]

[On the other end of the connection, Rabbit makes a sound not unlike an irritated kettle, steam hissing shrilly through her cheekvents.]

Another Know-It-All type, huh. Guess I c-c-can't escape 'em.

[But at least she's soothed a little to know it wasn't a slight on herself, just a description of themselves. That she understands.]

Wait a sec. You m-mean yer whole family an' stuff is gone?

[forwearemany]

Yes.

We are alone.

(They are the only one of their kind.)

[missfunction]

S-sh-sheesh, that's a real downer, b-buddy. Sorry 'bout that.

[Rabbit's only ever come close to losing her robot brothers a handful of times, but she definitely knows the pain of losing her human family by this point. But she can't even begin to comprehend what an existence without any of them would feel like. Family is everything, what would she even do?]

My name's R-Rabbit. Ya wanna be pals?

[forwearemany]

We judge an alliance to be mutually beneficial.

(So ...yes.)

[missfunction]

Great! Then it's decided. We're b-besties now!

[forwearemany]

Acknowledged.

(Sorry, this is just kind of how they are by default.)

[missfunction]

Ya wanna make a s-s-secret bestie robut handshake?

[forwearemany]

Clarify: what is a "secret bestie robot handshake"?

[missfunction]

Ya know!

[Clearly they do not.]

A secret handshake that's m-m-meant only for robots who are best friends.

[forwearemany]

Define: Secret handshake.

[missfunction]

If I speak it r-r-right into this telefone an' let everyone hear, it won't be much of a s-s-secret will it?

[forwearemany]

(Awkward chattering.)

The definition of of the term "secret handshake" is a secret?