I have no willpower.

[dropthebase]

Miss Mundane really now. I do not drop anything I work with let alone a base. I don't see why the idea is so funny anyways.

And that's beside the point! I have work I should be doing and it's not the sort of thing I can trust to assistants and it's time sensitive! If this project goes down I'll have to go to the Calvacadium with no conclusive findings and that's just as bad if not worse than being empty handed!

Look I know you're a reasonable young woman. Just let me finish up with that and get things in order with my assistant and then we can go off on your little adventure, okay?

I swear, you're as excitable as Peter sometimes.

Comments

/throws up hands

[hatchy]

It is a. pun.

[Hat tip. WHY IS HE HERE.]

[malfunctionbot]

[AM I GLITCHING SOMETHING MAJOR TODAY OR WHAT

Forgive the gaping robot, Delilah]

\o\

[dropthebase]

Ahh, I suppose that explains it, even if I'm not sure what it's a pun of.

[Have a little bob of a curtsy back for that politeness Hatchy, before she is studying you all curious-like. But nice curious, not I-wanna-pull-you-apart curious.]

Are you one of Peter's automatons? I admit I heard him speaking of the idea but had no idea he'd completed any.

[dropthebase]

Are you alright?

[Is he glitching? Aww poor thing, do you need repairs? Oil? Water? Spaghetti?]

WHAT IS TODAY EVEN NOW

[hatchy]

[He was taught well, programmed, something.

WHY IS HE HERE, never stop asking--]

Yes ma'am. I am the. fourth out of them.

[malfunctionbot]

Y-y-y-yyeeeeeEEEeeeee- [Rabbit reaches up mid-whine of his vocalizer to snap his head violently to the side, setting him right again. Though those bi-colored optics of his don't dim quite yet, still far too shocked at this particular woman's appearance.

The only person who would ever get a stronger reaction out of Rabbit would be Colonel Walter himself.]

Y-y-yer... Miss Moreau?

AMAZINGNESS

[dropthebase]

Oh! Four of you, now that is impressive.

Do you have a name? [She knew a lot of scientists wouldn't bother. But she knew how Peter invested himself into his work, and doubted he'd allow these amazing automatons into the world nameless.]

CLEARLY

[hatchy]

[A slow nod-]

I am called. Hatchworth.

[He has no idea what to say. Really he doesn't.]

[dropthebase]

[Oh goodness. That can't be good for those neck servos.]

I'm Delilah, yes. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage though, as I didn't catch your name? [She smiles kindly as she says this, studying the bot with curious interest.]

[dropthebase]

Well Hatchworth, I'm Delilah Moreau. It's a pleasure to meet you!

[She really wants to get closer, check him out because Oh my gosh these automatons, but really he seems to be self aware so that would be rude, he doesn't even know her!]

[hatchy]

A plea.sure to meet you as well. Miss Moreau.

[Ooooh.

Oh.

Oh. Now he gets it. Kind of, this was her.]

[malfunctionbot]

[It was her. The woman that the automatons owed their very existence to. If it hadn't been for their creator's deep love and need to woo this particular woman over, Rabbit and his brothers never would have been built to serenade her. They'd be nothing but a pile of spare parts and wasted potential.

Rabbit sweeps the hat off of his head, holding it to his chest as he continues to stare.] R-R-R-Rabbit. My name's Rabbit.

[A brief pause.] Y-y-you knew our Pappy.

[vistandsforvice]

Nice goggles.

What're you working on?

[dropthebase]

Oh you're so polite! [Daww so cute.]

And I must say, that mustache is a very good look for you. Very dashing indeed.

[dropthebase]

A pleasure to meet you, Rabbit. [What a curious name! But... cute. Very cute, and her smile just widens at it.]

Why yes, I know Peter. [Please direct your attention to the tenses you both are using, Rabbit.] He's been talking about you and the others for months now. I've never heard him so excited.

[dropthebase]

Oh, thank you!

Well, it's... a little silly, but I've been experimenting with a sort of adhesive. Something that when applied to a shoe, or a glove, could allow a man to defy gravity and climb any structure as easily as a spider could. The problem is finding something that both allows movement, and adheres when it needs, while bearing the weight of a human.

[malfunctionbot]

[Oh, Rabbit notices. What else would he possibly lock immediately onto?

The tall 'bot steps forward quite unexpectedly in a single, lightning fast movement, only inches from the woman engineer as he leans down closer to Delilah's level, searching her gaze with gut-wrenching desperation in his optics. Rabbit's copper countenance is twisted and unusually serious, some strange mix of pained hope written into every seam on his artificial face.]

He's here?! You w-w-w-were with him? Where? [Hat still held to his chest, Rabbit's free hand snapped out to grab her arm, just the slightest bit tighter than he usually dealt with humans, but nothing too painful.] W-w-where is he?

[Despite how downright terrifying the automaton is acting with her, his tone is that of a lost child simply looking for his father.]

[hatchy]

Thank. you again. [WHOA okay these are compliments and he isn't used to this sort of attention.

Someone twitchy fingers fiddling amongst themselves.]

My brothers and I. try to be polite. as we were taught to be. [Unless it made their audience laugh and enjoy their shows when the music wasn't playing.]

[dropthebase]

[Goodness he's quick! And oh... oh Rabbit that look just about breaks her heart. She can hear that tone. Aww sweetie.]

I don't know if he's here... I last saw him earlier this week at the last Calvicadium meeting. [Her tone is sympathetic to what she hears in his, expression gentle.]

[dropthebase]

[Awww that is just. The cutest thing ever~]

Well I'm sure Peter taught you all well. [Aww brothers. The idea of Peter treating these automatons as family is just the sweetest thing ever, her smile warming at the thought.] You're making a good impression so far.

[malfunctionbot]

[No. Nononono-] H-h-h-hooOooOoow can you n-n-not know where he is? Ya j-just saw him? I-... [But now that his gear-driven mind has actually been kicked into gear, what the woman had meant seems all too clear.

The Colonel Walter of the past, of course. Before his death. He wasn't here.

Rabbit goes limp, shoulders hunching with a creak and his grip on the woman dropping away to hang limply at his side. He doesn't cry, no, Rabbit so rarely does, but who knew that artificial optics like he possessed could convey so much emotion?]

[hatchy]

He. had.

[Even if the last he had heard of their creater was his decision, how poor his health was.. He still cared, and knew what had happened to him was for the best-

Oh, the fidgety twitching.] I am glad. of that.

[dropthebase]

Rabbit...

[She lets out a soft sigh, heart twisting for the bot who looked just so upset, wanting to help.]

Oh sweetie... [The hand that had moments ago been clamped onto her arm was taken into hers, fingers curling lightly over the copper digits.] I'm sorry. It's hard when you miss someone, I know that. But if you think of it this way... as amazing as Peter is, certainly some Mun somewhere will want to bring him here, right?

[dropthebase]

[You're like a twitchy puppy, Hatchworth, it's adorable.]

I do recall him saying you were programmed towards musical endeavors. Do you play an instrument, Hatchworth?

[malfunctionbot]

[The 'bot nodded automatically, half-hopeful agreement, half-depressed exasperation as he leaned just a little closer to the sweet woman, squeezing her hand back just as lightly.]

G-g-guess so. Been waitin' months now though...