.& i'm here

MIMI // EMOTIONAL COMPANION indie original character est. aug 7, 2015 written by victoria

[companionshiip]

maycontainneurotoxin‌.

At the sudden sound, she shut the light of her optic off and stilled, her servos and sockets locked into place. It was difficult to make out whatever it was in the darkness- it certainly wasn’t Blue or Orange, their coordinates were still a mile or so through the treeline.

GLaDOS lowered herself slowly towards the ground, not having decided whether to run or fight… perhaps even converse if she was feeling extravagant. She preferred the former- that was what her mobile unit had been built for, after all. But if push came to shove, she was over 8 feet tall.

It was more difficult to make out the speaker in the dark. It didn’t sound malicious- in fact, it sounded a little excited. It, however, was the only possibly-sentient thing that she had come across since surfacing, and she wasn’t stupid enough to rush in blindly without at the very least getting a look at it.

The speaker was human in shaped, even having what appeared to be hair, but a couple of different sensors in her head were giving her mild alerts that this was very much not a human. More obviously, though, were glowing pink and simplistic facial features. They resembled display facings and faces painted onto children’s toys: the most basic of equivalents to human features.

GLaDOS brightened her optic slightly, running through the options several times over. She could outrun it, definitely, but curiosity was one of the things that had pestered her into coming up from Aperture’s cavernous hallways, after all. A non-Aperture construct was intriguing indeed.

She rose to her full height and planted her feet firmly, the tree she leaned against cracking as it reset and the metal of her chassis creaking as she stood, craning her neck to look down at her visitor. Her hands, steely and claw-like, clicked as she locked and unlocked the joints, a spotlight of harsh goldenrod-yellow beaming toward the thing.

She felt it necessary to not make it known that she was a sentient being; humans didn’t take kindly to such things as that at all.

“Identify yourself.”

had MIMI a proper heart, surely it would be beating to record pace. however, the coolant system in her seemed to do the trick just as much, keeping her from overheating out of eagerness for this interaction. the being across from her, presumably another android of some sort appeared TALL.

intimidating? perhaps to some, and perhaps even a bit to MIMI, but a key point of her programming was to hold onto her resolve even in unknown situations. it was within her to find strangers not a threat, but a potential comrade or ally. maybe even a friend, in things went in a hopeful direction. 

the hot pink display on her visor flickered for a moment, like an old television succumbing to static, but just as quickly, a soft smile showed on her face at the request for identification.   “ my name is MIMI. i am a construct of personality intended for social interaction with sentient life. ”   she spoke the words as if she were reciting a mantra, but with a beat of excitement, as if the sheer fact that she was able to finally introduce herself to someone brought some form of joy.

in a moment, however, and after a few slow steps closer, MIMI continued more casually.   “ i’m synthetic life made for emotional companionship. goodness, i – i’ve been searching for so long, but this world has felt so desolate and quiet ever since — ”

the seven hour war? the aftermath? continuing that sentence would bring heartache, so MIMI conveniently skipped over it in favor of that excitement. simple emotional regulation features at play.

she shook her head, reiterating.   “ anyways, i’m incredibly relieved to meet you. what, ah — what can i call you? ”   she offered a hopeful expression, grey fingers folded between each other, antennae twitching upward with great curiosity.

[maycontainneurotoxin]

It was a terrible thing to be right all the time.

The camera feeds, the few scouting drones she had managed not to lose above ground, everything from short range radio signals to echolocation, they said that everyone was gone. Not everything, but everyone. There were creatures she had no data logs of, things that scuttled and flew and swam, all of them just out of reach to be analyzed or for dissection.

They were out of reach until she surfaced, at least. It had taken her a long time, much too long, to build a working mobile chassis. It was hastily constructed, sturdy enough to support her central core but otherwise thin and almost rickety; purposefully so, of course, in case she should need to run. The hands she’d built were rather… limited. They were more complex than the hands of Blue and Orange, but having only five fingers made things much more difficult in this terrain.

It was horrible above ground. The environment was not what it should have been at all, so much drier and emptier- it hadn’t looked like it had been touched by humans in god knew how long. The ground beneath her feet was weak and felt hollow, just as she had suspected it would (It was not exactly ‘feeling’ as much as a poor substitute for it, but she figured that if she needed tactile stimulation, she could simply turn on the nodules in her hands or feet). The land immediately above the facility was… flat. Flat and empty and covered with wild wheat stalks, it had been exactly what she was expecting but what she was so dearly hoping to be false.

It had been exactly five days since she had departed from her facility. GLaDOS had not left it alone, instead accompanied by the two testing constructs known simply as Blue and Orange. Well, not ‘accompanied’ as much as ‘chaperoning’ the two, she liked to think of it. It helped, she supposed, to have something solid leftover from the facility to hold onto- somethings that wouldn’t talk back to her, at the very least.

At this particular moment, the two were ‘scouting’. She knew exactly where they were, about one mile away in another stretch of field nearby- the group had managed to reach a brittle looking forest just as the sun went down over the hazy gray horizon.

GLaDOS had perched herself primly in a cluster of dry trees, the brightness of her optic beam lowered but still scanning the area around her almost lazily. This was a million times more preferable to attempting to hide her chassis beneath the line of the wheat stalks of the field- she much preferred walls and enclosed spaces to wide open areas.

It gave her time to calculate some of the more… alarming things she had come across since surfacing. The lack of wildlife around her, be it human or animal, had been alarming- some of her previous feeds had revealed insect like things crawling sluggishly on the ground, and unidentified shapes in the sky, but upon actually reaching the surface, there was absolutely nothing to be seen during her five-day trek. Also alarming (Less or more-so she couldn’t tell) was the absolutely staggering amount of radiation that permeated the ground. If she hadn’t seen the things on the feeds herself, she wouldn’t have thought it possible that something could live with such a high concentration.

She leaned against one of the trees, listening to the creak of the wood and waiting for the return of Blue and Orange while she glanced between the horizon and the moon and finding herself hating the lack of sound so, so very much.

@companionshiip

[companionshiip]

life -- well, inorganic, synthetic life -- without humanity hadn’t been particularly enjoyable. MIMI, inherently, was a social robot that functioned best when in the company of other beings. after the seven-hour war, though, and the decimation of human society in america, there really hadn’t been much for her. in spite of her purpose for to provide companionship to others, she had instead learnt to provide companionship for herself --- which, honestly, was doable but incredibly lonely.

the beings here, they had replaced a lot of earth’s natural fauna. massive arthropods and strange creatures the likes of which MIMI had never seen ran rampant over the abandoned land. some ignored her due to her inorganic and inedible nature, and others perceived her as a threat out of virtue of simply moving and existing.

suffice to say, everything was massively different and MIMI had struggled for some time to acclimate to it all. eventually, though, she simply grew used to it all -- lonely, yes, and certainly not ideal, but she was used to it.

she’d been trekking through the remnants of the world on this particular day, as she did often roam in hopes of finding another sentient creature or even simply a peaceful location to live out the rest of her battery’s lifespan.

yet, just when she was beginning to feel down about not finding anyone, MIMI saw a skittering of life, not human but synthetic like herself. she caught sight of a couple of robots, much different from herself moving through the land, but they’d been too distant at the time and she’d lost track of them just as soon as she’d seen them. the sight of these other robots gave her motivation to keep searching, to find them or any others alike them that she may interact with. ( maybe she could befriend them! )

it took some time, but eventually she caught sight of another robot. it was difficult for MIMI’s visual sensors to make out who the robot was, but she caught sight of a faint yellow glow emanating from the other bot, and saw movement of the tree the robot leaned against.

it prompted MIMI to pick up her pace, moving through dry and brittle grass beneath her. raising an arm, she waved to the other robot, speaking loud enough to draw attention but not enough to be obstructive.

“ ah --- hello there! ”   her voice echoes into the night, enthusiasm and excitement audible in her voice.   “ goodness, it’s been so long since i’ve seen another person --- are you able to understand me? ”

[sheburnt-deactivated20180419]

          HOW PECULIAR THE CREATURE AFORE HER IS– the pastel tresses & tender features leave a sort of shock settled in her chest, but she’s not APPALLED per se. if she’s honest, there’s a sort of quality to the– machinery? she supposes– that makes it calming, a tender, unscathed remainder of cuteness. MOTHERLY, perhaps is the term she would be seeking ; eyes soft, but wide, as she nods.       ❛ – that would be me, yes, miss, ah… ❜     vocals hesitate, DROPPING off saccharine. ambrosia coats chapped lips & roses blossom ‘pon PALED cheek.     ❛ i’m afraid i don’t know your name. what might it be? ❜

[companionshiip]

            “ mimi. my name is mimi. ”    a gentle smile surfaces, illuminated by RADIANT pink backlighting. a couple of steps forward are softly taken, DENSE & METALLIC frame’s weight softened by the padding of her body, a quiet patter.    “ i hope i haven’t scared you, madge-- i know my appearance isn’t the most-- organic. ”    living personality notwithstanding, many signs easily point to the fact that she is a machine. nevertheless, mimi digresses, voice flowing naturally enough to sound HUMAN when she speaks.    “ i’ve just heard that you’ve been through a lot lately, and, well-- i was wondering if you’d like some company? ”

[companionshiip]

                              a life of underground bunkers is all she knows -- cold, inconspicuous, RESOLUTE. that’s fine; mimi desires nil more than the simplicity of human company. it’s her PURPOSE. it’s what she’s destined for. mechanical body softly whirs as it moves along the concrete floor of district thirteen, along the hospital floors, and over to the patient mimi’s been assigned to. antennae perk at the sight of her -- lovely features, blonde tresses & nice eyes, though the severely SINGED flesh catches mimi’s attention. she makes sure not to stare. she SHAN’T be rude. a cautiously optimistic expression visualizes on the screen that makes up her face.

                           “ ah, hello -- you’re miss madge undersee, am i correct? ”

@sheburnt

[chizuu-deactivated20200817]

MIMI, an original character of mine! she’s a robot that functions as an emotional companion to humans. she’s my precious gay mom robot

[glcdos]

“Congratulations.” She responds in a monotone drenched in sarcasm, her expression twisting to something close to disdain. That friendly tone, those pink colors, and that simple little smiley face; it’s all so sickeningly saccharine. Clearly MIMI was designed to keep humans (with their absurdly fragile emotions) happy. How disgusting.

“My name is ‘none-of-your-business’, nice to meet you. Were you designed to make obvious statements? Because if you were, your creators have done a very good job.”

[companionshiip]

     Perhaps sarcasm detection isn’t MIMI’s strongest point, but she certainly catches the attitude in the other android’s tone. She avoids registering the name as ‘none-of-your-business’, simply leaving that space blank. A small eyebrow raises, displayed on her facial screen, when she responds.

       “Actually, I was designed as an emotional companion. Namely to humans, though I don’t discriminate against the more artificial forms of life,” MIMI explained, “Though, thanks for the compliment on my obvious statement skills. I’ve really refined those ones, I’d say.”

[ennnui-blog1]

@ companionshiip.

[ennnui-blog1]

✿✿ “Well, duh. I mean, not duh. But I’m talking about this thing.”

Liona prodded MIMI’s face with one finger, surprised at the sound it made when she tak-tak-takked on the display. It felt like there was really a piece of circuitry beneath, and, sure enough, she watched the android’s expression flicker and change. 

“Wow, is this your real hair? It looks so healthy… what dye do you use?”

[companionshiip]

         “Oh, I’m afraid that’s not my real hair! Sorry.”

    MIMI could barely hide the slight amount of amusement she felt; she didn’t discourage the stranger’s curiosity, though. In fact, she quite liked showing others how she functioned, with the effort her mothers had put into constructing her. Her voice was gentle when she explained, though her antennae twitched quite enthusiastically.

         “It’s a wig -- since I can’t actually grow hair. Ah, but          thank you very much for the compliment on it, anyhow!”

[brimming-sentience-a-deactivate]

       Oh - how inconsiderate of them. A flash of worry is only apparent through the furrowing of the brows. “ Apologies, your name was MIMI - correct? We are Unit 2750 TANGO BRAVO, but most simply call us Tango. ”

       There was o n e who had given them a proper name. But - they were long since gone. 

[companionshiip]

     A small smile visualizes on the android’s screen as she watches the other. “Ah, Tango. Like, the dance?” She asks -- there’s no hints of judgment in her voice, nor mockery; only the purest of curiosity, the purest of enthusiasm because she can barely help herself but to be happy about meeting others. 

       She registers the name in her database and nods. “Got it. Thanks for sharing your name with me.”

[companionshiip]

     “beep,  boop!  beep  beep!”        she’s not  even  ACTUALLY  making        any beeping noises. she’s just saying        ‘beep’, in her normal-sounding voice.

[wandercr-archive-blog]

@companionshiip

   Eyes red-rimmed from a night spent crying, Eliana hesitantly slipped her way into the clinic. It had been several months since her father’s passing, and though her grief had waned, the thought of continuing her medical training without him had brought it back in full force. She’d been informed that the responsibility of her training had fallen to MIMI, a robot. While she had few qualms with synths and  any creatures of the like, she would have preferred a flesh and blood human teach her, instead.     “You’re my new….mentor, right?” she piped up quietly, punctuating her inquiry with a quiet sniffle. “I’m Eliana.” Whether or not MIMI had been fully informed of the situation was unbeknownst to her. In the passing months, she’d avoided contact with humans and synths alike, too caught up in her sorrow to really even care  what was going on outside her quarters.

[companionshiip]

     Her assignment had been to assist in medical training -- to mentor, per se; a reasonable thing, as it was what the android was accustomed to. The woman she was assigned to? Eliana Tyler. MIMI had been given a small amount of data on her, though a detailed and comprehensible background was something she lacked. Nevertheless, she greeted her with patience and friendliness. “Eliana? It’s good to finally meet you.” 

     There was a certain dejection to Eliana’s body language that MIMI took note of. It was her automatic response to react in a gentle manner, to avoid a harsh introduction.  “My name is MIMI. I’ll be here to guide you along your medical training. If you have any  questions or concerns, don’t be afraid to let me know, okay?”

[companionshiip]

porcelaindxncer !

          “They are! They’re great. You’ll love them.” Speaking of which, they were getting farther and farther down the solitary road. Her massive house was just around the corner, and even as they turned, the booming barking of Samson filled their ears.

     The golden retriever launched itself down the road, sprinting towards the two of them. Back towards the house, Roxie sat on the porch watching with cautious eyes at the stranger with her mistress. “This is Samson!” Addy laughed as the big dog ran up to MIMI and began enthusiastically sniffing her (and drooling slightly on her foot.)

     MIMI regarded the dog with absolute delight, a big smile visualizing itself upon her screen as she knelt over to the dog. It only took a moment for her scanners to identify the Samson as a friendly matter of organic life -- something she’d quite like to be around. 

          “Oh, my! What a handsome fellow he is,” she crooned, stroking the animal’s fur and giving him a few light pats on the head. She hadn’t had much experience with animals thus far, but the android was quite eager to obtain some. “Such a nice name, too! How long did you say you’ve had him?”

[binarymind-archive]

[   @companionshiip    ]

    “Hey, MIMI, were you…created by the Institute, too?” Eliana had mentioned that the  two of them had traveled together for quite some time, but she hadn’t ever spoken of the other bot’s origins. It seemed unlikely. Christopher had never encountered a synth like her in the past. “Sorry if I shouldn’t ask that – - I’m just curious. You’re different from every generation of synth I’ve seen.”

[companionshiip]

          “The institute?” MIMI’s tone was gentle, understanding, especially after Chris’s rather polite tone and apology. She shook her head, light pink tresses bouncing with her movement, “No, I’m afraid not. I was created before the war had... taken everything. Before the atomic blasts, you know?” A light, but robotic chuckle escaped her. “With that in mind, I suppose I’m rather old. I’m surprised my core has lasted this long.”

[ennnui-blog1]

@ companionshiip.

✿ - - “Huh…?”

Liona turned her head. Almost unconsciously, a sound of surprise had escaped her. She knew she shouldn’t gawk, but… well, if someone didn’t want to be gawked at, they shouldn’t wear such a costume in public. She couldn’t help it, really. She made a beeline for the stranger, tugging, gingerly as she could, on the sleeve of her collared shirt.

“Excuse me.” Liona cleared her throat. “What are you cosplaying as?”

[companionshiip]

          “I... beg your pardon?”

     MIMI faced the stranger, a human, looking over her with a curious expression upon her screen. A pair of antennae twitched sensitively as the android silently processed the question, looking up the definition of the word cosplay. When the result came in, she could only express her puzzlement.

          “Oh, I’m not wearing a costume. I’m wearing my usual clothes.”

[glcdos]

Oh, how she loathes her current body. It’s a disgustingly human thing, both in its appearance and design. Why else would it have hair? The scientists that designed it must’ve been thinking with their hormones. (If she hadn’t already killed them decades ago, GLaDOS would wreak a bloody revenge for their stupidity.) The nosy android gives perspective, though. At least GLaDOS’ hair isn’t so long and obnoxiously pink.

“So what if I am? Who wants to know?” Her response is cautious, paranoid. The smart way to act, especially now that her immortality is less than guaranteed.

[companionshiip]

     The other android’s attitude and sharpened tone of response, of course, does little to discourage MIMI from interaction. It’s been quite literally hardwired into her metallic mind to remain calm, to avoid conflict. She clasps her hands together thoughtfully, giving a short nod of her head as she proceeds. Her words come with a friendly yet gentle tone.

          “Oh, my name is MIMI. Pardon me for intruding on your business, but I just couldn’t help but notice.” Her facial screen illuminates with a small smile. “Living in such an organic-dominated world -- that is to say, a world full of... you know, humans -- it’s not every day that I happen upon another android.”

[companionshiip]

@ofneurotoxin​ liked this starter call!!

            Was it a bad thing that MIMI’s first thought of the other AI was of how lovely she looked? Perhaps not -- all life was lovely, even the synthetic variant of it. Even so, she couldn’t help but be curious about this one. “Ah, hello there. I don’t believe we’ve met before -- you are artificial life, yes?”

[companionshiip]

@@brimming-sentience​ liked this starter call!!

               “You know, I don’t think I ever caught your name.” MIMI’s tone is simply calm, though hints of curiosity are audible as she gazes upon the other android. “Not that you have to tell me your name. I won’t force you -- but, is there any sort of nickname I could use, if not?”

[companionshiip]

[when u play a muse that puts in serious effort into loving humanity & being kind to everyone..... and tumblr recommends u a burn book blog......]