⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢ .⏔⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔⏔ ♡ She/Her ♡ ୨ৎ Digital Artist ୨ৎ ♡ Traditional Artist ♡ ୨ৎ I like object shows, Animated shows, and a little bit of anime ୨ৎ ♡ I LOVE PINK STUFF!!! ♡ ⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢ .⏔⏔⏔⏔ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ⏔⏔⏔⏔ (PROSHIPPERS DNI.)
I have come back from the dead once again to drop something in here and go back to being innactive because i have tried the best i could but i just can't like tumblr. Bit of a different thing today! I'm here to deliver a fanfic! Enjoy!
UNFINISHED CONVERSATIONS
By now most objects had gotten used to seeing Bot around, yet today, they were quite excited! Not that there would be anything in particular to trigger such excitement, but it felt like a great day to take action. Bot put their prancing around to a halt as they reached the still-in-progress Hoot building (weird name if you'd ask them), and opened the doors with a little too much strenght.
"Hi everyone!!" They smilled eagerly. The place looked like something between utter chaos and a neatly organized office. Stacks of paper absolutely everywhere, but seperated in order of importance. Everyone worked incredibly hard in the last few months so they could settle down properly soon, but some places still needed furniture and all of those important things. The hospital and the restaurant were the main priority of the osc, and now that those had been finally taken care of, they could focus on their own commitee. Or atleast that's what Bot thought, but by the looks of it, the osc was too busy to give their own place the time of day.
"Oh- good morning Bot! Did you need something?" Cabby answered hastefully from behind a desk filled to the brim with paperwork.
"Actually, I do! Well, not really. You see, I was thinking we could..." Bot stopped themself before they could finish. Even though Cabby asked, she hadn't taken her eyes off of what she had been doing before.
Cabby stared at her work for a few heartbeats, until she blinked at it, regaining her senses. "Sorry, sorry. You were saying?" She smiled, but it was different from what Bot was used to seeing her like.
Now that they were face to face, Bot could notice the bags under Cabby's eyes. Just how exhausted she actually looked.
"You know what, nevermind. Do uh- you need anything?" Sure, Bot was on their break from construction work, but well, this would be more of a favor for a friend than anything else.
"Wha- psh, nooo! I'm perfectly fine with being busy hahah." Cabby looked to stress a little more as Bot raised an eyebrow at her words. "Okay, maaaybe I'm a little... overworked. But that's just fine! As soon as we're done with all of..." She gestured vaguely at the scenery. "This, everything will fall into it's rightfull place."
"Right." Bot wasn't entirely satisfied with that answer, but atleast they got Cabby to admit to something. "But i'm sure there's something I can do to help! You know how incredibly skilled I am."
Cabby looked through the paperwork on her desk. "Well my tasks for today can only be done by me, I'm trying to figure out who to assign to our future buildings. Hey Suitcase, do you have any other tasks for today?" Cabby called out to her.
Bot hadn't even noticed the head of safety until now. She had been sitting on the floor of the corner of the building, surrounded by all sorts of fabric, silk, and sewing material. Suitcase was holding onto a bright green jacket, all the while trying to sew it together with her mouth, given her lack of arms.
"Bwesides thiz?" Suitcase tried speaking while still holding the sewing needle in her mouth, but realizing it wasn't working, she spat it out. "Sorry, I'm pretty sure I have to catch up with Test Tube on the protection ray."
"Want me to talk to her for you?" Bot offered.
"Oh, that would be great!" Suitcase looked as exhausted as Cabby. "I'm not exactly a seamstress, so these vests for the safety crew might take a while. I'm not even sure if this will fit Lifering" she examined her work intensely.
"Make sure to write a report on it so you don't forget." Cabby added, then opened her bottom drawer in search for something. "Aha! Here you go."
Bot grabbed the notebook and pen Cabby handed them. "Leave it to me! I'll be back in a flash." Then winked and made their way to the doors.
Eventually, Bot reached Test Tube's Laboratory. They remembered something about Test Tube saying it was once a secret lab, but someone found out about it and stole her equipment, so there wasn't any use in keeping it hidden anymore. Now the place had a proper underground entrance, with (weirdly fittingly for Test Tube) 3 seperate ways to enter the area: An extremely tempting slide, a ramp, and a staircase. Obviously, Bot decided to use the slide, as if any other option would have even been acceptable. Though, they found themelves surprised at how fast it was! In a matter of seconds, Bot was thrown out of the slippery ride and landed poorly on the floor. "Ow!" They yelped.
"Lightbulb, how many times do I have to tell you not to use the slide until the ray is finished! I swear, i'm going to tape that thing up the next time you come." Bot heard what only could have been Test Tube's voice coming from the other side of the lab. They got up and peeped over the countertop, only to find her talking to someone with her back turned.
Hah, might as well go along with it. Bot hadn't been around Lightbulb long enough to record soundbytes of her voice yet, but figured they could do a pretty solid impression on their own. They sprinted over the counter and calmly walked towards the two. Only to prop their legs up high right before reaching Test Tube to stand tall over her!
"Omga Tube'! I never knew you were suuuuch a party pooper." Bot teased trying to make their voice sound as low as possible.
"Wait, who- OH NELLY!!" Test Tube turned around, yet tripped in surprise at the sight of Bot so high up! Now that Bot had gotten closer, They realized who Test Tube was talking to before, and who had now caught her before she fell backwards.
"Oh- hey Bot!" Fan was the one who spoke, but he looked... well, blue. He was also a little torn up, which was. Surely new to them. "You've been doing okay? Oh let me tell you, we need to catch up one of these days."
"Right right- but why are you..." Bot pointed with uncertainty while Test Tube glared at them, a rather grumpy look on her face as she re-composed herself.
"Well if you hadn't in-te-rup-ted me oh so rudely, I would have explained that i'm testing the ray on Fan." Test Tube shook the imaginary dust off her knees while Bot retracted down to normal size.
"I didn't interrupt you!" Fan leaned closer to Test Tube, blinking rapidly in a way Bot could only possibly describe as puppy dog eyes.
"W-what?" Test Tube gave a confused look to Fan, only to give in and pat him on the head, trying not to laugh. "No, no you didn't."
Bot waved in their direction. "Hellooo? Still here. Actually, about that, I've been granted with the task of taking note of your progress on that thing. And by the looks of it... let me just write down 'blue' really quick, whatever that means."
"Wait, so Suitcase isn't coming?" Fan asked.
"Nope, she's busy with the OSC." Bot managed to catch a glimpse of him while writting, but couldn't read the expression on his face.
"Well, i'm happy if I still get to explain my process in extreme detail!" Test Tube shrugged, then grabbed a needle and a bundle of thread in a nearby stool.
"What's that for?" Bot decided to sit down, this would take a while after all.
"To analyse the efficiency of the current ray prototype, i've used it on Fan and teared up small bits of his paper." Test Tube worked meticulously on stitching the torned flaps. "But don't worry, unless Fan has an impressive amount of pain tolerance and has been lying to me all this time, my calculations show these small rips should only hurt as much as a... well, a paper cut, hyehye. Any more though could cause some serious trouble."
"And that means I can stop Test Tube from isolating herself down here and becoming an evil scientist!"
She's deffinetly already an evil scientist by now. Sadly, what Bot gathered could only mean the solution to their biggest problem was far from complete. And even more sadly for Balloon, he'd still be forced to walk around wearing bubble wrap. "The ray is still in it's testing phase and currently turns the user blue, but does not stop the damage." Bot wrote down. They were sure they weren't going to forget, but Cabby would need it to be properly catalogued. Suddenly, Fan's phone started to ring loudly to the tone of an intro of a certain web-series he liked. He picked up the call, only for his curiosity to drain as soon as he realized who had called him.
"Fan literally where like, are you?!?" Salt scolded him. "It's 80 degrees outside, our patients are THIS close to getting a heatstroke and... wait... oh my gosh I think i'm going to faint." The call was silent for a few heartbeats. "See, that could have happened. So get here right now, okay?!"
"Yes ma'am." He hung up on Salt somberly. "All in a day's work, I guess. But uh- thanks for having me Test Tube, see you two later."
"WAIT!" Test tube scrambled to reach for something behind the counter, only to bring out a small electronic device, handing it over to Fan. "I made some modifications to your pager, if you ever need some 8-bit entertainment." she winked.
Fan scoffed "Geez Test Tube, you have got to stop spoiling me. I'll... check it out when I can."
As soon as Fan left the lab, Test Tube let out a long sigh and loosened up.
"You're acting weird again.", Bot pointed out.
"It's a... teensie weensie bit complicated." She fell back onto a nearby stool and let its wheels drive her. "Fan hasn't been himself lately, sometimes he doesn't even want to talk to me! And he loves talking!"
Bot hadn't seen any noticable changes in their dad, though, it was probably because they hadn't been able to speak much to eachother ever since the island's renovations started. Still, if anyone were to notice these things, it would make sense for it to be Test Tube.
Test Tube, in a rapid change of mood, grabed the ray gun and spun it around in the most showy-off way she could, only to point it at Bot, making them flinch. "But i'm sure i'll figure it out, I always do! Personal relationships might not be as steady as science, but i've come to master BOTH of those fields." She smirked.
...
"Pf-HAHAHA!" Bot burst in laughter, almost falling back.
"What's so funny, ay?" She teased. "This is still very much a gun you know~"
"Oh nooo! Please don't turn me blue for..."
She retracted the device to analize it. "About two hours, I think."
"What a horrible fate!" Bot spun around in the chair for dramatic effect. Atleast it was good to know Test Tube hadn't been affected by all the work-related stress going around. Despite having what is seemingly the current most important job, she was still the same as ever.
"Hm, now that I think about it, there's no knowing how the blue-ray would affect your..." Test Tube stared at them with a piercing uncertainty. "Uh, actually, how has your structure been?"
"My wha-" Bot couldn't even finish before Test Tube grabbed their arm, looking at it intensively while bending it back and forth.
"Joints seem to be working fine at the moment, but some oil wouldn't hurt..." She muttered beneath her breath.
Bot felt a stinge of anger. They knew Test Tube had good intentions, but it wasn't any excuse to handle them like that. Bot pulled their arm away from Test Tube sharply, leaving the scientist shocked, to say the least.
"I- no, Bot, that's not what I... err...sorry." she set the blueray down. "It's just... you need special care when it comes to these things."
Bot frowned even more. EVERYONE was vulnerable right now, just because they weren't brought up in the same circumstances as the others, their safety was suddenly more important than everyone else's? Infact, Bot was even more safe than most contestants, including Test Tube herself, who with so much as a trip in the wrong direction could be seriously damaged.
"I'm just worried, that's all there is to it." Test Tube lifted her hands in defense. "Due to your mechanical nature, your body is prone to rusting, breaking, malfunc- ahem, all sorts of bad things. And you need constant care in order to succesfully prevent all of that!"
"That's nice and all mom, but there are more pressing matters at hand." Bot lightly tapped the notebook they had recieved from Cabby. "Besides, all of the things you just mentioned take actual time to settle in. I'm sure i'd notice if anything was wrong with me."
"...alright, it's your choice, afterall." Despite seemingly giving in, Test Tube couldn't hide the discomfort plastered all over her face. Just as Bot was ready to change the subject, Test Tube snatched the pen from their hand unnanounced and started waving it around dramatically. "But you know, I would have a clearer mind to work on the protection ray if I knew you were at no such possible risk." She smilled menacingly, as if it were all a biiiiggg joke.
Bot snatched the pen right back and got up from the short stool as high as their "fragile robotic legs' allowed them to. 'Look, if you don't have any more updates, I think we're done here."
They began to step closer to the labs exit, when suddenly, they were stopped dead in their track. WHAM! As if she weren't being unreasonably worried enough, Test Tube was now clinging onto their leg.
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" She cried out so Bot could hear her despite the height distance. "Geez, when did I raise you to not take a joke."
"You didn't raise me at all, actually." Bot came down rolling their eyes. But as soon as they blurted out the words, a slight tug of regret hit them. Bot clearly had put them in a less than comfortable situation, but it was the truth. Despite thinking of Test Tube as their parent, they'd come out to the world already fully formed, and she had nothing to do with who they were now. She would just have to deal with it.
After a while, Test Tube finally broke the silence. "Look, if not for yourself, or even for me, would you just... promise to do what I will ask of you? So many in this community need your help right now. And you can't aid them if you aren't in tip top condition."
For a moment, Bot saw a glimpse of Test Tube. The Test Tube they had come to know for what felt like eternity now. The same Test Tube who, apparently, has been fighting her own battles, and making them her responsibility alone. And yet, that same Test Tube still took precious time out of her busy day to care for them.
Bot let their guard down. "Alright."
Test Tube held out her hand, expecting Bot to hand over the pen they had just recently taken back. With a little mental work, Bot handed it to her.
"You don't need to look into them right now, but there are some books in Cabby's library about robotics, and despite being volumous, they contain some valuable information." Test Tube rumaged through her things, looking for a spare piece of paper to write on. "If you don't wish to be a burden on anyone, not that you are, then you might want to know how to figure these things out for yourself."
Test Tube gave Bot the small list of book names she'd compiled. They must be a hastle to read... Bot thought. They hadn't even gotten around to the adventure novels Cabby had recommended. But who knows? If they are anything like Test Tube, it shouldn't be much of a problem.
"Oh!" Test Tube's mood changed rapidly, which was never a good sign. "I could make you a copy of your original blueprints! The ones I made all the way back before you were conscious. If I remember correctly they are..."
"No need to do that!!" Bot yelled out before the way-too-excited scientist part of Test Tube could get ahead of herself and wander off. "I'd rather not see my insides right now thank you very much."
Apparently, that was enough to knock some sense into her. "RIGHT! heh-hyeh, right you are." She turned back, only to look once more at the ray gun she had put down on the counter a while ago. "I clearly still have a lot of work to do if we want this think to function properly. You should probably go break the news to Suitcase."
Bot looked once more at the book recomendations. Really examining Test Tube's barely readable, shaky handwritting. Bot knew Test Tube cared, it was all over her. She had proven it time and time again, but it still all felt so... surreal. Maybe that's what was bothering them all along.
"Hey, Test Tube?"
"Yeah?"
"When we first started talking, about all of... me, I couldn't help but feel like you were lovebombing me." Bot looked away, there was no way they could look Test Tube with a straight face. "That if I did anything wrong, all of that love would be swept under the rug as if it never happened. Because... it was just so much! After those initial complications, I felt like if I wasn't too carefull, i'd drown in all of that support!"
Bot shot a glance at Test Tube for a moment, trying to read through her surprised eyes. But it wasn't of much use when their own vision was blurred by held back tears.
"And... I don't know." They continued. "I don't still believe those things but I don't... think I know how to handle all of that, heh." Bot smilled.
Then, Test Tube kneeled in the way Bot was all too familiar with by now. "To be honest, I don't know how to deal with all of...us, either. I've got no clue on what i'm doing, but if even after all of that, you still want me to be a part of your life? Then maybe I did do something right, for once." Bot wiped their eyes, it was almost as if all of their worries could melt away right then and there. "I'm sorry if I came off too strong, like with most of my inventions, i'm still figuring things out as I go. But, hey..." Test Tube held Bot's hands in her own. "There's nothing you could do to make me stop caring about you. You hear?"
Whatever it was, it sure felt like home.
"Yeah, okay." Bot tightened their grip on Test Tube.
As in on command, Bot noticed an incredibly busy whiteboard just behind Test Tube. They were probably too distracted to have seen it before, but it seemed to be filled to the brim with notes on the protection ray. Despite not understanding any of it, it looked quite impressive.
"Is this all your work?" Bot walked right past her to examine it more closely.
Test Tube got up, following Bot's lead "Oh, yes! Well, all except for that sticky note, that's Lightbulb's." She gestured to a small yellow piece of paper where a doodle of a crab had been drawn. "It's where I started keeping my development log on the protection device."
"Say, I haven't exactly taken the most extensive notes on that... and you know how Cabby loves to be thourough! Can I copy some of this?"
Test Tube immediately lit up in excitement. "Of course! But maybe not these first two parts, that's from when i was trying to figure out how to divide the shimmer energy into smaller portions. Gee, you would never believe how much of a doozy this part was to decipher...
PROPERTY OF CLARISSASBAKERY DONT REPOST THIS OKAY <- sorry there’s an acc that steals specifically my tumblr vids and my captions so. precaution. anyways ii girlies
"I mean, MePhone's not the only one who created someone wanting them to be a certain way, only for the creation to defy them."
I was so happy when Marshmallow said this. The show finally acknowledged how it wasn't right for Fan and Test Tube to create Bot to essentially be Bow and take her place. Season 3 mostly just skimmed over the implications of Fan and Test Tube creating Bot, which I think was because AnimationEpic was trying to keep the season lighthearted, and discussing Bot's situation in more depth would go against that. Anyway, I also think it was significant that Marshmallow, Bow's best friend, was the one who brought it up. She would obviously have stronger feelings about this than most people, since she knows Bow personally.
It was also interesting how Fan jumped to defend himself and justify it, by saying that he and Test Tube have a great relationship with Bot, instead of considering Marshmallow's actual point, which was that he and MePhone have more in common than just hosting II. I think that Marshmallow bringing this up caused him to talk to Bot later about joining the competition, which he did to "prove" to himself that what he said to Marshmallow was true. His conversation with Marshmallow also made him think about Season 3, and how he and Bot didn't actually have a great relationship throughout the season. His actions also would've given Bot a negative first impression of him.
To start, he gets eliminated in the second episode of s3, so he and Bot didn't get a lot of time in the season to connect. Obviously, this isn't his fault, but it means that Bot wouldn't have gotten to know him in this season the way they got to know Test Tube and the other contestants.
In the scene in s3 ep8 where Bot confronts Test Tube about them being a robot and knowing that they couldn't be recovered if they died, Test Tube says something interesting. She says,
Her saying that she couldn't accept it BECAUSE Fan couldn't implies that she created Bot, at least partially, FOR Fan, and he's the main reason why Bot exists. She goes on to talk about how while she physically built Bot, Fan was the one who gave them Bow's personality. At this point, Bot probably thought of their interactions with Fan early in the season in a new light, since they now knew that he created them.
Also, during all of this, Fan had the option to stay at Indefinite Island and wait for Test Tube and Bot to show up after they were eliminated (unless they happened to both be in the final three) or get on the rowboat and go back to the hotel. He choose the second option, meaning that he chose to leave behind his problems and procrastinate despite knowing that Bot would eventually learn the truth. Even if Bot never realized they weren't really Bow, they would inevitably go to Hotel OJ and be confronted by people who knew the real Bow was a ghost, and that Bot COULDN'T be her.
When Test Tube got eliminated and she had the same choice, she chose to wait for Bot to be eliminated, so that she could have a chance to make up with them. She had also made mistakes, but unlike Fan, she was willing to partially take responsibility for what she did and get to know Bot as their true self, not as the person she wanted them to be. In Episode 14, Bot is scared of reuniting with Test Tube because they don't know if she will accept them for who they are.
However, during this episode, Bot gains the courage to talk to Test Tube again when they get eliminated, and the two of them have a nice moment.
Bot never got to have this moment with Fan. They knew that they and Test Tube were both brave enough to reunite with each other, so why didn't Fan also wait for them on the island? Bot probably expected him to also be there, since he and Test Tube are equally responsible for them.
However, Fan couldn't avoid his problems forever, because he got called back to the island to be part of the jury, and then this happened:
I think this scene in particular is what Fan was thinking of in season 4, and it's why he felt the need to prove that he and Bot are on good terms. He wants to prove that he can bounce back from this, partially to Marshmallow, but mostly to himself.
Back in s4 ep2, he is inspired by his conversation with Marshmallow and goes to ask Bot if they want to participate in the game. He feels insecure and hopes that this will help him feel better.
After asking Bot, they say that it wouldn't feel right to be in the competition without MePhone.
This could be interpreted as them missing MePhone, which I'm sure they do because they were close friends, but also as Bot not wanting to join specifically because Fan is hosting. Bot also recognizes that Fan feels very insecure about the whole situation and doesn't want to hurt his feelings, so they offer to help out instead of joining.
Fan even asks Bot directly if they think he's a good person. He thought that this conversation was going to help him feel better, but it just made him feel worse and made Bot feel confused. So then he just leaves to start the competition.
Overall, I think it was interesting how Fan reacted to Marshmallow bringing up Bot, and how he failed to justify it to himself and her. He still feels insecure and guilty about it, especially because of his past mistakes from s3. His attempts to make himself feel better about it don't really work, so he might just keep delaying having a proper conversation about it.
This is just my opinion on these scenes, so other people might feel differently about them.
I hope more episodes in Season 4 touch on this topic because it's really interesting to explore
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