[A soft sound, more like a huff than a growl, comes from the ground near Ivan. When looking down he sees a small dragon, looking around like, it’s thinking “how the fuck did I get here?”.]
Three boys are a bit preoccupied to notice that scared reptile.
“Looks fricking great, eve-bro,” laughs Bing as he keeps his hair away to admire the piercing.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’m amazing,” Ivan grumbles. Oliver squirms, amber eyes looking over at Bing for assurance as Ivan hovers with the needle. “If you don’t sit still, this won’t go well.”
Ollie finally looks at Ivan with a pout. “But what if it hurts?”
“Then turn off your pain sensors.” He then glances down to acknowledge the noise with a scowl — only for his face to melt. Oliver forgotten, Ivan abandons the needle to get on the dragon’s level. “Hi…”
We take a moment to go back in time. We move back about a year ago in the time of this existence. We settle into when the four Googles arrive at the Kawamura-Barnum Manor.
I, your Teller, will leave you to gain insight.
The slanted blinds allowed the setting sun to peer into the office with warm, grey green walls, casting the space in a soft glow. It smelled, not dusty, but old. A rocks glass full of dark amber liquid was settled on a coaster, full cube hitting the sides of the glass musically, grey fingers adjusting the cup by its lip out of habit. The figure whom the grey hand belonged to was interesting. At the moment, they were rather feminine with a hairless face and hair that just reached their shoulders without obstructing their face. Their right hand moved back to a keyboard on that side — eyes so dark that the iris and pupil appeared to be one and the same as they focused on the screen.
Three of the androids could not decide on how to view the being as they observed. One, however, wanted answers.
“Why are you grey?”
The genuine question caused Dark to pause, gaze returning to the four newcomers. The green one — small thing that he was — had quickly made himself comfortable in one of the two chairs on the opposing side of the desk, lounging with little care until the one spoke, but he now was side-eyeing his fellow sitter. In between the two chairs and a step back, the blue one stood still as a statue, face completely blank as his eyes freckled with violet moved to the yellow speaker. Behind the second chair towered the red android, head jerking with surprise at the one in front of him, and he placed a hand on the speaker’s shoulder.
Oliver did not feel the tension (and did not understand the hand to be chiding), far too distracted in his observations of the business person. “Is it paint?” His amber eyes lit up at the prospect. (And his freckles may have been glowing? Dark struggled to tell.)
Their lips twitched with the slightest smile as they brought their full attention to Oliver. What fascinated Dark the most was that the other three understood the social faux pas taking place. “No, it is not paint. I am not actually grey,” their voice flowed, unplaceable between feminine and masculine. As they continued, it smoothed to be low and rich. “There is an ambient field around me of raw aura that affects the perception of colour; it’s an illusion of sorts. At times, it reacts to my mood as well. I do have some control over it seeing as I am able to suppress it, but that takes energy and focus that I do not care to expend in the comfort of my personal home office. Any more questions, hon?”
Cordial, polite. Patient. Eric relaxed his grip on Oliver as he noted that Dark was being all of these things towards his ch– brother. Brother, brother, brother. Those void-like eyes moved to Eric who took in a breath to handle himself before Dark was focusing again on Oliver, and the yellow bot leaned forward.
“Yeah, I do! Why are we here?”
“That is what we’ll be discussing in a moment,” promised Dark whose visage was undergoing very gradual change. Ivan watched in horrific entrancement as their hair shortened back into their scalp, face becoming prickled with stubble instead of being naturally hairless. Even their hands changed to have more wrinkles in the knuckles. “I had received a very brief email asking to expedite the arrival of four ‘top-of-the-line models’ to begin the phase of testing, so I wanted to ask —” Dark quickly swiped at their bottom lip while exhaling a brief word, the air around them cracking with static.
Three of the four reacted. Oliver covered his ears, curling into the chair as his face scrunched up uncomfortably, and he didn’t notice the warble of discomfort he was making. With green eyes bright with panic as his pupils were narrowed to pinpricks, Ivan scrambled to sit up straight, and his teeth ground together loud enough to be heard. Flames rushed up Eric’s arms — quickly snuffed with a glance from Dark who traced a finger on the desk — and his synthetic pupils dilated and shrank back and forth erratically.
The blue one was completely still, irises swirling to a blend of turquoise and mint. His hair was long on top and falling messily on the sides in a middleish part, but some lone strands stood on end.
“— why were you sent here early? In your own words of course. Communications have been cut.” Dark rose from the office chair and moved to the window to crack it open to air out whatever chemical Eric happened to be producing. They returned to their desk and took a sip from the manhatten.
“What the fuck did you do!?” Dark’s eyebrows shot up at the curse that came from Ivan who had begun holding himself, his eyes darting aimlessly around. “There’s errors everywhere!”
Eric snapped out of it to tower over Ivan as barely-there fire radiated from his arms. “Where did you learn that language? That is not how we speak. You need to apologize for being rude–”
“Don’t pretend you’re not freaking out, too!” snapped Ivan, now kneeling on the chair to be higher, hands clasped on the armrest and back. The green bot bared his teeth with a growl. “Everyone can see what you’re about to do. Gonna burn this room down, too, you fucking pyro?”
Curling in on himself more and more, Oliver had tears welling in his eyes. “Stop fighting. Please stop fighting.” He grew smaller and smaller, hands on his head to hide in his knees.
Dark looked upon the contained pandemonium scrutinizingly, more aware about what they were given: four people in a tenuous relationship. As Ivan’s voice grew louder over Eric’s calm reprimands, Dark happened to make eye contact with the silent one whose eyes warped to cyan.
“May I touch one of your power outlets.”
Eric and Ivan’s squabbling halted, so only Oliver’s concealed whimpers could be heard from his balled-up form. Baffled, Ivan stared at Blue as Eric tilted his head, brow scrunched in concern. “Blue…?” gingerly asked Eric who did not finish the question of if Blue was okay.
Dark invited, curious, “You’re more than welcome to.”
The blue Google moved over to the wall opposing the window to reach down, and a loud pop of electricity could be heard. As the light overhead and the desk lamp flickered for a brief moment from the power surge, he stood back up, posture perfect, and his hair settled with gravity again. As he returned to his fellows, he placed a hand on Ivan’s shoulder. “I know you are excited that you do not need to filter yourself, but we are in polite company that can send us back.”
With Ivan sobered (and huffy), Blue let his hand rest upon the middle of Eric’s upper back before he moved to sniffling Oliver and picked him up. No thought behind the action, the sensitive, bigger bot reached to wrap his arms around Blue’s neck with his legs curled up to shape himself as small as possible. The eldest held him briefly before handing him to Eric, and the guardian hastily collected Oliver in his embrace to coddle and comfort.
Blue turned back to Dark. “I believe you asked for our own words on why we were sent here. We appreciate having the remote access monitoring removed for this moment, but, unfortunately, the answer is the same as corporate’s.
“We were sent here as per the Google Corporation’s wish for a more organic test ground after excelling at the given tests and when goals were reached before the predicted timeline,” Blue reiterated information that Dark already had, slowly blinking (for the first time since he had arrived, it dawned on Dark). “The corporation appreciates that you accepted the sudden change in schedule and thanks you for the cosmetic base.”
Dark was about to reply in frustration when their phone chimed, and a scowl overtook their features. They had told all to not disturb them, yet someone… [E25N3CRY926P33TE7D messaged: I do not want to say what I did in front of the other three.] Dark glanced back up at Blue’s stare, unwavering until he gave two, fluttering blinks.
“Excuse me for letting my phone interrupt our conversation,” they smoothed over while putting the device away again. “If that truly is all you have to say, you may take your leave. I want you to stay — Blue, was it?” Ivan held his breath at that, and Eric pressed a kiss to Oliver’s head nervously. Separated? So soon?
“Yes, I also have some topics I wish to discuss since we are not human: needs and care.” His voice never dipped, never lilted, never stammered; his expression never changed, vacant and neutral.
Blue took Oliver’s former seat as Ivan stood up to join his other two brothers. Eric paused to shift Oliver into one arm and to then gently grasp Blue’s shoulder. “We’ll see you out there later.”
The heads of Bing, Oliver, and Ivan jerked to the door where Blue stood. The eldest Google held no affect as always, his eyes speckled with lavenders over faded turquoise.
What has him worked up? wondered Bing who immediately backtracked his thoughts. Worked up? What was he thinking?? Worked up? Blue was never worked up over anything.
Oliver scrambled over, the waterworks already going as he bombarded the shorter android with a squeeze, tucking to be smaller for the moment. “I wanted to get my ears pierced but now it’s scary and what if it hurts but Bing and Ivan both look cool with them but I don’t wan’it to hurt!”
Eyes scanning the room, Blue easily brought his arms around Oliver, one hand settling in the dry hair. “If you do not like the piercing, you could take it out, and your skin will repair itself against the minor scrape.
“And I do not see Ivan’s piercing, so I believe you may be —”
Ivan stuck out his tongue, and Blue clicked his jaw shut as Ivan waggled his pierced tongue for emphasis.
Blue corrected himself, “You and I can have no piercings together until you choose otherwise.”
“—one it before. I can probably open it.” Bing’s head jerked towards the door that slid open while Blue stood still facing towards the open doorway. The orange bot was baffled, sputtering, “Wait? You have his password?”
“No. Dark granted me administrative privileges,” stated Blue who stepped through the doorway to the room to study the makeshift irrigation system Ivan had set up.
Bing followed, not wanting to be left in the doorway alone. “Hol’dup, so you could’ve opened my door?”
“That is correct.” Blue moved his fingers through some of the plants before checking the soil. Seemed healthy? “You should awaken him to have him repair your eye. I believe you have the means to do so.” The Google moved to the snake tank where Delilah lifted her head curiously.
“But…” Why didn’t you just open my door?? he wanted to demand. It didn’t make sense. Blue didn’t make sense. It would have been more efficient. But Blue stayed and brought him to Ivan’s room and was still staying. Why? Why why why??
The Bing’s focus turned to the mound on the floor of clothes where a little bit of buzzed head peaked out. “We have got to get you a bed, dawg,” he mumbled while kneeling down before sliding an arm under the blanket to grab Ivan’s bicep.
In an instance, the smallest Google was beginning to flail from within his self made tomb. Hoodies flew as his arms erupted from the covers to throw his weight towards his awakener. “That’s for emergencies!” he snapped only to then simmer, eyes narrowing at Bing who gave an unsteady smile. “Didn’t know it was you.”
“And Blue.”
Ivan’s eyes looked pass Bing to take note of the eldest who had picked up Delilah to watch her explore his arms. “And my brother.” Ivan crossed his arms in a large manner only to then lunge at Bing who began screeching. “LET ME SEE YOUR FACE; WHAT DID YOU DO?”
Dark’s words were ice placed on Bing’s neck to melt, trickling down his spine bit by bit with a chill like no other. He offered a lopsided grin in return. “I’m on time though, boss man.”
“Early, actually, which I appreciate,” they corrected, moving their eyes to the analog clock on the other side of the empty conference room — not that their eyes had been on him in the first place. “It gives me time to ask what the cause of your absence was.”
Bing swallowed thickly before grinning a little wider with anxiety, tension pumping through his core. The substitute shades with green lenses from Ivan were not as big as he would have liked, but they were enough, he had to remind himself. Also, how the frick does Ivan see in these things? Everything is so green— “Just got, uh, caught up in stuff. Like– like the rats. And art. Ya know.” He pushed out a weak laugh as he forced himself to not fidget under the weight of the air.
Silence settled over the two of them, the room still dim from only having window light of the approaching evening. The black irises on black pupils pierced through Bing, scrutinizing his being, looking at him for once — Bing felt dizzy — before Dark turned their head away again. “I will not press, Bing. However, I do want to say I’m upset at the lack of communication. Your presence away had been very frustrating.”
“Frustrating?”
“Do not miss another meeting,” they continued, their head tipping in his direction with a long blink. “Whether you realize it or not, there are quite a few here that listen to you, and the sway that you have benefits me as well.” The head of the house closed their eyes to take in a slow breath before the world glitched, and they were now sitting in a relaxed position at one head of the table.
Bing clenched his fists. “Why does it matter to you? You don’t even like me.”
The Bing bot sucked in a breath, instant regret on his tongue. The air went still — No, static buzzed in Bing’s ears. “You understand that one of your fellows, the blue one, he restrains himself?” stated Dark, the words articulated to daggers.
This seemed awfully off topic. Bing folded his arms, rubbing the hoodie sleeves nervously. “N- No? He always answers me when I ask him questions. Or… I guess he… He words it carefully sometimes to skirt around the topic.” Huh. He didn’t like that realization.
“So you do know how to listen,” Dark noted, and the android again focused on the suited other. “Listen well, Bing. It is nothing against you. It never was and never will be something personal against you. I have my past. You have your own. Your friends have theirs. Understand that I am not trying to be disrespectful.”
Bing studied them, mystified by the sudden confession. “Okay.”
__________
__________
“I don’t understand why I can’t go out yet.” Bing flipped through his memory, trying to place a name to the lightly tattooed man who now spoke. The stranger had arisen from his seat brazenly, a hard look in his dark eyes. New? Definitely. The android vaguely remembered the start of a new room before he closed himself off.
This must be the occupant.
Many looked over in confusion at Dark whose jaw shifted in a way that Bing recognized: they did not know. While almost everyone stared at the head, Bing focused on the man beside Dark. Wilford gave a massive yawn, eyes blinking blearily. (Bing struggled to recall any time he had seen Wil tired.) But the brown eyes of the mustached man were on the newcomer who was grasping for answers.
Bing’s gaze flashed back to Dark the moment that Wilford leaned on the table, arms folding to cradle his head as he closed his eyes. Dark managed to postulate further. “You are still a wanted man, Deven-Varen –”
“Yancy.”
“– Yancy, you are still a wanted man,” they corrected smoothly, the repetition hammering into the room. “I am more than comfortable to reveal your situation to everyone here, but I do not have to if you would end this conversation and sit down.”
The newcomer Yancy blanched, and his hands gripped at the table ledge. Keeping eye contact with Dark, he slowly sat back down, an anger in his eyes as he fumed.
“Fucking hell, give the guy a break,” sneered Ivan from his seat while he played with the hoodie string endlessly. “He got here – what? – three weeks ago? You need to get out more, Dark.”
Dark raised an eyebrow at the commentary. “Is that all, Ivan?”
Bing lightly kicked his best friend under the table.
::: pain in my ass texted: not worth it dude
::: Bestie 💚: Yeah yeah yeah
“Yeah,” the green Google scoffed, “that’s all.”
“Wonderful.”
“But, uh — not everyone gets to leave, ya know,” Bing started slowly. Yancy squinted in confusion, but his attention was now on the bot. Bing began to chew his lip but quickly stopped himself and steeled (ha, steel – robots) his nerves. “There’s a handful of people that don’t leave the house. And, dude, think about it: it’s not just about you. Why would you be told to stay in one place if it was only a danger to yourself?”
::: Bestie 💚: Bitch what happened to not worth it
Bing could feel Ivan’s glare on him, but he did not look. He had to remain steadfast.
Yancy mulled it over, eyes now moving back and forth between Bing and Dark. “It’s not forever?” he stated to confirm.
“Until the attention fades. A potential name change thrown in there as well,” Dark added. Yancy settled reluctantly but contently, and the rest of the room simmered to a low as well.
The topic was swept away as Dark took a moment to breathe. “Any other questions or concerns before I move onto the final topic of today.” The soft mumbled were the only response given, the mass of people eager to end this soon to get to their evenings. “Very good. There will be five new residents brought within a month’s time. Randall, Yancy, please take time from your schedules to construct the new rooms. Wilford will give instructions and advice as needed, but I am confident that you will know what to do. You may all be dismissed.” Dark sank back into the chair, and Ivan’s eyes twitched, focus darting over to them.
With a yawning Oliver in tow, Eric paused by Bing on the way out, and a warm hand settled on the orange bot’s head. “Good to see you, Bing.”
There's plants all over the room! Can the cats get an Ivan room tour whenever they're free? - 🌧💙
The gist! Of Ivan’s room. Lot happening here. Many plants. The cluttered stuff is his work bench. Snake tank by the door. Hoodie pile just kinda there. More plants. The dark corner.
