「 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 ! for @ykcoded 」
White, seething rage clung to the insides of the Dollmaker’s throat as he thumbed the cracked screen of his phone - it burned and gurgled down in the depths of his chest cavity until he was virtually foaming at the lips in his rage. Teeth bared to the overwhelming emptiness of the streets about him, gums pallid and cold against the air; it would have been an unnerving sight to anyone who happened to witness it. The elderly man was heaving in rasping drags of stagnant air through his gritted lips, and forcing it back out of his nostrils in rough, stuttering sniffs. Evidently the news that had just been relayed to him seemed to have been perceived as a vitriolic attack on his intellectual capability, his ever-present notion not to shuck his jobs onto strangers had been confirmed yet again. And so the man was furious, itching with the physical sensation of it.
Of course, this had put the “ culprit ” immediately within the unwavering sights of the Dollmaker, and given the circumstances – the value and newly established significance this android held – the elder was not pleased with the revelation. The concept that his instructions had been acknowledged and agreed upon; only for the other to sneer and proceed with whatever malintent he had decided on after viewing this android infuriated Ernst. He was well aware of the potential profit that these models could be exploited for, but had ( in a bout of what must have been naivety, as much as he despised to believe as much ) stupidly assumed that the other man would have had possessed enough dignity to follow through on his promises.
Vaguely, the Dollmaker wondered if the criminal had been warned of his own prowess - much like had just been about the other’s skeevy activities - and allowed himself a brief surge of self assurance. He wasn’t some petty mechanic and was hardly unfamiliar with inflicting harm upon people, for a moment longer he lingered on the sidewalk, practically preening under the warmth his own self adoration. Although, he eventually turned his gaze over to the dishevelled building before him, gaze accosting the dilapidated walls with disgusted vigour, scanning for any alternate entrances. None. As far as he could see. Ah well, Ernst was hardly afraid of using the front door.
As he lolloped up the crumbling stairs towards the front door, the elder considered the android herself, wondering if she would ( or COULD ) take this to metaphorical heart, the last thing he wanted was the girl to flee in upset and be loose across the city, she certainly knew enough and was hardly a capable survivor in his eyes. He frowned. Afterwards, he would mull over the effects, for now he just needed the girl back. And so he thumped a fist against the door and barked out a viscous German call.
A lamb always follows it’s shepard; she follows him wherever he may lead with a sense of unwavering trust. It was a trust that had managed to unexpectedly root itself in the space between them and grow in the passage of time. That was the precise reason why Penellope showed no sign of protest when the two left the safe haven of the apartment that had slowly, somehow become home, in search of a man who could seemingly help her despite a sense of anxiety -- could the childroid feel that? Apparently so, for the LED beneath dark strands pulsed a concerning amber.
“ This man can fix you, Lamm. “
In the Dollmaker’s shadow did she remain as they were greeted by a man with blue stained fingertips and bourbon on his breath. By the elder’s side did she stay as they were seated on a worn sofa in the parlor, where large hazels wandered along the wallpaper-peeling walls around them. The mansion felt empty despite it’s antique furnishings and jolly host; although she had been made welcome, her eyes averted each time this Android Fixer’s lingered on her for long.
“ I’ll be back to get you when you’re all done. “
“ Ernst... “
Zlatko. The stranger reminded her of his name the moment her flock of two had become one. As the door was locked behind her departed guardian, Penellope trailed the other up the winding staircase and found her determination in upholding a sense of bravery to be fleeting. Something about the house felt unsettling ... perhaps it was the way the floorboards creaked, or the lining of rooms that audibly seemed to be holding no life behind them. Did this man live alone? Her thoughts were abruptly called back to the other, however, when his tone shifted to one of gruff frustration.
“ Hurry up and get in here! Lay up on the table as I prepare. “
Small feet scurry along carpet to catch up and the girl finds herself in a room not as visually pleasant as the others. It seemed to be a rather dark and congested workplace, which had to be expected. Thoughts ran through her mind that would only do so for a deviant: would this stranger really be able to fix her processing unit? Would she see Ernst again soon and be home in time to read a story before bed? Surely if her newfound guardian trusted this man, Penellope could rest at ease. That self reassurance was set on replay as the young android hoisted herself up onto the cold table and did as instructed: laying flat on her back. Moments later, screens and machines around her head came to life as the man approached, carefully locking both her slender wrists onto the table by her sides. With the flick of a switch, a light bore brightly down on the girl, causing her to squint with the adjustment - a fine distraction from the cold wire suddenly locked into a located and revealed cavity in the back of her skull. It was uncomfortable ... and as readjusted eyes found the stranger, so did they see his smirk. The expression alone had her squirming on the table anxiously.
“ You know what’s sad, Little One? How easy it is sometimes. “ Zlatko began before turning his attention to a nearby computer. “ And you: handed over so effortless to me. It’s really not fair to you. “
As the machine attached to her began to hum louder, code flickered across her vision. Glitching in and out of view that only Penellope could see were large red words in warning: MEMORY CORRUPTION DETECTED. Immediately, her temple’s indicator shifted to ruby and petite limbs started wriggling in growing panic.
“ I’m not -- I’m not going to forget anything, am I ...? I don’t want-- “ Her fumbled question prompted a chuckle out of the other just before a calloused hand roughly took hold of her jaw, forcing her to face the male once more in a vice-like grip.
“ Want? Your owner gave you to me, and I don’t need you. Well ... activated, anyway. “
The discomfort Zlatko’s grip on her fragile face held deteriorated as a new pain sunk in. It reached her deepest processor and for a moment, she wondered if her thirium pump had twisted or perhaps collapsed within her chest. Your owner gave you away ... She could hardly believe it. But as the corruption warning across her line of sight climbed in percentage, the old and familiar ache of no longer being wanted for the second time in her life started returning. The conclusion soon reaches her eyes, but the cruel stranger leaves no time for the tears to fall from their synthetic ducts. As the man forcefully turns her head once more, Penellope’s status as a deviant is proven -- as her head pulls sharply away enough to sink her teeth into the other’s thumb. The result was a swear and release of her face - the consequence is a slap across it.
It’s the faint sound of pounding at the front door downstairs which causes Zlatko to freeze. With a grumble and threatening look of warning directed at the young android, he departs the room and closes the door behind him. Who was joining them was a mystery to her, but she strained to hear over the buzzing machines and through the thick wooden door.
[ MEMORY CORRUPTION: 35% ]
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