Candroid wrangling [Open]

[powertotearer]

Who: Eiji (powertotearer, some little robots, and you!
When: IC 7/26
Where: Around the residential district
What: Little robot octopi don't like CYbuddies. Eiji tries to keep them under control
Rating/Warning: None

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Eiji discovered something the past couple of weeks--the Tako candroids really didn't like the CYbuddies.

He couldn't figure out why, since after all, they were both small animal robots, but the problem had gotten worse after CERES kindly delivered broken fox CYbuddies to his and Ankh's apartment. Now, they were a threat.

Put simply, the candroids were jealous. And it was war.

So on an otherwise peaceful day, you might see three robot octopi chasing after various CYbuddies in the park or on the sky bridges while Eiji chased after them, with a little robot hawk trying to cut them off before they annoyed another neighbor.

"Takos, stop! Leave them alone!"

Comments

[powertotearer]

"Because they're pets, Ankh." Eiji's long-suffering sigh was accentuated with a brief eyeroll. "It's not always a matter of something being useful--sometimes, you want something around because you like it."

[notsogreedy]

"Tch." Leave it to Eiji to get sentimental about robots. "If they're alive, that's one thing. These things just look like pets." His experiences at the zoo have proved that much. The CYbuddy birds are completely indifferent to him where the real ones won't leave him alone. There's clearly a difference.

Besides, robots built by CERES just seem like a bad thing to keep too close. "Anyway, I don't trust them."

[powertotearer]

"The candroids?" And leave it to Eiji to sound even more judgmental.

"You don't have to trust something to treat it with some respect. The owners, at least."

[notsogreedy]

He just gave Eiji an incredulous look back. The candroids were made to be useful, Eiji. Not to be pets that were probably spies. That was the difference. If they hadn't been worth it as tools, he wouldn't have liked giving Kougami the extra eyes, either. As for the rest, since when has Ankh been respectful to anyone?

[powertotearer]

They were adorable, Ankh, and that was enough for Eiji.

"Then maybe worry about the neighbors? Because if they're going to raise a stink about this, then we could end up in trouble."

At least he still had some logic that made sense.

[notsogreedy]

He rolled his eyes, though he couldn't deny the logic in that part. Still...

"It's not like they did any permanent damage." The candroids might be annoying the neighbors, but things could definitely be worse.

[powertotearer]

"I know, but..."

It was frustrating, and it was hard to put that into words. Eiji wasn't one to go looking for peace and quiet, but he did prefer getting along with people more than anything else.

And a darker part of his mind, one he desperately kept trying to shut up, whispered that it might not be safe for them if they attracted too much attention--CERES couldn't be trusted, after all, and if too many people complained to them about Eiji and Ankh...

He rubbed at his hand for a moment before admitting, "I just don't want this getting blown up into anything worse than it has to be. Remember what happened with the chairman of the neighborhood board?"

[notsogreedy]

There was a look that Ankh gave him whenever that paranoia surfaced; something that seemed just a bit surprised and maybe a little worried. It never lasted long, and now was no exception. He looked away with a slight huff.

"So that's what you're worried about." And, well, he supposed that much was reasonable, considering. He hadn't seen any signs that they were likely to be evicted because he preferred to use the window instead of the door, but staying off of CERES's radar really wasn't a bad idea. "I guess you have a point."

[powertotearer]

Eiji knew that look, and he scowled slightly. He knew what Ankh was thinking.

"I'm working on it. I'm getting better."

[notsogreedy]

And likewise, Ankh knew that was a reply to the look on his face rather than the words. He hadn't intended it to be obvious.

"What's there to work on? You're probably right." Out of all of Eiji's arguments here, the one being worried about CERES deciding they might be a problem was the only one he agreed with.

[powertotearer]

"I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse." It was one thing to feel like he was being paranoid for no reason. It meant the problem was with him, and on some level, he could handle that, given time. But if he was right, then the problem was something he couldn't control, and that was scarier.

"I just keep thinking of Inugami. Even though I didn't have any of the OOO stuff with me, I felt like I was attracting way too much attention and that's how I kept ending up in everything. I still want to help here, but I..."

He cut himself off for a moment. He was still scared, and he hated admitting it to himself.

[notsogreedy]

Ankh wasn't sure, either, in all honesty. On one hand, it was nice to see Eiji considering his own safety for once. On the other... maybe Ankh liked it more when he was an idiot.

Though in some ways he still was, because Ankh couldn't imagine him being able to stop himself from helping someone, scared or not. "Isn't that what you do? Stick your neck out and get yourself involved in everything?"

[powertotearer]

"I know." And he hated himself for being afraid.

"I just don't want anyone getting hurt. And I don't know how to control any of that."

[notsogreedy]

"And you don't like being part of 'anyone'." He gave Eiji a pointed look to punctuate that.

[powertotearer]

Eiji flinched. So he still, after two years, didn't know how to take care of himself. But now, he actually was scared for himself, after everything he'd been through, and he had no idea how to handle it.

"I don't know what to do."

[notsogreedy]

Of course he didn't know what to do. Eiji wasn't used to having a survival instinct. As much as seeing him like that bothered Ankh in a way he wouldn't be able to quite define, it wasn't really a bad thing.

"Well, I can't tell you." Even if he might like to have an answer to that, he didn't. The only person who could sort out Eiji's weird psychology was Eiji. "You don't like my answers, anyway."

[powertotearer]

And that was true. The only thing Ankh could really suggest for him would be to take care of himself and forget everyone else, and Eiji couldn't do that either.

"Right now, if I can just keep these guys under control, maybe it's something. CERES has to know what we can do already, so if I can give them as few reasons as possible to make them mad, then that might be better."

[notsogreedy]

Ankh's only response was to turn his gaze to the candroids. See whether they were listening, and whether any of this had changed their minds about going after annoying dogs.

[powertotearer]

There were a couple of hung heads. And maybe the last one still looked a little self-important in the face of those stupid CYbuddies, but that was the Tako Eiji had dealt with the most.

"I mean it. No getting us in trouble, okay?"

Now, some swishing tentacles, as if to say "We promise."